damnation af Hell you may see in Mat. 23. Paul thought it his duty to tell Elymas Acts 13.10 that he was full of all subtilty and mischief the child of the devil and the enemy of all righteousness a perverter of the right wayes of the Lord. And Peter thought meet to tell Simon Magus that he had neither part nor lot in that matter that his heart was not right in the sight of God that he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8.21.23 The charge of Paul to Timothy is plain and urgent 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort And to Titus chap. 1.13 Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Judge now whether Minsters must deal plainly or deceitfully with you and whether it be the searching healing truth that they must bring you or a smooth tale that hath no salt or savour in it And would you have us break these Laws of God for nothing but to deceive you and tell you a â—ie and make the ungodly believe that he is godly or to hide the truth that is necessary to your salvation Is the Knowledge of your selves so intolerable a thing to you Beloved Hearers either it is true that you are yet unsanctified or it is not If it be not it is none of our desire you should think so We do all that we can to cure the mistakes of troubled Christians that think themselves worse then indeed they are But if it be true tell me Why would you not know it I hope it is not because you would not be remembred of your wo and so tormented before the time I hope you think not that we delight to vex mens consciences with fear or to see men live in grief and trouble rather then in well grounded peace and joy And if indeed you are yet unregenerate that is not long of us that tell you of it but of your selves that wilfully continue it Do we make you ungodly by telling you of your ungodliness Is it we that hinder the forgiveness of your sins by letting you know that they are not forgiven O no! We strive for youâ— conversion to this end that your sins may 〈◊〉 forgiven you and you hinder the forgiâ—â—â—ness of them by refusing to be be convetteâ— When God forsaketh stubborn souls 〈◊〉 resisting his grace note how he expreâ—â—seth his severity against them Mark 4 1â— That seeing they may see and not perceiâ—â— and hearing they may hear and not underâ—stand lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them You see here that till they are converted mens sins are not forgiven them And thaâ— whoever procureth the forgiveness of theâ—â— sins must do it by procuring their Conversion And that the hindring of their Conversion is the hindering of their forgiveness And that blindness of mind is the great hinderance of conversion when men do noâ— perceive the very things which they see not knowing the reason and the sense and end of them but the out-side only Noâ— understand the things which they hear And therefore undoubtedly the Teacher that brings you a Light into your minds and first sheweth you your selves and your unconverted and your unpardoned state iâ— he that takes the way to your Conversion and forgiveness As the fore-cited Text sheweth you Acts 18.26 I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light that they may first know themselves and then know God in Jesus Christ and from the power of Satan who ruled them as their Prince and captivated them as their Jaylor unto God whom they had forsaken as a Guide and Governour and were deprived of as their Protector Portion and felicity that they may receive forgiveness of sins which none receive but the converted and an inheritance among them that are sanctified for Glory is the inheritance of the Saints alone Col. 1.12 and all this through faith that is in me by believing in me and giving up themselves unto me that by my Satisfaction Merits Teaching Spirit Intercession and Judgement it may be accomplished Truly Sirs if we knew how to procure your conversion and forgiveness without making you know that you are uncoverted unpardoned we would do it not trouble you needlesly with so sad a discovery Let that man be accounted a butcher of souls not a Physicion for them that delighteth to torment them Let him be accounted unworthy to be a Preacher of the Gospel that envieth you your peace and comfort We would not have you think one jot worse of your condition then it is Know but the very truth what case you are in and we desire no more And so far are we by this from drivinâ— you to Desperation that it is your Desperation that we would prevent by it which can no other way be prevented When you are past Remedy Desperation cannot be avoided And this is necessary to your Remedy There is a conditional Despair and an Absolute Despair The former is necessary to prevent the latter and to bring you to a state of Hope A man that hath the toothache may perhaps despair of being eased without drawing the tooth or a man that hath a gangrened foot may despair of life unless it be cut off that so by the cure he may not be left to an Absolute despair of life So you must despair of being pardoned or saved without conversion that you may be converted and so have hope of your salvation and be saved from final absolute despair I hope you will not be offended with him that would perswade you to Despair of living unless you will eat and drink You have no more reason to be offended with him that would have you despair of being pardoned or saved without Christ or without his sanctifying Spirit HAving said so much of the Necessity of Ministers endeavouring to make â—nregenerate sinners know themselves I shall next try what I can do towards it with â—hose that hear me by proposing these few Questions to your consideration Quest 1. Do you think that you were â—ver unsanctified and in a state of wrath and condemnation or not If not then you are not the off-spring of Adam you are not then of humane race For the Scripture telleth you that We are conceived in sin Psal 51.5 And That by one man sin entred into the world and Death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned and that by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation Rom 5.12.18 And that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8.10 And the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23
â—â—sturbing enemy in adversity As fleshly â—inds misjudge of the law and service of â—od and cannot be subject because of the â—mity against him Rom. 8.7 so do they â—â—sjudge of his chastisements And so far 〈◊〉 they participate of this disease the best â—â—ll be repining and tempted to unworthy â—oughts of God Even innocent nature â—oth to suffer Christ himself saith If it be thy will let this cup pass from me Anâ— nature so far as it is corrupted is yet mucâ— more averse because the Flesh is more inâ—ordinately desirous of its ease and passioâ— more turbulent when it is denyed and thâ— soul hath less apprehension and relish 〈◊〉 that Love of God which is the cause anâ— End and should sweeten all to a Reconâ—ciled well-composed mind and it is alsâ— less satisfied in the will of God and it is leâ—â— subject to it and patience is defective bâ—â—cause of the weakness of the Graces thâ— should support us Besides which also tenderness of spirit and overmuch sensibâ—â—lity fears and trouble are ordinary effecâ— of the weak and tender nature of maâ— especially of the more weak and tendâ—â— sex And when all these concur tâ—â— averseness of the most innocent nature tâ—â— remnants of sin and the special tenderneâ—â— of your nature and sex your burdeâ— and tryal is much the greater and yoâ— grief must needs be much the moâ—â— But I beseech you remember that yoâ— have not to do with an Enemy but a Fâ—â—ther that knoweth what he doth aâ—â— meaneth you no hurt but that which is tâ—â— fittest means to your good and to yoâ— scaping greater hurt that loveth you 〈◊〉 less in the greatest of your pain and danger than in the greatest of your prosperity and peace that you have a Head in Heaven that was partaker with us of flesh and blood that he might deliver us from our bondage which we are in through the fear of death who was made perfect by suffering and is not ashamed to call us Breâ—hren being in all things made like unto us that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God â—o make reconciliation for our sins who â—n that he himself hath suffered being tempted is able to succour them that are â—empted Heb. 2.10 11 14 15 17 18. We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted or tryed â—s we are but without sin He that himself in the days of his flesh did offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryâ—ng and tears to him that was able to save him from death Heb. 5.7 will not be angry if his servants complain and cry â—o him in their suffering He that cryed â—ut My God My God why hast thou forâ—aken me will pitty his poor distressed â—embers and not forsake them when they â—hink themselves forsaken And if they go beyond their bounds in their complainings he will not therefore disregard their moans But he that honoured the patience of Job though he so passionately curseâ— the day of his birth will love the faith anâ— patience of his people notwithstanding the mixtures of unbelief and impatience He is ready with his gracious excuse Matth. 26.41 The spirit is willing buâ— the flesh is weak And he considereth that our strength and flesh is not of stone or brass Job 6.12 He will therefore revive the spirit of the contrite and wiâ—â— not contend for ever nor be alwaies wroth lest the spirit should faile before him and the souls which he hath made Isai 57.15 16. And though no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous yet the end is that he may make uâ— partakers of his Holiness and afterwarâ— it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.10 11. