you here reade A smiting checking Conscience is a very great Mercy tho little priz'd or esteemed by the most 3. Remember how bitter Sin was to you before you came to know what peace of Conscience meant how many a bitter Tear it fetched from your Eyes how many deep and bitter sighs from your Hearts yea even to the breaking of your Loins O what Gall and Wormwood was it to your Souls How often did you say will it not be bitterness in the latter end How often did you take up that Language to your own Souls This is thy way and thy doings because it is bitter it reaches to thy Heart c. But yet as you reade do you remember how sweetly all this ended in God's speaking peace to your Souls and you no more turning to Folly 4. Tremble to think of losing the Peace that God hath spoken to your Consciences under sense of Guilt when you meet with that guilt which concerns you O let the loss of your peace be like Hell to your Souls O blot not that Pardon your Redeemer hath written so legibly in his own Blood Blurring off your Pardon may cost you dear 5. Be afraid of the least Guilt the least Sin because it is Sin When Satan cannot prevail with you to venture upon greater Sins then he will tempt to lesser Sins But know you not that the least Sin is Soul defiling yea the least Sin is Soul damning unless the Blood of Christ sprinkle your Consciences How have many Souls groaned under the guilt of such Sins for many Years when God hath set them home upon your Consciences The third sort of Readers into whose hands this little piece may fall are such whose Consciences are seared such the Apostle mentions these are in sensible 1 Tim. 4.2 Truths make no impression upon them Ephes 4.19 they are be nummed The Apostle expresses it by being past feeling And when they are arrived at such an height of Sin what do such do The Text tells you They commit all Uncleanness with greediness Now to such I would say 1. The day is coming thy seared and insensible Conscience shall condemn and rise up in judgment against thee And O then who can stand before the witness of an awakned Conscience You may as well think to dwell with everlasting Burnings and tormenting Flames as avoid or evade the Testimony of a tormented and awakened Conscience Nay know that sometimes this Hell hath begun here Will not Cain tell you while he crys out My punishment is greater than I can bear No torment like the torment of a guilty Conscience Nay ask Adam and he will tell you when he was afraid and hid himself from the presence of God O Guilt you know cannot endure the presence of the Judge O doth not Pashur's case speak forth this truth What a terror to himself was he Did not Judas preach this Doctrine when he cri'd out I have finned in betraying innocent Blood Nero that Monster when he had killed his Mother Agrippina and his Wife and set Rome on fire after all this Guilt at last felt an Hell in his Conscience and could not rest Day nor Night so that when he died he cried out his Mother Wife and Father all will'd him to die Richard the 3d O what a guilty tormenting Conscience had he after the Murder of his Nephews in the Tower and the Night before he was slain at Bosworth he dreamed he thought all the Devils in Hell were halling him in most hideous and ugly Shapes What says Judge Morgan to this case after he had unrighteously passed Sentence upon the Lady Jane afterwards feeling an Hell in his Conscience cried out O take away the Lady Jane take away the Lady Jane Which made one say The Guilt which from unseen Pollution springs Pale sweating Horror in the Bosom brings 2. What tho your Consciences be seared upon the account of your Guilt being undiscovered Yet know God many times hath found out Guilt in an extraordinary way Providence treads not always the same Paths in discovering hidden Guilt Eccles 10. ult he can cause a Bird of the Air to carry the Voice and that which hath Wings to tell the matter He can reveal In quity from Heaven The Heavens shall reveal his Iniquity Job 20.7 and the Earth shall rise up against him One of our * Lord St. John Judges riding his Circuit of late Years met with this Passage One being Murdered and the Murderer not being discovered the Murderer being brought to the dead Corps the Corps opened his Eyes at the Murderer and fell into a Sweat This the Judge related to a godly Minister then living History is full of such Providential bringing hidden Guilt to light 3. Know poor Sinners while your Consciences are seared you are Satans marked Slaves In Ancient Times they used to mark their Slaves and the Holy Ghost alludes to it when we reade of the Mark of the Beast in the Forehead or in the Hand This Searing-Iron puts