my Discourse All that may be said to manifest this truth unto you may be comprehended in those few Lines with which I concluded my former Sermon on this Text True Faith Roots all Feare out of a Christians Heart and turnes all his Expectation into Hope even through the strength of this Perswasion that All things worke together for Good to them that love GOD and also that Himselfe is One of Them I have now Finished the Doctrine I raised from this Text That Faith enables a man to draw Comfort from all the objects of his Thoughts Having shewne you Particularly how the Faithfull take Comfort in all things that concerne themselves from whence as I said in the beginning of my Former Sermon you may easily apprehend how they may also Comfort themselves in the Notice they take of other things as of all those Workes of Providence which they see in the Affaires of the World c. therefore I shall not extend my Discourse to any of them but proceed to application And here I shall speake first to the Faithfull those that have taken CHRIST'S Yoke upon them utterly renouncing the Filthy Conversation of the Wicked those who Mind Earthly things absolutely resolving to Walke with GOD in true Holinesse and Righteousnesse all their dayes And if at any time being Overborne by some sudden and impetuous Temptations as the Best of Christians often are they Fall back into any Uncleannesse not like Swine in the myre to Wallow in it but to Repent and to Cry unto God their Father to help them up to * Purifie their hearts by Faith to wash and Cleanse them by his Spirit in the * Blood of JESUS CHRIST His Sonne Then I shall speake to those that Go on in the Wayes of the Ungodly those that * Regard Iniquity in their Heart those that do not absolutely resolve never to Allow themselves in any One Knowne Sinne Praying continually that God would so strengthen them by his Grace that their Iniquities may not Prevaile against them that if they have been Drunkards they may be Drunke no more if they have beene Wantons they may be Wanton no more if they have been * Desirous of Vaine Glory provoking envying their Brethren they may be such no more if they have delighted themselves in Foolish Talking or Jesting * or that Elaborate Scurrility and Witty malice in which some men of Parts and Learning Exercise their Invention then which what can be more Opposite to The Spirit of meekenesse to the Calme and Sweet Nature of the LAMBE and the DOVE that they may do so no more Briefly to speake in the * Apostles words that Denying ungodlinesse and worldly Lusts they may live soberly righteously and godlily Those that have not taken such a resolution and such I feare are some of you I must reckon amongst the Wicked If therefore any of you are conscious to your selves that you are such as here I have Described Apply to your selves I beseech you for the good of your Immortall Soules what I shall speake in the second place but first as I said but now I shall speake to the Faithfull c. Beloved Brethren You know by Experience the truth I have spoken E're since you took CHRIST'S Yoke upon you have you not found Rest unto your Soules E're since you Bare that Easie yoke since your Hearts stood in * awe of GOD's Word Have you not found your selves most Sweetly and Gently and yet most Powerfully Restrained from Following the Track of your Lusts and Extravagant Affections from Breaking over the Inclosures of a strict and holy Conversation to * Run with the men of the world to the same excesse of Riot In a word have you not found all your Christian thoughts in what Subject soever you have imployed them to Worke Comfort for your soules Surely you have good thoughts are the Beames of the SUN's OF RIGHTEOUSNES which Stream forth continually upon the Hearts of Christians to warm Comfort them and to cherish and to make to Grow the Fruits of the Spirit Well my Brethren hath the Holy one of Israel the Great and Glorious GOD Shewne himselfe so Gratious to you Sinfull Creatures Dust and Ashes wormes and no men as to send his Beloved SON into the World to Dye for you by Faith in whose Blood you Rejoyce in some measure even in this Vale of Teares this miserable life and shall shortly even when a few dayes are past be inhabitants of Heaven see the Face of GOD * In whose presence there is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Well my Brethren hath GOD Dealt so Bountifully with you and will you not love him will you not with all the Powers of your Soule Warre against your Lusts that you may be no more as formerly you have been what ever Temptations befall you Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of GOD by all that Sweetnesse Love and Favour of His towards you that your Soules have ever Tasted That you would This Day Renew your Vowes Resolve afresh To Love the LORD your God with All your Heart That You may no more Judg of Things as the