that his Service was making more adoe then needs and didst grudge at those that were more diligent then thy self but for the World how heartily and how constantly didst thou seek and serve it and yet wouldst thou now perswade the Judge that thou didst love God above all He will shew thee thy naked heat and the course of thy former life which shail convince thee of the contrary The Second Excuse I lived not in any gross sin but only in small Infirmities I was no Murderer or Adulterer or Fornicator or Thief nor did I deceive or wrong any or take any thing by violence Answ Was it not a gross sin to love the world above God and to neglect Christ that dyed for thee and never to do him one hours hearty service but meerly to seek thy carnal self and to live to thy flesh God will open thine eyes then and shew thee a thousand gross sins which thou now forgettest or makest light of and it is not only Gross sins but All sin great or small that deserveth the wrath of God and will certainly bring thee under it for ever if thou have not part in Christ to relieve thee Wo to the man that ever he was born that must answer in his own name for his smallest offences The Third Excuse I did it ignorantly I knew not that there was so much required to my Salvation I thought less adoe might have served the turn and that if I lookt to my body God would take caâ—e of my soul and that it was better to trust him what would become of me hereafter then to trouble my mind so much about it Had I known better I would have done better Answ If you knew not better who was it long of but your self Did God hide these things from you Did he not tell them you in his Word as plainly as the tongue of man can speak That except you were regenerate and born again you should not enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 3â— 5. That without holiness none should see God Heb. 12. 14. That you mist strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able Luke 13. 24. That if you lived after the flesh you should dye and if by the Spirit you mortified the deeds of the body you should live Rom 8. 13 That if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. And to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Rom. 8. 9. That you must not lay up for your selves a treasure on earth where rust and moths do corrupt and thieves break through and steal but must lay up for your selves a treasure in heaven where rust and moths do not corrupt and thieves break through and steal Mat. 6. 19 20. That you must seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof Mat. 6. 23. and not Labour for the food that perisheth but for the food that endureth to everlasting life which Christ would have given you John 6. 27. That if you be risen with Christ you must seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and not the things that are on earth Col. 3. 1 2 3. Yea Your very Conversation should be in Heaven Phil. 3. 19. 20. 21. What say you Did not God tell you all this and much more aud plainly tell it you Turn to your Bibles and see the words and let them witness against you 2. And could you think with any Reason that your souls being so much move precious then your bodies you should yet do so much more for your bodies then your souls could you think all the labour of your lives little enough for a frail body that must lie shortly in the dirt and that your Immortal souls should be no more reâ—arded Could you think with any Reason that your souls should do so much for a life of a few years continuance and do no more for a life that shall have no end 3. And whereas you talk of trusting God with your souls you did not trust him You did but on that pretence carelesly disregard them If you trust God shew any word of Promise that ever he gave you to trust upon that ever an Impenitent Carnal Careless person shall be saved No he hath told yon enough to the contrary And could you think that it was the will of God that you should mind your bodies more then your souls and this life more then that to come Why he hath bid you strive and run and sight and labour and care and seek and use violence and all diligence for the safety of your souls and for the life to come But where hath he bid you do so for your bodies No he knew that you were prone to do too much for them and therefore he hath bid you Care not and Labour not that is Do it as if you did it not and let your care and Labour for earthly things be none in comparision of that for heavenly things You know God can as well maintain your lives without your care and labour as save your souls without it And yet you see he will not he doth not You must plough and sow and reap and thresh for all Gods Love and Care of you and not say I will let all alone and trust God And must you not much more use diligence in much greater things If you will trust God you must trust him in his own way and in the use of his own means The fourth Excuse I was never brought up to learning I cannot so much as read Nor did my Parents ever teach me any of these things but only set me about my worldly business and provide food and rayment for me but never once told me that I had a soul to save or lose and and an everlasting life to provide and prepare for And therefore I could not come to the knowledge of them Answ The greater is their sin who thus neglected you But this is no sufficient Excuse for you Heaven is not prepared for the Learned only nor will Christ ask you at Judgement whether you are good Scholars or not no nor so much as whether you could write or read But consider well was not Gods word so plainly written that the unlearned might understand it Did he not put it into the most familiar stile though he knew it would be offensive to the proud Scholars of the world of purpose that he might fit it to the capacities of the ignorant And if you could not read yet tell me Could not you have learned to read at 20 or 30 years of age if you had been but willing to bestow now and then an hour to that end Or at least did you not live near some that could Read and could you not have procured them to read to you or to help you And did you not hear these things read to
