helpless state For it doth neither give the Soul any comfort it self when it comes nor doth it shew the soul where comfort is to be had and therefore it is called the ministration of condemnation as in 2 Cor. 3. 9. the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. 7. For though men may have a notion of the blessed Word of God as the children had yet before they be converted it may truly be said of to them Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mark 12. 24. 2. You say you do believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God I say again examine wast thou ever quickened from a dead state by the power of the Spirit of Christ through the other part of the Scripture That is to say by the power of God in his Son Jesus Christ through the Covenant of Promise I tell thee from the Lord If thou hast thou hast fâ—lt such a quickning power in the words of Christ Joh. 6. that thou hast been lifted out of that dead condition that thou before wast in and that when thou wast under the guilt of sin the curse of the Law and the power of the devil and the justice of the great God thou hast been inabled by the power of God in Christ revealed to thee by the Spirit through and by the Scripture to look sin death hell the devil and the Law and all things that are aâ— enmiâ—y with thee with boldness and comfort in the face through the bloud death righteousness resurrection and intercession of Christ made mention of in the Scriptures And thirdly on this account O how excellent are the Scriptures to thy soul O how much vertue dost thou â—ee in such a Promise in such an invitation they are so large as to say Christ will in no wise cast me â—ut My crimson sins shall be white as Snow I â—ell thee friend there are some Promises that the Lord hath helped me to lay hold of Jesus Christ thâ—â—ugh and by that I would not have out of the Bible for as much Gold and Silver as can lye between York and London piled up to the stars because through them Christ is pleased by his Spirit to convey comfort to my soul I say when the Law curses when the devil tempes when hell-fire flames in my Conscience my sins with the guilt of them tearing of me then is Christ revealed so sweâ—â—ly to my poor soul through the Promises that all is forced to fly and leave off to accuse my soul. So also when the World frowns when the Enemies rage and threaâ—en to kill me then also the pretious the exceeding great and pretious Promises do weight down all and comfort the soul against all This is the effect of believing the Scriptures savingly for they that do so have by and through the Scriptures good comfort and also ground of hope Rom. 15. 4. believing those things to be its own which the Scriptures hold forth 4. Examine dost thou stand in awe of sinning against God because he hath in the Scriptures commanded thee to abstain from it Dost thou give diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure because God commandeth it in Scripture Dost thou examine thy self whether thou be in the Faith or no having a command in Scripture so to do Or dost thou notwithstanding what thou readest in the Scripture follow the world delight in sin neglect coming to Jesus Christ speak evil of the Saints slight and make a mock at the Ordinances of God delight in wicked company and the like Then know that it is because thou dost not indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures effectually For as I said before if a man do believe them and that savingly then he stands in â—w he looks to his steps he turns his feet from evil and endeavors to follow that which is good which God hath commanded in the Scriptures of truth yet not from a legal or natural principle that is to seek for life by doing that good thing but knowing that Salvation is already obtained for him by the bloud of that man Christ Jesus on the Cross because he believes the Scriptures therefore mark I pray therefore I say he labours to walk with his God in all well pleasing and godliness because he sweet power of the loves of Christ which he feels in his soul by the Spirit according to the Scriptures constrain him so to do 2 Cor. 5. 14. 5. Examine again Dost thou labour after those qualifications that the Scriptures do describe a child of God by that is saith yea the right faith the most holy faith the faith of the operation of God And also dost thou examine whether there is a real growth of Grace in thy soul as love zeal self-denial and a seeking by all means to attain if possible to the Resurrection of the dead that is not to satisfy thy self until thou be dissolved and rid of this body of death and be transformed into that glory that the Saints shall be in after the Resurrection day and in the mean time dost labour and take all opportunities to walk as near as may be to the pitch though thou know thou canst not attain it perfectly yet I say thou dost aim at it seek after it press towards it and to hold on in thy race thou â—hunnest that which may any way hinder thee and also close in with what may any way further the same knowing that that must be or desiring that it should be thine eternal frame and therefore out of love and liking to it thou dost desire and long after it as being the thing that doth most please thy soul. Or how is it with thy soul Art thou such an one as regards not these things but rather busy thy thoughts about the things here below following those things that have no scent of divine glory upon them If so look to thy self thou art an unbeliever and so under the wrath of God and wilt for certain fall into the same place of torment that thy fellows have fallen into before thee to the grief of thy own soul and thy everlasting destruction Consider and regard these things and lay them to thy heart before it be too late to recover thy self by repenâ—ing of the one and desiring to close in with the other O I say regard regard for hell is hot Gods hand is up the Law is resolved to discharge against thy soul the Judgment day is at hand the graves are ready to fly open the 〈◊〉 is nea◠〈◊〉 â—ounding the sentence will â—re long be pâ—st and then you and I cannot call â—imâ— again But again seeing they are so certain so sure so irreâ—â—â—â—ble and firm and seeing the saving faith of the thingâ— contained therein is to reform the soul and bring iâ— over into the things of God really conforming to the things contained therein both to the point of Justification and also an impractical walking and giving up the soul and body to a conformity to all