Vulgar doe amongst whom give me leave to reckon most of those that are commonly Accounted Great Scholars or Fine Gentlemen that you may not Esteem any Action Wise Prudent Noble or any way Praise-worthy and becoming a Generous Spirit but what is done To the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 in Defiance of the Wicked WORLD And on the other side That you may Account nothing Base Sordid and Degenerous but what is Done in Compliance with your own Lusts or the Vaine Humours of other men contrary to the Commands of that All-Glorious Majesty to whom we Owe Homage for the Air we Breath In Him we Live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 And as for those Absurd Fellowes who own the Name of CHRISTIANS and yet Delight in scorning You and call you Puritanes and I know not what You must be so farre from being Fierce and Raging against Them from thinking of Revenge c. that you must from the heart Pity them as it may be they say they Pity you for your Weaknesse and imprudence as they terme your Wisedome and Spirituall Understanding you must I say heartily Pity such men and Pray for Them as Your Fellow Creatures yea as Your Brethren in ADAM who miserably expose Themselves to the Utmost Danger of Everlasting Destruction Ah Poore Soules What Madnesse and Folly hath possessed Them Doe They say they Believe that there is an HEAVEN and an HELL and yet esteem those for a Ridiculous sort of people Who by what they Write Talke or Do for the most part plainly Discover that their Mind is wholy Bent upon This that They may Enter into the Kingdome of GOD Poore Soules Simple Ones indeed Doe They say They Believe that the
I say to the Heart of any such man and be Try'd by Him whether I do not speak Truth surely he knowes it by Woefull Experience Whenever thou hast Offended Thy GOD to satisfie the Importunity of any of thy Impetuous Lusts hath not thy Conscience Dampt thy Flaming Spirit Cool'd thy Courage as we use to speak telling thee that thou hast done Foolishly telling thee of HELL and DEATH and so Mixing thy Wine with Wormwood turning thy Delight into Vexation of Spirit Having thus briefly discovered unto you the Black and Dismall Condition of the Soules of the Wicked which Sit in Darknesse and in the Shadow of Death I shall now endeavour to discover unto you the Pleasant and Comfortable Estate of those that are truly GODLY who have the Day-star arising in their Hearts who through Faith in CHRIST walke in the Light of GODS Countenance enjoy his Favour who is KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS The Father of Mercies and GOD of all Comfort That I may give you a more clear and manifest Discovery of this Happinesse of a True CHRISTIAN I shall Point as it were as those men use to do that Shew you some Excellent Sight to make your Notice the more accurate at the Principall Parts of it Opening and Demonstrating unto you this Proposition or Doctrine True Faith enables a man c. in these three Particulars First True Faith in CHRIST inables a man to draw Comfort 1 From the Remembrance of what he hath been of the Condition he hath formerly been in 2. From the Apprehension of that which He is in at present 3. From the Expectation of what He may be in for the future Now these Three things What a man hath been What he is and What he expects to be are the Principall and most Usuall Objects of our Thoughts therefore if I shall be able to shew you how a True Faithfull CHRISTIAN may draw Matter of Comfort from all These I suppose you will easily apprehend how He may Comfort himselfe also in the Notice he takes of other things as of all the Workes of PROVIDENCE which he Sees in the Affaires of the World or the like therefore I shall not extend my Discourse to any of them Each of the Particulars which I have propounded unto my selfe to be insisted upon as the Subject and Ground-worke of my Discourse consists of Two Parts our Condition being Two-fold viz. of the Inner and Outward Man or as the common words are Spirituall and Temporall At present I shall speak only of the Temper and Disposition of a CHRISTIANS Spirit in reference to his Spirituall Condition Past Present and to Come As for his Temporall Condition or the Estate of his Outward Man I shall defer my Discourse of That 'till some other Opportunity The First thing that I am to Shew you is That a True CHRISTIAN one that hath taken CHRIST's Yoke upon him c. can take Comfort Find Rest unto his Soule in the Remembrance of his Life Past whether it have been Sinfull or Holy But here probably some of you may presently Object within your selves against what I say thus How Can a True CHRISTIAN take Comfort in the Remembrance of his Sinfull Estate why what then is meant by Poenitence or Godly Sorrow is not that the Sorrow which we conceive by the Remembrance of our Sins In removing this Objection I doubt not but by Gods