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life which God hath promised to them that love him Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity unâ—ill the pit be digged for the wicked For the â—ord will not Cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Psal 94.12 13 14. Madam if nothing in all the world be more certain that that there is a God who â—s true and just and delighteth in his people when they are lowest in the world If noâ—hing be more sure than that there is a Heaven for persevering penitent believers â—hen are our Arguments for the comfort of Gods afflicted ones no fancies but â—etcht as from the highest excellencies so â—rom the surest realities that ever were presented to the understanding of a man And though the best of Saints have been â—ut to wrestle with the temptations that â—rise from the adversity of Believers and â—he prosperity of the wicked yet this is still â—he result of all their perplexing thoughts Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Though sometime their feet are almost gone and their paths do well nigh slip and they are ready to say We have cleansed our hearts in vain and washed our hands in innocency for all the day are we plagued and chastened every morning yet they soon learn in the sanctuary of God that the wicked are set in slippery places and cast down into destruction and brought to desolation as in a moment and utterly consumed with terrors as a dream when one awaketh so the Lord when he awaketh will despise their image Psal 73. But marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the End of that man is peace Psal 37.37 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil But though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him Eccles 8.11 12. If not here yet certainly at last all shall say Verily there is a Reward for the righteous Psal 58.11 Rest therefore in the Lord and wait patiently for him Commit your way to him Trust in him and he shall bring it to pass For the needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Psal 9.18 How happy are you that God doth thus save you from the temptations of prosperity which you see befool and undo so many before your eyes and that you are not left in the number of â—hose that are men of the world which â—ave their portion in this life Psal 17.14 â—nd are given up to their own hearts lusts â—o walk in their own counsels Psal 81.12 â—nd must hear at last Remember that thou â—n thy life time receivedst thy good things â—ut that here you have your evils and â—hall be comforted when the now-prospeâ—ous wicked are tormented Luke 16.25
man should teach us to â—â—ale as equally with God and finally â—â—solve all guilt and blame into the Free â—nd Vitiated Will of man Humbling self-â—â—owledge maketh us say with Job ch 40.4 Behold I am vile what Shall I answer â—â—ee I will lay my hand upon my mouth â—nd when God is glorifying himself on â—ur relations or our selves by his judgeâ—ents it teacheth us with Araon to hold â—ur Peace Lev. 10.3 and to say with â—â—li It is the Lord let him do what â—â—emeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 And â—ith David 2. Sam. 15.25 If I shall â—â—nd favour in the eyes of the Lord he will â—ring me againe and show me it and his â—abitation But if he thus say I have no â—elight in thee behold here am I let him â—o to me as seemeth good to him And as â—he afflicted Church Mic. 7.9 I will â—eare the indignation of the Lord because I â—ave sinned against him Even a Pharaoh when affliction hath taught him a little to know himself will say The Lord is Righâ—eous and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9.27 when Rehoboam and his Princes are humbled they say The Lord is Righteous 2. Chron. 12.6 see Ezr. 9.15 20. Lastly it is for want of the Knoâ—â—ledge of ourselves that precious Time 〈◊〉 so much lost and hastening Death no 〈◊〉 prepared for Did we carry still about us thâ— sensible Knowledge of our Necessity our Mortality and the unconceivaâ—â—â— change that 's made by Death we should then live as men that are continually waiting for the coming of their Lord and as if we still beheld our graves For wee carry about us that sin and frailty such corruptible flesh as may tell us of Death as plainly as a Grave or Skeleton So great so unspeakably necessary a work as the serious diligent preparatioâ— for our end could not be so sottishly neglected by the ungodly did they throughly and feelingly know what it is to be a Mortall man and what to have an immortall soule what it is to be a sinner and what to pass into an endless life of Joy or Misery And thus I have shewed you some of the fruits both of the Knowledge and Ignorance of our selves even in our Natural and Morall and Politicall capacityes though it be the second that is directly intended in the Text which may help you in the Application Vse ANd now I may suppose that the best of you all the most Honourable the â—ost Learned the most Religious of them 〈◊〉 dare affirm it will acknowlidge that I want not sufficient Reason to urge you with the Question in my Text Know yee â—ot your owne selves Judge by the forementioned effects whether self-acquaintâ—nce even in the most weighty and neâ—estary respects be common among proâ—essed Christians Doth he duely know â—imself as he is a man that doubteth of a Deity whose Image is his very essence 〈◊〉 though not the Morall Image that must â—e produced by renewing Grace Or he â—hat doubteth of a particular Providence â—f which he hath daily and hourly expeâ—ience Or he that doubteth of the Immorâ—ality of his soul or of the Life to come which is the end of his Creation and enâ—owments and is legibly engraven on the Nature and faculties of his soul Do they Morally know themselves that make a â—est of sin and make it their delight that â—ear it as the lightest burden and are not so much humbled by all the distempers anâ— miseryes of their soules as they would 〈◊〉 by a leprosie an imprisonment or disgraâ—â— that have as cold unthankfull thoughts of Christ and of his grace and benefits as 〈◊〉 sicke stomack of a feast That complemenâ— with him at the doore but will not be perswaded to let him in unless he wilâ— come upon their termes and will dweâ—â— with their unmortifyed sin and be a servant to their flesh and leave them their worldly prosperity and delights and saâ— them for these complements and leaving of the flesh when sin and the world 〈◊〉 cast them off Do those men truly know themselves that think they need not the Spirit of Chrisâ— for Regeneration conversion and sanctification nor need not a diligent Holy life nor to be halfe so carefull and serious for their salvation as they are for a shadow of hapâ—piness in the world That would withouâ— entreaty bestir themselves if their houâ—â— were on fire or they were drowning 〈◊〉 the water or were assaulted by a thiâ—â— or enemy and yet think he is too troublesome and Precise that intreateth them 〈◊〉 bestir themselves for Heaven and 〈◊〉 quit themselves like men for their Salvaâ—â—â—on and to look about them and spare no pains for the escaping everlasting misery when this is the time the only time when all this must be done or they are utterly undone for ever Do they know themselves and what they want and what indeed would do them good that itch after sensuall beastiall delights and glut their flesh and please their appetites and lusts and wast their time in needless Sports and long for honour and greatness in the world and study for preferment more then for Salvation and think they can never stand too high nor have too much As if it were so desireable to fall from the highest pinacle or to dye forsaken by that for which they â—orsook the Lord. Do our feathred powdered gawdy galâ—ants or our frizled spotted wanton dames â—nderstand what it is that they are so proud â—f or do so carefully trim up and aâ—orn Do they know what flesh is as â—hey would do if they saw the comlyest â—f their companions when hee hath layn 〈◊〉 month or twelvemonth in the grave Do â—hey know what sin is as a sight of Hell â—ould make them know or the true Beâ—â—efe of such a state If they did they would think that another garb doth better beseem such miserable sinners and that persons in their case have something els to mind and do then toyishly to spruce up themselves like handsome pictures for men to look upon and something els to spend their hours in then dalliance and complements and unnecessary ornaments and that the amiable and honourable beauty and comliness and worth consisteth in the Holy Image of God the wisdom and Heavenly endowments of the soul and in a Heavenly charitable righteous conversation and good works and not in a curious dress or gawdy attire which a foole may wear as well as a wise man and a carkass as well as a living man and a Dives that must lie in Hell when a Lazarus may lie in sores and rags Do they know themselves that fear no snares but chuse the life of greatest temptations and danger to their souls because it is highest or hath most provision for the flesh and that think they can keep in their candle in the greateâ—â— storms and in any company maintain their innocency And yet cannot understand so much of the will of God nor of their own Interest and necessity and danger