is said of some These things are spoken to them that are without in Parables that seeing they might not see and that hearing they might not understand Luke 8. 10. I say take heed of being a quarreller against Christ's Parables lest Christ also objecteth against the salvation of thy Soul at the Judgment Day Friend I have no more to say to thee now if thou dost love me pray for me that my God would not forsake me nor take his holy Spirit from me and that God would fit me to do and suffer what shall be from the World or Devil inflicted upon me I must tell thee the World rages they stamp and shake their heads and fain they would be doing the Lord help me to take all they shall do with patience and when they smite the one cheek to turn the other to them that I may do as Christ hath bidden me for then the Spirit of God and of glory shall rest upon me Farewell I am thine to serve in the Lord Jesus John Bunyan Sighs from Hell OR The Groans of a damned Soul Luke the 16th Verse 19. c. verse 19 THere was a certain rich man which was cloathed in Purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day verse 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazirus which was laid at his gate full of sores verse 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table moreover the Dogs came and licked his sores verse 22 And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome the rich man also dyed and was buried verse 23 And in Hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome verse 24 And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame verse 25 But Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented verse 26 And besides all this between us and you there is a great Gulf fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence verse 27 Then he said I pray thee therefore Father that thou wouldest send him to my Fathers House verse 28 For I have five Brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment verse 29 Abraham saith unto him They have Moses and the Prophets lâ—t them hear them verse 30 And he said Nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent verse 31 And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Verse 19. THis Scripture was not spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ to shew you the state of two single persons onely as some through their ignorance of the drift of Christ in his Parables do dream but to shew you the state of the godly and ungodly to the Worlds end as is clear to him that is of an understanding heart For he spake them to the end that after Generations should take notice thereof and fear lest they also fell into the same condition Now in my discourse upon these words I shall not be tedious but as briefly as I may I shall pass through the several Verses and lay you down some of the several truths contained therein and the Lord grant that they may be profitable and of great advantage to those that read them or hear them read The 19 and 20 Verse also I shall not spend much time upon onelâ— give you three or four short hints and so pass to the next Verses for they are the words I do intend most especially to insist upon The 19 20 and 2â— Verses â—un thus There was a 〈◊〉 rich man which was cloathed in Purple and sâ—â—e 〈◊〉 and fared deliciâ—â—sly 〈◊〉 sumptuously everyday And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of force c. 1. If these Verses had been spoken by Jesus Christ and no more all the World would have gone 〈◊〉 to have cast a wrong interpretation on 〈…〉 if Jesus had said onely thus much There was a certain rich man that fared sumptuously daily and a certain beggar laid at his Gate full of sores The World would have made this conclusion of them the rich man was the happy man For at the first view it doth represent such a thing But take all together that is read the whole Parable and you shall find that there is no man in a worse condition then he as I shall clearly hold forth afterward 2. Again if a man would judge of men according to outward appearance he shall oftâ—â—â—â—â— take his mark â—miss Here is a man to outward appearance appears the only blessed man betâ—eâ— by half then the beggar in as much as he is rich the beggar poor he is well cloathed but peradventure the beggar is naked he hath good food but the beggar would be glad of Dogs meat And he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table the rich man fares well every day but the beggar must be glad of a bit when he can get it Oh! who would not be in the rich mans state A wealthy man sorts of new Suits and dainty dishes every day enough to make one who minds nothing but his belly and his back and his lusts to say Oh that I were in that mans condition Oh that I had about me as that man had Then I should live a life indeed then should I have hearts ease good store then I should live pleasantly and might say to my soul Soul be of good chear eat drink and be merry Luke 12. 19. thou hast every thing plenty and art in a most blessed condition I say this might be I and is the conclusion with them that judge according to outward appearance But if the whole Parable be well considered you will see Luke 16. 15. That that which is had in high estimation with men is an abomination in the sight of God And again Joh. 16. 20 21 22. that condition that is the saddest condition according to outward appearance is oft times the most excellent for the beggar had ten thousand degrees the best of it though to outward appearance his state was the saddest from whence we shall observe thus much 1. That those who judge according to outward appearance do for the most part judge amiss Joh. 7. 24. 2. That they who look upon their outward enjoyments to be tokens of Gods special grace unto them are also deceived Rev. 3. 17. For as it is here in the Parable a man of wealth and a child of the Devil may make but one