Assistance I shall give you a full discovery of this Truth That a CHRISTIAN can Comfort Himselfe through the Help of GODS Spirit even in the Remembrance of his Sinfull Estate We grant that when He thinks of His Sinfull Estate as Sinfull to wit as it relates to GOD as that Course of Life wherein He did so often Dishonour the Name of the GOD that Made him of JESUS that Redeem'd him and Griev'd the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD that Now Sanctifies Him I say my Brethren when a CHRISTIAN does This way look back upon his Sinfull Life He cannot chuse through Indignation against Himselfe but Rent his Heart vex his Spirit cherish and foment his own Sorrow saying with David * I will be sorry for my Sin But let us Observe that This kind of Sorrowing is but as the taking of Physick 't is not any Disease or Settled Distemper of the Soul I say when We are thus Prickt with the Sharp sense and feeling of our SINS we are not Wounded but Let Blood and this Spirituall Phlebotomy is that which Cures us of our present and Prevents future Maladies To speak more plainly This Godly Sorrow as the * Apostle saies worketh Repentance {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} worketh a Change of the Mind Alters the Temper and Constitution of the Inward Man Confirmes a man in Holinesse which is the Health and Strength of the Soule that hath formerly been Wicked that is to say that hath abounded with all manner of Infirmities with all manner of Lusts and Burnings and inordinate Affections which are as it were the Feavers and Agues and Swellings and Tumours of the Soule And thus My Brethren though the Sorrow which a True Christian a Faithfull Servant of the Living GOD conceives by the Remembrance of his Sinfull Life Past be in it selfe very Painfull and Grievous yet it worketh for him the greatest Ease and Comfort It only Roots out of the Heart all Carnall Joy all False Fading worldly Comfort to Plant in it Ioy Unspeakable The Comfort of the Holy Ghost To fix this Truth in your minds to Confirme you in the Apprehension of it I shall recite unto you that Saying of Our SAVIOUR * Blessed are they that Mourn for they shall be Comforted All that I have here said may be briefly summ'd up thus the Thoughts which a GODLY Man has in the Remembrance of His Unregenerate Estate though they do not Directly yet they doe By Consequent Continually Afford Him abundance of Comfort to wit as in effect I said but now by Fitting and Preparing His Heart to Entertain the Holy Ghost the only True COMFORTER The more a man Sorrowes after a Godly sort as the * Apostles expression is the more Entertainment He gives to the Spirit of GOD and receives the more Comfort from Him As often this way as â CHRISTIANS Spitits faile him GOD gives him a Cordiall to Revive and to Delight his Soule Having thus spoken of the Temper and Disposition of a CHRISTIANS Spirit in the Remembrance of His Sinfull Estate in relation to GOD that is as that Course of Life wherin He did so often Dishonour the Name of the GOD that Made Him c. I shall now shew you how His Spirit is Affected what kind of thoughts He hath in the Remēbrance of it as it relates to Himselfe as an Estate of Trouble of which he is Eas'd and of Danger which he hath Escaped Now my Brethren that a Sinfull Estate is Troublesome and Unquiet I have shewne you from these words There is no peace c.
that 't is also a Dangerous Estate SINNERS being every moment in Danger of HEL-FIRE I presume there is none here but will readily grant And I suppose This also That men Reioyce in the Remembrance of the Troubles and Dangers they have Past is so Obvious to every ones Apprehension that to goe about accurately and Logically to Prove unto you that a CHRISTIAN may draw Comfort and Matter of Rejoying continually from the Remembrance of His Sinfull Condition as Troublesome and Dangerous would be but to Mis-spend so much time being a vaine and meer formall Labour Therefore I shall not Shew you this Truth soe as if you had never Seen it before if I may soe speake but that you might View it againe take more exact Notice of it I shall soe speake of it that I shall not seem to Bring the Truth to you but only to make you Turne the eyes of your understanding towards It being Habitually in your minds already though probably the greatest part of you did never in any measure so firmely Apprehend it so thorowly Thinke of it as you ought to doe And here I cannot but make a farther digression to speake a word against the Folly of some men who Pretending much to Polite Reason and Learning account it a vaine thing for Scholars to discourse of such Truthes as are so Commonly Confes'd As if those waters of Life Spirituall and Practicall Truthes might not lye many yeares together in a Carnall mans Head thorowly Frozen as it were and uselesse 'till by the Hearing of some more Powerfull Zealous