truth with delight and love and â—uitableness of soul would needs be the Rule of Worship to all others even in â—he smallest Circumstances and Ceremonies And they would be the Governors of the Church or the Determiners of its mode of Government that never would be â—rought under the Government of Christ â—hemselves If it please them better to spend â—he Lords day in Plays or Sports or comâ—lement or idleness then in learning the will of God in his word or worshipping â—im and begging his mercy and salvation â—nd seriously preparing for an endless life they would have all others do the like If their full souls loathe the honey comb and they are aweary of being instructed above aâ— hour or twice a day they would have all others forced to their measure that they may seem as diligent as others when others are compelled to be as negligent as they Like a queasie-stomackt Lady that caâ— eat but one sllender meal a day and therefore would have all her servants and tenants eat no more or if they do accuseth them of excess If the Emperor of Constantinople make a Law that no subject shall be suffered in his dominions that will not be conformable to him in time and quality and measure for meats and drink and sleep and speech and exercise it would be an honourable misery and uniform calamity and ruine to his subjects Alas did men but know themselves thâ— weakness of their understandings the sinful byas that personal interest and carnal inclinations have set upon their wills they would be less arrogant and more compassionate and not think by making themselves as Gods to reduce the unavoidable diversities that will be found among mankind 〈◊〉 a Unity in Conformity to their minds and wills and that in the matters of God and of â—â—lvation where every mans conscience 〈◊〉 is wise and faithful will be tenacious of 〈◊〉 interest of God and of his Soul â—â—ch he cannot sacrifice to the will of any 〈◊〉 be so just as not to mistake and misreâ—â—t me in all this as if I pleaded for liâ—â—tinism or disorder or spoke against â—â—vernment Civil or Ecclesiastical when 〈◊〉 only private Ambition uncharitableâ—â—â—s and cruelty and Papall usurpations 〈◊〉 the Church and consciences of men 〈◊〉 I am speaking of which men I am 〈◊〉 will have other thoughts of when 〈◊〉 hath made them know themselves then 〈◊〉 have while passion hindreth them 〈◊〉 knowing what spirit they are of They 〈◊〉 then see that the weak in faith should â—â—ve been received and that Catholick â—â—ity is only to be founded in the Uniâ—â—rsal Head and End and Rule 6. The dreadfull change that 's made upon 〈◊〉 minds when misery or approaching death â—akes them doth shew how little they 〈◊〉 themselves before If they have â—â—ken the true estimate of themselves in â—â—eir prosperity how come they to be so â—â—ch changed in adversity Why do they â—â—gin then to cry out of their sins and of 〈◊〉 folly of their worldliness and sensuality and of the vanity of the honoâ—â— and pleasures of this life Why do thâ— then begin to wish with gripes of consâ—â—â—ence that they had better spent their prâ—â—cious time and minded more the matteâ— of eternity and taken the course as thâ—â— did whom they once derided as makâ— more ado then needs Why do they thâ— tremble under the apprehensions of thâ— unreadiness to die and to appear before 〈◊〉 dreadfull God when formerly such though did little trouble them Now there is 〈◊〉 such sense of their sin or danger upâ—â— their hearts Who is it now that ever heâ—â— such lamentations and self-accusations frâ—â— them as then its likely will be heard 〈◊〉 same man that then will wish with Balâ—â—am that he might die the death of the rigâ—â—teous and that his latter end might be as 〈◊〉 will now despise and grieve the righteoâ—â— The same man that then will passionate wish that he had spent his days in 〈◊〉 preparations for his change and lived 〈◊〉 strictly as the best about him is now 〈◊〉 much of another mind that he perceiâ—â— no need of all this diligence but thiâ—â— it is humorous or timerous superstition 〈◊〉 at least that he may do well enough 〈◊〉 out it The same man that will thâ—◠〈◊〉 Mercy Mercy O Mercy Lord to a â—â—â—arting soul that 's loaden with sin and â—â—mbleth under the fear of thy judgement 〈◊〉 now perhaps an enemy to serious earnest â—â—ayer and hates the families and persons â—â—at most use it or at least is prayerless 〈◊〉 cold and dull himself in his desires and 〈◊〉 shut up all with a few careless custoâ—â—ry words and feel no pinching necessity 〈◊〉 awaken him importunately to cry and â—â—ve with God Doth not all this shew 〈◊〉 men are befooled by prosperity and 〈◊〉 acquainted with themselves till danger or â—â—â—amity call them to the bar and force â—â—em better to know themselves Your mutability proveth your ignorance â—â—d mistakes If indeed your case be now 〈◊〉 good as your present confidence or seâ—â—rity do import lament it not in your â—â—versity fear it not when Death is calâ—â—â—g you to the bar of the impartial Judge 〈◊〉 not out then of your ungodliness and â—â—suality of your trifling hypocrisie â—â—ur sleight contemptuous thoughts of â—od and of your casting away your Hopes 〈◊〉 Heaven by wilfull negligence and deâ—â—es If you are sure that you are now in â—â—e right and diligent serious believers in â—â—e wrong then stand to it before the Lord set a good face on your cause if it be good Be not down in the mouth when it is triâ—â— God will do you no wong If your 〈◊〉 be good he will surely justifie you 〈◊〉 will not mar it Wish not to dye the deaâ—â— of the Righteous say not to them Gâ—â—â— us of your oyl for our lamps are gone ouâ— Mat. 25.8 If all their Care and Love 〈◊〉 Labour in seeking first the Kingdom of Gâ—â— and its Righteousness be a needless thing wish not for it in your extremity but 〈◊〉 it needless then If fervent prayer may bâ— spared now while prayer may be heard 〈◊〉 a few lifeless words that you have learnâ— by rote may serve the turn then call 〈◊〉 on God when answering is past seek him not when he will not be found Prov. 1â— 27 28. When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwindâ— when distress and anguish come upon you Cry not Lord Lord open unto us wheâ— the door is shut Matth. 25.10 11. 〈◊〉 them not foolish then that slept bâ—â— them that watcht if Christ was mistaken and you are in the right Matth. 25.2 Prov. 1.22 O Sirs stand but at the bed-side of one of these ungodly careless men and heaâ— what he saith of his former life of his apâ—roaching change of a Holy or a carnal â—ourse whether a Heavenly or Worldly life 〈◊〉 better unless God have left him to that â—eplorate stupidity which an hours time will put an end to
of you thinke that all these matters are to be put to the adventure and cannot now be known you are dangerously mistaken As you may certainly know by Scripture and the Light of Nature that there is a future Life of joy to the Godly and of misery to the wicked so may you know by a faithfull tryall of yourselves to which of these at present you belong and whether you are under the promise or the threatening know yourselves and you may know whether you are Justifyed oâ— Condemned allready and whether you are the Heires of Heaven or Hell Surely he that comforteth his servants with the Promise of Glory to all that Believe and are new creatures and sanctifyed by his spirit did suppose that we may know whether we Believe and are renewed and sanctifyed or not Or els What comfort can it be to us If blinded Infidels have no meanes to quiet â—hemselves but their unbeliefe and a conâ—eit that there is no such Life of misery â—hey have the most pittifull O piate to ease â—hem in the world and may as well think â—o become immortall by a confident conâ—eit that they shall never die If they befoole â—hemselves with the ordinary Questions where is Hell and what kind of fire is it c I answer them with Augustine Melius â—st dubitare de occultis quam litigare de â—â—â—certis Illum quippe divitem in à rdore â—oenarum illum pauperem in refrigerio gandiorum esse intelligendos non dubito sed quomodo intelligenda illa flamma in inferno ille sinus Abrahae illa divitis lingua ille digitus pauperis illa sitis tormenti illa stilla refrigerii vix fortasse à mansuetè quarentibus contentiose antem sectantibus nunquam invenitur that is It is better to be in doubt about things that are hidden from us then to quarrell about things that are uncertaine to us I am past doubt that we must understand that that Rich man was in the heat of Paine and the Poore man in a refreshing place of Joyes But how to understand that flame in Hell that bosome of Abraham that tongue of the Rich man that finger of the poore man that thirst of torment that drop for cooling or refreshment perhaps will hardly be found by the most humble enquirers but never by contentious strivers So that I may conclude that the greatness and dreadfullness of the case should make every person that hath an eye to see an eare to heare and a Heart to understand to Read and enquire and consider and never rest till they know themselves and understand where it is that they are going to take up their abode to everlasting 2. Consider that All men must shortly know themselves Presumption will be but of short continuance Be never so confident of being saved without Holynes you will speedily be undeceived If the Spirits illumination do not convince and undeceive you Death will undoubtedly do it at the furthest Thousands and Millions know their sin and misery now when it is too late that would not know it when the remedy was at hand sinners your soules are now in darkness your Bodyes are your dungeon But when Death brings you out into the open Light you will see what we could never make you see O how glad would a faithfull minister of Christ be if by any information he could now give you halfe the Light that you shall then have and now make you know at the Heart with the feeling of Repentance that which you must else quickly know even at the Heart with the feeling of despaire sirs I hope you think not that I speak meere fancies to you or any think that is questionable and uncertaine you can not say so without denying your selves to be Christians no nor without contradicting the light of Nature and debasing your soules below the Heathen who believe an immortality of soules in a different state of Joy or mtsery in the Life to come And if you are once below Heathens what are you better then Bruit beasts Better in your naturall faculties and powers as being not made Bruites by your Creatour But worse as to the use of them and the consequents to yourselves because you are voluntary self-abusing Bruites But to live here as a Bruit will not make you die and be hereafter as a Bruit To belive you shall die as a Beast will not prevent the miserable life of an impenitent sinner It will not make your soules to be Mortall to believe they are mortall no more then it will make a beast to be Immortall if he could but think so The coffin-maker and the grave-maker if they never read a Book can tell you that it is no controversie whether you must goe hence And Faith and Reason can both assure you that your soules lie not downe with your Bodies in the dust nor are annihilated by the falling of your earthly tabernacle no more then the spirits when the glass is broken that held them or then your Bodies are annihilated when you put off your clothes or rise out of your beds Or then the bird is annihilated that is got out of the shell or the infant that is by nature cast out of the wombe nor no more then