far mortified the flesh and subdued the world and the Devil that the Authority and Word of God can do more with him then any other and doth ordinarily prevail against all the perswasion and interest of the flesh so that the main scope and bent of the heart and life is still for God and when he sinneth he riseth again by true Repentance I say that soul and that only shall be Justified in Judgement and be saved 5. That soul that hath such Believing thoughts of the life to come that he taketh the promised blessedness for his portion and is resolved to venture all else upon it and in hope of his glory doth seâ— light comparatively by all things in this world and waiteth for it as the end of this life choosing any suffering that God shall call him to rather then to lose his hopes of that felicity and thus persevereth to the end I say that soul and none but that shall be justified in Judgement and escape Damnation In these five marks I have told you truly and briefly who shall be Justified and saved and who shall be condemned at the day of Judgement And if you would have them all in five words they are but the Description of these five Graces Repentance Faith Love Obedience Hope But though I have laid these close together for your use yet lest you should think that in so weighty a case I am too short in the proof of what I so determine of I will tell you in the express words of many Scripture Texts who shall be Justified and who shall be condemned John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness none shall see God Luk. 13. 3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Acts 26. 18. I send thee to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an Inheritance among the sanctified by Faith that is in me Joh. 3. 15 16. 17 18 19. Whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life he that believeth on him is not condemned he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not Believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God and this is the condemnation that light is come in to the world and men loved darkness rather then light because their deeds were evil John 5. 28 29. The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shal hear his voice shall come forth they that have done good to the Resurrect on of life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of damnation Mat. 25. 30. Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shal be weeping gnashing of Teeth Lu. 19 27. But those mine enimies which would not that I should raign over them bring hither and slay them before me Mat 22. 12. 13. Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding gatment And he was speechless Then said the King to the servants Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness c. Mat. 5. 20. For I say unto you that except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Heb. 5. 6. He is become the Author of eternall salvation to all them that obey him Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in by the Gate into the City Rom. 8. 1. 13. There is then no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit For if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Gal. 5. l8 But if ye be Led of the Spirit ye are not under the Law Gal. 6. 7. 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit read life Everlasting Matth. 6. 21. For where your Treasure is there wil your heart be also Read Psal 1. and many other Texts to this purpose of which some are cited in my Directions for Peace of Conscience Dir. 11. p. 115. 116. And thus I have told you from Gods Word how you may know whether you are ready for Judgement which is the fourth thing that I would advise you to enquire after O Sirs what shift do you make to keep your souls from Continual Terrours as you as long remain unready for Judgement How do you keep the Thoughts of it out of your mind that they do not break your sleep and meet you in your business and haunt you every way you go while Judgement is so neer and you are so unready But I shall proceed to say next Question Qu. 5 AND in the last place to those of you that are not yet Ready nor in a Condition wherein you may safe at that day ' my Question is How are you resolved to prepare for Judgement for the time to come Will you do no more than you have done hitherto Or will you now set your selves with all your might to make preparation for so great a day me thinks you should be now past all demurs delays or further doubtings about such a business and by the consideration of what I have said already you should be fully Resolved to lose no more time but presently to awake and â—eâ— upon the work Me thinks you should all say We will do any thing that the Lord shall Direct us to do rather then we will be unready for this final doom O that there were but such hearts in you that you were truly willing to follow the gracious Guidance of the Lord and to use but those sweet and reasonable means which he hath prescribed you in his Word that you may be ready for that day Alas it is no hard matter for me to tell you or my self what it is that we must do if we will be happy and it is no very hard matter to Do it so far ar we are truly willing but the difficulty is to be truly and throughly willing to this work If I shall tell you what you must do for preparation shall I not lose my labour Will you resolve and promise in the strength of Grace that you will faithfully and speedily endeavour to practise it whoever shall gainsay it Upon hope of this I will set you down some brief Directions