Satan's Brand upon you you are his And O poor Sinners did you but as you reade this believe it what restless Days and Nights would you have until you had some hopes of your escape from this House of Bondage Can you be content to live and die in the Devil's Drudgery Can you be content to be his bored and marked Slaves his Servants for ever Then you must have the Wages of such Servants and such a Service The Wages of Sin is Death Death Spiritual Death Eternal 4. Know poor Sinners there is not so much as one seared Conscience in Hell they are sadly awakened that are awakened with Hells flames about their Ears If you could hear the Crys and Shrieks of tormented Souls you would say Hell is full of sense of Guilt But alas now it is too late then Repentance is too late They are all saying This and this hath their own Ways and Doings procured unto them O it is bitter O it reaches to their Heart But O Sinners this should have been sooner 5. Know poor Sinners what you reade here if you go on in Sin you will feel another day for an aggravation of Sin yea and Condemnation too What reade what may prevent your Ruine and yet run on What split your Souls upon these Rocks and Sands you saw such Sea-marks before to keep you off O is not this to be wilful in your Perdition Is not this to run headlong to Destruction O Sinners hear God calling out of Heaven to you by his Servants Preaching to you Printing for you why will you die why will you perish why will you run on in Sin when you know that when Lust hath conceived it brings forth Sin Jam. 1.15 and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death O then poor Soul Reade and Hear and Pray that thou may'st prosit by all bless God for all and bring forth the Fruits of all Thus prays thy Servant for thy Soul J. R. Gen. 42.21
that gets a â—ot but being warm at preâ—nt feels it not but afterwards the loss of Blood causes â—â—m to faint Persons engaged in their Temptations do â—â—t feel the fiery Darts that â—atan shoots at them O! but in cold Blood how do â—â—ey cry out When they â—ome to a feeling of themselves what they have done against God and against their own Souls Remember Siâ—ners what you commit 〈◊〉 your hot Blood you will 〈◊〉 pent in your cold and it wâ—â— walk in your Consciences afterwards Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh Man afterwards shall fâ—â— favour more than he that flatereth with his Tongue say Solomon viz. When a Man is in cold Blood composed 〈◊〉 his Spirit then he cousider this friendly rebuke was 〈◊〉 Love 3. Reason Why Guilt often walks in the Conscience after the Fact is committed is Because the custom of Sin takes away the conscience of Sin Custom in Sin is a very hardniâ—â— thing when Sinners have gotten habits of Sin one 〈◊〉 being Drunk another of being Unclean another of being Proud now all sence of Sin is lost Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots No more can they that are accustomed to do evil do good O! but now when the Lord musters up the Sins of a poor guilty Wretch in order to bring him to Repentance then the Lord makes this Sin walk in his Conscience and the other Sin is brought to remembrance O! now the Soul crys out Men and Brethren what shall I do My Sin is ever before me O how was David haunted with his guilt How did it now walk in his Conscience 4. Reason Sinners are ignorant of the sad effects and consequences of Sin until afterwards Alas many times Sinners know not what they do when they commit Sin 1. They know not what they do in sinning against God David in his heat of Temptation did not consider it until afterwards 〈◊〉 then he cried out Psal 50.4 Against thee against thee only have 〈◊〉 sinned The Prodigal did noâ— know what he did in the going from his Father but afterwards how did he cry out Luke 14.21 I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight Now Guilt did walk in his Conscience Now Sinners cry out with them in the Prophet Isa 59.12 For our Transgressions are multiplied before thee and our Sins testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us 〈◊〉 and as for our Iniquities we know them 2. Now the Eyes of the Sinner being opened he sees the sad consequences of Sin that he hath sinned against his own Soul Pro. 8.36 He that sinneth wrongeth his own Soul O now what work is there in the Conscience when the poor Guilty Sinner sees how he hath wronged his own Soul yea without Mercy from God undone it for ever nay without Repentance thou hast not only wronged thy own Soul but damned thy own Soul O now the Sinner sees the reward and wages of Sin is Death The first Death and the second Death Temporal Death and Eternal Death and now it begins to