this world without an interest in the Son of God it would make you smite upon your thigh and in the bitterness of your souls cry out Acts 16. 29 30 31. Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved And not only so but thou wouldest not be comforted until thou didst find a rest for thy soul in the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome Something in brief I have observed from the first part of this verse namely from these words And in hell he lift up his eyes And indeed I have observed but something for they are very full of matter and many things might be taken notice of in them There is one thing more that I might touch upon as touched in this saying and that is this Methink the Lord Jesus Christ doth hereby signify that men are naturally unwilling to see or take notice of their sad state I say by nature but though now they are willingly ignorant yet in hell they shall lift up their eyes That is in hell they shall see and understand their miserable condition and therefore to these words In hell he lift up his eyes he added being in torment As if he had said Though once they shut their eyes though once they were 2 Pet. 3. 5. willingly ignorant yet when they depart into hell they shall be so miserably handled and tormented that they shall be forced to lift up their eyes While men live in this world and are in a natural state they will have a good conceit of themselves and of their condition they will conclude that they are Christians that Abraham is their father Matth. 3. 7 8. and their state to be as good as the best they will conclude they have faith the Spirit good hope and an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ but then when they drop into hell and lift up their eyes there and behold first their soul to be in extream torments their dwelling to be the bottomless pit their company thousands of damned souls also the innumerable company of devils and the hot scalding vengeance of God not only to drop but to fall very violently upon them then they will begin to be awakened who all their life time were in a dead sleep I say when this comes to pass Lo it will then in hell they shall lift up their eyes in the midst of torments they shall lift up their eyes Again you may observe from these words And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment That the time of the ungodly mens smarting for their sins will be in the torments of hell Now here I am put to a stand when I consider the torments of hell into which the damned do fall O unspeakable torments O endless torments Now that thy soul might be made to slee from these intollerable torments into which the damned do go I shall shew you briefly what are the torments of hell First by the names of it Secondly by the sad state thou wilt be in if thou commest there First the names It is called a never dying worm Mark 9. It is called an oven fire hot Malach. 4. 1. It is called a furnace a fiery furnace Mat. 13. It is called the bottomless pit the unquenchable fire fire and brimstone hell fire the lake of fire devouring fire everlasting fire eternal fire a stream of fire Rev. 21. First one part of thy torments will be this thou shalt have a full fight of all thy ill spent life from first to last though here thou canst sin to day and forget it by to morrow yet there thou shalt be made to remember how thou didst sin against God at such a time and in such a place for such a thing and with such an one which will be an hell unto thee Psal. 50. 21. God will set them in order before thine eyes 2. Thou shalt have the guilt of them all lye heavy on thy soul not only the guilt of one or two but the guilt of them altogether and there they shall lye in thy soul as if thy belly were full of pitch and set on a light fire Here men can sometimes think on their sins with delight but there with unspeakable torment for that I understand to be the fire that Christ speaketh of which shall never be quenched Mark 8. 43 44 45 46. While men live here O how doth the guilt of one sin sometimes crush the soul it makes a man in such plight that he is weary of his life so that he can neither rest at home nor abroad neither up nor in bed Nay I do know that they have been so tormented with the guilt of one sinful thought that they have been even at their wits end and have hanged themselves But now when thou comest into hell and hast not only one or two or an hundred sins with the guilt of them all on thy soul and body but all the sins that ever thou didst commit since thou camest into the world altogether clapt on thy conscience at one time as one should clap a red hot iron to thy breasts and there to continue to all eternity this is miserable 3. Again then thou shalt have brought into thy remembrance the slighting of the Gospel of Christ here thou shalt consider how willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners and for what a trifle thou didst reject him This is plainly held forth in Esay 28. where speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ the foundation of salvation ver 16. he saith of them that reject the Gospel that when the overflowing scourge doth pass through the earth which I understand to be at the end of the world then saith he It shall take you morning by morning by day and by night shall it pass over you that is continually without any intermission And it shall be a vexation only to hear the report A vexation that is a torment or a great part of hell only to understand the report to understand the good tydings that came into the world by Christs death for poor sinners and you will find this to be verily the mind of the Spirit if you compare it with Chap. 53. of Esay verse 1. where he speaks of mens turning their backs upon the tenders of Gods grace in the Gospel he saith Who hath believed our report or the Gospel declared by us Now this will be a mighty torment to the ungodly when they shall understand the goodness of God was so great that he even sent his Son out of his bosome to dye for sinners and yet that they should be so foolish as to put him off from one time to another that they should be so foolish as to lose heaven and Christ and eternal life in glory for the society of a company of drunkards that they should lose their souls for a little sport for this world for a strumpet for that which
thou O thou wanton proud swearing lying ungodly Wretch whether this be to be slighted and made a mock at And again tell me now if it be not better to leave sin and to close in with Christ Jesus notwithstanding that Reproach thou shalt meet with for so doing than to live a little while in this World in pleasures and feeding thy Luâ—â—s in neglecting the welfare of thy Soul and refusing to be justified by Jesus and in a moment to drop down to Hell and to cry O consider I say consider betâ—â—es and put not off the Tenders of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ lest you lift up your Eyes in Hell and cry for anguish of Spirit And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus c. These words do not oâ—â—â—â—â—old forth the lamentable Condition of the Damned and their lamentable howling and crying one under their anguish of spirit but also they do signifie to us as I said before their too late Repentance and also that they would very willingly if they