upon the Cross The loss of blood and the anguish and pain the nails in his feet and in his hands kill'd him he died there his soul separated from his body he cryed with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost so he was put to death in the Flesh that is as to his human Nature That is plain The following words have more difficulty in them But quickned by the Spirit What 's the meaning of quickned And what 's here meant by Spirit that we must enquire into because it will tend to open the difficulty that lies in the following words Quickned as the Greek hath it Vivificatus autem spiritu made alive which is of the same import with quickned he died as to his human Nature but he did not continue in a state of death but was made alive again Christ that died for sinners was made alive What was made alive That which was dead What was dead The man Christ so that that which died for our sins was made alive again that is raised from the dead that 's the meaning of it There 's nothing can be made alive but that which was dead The Apostle useth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to signifie the Resurrection of the body and therefore in reason it may signifie so in this place 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all died so in Christ shall all be made alive 'T is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made alive that is they shall be raised from the Grave So here Christ died as to the flesh but he was made alive that is he was raised from the dead Raised How was he raised it follows In or by the Spirit What Spirit is here Why it is that Spirit that did efficiently raise him he was quickned in or by the Spirit Now by this Spirit say the Papists is meant the human Soul of Christ For this reason it cannot be meant of the Soul of Christ because that the Soul of Christ being a creature could never quicken could never raise the dead body of Christ For Christ was perfect God and perfect Man as he was Man he had a Soul and body his Soul and body were creatures and though the Spirit or Soul of Christ was an excellent pure holy Soul without sin yet it was not God and had not an Almighty power None but God could raise the dead therefore the soul of Christ could never raise the body of Christ What was it then It must then be the Holy Ghost it must be the Spirit of God which is God which is Almighty that can raise the dead and did raise the dead Christ For what reason do I think that by Spirit is here meant the Holy Ghost Why I will tell you Because all the Miracles that Christ or his Apostles did whether they healed the sick whether they raised the dead or cast out Devils were all attributed to the Spirit of God to the Holy Spirit of Christ And therefore no wonder if the very Resurrection of Christ be given unto the Spirit of God And if I mistake not that is the meaning or the import of the Apostle in Rom. 1.3 4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness Holiness in the abstract that is by the Greeks commonly used for the concrete and you may read it thus According to the Holy Ghost he was declared to be the Son of God with power with the power of the Holy Ghost by the Resurrection from the dead he was raised by the Spirit of God by which all works of Miracles were wrought or done by Christ and his Apostles he was raised from the dead by this Spirit And now That which follows will be somewhat clear For if by being made alive is to be understood the Resurrection of Christs human Nature and by the Spirit that raised that human Nature is to be meant the Holy Ghost then proceeds by which or in which he went and preached He went Who went Christ went By which Spirit by which Holy Ghost he went and preached to the spirits in prison Why did Christ the Son of God preach to the old world before he came in the flesh Yes How By his Spirit What immediately No but by Noah for he was a preacher of righteousness Why all the Prophets they had their Prophetical gifts and they had them all from the Spirit of Christ 2 Pet. 2.5 And spared not the old world but saved Noah the eighth person a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly You must know all the preachers under the Gospel have their gifts from the Spirit the Spirit is employed in sending them out the Spirit assisteth them the Spirit said Seperate me Barnabas and Saul It was the Spirit which sent all the Prophets out the Spirit of Christ sent out Noah made him his Preacher So then by this Spirit of Christ Noah preached or Christ preached in Noah To whom To the Spirits in prison that is to the souls of those wicked men that are now in prison that were in prison at the time when Peter did write When God drowned the world that was not all their bodies lay floating upon the great Sea but their souls went down into Hell Well but say you Did Christ by his Spirit preach to them after they went to Hell No. They were preached to when they were sometime disobedient in the times of Noah as in the verse following the Spirits in prison that were sometime disobedient Disobedient to whom To the Spirit When In the time of Noah for they disobeyed Noah regarded not his preaching nor the building of the Ark looked upon him as a mad-man they took not the warning and were swallowed up in the flood and are now in prison for their disobedience they were disobedient to the Spirit of Christ in Noah The Papists by the Spirits in prison they would perswade you is to be meant a Limbus Patrum as they call it a middle state between Heaven and Hell wherein the Patriarchs were held until the time that Jesus Christ died and that when Christ was dead and his body in the grave for that three days and nights that Christ in his soul did descend into this Limbus and there did preach himself unto the soul of Abraham of Isaac and Jacob and the rest of those good Spirits that were alive in former days and took them out of that state and carried them to Heaven Thus say the Papists this is their Interpretation First But this is not to be believed because the Apostle speaks of such Spirits that were disobedient not of the Spirits of the Fathers for the very Papists themselves speak of no Spirits in their Limbus but only good Spirits But the Apostle in this place speaks of none but disobedient Spirits Secondly 'T is a vain Interpretation
what thou hast and besides it shall be blessed to thee that thou wilt say it is far better to thee than abundance Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added to you Do but set thy self to pray mightily to God that whatever he does he would save thy soul and then for thy care thou mightest cast thy care upon him your care distracts you it is Gods setting in with you that makes your care succesful O poor sinners if you were but acquainted with God and Christ you would have a God to cast your care upon You Masters of Families begin your day with God bring your Families to God make it your great business to serve God and then trust God for his blessing upon your endeavours There is another Reason What is the reason that you do not believe That you believe not God that speaks by his Son and by his Prophets Why truly I dare not believe For to speak plainly I am so in love with my sins that I cannot think to part wirh them and I do profess if I must be damn'd for them I must run the hazard Such desperate slaves are Satan's slaves though they see Hell before them and in they must if they repent not saith Christ Light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Why