appear in its proper Colours but alas this is not until afterwards 5. Sin walks after the Fact committed because the aggravations of Sin ordinarily do not appear until afterwards That which makes Sin stand up in the Conscience of a Sinner is the aggravation of Sin which is laid before it usually by Reflecting Acts therefore the work of Repentance is set forth by these Reflecting Acts O says the penitent Sinner Jer. 8.6 What have I done Alas a Sinner in an hour of Temptation doth not take time to deliberate upon it to look into the Aggravations of it but all these come in as After-claps These are Conscience's After-claps Oh! what aggravations undoubtedly did appear in this case of their Guilt against their Brother Joseph 1. They speak like Persons aggravating their Guilt O now they cry out Gen. 37.26 27. We are verily guilty concerning our Brother O now they see the aggravation of their Sin against their Brother against the Law of Relation To make a Slave of a Stranger had been a great Sin but to make a Slave of a Brother this was an higher aggravation and we find this consideration startled Judah Let not our hand be upon him for he is our Brother This was a sin against the Law of Nature and the Law of Relation as well as the Law of Religion 2. They have this aggravation of the matter of Fact it was committed against Warning Thus you see Reuben rubs them with it in their distress Gen. 42.22 Spake I not unto you saying do not sin against the Child and you would not hear therefore behold his Blood is required O now all comes out as we say to sin against Warning is a great aggravation O now says the guilty Conscience once awakened how fairly wert thou warned nay how frequently wert thou warned O says Conscience did not I speak to thee and tell thee solemnly thou shouldst answer for it and God would require it 3. There was this aggravation in it there was Theft yea the highest Theft in it it was Man-stealing as Joseph says himself I was stolen away out of the Land of the Hebrews Gen. 40.15 Now this kind of Theft was punishable by death Exod. 21.16 He that stealeth a Man and selleth him shall surely be put to death And O then what an aggravation of Sin was this to sell their own Brother 4. There was this aggravation of Guilt stood up in their Consciences it was a deliberate Act as was hinted before an Act of Counsel and Conspiracy the Text is express in it And when they saw him afar off Gen. 37.18 even before he came near them they conspired against him to slay him And as they joyned in their Conspiracy now upon guilt walking in their Consciences they in my Text joyn in their Consession O! so it is with Sinners when Sin is laid home to the charge of Conscience O but was it not a plotted piece of Guilt a contrived piece of Guilt a deliberate Act David tells us he said He would confess his Sin and God forgave the Iniquity of his Sin Psal 32.5 viz. The deliberateness of it it may be he points at that particular aggravation 5. Aggravation that stood up in the Consciences of Joseph's Brethren was their hiding of it and this put them upon dreadful Lying and Dissembling with their Father Gen. 37.30 And we will say Some evil Beast hath devoured him This have we found know whether it be thy Son's Goat or no. O what dreadful work was here This is the fruit of Sin to cover and hide all with Lyes to their own Father 6. Aggravation was there Cruelty and Hard-heartedness The Text tells you They would not hear when he besought them And now this cuts them to the Heart So will Conscience one day say to the guilty Sinner O! did not I beseech thee to hearken to me
as upon the Fact and the circumstances of the Fact When Conscience begins to be enlightned and awakened O then it begins to think what dishonour Sin hath brought upon God for as Sin brings guilt upon the Soul so it brings dishonour upon the Name of God And thus David's Conscience reflects Against thee against thee have I sinned this laid uppermost on the Heart of David He sinned against his Soul he sinned against his own Body he sinned against Bathsheba he sinned against the whole Church of God but of all says he Against Thee against Thee have I sinned O says Conscience to the Sinner how hast thou opened the Mouths of the Enemies of God and his People to blaspheme and caused the Ways of God to be evil spoken of Thou hast wounded and stabb'd the Honourable and Blessed Name of God and should not the Honour of that God that created thee be dear to thee who hath preserved thee in a thousand Dangers and hath provided for thee in a thousand Wants should not his Honour lie near thy Heart Did not this make Joseph say How can I do this Wickedness and sin