the Angels that appeared to the Apostles or others were annihilated when they disappeared Or if I must speak more suitably to the ungodly no more then the Devil that some time appeareth in a bodily shape is annihilated when that appearance vanisheth As I suppose there is never a person in all this populous city that was here but seven-score years agoe so I suppose there is none of you that are here to day that expect to be here so long a time They are gone before you into a world where there is no presumption or security and you are going after them and are almost there As easily as you set here I tell you all you are going after them apace and are almost there O Sirs that world is a world of Light To the damned soules it is called Outer darkness because they have none of the Light of Glory or of Comfort But they shall have the Light of a self-accusing self-tormenting Conscience that is gone out of the darknes of self-ignorance and self-deceit and is fully cured of its slumber and insensibility Do you now take a civilized person for a Saint you will not do so long Doth the Baptisme of water only goe with you now for the Regeneration of the Spirit It will not be so long you will shortly be undeceived Doth a ceremonious Pharisee thank God for the sincerity and Holynes which he never had He will shortly be taught better to know the nature of Holyness and sincerity and that God Justifyeth not all that Justifie themselves Doth a little formal heartless Hypocriticall devotion now cover a sensuall worldly mind The cover will be shortly taken off and the nakednes and deformity of the Pharisee will appeare Doth the name of
Saviour and of Enmity to the Holy Spirit while you call him your sanctifyer If you did but know that your sins are unpardoned and your souls unjustified and that you are condemned already and shall certainly be damned if you die as you are could you live quietly in such a state Could you sleep and eat and drink quietly and follow your trades and let time run on without repenting and returing unto God if you knew that you are past hope if death surprize you in this condition For the Lords sake Sirs rouze up your selves a little and be serious in a business that concerneth you more then ten thousand natural lives and tell me or rather tell your selves If you did but know that while you sit here you are unrenewed and therefore under the curse of God and in the bondage of the Devil and are hasting towards perdition and are gone for ever if you be not sanctified and made new creatures before you die could you then put off this Sermon with a sleepy careless hearing and go home and talk of common matters and no more mind it as you have done by Sermons untill now Could you forbear going alone and there bethinking your selves O what a sinful dreadfull condition are we in What will become of us if we be not regenerate before we die Had we no Vnderstandings no Hearts no life or sense that we have lingered so long and lived so carelesly in such a state O where had we been now if we had died unregenerate How near have we been oft to Death how many sicknesses might have put an end to life and hope Had any of them cut off the slender thread that our lives have hanged on so long and had we died before this day we had been new in Hell without remedy Could any of you that knew this to be your case forbear to betake your selves to God and cry to him in the bitterness of your souls O Lord what Rebells what wretches have we been We have sinned against Heaven and before thee and are 〈◊〉 more worthy to be called thy children O how sin hath captivated our understandings and conquered our very sense and made us live like men that were dead as to the Love and service of God and the work of our salvation which we were created and redemned for O Lord have mercy upon these blinded senseless miserable souls Have mercy upon these despisers and abusers of thy mercy O save us or we perish Save us from our sins from Satan from thy curse and wrath Save us or we are undone and lost for ever Save us from the unquenchable fire from the worm that never dieth from the bottomless pit the outer darkness the horrid gulf of endless misery O let the bowels of thy compassion yearn over us O save us for thy Mercy sake Shut not out the cries of miserable sinners Regenerate renew and sanctifie our hearts O make us new creatures O plant thine Image on our souls and incline them towards thee that they may be wholly thine O make us such as thou commandest us to be Away with our sins and sinfull pleasures and sinfull company We have had too much too much of them already Let us now be thine associated with them that Love and fear thee imployed in the works of Holiness and obedience all our dayes Lord we are willing to let go our sins and to be thy servants or if we be not make us willing What say you Sirs if you knew that you were this hour in a state of condemnation could you forbear making haste with such confessions complaints and earnest supplications to God And could you forbear going presently to some faithfull Minister or godly friend and telling him your case and danger and begging his advice and prayers and asking him what a poor sinner must do to be recovered pardoned and saved that is so deep in sin and misery and hath despised Christ and grace so long Could you tell how to sleep quietly many nights more before you had earnestly sought out for help and made this change How could you choose but presently betake your selves to the company and converse and examples of the godly that are within your reach For when ever a man is truly changed his friendship and company is changed if he have opportunity And how could you choose but go and take your leave of your old companions and with tears and sorrow tell them how foolishly and sinfully you have done and what wrong you have done each others souls and intreat them to repent and do so no more or else you will renounce them and fly from their company as from a Pesthouse Can a man forbear thus to fly from Hell if he saw that he is as near it as a condemned Traytor to the Gallows He that will beg for bread if he be hungry and rather 〈◊〉 by shame then famish would beg for grace if he saw and felt how much he needeth it And seeing it is the way to feel it He that will seek for medicines when he is sick and would do almost any thing to escape a temporal death would he not seek out to Christ the remedy of his soul if he knew and felt that otherwise there is no recovery and would he not do much against eternal death Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for this life was a truth that the Devil knew and maketh use of in his temptations And will a man then be regardless of his soul that knows he hath an immortal soul and of life eternal that knows his danger of eternal death O Sirs it is not possible but the true knowledge of your state of sin and danger would do very much to save you from it For 〈…〉 a wilfull-chosen state All the Deviâ—◠〈◊〉 Hell cannot bring you to it and 〈◊〉 you in it against your will You 〈◊〉 willing of the sin though unwilling of 〈◊〉 punishment And if you truly knew 〈◊〉 â—unishment and your danger of it you â—â—uld be the more unwilling of the sin for God hath affixed punishment to sin for this end that they that else would love the Serpent may hate it for the sting Wâ—ll you not say He is a beast and not a man that will avoid no danger but what he seeth Foreseeing is to a man what seeing is to a beast If he see it before his eyes a beast will not easily be driven into a Cole-pit or a gulf he will draw back and strive if you go about to kill him And is he a man or some monster that wants a name that will go on to Hell when he seeth it as it were before him and that will continue in a state of sin when he knows he must be damned in Hell for ever if he so continue to the end Indeed sin is the deformity and monstrosity of the soul He is a monster of Blindness that seeth not the folly and peril of such a
state and that a state of Holiness is better He is a monster of stupidity that finds himself in such a state and doth not feel it but mâ—â—â—th light of it And he is monster 〈…〉 fulness that will not stir when he 〈◊〉 himself in such a case and seek for 〈…〉 and value the remedy and use the 〈…〉 and forsake his sinfull course and 〈…〉 till further mercy take him up and 〈◊〉 him home and make him welcome 〈◊〉 one that was lost but now is found was 〈◊〉 but is alive I do not doubt for all these expostulations but some men may be such monsters as thus to see that they are in a state of wrath and misery and yet continue in it As 1. Such as have but a glimmering insufficient sight of it and a half-belief while a greater belief and hope of the contrary that is Presumption is predominant at the heart But these are rather to be called men ignorant of their misery then men that know it and men that believe it not then men that do believe it as long as the Ignorance and Presumption is the prevailing part 2. Such as by the rage of appetite and passion are hurried into deadly sin and so continue when ever the tempter offereth them the 〈◊〉 against their Conscience and some apâ—â—ehension of their misery But 〈…〉 commonly a prevalent self 〈…〉 within encouraging and 〈…〉 them in their sin and telling 〈…〉 the reluctancies of their consciâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 the spirits strivings against the 〈…〉 their fits of remorse are true 〈…〉 and though they are sinners they 〈◊〉 they are pardoned and shall be 〈◊〉 so that these do not know themselves 〈◊〉 3. Such as by their deep engagements to the world and love of its prosperity and a custom in sinning are so hardened and cast into a slumber that though they have a secret knowledge or suspicion that their case is miserable yet they are not wakened to the due consideration and feeling of it and therefore they go on as if they knew it not But these have not their knowledge in exercise It is but a candle in a dark lanthorn that now and then giveâ— them a convincing flash when the right side happens to be towards them or like lightning that rather frightens and amazeth them then directeth them And as I said of the former