his life in thought word or action the nature of sin is such where ever it cleaveth and sticketh that the leasâ— sâ—ruple and mote would have infected a world of men and an heaven of angels and if Christ himself had been tainted with the lest sin imaginable he must have ceased from being a Saviour and Redeemer of others and from being God who is glorious in hâ—liness and have sought for himself a Saviour and Redeemer or have lain under that guilt and pollution that his own sin had brought upon him and this the devill knew well enough when he attempted our blessed Lord Jesus with temptations of divers sorts that he might bring him to commit a sin which would have frustrated the merit of his redemption and undone both him and us if such a thing had been possible that Christ could have committed a sin So gâ—eâ—t an evil and so poisonous a plague is â—â—n that it will doe that by it 's own maglignity which all the devils in hell cannot doe to me except I commit sin and yield to the solicitations and motions of mine own lust S. 27 Can I now if I have but the least love to Christ after such a consideration as this think sin to be no evil and that there is no great hurt in it much less think it lovely should I not rather think sin to be the greatest evil in the world more terrible then all the most astonishing and lothsome diseases that are incident to humanity is it not far better for one to undergoe all the afflictions and bodily punishments in this life then to have his soul infected with sin or to lie under the guilt or burden of one sin alone is it not much better to be a poor Saint then a rich sinner an humble penitent then an honourable reprobate would I not a thousand times rather have my whole life accompanied with variety of troubles without sin then to be quite freed from all afflictions with the being and adhesion of one sin though but one and that the least Oh my soul God may love thee though never so sorely afflicted as sometime Job was and his love is life and riches and far better then all but if thou be never so rich and great and healthy and be hated of God Oh how miserable art thou S. 28 Shall I continue in sin then God forbid Never let my soul close with that which God so perfectly hates and will as certainly punish first or last where ever he finds it and him with whom he finds it and who can hide himself or his sin from the all-seeing God or withstand his power punishing alas not one in the world S. 29 And shall I attempt to sin which I may doe and then to hide it which I shall never be able to do from the eye of God nor shall I ever be able to withstand the stroke or stand under the wrath of him that will not spare when he means to take vengeance of sin and then poor wretch what will become of thee when thy unpardoned sins thine own wickedness shall be laid on thee and together with them the insupportable wrath of the Almighty Ah sin thou hast undone millions already and wilt ruine me also if I keep thee I am sorry I have been so well acquainted with thee so long that I have been deceived by thee so often 't is too much I have served thee and the devil by sinning O Lord that I may henceforth renounce all my wickedness and lothee very one of my sins and the womb that bears them even my lusts it will never be well with thee Jam. 1.14 15. O my soul untill I am delivered from the power guilt and filthiness of my sins S. 30 3. I consider that if sin in its nature be so pestilent and of such dreadfull consequence and malevolent aspect working the destruction of the subject where ere it fastens and remains then must I expect the same dealing from my own lusts and sinfull acts if I continue in my sin nourish and feed my lusts as others have by sad experience found from their sins and 't is past dispute that every sin in particular every transgression of mine every evil motion within me every act of sin is of the very same nature and tendencie and hath the same poisonous quality and the same contrariety enmity and malignity against God and goodness as the whole kind of sin in the masse 't is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and of the same father the devill and bears his very image and doth the same thing it fights against heaven and my own souls happiness it will destroy infallibly if I keep it and cherish it with me S. 31 If I practice theft or covetousness or whoredome or drunkenness or lying or swearing or any other sin frequently or but once am I not a sinner have I not transgressed the whole law St. James tells me Jam. 2.10 that if I offend in one point I am guilty of all that is I have broken the Law of God and am guilty of the breach of the whole law by so doing not that I have committed every individuall sin forbidden but I have contracted transgressing in one point the guilt of high treason against my Soveraign Lord the supreme law-giver S. 32 And why should I imagine that the littleness of my sin should lessen the transgression My Lord Christ saith That whosoever shall break one but one of these least commandements Mat. 5.19 the least of them he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven that is he shall be despised and rejected by God in the day of judgment and cast out as an offender and rebell be it but rash anger of malicious design or looking on a woman lustfully though it proceed not to actual murder or adultery though it seem but small while in the first motions of lust yet 't is a breach of the spiritual law of God and I am a sinner and a rebell if I so continue in these seeming little faults I am exempted from pardon for in every single sin there is a complicated viciousness and an accumulated treason and that is enough to bring me to condign punishment and if one of my sins will be strong enough to wound me and slay me and hath malice enough to attempt it how then can I be safe how can I think to escape and deliver my soul while I keep my sin and act my folly S. 33 For I may consider that every single sin hath these in it common with the whole kind of every sin I either love or act and the more I practice and the more frequently I commit it the more hainous is my sin and I by every single act of every of them adde more to the measure and heap of wrath and in each act of the same sin or addition of a new sin the more rods and scourges are treasuring up for my
writing to and you understand thus much by it that when a man hath been vicious vain worldly naught and hath left off those wretched courses and is become sober just serious humble charitable and good now say they he is a reformed man or a changed man another manner of man then he was before he is now reclaimed a man of an other nature and life I mean by it much the same thing as you understand it but in this latitude I mean no less by Reformation then a through Change of disposition and life from that which is bad displeasing to God and disadvantageous to thy own precious soul to that which is good and commanded by God and of necessity to be done by thee in order to thy salvation S. 2 And if you understand better the meaning of your duty by these expressions Conversion Repentance Regeneration Renovation Sanctification Returning then whatever is comprehended under any or all these terms I mean by Reformation and so much I aim at by this perswasion to a speedy Reformation S. 3 For the word in its own proper signification is a state unto which either persons or things disordered and out of course are reduced as unto their first form or state wherein they should be either by creation or appointment and Institution now every sin and Inclination to it is a great disorder and holiness is the Rectitude and right frame of soul Therefore untill I am reformed I am out of order and out of the way to eternall happiness and in a course leading to eternall misery so that Reformation is a Reducement of the heart and life of man every man that means to be saved to that state and frame of soul and life as is meet for heaven such as unto which God hath promised eternal life S. 4 And when I perswade you to think on your sins and be sad at the heart grieve and lament that you have been so bad by inclination and evil practices and hereupon to leave off all your transgressions and turn to God and holy living then I mean true repentance by reformation when I intreat you to change your evil disposition of heart of your mind and disordered affections and evil actings of your life to live unto God to adhere unto him to serve him in all things to lead a pure and holy life then I mean sound conversion joyned with sanctification by reformation S. 5 And you must grant That sincere repentance and sound conversion is absolutely necessary to Salvation and every one that is come to years must repent and be converted or else he cannot for he shall not be saved CHAP. IV. Of mans state before Reformation implying the necessity of amendment S. 1 HAving declared what I intend by Reformation I shall shew you that such a reformation God requires of thee and every one that means to be saved as absolutely necessary to thy salvation 'T is not a thing indifferent as though it may or may not go well with thy soul whether thou perform it or no but in plain terms be reformed and thou shalt surely be saved be not reformed and thou shalt assuredly be damned and until reformation come on thee thou art no better than a child of wrath a servant of sin and so in a state of enmity against God and consequently under the power of Satan and a subject of his horrid Regiment and a vessel fitted to destruction S. 2 The first state of mankind you believe was a state of perfection God made man upright holy and good without sin or any actuall disorder or deformity and if man had stood to this and continued in his Primitive Integrity there had not needed but adhesion to God to have secured the eternall happiness on man there wanted not Reformation for there yet was no deformation S. 3 But the unhappy defection that our first Parents made brought themselves and mankind unto this day into a dreadfull state of sin and misery and being defiled with sin dishonored disordered and spoiled we are no more to be accounted of but as enemies to God a company of lost and miserable wretches carrying in our very nature the markes of shame and misery and untill restoring grace comes we are but O sad to say the children of wrath being first enemies to God God is become a God lothing but justly lothing us in this state as 't is said * Zach. 11.8 Their soul abhorred me and my soul lothed them †Rom. 3.9.10 for there is none righteous before restoring grace come no not one for all are under sin the power guilt and filth of sin * Ephes 2.2 3. And by nature the children of wrath S. 4 Now as long as any man is in his naturall estate acting according to the disorder of his soul following the sinfull motions and lustings of his own depraved heart he is still under the power of sin and curse of the Law and hath nothing to do with God as a Father nor with heaven as an inheritance sin cuts him off from those relations and continuance in sin debares him quite from any benefit of Christs coming in the flesh onely there is afforded possibillty to be saved through the Commiseration of God toward miserable man and to repair in man what was defaced and to restore by Christ what was lost by Adam S. 5 And if thou return in time while grace is offered thee and Christ is calling thee if thou leave off thy sins and become a new man if thou submit to reformation and dost repent thee of and forsake all thy sins and leadest a new life walking in the commandements of God constantly and sincerely if thou art throughly converted in heart and life thou mayst be saved but otherwise if thou continuest unregenerate and abidest impenitent and art not converted and wilt not be reformed never hope to be saved but in terror and trembling of soul expect to enter into that horrid and black eternity of misery unavoidable unrecoverable when thou art taken by death in thy sins out of this World S. 6 If you are not yet perswaded of this consult these following Texts impartially which render what I say and therefore I affirm it constantly undeniable being the decreed Law of God about this very thing and undoubtedly shall be made good S. 7 This Truth is that we must acquaint you withall and this is that I mind you now of from the Lord * Esai 3.10.11 Say unto the righteous it shall goe well with them for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Woe unto the wicked it shall go ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him * Ezek. 3.19 If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his Iniquities Now this is said to thee who ere thou art in thy sinfull course or in any one way which is sinfull and if thou doe not turn from
bid farewell to all my hoped for joys in heaven then depart from me all iniquity and all ye workers of iniquity for I am resolved against you all and welcome Christ and grace come repentance come reformation let us be acquainted and live together I would not lose one moments enjoyment of vision and favour of Christ in heaven for all the pleasure and gain by sinning that might be had were it always to be had and ten thousand times ten thousand more then ever I got by sin or any other that hath gotten most for all is but little and short poor mean base dishonorable and destructive the pleasures of sin are but for a season Momentaneum est quod delectat aeternum est quod cruciat Greg. Mag. if any there be in sin but the torments of sin are eternal and this I am sure is reall and will follow sin as the tail of a scorpion which hath the venome and poison therein O my soul hasten away consider now and be gone take thy last leave of sin and see it no more keep it no longer lest it slay thee S. 14. Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn from all thy transgressions so iniquity shall not be thy ruine Shall I live in sin whose pleasures are not any or last but as long as I live seeing when they are ended the torment for sin is reall and lasts as long as eternity shall I live any longer in sin not I if I keep one lust I lose one soul and what lust so sweet and profitable that is worth burning in hell for oh how dear will one sin cost me if I live in it Now if ever you or anyother S. 15 resolve to express a gracious disposition and would throughly amend his life and manifest his integrity to purpose you must consider that 't is not enough to forsake your evills you have no desire after nor strong motion to but we must leave lusts our own proper lusts I mean those evills to which we are most inclined and such as we are most often solicited and tempted to or else no man is reformed for I must amend my own ways subdue my own lusts leave off to doe my own sins in which I have been engaged and by which I have fallen so often Some men doe say they are no sectaries S. 16 nor drunkards nor swearers nor adulterers nor sorcerers why heresie it may be is not your sin and so for the rest but something else it may be he that is not a drunkard may be a covetous person may be a liar proud envious or the like for every mans lust doth not lie the same way nor acts it self in every instance nor runs in the same channel yet every unregenerate man hath a way of his own and enough of that to ruine him thou art not an open sinner but art thou not a secret one thou art not guilty as another man is in his way but are not you even you a man that hast a corrupt nature and a way peculiar in sin Thine own sin will slay thee not another mans and therefore thy reformation must be of thine own faults whatever they are Psal 34.21 Rom. 2.22 Rom. 14.12 2 Cor. 5.10 Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledg Must not every man give an account of himself to God shall not you and every one be judged according to his own doings In the next place as thou art advised to look into thy frame and actions S. 17.3 thy heart and ways to search diligently which way thy lust works and what it brings forth in thy life and likewise not to spare thy sins nor deal kindly with them in the least so now doe I earnestly exhort thee to consider seriously the tendency of every one of thy sins the venome and malignity of every particular sin And this consideration if it be sober and serious will bring thee into a dislike and lothing of all and every sin for the same poison and destructiveness which is in the whole kind of sin is in every one in every specifical sinfull motion and act and no sin if it be well examined will be by thee thought little or venial seeing it hath the same nature and quality as those hideous sins that are cursed with a curse though not in the same degree you know that one spark of fire is fire and will blow up as much gunpowder if it fall into it as a torch or live coal of a greater bigness and one drop of the salt sea hath saltness in it as truly as the whole Ocean though not so much and so it is with the least sin and 't is enough to make thee lothe and leave it if you will wisely judge of it because it is a sin the very name shews that 't is to be abhorred in every instance and appearance S. 18 Now if you will look on sin as sin with asingle eye abstracted from the pleasure of it and worldly advantage by it or any thing else that would make you think well of it then you will perceive the sinfulnesse exceeding sinfullness of sin And that this consideration may help thee to abhorre renounce and forthwith to cast away thy sin from thee as a lothsome and detestable thing weigh well these considerations in the ensuing Chapter CHAP. IX Of some coasiderations which may move a consider are person to lot he and leave his own sin resolutely without dispute S. 19 THat man that would in good earnest leave his sins and give a check to his corruptions and first motions of lust must make his sins as heinous to his own view as they are in their own nature if he can for a man accustomed to sin will not be soon taken off nor daunted with it neither will he be brought to dislike much less to detest that way and practice wherein he hath found any thing of fleshly content or in which he is engaged unless he sees something that may change his mind and alter his course from evil to good There is a close confederacie between a natural mans heart and his sin that the league and cursed amity is not interrupted but by violence and that but for a season neither sin though it be banished will return again with its solicitations and promises the heart of man unregenerate is as ready open to receive and embrace those former motions and doth as easily do those acts of folly again and doth more greedily pursue the satisfaction of lusts desires if not hindred then ever and the reason that there are so few true converts and so many notorious sinners is because men either content themselves with a cessation for some little time that is while the temptation is at a distance and their opportunities not so frequent or some humane restraint either their laws their fear or their favours do awe them or because men doe not soberly consider why they should lothe their sin and detest it no man will