Experimentall Expressions of the same Truth 's his Affections be so Inflamed as to Thaw and dissolve them if I may so speake that they may Flow downe continually upon the Heart to Purge and Cleanse it from all Filthinesse and Pollution as that River did AUGEAS his Stable I do not speake This for the Allusion's sake as a strained conceit but as That which I thinke Suitable to the Experimentall Notions of GODLY Men And now I come to speake of the Comfort a Christian hath when He reflects upon His Unregenerate Estate as Troublesome and Dangerous and this I shall do as briefly and pithily as I can You know it is a common saying Fessum Quies plurimùmjuvat What a Comfortable thing is it for one that hath Travelled hard to Repose himselfe for one that is Weary to Ly downe and take his Rest How doth He Rejoyce and Hug himselfe as they say in the Apprehension of His present Health that hath beene Recovered of a Long and Grievous Sicknesse Why thus it is with a Syncere Convert when He considers his Former Condition His thoughts Representing unto him the Spirituall Evils which formerly he Laboured under and opposing them to that Good and Pleasant Condition which now He is in make him the more Sensible of it more to Rejoyce in it The like Comfort we may conceive to be in the Heart of a true Believer when he Looks back upon the Danger of his Sinfull Estate When He considers that he was once in the High-way to HELL that Broad Way c. that He was once like to Perish for ever His Soule doth Magnifie the LORD and his Spirit doth rejoyce in God his Saviour How does He delight himselfe upon This Consideration in Acting his FAITH in the Contemplation of The things that are not seen HELL which he hath Escaped and HEAVEN which shortly He shall Inherit through the strong Apprehensions he hath that His SINS are Forgiven him c With what alacrity and chearfulnesse doth He Embrace the GOD that Loved Him the Physitian that Cured Him the LORD that Saved Him Such as these are the usuall thoughts of one that is truly Converted when he calls to mind the Sinfulnesse of his Life Past As in Hot and Sun-shine Dayes Swine are wont to Wallow in the Mire to Avoid the extremity of the Heat So how long did I accustome my selfe to Wallow in all manner of Uncleannesse Filthinesse of the Flesh and Spirit wherein I never found any True Comfort did only for the present Allay the Scorching Heat and Violence of my inordinate Affections being continually Troubled either with the Sollicitation and Urgency of them or with some Reflexion upon the Base and filthy Wayes I tooke to Satisfie them How long did I accustome my selfe to Drinke Poysonous Waters to Quench my Thirst to do that which I knew to be Evill to Satisfiie the Importunity of my irregular Desires Thus Missing my Way to True Happinesse the more Hast I made towards it the Farther still I went from it The oftener I Accomplisht my Desires the more Discontented I found My selfe still Vexing My Spirit to Please My Lusts But Now How Happy am I Now GOD is my Portion And what can I Desire more having Him who is All in All HIM I doe Enjoy in some measure Here and shall Enjoy HIM Fully Perfectly hereafter in HEAVEN Yea methinkes I am in HEAVEN already I find My selfe Above the World I am Free from those Earthly Affections wherein formerly I Ingaged My Soule I Envy no mans Honour or Covet his Estate or Hate his Person or Feare his Power All that I would Avoid is SIN All that I Desire is God For ever Blessed be His SPIRIT which hath thus Reformed Mee I can say unto God with DAVID * Whom have I in Heaven but Thee And there is None upon Earth that I Desire besides Thee And now I am come to this Point That a CHRISTIAN exceedingly Rejoyces in the Remembrance of His Life Past if he have been Sanctified from the Wombe if He have been Godly all his Dayes Here I shall not Use many words the Subject I suppose to be so Plaine that your Thoughts would Run on in it that I may so speake without any Interruption if I should but shew Them the Way should but Mention it I shall onely endeavour to set forth this Truth That the Remembrance of Time Spent in the Service of God is most Comfortable and Pleasant by This Similitude As one that hath been Delivered out of many Dangers Relieved in many Distresses and made Rich and Great by some Eminent and Noble Person Pleases Himselfe in the thoughts of these Benefits not onely as Enjoyed by himselfe but as Received from such a Person whose Love is no less Honourable then such Obligations as I mentioned the Evidences of it Bountifull So one that hath been Godly from his Youth when he remembers those many Spirituall Troubles and Dangers from which his God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords hath continually preserved him those many straits and distresses in which he hath relieved him and how He hath made him Rich in Grace c. How exceedingly does he Rejoyce in the God of his Salvation filling himselfe with Confidence that he who hath continued his Loving kindnesse so long time will be still unto him * A very present help in Trouble Suitable to the thoughts of