as to the act their self-ignorance is the predominant part and therefore they cannot be said indeâ—â— to know themselves Now and then a â—â—â—vinced apprehension or a fear is not 〈…〉 of their minds 4. Such as being in youth or 〈…〉 do promise themselves long life 〈…〉 others that foolishly put away 〈◊〉 day 〈◊〉 death and think they have yet 〈…〉 before them and therefore though◠〈…〉 convinced of their misery and knâ—â—â—hey must be Converted or Condemned 〈◊〉 yet delay and quiet themselves with purposes to Repent hereafter when Death â—raâ—es neer and there is no other remedie but they must leave their sins or give up all their hopes of Heaven Though these know somewhat of their present misery it is but by such a flashy uneffectuall knowledge as is afore described and they know little of the wickedness of their hearts while they confess them wicked Otherwise they could not imagine that Repentance is so easie a work to such as they as that they can performe it when their hearts are further hardened and that so easily and certainly as that their salvation may be ventured on it by delayes Did they know themselves they would know the backwardness of their hearts and manifold difficulties should make them see the madness of delayes and of longer resisting and abusing the grace of the spirit that must convert them if ever they be saved 5. Such as have light to shew them their misery but live where they heare not the discovery of the Remedie and are left without any knowledge of a Saviour I deny not but such may go on in a state of misery though they know it when they know no way out of it 6. Such as Believe not the Remedie though they heare of it but think that Christ is not to be believed in as the Saviour of the world 7. Such as Believe that Christ is the Redeemer but believe not that he will have mercy upon them as supposing their hearts are not qualifyed for his salvation noâ— ever will be because the day of grace iâ— past and he hath concluded them under a sentence of reprobation and therefore thinking that there is no hope and that their endeavours would be all in vaine they cast off all endeavours and give up themselves to the pleasurs of the flesh and say It is as good be damned for some thing or for a greater mattter as for a lesse So that there are three sorts of Despaire that are not equally dangerous 1. A Despaire of pardon and salvation arising from Infidelity as if the Gospell were not true nor Christ a Saviour to be trusted with our soules if predominant is damnable 2. A Despaire of pardon and salvation arising from a mis-understanding of the Promise as if it pardoned not such sins as ours and denyed mercy to those that have sinned so long as we this is not damnable necessarily of it selfe because it implyeth faith in Christ and not Infidelity but misunderstanding hindereth the applyâ—â—â—g comforting act And therefore this â—ctuall personal despaire is accompanyed â—ith a General actual Hope and with a partiâ—ular personal vertual Hope 3. A Despaire 〈◊〉 pardon and salvation upon the misunâ—erstanding of ourselves as thinking both â—â—at we are gracless and alwaies shall be so â—ecause of the blindness and hardness of our â—earts of this Despaire I say as of the forâ—er it is joyned with faith and with General â—nd Virtual Hope and therefore is not the Despaire that of its self condemneth Many may 〈◊〉 saved that are too much guitly of it But if either of these two later sorts â—hall so far prevaile as to turne men off â—â—om a Holy to a fleshly worldly interest and â—â—fe and make them say Wee will take â—ur pleasure while we may and will have â—â—â—thing for our soules before we lose them â—nd do accordingly this kind of Desperatiâ—â— is damnable by the effects because it â—akes men off the meanes of life and giâ—eth them up to damning sinnes Thus I have shewed you of seven sorts of persons that may know themselves â—heir sin and danger with such an uneffectuall partiall knowledge a I have described and yet continue in that sin and misery And in two cases even sound Believer many possibly go on to sin when they 〈◊〉 the sin and not only see the danger of 〈◊〉 but despairingly thinke it greater then it iâ— As 1. in case of common unavoidable faâ—â—ings infirmites and low degrees of grace we are all imperfect and yet we all knoâ— that it is our duty to be perfect as perfectâ—â—on is opposed to sinfull and not to innâ—â—cent imperfection And yet this knowledâ—â— maketh us
odious and dangerous as the corruption of your souls and that which displeaseth the most Holy God 2. You see an excellency in Holiness of Heart and Life as the Image of God the rectitude of man and that which fits him for eternal blessedness and maketh him amiable in the eyes of God 3. You unfeignedly desire to be rid of your sin how dear soever it hath been to you and to be perfectly sanctifyed by the Holy Spirit by his degrees in the use of the means which he hath appointed and you consent that the Holy Ghost as your sanctifier do purifie you and kindle the Love of God in you and bring it to perfection 4. In Baptism you profess to renounce the world the flesh and the Devil that is as they stand for your Hearts against the Will and Love of God and against the Happiness of the unseen world and against your Faith in Christ your Saviour and against the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost If therefore you are sincere in this part of your Covenant you do upon deliberation perceive all the pleasures profits and honours of this world to be so vain and worthless that you are Habitually resolved to prefer the Love and favour of God and your salvation before them and to be Ruled by Jesus Christ and his Spirit and word rather then by the desires of the flesh or the worlds allurements or the will of man or the suggestions of the devil and to forsake all rather then forsake the Father the Saviour the Sanctifier to whom you are devoted and the everlasting life which upon his promise you have taken for your Hope and Portion This is the sense of Baptism and all this in profession being Essential to your Baptism must be Essential to your Christianity Your Parents Profession of it was necessary to your infant title to the outward priviledges of the Church Your own personal profession is necessary to your continuance of those priviledges and your visible Christianity and communion with the adult And the Truth of what you profess is necessary to your reall Christianity before God and to your title to salvation And this is it that is to be now enquired after You cannot hope to be admitted into Heaven upon lower terms then the sincerity of that profession with entereth you into the Church While we tell you of no higher matters necessary to your salvation then the sincerity of that which is necessary to Baptism and Christianity I hope you will not say we deal too strictly with you Enquire now by a diligent tryal of your hearts whether you truly consent to all these articles of your Baptismal Vow or Covenant If you do you are Regenerate by the Spirit If you do not you have but the Sacrament of Regeneration which aggravateth your guilt as a violated profession and Covenant must needs do And I do not think that any man worthy to be discoursed with will have the face to tell you that any man at the use of Reason is by his Baptism or any thing else in a state of Justification and Salvation whose heart doth not sincerely consent to the Covenant of Baptism and whose Life expresseth not that consent Hence therefore you may perceive that it is a thing unquestionable that all these persons are yet unregenerate and in the bond of their iniquity 1. All those that have not unfeignedly devoted themselves to God as being not their own but his His by the title of Creation Psal 100.3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture And His by the title of Redemption for we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 7.23 And he that unfeignedly taketh God for his Owner and Absolute Lord will heartily give up himself unto him as Paul saith of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave up their own selves to the Lord and to us by the will of God And he that entirely giveth up himself to God doth with himself surrender all that he hath in desire and resolution As Christ with himself doth give us all things Rom. 8.32 and addeth other things to them that seek first his Kingdom and its Righteousness Matth. 6.33 so Christians with themselves do give up all they have to Christ And he that giveth up himself to God will live to God And he that taketh not himself to be his Own will take nothing for his Own but will study the interest of his Lord and think he is best disposed of when he honoureth him most and serveth him best 1 Cor. 6.19.20 Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods If any of you devote not your selves unfeignedly to God and make it not your first enquiry what God would have you be and do but live to your selves and yet think your selves in a state of Life you are mistaken and do not know your selves What abundance might easily see their miserable condition in this discovery Who say in effect our lips are our own Who is Lord over us Psal 12.4 and rather hate and oppose the interest of God and Holiness in the world then devote themselves to the promoting of it Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord ye foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee and established thee 2. All those are unregenerate and in a state of death that are not sincerely subjected to the Governing will of God but are Ruled by their carnal Interest and desires and the word of a man that can gratifie or hurt them can do more with them then the word of God To shew them the command of a man that they think can undo them if they disobey doth more prevail with them then to shew them the command of God that can condemn them unto endless misery They more fear men that can kill the body then God that can destroy both soul and body in Hell fire When the lust of the flesh and the will of man do bear more sway then the will of God its certain that such a soul is unregenerate Rom. 6.3 4 6. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin v. 16. Know ye not that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 1 Pet. 4.4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves
as he goeth further for the world and setteth it nearest to his heart and holds it fastest and will do most for it and consequently loveth it better then Christ he is no true Christian nor in a state of grace The Scriptures put this also out of doubt as you may see Mat. 10.37 38. Luke â—4 26 27 33. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me c. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Whoâ—ver he be of you that forsaketh not all that â—e hath he cannot be my Disciple Know â—e not that the friendship of the world is â—nmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God â—am 4.4 No wonder then if the world must be renounced in our Baptism Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 You see by this time what it is to be Regenerate and to be a Christian indeed by what is contained even in our Baptism and consequently how you may Know your selves whether you are sanctified and the heirs of heaven or not Again therefore I summon you to appear before your consciences and if indeed these Evidences of regeneration are not in you stop not the sentence but confess your sinfull miserable state and condemn your selves and say no longer I hope yet that my present condition may serve turn and that God will forgive me though I should die without any further change Thosâ— Hopes that you may be saved without reâ—generation or that you are regenerate wheâ— you are not are the pillars of Satans forâ—tress in your hearts and keep you froâ— the saving Hopes of the Regenerate thaâ— that will never make you ashamed Upâ—hold not that which Christ is engageâ— against Down it must either by Graâ—â— or Judgement and therefore abuse noâ— your souls by underpropping such an ill-grounded false deceitfull hope You have now time to take it down so orderly and safely as that it fall not on your heads and overwhelm you not for ever But if you stay till death shall undermine it the falâ— will be great and your ruine irreparable If you are wise therefore Know your selves in time II. I have done with that part of my special Exhortation which concerned the unregenerate I am next to speak to those of you that by Grace are brought into a better state and to tell you that it very much concerneth you also even the best of you to labour to be well acquainted with your selves and that both in respect of 1. Your sins and wants and 2. Your Graces and your duties I. Be acquainted with the root and remnant of your sins with your particular inclinations and corrupt affections with their quality their degree and strength with the weaknesses of every grace with your disability to duty and with the omissions or sinfull practises of your lives Search diligently and deeply frequently and accurately peruse your hearts and wayes till you certainly and throughly know your selves And I beseech you let it not suffice you that you know your states and have found your selves in the Love of God in the faith of Christ and possessed by his Spirit Though this be a mercy worth many worlds yet this is not all concerning your selves that you have to know If yet you say that you have no sin you deceive your selves If yet you think you are past all danger your danger is the greater for this mistake As much as you have been humbled for sin as much as you have loathed it and your selves for it as oft as you have confessed it lamented it and complained and prayed against it yet it is alive Though it be mortified it is alive It is said to be mortified as to the prevalency and reign but the relicts of it yet survive were it perfectly dead you were perfectly delivered from it and might say you have no sin but it is not yet so happy with you It will find work for the blood and spirit of Christ and for your selves as long as you are in the flesh And alas too many that know themselves to be upright in the main are yet so much unacquainted with their hearts and lives as to the degrees of grace and sin as that it much disadvantageth them in their Christian progress Go along with me in the carefull observation of these following Evils that may befall even the regenerate by the remnants of self-ignorance 1. The work of Mortification is very much hindered because you know your selves no better as may appear in all these following discoveries 1. You confess not sin to God or man so penitently and sensibly as you ought because you know your selves no better Did you see your inside with a fuller view how deeply would you aggravate your sin How heavily would you charge your selves Repentance would be more intense and more effectual and when you were more contrite you would be more meet for the sense of pardon and for Gods delight Isa 51.15 66.2 It would fill you more with godly shame and self-abhorrence if you better knew your selves It would make you more sensibly say with Paul Rom. 7.23 24. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And with David Psal 38.18 I will declare my iniquity I will be sorry for my sin 40.12 They are more then the hairs of my head 32.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Repentance is the Death of sin and the knowledge of our selves and the sight of our sins is the life of Repentance 2. You pray not against sin for grace and pardon so earnestly as you should because you know your selves no better O that God would but open these too-close hearts unto us and anatomize the relicts of the old man and shew us all the recesses of our self-deceit and the filth of worldliness and carnal inclinations that lurk within us and read us a Lecture upon every part what prayers would it teach us to indite That you be not proud of your holiness let me tell you Christians that a full display of the corruptions that the best of you carry about you would not only take down self-exalting thoughts that you be not lift up above measure but would teach you to pray with fervour and importunity and waken you out of your sleepy indifferency and make you cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me If the sight of a Lazar or cripple or naked person move you to compassion though they use no words if the sight
know himself and know what he should do if he had the temptations of other men And O what sad discoveries are made in the hour of temptation What swarms of vice break out in some like vermin that lay hid in the cold of Winter and crawle about when they feel thâ— Summers heat What horrid corruption which we never observed in our selves before do shew themselves in the hour oâ— temptation Who would have thoughâ— that Righteous Noah had in the Ark 〈◊〉 such a heart as would by carelesness 〈◊〉 into the sin of drunkenness or that rightâ—â—ous Lot had carried from Sodom the seed 〈◊〉 drunkenness and incest in him or thâ—â— David a man so eminent in holiness and a man after Gods own heart had 〈◊〉 heart that had in it the seeds of Adultery and Murder Little thought Peter when he professed Christ Mat. 16.16 that theâ—â— had been in him such carnality and unbelief as would have so soon provoked Christ to say Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offense unto me for thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the things that be of God but those that 〈◊〉 of men ver 22.23 And little did he think â—hen he so vehemently professed his resoluâ—â—on rather to die with Christ then deny him â—â—at there had been then in his heart the 〈◊〉 that would bring forth this bitter â—â—it Mat. 26.74 75. Who knows what 's â—â—rtually in a seed that never saw the tree 〈◊〉 tasted of the fruit Especially when we have not only a â—â—eedom from temptations but also the most â—â—werful means to keep under vitious habits 〈◊〉 hard to know how far they are mortified 〈◊〉 the root When men are among those â—â—at countenance the contrary vertue and â—here the vice is in disgrace and where â—xamples of piety and temperance are still â—efore their eyes If they dwell in such â—aces and company where Authority and â—riendship and Reason do all take part with 〈◊〉 and cry down the evil no wonder 〈◊〉 the evil that is unmortified in mens hearts â—o not much break out to their own or â—thers observations through all this opâ—osition The instance of King Joash is faâ—oâ—s for this who did that which was â—ight in the sight of the Lord all the dayes â—f â—ehojada the Priest that instructed him 2 Kings 12.2 but after his death when the Princes of Juda flattered him with their obeysance he left the house of God and served Idols till wrath came upon the land and was so hardened in sin as to murdeâ— Zechariah the Prophet of God and 〈◊〉 of that Jehojada that had brought him out of obscurity and set him upon the Throneâ— even because he spake in the name of the Lord against his sin 2 Chron. 24.20 21 22. Who would have thought that it had been in the heart of Solomon a man so Wise so Holy and so Solemnly engaged to God by his publick professions and works to have committed the abominations mentioned 1 Kings 11.4 If you say that all this proveth not that there was any seed or root of such a sin in the Heart before but only that the temptation did prevail to cause the acts first and then such habits as those acts did tend to I answer 1. I grant that temptations do not only discover what is in the heart but also make it worse when they prevail and that is no full proof that a man had a proper habit of sin before because by temptation he commits the act For Adam sinned by temptation without an antecedent habit 2. But we know the nature of man to â—e now corrupted and that this corruption 〈◊〉 virtually or seminally all sin disposing â—s to all and that this disposition is strong â—nough to be called a General Habit. When Grace in the sanctified is called A Naâ—ure 2 Pet. 1.4 there is the same reason â—o call the sinfull inclination a Nature â—oo which can signifie nothing else then â— strong and rooted inclination Knowing therefore that the Heart is so corrupted we may well say when the evil fruit appears that there was the seed of it before And the easie and frequent yielding to the temptation shews there was a friend to sin within 3. But if it were not so yet that our hearts should be so frail so defectible mutable and easily drawn to sin is a part of Self-knowledge necessary to our preservation and not to be disregarded 4. I am sure Christ himself tells us that out of the heart proceed the sins of the life Mat. 15.19 and that the evil things of evil men come out of the evil treasure of their hearts Mat. 12.36 And when God permitted the fall of good King Hezekiah the text saith God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart 2 Chron. 