might be set at liberty from that everlasting â—â—â—ery that by their sins they have plunged themselves into I say these words do hold forth a desire that the Damned have to be delivered from those Torments that they now are in O Father Abraham saith he have mercy upon me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my Tongue for I am torâ—â—â—ted in this flame These words Father Abraham may have some difficulty in them It is possible that some may think them to be meant of Abraham and those or him that ctieth out here to be the Jews Or it may be some may understand it to be GOD or Jesus Christ his Son which I rather suppose it may be that is here cried out unto because you find the same Cry to him as it were uttered by the ungodly in other places of the Scripture as in Luke 13. vers 25 26. Then shall they say Lord Lord we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Nay more In thy Name have we cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works This was just at their rejection And again in Matth. 25. 11. They cry again to him even to Jesus Lord Lord open to us And he there again gives them a Repulse as also in this Parable But however or whosoever Abraham is yet these Truths may be observed from the words 1. That the Damned when in an irrecoverable estate will seek for or desire deliverance from the Wrath that they are and shall be in for Eternity Surely in the Floud of great Waters they shall not come nigh unto him 2. That they will pray if I may so call it earnestly for deliverance from their miserable estate These two Things are clear from the words For mark He not onely said Father Abraham have mercy upon me But he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me From whence take a third observation and that is There is a time coming wherein though men shall both cry and pray yet they are like to have no mercy at the Hands of God for so was this man served as I shall further shew by and by when I come to it Some People are so deluded by the Devil as to think that God is so merciful as to own or regard any thing for prayer They think any thing will go for currant and good satisfaction while they are here in this World through ignorance of the true nature of the Mercy of GOD and the knowledge in what way God is satisfied for Sinners Now I say through ignorance they think that if they do but mutter over some form of prayers though they know not what they say not what they request yet God is satisfied yea very well satisfied with their doings when alas there is nothing less O Friends I beseech you to look about you and seek in good earnest for the Spirit of Christ so to help you now â—o strive and pray and to inable you to lay hold of Christ that your Souls may be saved lest the time come that though you cry and pâ—ay and wish also that you â—ad â—â—â—d hold on the Lord Jesus yet you must and shall be damned Then 〈…〉 thâ—â— though God be willing to save Sinners at some time yet this time doâ—h not always lâ—st No he that can find in his 〈◊〉 to turn hiâ— back upon Jesus Christ now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon him hereafter when he may cry and pray for mercy and yet go without it God will have a time to meet with them that now do not seek after him They shall have a time yea time enough hereafter to repent their Folly and to befool themselves for turning their backs upon the Lord Jesus Christ. I will laugh at their Calamities saith he and mock when their fear cometh Prov. 1. 26 27. Again this should admonish us to take time while it is proffered leâ—t we repent us of our unbelief and Rebellion when we are deprived of it Ah Friends Time is precious an hours time to hear a Sermon is precious I have sometimes thought thus with my self Set the case the Lord should send two or three of his Servants the Ministers of the Gospel to Hell among the Damned with this Commission Go ye to Hell and preach my Grace to those that are there Let your Sermon be an hour long and hold forth the Merits of my Sons Birth Righteousness Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession with all my Love in him and proffer it to them telling them that now once more and but once do I proffer the means of Reconciliation to them They who are now roaring being past hope would then leap at the least proffer of Mercy Oh they that could spend whole Days Weeks nay Years in rejecting the Son of God would now be glad of one Tender of that Mercy Father saith he have mercy on me Again from these words you may observe that Mercy will be welcome when Souls are under Judgment Now his Soul is in the fire now he is under the Wrath of God now he is in Hell there to be tormented now he is with the Devils and damned Spirits now he feels the Vengeance of God Now oh now have mercy on me Here you may see that Mercy is prized by them that are in Hell they would be glad if they could have it Father have Mercy on me For my poor Souls sake send me a little Mercy And send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my Tongue These words do not onely hold forth that the ungodly have a desire of Mercy but what those Mercies are that these poor Creatures would be glad of As first To have the company of a Lazarus granted to them Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus Now Lazarus was he that was beloved of God and also
are many poor souls that think they believe the Scriptures to be the word of God and yet they never enjoyed any thing of the life and promises they come in upon the heart to quicken to revive thee to raise thâ—e from the sentence of death that is passed 〈◊〉 thee by the Law And through the faith that is wrought in thy soul by the operation of Gods holy Spirit though once killed by the Law or Letter thou art made alive in the Lord Jesus Christ who is presented to thy soul in the promises 3. Dost thou indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures to be the word of God then â—he things contained in them especially the things of the Gospel are very excellent to thy soul as the birth of Christ the death resurrection intercession and second coming O! how precious and excellent are they to thy soul insomuch that thou regardest nothing in comparison of them O! it is Christs birth death blood resurrection c. according to the Scriptures that thou dost rejoyce in exceedingly and abundantly desire after whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing the mercy with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6. compare with Phil. 3. 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 1. 