be disswaded from that which is evil except he see evil in that thing he is disswaded from S. 20 And now truly in every sin thou art guilty of there is so much evil that a serious considerate soul would chuse to lie under the greatest affliction without sin rather then to commit the least sin to escape that temporary affliction or to gain by sinning all the advantages this world can procure to the flesh The want of the consideration of the heinousness of sin S. 21. Plas 51. was the occasion that let that good man David loose to a sin which afterward cost him many a salt teat and it was well for him he found place for repentance a melting heart and a weeping eye or else his sin had cost him dear had it not been pardoned upon his repentance Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight which if he had considered before as afterward he did he had not fallen into that which was so hard for him to get out of And on the other side the consideration of sin as sin notwithstanding the advantage might have accrued thereby was the occasion that Joseph withstood the solicitation of his Mistress to an experiment of folly namely with this Gen. 39.9 How can I doe this great wickedness and sin against God and this consideration kept him from that act of folly which otherwise he might have committed to his wounding and endangering Now that you may no longer retain any the least love and liking of your sin whatever it be S. 22. Job 11.14 but forthwith tenounce and cast it far from thee And if iniquity be in thine hand to put it away and never more let wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle then enter on these following considerations First S. 23.1 I consider and so likewise doe you that sin in its self when it was first known by the creatures angels and men and by any of either of those two kinds of creatures committed and acted became the greatest downfall of each of those Actors as ever since and never before they became sinners was heard of Sin at the first made the first and great breach between God and sinning Angells God and sinning men Man had not known misery but for sin and the miseries and calamities and natural death of mankind are not half so dreadfull as sin is nor half so much evil as sin is and the devils had not felt torment and now their unspeakable misery but for their sin nay hell had not been hell a place of torment had it not been for sinners which was prepared and prepared onely for sinning angells and sinning men and all the Miseries that have befallen any since the creation or that ever shall be inflicted upon any are but the wofull consequences of sin the first and single transgression of a law of God and that by the most choise of the creation and by their single act and being but once committed there fell on them the immediate curse and misery which to this day and to the end of the world and will for ever continue as long as sin is sin and that will be for ever For Christ himself never undertook to abrogate the law of God nor to make it a law that transgression of those laws should be no sin nor that transgressors should be accounted innocent when they sin by disobedience and transgression nor that they should be approved of by God and saved eternally in a way of disobedience that is in a way of habituall and actuall rebellion against God S. 24 Now when I consider the venome and perniciousness of sin in its first infection and in one single act that it defiled and destroyed by rendering them for ever most miserable so great a number of once most glorious and happy angels that sinned but once before their fall and the first sin that ever was committed yet for that once sinning were cast down in disgrace presently from heaven and of glorious angels made wretched devills and reserved in chaines of darkness 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude v. 6. never to be restored upon any termes to the least hope of recovery and reconciliation with God S. 25 Yet again when I consider that for one sin in our first parents Adam and Eve which came upon them by the instigation and cheat of Satan in the time of their pure innocency and integrity what an hereditary misery it brought with it yea such an infection and pollution that not onely they which transgressed became miserable slaves wretched persons deprived of their excellency and paradise but even all the whole race of mankind are fallen under the misery of pollution in our very nature and thereby in a state of wrath and liable to eternal misery can I when I consider this the wofull consequences of one sin in such as those once glorious angels and these once most happy men chuse but I must entertain most dreadfull apprehensions of the nature of sin and flee from it and lotheit as a poisonous serpent and fiery dragon issuing out of the bottomless pit of hell pursuing thy soul to the death and destruction S. 26 2ly I consider the exceeding sinfulness of sin and I think with Abhorrency of soul on that venome in it and detestableness that when the immaculate most innocent sinlesse lamb the holy and ever-blessed JESUS took mans nature and undertook to expiate the guilt and to satisfie the justice of God and to intercept the wrath of the offended God pouring out upon the whole race of mankind for the first and after-transgressions see although he did but beare our sins for he had not one sin of his own to answer for not the least sinless he ever was and sinless he will for ever be yet consider what expence he was at and what chastisements he bare what agonies of soul he laboured under what woundings he suffered what blood he shed what death he died and all ignominie and ten thousand times more then I can express did he passe through and all because he in infinite love to mankind would interpose and was content to be reputed as a sinner that he might satisfie for sin committed and repair the ruines sin had made and restore the losse sin had procured yet when I consider what wofull worke sin made on the humanity of the ETERNALL JESUS while on earth though being but laid on him not found in him how can I keep my blood from rising up against sin my sin that fetcht the heart-blood of Christ my Lord and crucified the Lord of Life the Lord of my Life too and caused his death for a season But had he been tainted in himself with the least sin of his own or been guiâ—ty of the least transgression or had he made the least failer in any of those many transactions enjoyned him by his Eternal Father for the redemption of mankind fallen or had he admitted of the least irregularity in all
dispensations and that is the upshot of all S. 41 Now while I continue in any sin what do I any less then cross the design of God by these means and so render my self inexcusable and oppose God in Christ and resist the Spirit of God in his word working and endeavouring by all means my conversion what am I less injurious to Gods grace and Christs love by my obstinacie and wilfullness then they of this sort which our Saviour speaks to in tears How often would I have gathered thee Luke 13.34 Luke 19.42 as a hen doth her chickens under her wings but ye would not O that thou hadst known even thou in this thy day and by these thy means the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes thou knewest not the time of mercies visitation but crossest the gracious design of thy invitation thou wilt not leave thy sins and now mercy is hid from thee and so my continuance in sin is a meer contradiction to my pardon and forgiveness you see S. 42 O how should this consideration cut me to the bone and pierce me to the heart when my continuing in sin is no less then the opposing the grace of God Its design is to bring me to repentance and forsaking sin that I might find mercy and favour from him who but a mad man or a fool would continue in his sin against such grace and so cross that design of God to bring thee poor wretch to happiness S. 43 I consider that as my sin is against God for 't is a pollution and so against his most holy nature which hath no defilement and 't is against his holy laws his good will purpose and gracious designs and makes the sinner and God at great dispute and controversie which is a state bad enough for a poor wicked wretch to be in yet I may further consider that my sin is against God and so bad enough though God notwithstanding my enmity and contrariety can well enough secure his own honour holiness and eternal happiness without impeachment or the least interruption or diminution yet 't is bad enough to me that I by my sin am become an enemy to God and God an enemy to me which is death and misery sure enough to the sinner I may further consider that as often as I sin I offer violence to my own soul my sin is against my own self it is the greatest wrong and injury I can do to my self and if I had any true love to my self that is to the eternal welfare of my best self my soul Pro. 8.36 I should forbear sinning He that sinneth against me that is against Christ wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death If I live in sin and will not repent of it and forbear it I work the greatest mischief I can against my self sinning is self-murthering I lay violent hands on my self if I would study to ruine my self for ever there is no way imaginable like this now mentioned of sinning and repeating the acts and continuing in any sinfull course to effect my utter destruction every sin is a deaths-wound although it kill me not out-right yet it leaves me for dead I am a condemned man I am dead in law and dead as to the acting any life of grace it may be I may have for a little while a name to live but indeed I am dead dead while I live in the world Such an one a sinner is as the Angel of the Church of Sardis reproveth Rev. 3 1. I know thy workes that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead S. 44 When I commit a sin I consider I doe that which for ought I know I may neither have the grace nor the space to repent of I may forget it I may make light of it or I may excuse it or defend it or maintain it I may be hardened in it and adde more to it and draw others to countenance and practise my sin and so still infect another with my plague and become an exemplar and promoter of wickedness and teach others to sin too and propagate iniquity and bring subjects to the devill and enlarge his kingdome O what an innumerable many of mischiefs do I bring upon my self and others when I sin And after all this if I do seem to be sorry for my so doing at the end of a vicious life I can have none assurance that I shall be pardoned but on the contrary most certain it is if I continue in my sin untill death I must be damned for all my repentance for Judas sinned and repented and despaired and was damned for all his repentance his sin for which he was accused and for which he hanged himself was but a sin and my transgression is a sin too and if Judas or Cain or a Simon Magus or a Julian be damned for their sins what advantage will it be for me if my sin be not so deep a dye so grim a complexion so horrid a sound as treasons and murder a betraying my Master and killing my Brother if I be cast into hell for my omissions of Gods commands and doing such things though but in the least instance which God hath absolutely forbidden When I consider this methinks I should dread sin as an ugly fiend as a devill of hell and shun it as a pest and a killing plague and repent me heartily that ever I committed any and resolve to commit it no more and the more I consider the more I should detest lothe shun renounce all and every wickedness and the more should I raise my resolution to sin no more as I have done lest as bad a thing befall me as hath befallen any of those whose destruction was most dreadfull God grant I may I hope I shall S. 55 3. I consider again that when I sin I injure my own soul 1. I wrong my knowledg I know I should not commit the sin I commit and yet I do it against my knowledge 2. I wrong my reason and judgment my reason and my judgment if it act clear tell me that there is no reason why I should serve sin but all the reason in the world why I should not sin thus and if I would yeild to reason I should not yeild to sin and yet I sin against my reason and judgment and wrong both 3. I wrong and offer violence to my conscience when I sin my conscience minds me that I must not commit this and that sin and it smites me when I do and it accuseth for my sinning when I have done it and yet I sin I do act against my conscience when I sin at all and how will my conscience endure this will not my conscience one day complain to God of me that I wronged it and did things contrary to it in despite of it and do I not wound and gash and tear my bosome friend when I sin do I not