because their deeds are evil They love their evil deeds and love darkness and hate the light of the Gospel they hate my word because my word threatens their deeds of darkness with Hell they can't endure to see what is at the end of sinning I have kept you a long while and so God kept them above a hundred years I have spent one hour perhaps half an hour more but if it were possible that I could Preach an hundred years to an unbelieving heart it would never work upon him without Gods Grace O therefore resist not Crace When I have done all 't is God that singles out one at one time and another at another time and then another and sometimes many at once and opens their eyes and hearts and makes such a Sermon bear upon them and commandeth their hearts to strike in with the word And if the Lord does but bless the word to take hold of some poor youth whether man or maid it is worth all my labour that I have spent in Preaching If the Lord would but bring some poor soul to believe that the word of God is true and that it is as certain that they will be damn'd if they repent not as is was certain that the old world was drown'd This might be the beginning of a new life O 't is an hour well spent and thou wilt bless God for it if he will come in with light upon thee and make thee believe the Gospel that Christ is willing to save every penitent sinner that is brought thus to believe in him O that God would be pleased to convince you that he is in good earnest to damn the wicked and impenitent sinner but to bless and crown with eternal life every obedient soul I am forced to cut off many things that I have to say But the Lord in heaven bless this word unto you FINIS Books Printed for and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside SERMONS on the whole Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians by Mr. J. Daille Translated into English by F.S. with Dr. Tho. Goodwin's and Dr. J. Owens Epistles Recommendatory An Exposition of Christs Temptation on Mat. 4. and Peters Sermon to Cornelius and circumspect walking by Dr. Tho. Taylor A practical Exposition on the 3 d Chap. of the 1 st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly mans Choice on Psal 4.6 7 8. by Anthony Burgess Dr. Donns 4to Sermons being his 3 Vol. Pareus Exposition on the Revelations Choice and practical Expositions on 4 select Psalms viz. The Fourth Psalm in eight Sermons The Forty second Psalm in ten Sermons The Fifty first Psalm in twenty Sermons The Sixty third Psalm in seven Sermons Books 4 to The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration by George Swinnock M.A. An Exposition on the Five first Chapters of Ezekiel with useful Observations thereupon by William Greenhil The Gospel Covenant opened by Peter Bulkley Gods Holy-mind touching matters moral which he uttered in Ten Commandments Also an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer by Edward Eston B.D. The Fiery Jesuit or an Historical-Collection of the rise encrease doctrines and deeds of the Jesuits Horologiographia optica Dyaling universal and particular speculative and practical together with a description of the Court of Arts by a new Method by Sylvanus Morgan A seasonable Apology for Religion by Matthew Pool The practical Divinity of the Papists discovered to be destructive to true Religion and Mens souls by J. Clarkson The Creatures goodness as they came out of Gods hand and the good-mans mercy to the bruit-creatures in two Sermons by Tho. Hodges B.D. Certain considerations tending to promote Peace and Unity amongst Protestants The Saints triumph over the last enemy in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway by Nath. Vincent The Morning-Lecture against Popery or the principal errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning-Lecture preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London Four useful discourses by Jeremiah Burroughs A new Copy-Book of all sorts of useful hands The Saints priviledg by dying by Mr. Scot. The Vertuous Daughter a Funeral-Sermon by Mr. Brian The Miracle of Miracles or Christ in our Nature by Dr. Rich. Sibbs The unity and essence of the Cartholick Church-visible by Mr. Hudson The intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church or the particular Believing soul in several Lectures on the whole second Chap. of Cant. by John Collins D.D. Large 8 vo The sure mercies of David or a second part of Heart-treasure Heaven or hell here in a Good or Bad Conscience by Nath. Vincent Closet-prayere a Christians duty by O. Heyword A practial discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the nature and duty of Prayer by Tho. Cobbet Of quenching the Spirit the evil of it by Theophilus Polwheile The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints mystical Union with Christ by Richard Stedman M.A. Sober Singularity by the same Author Heaven taken by Storm The mischeif of sin both by Tho. Watson The Childs Delight together with an English-Grammar Reading and Spelling made easie both by Tho. Lye Asop's Fables with morals thereupon in English-Verse The Young-mans Instructor and the Old-mans Remembrancer Captives bourd in Chains made free by Christ their Surety both by Tho. Doolittle Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture by William Whitaker The Saints care for Church-Communion declared in sundry Sermons preached at St. James Dukes-place by Zach. Crofton The life and death of Edmund Stanton D.D. To which is added a Treatise of Christian conference and a Dâ—alogue between a Minister and a Stranger Sin the Plague of plagues or sinful sin the worst of Evils by Ralph Venning M.A. Cases of Conscience practically resolved by J. Norman The immortality of the Soul explained and proved by Scripture and Reason to which is added Faiths-triumph over the fears of death by Tho. Wadsworth A Treatise of the incomparableness of God in his Being Attributes Works and Word by George Swinnock M.A. The generation of Seekers or the right manner of the Saints addresses to the throne of Grace with an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer An Essay to facilitate the Education of Youth by bringing down the rudiments of Grammar to the sense of seeing which ought to be improved by Syncresis by M. Lewis of Totenham An Artificial Vestibulum wherein the sense of Janua Linguarum is contained compiled into plain and short sentences in English for the great ease of Masters and Expeditious progress of Scholars by M. Lewis Baptism no bar to Communion by Jo. Bunnian The Dutch-dispensatory shewing the vertues qualities and properties of Simples the vertue and use of Compounds whereto is added the Compleat Herbalist Small Octavo A defence against the fear of Death by Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed by William Gearing The godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors Evidences for Heaven by Edmund Calamy The Almost-Christian discovered or the false Professor tried and cast by M. Mead. A Plea for the godly or the Righteous mans Excellency The holy Eucharist or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A Treatise of Self-denial All three by Tho. Watson The life and death of Tho. Wilson of Maidstone in Kent The life and death of Doctor Sam. Winter Worthy-walking press'd upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel The Spirit of Prayer by Nath. Vincent The inseparable Union between Christ and a Believer by Tho. Peck A discourse of Excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them the sin and misery brought in by them by John Sheffield Invisible realities demonstrated in the holy life and triumphant death of Mr. J. Janeway The Saints encouragement to diligence in Christs service by Mr. James Janeway Convivium caeleste a plain and familiar discourse concerning the Lords Supper by R. Kidder The Saints perseverance asserted in its Positive-ground against Mr. Ives A Wedding-ring fit for the Finger by Will. Secker An Explanation of the shorter Catechism of the Assembly of Divines by Tho. Lye The Childs Delight with Pictures by Tho Lye The life and death of Tho. Hall The flat opposition of Popery to Scripture by J.N. Chaplain to a Person of Honour The Weavers Pocket-book or Weaving spiritualiz'd by J.C.D.D. Two disputations of Original sin by Richard Baxter The ready way to prevent sin by William Bagshaw The Little-peace-maker discovering foolish Pride the Make-bate Philadelphia or a Treatise of Brotherly-love by Mr. Gearing Reformation or Ruine being certain Sermons on Levit. 26.23 24. by Tho. Hotchkis FINIS