rule them as his redeemed ones and make for them such new Laws of grace for the conveyances of his benefits as might demonstrate the wisdom and mercy of our Redeemer and be most suitable to his ends The world is now morall dead in sin though naturally alive Christ hath redeemed them but will cure them by the actuall conveyance of the benefits of Redemption or no at all He hath undertaken to this end himself to be their Physitian to cure all that will come to him and take him so to be and trust him and obey him in the Application of his Medicines He hath erected an Hospitall his Church to this end and commanded all to come into this Ark. Those that are far distant he first commandeth to come nearer and those that are neare he inviteth to come in Too many do refuse and perish in their refusall He will not suffer all to do so but mercifully boweth the wills of his Elect and by an insuperable powerfull drawing compells them to come in You may see then that here is a Novum us Dominii Imperii a new right of Propriety and rule founded on the new bottom of Redemption But that this doth not destroy the old which was founded on Creation but is in the very nature and use of it an emendative addition Redemption is to mend the Creature not of any defect that was left in the Creation but from the ruine which came by our defacing transgression The Law of grace upon this Redemption is superadded to the Law of nature given on the Creation not to amend any imperfections in that Law but to save the sinner from its unsufferable penalty by dissolving its obligation of him thereto And thus in its nature and use it is a remedying Law And so you may see that Christ is now the Owner and by right the Governor of the whole world on the Title of redemption as God before was and still is on the Title of Creation 3. By this you may also percive in whit sense we are not our own In the strictest sence there is no proprietary or absolute Lord in the world but God No man can say this is fully and strictly mine God gives us indeed whatever we enjoy but his giving is not as mans we part with out Propriety in that which which we give but God gives nothing so His giving to us makes it not the less his own As a man giveth his goods to his steward to dispose of for his use or instruments to his servant to do his work with so God giveth his benefits to us Or at the utmost as you give cloathes to your child which are more yours still then his and you may take them away at your pleasure I confess when God hath told us that he will not take them away he is as it were obliged in fidelity to continue them but yet doth not hereby let go his propriety And so Christ bids us call no man on Earth Father that is our absolute Lord or Ruler because we have but one such master who is in Heaven Mat. 23. 7 8 9 10. So that you may see by this what Propriety is left us and what right we have to our selves and our Possessions Even such as a steward in his Masters goods or a servant in his tools or a child in his coat which is a propriety improper subordinate and secundum quid and will secure us against the usurpation of another One servant may not take his fellows instrument from him nor one child his brothers coat from him without the Parents or Masters consent They have them for their use though not the full propriety It may be called a propriety in respect to our fellow servant though it be not properly so as we stand in respect to God We have right enough to consute the Leveller but not to exempt either us or ours from the claim and use of our absolute Lord. 4. For the fourth Question What it is to glorifie God in body and spirit I answer in a word It is when upon true believing apprehensions of his right to us and of our great obligations to him as our Redeemer we heartily and unfeignedly devote our selves to him and live as a people so devoted so bending the chiefest of our care and study how to please him in exactest obedience that the glory of his mercy and holiness and of his wise and righteous Laws may be seen in our conversations and that the holy conformity of our lives to these Lawes may shew that there is the like conformity in our minds and that they are written in our hearts when the exellency of the Christian Religion is so appareut in the excellency of our lives causing us to do that which no others can imitate that the lustre of our good works may shine before men and cause them to glorifie our Father in Heaven To conclude when we still respect God as our only Soveragin and Christ as our Redeemer and his Spirit as our Sanctifier and his Law as our Rule that the doing of his will and the denying of our own is the daily work of our lives and the promoting of his blessed ends is our end this is the glorifying of God that hath Redeemed us 5. The last question is who they be that are may be urged to glorifie God on this ground that the hath bought them Doubtless only those whom he hath bought but who are those It discourageth me to tell you because among the godly it is a controversie but if they will controvert points of such great moment they cannot disoblige or excuse us from preaching them Among the variety of mens opinions it is safe to speak in the Language of the holy Ghost and accordingly to believe viz that as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Rom. 5. 8. And that he gave himself a ranâ—ome for all and is the only Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. That he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 1 John 2. 2. That God is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. That he is the Saviour of the world John 4. 42. 1 John 4. 14. 15. That he tasteth death for every man Heb. 2. 9. with many the like It is very sad to consider how mens unskilfulness to reconcile Gods general grace with his special and to assign to each its proper part hath made the Pelagians and their Successors to deny the special grace and too many of late no less dangerously to deny the general grace and what contentions these two errroneous parties have maintained and still maintain in the Church and how few observe or follow that true and sober mean which Austin the Maul of the Pelagians and his