8. 4. Dost thou believe the Scriptures to be the word of God Then thou standest in awâ—of and dost much reverence them Why they are the word of God the true sayings of God they are the counsel of God they are his promises and his threatnings Poor souls are apt to think If I could hear God speak to me from Heaven with an audible voice then sure I should be serious and believe it But truly if God should speak to thee from Heaven except thou wert converted thou wouldest not regard not really believe him But if thou dost believe the Scriptures thou seest that they are the truth as really believe him But if thou dost believe the Scriptures thou seest that they are the truth as really as if God should speak to thee from Heaven through the Clouds and therefore never flatter thy self foolishly thinking that if it were so and so then thou couldest believe I tell thee saith Christ If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead But 5. Doest thou believe the Scripture to be the word of God Then through faith in Christ thou endeavourest to have thy life squared according to the Scriptures both in word and practice Nay this I say thou mayst have though thou do not believe them all My meaning is that if thou believe none but the ten Commandements thy life may be according to them a legal holy life and if thou do believe the Gospel too then thy life will be the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ that is either thou wilt live in the blessed and holy enjoyment of what is testified in the Scripture concerning the glorious things of the Lord Jesus Christ or else thou wilt be exceedingly panting after them For the Scriptures carry such a blessed beauty in them to that soul that hath faith in the things contained in them that they do take the heart and captivate the soul of him that believeth them into the love and liking of them believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and have hope towards God that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust and herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man Acts 24. 14 15 16. 6. He that believes the Scriptures to be the word of God if he do but suppose that any one place of Scripture doth exclude him and shut him out of and from a share in the promises contained in them O it will trouble him grieve him perplex him yea he will not be satisfied untill he be resolved and the contrary sealed to his soul for he knows that the Scriptures are the word of God all truth and therefore he knows that if any one sentence doth exclude or bar out him for want of this or the other qualification he knows also that not the word alone shuts him out but he that speaks it even God himself and â—â—herefore he cannot will not dare not be conented until he find his soul and Scripture together with the things contained therein to embrace each other and a sweet correspondency and agreement between them For you must know that to him that believes the Scriptures aright the promises or threatnings are of more power to comfort or cast down then all the promises or threatnings of all the men in the world And this was the cause why the Marryrs of Jesus did so slight both the promises of their adversaries when they would have overcome them with prâ—fering the great things of this world unto them and also their 〈…〉 them they would rack them haâ—g them 〈…〉 Acts 20. 24. Noâ—â— of these things câ—â—lâ— prâ—vail upon them or against them because they did most really believe the Scriptures and the things contained in them as is clearly found and to be seen in Heb. 11. and also in Mr. Fox's Records of their Brethren 7. He that believeth the Scriptures to be the word of God believeth that men must be born again and also be partakers of that faith which is of the operation of God according as he hath read and believes he must and shall be damned And he that believeth this aright will not be contented until according as it is written he do partake of and enjoy the nâ—w birth and until he do find through grace that faith that is wrought by the operation of God in his soul. For this is the cause why men do satisfâ—â— themselves with so slender a conceited hope that their state is good when it is nothing so namely because they do not credit the Scripture for did they they would look into their own hearts and examine seriously whether that faith that hope that grace which they think they have be of that nature and wrought by that spirit and power that the Scripture speaketh of I speak this of an effectual believing without which all other is nothing unto salvation Now then because I would not be too tedious I shall at this time lay down no more discoveries of such an one as doth savingly believe the Scriptures and the things contained in them but shall speak a few words of examination containing the things already mentioned As 1. Thou sayest thou dost indeed and in truth effectually believe the Scriptures I ask therefore wast thou ever killed stark dead by the Law of works contained in the Scriptures killed by the Law or letter and made to see thy sins against it and left in an helpless condition by that Law For as I said the proper work of the Law is to slay the Soul and to leave it dead in a
obedience not of thee but of another man viz. Jesus Christ. Secondly Then if the Law thou readest of tell thee in thy Conscience thou must do this and the other good work of the Law if ever thou wilt be saved Answer plainly that for thy part thou art resolved now not to work for life but to believe in the vertue of that bloud shed upon the Cross upon Mount Calvary for the remission of sins and yet because Christ hath justified thee freely by his Grace thou wilt seâ—ve him in Holiness and Righteousness all the dayes of thy life yet not in a legal Spirit or in a Covenant of Works but mine obedience say thou I will endeavour to have it free and chearful out of love to my Lord Jesus Thirdly Have a care thou receive not this doctrine in the notion only lest thou bring a just damnation upon thy soul by professing thy self to be freed by Christs bloud from the guilt of sin while thou remainest still a servant to the filth of sin For I must tell you that unless you have the true and saving work of the Faith and Grace of the Gospel in your hearts you will either go on in a legal Holiness according to the tenour of the Law or else through a notion of the Gospel the Devil bewitching and beguiling thy understanding will and affections thou wilt Ranter like turn the Grace of God into wantonness and bring