perfection And he hath appointed the Ministerial Office that men might be his messengers to men to acquaint them with his Grace and with the Glory which he prepareth for them that they may truly believe it soberly think of it duly value it heartily chuse it and diligently seek it and live and die in the joyful expectation of it And as our Souls converse not with our neighbours immediately but in and by our bodies in which they work so the Spirit of Christ doth not ordinarily work on mens Souls without any means but by his Word and Works which his Ministers must declare Man is not now put upon satisfying Gods Justice or purchasing his Salvation by a price Christ hath done these and made a free gift of Grace and Glory to all that will but penitently and believingly accept it Under Gods Grace mens everlasting Salvation now lieth on their own wills no men or devils can damn or undo any one soul but by his own consent to the cause of his damnation No men or devils can keep our souls from the Heavenly Glory but by tempting him to refuse it undervalue and neglect it and prefer the pleasures of sin before it and by keeping him from loving desiring and seeking it For every one shall certainly have it who had rather be a holy Christian on earth and live in perfect love and joy with God in Heaven for ever than for his filthly pleasure to enjoy the prosperity of this world To acquaint men with this is our Ministerial Office we are charged to set before them the great Salvation which Christ hath procured and importunately to beseech them to mind it believe it and accept it that it may be theirs for ever we believe God and therefore we speak to men as he hath commanded us We intreat them in his Name to turn from sinful enmity and folly and to be reconciled to God and be wise for their Salvation We tell them but what Gods word sent from heaven telleth us and them That holiness is the love of God and goodness and the hatred of sin that the pure in heart are blessed for they shall see God But without holiness none can see him We tell them from God That heaven is won or lost on earth and that none shall have it but such as hence learn to love a holy and heavenly life and that the dislike of holiness is the forfeiture of happiness and the beginning or forerunner of Hell We assure them That God will never say Depart from me ye workers of iniquity if they do not first by iniquity depart from God and that God will not damn them except they damn themselves by the obstinate final refusing and resisting of his mercy We intreat men therefore but to live as men should do that love themselves and that are not indifferent whether they live in Heaven or Hell for ever We intreat them not to be worse to themselves than the Devil and all their enemies are who cannot make them commit one sin against their wills And yet after all this warning intreaty and importunity there are thousands and ten thousands that will not be perswaded nor regard the warning given them from God some will not believe but that a man dies like a Dog and what wonder if such live like Dogs And some will not believe but that they may be saved without regenerating-grace and holiness though Christs own mouth hath protested the contrary and told us verily that it cannot be John 3.3 5 18 19. Mat. 18.3 Heb. 12.14 Rom. 8.6 7 8 9 13 c. Multitudes will not be brought to understand what we say but when we talk of Redemption Sanctification and Salvation they hear us as if we spake Greek or Hebrew to them and under teaching grow old in sottish grossest ignorance multitudes are taken up with the love of prosperity the love of this deceiving world multitudes are carried away with aspiring ambition and foolish pride and more with the love of fleshly pleasures and satisfying their appetites and lusts Many poor people who every where are the most are so opprest with want and wearied with their daily labour and taken up with cares to pay their Rents and Debts and maintain their Families that they think it excusable in them if they little mind the pleasing of God and saving of their souls supposing that they have no leisure for it and God requireth it not at their hands And the same most servants think who have time little enough for their Masters work Multitudes have such dead and hardened hearts that when we tell them that they must shortly be in Heaven or Hell as they are here prepared we speak almost as to blocks or men asleep they feel not what we say as if they did not hear us We are bid cry aloud and tell them of their sin and danger Isa 58.1 2. and yet we cannot get them to regard and feel God saith Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light and yet we cannot get them to awake nor hear us like men that have the use of reason and love themselves Alas how many thousands are there whom we could never perswade to consider with deep and serious thoughts what will become of their Souls when they are dead nor to seek to be resolved of it from the infallible Word of God! that never set a part one hour in their lives to consider seriously Whether they have any title to Salvation which they can make good by the Word of God by which they must be judged Sirs This this is the case of multitudes of our neighbours and what would you have a Minister to do in such a case should we flatter and smooth them up in an unholy life what thanks would they give us for this ere long when they find themselves in hell Would you have us stand by in silence and look on while Satan thus leadeth thousands to perdition Would you have us let them quietly go to hell for fear of displeasing them or others or seeming to be unmannerly or uncivil with them Would you have us whisper to men that must be awakened or undone for ever whom thunder and lightening will not awake Alas we see men dying daily and we are dying our selves and daily look when we speak our last and when they hear their last even all that ever they shall hear more for their Salvation We see how Time doth pass away much is lost already the rest is short and utterly uncertainâ— and the ignorance unbelief hard-heartedness fleshliness worldliness pride malignity and unholiness of sinners are deep-rooted strong and damnable evils We see men when they are convinced that they must repent or perish Luk. 13.3 5 putting it off from day to day when they are certainly to be gone ere long and never certain of one more hour And alas a long life is little enough for a willing awakened serious Christian to work out his Salvation and make