32.31 that is that he might shew all that was in his heart so that the weakness and the remaining corruption of Hezekiahs hearâ— were shewn in the sin which he committed 2. And as the sinful Inclinations are harâ—ly discerned and long lie hid till soâ—â— Temptation draw them out so the Act iâ—self is hardly discerned in any of its maliâ—nity till it be done and past and the soâ—â— is brought to a deliberate review Foâ— while a man is in the act of sin either hiâ— understanding is so far deluded as to think it no sin in its kind or none to him that then committeth it or that its better venture on it then not for the attaining of some seeming good or the avoiding of some evil or else the restraining act of the understanding is suspended and withdrawn and it descerneth not practically the pernicious evil of the sin and forbiddeth not the committing of it or forbids it so remisly and with so low a voice as is drowned by the clamour of contradicting passion so that the prohibition is not heard And how can it be then expected that when a man hath not wit enough in use to see his sin so far as to forbear it he should even then see it so far as rightly to judge of himself and it and that when Reason is low and sensuality prevaileth we should then have the right use of Reason for self-discerning When a storm of passion hath blown out the Light and error hath extinguished it we are unlikely then to know our selves When the sensual part is pleasing it self with its fobidden objects that pleasure so corrupts the judgement that men will easily believe that it is lawfull or that it is not very bad So that sin is usually least known and felt when it is greatest and in exercise and one would think should then be most perceptible Like a phrensie or madness or other deliration that is least known when it is greatest and most in act because its nature is destructive to the Reason that should know it Like a spot in the eye that is it self unseen and hindereth the sight of all things else Or as the deeper a mans sleep is the less he
Gods wrath for ever than to find at present that you have offended him Sirs the question is whether you are under the condemnation of the law or not Whether you are regenerate and justified or yet in your sin If you are Justified far be it from me to perswade you to think that you are under condemnation I leave that to Satan and the malicious world who are the condemners of those that Christ doth Justifie But if you are unregenerate and unjustified what will you do at death and judgement Can you stand before God or be saved upon any other terms You cannot if God be to be believed you cannot and if you know the Scriptures you know you cannot And if you cannot be saved in an unrenewed unjustified state is it not needful that you know it Will you cry for help before you find your selves in danger or strive to get out of sin and misery before you believe that you are in it If you think that you have no other sin than the pardoned infirmities of the Godly you will â—ever so value Jesus Christ and pray and â—â—rive for such grace as is necessary to them â—â—at have the unpardoned reigning sins of â—â—e ungodly If it be necessary that you 〈◊〉 saved it is necessary that you value and â—â—ek salvation and if so it is necessary â—â—at you know your need of it and what â—ou must be and do if you will obtain it 〈◊〉 is a childish or brutish thing below a man of reason to stick at a little present trouble when Death cannot otherwise be prevented If you can prove that ever any was converted and saved by any other way then by coming to the knowledge of their sin and misery then you have some excuse for your presumption But if Scripture tell us of no other way yea that there is no other way and you know of none that ever was saved by any other I think it is time to fall to work and search and try your Hearts and lives and not to stop at a straw when you are running for your lives and when damnation is as it were at your backs You should rather think with your selves If we can so hardly bear the forethoughts of Hell how shall we be able everlastingly to bear the torments And consider that Christ hath made the discovery of your sin and misery to be now comparatively an easie burden in that he hath made them pardonable and curable If you had not had a Saviour to fly to but must have looked on your misery as a remediless case it had then been terrible indeed and it had been no great mistake to have thought it the best way to take a little ease at present rather then to disquiet your selves in vain But through the great mercy of God this is not your case you need not despair of pardon and salvation if you will but hear while it is called Today The taske that you are called to is not to torment your selves as the damned do with the thought of unpardonable sin and of a misery that hath no help or hope but it is only to find out your disease and come and open it to the Physicion and submit to his advice and use his means and he will freely and infallibly work the cure It is but to find out the folly that you have been guilty of and the danger that you have brought your selves into and come to Christ and with hearty sorrow and resolution to give up your selves unto his grace to cast away your iniquities and enter into his safe and comfortable service And will you lie in Hell and say We are suffering here that we might escape the trouble of foreseeing our danger of it or of endeavouring in time to have prevented it We dyed for fear of knowing that we were sick We suffered our house â—o burn to ashes for fear of knowing that it was on fire O Sirs be warned in time and own not and practice not such â—egregious folly in a business of everlasting consequence Believe it if you sin you must know that you have sinned and if you are in the power of Satan it cannot long be hid Did you but know the difference between discovering it now while there is hope and hereafter when there is none I should have no need to perswade you to be presently willing to know the truth whatever it should cost you Hind 3. ANother great impediment of the Knowlege of ourselves is that self love so blindeth men that they can see no great evil in themselves or any thing that is their own It makes them believe that all things are as they would have them be Yea and better than they would have them For he that would not indeed be Holy is willing by himself and others to be thought so Did not the lamentable experience of all the world confirm it it were incredible that self-love could so exceedingly blind men If Charity think no evil of another and we are very hardly brought to believe any great harm by those we love much more will self-love cause men to see no evil by themselves which possibly they can shut their eyes against it being more radicated and powerful than the love of others No arguments so cogent no light so clear no oratory so perswading as can make a self-lover think himself as bad as indeed he is till God by grace or terror shall convince him When you are preaching the most searching sermons to convince him self-love confuteth or misapplyeth them When the markes of tryal are most plainly opened and most closely urged self-love doth frustrate the preachers greatest skill and diligence When nothing of sense can be said to prove the piety of the impious and the sincerity of the formal hypocrite yet self love is that wonderful Alchymist that can make gold not only of the basest mettal but of dross and dirt Let the most undenyable witness be brought to detect the fraud and misery of an unrenewed soul self-love is his most powerful defender No cause so bad which it cannot justifie and no person so miserable but it will pronounce him happy till God by Grace or wrath confute it Self-love is the grand Deceiver of the world Dir. 3. SVbdue this inordinate self-love and bring yoar minds to a just impartiality in judging Remember that self-love is only powerful at your private bar and it is not there that your cause must be finally decided It can do nothing at the bar of God It cannot there justifie where it is condemned it self God will not so much as hear it though you will hear none that speak against it self-love is but the vicegerent of the grand Usurper that shall be deposed and have no shew of power at Christs appearing when he will judge his enemies And here it will be a helpful course to see your own sin and misery in others and put the case as if it were theirs and then see how you can