against God Fourthly Conscience when awakened reflects upon Times and junctures of Time in which Persons have sinned There is a great deal in the Time of Sin as well as the Act of Sin to reflect upon Therefore it was taken notice of in that black Brand upon Ahaz 2 Chron 28.22 This is that King Ahaz that sinned more and more in the time of his Distress O what a monstrous thing was it to sin then There are three Times that Conscience takes special notice to reflect upon when we sin in them 1. A time of common Calamity when God's Judgments are abroad To sin when God is smiting for Sin when God smites on and Sinners they sin on They returned not unto the Lord that smote them O now cries Conscience did not you commit such a Sin in the time of the Plague in the time of the Fire How durst you sin when God's Sword was drawn and sheathed in the Bowels of so many thousand Sinners This was to sin when the Judge was upon the Bench. And while he was passing Sentence against poor guilty Malefactors and O what impudence was this in Sinners 2. A time of Personal Affliction This is a Juncture of Time for an awakened Conscience to reflect upon and tell you of when any of you have laid under the Hands of God and what then to lift up your Heel against God This is not only Sinning but daring Sin and Conscience takes notice that that was your Sinning Time which should have been your Humbling Time for Sin 3. A Time of receiving eminent and particular Mercies from God then to Sin against God O! how will Conscience take its opportunity and tell you of it another Day For Hezekiah to sin against God when God had so lately raised him up and recovered him from a Sentence of Death O what will Conscience say to this when Hezekiah comes to be humbled for it What! for David to sin after God had brought him through all his Dangers and Difficulties and put him in possession of the Kingdom for him to say Thou hast made my Mountain strong and I shall not be moved O how will David's Conscience reflect upon this another Day 4. When God hath graciously visited the Soul with smiles of his Love then to sin Conscience will be sure to reflect upon this To return to Folly after God hath spoken Peace O! how will Conscience tell thee of this another Day and tell thee what Disingenuity and Ingratitude there was in it Is this a time to sin Is not this like a foolish People to requite the Lord with evil for so much Good as you have received from him 5. To sin after thou hast humbled thy self for Sin this is a time Conscience will Reflect upon What will Conscience say to these things Is this thou that lately wert upon thy Knees bemoaning thy Sin before the Lord What thou who hast so lately confessed and acknowledged thy Sin and now running into Sin yea into the same Sins you have mourned over and repented of O! how will Conscience sadly animadvert upon these things in the day of its dealing with you poor Sinners Fifthly Conscience when awakened will Reflect upon lost means and seasons of Grace Christ considered this when he preached that doleful Sermon to Jerusalem O! Luke 19.29 that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that concern thy Peace He knew it would cut to the Conscience to tell them of lost Seasons and lost Advantages for Heaven and Eternity And indeed this makes up much of the Torments of Hell These Reflections upon the last motions of the Spirit last convictions of Conscience last Sermons Ordinances and Sabbaths Nay when God comes to awaken Conscience how doth it reflect upon these things in this present Life As one said when a Ministeâ— came to comfort her Call Time again call Time again Implying she thought it was as impossible to apply Come for t to her as to call time again So poor Sinners how sad will this be for you another Day to cry Call Sabbaths again Ministry again a day of Grace again motions of the Spirit again Alas Sirs now you think these things may be dallied and trifled with and it is indifferent whether you lay hold of such opportunities to improve them or no. O but when they are gone how will these things sting A Man who hath been under good opportunities to arrive at a great Estate in the World and when he is brought by his bad Husbandry and Prodigality to Penury and Poverty O! how doth he then Reflect upon himself if he be sensible and upon his fair Opportunities that now are past recalling O then what a Mad-man was I What fair Opportunities have I lost Thus it is in this Case with Guilty Consciences when awakened O what a fair way was I once in for Heaven and eternal Life What Seasons had I to enrich my Soul in Grace O! what a Fool was I that had so many Prizes put into my Hand and