because if that their Limbus or middle state is only a receptacle of good Spirits Why they needed not to have preaching after their death to them because they believed while they were upon the earth and if they believed whilst upon the earth they were justified and if they were justified their sins were taken away and what then should keep them out of Heaven 'T is a very impertinent thing to think that Christ should go into their Limbus to preach faith to them that have believed already Thirdly Their Interpretation dependeth much upon the interpreting the Spirit by which he was quickned interpreting that to be meant of his soul But if that cannot be meant of his soul but of the Holy-Ghost then their notion falls to the ground for they read it thus Christ was dead in the body but kept alive in his soul by which he went and preached unto these Fathers in their Limbo Lastly The Scripture is plain that Christ did not go down into any such middle-state for he said to the Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This can't be any middle-state where Paul said He saw and heard things that were unutterable Well then this is that the Apostle meaneth that those Spirits that are now in prison were sometime alive in the body as we and they heard the preaching of the Spirit of Christ in Noah but for their disobedience they were taken off by the flood and their souls were laid up in Hell as in a prison Now the Doctrine shall be this That the Spirits or souls of wicked men when they die they shall as prisoners of Gods justice be dragged out of their bodies and by the righteous sentence of God shall be laid up in the prison of Hell for their disobedience unto the Spirit of Christ that preacheth in his Ministers All this is contained in the words In the opening of it there are these things I shall speak to First What are these Prisoners Spirits Secondly How are these Prisoners carried away to their Prison By death as those of the old world were by a death caused by the flood Thirdly What 's this prison Hell Fourthly What 's the cause of their commitment Disobedience disobedience to the voice of the Spirit of Christ in his Ministers Lastly Here is the justness of the Sentence implied for inasmuch as they are Gods prisoners so they are prisoners that are justly imprisoned I pray God by what you and I hear of it this day it may never be any of our lots that you and I may never prove any of these dreadful Prisoners First What are these Prisoners Spirits Souls those immortal Souls that live and abide in you while you are in this world Your bodies they are like houses that are made up of clay of earth but a house is not without its Tenant God hath made no body but he hath made it for a Tenant Every human body hath his Tenant What 's that The Soul the Spirit It is that immortal Spirit that is in you by which you live move act reason by which you see hear walk all the motions that are seen or done by any part of you come from the Spirit from the Soul And as it is with an old house or any house if it be pull'd down the Tenant goes out of doors if it be fir'd down the Tenant steps out of doors and perhaps on the other side of the street looking upon his house burning down The house is burnt but the Tenant's alive So it is with you when these bodies of clay of yours fall are they drowned with these of the old world should they be burnt should they fall by a Fever or any other way your souls like Tenants they come out That living spirit in you comes out you give up the Ghost give up the Spirit The body returns saith Solomon to the earth your Spirit returns to God to be judged This is the Prisoner But O what a sad Prisoner is the soul of a wicked man when stript of his body He is a naked Prisoner and a friendless Prisoner which are two sad circumstances of a prisoner When God sendeth the Serjeant death and seizeth upon the spirit of a wicked man knocks at the door of his body the body is fast bolted locked no getting in What does death do breaks down the Body pulls it about his ears sometime death drowns him sometime death hangs him sometime stabs him sometimes he goes to Sea and is cast away sometimes a Cart goes over him and so the poor soul of the wicked man is arrested death lays hold of him and drags him away to the Tribunal of God and there is he in a naked condition naked of the world naked of his body A poor thing When a wicked mans spirit is in the world he hath a house a body and out of his body he hath the casements of his eyes to look through and hath some kind of enjoyment in his meats and drinks But when death comes he pulls down the house about his ears and the soul 's drag'd away and there is no more the light of the Sun no more eating and drinking no more the delights of the flesh He is like the malefactor that hath committed some great crime and the Prince sends the Officers and they surround the house and break it open and drag him away in his shirt and won't give him time to put on his cloaths This is a sad sight Just so will thy wicked soul O thou wicked man be dragged away without shirt or hose or shoe out of the house of thy body And when the poor prisoner the spirit of a wicked man is sent by death to the Tribunal of God he is in a friendless condition If a man is Arrested for debt there may be some composition some good neighbours may come and say Pray have pity he is a poor man he cannot pay you he will pay you when he can I will lay down somewhat for him you have such a thing as that is here that saves the poor man from prison But alas thou poor wicked soul that wouldest take no warning but hast been disobedient to the Gospel when death comes with a Commission from God from Christ the great Judg of quick and dead he seizeth upon thee draggeth thee away and perhaps when thou art dragging away thou lookest about what can I have no friend to intercede for me O for a little more time to repent in A little more time to pay my debts in What will none lay down a ransome for me No No. Thou wicked man while thou art in the body Jesus Christ comes often in his Ministers saying to thee Thou wicked sinner thou art ten thousand Talents in debt Come sinner believe in me repent of thy sins against me and I will pay all thy debts I will discharge them all but thou poor rebel wouldest not hearken to it but thou wouldest go on and run farther and farther