commit a sin but since I have been so unhappy to fall though but once there is now a necessity I rise again by repentance and recover my losse by reformation and if I have lived a year a week or day in that sin and have repeated the act or have rested without repentance I am guilty S. 4 And yet it is too evident that though a sin be but one for title 't is multiplied in the act and he that commits one sin commits more then one fault Jam. 2.10 he breaks all the whole Law of God and he that transgresseth the whole Law of God is not without much guilt nor many sins and shall I deferre my repentance upon the account of little or few sins if it were true that my sins were smal and of them but a few nay should not this be an argument to hasten my repentance and to cease from my sins because but few and small for that they are more easily forsaken and more readily pardoned upon my true repentance and by leaving them speedily I shall prevent the growth both for number and bigness and accomplish with far less difficulty that desired and necessary repentance S. 5 But yet I must not leave this temptation so there is more in it then may safely be over-looked for the conceit of little and few when applyed to sins is dangerous how can a man be humbled for his sins or be heartily sorry for them when he thinks they are neither heinous nor hurtfull that they will not at all hinder his salvation nor very much offend God seeing his sins are not many or great but the common frailties and infirmities of humanity Oh how many hath this fond favorable opinion lullabied in fast security and made them proof against all reproof and counsell to the ruin of their souls S. 6 And is it not an argument I would sell God's favour and procure his displeasure at a cheap rate when I will not refrain to do evil and forsake my evil doings which as you say are but few or small 't is little a man would do either for God's sake or his own soul if he will not forsake a few and small sins a trifle and a folly S. 7 But now to put off all delays that might be entertained upon this account of small and few sins let me consider that in truth every sin be it never so little in mans esteem is against an INFINITE GOD 't is a violation of his Law by a direct opposition to his Soveraignty 't is a wound a poyson a spot and defilement to any mans soul that doth the least of sin that keeps and loves it that would excuse it and make easie of his sin as though it were innocent and harmless and though the instance be but small by which I offend yet my offence is great because for so small a matter I offend so great a God S. 8 Our blessed Lord hath resolved this point saying Luk. 16.10 He that is faithfull in that which is least is faithfull also in much and he that is unjust in that which is least is unjust also in much and surely the least sin I commit is a great injustice and a very unfaithfulness O let me not then be betrayed into a putting off my repenance and deferring my reformation with this temptation that my sins are not great or but few or if many not great ones seeing the least are too great the fewest too many and the time too long already I have been familiar with my sins though but from yesterday I have continued in them why should I listen to any arguments to make me linger it off that might in the least hinder my speedy reformation I pray God I may never think my sins so little as to need no sorrow or repentance or this present hour too soon to forsake and leave them all §. II. Temptation answered S. 9 There is another temptation neer of kin to the former 't is this The best Men sin they have their failings and infirmities and why should I think to be better then good men or judge my self worse then them while I am but as they were S. 10 Indeed this unhappy comparison vain Answer man makes between himself and which is the worst in good men hath betrayed many an unwise soul to like well of himself while in a sad condition and sinfull but should I not withall consider that the best mens infirmities were those best mens faults their blemishes and their shame did not those good men bewaile them and repent them and could never be at quiet nor at peace within themselves untill their sins were pardoned and they reformed were the sins of those saints and servants of God the best of them or the worst and shall I imitate them in that which they abhorred in themselves but if I have followed them in their sins and acted folly as any of them did should I not follow them also in their repentance their faults were not recorded for my imitation and if I would be pardoned as they were upon their repentance I must repent as they did or I shall never be pardoned S. 11 It is a pittifull shift sinners are put upon when the refuge they have is that others have had their faults and faylings as though the very worst of godly men even those things which if they had lived and died in without repentance had made their religion of none effect for salvation to them should be a sufficient warrant for my evil practise would it not better become a Christian to cease from evil speedily and amend his faults not onely because it is my duty so to do but also because I should not follow the best man in the world where he failes in his duty and I am sure God did never allow any man how dear soever to him to commit a sin much less to live in any sin without repentance S. 12 Alas why should I plead that for my excuse which all good men complain of as their misery and their spoil let me rather imitate the worst men in their best actions then the best men in their worst miscarriages let me be sorry I have done any thing unseemly and unholily though it hath been no other then some Saints have been overtaken with heretofore and let me ever think that if I continue in my sins I shall be damned for them though some dear Saints have been pardoned for the like after they had repented and been converted A Christian must follow the best examples of others and in the best things and not the example of the best men sinning I would follow no man where he followeth not Christ nor plead any mans faults for my security for if I do I am sure I have no warrant for so doing nor shall I deliver my soul from the guilt untill I deliver my self of the sin and become a true penitent for how can I think to be guiltless when I
have taken for thy poor souls good and safety to turn from thy sinfull courses and evil practices but as they found thee so they must leave thee a wretched soul and hardened rebell and instead of giving up their account of thy conversion must give in witness against thee that thou wouldst not obey the word of the Lord nor believe their report nor leave thy sins Let it never be told of thee that thou hadst thy day of grace but hast lost it once as fair an opportunity as any but now 't is gone Oh let it not be objected henceforth against thee that either thou refusest to reform at all or that thou dost put off and delay from day to day that so necessary and so happy a duty why should God wait on thee any longer why should God spare thee any longer is it not long enough I have sinned already have not I abused Gods patience too much already Oh that thou wast once brought to this point of resolution I have done foolishly and wickedly I will do so no more now even now will I return to my God and my obedience shall a little fleshly pleasure worldly profit or any thing hinder me of my eternal happiness God forbid No I am resolved by the grace of God to stop here and go no further in sins road but will now turn into the strait gate and narrow way of holy living which leads to that eternall glory which none can come at but such as do lead a godly life and follow the Lord Jesus fully and deny themselves wholly S. 11 And because heart and life-reformation is the way to all happiness and in the first place a man must leave off his sinfull practices and renounce all wickedness and cease to do evil and repent of the evil he hath done already I shall conclude this first part of reformation with a few directions shewing what you shall constantly do to accomplish this so happy reformation CHAP. XIII Of some directions to facilitate this work of reall reformation S. 1 HAving pressed by all arguments I could for present think on to prevail with thee to a speedy reforming thy heart and life and without any more delay to set upon the work I adde some directions which if you will conscientiously observe will facilitate the work and make it successful I. Direction S. 2 1. If you mean to be a really reformed Christian indeed enter forthwith upon serious consideration of thy past life what it hath been and likewise thy present state and habitual frame what it is examine wisely and strictly thy self wherein thou art apt to offend and what temptations haunt thee most what thy heart hankers after what is thy beloved sin where thou lyest most open to be betrayed and overcome examine and search thy self that thou know where thy disease is and the nature of it the cure is half done if thou understand thy grief 't is but applying the remedy carefully and thou wilt quickly be cured try if thy sins be inward and keep residence in thy mind thoughts will or affections be watchfull what guests haunt these rooms if vanity be in thy mind sin in thy thoughts worldliness in thy affections if thou hast a proud or envious Atheisticall mind if thou hast a stubborn rebellious will if thou hast covetous or fleshly unchast desires and speculations if thou hast inordinate affections if thou art one of a vain vitious worldly filthy tongue if thy actions be any way sinfull the issue and product of a naughty evil heart try whether thy thoughts words actions or any thing of them think speak or do contrary to the laws of sobriety charity chastity justice or piety and which of all thy sins are more frequent and habituall and that which thou hast lived longest in and art ready to break out into act on the least touch of a temptation from within or from without thee that so by diligent inquiry and strict scrutiny you may come to the knowledge of your state and condition and do not give over this work untill you have found out your sins and which way they act II. Direction S. 3 2. Then your next business will be to aggravate your sins by all circumstances by bringing them to the test of Gods word and see what account God makes of them how he dislikes thy sin and every mans sins that are like thine and see what commands of God thou breakest by thy sinning thus and thus and what little cause thou hast to provoke God and break his most holy and righteous laws remember that by continuing in sin thou dost no less then oppose Gods mercies and Christs merits and slight his redeeming blood which he shed to deliver thee from thy sins and to cleanse thee from thy filthinesse which is all cast away upon thee if thou continue in thy sins and will prove an aggravation of thy guilt and damnation S. 4 By no means do not go about to lessen extenuate or excuse thy faults but say of every sin as David of his Against thee Lord have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight have mercy upon me and cleanse me from and pardon me this my great transgression III. Direction S. 5 3. Then lay before the Lord by Confession and spread them with all their aggravations and set them in order before thine â—wn eyes and take up a lamentation weep and mourn beat thy breast and wring thy hands and spend thy tears and groans and bemoan thy hard case thy sad condition and never think thou hast sorrowed complained confessed and despaired enough untill thy heart be broken for and broken from thy sins and know this that no man hath sorrowed to repentance sufficiently untill he doth lothe and leave heartily and willingly all and every one of his abominations no man hath repented savingly of his sins untill he hath attained a perfect hatred of his sins and remembers them with lothing and detestation When conversion comes that is when a man is on sound reformation and God hath touched his heart and is giving a new heart and nature Ezek. 36.31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that have not been good and shall lothe your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations S. 6 And this direction may serve to cut off all queries which deceived unsound hearts are asking How long and how much must a man grieve and sorrow and mourn and be sad Answer why so long and so much untill thy sins become odious and grievous to thee and thou leave off to do them any more and when this is done then hast thou performed that part of repentance throughly which consists of sorrow and mourning and not till then Be therefore humbled throughly bring your soul low and have a deep sense of misery because of sin and do not in this matter as most do onely believe your duty as an article of your faith
before the Lord as others with an unwilling mind and hast offered to him in Sacrifice the blind and maimed and hypocriticall heart cold and discomposed distracted prayers when thou hast prayed by thy self or with others S. 14 Thou hast it may be hated from the very Heart the strict wayes of holinesse in soul and life and turned from saving admonition as a detestable thing S. 15 Thou hast slighted Gods invitation resisted grace teaching refused Christ reigning reproched and scoffed at the Ministers of Christ earnestly perswading these things thou hast done and in all or some of these cursed courses thou hast continued so long that it is grown to a custom and as naturall to thee to sin in one kind or other every day as to breathe the aire to move eat or drink or sleep is it not S. 16 And to make up thy measure full of wickedness all this while thou hast abused the wonderfull patience mercy and long-suffering of the Lord thy God S. 17 But we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against you that commit such things for that they which have committed such things should repent and forsake them all yet do not but adding this to all Rom. 2 v. 4 5 6. that by despising the riches of Gods goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee not to sin or continuance in sin but to repentance but by this thy hardness and impenitent heart treasu est up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render to every one according to his deeds S. 18 O read and consider well this dreadfull place and see doth it belong to thee art thou such an one as is herein condemned bethink thy self what thou hast been and what thou art what thou hast done consider thy ways and the frame and tendency of thy spirit S. 19 It may be thou hast been guilty in all these wayes of sinning and if thou wert t is pity thy life t is pity such a wretch such a monster should be nourished But alas if thou art in a state of sinning habitually though but in any one kind that were enough to destroy thee for ever and cut thee short of happiness yea although it were which I am past doubt it is not that thou hadst not been notoriously guilty of any of these sins which are the Issues of depraved nature and naturall product of the evill disposition in thee and which are necessarily brought forth in the outward man if not restrained yet if these be frequently in thy thoughts if they be nourished and allowed there t is all one to him who sees the inwards of the Soul and with what company it keeps the Lawes of God reach unto the heart Ps 50.21 Hos 7.2 they are spirituall and Christ rules the inward man as well as the outward dost thou not know that all thy sins where and when committed are upon Record before the Lord S. 20 But if this make thee not yet know thy self then know farther and let this be to thee as it is in it self an eternal Truth a decreed Law That except thou whoever thou art either notoriously bad or seemingly tolerable to thy self be converted reformed so as to leave off in heart and life all thy known sins and lay apart all thy ungodliness and lead an holy sober and righteous life and that to the end thou canst not be saved S. 21 Before Conversion comes before that gracious method of Regenerating souls pass upon thee and thou be reformed and brought out of the state of sinful nature into a state of holy reformation there is no hope for thee of thy salvation Nature and sin note thee a child of Adam Grace and conversion declare thee a child of God and an heir of a glorious Eternity S. 22 Well then thou art either unreformed in whole or reformed but in part to the one all is wanting to the other something is yet lacking to make thee a sound Christian each of you is the person to whom I address my present swasion S. 23 And I hope thou so bad as thou hast been hitherto art not past all cure remediless and I am sure thou art not unless thou still refuse and hardness hath taken up thy heart as a judgment from God I doubt not but through the grace of God in the use of these spiritual means thou mayst of a vile Barbarian become a sound Christian of a child of wrath an heir of glory of a foul sinner a fair Saint if thou be not resolved against thine own happy reformation S. 24 Poor soul thou hast so much to begin withall towards thy saving change thou hast Reason wilt thou let it but work and wilt thou yeeld to reason S. 25 Thou hast Faith some kind of faith wilt thou believe what God by his Word hath revealed of his mind concerning thee and every man in thy case and consent to Truth S. 26 Thou hast Consideration wilt thou be serious and consider wisely for thy self thy own soul how thou mayst become reformed that thou mayst become happy Consider wisely it is thy own concernment it is thy own soul must pay dearly for it if thou art not reformed soundly and speedily it is thy own soul snall reap richly by conversion if thou defer not to come in and give not out until it be completed S. 27 Thou hast now an opportunity put into thy hâ—nd thou art once again called to and perswaded to be reformed wilt thou follow this Call and yeeld ere it be too late Now again it is offered thee Christ is ready and grace is ready grace to assist thee Christ to receive thee the Word of God to guide thee and holy Spirit to convert thee and I thy hearty well-wisher to thy excellent soul do in the Name of Christ earnestly entreat thee Now 't is put to thy choice whether thou embrace it or no now is the acceptable time the day of grace To day therefore O thou that carest for thy soul after so long a time while it is to day for if night come if death come before thy work of conversion be sinished thou must lie down in sorrow and possess an eternity of horrid darkness and woful misery S. 28 Come Man I think thou hast so much Reason so much Faith so much Consideration so much Experience as to understand and believe that thy eternal happiness lieth not here below in this terrestrial world but in Heaven with God above in glory and that thou wert made for some higher end than to live among visible creatures to eat drink work play and sleep sure thou art perswaded there are other things to be looked after by one of an immortal principle than to gather terrene riches and to taste bodily and sensual delights and honors in this present life S. 29 Know excellent Creature know believe thy Creator and