Cure of our Sinfull Habits the Sores and Ulcers of the Soule are not onely to be Read over but to be Fixt in our Hearts by Serious Meditation otherwise they will become Uselesse unto us and of none effect As we are wont not onely to Lay Plaisters to our Bodily Sores but also to Bind them on otherwise they would soone slip off from the Places Affected If thou beest one of those Envious Malitious Uncharitable men whereof the World is so full who hate any one that is not of the same Humour with themselves and are ready alwaies to brand those with the name of Hypocrites and Vain-Glorious Persons that venture to be thus Publick I assure thee whosoever thou art I am confidēt through the Grace of God that I shall not be any otherwise Troubled with the apprehension of thy ill opinion of me if it come to my knowledg then only for this that thy heart being by Prejudice Hardned against me will be the lesse capable for thy good to receive any Impression from what I have written What kind of man soever thou art thou canst not be Injur'd by My Writings or I by Thy Censures Farewell and if thou beest a Scholar and conceitest thy selfe as justly thou mayest to Know more then I can Teach thee Remember that saying of SENECA Stude non ut plùs aliquid scias sed ut meliùs SERMON I. Take my yoke upon you and learne of mee for I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your soules Mat. 11.29 I Shall first Explaine the Expressions in my Text and then I shall raise the Doctrine which I shall Insist upon as the Principall subject of my Discourse Take my yoke upon you that is Doe the Commands I have imposed upon you do the will of your Heavenly Father which I came to discover unto you And learne of mee i. e. And that you may know how to doe it take mee for your Example For I am meek and lowly in heart i. e. For I am as you ought to be loving and kind to MEN and truly Humble and submissive to GOD And you shall find rest unto your soules i. e. And in doing the Will of your God which is Holy Just and Good you shall find true Comfort and satisfaction and Complacencie of Mind you shall cease from all that Labour and Travell which hitherto you have continually endur'd in seeking and by wicked meanes endeavouring after True Contentment in the things of this World which are all vanity and Vexation of Spirit * From the Words thus open'd unto you I shall draw forth this Doctrine that True Faith in Christ through which Christians are inabled by God to take Christ's Yoke upon them c. I say true Faith in Christ cures a Man of all Spirituall Distempers and gives him Ease frees him from all Anguish and Sorrow and Tribulation of Mind and furnishes him with a never failing stock of Pleasure and Contentment To be more strict and Logicall I shall lay down the sense of my Doctrine in these words True Faith enables a man to draw true solid Comfort strong consolation from all the Objects of his Thoughts whatsoever a Wise man a Faithfull syncere Christian thinkes of he finds in it cause to Rejoice Whithersoever His Soule hath occasion to Goe if I may so expresse my selfe she finds the Way beset as it were with Beds of Roses very Pleasant and Delightsome unto Her according to that of Solomon * The waies of wisdome are waies of pleasantnesse and all her pathes are peace Before I come to a punctuall demonstration of the Truth of my Doctrine to shew you that Rest and quiet of Mind which a Good man a True Believer continually enjoyes I shall premise some discourse of that Trouble and anguish wherewith the Minds of Wicked Unregenerate men are so grievously afflicted You will have a more exact apprehension of the Rest of the GODLY when you heare of the Labours of the WICKED There is no peace saith my God to the wicked A wicked man can never have any peace any rest in his Soule How can he have Peace who is His own Enemie HIEROCLES saies truly {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} A Good man is only a Friend to Himself The Mind of a wicked man is his Torment His Thoughts Gnaw him as wormes the Bowels Which way soever He looks upon himselfe he Sees nothing but Griefe and Horror When He looks back upon his Life Past and considers what He hath been his Conscience presently Vexes and Upbraids him shewing him the Vanity of the Pleasures he hath enjoy'd and the wickednesse of the Actions he hath committed When he considers the state and condition he is in at present there suddenly arises in him a great deale of anguish and vexation of spirit from an apprehension of the emptinesse and dissatisfaction of all his Enjoyments When he considers what he would be and sends out his thoughts in the search of the