Now says Christ I will have no more to do with him Justice seize upon him Serjeant of death arrest him drag him along with thee bring him to my Tribunal and there to prison thou must go and now poor soul thou hast no body to pay thy debts for thee now thou must go and pay them all thy self but thou wilt never be able to pay the uttermost farthing nay thou art not able to pay one farthing Well but whether must I go To prison What 's that prison Hell man that 's the prison so it is called a prison Rev. 20.1 2 And I saw an Angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him Where why where he was loosed afterwards for a time Vers 7 And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison This deep pit is here call'd a prison this deep pit where the Devil is chained is a prison and thither must every arrested sinner be dragged into this pit and laid in this prison in chains under darkness Why say you Why is Hell call'd a prison for these poor spirits to be laid in Why because of the resemblance that it hath to a prison In these three respects Hell is called a Prison First It 's a place of punishment as Prisons are Secondly It 's a place of Restraint Thirdly It 's a place of Abode 1. A prison is a place of Punishment Alas your prisons are full of the instruments of punishment Go into a prison and there you shall see your dark dungeon without any light or next to none there you may see your Press-yard where the malefactors are sometimes press'd to death and you may see the press and the weights that are laid upon them go into Prisons and there you shall see Racks to torture men to stretch them to pull their limbs and members out of joynt there you shall see Chains Chains for the feet for the hands to bind them to load them to pain them Prisons are places of punishment torment misery Hell is called a Prison because it is a place of pain and torment Why what is there in Hell that answers to these Racks Presses Irons Chains Why there is darkness there 's your Dungeon utter darkness extream darkness For Misery there is weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth For Torment there is fire everlasting fire that will never go out There 's a rack for the Spirit there 's the worm that never dieth For a Jaylor there 's the Devil that is in for his own fault and to be tormented himself and to torment others O! 't is a sad Prison to be under a cruel Jaylor in Chains and fire with a worm gnawing at the very heart under the wrath of God! This is a sad state sinners a sad state The Lord help you to believe it But you are apt to hear this as a Fable but believe it you will find this true The old world was as secure as you are Repent faith God or I will drown you all and that which is more I will damn you too I will send your bodies to rot in the ground and your souls to the Prison of Hell Noah tells them so Says God to Noah Prepare thy Ark against the time He did so Why what did the rest do They believed it not they regarded it not they thought Noah must say something and they look't upon him as a Mad-man and so you do Us. Sinners take heed that death does not come and drag you away before you have repented and obeyed the voice of Christ in his Ministers The old world because they did not repent they were damn'd for not hearkning to Noah and you shall be damn'd if you will not hearken to Us. The Lord awaken your sleepy souls that you may not sleep the sleep of death that you may not go down with your bodies to the Grave and your souls to Hell But again Hell is called a Prison because it is a place of restraint you can't go out when you please Go to Newgate they will talk with you through the grates but they can't go out of doors neither can friends come to them but must ask the Jaylor leave and if he hath commission to deny any away you must go though a Wife though a Father or Brother So poor soul when God hath stript thee of thy body and laid thee in this Prison thou shalt be restrained and others restrained from coming to thee there 's no friend to come to thee then Noah preached to the old world in the body and so we do to you but when you have by your disobedience provoked God to cut you off and lay your souls in this Prison there 's no coming to you no preacher then no Christ and no Spirit to offer Salvation then you are poor Prisoners restrain'd and kept from all manner of comfort O saith the rich man in Hell Father Abraham O that some would come and give me but the refreshment of a drop of cold water to cool my tongue in this torment No says he there 's a gulf between us and you 't is a Gaol and the Prisoner is bounded up by the Justice of God and there is a charge none shall come from us to you nor from you to us It 's a Prison you are restrained poor sinners Will you believe No you don't believe Because you dont believe you will be damn'd This damn'd the old world and this will damn you if you don't believe Thirdly Hell is a Prison as it is a place of Abode When you are in Prison if it be for debt How can you get out Why these Three ways you may get out of these Prisons 1. By breaking of them but you can't break the gates of Hell no you can't you may clamber these walls and come down by ropes but there is a great gulf that you may as well think of clambering the Stars as to get out of this Prison And again 2. There is an other way if you can't pay your debts another may But there is no paying for you out of Hell Christ hath once done it if you will repent he will pay all for you but if once clapt into that Prison Christs blood will profit you nothing Or Lastly By Pardon If no body will pay the debt the Creditor may forgive him but believe it sinner you will never have such a pardon from God for here 's your time of pardon if thou wilt repent Christ he will pardon thee To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts but if you die no more pardon no more offers of Grace then thou art shut up for ever 'T is a Prison Never man that was in Hell got out of Hell more So much for the Third Fourthly What 's the Crime having discoursed of the Prison Whâ—â—'s the
Crime Disobedience That were sometimes disobedient in the days of Noah To whom To the Spirit of Christ In whom Noah Where 〈◊〉 the old world Why did the Spirit appear in visible shape No but in Noah a Preacher of righteousness They hearkned not to Noah and for that they perished That is the great crime for which men have from the beginning of the world gone down into Hell for their disobedience to the Spirit of Christ in his Prophets and in his Ministers Why what were the sins that they were guilty of that Noah called them to repent of Why you shall see in the 6 Chap. of Gen. and the 5 ver they were a wicked sort of people and made God repent that ever he made them Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually Here were wicked spirits wicked souls they are the principals in sin and they are the principals in punishment The wickedness of their hearts Men are condemn'd for the wickedness of their thoughts as well as for the wickedness of their lives The 11 12 13 Verses The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth And God said unto Noah the end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth Here are wicked hearts and wicked lives wicked thoughts and wicked deeds When God does imprison souls in Hell it is for their wicked thoughts as well as for their wicked lives and some of you perhaps never take account of the wickedness of your thoughts and yet God does take a a special account of your wicked thoughts And in this state of sin they were a secure people they feared nothing they went on in trading and merry in their business as the world is just now As in Mat. 24.38 As in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and givîng in marriage until the day that Noah entred into the Ark and knew not until the flood came and took them all away so shall also the coming of the son of man be They were sinners wicked rebellious sinners and secure sinners and Noah was sent to awaken them out of this security and called them to repentance and threatned the wrath of God upon them if they did not repent But says Christ they regarded it not no not to the very day that the flood came And so it will be says he against the coming of the son of man And is it not so now Look about your streets in the morning there you hear the clattering of your Shop doors and setting out of your wares and buying and selling and when Breakfast or Dinner or Supper comes you set down and eat and drink you lie down and