that thy wickedness thou art a dead man a lost man this will not be repealed thou must turn or die slight it not it is thy particular caveat as much as any is in the world S. 8 There is another such like place Ezek. 18. v. 20. to the end of the Chapter The summe is this Ezek. 18.20 that though God takes no pleasure at all that the wicked should die but that he should turn and live yet the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself and he that commits Iniquity and dyeth in them for the iniquity that he hath done shall he die but if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live Then the counsell is this v. 30. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so Iniquity shall not be your ruine wherefore turn and live Can there be any more just and plain dealing then this Which is fitternow that thou shouldst turn from thy wicked ways or that God should abrogate this Law of his after all this warning given thee Consider this sinner and turn or expect to burn for ever S. 9 The next proof I bring out of the New Testament which shall not leave the least refuge of hope to any unreformed man that he may be saved and not converted I desire you be serious and consider them well and doe not turn them slightly over with an I hope I may be saved for all this for certainly as thou art alive thou must be reformed or thou canst not be saved Wilt thou believe what Christ hath said Mat. 18.3 Verily I say unto you Mat. 18.3 that except ye be converted ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heaven Jo. 3.3 and John 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God What think you of this doe you believe this in good earnest can you evade it If you think that God of his grace may save you wirhout such a reformation then see what Gods saving grace teaches all that may hope to be saved Titus 2.11 Tit. 2.11 The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared teaching that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world And when this is done in sincerity then the 13. verse bids us Look for that blessed hope of heaven But untill this Reformation be wrought a turning from evil all ungodliness and living holy there is no hope of salvation And if you hope Christ will pardon and he will save thee without all this adoe consider what he himself hath said that an unreformed man shall not be saved And Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he and onely he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven And 't is the will of God thou shouldst reform and become holy just and good S. 10 And know further that Christ gave not himself for us that we might be saved without passing the strait gate of Reformation and conversion to heaven or to bring men per saltum immediately from their sinfull and ungodly practises to heaven without any more adoe No see Titus 2.14 Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works S. 11 See once more that Reformation which is a sorrow for and forsaking of all sinfull ways and a turning to God and holy living is absolutely necessary before God will pardon much less save any man * Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out No blotting out of sins no pardon without Repentance Esai 55.7 So Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord i. e. by an hearty and practical Reformation and then see what follows and not till then he will have mercy he will abundantly pardon You may likewise find that * 2 Pet. 3.9 God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance which doth infallibly imply that he that cometh not to repentance and a reforming repentance too must perish S. 12 And we find men that are not in a conformity to the will of God in heart and life and will not be reformed nor by any means brought to their Creators will and doe that which is good carrying upon them the black mark of desperate wickedness and a son of perdition a reprobate †Psal 50.17 To the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe with my covenant to mention it as though it belongeth to thee for it doth not seeing thou hatest to be reformed thou hatest instruction untill Reformation be wrought no promise of salvation to thee * Pro. 24.30 31. Because I have called and ye refused and have set at nought all my counsells and would none of my reproof nor leave off your folly your wickedness therefore shall destruction and anguish come upon you and you will cry and call upon me but I will not then hear you you shall not find me but shall be Recompensed according to your wayes Pro. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy S. 13 Many more Texts might be brought to confirm the point for the mind of God touching this very thing is so fully clearly and frequently revealed in Scripture of purpose to deterre and drive sinners from their evil courses and secure presumption and lest any excuse might be left to any wicked man why he doth not reform leave off to doe evil and learn to doe well seeing there is such a necessity for such a Reformation if a man meaneth to be saved S. 14 But I think I have sufficiently proved the duty and necessity of a sound Reformation by which you may perceive 't is not a trivall or indifferent thing I am perswading you to but weighty and of as much concerment to thee as thou valuest thy salvation for as it had been better never to have been then to be for ever miserable so assuredly as thou art a man or woman thou shalt never attain heaven nor escape eternall misery when thou diest except thou reform both in heart and life what is to be reformed while thou livest in this present world CHAP. V. Containing a catalogue of sins which are altogether inconsistent with the state of saving grace and doe most necessarily inferre and procure damnation to them that are guilty and will not be reformed S. 1 HAving shewn in the foregoing Chapters both the nature and necessity of reformation I come next and now to acquaint thee with some particular sins which to practice and continue in is death and every one if an actuall sinner in any of these doth not speedily repent of and reform and also if
true holines The Apostle Paul in his exhortation to Holiness wisheth the Ephesians if they mean to be truly holy to put away lying Eph. 4.25 Col. 3.9 and commandeth every one to speak truth and nothing but the truth one to the other and one of the other S. 53 And to shew the perniciousness of lying David when he thinks of reforming or constituting a religious family He that worketh deceit saith he shall not dwell within my house Ps 101.7 Psal 119.163 he that telleth lies shall not stand in my sight I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love S. 54 Lying is most odious Pro. 6.16 17 19. abominable and contrary to the God of Truth These things doth the Lord hate a proud look a lying tongue and a false witness that speaketh lies Pro. 12.32 for lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are his delight And the son of Syrach tels it that though a theef be a vile person yet saith he a theef is better than a man that is accustomed to lye and they both shall have destruction to heritage Ecclus. 20.25 S. 55 Therefore if thou that readest this hast been guilty of lying repent heartily for thy sin and if thou art apt to it and usest it amend speedily put away lying far from thee or thou wilt be put away as far from God as hell from heaven Be advised in time and amend this great fault never make nor love a lye unless thou resolvest to be shut out of heaven and shut up in hell See what Truth saith in this point Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it i. e. Heaven any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 22.15 For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murtherers and Whosoever LOVETH and MAKETH A LYE S. 56 And to make short work concerning all lyars that they shall be shut up in hell and all lyars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone Rev. 20.8 which is the second death Is it not much better to leave thy lying here while thou art warned now than to lie down in hell for evermore §. XII Theft S. 57 There are many more guilty of theft than will acknowledge it yet there is no thief great or small rich or poor but must pay dearly for it one day if he repent not to a forsaking this sin and except he henceforth observe that of St. Paul Let him that stole steal no more Lev. 19.13 Eph. 4.28 S. 11 It may be thou hast been medling with that belongs not to thee more or less he that hath stoln though but to a small value is a thief the sin is committed though not discovered secret stealth is thievery and violent taking away that which is anothers goods is sinful Robbery which some thieves call Plunder and think the name of Enemy makes their robbery tolerable If thou art or hast been a souldier in thine own Nation and hast been in such robberies repent for it and if thou art able make restitution of things so gotten If thou art or hast been a son or a servant Pro. 28.24 and hast filcht from or cheated thy Parents or Master of any thing either in thy custody committed to thy charge or taken it to thy self or conveyed it to others then repent and do so no more make some satisfaction to the parties wronged either with confession of thy fault with a desire of pardon or restitution some way or other aske God forgiveness and promise amendment and do no more so wickedly S. 59 Hast thou been entrusted with the portions and maintenance of Widows and Orphans Esay 10.1 2 3. Pro. 22.22 or with the proportions of Charity for to lay out upon the Poor and hast turned that so received or any part of it unto thy own use and property or spent it upon thy lusts thou art an unfaithfull Trustee a robber of the widow and fatherless and of the Poor thy theft is highly criminous a lifes repentance is very much too short for such a villain and treble restitution too little recompence for so great an injury Oh if thou that readest this be guilty consider of it and repent in time or else thy doom will be severest and no sin will be forgiven thee except thou give again what thou hast robbed Eze. 33.15 S. 60 Again hast thou cheated any one of his Estate or any part thereof by craft and subtilty by Diceing and gaming or the like then art thou not far from this transgression thou art a cheat and what is that less than a theef can you tell S. 61 If thou art one that hast coveted and taken things set apart and devoted for the service and worship of God for the propogation of the Gospel and Religion be it house or lands or monies or increase of lands by Art or industry or what by devotion and piety of men hath been bequeathed to the Church for the maintenance of the Ministry of the Gospel Mal. 3.8 9 if thou hast bereaved the Church of this the curse of Achan attends thee Jos 7.11 12 20 21. and if thou dost deprive the Church of its dues being consecrated to the service of the true God the sin of Ananias and Saphira is upon thee thou art a sacrilegious thief Acts 5.1 2 3 4. thou hast robbed God and hast an accursed thing with thee and if thy outward Estate prosper with it 't is a very rare thing but be sure if it be not a cancker to thy Estate it will be to thy soul and one day shalt thou pay dear for thy sacrilege and theft You are cursed with a curse Mal. 3.8 9 for you have robbed me saith the Lord. Now if thou hast practised any of these things and art guilty of any of these things either to God or man secretly or openly though man find it not out yet God knows it and that is enough for thy woe S. 62 Therefore I exhort thee to examine thy life and actions and also what is with thee which thou hast gotten any of these wayes repent and make restitution and sin no more this way lest that come upon thy body estate and soul the curse which thou wilt never be able to claw off Psa 50.18 and if this I say will not be heeded by thee see what the Truth saith concerning thieves and robbers and all confederates with them of which if any one be good there is none of them bad but altogether they that are such shall not be received into Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 Ex. 20.15 Nor thieves nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of heaven If thou hast been so wicked as to steal and break the command of God which saith THOU SHALT NOT STEAL be now so wise as to repent for it and if thou canst by any means make satisfaction
weakness of judgment erroneous opinions though but in lesser truths or thy knowing not nor searching after thy secret sins be it but a sudden eruption of passion into anger and shrewd words or desires after forbidden and unlawfull objects or immoderate desires after things lawfull in themselves yet all these and all other infirmities to speak the most favourably of them are the disease sickness and disorders of the soul and ought to be the matter of our sorrow and humiliation and must be confessed to God in the enumeration of our sins and pardon must be begged in Christs name for his sake for them and except thy soul be humbled for all thy secret sins and all thy infirmities if not in every instance yet in the whole summe and thy labour and watchfulness be for the suppressing of their rise and preventing their reign as much as possible yea even they so little as they seem to thee they will prove mortal at the last and thy plea of Infirmity will not serve thy turn except thy sins of infirmities be pardoned and they will not be pardoned any more then greater sins but upon thy repentance and that which far greater offences could not doe if repented of in time and forsaken in heart and practice that these sins of infirmities will doe if not repented of in time and amended to what degree is possible for thee even these will procure thy damnation at the last S. 8 Now concerning all those sins which the vulgar sort of men who pretend to Christianity account either no sins at all or very lightly of them as small and inconsiderable yet by a long custome and frequent repetition are become habituall and so very sinfull and so very destructive and besides men that think them so small and innocent seldome if ever charge them upon their souls as sins to be grieved at repented of and amended when they examine their lives and actions as to other sins which are noted with a blacker character by reason of which neglect those smaller sins are let alone unmortified and men goe to their graves with impenitency as to those sins which will sink a man as deep into the gulf of misery and drown the soul in destruction and perdition and if they be but foolish lusts yet they are thus hurtfull to the soul 1 Tim. 6.9 To instance in some things of this kind for thy fuller conviction § I. Evil motions of lust the taint and corruption in nature S. 9 There are in every mans nature the seeds of all evil Gen. 6.5 Mat. 15.19 20. Jam. 1.14 15. Col. 3.5 which are the beginnings of all actuall sins mans nature is tainted and corrupted naughty Concupiscences and lusts are born with us which are defiling and corrupting the whole man the heart of man is full of them and in their first motions they are sins even that proneness inclination to evil and aversness and indisposedness to good which is in thee which thou mayst and must take notice of as a matter of sorrow and complaint against thy self as it is thy unhappiness and misery so it is thy sin and thy death and such a disease it is Gal. 3.22 Rom. 5 12. Psam 51 5. Rom. 7.5 that if not healed and pardoned in thee by regeneration will leave thee under wrath and the curse This that I mean is that which is understood by the name of Originall sin that is the corruption of humane nature by the sin of our first parents propagated to the whole kind of Adams race and posterity which is every man and woman as they receive life and birth these motions of sins doe work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death S. 10 Now though this be every mans case scarce any man makes it his own particular grief men make light of it and are so far from watching over and resisting the first motions and lustings after evil things and mortifying these corruptions that they are most apt to plead it by way of excuse for their faults and actuall transgressions which are the issues and effects of this corruption and lust from within S. 11 But if ever thou hopest to be savingly reformed this old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts must be put off that is must not be served nor yeilded unto but resisted and prayed against and indeed for my part had I no other sin that might be laid to my charge yet I find this inbred wickedness this naturall proneness to evil so exceeding sinfull that I should account it a choice mercy to be quite rid of it and 't is for this I have cause to hang the head and mourn and 't is that the moving corruptions may be quite destroyed and mortified in me is the prayer and care of my poor soul for my joy cannot be full untill my enemies that is my sins both root and branch seed and fruit be plucked up and withered and untill Christ alone his grace and vertues be formed in my soul and triumph in my conversation S. 12 O doe not make light of that which put thee under the wrath of God and power of Satan that may not be slighted by thee which is in thee the cause and originall of all sins that set the whole man upon evil the cause of all disorder and confusion every where in thee and every where in the world in a word 't is exceeding sinfull all evils lie folded up in thy original concupiscence S. 13 Take heed therefore and take a special view and measure of this thy sin and because thy flesh will never be weary in it's sinfull motions then be thou never weary nor give over resisting these lusts in thy self weakening this body of sin and hinder the progress of it and if thou canst not get it quite discharged suffer it not what ere it cost thee to reign in thee or prevail over thee listen not to lusts solicitations entertain no treaty with lust believe not its promises fear not its threats when God hath said and commanded one thing let no arguments make thee believe the contrary §. II. Vain thoughts S. 14 Thy thoughts though they lie hid from man and free from the laws and censures of men yet to God are they known who discerns the inward counsels of the heart and are judged by him according to the agreement they have with or dissonancie from or repugnancie to the laws of sobriety righteousness and holiness And what ever is uncomely or undecent to speak or act is as much to think and as much a sin as the word or act would be though not so apparent and if it be an evil to speak or practise evil so is it to think evil and a man that would search and trie himself for discovery may know what he is for grace or sin by his thoughts one may know another by words or actions thy own thoughts to thee are the Signatures of thy own heart whether