had not an Heart to make use of them these will be sad Reflections Sixtly An awakened Conscience will Reflect in a day of Affliction upon the sad Effects and Consequences of Sin what Sin brings along with it what follows and treads upon the Heels of it 1. Sad effect of Sin Conscience reflects upon is God's displeasure O! who can bear it Angels could not it cast them out of Heaven Adam could not it cast him out of Paradice He drove out the Man Nay the most holy Servants of God could not bear it It made David cry out Psal 38.3 There was no rest in his Bones because of God's Anger Nay more It made the Lord Jesus Christ cry out when he endured it for our Sins My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And says Conscience can you bear it
Affliction and Distress Because these are the especial times when Conscience makes such q â—ck Reflections upon Souls Are not such afflictions great Mercies as are sanctified means in the Hand of God to awaken poor guilty Souls Had not you better be awakened by Afflictions than perish in your Sins O how many poor Souls had run headlong to Hell if a Thorn Hedg of smarting Affliction had not stopt them as hath been noted already Are not Afflictions Mercies which are means to awaken sleepy Consciences which otherwise might have slept on to Hell else Is it not a Mercy to be rouzed out of our Security Suppose a Man sleep upon the Bank of the River had not he been better awakened tho it be by pinching than sleep on until he drop in and be Drowned Is not this the Case There are many poor Souls that lie asleep on the brink of the Pit one turn by Death on the other side and the Sinner is gone and gone for ever But me-thinks I hear a poor Soul say What shall I do what Course shall I take The guilt of my Conscience lies like an heavy Load and Weight upon me I am dogg'd with the sense of my guilt Day and Night My Sin is ever before me Let such troubled Consciences take these Directions 1. Freely confess thy guilt to God Thus Joseph's Brethren did in the day of their Distress Thus all Consciences when wounded should bleed by Confession Thus David I have sinned c. Thus the poor Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee c. The Promise runs to confession of Sin Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his Sin shall find Mercy 1 John 1.9 If we confess our Sins God is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins 2. Be much upon your Knees praying for Pardon O what will make a Man pray if sense of Guilt will â—ot Need any put words â—nto the Mouth of a condemned Malefactor to beg the â—udge to be good unto him How ready is he to cry Good â—y Lord have Mercy O â—hat Petitioning will there â—e to the Judge O poor â—uilty Sinner see this Course â—â—ken by David Lord have â—dercy upon me c. 3. O run believingly to â—â—e Blood of Christ Your â—onfessions your Prayers â—ur Tears will not do without the Blood of Christ thou must get further viz. To the Blood of Sprinkling This is the Blood that cleanseth from all Sin and all Unrighteousness Here here is the Fountain for guilty and for filthy Souls to wash in 4. Defer not your Repentance this is dangerous when under sense of Guilt You can say in other Cases there is danger in delays O why do not you say so in this O poor Sinners sleep not in your Guilt A wounded Spirit must be taken betimes aâ— well as a Wound in the Body the Wound will get winâ— else and will fester thiâ— will make dreadful work iâ— once Guilt gangreen and fester O how hard will gangreen'd Conscience be tâ— Cure 5. Direction is Lay hold by an hand of Faith upon your precious Promises in the Gospel held out to you O poor guilty Sinners are all for application of Threatnings and alas this makes the Wound deeper and wider O how do such Sinners when they neglect Gospel-Promises Hath Christ purchased such precious Promises to lie by you O what a sin is Unbelief to null the Promises of God! to make them void and of none effect Are these Cordials provided for Sin-sick Souls and will they not so much as taste of them Will not God take this ill at your Hands Is not a Gospel-Promise a proper Plaster for a wounded Conscience O that all guilty Sinners were well studied in Gospel-Promises Might not they then espie a door of Hope Isa 1. concerning their pardon of Sin and Guilt Yea tho their Sins were as Scarlet such were Joseph's Brethren in my Text yet they should be as white as Snow And the they were as Crimson they should be as white as Wooll O what a Mercy poor Sinners would this be to be awakened by the Reflections of your own guilty Consciences in a day of Affliction and for all to end and issue in Remission and Pardon FINIS