not as dangerously as the other You will aske then What is to be done in such a difficult case If we must neither judge of our selves as we are at the best out of temptation not yet as we are at the worst in the hour of temptation when and how then shall we judge of our selves I answer It is one thing to know our particular sins and their Degrees and another thing to know our state in general whether we are justified and sanctified or not To discern what particular sin is in us and how apt it is to break forth into act we must watch all the stirrings and appearings of it in the time of the temptation But to discern whether it be unmortified and have dominion we must observe these Rules 1. There is no man on earth that is perfectly free from sin and therefore it is no good consequence that sin reigneth unto death because it is not perfectly extinguished or because it is sometime committed unless in the cases after expressed 2. No sin that is truly Mortified and Repented of shall condemn the sinner For pardon is promised to the truly penitent 3. Whatever sin the Will accordingly to its Habitual inclination had rather leave then keep is truly Repented of and mortified For the Will is the principal seat of sin and there is no mere sinfulness then there is Wilfulness Rom. 7.15 16 19 20 21 22. 4. There are some sins which cannot be frequently commited in consistency with true grace or sincere repentance and some which may be frequently commited in consistency with these As where sins are known and great or such as are easily subject to the power of a sanctified will so that he that will reject them may As one such sin must have actual Repentance if actually known so the frequent committing of such will not consist with Habitual Repentance Whereas those sins that are so small as upright persons perhaps may not be sufficiently excited to resistance or such as upon the sincere use of means are still unknown or such as a truly sanctified Will may not subdue are all of them consistent with repentance and a justified state And in this sense we reject not that distinction betwixt Mortal and Venial sin that is between sin inconsistent with a state of spiritual life and sin consistent with it and consequently pardoned He that had rather leave the former sort the mortal sins will leave them and he that truly repents of them will forsake them But of the other consistent with Life we must say that a may may possibly retain them that yet had rather leave them and doth truly repent of them 5. A sin of carnal Interest esteemed good in order to some thing which the flesh desireth and so loved and deliberately kept hath more of the Will and is more inconsistent with Repentance then a sin of meer passion or surprize which is not so valued upon the account of such an interest 6. They that have grace enough to avoid Temptations to Mortal or Reigning sin and consequently that way to avoid the sin shall not be condemned for it whatever a stronger temptation might have done 7. Where bodily diseases necessitate to an act or the omission of an act the Will is not to be charged with that which it cannot overcome notwithstanding an unfeigned willingness As if a man in a frenzie or distraction should swear or curse or blasphem or one in a Lethargie or potent Melancholy cannot read or pray or meditate c. 8. As frequent Commssions of venial sins or such as are consistent with true grace will not prove the soul unsanctified so the once committing of a gross sin by surprize which is afterward truly repented of will not prove the absence of habitual repentance or spiritual life so as the frequent committing of such sins will So that I conclude in order to the detection of the sin itself we must all take notice of our selves as at the worst and see what it is that Temptations can do but in order to the discovery of our state and whether our sins are pardoned or no we must especially observe whether their eruptions are such as will consist with true habitual Repentance and to note what Temptations do with us to this end Dir. 4. OBserve then the workings and discoveries of the heart and judge of its abundance or habits by your words and deeds Note what you were when you had opportunity to sin when the full cup of pleasure was held out to you when preferment was before you when injurie or provoking words did blow the coal If then sin appeared judge not that you are free and that none of the roots are latent in your hearts Or if you are sure that such dispositions are hated repented of and mortified yet you may hence observe what diseases of soul you should chiefly strive against to keep them under and prevent a new surprize or increase It is usual for such licentiousness such self-seeking such ugly pride and passion to break forth upon some special temptations which for many years together did never appear to the person that is guilty or to any other that it should keep the best in fear and self-suspicion and cause them to live inconstant watchfulness and to observe the bent and motions of their souls and to make use afterward of such discoveries as they have made to their cost in time of tryal And it much concerneth all true Christians to keep in remembrance the exercise and discoveries of grace which formerly upon tryal did undoubtedly appear and did convince them of the sincerity which afterward they are apt again to question Will you not believe that there is a sun in the firmament unless it always shine upon you Or that it is hot unless it be always Summer Will you not believe that a man can speak unless he be always speaking It is weakness and injurious rashness in those Christians that upon every damp that seizeth on their spirits will venture to deny Gods former mercies and say that they had never special grace because they feel it not at present that they never prayed in sincerity because some distemper at present discomposeth or overwhelmeth them that their former zeal and life was counterfeit because they are grown more cold and dull that their former comforts were all but hypocritical delusions because they are turned now to sorrows As much as to say Because I am now sick I was never well nor so much as alive O were it not for the tender compassions of our Father and the sure performance of our Lord and Comforter and that our peace is more in his hand than our own though more in our own than any others it could never be that a poor distempered imperfect soul should here have any constancie of peace Considering the power of self-love and partiality on one side and of grief and fear and other passions on the other and how little a thing
likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 3. All those are unregenerate that depend not upon God as their chiefest Benefactor and do not most carefully apply themselves to him as knowing that in his favour is life Psal 30.5 and that his loving kindness is better then life Psal 63.3 and that to his judgement we must finally stand or fall but do ambitiously seek the favour of men and call them their Benefactors Luke 22.25 Matth. 23.9 whatever become of the favour of God He is no child of God that preferreth not the Love of God before the Love of all the world He is no heir of heaven that preferreth not the fruition of God in Heaven before all worldly glory and felicity Col. 4.1 2 3. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth The Love of God is the summ of Holiness the Heart of the new creature the perfecting of it is the perfection and felicity of man 4. They are certainly unregenerate that Believe not the Gospel and take not Christ for their only Saviour and his promises of Grace and Glory as purchased by his Sacrifice and Merits for the Foundation of their hopes on which they resolve to trust their souls for pardon and for peace with God and endless Happiness Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 John 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life When our Happiness was in Adams hands he lost it It is now put into safer hands and Jesus Christ the second Adam is become our Treasury He is the Head of the Body from whom each member hath quickning influence Eph. 1.22 The life of Saints is in him as the life of the tree is in the root unseen Col. 4.3 4. Holiness is a Living unto God in Christ Though we are dead with Christ to the Law and to the world and to the flesh we are alive to God So Paul describeth our case in his own Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the Vine and we are the branches without him we can do nothing If you abide not in him and his words in you you are cast forth as a branch and withered which men gather and cast into the fire and they are burnt John 15.1 5 6 7. In Baptism you are married unto Christ as to the external solemnization and in spiritual Regeneration your Hearts do inwardly close with him entertain him and resign themselves unto him by Faith and Love and by a resolved Covenant become his own And therefore Baptism and the Lords Supper are called Sacraments because as Souldiers were wont by an Oath and listing their names and other engaging Ceremonies to oblige themselveâ— to their Commanders and their Vow waâ— called A Sacrament so do we engage ouâ— selves to Christ in the holy Vow or Covenanâ— entered in Baptism and renewed in the Lords Supper 5. That person is certainly unregenerate that never was convinced of a Necessity of Sanctification or never perceived an excellency and amiableness in Holiness of heart and life and loved it in others and desired it himself and never gave up himself to the Holy Ghost to be further sanctified in the use of his appointed means desiring to be perfect and willing to press forward towards the mark and to abound in grace Much less is that person renewed by the Holy Ghost that hateth Holiness and had rather be without it and would not walk in the fear and obedience of the Lord. The Spirit of Holiness is that Life by which Christ quickneth all that are his members He is no member of Christ that is without it Rom. 8.9 According to his Mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 6. That person is unregenerate that is under the Dominion of his fleshly desires and mindeth the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit and hath not mortified it so far as not to live according to it A carnal mind and a carnal life are opposite to Holiness as Sickness is tâ— Health and Darkness unto Light Rom. 8.1 to 14. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if by the spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness revellings and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5.18 to 25. 7. Lastly that person is certainly unregenerate that so far valueth and loveth this world or any of the carnal accommodations therein as practically to prefer them before the Love of God and the Hopes of Everlasting Glory seeking it first with highest estimation and holding it fastest so as that he will rather venture his soul upon the threatned wrath of God then his body upon the wrath of man and will be religious no further then may consist with his prosperity or safety in the world and hath something that he cannot part with for Christ and heaven because it is dearer to him then they Let this man go never so far in Religion as long