sanctified or unholy by these fruits mayst thou know the tree by these streams the fountain by these sparks the fire by the sent of this smoke the fuel Mat. 15.19 Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts which expression of Christ shews that some thoughts are evil and the great wickedness of man is thus resolved Gen. 6.5 that the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were evil and that continually and Solomon knew the malignity of thoughts when he entitles vain thoughts to sin he that deviseth to doe evil shall be called a mischeivous person Pro. 24.8 the Psalmist speaks of vain thoughts as matter of his detestation Psalm 119.113 saying I hate vain thoughts but thy law doe I love God calls upon us to banish all vain evil thoughts and to give them no lodging within us but calls every one to repentance even for the sins of their thoughts saying Jer. 4.14 Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee And for our reformation if we intend it to be according to the design of it it reacheth to the very thoughts and the evil of them must be banished and our thoughts yea every thought 2 Cor. 10.5 brought over to the obedience of Christ S. 15 This account is given in Scripture of wicked and vain foolish thoughts if no worse can be said of thy imaginations then that they are but frivolous vain and foolish yet of such the Scripture saith that the thought of foolishness is sin much more then are they wicked when mischievous Pro. 24.9 envious ambitious wordly luxurious and lascivious and thy thought-sins are liable to the same condemnation and therefore call for like reformation with the sins of those thoughts which are brought to light and practised for sure if Adultery or fornication or murder or theft or covetousness or any other abomination be sin the thoughts and desires of the nature of either of them is a sin also and if there be any indulgence for either which I think there is none without repentance it rather looks toward those that slip suddenly into a fault without fore-thoughts of pleasure or advantage in the sin and so foiled at unawares without full consent then toward those evil thoughts which are delighting and abiding though they keep within the limits of thoughts and imaginations for the abatement of the guilt if I say there be any such allowance will be to him that sins and would not rather then to him that would act sin though actually he doth it not for he that wills and doth not is worse then him that doth a sin and wills not that is 't is against the bent resolution and intentions of his mind S. 16 Yet men are apt to think that their evil and vain thoughts are neither offensive to God nor hurtfull to themselves but are innocent harmless and once I thought so too but it was before I knew either God or my self as I should but now I repent me that ever I gave way to naughty imaginations and have learnt through grace to be more watchfull over and to reject and resist evil and vain thoughts and not to suffer them to abide with me long though sometimes so unhappy I am as to be surprised with them and now doe I hate vain thoughts and desire to be humbled for and throughly reformed in my thoughts neither shall I think to have attained any considerable victory over my corruptions nor come to the true worth and state of saving conversion untill my mind be sanctified 2 Cor. 10.5 and every imagination and thought be brought under the obedience of Christ which now is the main work I have to doe within my own soul to wit to get my spirit cleansed from the filthiness of vanity and evil 2 Cor. 7.1 that so perfecting holiness every day as long as I live I may at length get my reformation compleated and my soul saved S. 17 And this I earnestly perswade thee to being well assured that he that gives liberty to himself to think evilly and delights in vain thoughts hath no inward holiness that therefore you would be watchfull over your thoughts and account it the greatest part of your duty to reform them and to be very carefull to entertain good things in them and banish quickly out of thy thoughts all manner of evil for as a mans thoughts are good or bad so is he that thinketh such things and if thou hast been one of a vain wanton worldly proud malicious or revengeful mind then repent thee of all thy thoughts of any of these kinds and labour to reform thy thoughts Jer. 4.14 if thou mean to be holy indeed and saved at the last §. III. Idle words S. 18 The tongue is but a little member Jam. 3.6 yet very apt to transgress and very full of evil a little world of iniquity which hardly can be kept in or tamed yet it must be redured to limits and rules or else thou sinnest Men think that to talk much to talk vainly to speak foolishly is no great hurt except there be poison and venome in every word yea men are apt to think there is no sin in words and therefore doe most men make light of words as wind not considering that all good men and prudent ponder well and consider what is fit to be spoken ere they speak lest they offend God themselves or others by their speech Psal 39.1 Pro. 17.27 Pro. 10.19 Eccle. 5.3 I will take heed saith David lest I sin with my tongue And Solomon saith he that hath knowledg is sparing of his words for in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise So that I conceive many words that men speak may well be spared for I am sure many words that men speak are sinfull for they are unseemly foolish empty vain to no good purpose but very often of very evil consequence there are many unruly and vain talkers saith Paul to Titus whose mouths must be stopped Titus 10.11 Eph. 5.4 which subvert whole houses c. And foolish talking is numbred for sin with fornication and uncleanness S. 19 Now if thou art one given to loosness of tongue and vanity of talk that speakest much and any thing comes first into thy mind either to vent a folly or a passion to speak unseemly or unwisely gibing or scaffing tatling or talking frothy complements without reality and lying jests to provoke mirth tedious stories to no purpose of good to edification if thy tongue walk in this road and thy speech be but after this rate of vanity though free from blasphemy oathes reproches rottenness rayling c. yet is it not free from sin for thy words are vain and idle and when reformation comes it will reduce thy tongue to and bring it into the obedience of the laws of wisdome of sobriety and
48 And now I would counsel thee also if thou wouldst be innocent to leave off those games and sports which are neither good for bettering thy health of body nor yet of refreshing thy mind and all such pastimes and thy engagements in them which eat up thy time and raise thy passions are incentives to quarrels and such as indispose thee for holy duties are fuel for lust and keep thee from religious performances are to be shunned and if you will follow my counsell leave off dicing and carding revelling and dancing and I am sure you will when you mean to be sober and wise religious and a sincere down-right Christian and when you intend to make religion your chief imployment heaven your aim and holy performances your delight then you will see that all business and avocations from the businesse of religion are nothing at all profitable for thee you will then admit of nothing that shall hinder the work of salvation nor do any thing deliberately which shall frustrate your hopes of heaven But what ere is good in its self or may advance this great work of saving reformation that thou wilt do and no body shall be able to tempt thee to folly nor fright thee from thy duty but thou wilt then make a conscience of thy time and employment how thou spendest it and how much of it and about what businesses that so thou mayst be able at last to make a fair and clear account of thy actions to God when thou shalt be called to it and that will be very shortly and for every thing done in the body according to that he hath done whether it he good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 S. 49 And surely no man will be approved for well-doing that hath done little else them recreated and pleased himself with sports and pastimes eating and drinking in hunting and hawking and such like employments and many men have no other calling and God knows that for a man to study and contrive how he may spend his days in pleasure and to take his pleasure in severall instances as he hath purposed is but to study and contrive how he may live to die like a fool and prepare his back for many stripes at the last which such a man must be beaten withall and thou cast forth as a vessell of dishonour wherein is no pleasure for that it had never been employed to any good use or purpose S. 50 Be perswaded therefore to leave off taking pleasure and sporting thy self in sin and also to sin in thy sports and recreations and this I would intreat thee never more choose that for thy recreation which is unlawfull or doubtfull or that wherein you have offended already or in which you may be in danger to transgress again when you may as easily forbear and in forbearing be most assuredly certain you shall not sin and resolve on this rather to renounce all sports and recreations then to commit the least sin or expose thy self to the danger of a transgression How much deplorable will the loss be to thee when for the pleasure of sin for a season thou must lose thy soul for ever CHAP. VII Containing some reasons of specifying sins in the foregoing catalo S. 1 THus have I laid before you in this register such sins as the nature of man since the Fall is not onely prone to but also miserably fruitfull in And all of them both great and small are contrary to the nature of the most holy God and each of them a violation of the righteous and holy commands of God and destructive to the happiness of thy own soul meriting everlasting damnation and which no man that doth them and lives and dies in any of them can escape For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and it will be executed one day upon them that do evil and continue so doing for God will render to every one according to his deeds Yet none of these shall hurt thy soul if thou commit them not Rom. 2.5 6. and art not some way guilty of them and although thou hast been faulty any of those ways or in many of them yet shall they not be thy destruction if thou repent thee heartily and leave them speedily and absolutely And therefore have I been particular in the enumeration of sins with their aggravations and dismall dreadful consequence to this end and for these REASONS S. 2 Reas 1 1. Because thou mayst examine thy heart life and actions whether thou hast been guilty of any of them how many of them how often and how long and which of them all are thy sins with what consent of will and delight and by what temptations thou hast acted them and lived in them and against what light of knowledge checks of conscience reproofes admonitions exhortations convictions and resolutions thou hast commited them Which considerations will make thy sin appear to thee more odious and exceeding sinfull And so it will serve as an excellent instrument of thy recovery for the consideration of the guilt filth defilement and miserable consequence of sin every sin the least sin every sin being against God and the eternal good of thy own precious soul this I hope may bring thee to sound repentance for and a lothing of all sin in the whole kind of it speedily resolutely and heartily without either farther delay or dispute S. 3 And this is the design of the specification of sins for now after this now I say that you are told of them you may not think to keep them and act them with impunity for though in the time of your ignorance God did wink at and did bear with your follies then yet now he commands thee and all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 31. because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse S. 4 Rea. 2 2ly I have quoted Scriptures in the margent and annexed them to every particular sin because you may be fully convinced of the infallibility of the execution of Gods decree of reprobation and damnation on thee and every man and woman living in such a state without repentance and reformation that so neither thou nor any sinner may presume of salvation at the end of a sinfull impenitent and unreformed life but that thou mayst utterly despair of salvation without sound and timely reformation and this consideration also may serve to hasten thy resolution and to use all meanes appointed of God to rid thee of thy sins and become a new man which is absolutely necessary for thee if thou meanest to be saved eternally S. 5 Rea. 3 3ly I do also perswade you to a reformation in every instance and to repent of every sin and amend every fault upon sure grounds because you may see there is no impossibility but that you may of a sinner if you look to it in time become a true convert and be turned from darkness to light