upon thy soul double if not treble damnation in that thou couldest not be contented to be damned for thy sins against the Law but also to make ruine sure to thy soul thou wouldest dishonour the Gospel and turn the Grace of God held forth and discovered to man by that into licenticusness But that thou mightest be sure to escape these dangerous looks on the right hand and on the left see that thy faith be such as spoken of in Sâ—â—â—pture and that thou be not satisfied without thâ—t which is a faith wrought by the mighty operation of God revealing Christ to and in thee as having wholly freed thee from thy sins by his most pretious bloud Which Faith if thou attain unto will so work in thy heart thâ—â— first thou wilt see the nature of the Law and also the nature of the Gospel and delight in the glory of it and also thou wilt find an ingaging of thy heart and soul to Jesus Christ even to the giving up of thy whole man unto him to be ruled and governed by him to his glory and thy comfort by the Faith of the Lord Jesus The End Books printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle without Temple-Barre CHristianismus Redivivus or Baptizing and Inchurching believers after faith and repentance vindicated also the writings of Mr. Baxâ—er Dr. â—eatley Dr. Hilins Mr. Marshall Mr. Blake Mr. Cook Mr. Cotton answered with a Vindication of Ordinances till Christs Personal coming proved in Folio The Work of Faith with Power Wherein the nature of that dead Faith is detected by which multitudes that hope for Salvation are as is to be feared deceived Published on purpose to rectify some dangerous and Damning mistakes of Men about their Faith and to Awaken all to the Work of Faith with Power In quarto Means to prevent perishing or the usefulness of the saving knowledg of God discovered Shewing what blessed tendency the right knowledg of God hath to bring men to Salvation in 4to Sions groans for her distressed Proving it the undoubted right of Christian Liberty under different perswasions in matters Spiritual to have equal protection as to their civil Peace with the Testimony of 15. Antients humbly offered to the Kings Majesty Parliament and People in 4to Faith in Gods Promises the Saints best weapon or the great use and availableness of 〈◊〉 both for the support and growth of Saints in times most perilous With several considerations for the encrease of Faith 4to A Contention for Truth In two Publick Disputations before thousands of People between Dr. Gunning and Mr. Daâ—n touching the Baptism of Infants Whether Lawful or Unlawful 4to The free Grace of God to all the Sons of Adam vindicated In a plain discovery of that Truth with 20 Queries to all men concerned 4to A Plea for Toleration of Opinions and Perswasions in matters of Religion differing from the Church of England Shewing the unreasonableness of prescribing to other Mens Faith and the evil of persecuting differing Opinions Humbly Presented to the Kings Majesty 4to The great Case of Conscience Opened in the particular unfoulding of those two difficult Texts Matth. 5. 33 34. with Jam. 5. 12. about the lawfulness or unlawfulness of Swearing 4to Godly Adversity far better than Wicked Prosperity or The Rage of the Wicked should not hinder the Race of the Godly 4to An Epistle of Information and Consolation to all such as are distinguished by names of reproach Containing also A sober Rebuke for former Slothfulness 4to The 〈…〉 causes of Gods Foreknoâ—â—â—g of Election and Predestination and of Man's Salvation or Damnation As also Whether Christ Dyed for all or not for all with the Causes and Effects that may follow or not follow The fifth Edition 4â—0 Mr. Hooles Latine and English Grammer fitted not only for the use of Schools but very useful for any person that is desirous to learn the Latine Tongue being a more plain and speedy help than any yet extâ—nt The fourth Edition Octavo A Discovery of the Latitude of the Loss of the Earthly Paradice by Original Sin With 20 Characteâ—s of the true and false Ministry To which is added Siâ—ns Redemption with the manner of the Rice of the Man of Sin with a brief Description of Christs Personal Reign upon Earth a thousand years Symptomes of Growth and Decay to Godliness In LX. Signs of A Living and Dying Christian with the cause of Decay and Remedies for Recovery Octavo Laying on of Hands Asserted under New Testament Câ—nsiâ—erations viz. 1 Upon Persons for Healing With a brief Discovery of that Ordinance of Annointing with Oyl 2. Upon Persons to Office 3. Upon Believers Baptized as such A Profitable Concordance to the Bible With Doctrinal and Alphabetical Observations upon most Points material in the Holy Scriptures Oct. Saturday no Sabâ—â—â—â— or 〈…〉 Sabboth proved not to be 〈◊〉 force to Believing Gentiles neither by the Law of Nature Law of Moses nor Law of Christ Octavo The truth of the Resurrection of the Bodies both of Good and Bad at the Great Day Asserted and Proved by Gods Word also the manner and order of their coming forth of their Graves And a Discourse of the Last Judgment and final Conclusion of the whole World in Octavo A short Catechisme very teachable as well for young Christians as Children in seven particulars in Octavo Christian Beheaviour being the fruits of true Christianity teâ—ching Husbands Wives Parents Children Masters Servants so to walk as to please God the 3d Edition in Twelves Prayer with the Spirit and Understanding also shewing what it is to pray with the Spirit and with Understanding the 2d Edition in 120. Prison Meditations directed to the heart of suffering Saints and raigning sinners in 120. Self 〈◊〉 the grand Enemy of Jesus Christ or a Treatise shewing what a heart-plague self is with special Remedies for its ruine in 12â— The Doctrine of Christianity teaching how to become a Christian how to lead a Christian life and what is the Government of Christs Church with the Articles of their faith in 12â— first 〈…〉 with the Rule of Three also the way to find the solid content of Board Glass Land Timber Stone Globes c. in 12â— 2d Edition One thing is needful or serious Meditations upon the Four last Things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell with a Conference between Christ and a sinner in 12â— The Line of Life and the Line of Death or a Map shewing the order and causes of Salvation and Damnation all cut in Brass The Poor Mans Physitian or the true Art of Medicine as it s Chimically prepared for the healing all Diseases incident to Man-kind A brief Confession of Faith as it was presented to the King in the name of many thousands commonly called Anabaptists Also their Apologie and Vindication against the injurious aspersions of being like some pretended German Anabaptists A Treatiise touching faâ—ling from Grace or 13 Arguments proving that Believers may fall from the truth of Grace with the most material Objections to the contrary Answered 4â—0 Gods Oracle and Christ's Doctrine or the Six Principles and beginning word of ever Christian Man shewing the Foundation every Convert is to lay