rise again and sometimes you go to the Change and busie you are like so many Ants and here we Ministers of the Gospel come like Noah we say Repent repent for God hath appointed a day wherein he will judg the world for sin by the man Christ Jesus Yea that he hath a prison to throw your souls in at death where he hath darkness to affright you and chains to bind you and fire to burn you and you mind us no more than these people did in the days of Noah no not you till sickness comes or the day of your death and then you begin to bethink your selves and cry O that I had an Ark now O that I had an interest in Christ O that I had Grace and a title to Heaven Now nothing but Christ nothing but Grace nothing but praying and sending for Ministers to come and talk with you Here is a Customer come in O don't talk to me now O I must mind Heaven But before that time you are as careless as the old World was until the flood came and swept them all away O you poor fools what do you do you are busie for time and regardless for eternity Death is at your doors and you know not how soon you may hear the blows and clattering about your body and your house fall and your souls hurried away and yet do you mind nothing but eating and drinking buying and selling and the like What will you do The Lord awaken you Here you sit and hear me and you are stupified many of you you gaze upon me you do not know what to think of what I say and thou art questioning whether what I say be true and thou art thinking to escape but assure thy self sinner that as sure as God is in Heaven thou wilt not escape if thou dost not believe now in this thy day when God is calling upon thee now hear his voice but if thou goest on secure as the old World say you had warning and that I gave you warning this day God knows but before seven days hence thou maist be in this prison O come to Christ that your debts may be discharged But you go away go to dinner and come again make it a hearing-business and do no more and think your selves secure This will not serve thy turn poor sinner no no no this will not do Go into thy Closet and down upon thy knees tell God what a sinner thou art tell him how much thou hast provoked him and promise him to obey him for the time to come and never give him rest till he hath given thee an interest in Christ and an assurance of an Ark and then go comfortably man about thy business when thou hast got an assurance of another world Noah might go and eat and drink comfortably he had an Ark to go into when the flood came so thou poor soul if thou wouldst but repent and believe in Jesus Christ thou maist comfortably eat and drink and buy and sell as thou hast occasion for thou hast an Ark. But for thee to live in a wicked ungodly way and take no thought for eternity what wilt thou do sinner when death comes and awakens thee O that the Lord would awaken you this day How few of you have been a hammering upon this Ark a making this Ark I tell thee I will be a Prophet to thee sinner thou wilt wish a thousand times that thou hadst taken this counsel Be wise now in time thou wilt repent that thou hast not prayed more that thou hast not repented more O do it now then for the Lords sake for when thou art once thrown into prison thou art gone for ever It is for the disobeying of the Gospel and therefore the rich man in the Gospel cried Father Abraham I have brethren upon earth O that some would go and tell them no no says Abraham they have Moses and the Prophets if they will not believe them neither
will they believe though one go from the dead So then the rich man is in hell how so Why I did not believe my sin would bring me there Why did not Moses and the Prophets tell thee so Yes But I did not believe O that some would come from the dead so sinners you go on in sin why do you so Because you do not believe what will come of it Why did not Ministers tell you so and they are sent of Christ to tell you so hath not Moses and the Prophets told you so Yes yes But you will not believe us nor Christ nor his Apostles nor Moses nor the Prophets Men will have their sins and they will not fear being damned though all the whole cloud of witnesses warn them they regard them not But though you will not regard them now they will all come in as witnesses against you at that day Had not you a Bible Yes but I could not read But did not you hear it read and had it preached to you What can you say But say you here 's a prisoner and sent to prison too for disobeying the Gospel but is it justice for God to send men to prison for not hearkning to a company of prating Preachers Prating God will vindicate us from prating I tell you we come with our Commission from God to you and Christ speaks by me and by every Minister that cometh to you and if you reject us you reject him if you reflect upon us for prating you may as well say it is a prating Christ We beseech you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God We come not with our own words but the words of the Lord we bring and preach Well but is it just for God to damn me thus eternally in a prison because I will not repent of my sin Yes Why First because God does it Secondly because thou deserv'st it God! why what is he A righteous God a just God just in his nature righteous in all his ways and when he does pour out his plagues upon sinners the Heavens glorifie his Justice and cry Hosanna's to him See how God is applauded in his severe acts of Justice upon men Rev. 15.1 3 And I saw another sign in heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God Ver. 3. And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Go Angels pour out the plagues full of my wrath upon yonder rebellious sinners And when the Angels come upon this work Righteous O Lord God Almighty art thou thou loving King of Saints Thou loving King of Saints that hast mercy for thousands and ten thousands of them that love thee But for them that hate thee Just and righteous art thou O God in all thy ways of pouring out plagues full of thy wrath upon men O sinner the Angels will shout up the Justice of God for pouring down the wrath of God upon you So sinner do but think of it suppose thou Drunkard wert to die to night and to be dragged to the Tribunal of Christ and to receive this sentence Go get thee down to thy fellow-prisoners that have disobeyed the voice of my Son O poor Drunkard for thee to hear thousands of Angels presently shout and say Righteous and just art thou O Lord God for sending that Drunkard to hell O we knew with what a hard heart he persever'd in his sins notwithstanding all the calls and warnings given him by the Spirit of thee our God in thy Ministers Rev. 16.5 Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus Angels admire God for judging thus that is for judging the spirits of wicked men to hell and afterwards for raising their bodies and uniting spirit and body together and throwing down both into hell Now Secondly Thou hast deserv'd it sinner thy crime deserves it What is the crime The crime is disobedience rebellion stubborness obstinacy in sin men are damn'd for that The wicked world had evil thoughts were full of evil thoughts and imaginations continually they were full of violence full of oppression Were they damned for that Yes but not only for that What then why it was because they were told by the Spirit of Christ in Noah the wickedness of these thoughts how they angred God and God repented that he made them but notwithstanding this they would go on this