finall chastisement and eternal punishment S. 34 4ly For this I consider that the least sin that can be named be it but the sin of a vain word an irregular thought an impertinent and unprofitable action is able to undoe and overthrow millions of angels and a world of men if laid and charged on them and the reason is because of that poyson that is in it and 't is enough that it is sin and whatever hath the nature thereof is insupportable by any or all the concurrent strength of angels and men S. 35 Now if I have but the least exercise of my reason or religion how can I contentedly keep my sin how can I but I must forthwith renounce suppresse and cast quite away my sins be they great or small many or few For first when I shall seriously consider these following things 1. I consider that every sin is against God and every time I sin I fight against God and use it as my weapon with which I oppose resist offend contradict the GLORIOUS MAjESTIE of my gracious God that 't is a contrariety against him S. 36 1. To the holy nature of God sin is set forth in Scripture and that doth shew the maliciousness and exceeding desperateness of it where sin is termed a Rom. 8.7 enmity against God b Act. 7.51 resisting the holy Ghost c Act. 5.39 fighting against God and sinners are said while in their sins to walk d Levit. 26.21 28. contrary to God and e Isai 45.9 striving against God yea rising up in f Micah 2.8 rebellion against God And all these are expressions which demonstrate the nature of sin in the root and every branch and spring of the tree is of the same venomous quality in its measure and proportion and can any man think well of that which sets him against the glorious God and renders me an enemy to God and provoketh Gods displeasure against me Wo unto that soul that striveth with his maker Isai 45.9 how can the pot-sheard prevail against his maker how can chaffe stand before the wind how can a bramble withstand the fire S. 37 2. Sin is against the holy and righteous laws of God and by my sin I go about to evacuate and null the just and holy laws of God made to rule us by and when I sin I do in effect say I will not be ruled by those laws of God nor obey the will of God but I will resist his will and break his commands and will not have God for my God to reign over me but follow my own will the will of the flesh and obey the devill and his commands will I follow whatever the issue may be and what a damnable resolution is this yea what a desperate conclusion what wofull and dreadfull consequences will my sinning bring upon my soul if thus I set my self act against the commands of God which one day will be justified against me vile sinner S. 38 3. My continuance in sin in any sin is contrary to that most gracious design and purpose of God by which he willeth my freedome from the dominion filth and guilt of my sin and to put me in a state of holiness and happiness 1. God sent Christ his dear Son into the world on this design and on this errand he came and for this he spent his precious blood and laid down his life to redeeme me from my sins to be a sacrifice for me to destroy the work of the devil in me to wit my sin to slay that enmity in my cursed nature to abolish sin to rid me of my sin to make me a new creature to purge out the old leaven to separate me and my sin he gave himself for me to redeem me from all iniquity Tit. 2.12 14. and to purifie me and make me holy to teach me this lesson by his holy life and holy doctrine to avoid sin to resist temptations to live spotless in the world to renounce all ungodliness to call me to repentance for all my sins past and to lead a sober righteous and godly life in this present world and by his meritorious life and death hath procured this grace for me that through him I might be able to crucifie all my corruptions overcome all my sins and free me from every damning practise and so reconciling me to God and to turn my enmity against God to a harred of every false unholy disobedient way and practise and to be at peace with God And doe I not by my continuing in my sin frustrate this mercifull design and render my blessed Saviour undertaking and his great expence of no such great effect to me do not I while I keep my sin and act my shame and misery put a scorn upon Christs undertakings and trample his precious blood one drop of it being more worth then mountains of gold and precious stones 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 10.27 under foot as an unholy thing as a thing not effectual to redeem me from my vain conversation do I not by my continuance after all this in my sin render my self in such a state in which there is nothing can be expected less then a certain fearfull looking for of judgment see it plain Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearfull looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary c. S. 39 2. My continuance in my sin is contrary to the gracious design of the Gospel and ministry of it which is appointed of mercy to my soul and to this end published to thee Act. 26.20 that it might be the happy instrument of thy conversion and to work thee off from thy sin and to perswade thee to let thy sins go Act. 20.21 and to build thee up in a most holy faith and life to turn me from sin to God from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God S. 40 And what are all those calls intreaties invitations wooings complainings menaces promises in the Gospel-administrations and all the labours watchings prayings and preachings and studies and teares and admonitions and warnings and to what end are sermons and sabbaths and sacraments for me why doth God rebuke and correct and inflict punishments upon sinners what are all these from the gracious God to me but so many varieties of arguments and so many importunities and instruments for this very end that I might leave off and cease to doe evil and learn to doe well to what purpose is all this cost but to bring my soul my life and sin asunder what is it for but this to cause me to leave and forsake that which God hates perfectly and that will undoe me certainly if â—â—ept 't is to perswade me to yeild to do no more any such act as God hates O doe not the thing that I hate saith God by all these his
let me repent and reform speedily even nâ—w let me turn from my evil ways and thoughts and make no dispute of it this may be the accâ—pâ—able day this is the day of grace if God doth now move thee and thou art now under conviction that thou needest repentance and that 't is high time for thee to amend and to cast off all thy transgressions you must confesse at least that it is very fit you should though it may be you will not see it so absolutely necessary because of that blindness that is in thee S. 74 Yet know that if thou hast any conviction it is an hint from the Lord that this is the time you are to resolve and to stop as to your former course of sinning in any kind any more and to set heartily about the work of reformation in your own soul and life and you may expect Gods grace will not be wanting to thee to assist thee in and carry thee through the work and so will it prove the blessedst day thy eyes ever yet beheld S. 75 But secondly if this consideration move thee not to be speedy in thy reformation then think with thy self thus would I take it well and as sober counse from any man especially from one I think that loves me and that knows my danger and sees me going on in a course absolutely destructive to me and that will inevitably procure my utter undoing if he should not onely let me alone in it but perswade me to continue in that way which will certainly bring me to ruine saying well friend I perceive you are almost past recovery and the date of mercy is neer expiration and you are come to this point that except you turn speedily even now and alter your course you must perish eternally without remedy yet seeing you have no mind to leave off your sins go on and although God hath said except you repent and be converted you cannot be saved do no believe it let not that trouble thee thy sins and wickedness the devill and hell may prove better friends to thee and be more for thy advantage and bring more content to thee and happiness then timely reformation or pardon or the favour of God Christ or Heaven do not hearken to any counsell that may reclaim thee let no argument prevail to disswade thee from following thy own lewd and lustfull practises let no intreaties deterre thee why shouldst thou consider anything or thoâ—e â—reachers the holy messengers of the glorious God speaking unto thee though they woe thee with tears in their eyes saying Oh do not these abominable things which God hates do not yield so timely nor give back in the least oppose thy self thy sins to all they say or can do for thy eternal good if you die you die you can be but damned at last and is that so great a matter that thou shouldest cross thy self in the least or deny thy self any of those sweet damning sinfull actings no do not is it not much better to perish eternally then to undergoe now for a moment such a loss as to part with thy beloved sins or to contract the reproch and scoff of a few of thy ungodly companions whose favour and friendship in a way of sinning is far rather to be priced then the love and favour of God why will you hazard your interest in the pleasures and profits of the world and sweet company of your lusts now here in the flesh for heaven hereafter is heaven so much to be valued is the loss of that happiness or losing heaven so great a loss S. 76 Now how would you brook such doctrine as this is this good counsell would this be acceptable to you would you account such an one your friend indeed that should thus perswade thee or wouldest thou not take such language as the greatest Sarcasme most bitter taunt scorn and jeer that any man in the world could put upon or insult over thee withall wouldst thou not account him either a starke fool or one quite out of his wits distracted and mad that would counsell thee after this rate could you ever think such an one thy friend or that he means thee well or that he speaks what he thinks that would argue thee out of thy happiness into thy misery thus S. 77 Yet alas even so it is that my own heart deals thus with me all the while I go on in my sin and delay my reformation every suggestion from my self to which I yeild to put off my repentance and amendment is just such a counsell and the counsell of a naughty mans heart that hinders speedy resolution to become a new creature are the very same when articulated as you have here read S. 78 O then why should I ever yeild to that in my self and do that by my own counsell which I should dislike from another why should I delay my reformation upon that account which I should be ashamed to offer to another and abhorre any other should propose to me and yet for all this I do the same thing all the while I continue in my sin or wave or delay my turning from all and every one of my transgressions to serve the Lord Christ have I all this while cheated and befooled my self and shall I continue to do so injuriously still God forbid S. 79 Thirdly let me consider further that all the while I deferre and delay my repentance I do nothing lesse then give God the deniall who calls upon me now to break off my sins by repentance and every such deniall is a provocation and I sin as much by refusing to do that presently which I should immediately perform Therefore turn ye even unto me NOW saith the Lord with all your heart 〈…〉 And to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your heart This NOW is to DAY after so long a time while it is called to day and sure this is the present time that God looks for my return and if I put off by excuses or delaies do I not declare that I will not obey God and that I love my sins in that I will not part with them yet although I lose Gods favour by keeping them Is it not a proof that I intend to gratifie the devill and my lusts and do comply with him and my sin who would that I should this day say to God go and come again to morrow for I will keep my sins this day also and so the next day and every day as well as this for all that God saith or can do what is this but a tempting of God to cut me off in the midst of my sin can I do any thing that savours more of contempt and gainsaying then this Is it any other then giving sin and Satan the preeminence in my will and affections and a setting light by God and grace will my God endure this at my hand can I imagine he will take this well that I should deal so
unworthily with his grace and that I should give that to the devil and lust which I should pay unto God that is my ready and willing obedience how wicked a thing is it say I 'le serve the devil to day and God to morrow and yet doth not he resolve so that saith I will not heat thee O Lord to day as to this matter of repentance and reformation although I know it is thy will I should but to morrow or next week I may think on t ' and then and what then why then thou wilt be as bad yea worse then now and more ready to stand off then now for then the work will be more difficult thy sins increased thy heart more hardened thy God more highly displeased those cords of thy sins will be twisted to a stronger bond and that which this day a sinner might have broken off through grace assisting hereafter for thy wilfull delay thou will not be able to break for how can he repent when grace hath forsaken him and his sins have taken such fast hold on him S. 80 O then let me never serve my God with such put offs let me never more gratifie Satan and my lusts and give God the deniall by any more or further delays and deferring reformation why should I make any more rods for my back why should I adde more weight to my burthen why shall I by this days delay make much the more work for repentence while I have enough and too too much already as many sins as I can bear or am able to repent of as long as I live and surely if ever I become a true penitent I must be grieved at the heart that I deferred so long and of putting it off this day also if I be so foolish and presumptuous to adventure my soul upon continuance in this days sins with me all night which for ought I know may be the night my soul may be taken out of my body and then what will my loytering come to or what shall I be able to answer for my delays from day to day to the last day of my life we had sad examples of this in the parable of the rich man promising himself much time to sin in and pleasure in his sin Luke 12.16 17 18. yet is cut off in a night for all his hopes So we read of the vicious servant But if that evil servant say in his heart Mat. 24.48 my Lord delayeth his comming and shall smite his fellow-servants and eat and drink with the drunken The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth O then let this be a warning to thee and do not delay thy reformation God will not delay his coming though fools abuse his patience nor will he spare thee if he find thee in thy sins in a state unconverted S. 81 Fourthly if I mean not yet to repent and turn from my evil thoughts and doings let me consider with what face can I ask leave of God to sin any longer against him may I intreat him for Christs sake to let me alone and be well pleased with me that following year though I defie him to his face and trample the blood of Christ under foot as I have done shall I say good Lord spare me that I may follow the flesh world and devil and fulfill the lusts of the flesh let me be thine enemy a little longer let me spit in thy face and abuse thy patience mercy and long-sufferance yet a while that I may fill up the measure of my wickedness and after I have done what I am able to despise thy grace and grieve thy holy Spirit then receive me into thy glory and give me the largest portion of the inheritance with thy Saints and faithfull seâ—vants in heaven S. 82 But I pray thee tell me sinner will this be fit to be said darest thou ask this of â—od if not why how dost thou dare to continue in that stare which thou art ashamed and afraid to ask a blessing on wilt thou beg of God leave to offend thy God to dishonour religion to contradict and violate his most holy laws and to murther thine own soul by sin for whom Christ died to save it from sin that it might live for ever with God S. 83 O dear soul think and think it seriously that he that means to continue in his sins doth mean also that God must either countenance his sinning and approve of his sinfull dealing or that God will smite him and cut him off in his high displeasure and which of these two is it likely the most holy and just God will do must you not then conclude either to leave off your sins speedily and by so doing to procure a pardon and mercy for Christs sake for what is past and do so wickedly no more for after-time or to dare God to his face and bid him doe his worst for you mean not to turn nor amend yet nor to go back from your purpose of staying a little longer in the old track of sinfull walking But methinks a man that hath but the lest right sound reason left him or counsell would not long be deliberating what to do in this case seeing 't is so evident that he dare not pray or ask leave of God to continue life that he may live to sin or that God would accept of his sinfull disobedience for an holy service but at last should he resolve to go no further in sins way but now with speed immediately turn from his sins ere he close his eyes to sleep lest it may prove his laâ—t nights repose on this side hell S. 84 Fifthly let me consider for a speeding motive to a speedy practical resolution whether or no is it of indispensable necessity and special concernment for me that some time or other ere I die I must be soundly converted and cease to do evil and to take off my heart from the love and consent to lusts motions and lead an holy harmlesse and heavenly life if it be necessary as no question it is then why is it not as necessary to me now as at another time as much my duty to day as to morrow Before I committed any sin actually it was my duty to abstain and forbear but after the first act of folly and evil immediately it is my duty to repent leave it off and cease from doing any more of it and if it had been good for me that I had never sinned sure it must be my next advantage to leave it as soon as possibly For next to that of committing no evil the best course I can take is to repent betimes and if it seem to any one that hereafter will be a fitter time then this present then it will fall out when hereafter