persecuted ones to be they that are so highly esteemed by the Lord as to sit or to be in Abrahams bosom in everlasting glory though the enemies to the Children of God did so lightly esteem them that they scorn to let them gather up the Dogs meat that falls under their Table this is also verified and held forth plainly by this Parable And therefore be not grieved O you that are the tempted persecuted afflicted sighing praying Saints of the Lord though your adversaries look upon you now with a disdainful surly rugged proud and haughty countenance yet the time shall come when they shall spie you in Abrahams Bosom I might enlarge upon these things but shall leave them to the Spirit of the Lord which can better by ten thousand degrees enlarge them on thy heart and conscience then I can upon a piece of paper Therefore leaving these to the blessing of the Lord I shall come to the next Verse and shall be brief in speaking to that also and so passe to the rest Verse 24. And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame YOu know I told you the 22th Verse is a discovery of the departure of the godly and the ungodly out of this life where he saith The beggar died and the rich man also died The 23. Verse is a discovery of the proper places both of the godly and the ungodly after death one being in Abrahams Bosom or in glory the other in Hell Now this 24 Verse is a discovery of part of the too late repentance of the ungodly when they are dropt down into Hell And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy upon me From these words And he cryed we may observe first What a change the ungodly will have when they come into Hell He cried it is like he was laughing jesting jearing drinking mocking swearing cursing prating persâ—cuting of the godly in his prosperity among his filthy companions but now the case is otherwise now he is in another frame now his proud flout currish carriage is come down And he cryed The laughter of the ungodly will not last alwayes but will be sure to end in a cry The tryumphing of the wicked is short Job 20 5. Consider you must have a change either here or in Hell If you be not new creatures regenerate persons new-born Babes in this World before you go hence your note will be changed your conditions will be changed for if you come into Hell you must cry O did but the singing drunkards when they are making merrie on the Ale-bench think on this it would make them change their note and cry What shall I do whither shall I go when I die But as I said before the Devil as he labours to get poor souls to follow their sins so he labours also to keep the thoughts of eternal damnation out of their mindes and indeed these two things are so nearly linked together that the Devil cannot well get the Soul to go on in sin with delight unless he can keep the Thoughts of that terrible after-clap out of their minds But let them know that it shall not always be thus with them for if when they depart they drop down into Eternal Destruction they shall have such a sence of their sins and the punishment due to the same that it shall make them to cry And he cryed O what an alteration will there be among the ungodly when they go out of this World it may be a Fortnight or a Moneth before their departure they were light stour surly drinking themselves drunk slighting God's People mocking at goodness and delighting in sin following the World seeking after Riches faring deliciously keeping company with the bravest but now they are dropt down into Hell they cry A little while ago they were painting their Faces feeding their Lusts following their Whores robbing their Neighbours telling of Lies following of Plays and Sports to pass away the time but now they are in Hell they do cry It may be last Year they heard some good Sermons was invited to receive Heaven was told their sins should be pardoned if they closed in with Jesus but refusing his profers and slighting the Grace that was once tendered they are now in Hell and do cry Before they had so much time they thought that they could not tell how to spend it unless it were in Hunting and Whoring in dancing and playing and spending whole hours yea days nay weeks in the Lusts of the Flesh but when they depart into another place and begin to lift up their Eyes in Hell and consider their miserable and irrecoverable condition they will cry O what a condition wilt thou fall into when thou dost depart this World if thou depart unconverted and not born again thou hadst better have been smother'd the first hour thou wast born thou hadst better have been plucked one Limb from another thou hadst better have been made a Dog a Toâ—d a Serpent nay any other Creature in the visible World than to die unconverted and this thou wilt find to be true when in Hell thou dost life up thine Eyes and dost cry Here then before we go any further you may see that it is not without good ground that these words are here spoken by our Lord That when any of the ungodly do depart into Hell they will cry Cry why so 1. They will cry to think that they should be cut off from the Land of the Living never more to have any footing therein 2. They will cry to think that the Gospel of Christ should be so often proffered them and yet they are not profited by it 3. They will cry to think that now though they would never so willingly repent and be saved yet they are past all Recovery 4. They will cry to think that they should be so foolish as to follow their pleasures when others were following of Christ Luke 13. 28. 5. They will cry to think that they must be separated from God Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and that for ever 6. To think that their crying will now do them no good 7. To think that at the Day of Judgment they must stand at the left hand of Christ among an innumerable Company of the Damned Ones 8. They will cry to think that Lazarus whom once they slighted must be of them that must sit with Christ to judge or together with Christ to pass a Sentence of Condemnation on their Souls for ever and ever 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. 9. Cry to think that when the Judgment is over and others are taken into the everlasting Kingdom of Glory then thou must depart back again into that Dungeon of Darkness from whence thou camest out â—o appear before that terrible Tribunal where thou shalt be tormented so long as Eternity lasts without the least intermission or ease How sayest