God is the first and the last in our Ethicks and Politicks as well as in our Physicks that as there is ho Creature which he made not so it is no good right of Property or Government which he some way gives not that all Commonwealths not built on this foundation are as Castles in the air or as childrens tottering structures which in the very framing are prepared for their ruine and strictly are no Commonwealths at all and those Governors that rule no more for God then for themselves shall be dealt with as Traitors to the Universal Soveraign Thus far at least must our Politicks be Divine unless we will be meet confederate Rebels But it is yet a closer application which I intend Though we are not our own yet every mans welfare should he so dear to himself that methinks every man of you should presently enquire how far you are concerned in the business which we have in hand I 'le tell you how far The Case here described is all our own We are bought with a price and therefore not our own and therefore must live to him that bought us We must do it or else we violate our Allegiance aud are Traitors to our Redeemer We must do it or else we shall perish as despisers of his blood It is no matter of indifferency nor a duty which may be dispenced with That God who is our Owner by Creation and Redemption and who doth hitherto keep our souls in these bodies by whose meer will and power you are all here alive before him this day will shortly call you before his bar where these matters will be more seriously and searchingly enquired after The great Question of the day will then be this Whether you have bin heartily devoted to your Redeemer and lived to him or to your carnal selves Upon the resolution of this Question your everlasting Salvation or Damnation will depend What think you then Should not this Question be now put home by every rational Hearer to his own heart But I suppose some will say There is no man that wholly lives to God for all are sinners how then can our Salvation depend so much on this I answer in a word Though no man pay God all that he oweth him yet no man shall be saved that giveth him not the preheminence He will own none as true Subjects that do not cordially own him in his Soveraignty Be it known to you all there shall not a man of you enter into his kingdom nor ever see his face in peace that giveth him not the cheifest room in your hearts and maketh not his work your cheifest business He will be no underling or servant to your flesh He will be served with the Best if he cannot have All And in this sense it is that I say the Question will be put in that great day by the Judge of all Whether God or our carnal selves were preferred and whether we lived to him that bought us or to our flesh Beloved Hearers I will not ask you whether you indeed believe that there will be such a day I will take it for granted while you call your selves Châ—istians much less will I question whether you would then be saved or condemned Nature will not suffer you to be willing of such a misery though corruption make you too willing of the cause But the Common stupidity of the world doth perswade me to ask you this Whether you think it meet that men who must be so solemnly examined upon this Point and whose life or death depends on the decision should not examine themselves on it before-hand and well consider what answer they must then make and whether any pains can be too great in so needfull a work and whether he that miscarrieth to save a labour do not madly betray his soul unto perdition as if such rational diligence were worse then Hell or his present carnal ease were more desirable then his Salvation Let us then rouse up our selves Brethren in the fear of God and make this a day of judgement to our selves Let us know whether we are Children of Life or of Deaâ—h O how can a man that is well in his wits enjoy with any comfort the things of this world before he know at least in probability what he shall enjoy in the next How can men go cheerfully up and down about the business of this life before they have faithfully laboured to make sure that it shall go well with them in the life to come That we may now know this without deceit let us all as in the presence of the Living God lay bare our hearts examine them and judge them by this portion of his word according to the evidence 7. Whoever he be that takes not himself for his own but lives to his Redeemer he is one that hath found himself really undone and hath unfeignedly confessed the forfeiture of his Salvation and finding that Redemption hath been made by Christ and that there is hope and life to be had in him and none but in him as he gladly receives the tidings so he carefully acknowledgeth the right of his Redeemer and in a sober deliberate and voluntary Covetant renounceth the world the flesh and the Devill and resigneth up himself to Christ as his due He saith Lord I have too long served thine Enemies and mine own by cleaving to my self and forsaking God I have lost both my self and God Wilt thou be my Saviour and the Physitian of my soul and wash me with thy blood and repair the ruins of my soul by thy spirit and I am willing to be thine I yield up myself to the conduct of thy grace to be saved in thy way and fitted for thy service and live to God from whom I have revolted This is the Case of all that are sincere By many Scriptures we might quickly confirm this if it were lyable to question Luke 14. 25 26. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife And Children and Brethren and Sisters and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple So ver 33. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple which is expounded Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me Mat. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Psal 73. 25 26 27. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance c. Heb. 11. 24 25 26. Moses refused honor chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