comes to be thy present it will be as much against thy will then as now it is and therefore unless I intend to put off my repentance and amendment my conversion and reformation for altogether and never to think on t ' more otherwise let me do that which I think to do this year or seven years hence NOW FORTHWITH and that is to forsake all that God dislikes in me and all that his holy word hath witnessed against and my conscience reproves me of without any more ado For I must not befool my self any longer with this opinion that sin will cease of it self and if it doth then sin leaves me I leave not sin Si autem vis agere poenitentiam quando jam peccare non potes peccata te dimiserunt non tu illa Aug. or that pardon will be more easily obtained when I have sinned as much and as long as I can or that repentance will be more acceptable to God when I am forced to it and then too when my age and strength my understanding memory and affections fail me or that God will be pleased well enough with the refuse of my service after I have served the world the flesh and the devil with my prime and full strength and best affections as though God which deserves infinitely more then I can perform Irrisor est non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod paeniteat non minuit peccata sua sed multiplicat Aug. would be put off with any thing or pleased and contented to be mocked by me a most vile wretch while I seem to offer that fag-end of my life which is fit neither for time nor ability to perform that service which God will account of for true repenoance and thorough-reformation S. 85 O let me never put the fair hopes I now have of obtaining mercy from God if I now set my heart to this my duty of reforming my life speedily to the hazard but while a price is put into my hand let me not be such a fool to cast it and so my self away and that for ever S. 86 Sixtly methink I should not delay any longer my reformation but speedily set my heart upon it and endeavour it to purpose considering that I would not for any worldly good miss the day of grace or that death should meet with me in my unregenerate state and for any thing I know to the contrary this may be the last day of my life or the last day of grace beyond which God will not wait any longer or give me any motion or help towards my conversion but he may in judgment seal up my heart harden it and sear my conscience that I may never so much as think on my condition any more or desire him heartily to heal me and convert me many men have come to this pass even to out-live the date of that mercy intended for them which if they had in time accepted would have brought a saving pardon and reformation to their souls and why should I adventure my salvation on an uncertainty while I may be sure of it if I take the offer while I may have it Besides why should I provoke God to withdraw his grace and cut me off in his displeasure for all the while every moment I live in sinfull impenitency and unconverted state I have nothing to do with any promise of mercy pardon or heaven I am under the curse of the law and power of Satan and go in danger of death and damnation and if death overtake me in my sins I am a lost soul and who can tell how neer he is to his last hour are you not hastening on to your end will time stay for you or can you call back yesterday whether I eat drink sleep play or work yet my time consumes and I am drawing toward my long home of eternity Oh that I may think still on this and make this concluding resolution of it even to speed my work the great business of my sound reformation and put it off for nobodies pleasure no not for any objection to the contrary nor any worldly advantage might be had upon the account of continuance in my sin if I rest in an unconverted state I am in a lamentable condition S. 87 Seventhly let me consider why should I delay this duty any longer but rather make hast to it and be diligent and constant in it seeing all the objections that have ever been made against speedy reformation and all the excuses and pretences for delaying this necessary work are both frivolous and of no weight and treacherous and pernicious how fully have they all been answered and how easy is it for a man of the meanest capacity to satisfy himself of the unreasonableness of all arguments may be produced by the most cunning Sophister against reformation and for procrastination and continuing in sinfull practices from day to day or but for one day longer And why then should I hearken to any thing that may he further insinuated to me from Satan or any of those his instruments which would cause my delay to the wrong of my poor soul CHAP. XI Of Temptations with their Answers §. I. Temptations answered S. 1 MY sins are not so great or not so many nor have I lived in them so long that I need make such hast out of them that I ought to be so much troubled for them or that I should despair of salvation though I never leave them S. 2 This favourable conceit of sin I believe hath betrayed many an unwise soul to their undoing Answ and men that have no mind to change their course have a mind to lessen their faults and to reduce them to a narrow compasse and minute instance how easy it is with men to do wonders in this kind when they have a mind to it but how difficult are far more easy matters when they are actions to be done with what facility doth a wicked man make his great sins little his many sins few and his little sins and few none at all or nothing but God will not be so indulgent to thy sins although thou art S. 3 Now can you not easily repel this temptation and refute this smooth opinion that it prevail not with thee so as to cause thee lay aside thy repentance for the present Thus my sins they are not great but are they not great nor many nor great But are they any at all though they are not many nor great yet they are more then I can reckon and greater then I can bear if I am guilty but of one kind of sin yet that is too much by one if I have acted that sin but once yet that is by once too often if I have lived but one day without repentance 't is a day too long I should not have sinned at all there was no necessity for it I had no command from God to sin neither did any decree of his enforce me to
off quite or delay my REFORMATION O that I may never more decline my necessary duty by excuses nor gratifie satan and wrong mine own soul by delays CHAP. XII Of some Queries S. 1 NOw for thy further conviction and speedier resolution about this great and necessary work of saving reformation I would intreat thee sinner in the Name of God to weigh seriously what is here offered unto thee and resolve to give an effectuall answer as you shall see cause and no more do I desire thee to do in this point then what in conscience you shall judge fit to be done in this case of speedy practicall Reformation and if you cannot rationally except against what I propose that you would forthwith yield and be perswaded to the thing and without more adoe set about this thy own work S. 2 Qu. 1 First of all I demand whether the things which I have been perswading thee to all along be thy duty and of absolute indispensible necessity in order to thy eternal salvation Or whether you think it an indifferent thing whether you be a true penitent and sound convert or no if you you do if it be of absolute necessity how can you in reason and conscience neglect it if you mean to be saved if it be thought but a matter of lesser moment and a thing indifferent then why Is CHRIST and why are all his ministers and the Scriptures so earnest with thee to reform and why is Satan the world and all the enemies to thy souls happiness so industrious to keep thee in thy sins and in an unreformed and unconverted estate you cannot conclude it a thing indifferent except you make it a thing indifferent whether you be eternally saved or damned eternally O then art thou perswaded of the necessity of reformation set about it speedily neglect it not S. 3 Qu. 2 Whether in good earnest do you not believe that JESUS CHRIST is very much offended and his grace and favour exceedingly abused and the worth of his blood extremely vilified by thee all the while thou continuest in thy wilfull sinning and in despite to his holiness and all he hath done and suffered to redeeme thee from all iniquity to serve him in new obedience all the days of thy life S. 4 Qu. 3 Whether if you refuse to amend and to cast away all your iniquities and become a sincere convert can you have any ground or reason to hope you shall be saved by Christ seeing he himself hath said Except you be converted Mat. 18.3 you cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven S. 5 Qu. 4 Whether do you think that those sins thy self art guilty of either in thought word or actions those thy omissions and commissions if not repented of and pardoned will be any hinderance to thy salvation or dost think that GOD doth esteem of thee never the worse for all thy evil practices but gives thee leave to be as bad as you will and will never call you to an account for all your misbehaviours have you any reason to be perswaded of this or of the contrary you cannot sure be so desperately wicked as to think so wickedly of God and Christ that he should be either pattern or patron of wickedness in any one living S. 6 Qu. 5 Whether do you in your judgment account happier he that continueth still in his sins and vitious course of living and dieth in that estate or he that doth repent betime and lead a godly sober and righteous life and dieth in that state which of these wouldst thou be and in which of these conditions wouldst thou be found when God shall call thee hence to appear at the judgment of the great day surely you cannot but wish you might dye the death of the righteous and fare as a godly man fareth at last Oh then why will you not conclude to live as the godly man liveth now S. 7 Qu. 6 1 Pet. 4.2 3. Whether dost thou not think that the time past of thy life is not enough and too much that thou hast served thy lusts and followed the devices and desires of thy naughty heart is it not now high time forthwith to forsake all sin and to betake thee to an holy life have not Satan sin the world and vanity had too much of thy hearts delight and affections but wilt thou give them yet more and serve them yet longer Alas how long canst thou doe better then to rid thy self of those sins and get clear of them that will slay thee and are ready every moment to make an end of thy daies and happiness together if thou nourish them or spare them or give but way to them S. 8 Qu. 7 Whether you suppose it a blemish or disgrace to thy birth breeding place relations and parts to become a true hearty penitent and holy person a disciple of Christ a child of God and an inheritor of immortall glory and of a vile person made an honorable Saint or is it not much more a blemish disgrace and dishonour to be a servant of sin a slave to Satan an enemy to Christ and a fire-brand of hell as every wicked unregenerate unholy man is is there any honour or credit like that of a Saint or any shame or ignomy like that of a wilfull beastly sinner sure there is not S. 9 Qu. 8 Would you not judge that man hard hearted and obstinate foolish and mad were it not thy own case who doth wilfully continue in sin and impenitency after all those gracious invitations and beseechings from the Lord to return after all those menaces and rebukes for sin after all those cheeks of thine own conscience and convictions of the necessity of reformation would you not deeme that man worthy of damnation that in despite of grace and all saving means will make away his soul and murther himself wilfully doth not he deserve to die eternally that will not receive a pardon upon such conditions as God doth promise a pardon which is that thou shouldest repent and lay down all rebellious thoughts and actions and return to thy obedience to God and his most holy just laws and government S. 10 Surely you would not esteem such an one meet for mercy that doth sin against mercy and that perseveres in wickedness Oh then dear soul let it never be said of thee that thou art the man that dost do so that it never be reported of thee that all the favours mercies and motions of Gods holy Spirit have been cast away upon thee Let it never be said of thee that God would have reformed thee and saved thee but thou wouldst not be reformed nor saved this way by ceasing to do evil Let it not be upon record against thee that all the means as preaching to thee praying for thee reproofs exhortations admonitions counsells calls directions from all the holy messengers of Christ beseeching thee and weeping to thee could never prevail with thee vile sinner with all the pains they
off the kind intreaties of Christ and those many invications to holiness it will trouble thee if ever thou come to be converted that thou wert not converted sooner that God and religion had not thy heart and service long agoe that thou didst not yield and resign up thy self when first thou wast moved to it that sin had so much and Christ so little of thy will and affections O then dear soul deferre not any longer but do that with all speed which you have now a fair opportunity to perform that is forthwith to leave off your known sins and betake your selves to a sober serious holy life so will you prevent your own molestation and your own misery III. Motive S. 4 3. Let the danger and dreadfulness of an unconverted state move thee speedily to get out of it by all possible means alas all the while I live unreformed I am under the curse of the Law and power of Satan a slave to lust and a son of perdition and if I chance to die in this estate my case and the already damned in hell will be the same they who died in their sins are miserable wretches and so shall I be as they are there is but a step between me and their sad condition and while I am on this side the grave in a sinning course following the motions of my lusts I am in a worse condition then the worst of creatures a toad in my ditch is better by much then a man in his sins unconverted unreformed And all the while I live in my sins I am unpardoned and am hastening to an eternity of misery I am in that broad way which leadeth straight on to destruction Oh then let my soul get quickly out of that way and from that state in which I walk in so much danger and which will most certainly carry me to the chambers of death and bring me under the eternall wrath of God IV. Motive S. 5 4. Let the consideration of the brevity and uncertainty of thy life move thee to hasten thy reformation this night thy soul may be taken from thy body if not then within a very short time it must and it will be called to an account and oh what a sad day will it prove then when death opens the passage from a sinfull life to an endless misery when death puts an end to the pleasures of sin and gives a beginning to the pains of hell never to end S. 6 Therefore if you mean to prevent the miseries of a dying sinner you must destroy the sin ere you die and this requires your care and diligence your speed and quick dispatch Oh that you would be wise concerning your later end and leave not that to do at the last which can neither be well done nor accepted if it be put off till the last V. Motive S. 7 5. Another Motive to a speedy reformation let be that none of thy most pleasurable sinfull practices are half so pleasing to thee a sinner as the ways of godliness and exercise of vertues are to the true convert reformation if it be sound and universall will prove the rarest delight and content in the world and be of excellent satisfaction to thee Pro 3.15 1 Tim. 4.8 1 Tim. 6.6 Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace and godliness with contentment is great gaine profitable to all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come No life can be compared to a godly life for pleasure profit and contentment how quiet is the conscience of a devout holy Christian how sweet his sleep how calm and serene is his spirit that is at peace with God! how doth he rejoyce in the Lord what a merry life doth he lead and goeth on his way cheerfully to his home to his inheritance to his joys in heaven which he hath in prospect and is at the end of his race how doth that soul triumph in his victories that is daily resisting temptations and slaying his corruption how sweetly doth he passe his time that spends it in communion with God and delights of heaven But 't is farre otherwise with a wicked man that serves the interest of sin and studies to gratifie and serve his lusts in sinful actings Oh what a many plots doth he lay and paines doth he take to bring about his sin and then what shifts must be make to hide to excuse to maintain his sin what a many perplexing gripes of conscience and often terrours hath a wicked man within himself and besides the bitterness in the end of sinfull actions what a toile and weariness it is in the exercise of it so that truly a man may say