so freely profered to thee a little ground a few Oxen a Farm a Wife a two penny matter a Play nay the fear of a mock a scoff or a jeer is of greater weight to draw thee back than the Salvation of thy Soul to draw thee forward 7. And thou hast heard that Whosoever will be a friend of the World is the enemy of God Jam. 4. 4. But thou regardest not these things but contrariwise rather then thou wilt be out of the friendship and favour of this world thou wilt sin against thine own Conscience and get thy self inâ—o favour by fawning and flattering of the world Yea rather then thou wilt go without it thou wilt dissemble lye backbite thy Neighbour and an hundred other tricks thou wilt have 8. You have heard that the day of Judgement is near in which you and I all of us must appear before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ and there be made to give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead even of all that ever we did yea of all our sins in thought word and deed and shall certainly be damned for them too if we close not in with our Lord Jesus Christ and what he hath done and suffered for eternal life and that not notionally or traditionally but really and savingly in the power and by the operation of the spirit through faith Eccles. 11. 9. 12. 14. Heb. 9. 27. Acts 10. 42 Acts 17. 30 31. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 20. 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the Books There is the Book of the Creatures the Book of Conscience the Book of the Lords Remembrance the Book of the Law the Book of the Gospel Rom. 1. 20. compared with Rom. 2. 12. 15. Rev. 6. ver 19. Joh. 12. 48. Then shall he separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left Mat. 25. 30 31 32. And shall say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed vers 34. But to the other go or depart ye cursed ver 41. Yet notwithstanding the Scriptures do so plainly plentifully speak of these things alas who is there that is weaned from the world and from their siâ—s and pleasures to fly from the wrath to come Mat. 3. 7. notwithstanding the Scripture saith also That Heaven and Earth shall pass away rather than one jot or one tittle of the word shall shall fail till all be fulfilled they are so certain Luke 21. 37. But leaving the threatnings let us come to the promises and speak somewhat of them and you may see how light men make of them and how little they set by them notwithstanding the mouth of the Lord hath spoken them As first Turn ye fools ye scorners ye simple ones at my reproof and behâ—ld I will pour out my spirit unto you Prov. 1. 24. And yet persons had rather be in their foolishness and scorning still and had rather imbrace some filthy lust then the holy undesiled and blessed Spirit of Christ thorow the promise though by it as many as receive it are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. And although he that lives and dies without it is none of Christs Rom. 8. 9. 2. God hath said If thou do but come to him in Christ though your sins be as red as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow and he will by no meanes cast thee away compare Isa. 1. 18. with Joh. 6. â—7 yet poor souls will not come to Christ that they might have life Joh. 5. 41. but rather after their hardness and impenitent heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 4 5 6. 3. Christ Jesus hath said in the word of truth That if any man will serve and follow him Where he is there shall also his servant be Joh. 12. 26. but yet poor souls choose rather to follow sin Satan and the world though their companions be the devils and damned souls for ever Mat. 25. 41. 4. He hath also said Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added But let who so will seek after the Kingdom of Heaven first for them For they will take the first time while time serves to get the things of this life And if it be so that they must needs seek after Heaven or else be damned they will stay till they have more leisure or till they can better attend to it or till they have other things handsome about them or till they are older when they have little else to do or when they come to be sick and to die Then Lord have mercy upon them though it be ten thousand to one but they perish for ever For commonly the Lord hath this way to deal with such sinners who put him off when he is striâ—â—â—â— with them either to laugh at their calamity and mâ—â—k when their fear cometh Prov. 1. 26. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 send them to the gods they have served which are the devils Judg. 10. 13. 14. Go to the gods you have served and let them deliver you saith he compare this with Joh. 8. 44. 5. He hath said There is no man that forsaketh Father or Mother Wife or Children or Lands for his sake and the Gospels but shall have an hundred fâ—lâ— in this world with persecution and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10. 29 30. But men for the most part are so far off from believing the certainty of this that they will scarce lose the earning of a penny to hear the word of God the Gospel of salvation Nay they will neither go themselves nor suffer others to go if they can help it without threatning to do them a mischief if it lie in their way Nay further many are so far from parting from any worldly gun for Christs sake and the Gospels that they are still striving by hook and by crook as we say by swearing lying cousening stealing covetousness extortion oppression forgery bribery flâ—ttery or any other way to get more though they get together with these death wrath damnation hell the devil and all the plagues that God can pour upon them And if any do not run with them to the same excess of riot but rather for all their threats will be so bold and careless as they call it as to follow the wayes of God if they can do no more yet they will whet their tongues like a Sword to wound them and do them the greatest mischief they can both in speaking against them to neighbours to Wives to Husbands to Landlords and raising false Reports of them But let such take heed lost they be in such a state and woful condition as he was in who said