the nature of sin to deceive and of a sinfull heart to be too willing of such deceiving and it 's the business of Satan by deceiving to destroy and with the most specious baits to angle for souls and therefore I must expect that those of you that are taken and are neerest to the pit should be least fearful of the danger and most confident to escape though you are conscious that you live not to God but to your selves But for my part I have read and considered what God saith in his Word and I have found such evidence of its certain truth that I heartily wish that I might rather live on a dunghill and be the sâ—â—â—n of the world and spend my few daies in beggery and calamity then that I should stand before the Lord my Judge in the case of that man whatever he be that is not in heart and life devoted unto God but liveth to his flesh for I know that if we live after the flesh we shall dye Rom. 8. 13. I had rather lie here in Lazarus poverty and want the compassion and releife of man then to be cloathed with the best and fare deliciously and hereafter be denyed a drop of water to cool the flames of the wrath of God I confess this is likely to seem but harsh and ungreatful preaching to many of you some pleasant fingles or witty sayings or shreds of Reading and pretty cadency of neat expressions were liker to be accepted and procure applause with them who had rather have their ears and phantasies tickled then rubbed so roughly and be roused from their ease pleasing dreams But shall I prâ—ach for my self while I pretend to be preaching you from your selves to God Shall I seek my seâ—f while I am preaching of the everlaâ—â—ing misery of Self-seekers God fobid Sirs I know the terrours of the Lord 2 Cor. 5 11. I believe and therefore speak Were I a Christian no deeper then the throat I would fish for my self and study more to please you then to save you I love not to make a needless stir in mens Consciences nor to trouble their peace by a Doctrine which I do not believe my self But I believe that our Judge is even at the door and that we shall shortly see him coming in his Glory and the Host of Heaven attending him with acclamations In the mean time your particular doom draws on the fashion of all these things passeth away as those seats will anon be empty when you are departed so it is but a moment till all your habitations shall change their possessors and the places of your abode and too great delight shall know you no more I must needs speak to you as to transient itinerant mortals who must ere long be carried on mens shoulders to the dust and there be left by those that must shortly follow you then farewel Honours and fleshly Delights farewell all the accommodations contents of this world O that you had sooner bid them farewelâ— Had you lived to Christ as you did to them he would not so have turn'd you off nor have left your dislodged souls to utter desolation In a word As â—uâ—e as the word of God is true if you own him not now as your Lord and Soveragin he will not own you then as his chosen to salvation and if now you live not To him you shall not then live With him Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap for he that soâ—eâ—h to his flâ—sh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that sâ—weth to the spirit shall of the 〈◊〉 everlasting life Gal. 6. 7. 8. Consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pâ—eces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50. 22. Beloved Hearers Believe as you pretend to Believe and then live as you do Believe If you believe that you are not your own but his that made you and bought you with a Price and that he will thus try you for your lives and everlasting comforts on this Question Whether you have lived to him or to your selves then live as men that do indeed believe it Let your Religion be visible as well as audible and let those that see your lives and observe the scope of your endeavours see that you Believe it But if you believe not these things but are Infidels in your hearts and think you shall feel neither pain nor pleasure when this life is ended but that man dyeth as the beast then I cannot wonder if you live as you believe He that thinks he shall dye like a Dogg is like enough to live like a Dogg even in his filthiness and in snarling for the bones of worldly vanities which the Children do contemn Having spoken this much by way of Exhortation I shall add a few words for your more particular direction that you may see to what my Exhortation doth tend and it may not be lost 1. Be sure that you look to the uprightness of your heart in this great business of devoting your selves to God especially see 1. That you discern and soundly believe that excellency in God which is not in the Creature and that perfect felicity in his love and in the promised glory which will easily pay for all your losses 2. And that upon a deliberate comparing him with the pleasures of this world you do resolvedly renounce them and dedicate your selves to him 3. And specially that you search carefully lest any Reserve should lurk in your hearts and you should not deliver up your selves to him absolutely for life and death for better and worse but should still retain some hopes of an earthly felicity and not take the unseen felicity for your portion It is the lot of the wicked to have their portion in this life Psal 17. 14. And let me here warn you of one delusion by which many thousands have perished and cheated themselves out of their everlasting hopes they think that it is only some grosser disgracefull sins as swearing drunkenness whoredom injustice c. that will prove mens perdition and because they are not guilty of these they are secure when as it is the predominancy of the interest of the flesh against the interest of God in their hearts and lives that is the certain evidence of a state of Damnation which way soever it be that this is expressed Many a civil Gentleman hath his heart more addicted to his worldly interest and less to God then some Whoremongers and Drunkards If you live with good reputation for Civility yea for extraordinary ingenuity yea for religious zeal and no disgracefull vice is perceived in your lives yet if your hearts be on those things which you possess and you love your present enjoyments better then God and the glory that he hath promised your case is as dangerous as the Publicans and Harlots you may spend your days in better reputation but you will end them in as certain