of sin WHAT A WEARINESS IT IS to what purpose is all this cost and losse of time and exhausting the spirits and after all what pleasure hath a man or what content can accrue to any man upon the remembrance of his evil actings is not a holy harmless life spent in the exercise of purity and charity infinitely more to be desired for content and satisfaction were there nothing else to be found in the practise of godliness and vertues then what we find in themselves then in all the formes and modes in all or any the ways of vitiousness that can be named were there nothing else to be expected by way of punishment for my sinning then the enjoyment of the pleasures supposed to be in sin O then dear Christian let nothing keep thee back from leaving off every sinfull course nor from taking up the practise of holy living seeing nothing can bring true pleasure not content unto thy soul untill thou be habitually imployed in the duties of religion and practise of godliness VI. Motive S. 8 Finally Let this be a Motive to cast off all thy wickedness immediately and forthwith to follow Jesus Christ in an entire imitation of his holiness in a godly affection and conversation forasmuch as God hath born long enough with thee already and thou hast lived long enough in thy sins already Oh do not live any longer or spend any more of thy time to the will of the stesh but to the will of God for the time past of our life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousnesse excesse of wine and other sins 't is enough dear soul 't is enough and too much that we have done foolishly 't is high time to cease to do evil and to learn to do well and likewise consider what an honest how honorable how pleasant how profitable and how comely a thing it is to live a godly holy and heavenly life Oh let it never be said of thee that thou chusest thine own undoing by refusing to do what God requires of thee seeing all that God doth ask of thee and what ever is here exhorted to is for thine own eternall good glory and endlesse happinesse S. 9 And therefore to conclude I do in the name of Christ exhort thee Reader to be mindfull of thine own concernments and if there be any thing herein which if you follow to do would prejudice thy salvation then do it not but if the things here exhorted to that is a speedy through reformation in heart and life be of absolute necessity if thou meanest to be saved eternally then upon pain of damnation and as thou hopest to see Christ in glory and to be glorified with him do not forget to put it into speedy execution lest when you would if now you refuse you may not it may be too late or not accepted S. 10 I beseech thee therefore precious soul if there be in thee any hope of consolation from God if any love to Christ and thine own soul Rom. 12.3 if any mercy or tenderness of compassion toward thine own soul ready to be undone by reason of sin then think on these things and accordingly I beseech thee therefore by the mercies of God Eph. 4.22 23 24. that you be no more conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you put off concerning your former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your minds And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness so shall you prevent eternal damnation and through the mercies of God in Christ obtain everlasting salvation which damnation cannot be avoided nor this salvation ever attained without a sound entire timely holy reformation which is the summe and finall conclusion of this my earnest perswasion by all those foregoing arguments in this first part the rest shall be set in order for thee in due time when this shall be so well proved as that by renouncing all thy sins thou wilt be in that blessed frame and serious Resolution to devote thy self to a godly course of holy living and therein to abide with God to THE END
prayest to the eternal Spirit framing to thy self any likeness of God in thy imagination or fancie Whether thou servest the world or any thing in the world with thy dearest affections and desires delighting in them and seeking more them then God If so then art thou deeply tainted with this foul sin of Idolatry Therefore now dear soul be advised if thou findest thy self guilty though but in the least to repent and reform rid thy self of this damning sin which God doth hate and will not tolerate in any one but such as those are determined for hell for all Idolaters are abominable to God 1 Pet. 4.3 and God would have his children keep themselves from IDOLS from the sight and from the service of Idols * n = John 5.21 My little children keep your selves from Idols And now if you will not come off from all Idolatry then see what will befall you you shall be shut out of heaven and shall be shut up in hell †1 Cor. 6.9 Idolaters shall not inherit the kingdome of God Without are Sorcerers and Idolaters Rev. 22.15 which shall never be admitted into the kingdome of heaven Sorcerers and Idolaters shall have their part in the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Phil. 3.19 which is the second death Now judg thee friend whether it doth not neerly concern thee to try thy self whether guilty and then speedily to reform and let fall all thine Idols and serve the living God in spirit sincerity and truth and believe in him and love him with all thy heart mind and strength of soul §. V. Adultery Fornication Effeminateness Buggery Beastiality S. 21 I should not name some of these as the two latter being abominations so much against nature but that the wickedness of some men hath been so great as to abuse themselves with their own sex and abominably defiled themselves with beasts so luxurious have been their lusts like that of Sodom and t is to be feared some to this very day are given to such abominations and have been found out and put to death for such cursed crimes by men and condemned to the fire of Hell for their burning lust this way Now if thou art guilty of such cursed wickedness oh how quickly will the Lord find thee out and how soon will damnation overtake both soul and body Rev. 21.8 The abominable shall burn in Hell shall have their portion in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone S. 22 But not onely such exclude from heaven but also those other acts of unchastity 1. If thou in a married state hast at any time committed folly with any other in lying with any other carnally t is adultery and thou art an adulterer or adulteress yea if it be in thy heart to lust after another and desirest it and delightest in the thoughts of carnall fruition of the party forbidden then our Saviour Christ saith this is adultery whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 hath committed adultery with her in his heart 2. If thou in a single state hast before marriage known any one carnally This is FORNICATION S. 23 3. Under the notion of EFFEMINACIE you are to judge your selves guilty of that when you give your self to venerious lascivious thoughts loose words embracements gestures attires that are alluring and inticing to wantonness and bodily uncleanness when you are contriving with delectation to satisfie those inordinate fleshly lusts and attempt wayes to accomplish that fleshly design such an one that doth so is to be accounted an unchast person and EFFEMINATE S. 24 Now examine thy self whether any of these sins be thy sin art thou guilty of any of these and wilt thou not be humbled at the heart for it that thou hast been so naught so wicked and by and by cast off far from thee all such thy thoughts desires and practices henceforth for ever all these workes of the fleshly appetite abandon speedily and keep thee chaste * Eph. 5.3 Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be once named among you much lesse practised by any of you S. 25 But if thou hast been so unhappy as to have fallen into any of these sins alas it is too much if thou hast been faulty but once take heed continue not in it under pain of the losse of HEAVEN and punishment of HELL for if but once yet thou art an adulterer or fornicator and without repentance that to a reformation how canst thou hope to escape this sentence for the truth of God speakes it For this you know Eph. 5.5 that no whoremonger nor unclean person hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God Nor fornicator nor adulterer 1 Cor. 6.9 nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the kingdome of God But their portion lies deep in hell †Rev. 21.8 Whoremongers and the Abominable shall have their part in the lake that burnes with fire brimstone which is the secoud death Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these ADULTERY FORNICATION UNCLEANNESS LASCIVIOUSNESS c. of which I tell you that they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of Heaven S. 26 I perswade thee then that thou wouldest strictly examine thy life and heart and try if thou hast been guilty any of these wayes as that the termes of adulterer or fornitator or effeminate belong to thee either in heart or deliberate consent or practice S. 27 Then doe I earnestly intreat thee as thou hopest for pardon from God and to see him with comfort hereafter speedily to betake thy self to an hearty repentance reformation and a sincere amendment and henceforth keep thy vessell pure be chast in thoughs words and refrain consenting to lustfull motions this way and abhorre acting any more so wickedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Col. 3.5.6 and either seeing lust not or lusting look not but doe as Paul exhorteth Christians to Mortifie therefore the members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affections evil concupiscence For which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Marriage is honorable in all Heb 13.4 and the bed undefiled but WHOREMONGERS and ADULTERERS God will judge §. VI. Drunkenness S. 28 Is drunkenness thy sin and if it be it is a great one and thou art guilty of this sin more ways then one men think themselves for the most part then onely to be guilty when they have drunk to that excesse as to wallow in their vomit and have lost both reason and sences This indeed is to forsake the manhood and to be transformed into a beast and worse for a beast is not capable of sinning by excesse but a man sins wofully in so doing for he breaks a Law of God and sobriety abuseth the creature dishonoreth and debaseth his own soul exposeth himself to shame and scorn and gives a foul
invitation to the devil to drive him to many other sins as swearing cursing whoredome murther and the next wickedness is at hand a fit instrument for the devils service Deu. 21.20 21. Pro. â—23 21 Esay 28.1 3. 1 Cor. 6.10 but in no wise fit for the service of God nor works of his calling a greif to his relations the reproch of Religion the shame of mankind And his doom is dreadfull they shall come to poverty woe to the drunkards they shall be troden under foot and drunkards shall not inherit the kingdome of God But wilt thou say Obj. for a man to drink himself into such a condition is worthy to be deemed drunken indeed but there be that keep company and maintain good fellowship and sit by it too and yet are not so overcome as so to abuse themselves or others and is that any fault I answer That excess of drinking Answ whether thou art quickly overcome by it Vinum plus justo sumptum venenum Aug. Mal. 24.49 or whether thou be strong to overcome much drink or if thou sittest long at it tipeling and keepest company with riotous persons or forcest or perswadest others to drink excessively and delightest to see others through drink stammering reeling fooling or erring thou canst not defend thy self from being faulty thou must leave it off and reform in these things also and have nothing to do with such practices but avoid them And that thou mayst see I would not goe about to abridg thy liberty nor cross thy appetite as to these circumstances Luke 21.34 Rom. 13.13 or beg thy reformation in this but upon unquestionable grounds from Scripture read seriously Esay 5.11 Wo unto them that rise up early that they may follow strong drink that continue untill night till wine inflame them And Esay 5.22 Wo to them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink And Habb 2.15 16. Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayst look on their nakedness Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also the cup of the Lords right hand shall be given unto thee and shamefull spewing shall be on thy glory S. 29 Now by this thou seest what thou art to reform about drinking look therefore what hast thou been and how thou hast been guilty and repent and amend speedily if thou wouldest come to any thing in Religion that may do thee any good for heaven and say now you are warned and doe no more so madly so foolishly so wickedly I charge thee not as guilty but if thou hast been guilty any of these ways I charge thee in the name of God beware for the future and repent for thy former exceedings about drink § VII Gluttony S. 30 And because Gluttony is an excess about meats as that is about drinks and a sin that carries guilt with it too yet a sin little taken notice of though often committed non cibus sed appetitus est in vitio T is not eating or drinking that is sinfull meats and drinks in themselves make us neither offensive nor acceptable to God but yet abstinence is a partner with Vertue and excess in eating is a vice in morality and Christianity too and therefore not permitted to them whom God will own we find glottony condemned and the gluttonous in the number of those wretched ones which are excluded heaven eating too much and over-much charging nature is surfeiting and our Saviour gives speciall caution Luke 21.34 Take heed lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfetting and drunkenness Luke 21.34 Now gluttony is immeasurable eating beyond the bounds of Christian moderation and temperance in feasts or banquers and those that frequent with delight feastings and full tables with studied varieties are in danger and oftentimes feeding without fear are betrayed by their appetite to exceed the boundaties of temperance Jud. v. 12. 2 Pet. 2.13 Luk. 16.19 It was one of the rich mans sinfull practices whom we hear to be tormented in Hell that he fared sumptuously every day when one lusts after and purveyeth for the panch and studieth and contrives meats for the belly adding the advantages of curiosity to tice the tast to please the bestiall appetite such make their belly their God whose end is destruction Phil. 3.19 so saith S. Paul Phil. 3.19 And certain it is that those that study to pamper the flesh and spend much cost and time this way sacrificing to the draught may have fat bodies but to be sure lean souls they that are so much for their guts are but little for their souls they look little after grace that care so industriously for their palates and paunch what an ugly nasty Idol doth the glutton serve S. 31 And of such as offend this way saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.13 Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them Epicures sure are none of those that serve God as all must both in soul and body and therefore can have no expectation untill they reform of being made happy with the delicates of Heaven they that take delight in and are so studious for bodily eatable dainties or to exceed in ordinary and common meats are not innocent of gluttony but must learn to renounce this sin of gluttony also And therefore my request is that you would bethink your self and examine your disposition and appetite and usuall practise as to eating feasting banquetings and the like and if you have transgressed repent if you are liable to be enticed or inclinable of thy self to exceed in eatings put a restraint upon thy appetite and beware of falling into the sin of gluttony Solomon gives this advice When thou sittest to eat Pro. 23.1 2 3. consider diligently what is before thee and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite that is if thou be wise put a restraint upon thy appetite bridle it and satisfie it not in its lustings And the reason is in the 3. verse be not desirous of his dainties for they are deceitfull meat there is a snare in dainties and varieties and many are overtaken when they consider it not Well then is gluttony as is here described thy sin leave it be reformed in this and learn temperance abstinence and sobriety in thy feedings or else thou wilt never be accounted of for a true convert but be dealt withall as drunkards shall be and they you know shall not inherit the kingdome of God § VIII Covetousness S. 32 Is thy sin Covetousness hast thou a craving eager desire of earthly riches and abundance dost use arts and devices whether thou gettest what thou so desirest or gettest it not yet the coveting is thy sin and rendereth thee a worldling thou art a guilty person This disposition is more easily discerned in another then a mans