is that which damns the sinner 't is not barely because a sinner but it is because when he is called upon by the Ministers of Christ to repent he will not repent You poor sinners you have lived lives without God without Christ prayerless lives drunken lives unclean lives Sabbath-breaking lives shall these damn me no sinner if thou wilt now while Christ speaks by his Ministers hearken to his voice and not harden thy heart against the Call of the Gospel these shall not damn thee if thou wouldst but repent and confess them to God and give thy self up to Christ to be ruled and governed by him God for Christs sake will then blot them all out and they shall never rise up in judgment against thee What is it damns me then why this That thou art a Drunkard and wilt be so a Swearer and wilt be so an unclean person and wilt be so a prayerless man thirty or forty years and wilt not call upon God Thou art an obstinate sinner a rebellious sinner though Christ calls by one Minister and another yet thou regardest it not 't is for this that God will throw thee to hell and how just a thing is it for thee to be damned for stubbornness If a child hath committed a fault and will be reclaim'd the father will forgive him but if he will go on still in his stubbornness the natural affections of the father will be turned to hardness You see the Prodigal when he came home crying I have sinned against heaven and before thee father let me be as one of thy hired servants The father meets him falls about his neck and kisses him takes him home and says My son was lost and is found he was dead and is alive again and there was joy and rejoicing But if this son now after he had spent all and continued with his harlots and never had thought of returning he might have died rotted there in that field with the swine So sinner if thou wilt still keep to thy swinish lusts and there lie and die and rot and go to hell God does not matter thee Christ will not regard thee But if it comes into thy heart Lord I am in a starving condition here I am a rebel an unclean person a drunkard I am a weary I see I am undone I come to thee father Go now and he will accept of thee and
receive thee But if thou art stubborn and rebellious and wilt go on thou maist expect no other but that God will inflict upon thee hell to thy soul at death and at the Resurrection hell to soul and body But there are Aggravations of this thy stubbornness for thou art stubborn First Against the tenders of mercy that are made to thee Secondly Against the long-suffering of God to thee And Thirdly Thou art stubborn notwithstanding thou hast had so much warning And these things will justifie God and lay a foundation for condemning thee in thine own Conscience As First Mercy mercy I will pardon their iniquities let a wicked man forsake his sins What then I will have mercy upon him and will abundantly pardon him Here are tenders of mercy offering strength to help thee to conquer thy lusts according to that of the Prophet O ye simple ones how long will ye love simplicity Are you blind I will teach you Are you weak I will strengthen you How wilt thou do it I will pour out my Spirit upon thee Hast thou a mind to have Grace He will give it thee Hast thou a mind to have the Spirit of Grace and Supplication He will bestow it upon thee But for thee to go on in sin and reject pardon when offered What canst thou say for thy self Again These tenders of mercy are made with long-suffering There are a great many sinners I am afraid some here are not yet Converted who all for a long time have heard Sermons God hath been calling upon you As God said of the old world Here is a wicked people What shall I do with them What Why Justice might have said destroy them No saith God they are a rash giddy-headed-people I will give them warning How long Why almost one hundred and twenty years So sinner God saw thee Drunk heard thee Swear Justice might have said cut him off No saith God I will try him with another month of Sermons another year of Sermons I will try what my Children that are his Friends will say to him O sinner The long-suffering of God waiteth upon thee Grace cries repent and I will pardon thee Repent and I will give thee my Spirit though thou art a wicked Rebel I will not snatch thee away I will let thee live five years longer ten years longer O if thou goest to Hell what will Conscience say O thou art a stubborn sinner Thou must say Righteous art thou O God in all thy ways and just in all thy judgments I might have been in Heaven but I would not and now I am in Hell and that justly because I preferred my lusts before God Lastly Never say 't is an unjust Sentence because God gives you warning There is the merit of the cause If nothing will do Why then take notice God gives you warning He does not let you go on and say let them alone I will be even with them at length He might have done so No but in pity to poor sinners he gives them warning Sinner repent saith God and be reconcil'd to me come and lay hold upon Christ for else I will damn thee Take notice of it there is a Tophet prepared and everlasting burnings prepared a worm that never dieth and I tell thee before-hand what it will cost thee and yet sinners will go on still Never complain that God hath done thee wrong he hath offered to give thee his Spirit to sanctifie thee and save thee But if thou wilt not after all thank thy self if thou goest to Hell O sinners What will you do Will you imitate the old world or imitate Noah Why if you imitate the old world you see then what a desperate course you are running you are running your bodies to the Grave and your souls to Hell For when the flood came there was not one spared The flood takes whole Families they look gastly one at another Father what shall I do saith the child And when the world was full of cries and scrieks and they all drowned one would have thought this was enough yet God had no pity upon them for as soon as they were dead their disobedient souls were laid in Prison Well now say you What shall we do Why obey the Gospel This is your Duty Obey Christ Jesus speaking by his Spirit in Us poor men that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ for we are but as instruments to convey the mind of the great God to you for certainly what I have Preached to you is no other than the word of Jesus Christ and he will make it good O get into some corner and cry mightily to the Lord and pray Christ to pay all your debts for you and that the blood of Christ might take away all your iniquities and that you might have an Ark to save you from the fire that will burn the world as Noah had an Ark to save him and his house from the flood that did drown the world and then you are safe and never safe till then The Lord awaken you that you may take warning and not go away and mind no more what you have heard than they did and so be lost as they were 1 Peter III. the later part of the 20 Ver. While the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water IN the former words you have an account given you of the Destruction of the old world by the flood They were all drowned Men Women and Children God neither spared the grey-headed-sinner no nor the sucking-infant children of wicked and Rebellious Parents he drowned them all The reason of this wrath of God that was poured out upon them was their Disobedience their disobedience to the Spirit of Christ by which Noah Preached to them What did he Preach He Preached to them Repentance called them to repent and reform their lives and if they would not God would drown them all Why what were their sins Why the very thoughts and imaginations of their hearts were evil and that continually They were men of wicked hearts they were devising nothing but mischief they thought of nothing but the satisfaction of their lusts I wish it be not the case of some here I am sure it is the case of every unconverted sinner the imaginations of his heart are evil and that continually for he does defile even his good thoughts with unbelief And their sin was likewise the sin of their lives Their hands were full of violence they were oppressors they were cruel they were bloody and besides this they were secure and wanton and they minded nothing but eating and drinking and marrying and giving to marriage their whole hearts were taken up in these things No man enquired after God no man regarded the voice of God in his servant Noah God waited upon them after he had sent Noah and forewarn'd them above a hundred years and that while was Noah a building his Ark but they despised the long-suffering of God which should