best Means to accomplish his Desires he is miserably distracted and Divided against Himselfe his Conscience striving against his Affections or his Affections one against another one while his Lusts his vile Affections furiously impell him to such and such a Course because t is Pleasant whilst his Conscience deters him from it because 't is Wicked Another while having broke the Bonds of Conscience he is againe Restrain'd by some Passion or inordinate Affection contrary to that by which his Soule was first Mov'd Thus how oft does it happen that a man is vehemently Inclin'd by his sensuall Desires to do those things from which the Fear of Shame or of Temporall Punishment c keeps him back Thus how oft does it happen that a man's Ambition urges him to those Dangers from which his Cowardise deters him or his Pride and rash desire to be accounted Magnificent or the like to those Expences from which his Covetousnesse powerfully disswades him This or the like Distraction and Incomposednesse of Mind is the Lot of all the Wicked whose Miserable Condition we may in short describe thus The things which They so eagerly pursue and follow after can never afford them any of that Satisfaction and Contentment which they expect from them and they misse the greatest part even of that Outward Sensible Pleasure which the Nature of their Enjoyments might afford by reason of that Trouble and Dissatisfaction which they bring to some of their Affections whilst they Gratifie others or by reason of the Troubles they receive from their Displeased Consciences which if they cannot Restraine Them from Rushing into SIN Pursue them as it were and Overtake them in the Act and deprive them of the greatest part of the Pleasure of it I 'll appeale to the Heart of any man here that is Conscious to himselfe that he is to be numbred among the Wicked that he lives in any course of Known Sin gives way to his Lusts and sensuall Inclinations I 'll Appeale
SON of the Living God that Glorious Person Shed His most pretious Blood for You and Them and yet will not suffer You to Love Him to talke of Him and upon all Occasions to Discover Your Zeale for the Honour of his Name without Taunts and Flouts Calumnies and Reproaches I shall only speake a word or two more to heighten your Commiseration of these foolish men miserable Creatures and then I shall proceed to the other Part of my Application Dearly Beloved when ever any of these Phantasticall Things that walke in the vanity of their Minds and Delight in nothing more then in Foolish Jesting c. Continually Scoffing or Railing at any one in whom They Discover the Power of Godlinesse The true Light of CHRISTIANITY whilst They no more Understand it being so Rare and strange in these Daies of Sin and Darknesse then a Dog doth the Light of the Moone which he Barks at as they at this I say my Brethren when ever any of these men If Things so Irrationall may be call'd Men Raile on you and give out False Reports of you or to your face scorn and deride you let your Hearts Pity them considering that the time drawes on apace when Their laughter shall be turn'd to mourning and their joy to heavinesse He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have Them in derision Psal. 2.4 And what now remains but that I Exhort you in the words of the Apostle To rejoice evermore 1 Thes. 5.16 Be Glad in the LORD and Rejoyce ye Righteous and shout for Joy all ye that are upright in Heart And now I shall speake to you who are Conscious to your selves that you have not taken Christ's Yoke upon you that you still Do Wickedly and Talke Vanity That the things you have or aime at are Vexation of Spirit vaine and Dissatisfactory to your Immortall soules sure I am you will hardly deny Nay if you have but an Historicall Beliefe of the word of God as I presume you have you cannot deny it when ever you reflect on your vain Conversation and Consider your Designes meane and Low being such as These To make your selves acceptable to some Merry Companions Such it may be as have acquired some civill Accomplishments and Humane Learning that you may gaine from them the Name of Ingenious Men c. or to Jeare and Grin at those whom you Maligne and Envy or to Drink and Droll with your Cronies or and this you think most Prudent and Manly To Get a great Estate in the World that you may Weare Brave Cloathes and keep Company with the Best as they say not to name your more Abominable Intentions which are themselves Anxiety and Labour and the Effects of them Horrour and Anguish I say Sirs when you Consider the things you enjoy or Aime at pittifull meane things at best are you not fill'd with Vexation of Spirit do you not Abhor as it were and Loath your selves for the Guilt and Filth of your SINS which you resolve still to wallow in Base and Degenerate Creatures who being Made after the Image of God have made your selves Earthly