counsels more likely then for you to over-top the Lord silly worms you know not what God is nor know you any one of his unrevealed thoughts no more then that Pillar doth know your thoughts you know not what you are your selves nor see any further then the superficies of your skin what is thy soul and when didst thou receive it Dost thou know its form or didst thou feel it enter which part didst thou feel it first possess Thou canst call it a Spirit but knowst thou what a Spirit is or rather only what it is not Thou knowest not that whereby thou knowest and how was thy body formed in the womb what was it an hundred years agoe what is that vital heat and moisture what causeth that order and diversity of its parts when will the most expert Anatomists and Physitians be agreed Why there are mysteries in the smallest worm which thou canst not reach nor couldst thou resolve the doubts arising about an Ant or Atome much less about the Sun or Fire or Air or or Wind c. and canst thou not know thy self nor the smallest part of thy self nor the smallest Creature and yet canst thou over-reach the everlasting Counsels 2. And is thy might and Power any greater then thy Policy Why what are the Kings and Rulers of the Earth but lumps of Clay that can speake and go moving shadows the Flowers of a day a corruptible seed blown up to that swelled consistence in which it appears as Children blow their bubbles of Soape somewhat invisibly condensate which that it may become visible is become more gross and so more vile and will shortly be almost all turned into invisible again that little dust which corruption leaves by the force of fire may be dissipated yet more and then where is this specious part of the man Surely now that body which is so much esteemed is but a loathsome lump of corruptible flesh covered with a smooth skin and kept a little while from stinking by the presence of the soul and must shortly be cast out of sight into a Grave as unfit for the sight or smell of the living and there be consumed with rotâ—enness and worm These are the Kings and Rulers of the Earth this is the power that must conquer Heaven and save them that rebel against Christ the Lord They that can not live a moneth without repairing their consuming bodies by food one part whereof doth turn to their vital blood and spirits and the other to most loathsome unsufferable excrements so neere is the kin between their Best and Worst Judge all you that have common reason whether he that cannot keep himself alive an hour and shortly will not be able to stirr a finger to remove the worms that feed upon his heart be able to resist the strengh of Christ and save the soul that God hath said and sworn shall not be saved Ah poor souls that have no better Saviours And well may Christ his Truth aud Cause prevail that have no stronger enemies Vse 1. You have here a Text that will fully inform you how you are like to speed at the Barr of Christ who shall dye and who shall live The great Assize is neare at hand the feet of our Judg are even at the dore go thy way unbelieving sinner when thou hast had all the pleasure that sin will afford thee lye down in the dust and sleep a while the rousing voice shall quickly awake thee and thine eyes shall see that dreadfull day O blessed oh dolefull day blessed to the Saints dolefull to the wicked O the rejoycing O the lamenting that there will be the triunphant shoutings of joyful Saints the hideous roaring cries of the ungodly when each man hath newly received his Doomâ— and there is nothing but eternal Glory and eternall fire Beloved hearers every man of you shall shortly there appeare and wait as the trembling prisoner at the Barr to hear what Doom must pass upon you Do you not believe this I hope you doe believe it Why what would you give now to know for certain how it shall then go with you why here is the Book by which you must be judged and here is the summe of it in my Text the grounds upon which the Judge will then proceed Will you but go along with me and answer the Questions which hence I shall put to you and search and judg your selves by them as you go and you may know what Doom you may then expect onely deal faithfully and search throughly for self flatery will not prevent your sorrow And here you must know that it is the kiss of the heart and not of the lips which we must here enquire after The question will not be at the Great Day Who hath spoke Christ fair or who have called themselves by the name of Christians or who hath said the Creed or the Lords Prayer oftnest or cryed Lord Lord or come to Church for carryed a Bible or who hath held this opinion or who that It would make a mans heart ake to think how zealously men will honour the shadow of Christ and bow at his Name and reverence the Image of the Cross which he dyed on and the names and reliques of the Saints that dyed for him and yet do utterly neglect the Lord himselfe and cannot endure to be governed by him and resist his spirit and scorne his strict and holy waies and dispitefully hate them that most love and obey him and yet belive themselves to be real Christians For God sake Sirs do not so delude your immortal souls as to think your Baptism and your outward devotion and your good meanings as you call them and your righteous dealing with men will serve the turn to prove you Christians Alas this is but with Judas to kiss the mouth of Christ and indeed to fetch your death from those blessed lips from whence the Saints do fetch their life I will shew you some surer signs then these 1. And first let me a little enquire into your subjection to Christ Do you remember the time when yon were the servants of sin and when Sathan led you captive at his will and the Prince of darkness ruled in your souls and all within you was in a carnal peace Do you remember when the Spirit in the word came powerfully upon your hearts and bound Sathan and cast him our and answered all your râ—asonings and conquered all your carnal wisdom and brought you from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan unto God Acts 26. 