have led them to repentance and at length the threatned Judgment came upon them and they were drowned all but eight persons This is not all God did not only destroy their bodies but likewise we read here in the Apostle Peter their Spirits were laid in prison in the infernal Prison of Hell for their disobedience to the voice of Christ Having already spoken to this The Doctrine that I raised from this was That those wicked men while they are in their bodies that will not obey the voice of Christ in his Ministers but live and die impenitently their souls by the righteous judgment of God shall be condemned unto the prison of Hell For what is said of this old world will be verified of every impenitent sinner here that dieth in his impenitent state Lord who is it that does believe thy report Few sinners the Lord knows do regard it God knows his word is little believed We do as little believe these things now as the old world did and as the flood came upon them before they were aware so the spirits of some here God knows as Jeremy said I do not desire to see that evil day may be in these Prisons before they believe them Death sinners is coming which will drag you to the Tribunal of Christ and assuredly Christ will do you justice I say he will do you justice He that will be faithful to his promises that he makes to believers that obey the Gospel he will be faithful to do justice to those that are disobedient He will give you all your Mittimus's he will lay you fast enough and when he hath laid the Chains on take them off if you can I know through your unbelief what I say seems to you but as a Fable So did the drowning of the world appear to be but they found it true and so will you if ye repent not It amazeth me my Brethren when my faith at any time is but raised to the close of these truths of God it amazeth me to look upon your faces to see how indifferently you look how carelesly you look you look up-and-down this place as if these things did not concern you but the reason of it is you do not believe your unbelief ruins you and will ruin you for ever What man that really was in his wits and did believe a Hell would venture upon those sins that will certainly bring him thither But you slatter your selves in your unbelief that there is no punishment to the wicked nor reward to the godly and so you go on in sin These things are true my Brethren your Consciences must bear me witness they are true No man or woman that are in their wits and did really believe an eternal Torment that is laid up for the disobedient to the Gospel but they would obey be-times they would not go on hardening their hearts against God but you do not believe We shall presently make some enquiry into the reasons of it We come now to the other part wherein you have an account of a few that are saved A few Lord What a few Eight persons out of a world of men and women I do not know but the world at that time was as full of men and women as it is now for the world was at that time about Fifteen hundred years old and they lived many years so that it is likely that there was a very numerous company of people and that there were great Cities and great Kingdoms upon the earth What a strange thing is it that of a world of people there should be found but eight persons that would believe a God! And yet 't is certainly so there was but eight persons saved all the rest were drowned for their disobedience to the voice of the Spirit of Christ in Noah Why were no more saved Because there did no more believe They did not believe that God was in good-earnest they did not believe that God would send the flood as Noah threatned they looked upon Noah as a mad-man to build an Ark they knew not for what Just so does the world now they look upon poor humble believing Christians as a company of melancholy distracted persons that look sadly and pray much and weep much and hear much and are afraid of sinning and all this while they are but busie about their Ark and they cry what a stir is here that these people make I will tell you what the meaning of it is why this world is to be burned and these poor souls are providing against the burning of the world The wicked must be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God and these poor praying humble Christians do believe fear and tremble and that is the reason that they live not as you live but take that care that they do to prepare against that great day of the Lord. And were not you desperately blind and foolish you would do so too There were eight persons saith Peter saved Which were they All of one Family Noah and his Wife there was the three Sons of Noah and their three Wives Gen. 7.7 eight persons in one family they were saved they were saved from the deluge they were saved from being drowned God knows whether all these were saved from hell too of these eight For of these Shem Ham and Japhet there was one of these Sons Ham that did laugh at his fathers nakedness and God afterwards cursed him so that whether he was eternally saved is not a thing certain unto us But this is sure all these eight persons did believe the deluge would come or else they would not have entred into the Ark for if any of them had looked upon it as a meer old doting fancy of their father they would have been ashamed to have gone into the Ark but at the set-time before it began to rain they all went therefore they all did believe the word of the Lord that the deluge would come It 's true they received an encouragement by the miraculous bringing of all creatures into the Ark to save them alive Wherein few eight persons were saved by water Saved by water there may be a double sense By water as an instrument for that very water that was the instrument of destruction to the enemies of God became a means of salvation to these eight persons for it bore up that Ark wherein the lives of these eight persons were It may be rendered Thus again But they were saved by or through water saved through the danger of water carried in the Ark through or upon the water The Observation that I raise from it is this That though many have the means of Salvation offered them yet there are but few that make use of these means and do obtain Salvation by them The old World had the means as those eight persons had the same means they were told of it they were a hundred years told of it God waited long enough there were many had the