and Sensuall Well Sirs you see that Sins are Troubles and Sinners of all men most Miserable even whilst They are in their proper Element that I may so speak in this present World but what will become of them Wretches when this Life is ended and sure I am our Last Houre draws on apace Could I but expresse the thousandth part of those everlasting Paines They shall then beginne to Feele in HELL it would make the most Stif-necked Sinner in the world to Bow if he should Hear mee Ah! Sirs is This true indeed that if you take not CHRISTS Yoke upon you that is if you do not strongly and sincerely Resolve to Breake off from every Known Sin you shall never finde any Rest unto your Soules You shall be Everlastingly Miserable Is this true I say and will ye acknowledg it so to be as you must needs doe If you have so much as an Historicall Beliefe of the Word of GOD as I said but now And yet not Resolve no more to Allow your selves in any Way of Wickednesse c. no more to Deride those who having their Hearts possest with the thoughts of Eternity can in no wise suit themselves to your worldly Conversation But having once found Rest in CHRIST will no more returne to that Labour and Toile which the Generality of Men Continually Undergoe in the Pursuite of that They call Happinesse Now Sirs if you are no whit moved at what hath been spoke but Stick close to your Beloved Sinnes though our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST who is Over all God blessed for ever so lovingly invites you to Come over unto him assuring you that The waies of wisdome are waies of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace assuring you that if you take HIS YOKE upon you it will not Gall your Necks and be Troublesome unto you but onely Restraine you that you may Find rest to your Soules from Breaking over His Inclosures the Bounds of True Reason and Holines To Follow your Lusts and exorbitant Affections If you be not Moved at this but Stand fast in the Way of Sinners and will for ever remaine Lovers of pleasures more then Lovers of GOD of GOD that made you of GOD who for your sakes sent his BELOVED sonne into the world to be Mocked Scourged Crucified AH Srs If you are not Moved at This nor ever will be I must tell you in the Name of GOD you shall never finde Rest unto your Soules you shall never Tast one Dram of True Comfort Sweetnesse of Spirit all your dayes And when your Dayes on the Earth which as David saith are as a Shadow shall Vanish away you shall Certainely be Tormented with the Devill and his Angells Yea perhaps within a Weeke or two for how many Young Men have your selves knowne in this place that have beene Healthy and Dead within the compasse of far lesse Time then that I say Srs within a Weeke or two you may be seized on by some Disease or other the Small Pox or a Feaver or a Surfeite or the like and be Cutt off from the Land of the Living and be turned into Hell Consider this you that forget God you that talke vanity But now if any of you finde your selves Moved at what you have Heard and what manner of Men are you if you doe not if you finde your Hard Hearts in the least measure Softened I beseech you Srs for your Soules sakes for the GOD OF LOVES sake Pray earnestly that the LORD would Perfect the Good worke He hath Begunne in you that he would Continually Warme and Soften you and Supple your hearts with the BLOOD OF IESVS CHRIST that they may be Pliable to his will in All things to speake more plainely that Hee would make you so Tenderly and Affectionately to Apprehend His Everlasting Kindnesse towards you that you may forever LOVE Him and Keepe His Commandements that you may Live Precisely Walke with GOD all your Daies Despising the shame of the Wicked world not fearing the Reproaches and Revilings of this Base and Filthy Generation I shall hold you with no longer Discourse If yee Doe these things HAPPY are yee FINIS ERRATA Page 3. lin. 13. for A Good man is only a Friend to Himselfe read A good man only is c. Page 4. l. 16. for rash read vain p. 15. l. 18. adde Hoc est p. 32. l. 13. for SVN's read SVN As for the false Points the intelligent Reader may Correct them himselfe * Eccl. 1.14 * Prov. 3.17 Isa. 58.21 * Psa 38.18 * 2 Cor 7.10 * Matt. 5.4 * 2 Cor. 7.11 * Psal. 73.25 * Psal. 46.1 * Psal. 74.12 * Psal. 119.52 * Psal. 22.10 * Mart. * 2 Cor. 12.9 * Ps. 119.113 1 Iohn 5.19 * Ps 116.1 * Ps 18.1 * Heb 7.25 * 1 Cor 10.13 Ps 27.11 Rom 8.28 * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * Ps. 107.43 Mat 5.16 * Mat. 19.24 | Mistake me not I doe not speak against the Vse of these things but against those Persons who are so Madd as to set their Hearts on them * Luke 6 20. * Iob. 14.1 1 Iohn 5.4 * Ier 8.6 * Ps. 17.5 * Isaiah 4.6 * Mat. 5.11.12 2 Pet. 2.7 * Acts. 15.9 * 1 Iohn 1.7 * Ps 66.18 * Gal. 5.26 * Eph 5 4· Gal 6.1 * Titus 2.12 * Ps. 119.101 * 1 Pet. 44. * Psal. 16.11