18. Or at least are you sure that now you live not under the same Lord and Laws as the ungodly do Hath Christ now the only soveraignty in your souls Is his word thy Law which thou darest not pass doth it bind thy thoughts and rule thy tongue and command thy self and all thou hast Hast thou laid all down at the feet of Christ and resigned thy self and all to his will and devoted all
that all shall go well with you and that the bitterness of death is past and in a forbearance of some disgraceful sins and being much in the Exercise of your Gifts and in external wayes of Duty and giving God a Cheap and plausible obedience in those things only which the Flesh can spare you are then faln into that deceitful hypocrisie which will as surely condemn you as open prophaness if you get not out of it You must live as in a fight or you cannot overcome You must live loose from all things in this world if you will be ready for another You must not live after the flesh but mortifie it by the Spirit if you would not dye but live for ever Rom. 8. 13. These things are not indifferent but of flat necessity THE tenth Direction Do all your works as men that must be judged for them It is not enough at least in point of Duty and Comfort that you Judge this preparation in General to be the main business of your liveâ— but you should also order your particular Actions by these Thoughts and measure them by their Respects to this approaching Day Before you venture on them enquire whether they will bear weight in Judgement and be sweet or bitter when they are brought to tryal Both for matter and manner this must be observed Oh that you would Remember this when Temptations are upon you When you are Tempted to give up your minds to the world and drown your selves in earthly cares will you bethink you soberly whether you would hear of this at Judgement and whether the world will be then as sweet as now and whether this be the best preparation for your Tryal When you are Tempted to be Drunk or to spend your precious time in Alehouses or vain unprofitable company or at Cards or Dice or any sinful or needless sports bethink you then Whether this will be comfortable at the Reckoning and whether time be no more worth to one that is so neer eternity and must make so strict an account of his Hours and whether there be not many better works before you in which you might spend your time to your greater advantage and to your greater comfort when it comes to a Review When you are tempted to wantonnese fornication or any other fleshly intemperance bethink you soberly with what face these Actions will appear at Judgement and whether they will be then pleasant or displeasant to you So when you are tempted to neglect the daily worshipping of God in your families and the Catechizing and Teaching of your children or servants especially on the Lords Day bethink your selves then what account you will give of this to Christ when he that entrusted you with the care of your children and servants shall call you to a reckoning for the performance of that trust The like must be Remembred in the very manner of our Duties How diligently should a Minister study how earnestly should he perswade how unwearyedly should he bear all oppositions and ungrateful returns and how carefully should he watch over each particular soul of his charge as far as is possible when he Remembers that he must shortly be Accountable for all in Judgement And how importunate should we all be with sinners for their Conversion when we consider that themselves also must shortly be Judgâ—d Can a man be cold and dead in prayer that hath any true apprehension of that Judgement upon his mind where he must be accountable for all his prayers and performances O Remember and seriously Remember when you stand before the Minister to hear the word and when you are on your knees to God in prayer in what a manner that same person even your selves must shortly stand at the Barr of the dreadful God! Did these thoughts get throughly to mens hearts they would waken them out of their sleepy Devotions and acquaint them that it is a serious business to be a Christian How careful should we be of our thoughts and words if we believingly remembred that we must be accountable for them all How carefully should we consider what we do with our Riches and with all that God giveth us and how much more largely should we expend it for his service in works of Piety and Charity if we believingly remembred that we must be Judged according to what we have done and give account of every Talent that we receive Certainly the believing consideration of Iudgement might make us all better Christians then we are and keep our lives in a more innocent and profitable frame THE eleventh Direction As you will certainly renew your failings in this life so be sure that you daily renew your Repentance and fly daily to Christ for a renewed pardon that no sin may leave its sting in your souls It is not your first pardon that will serve the turn for your latter sins Not that you must Purpose to sin and Purpose to repent when you have done as a Remedy for that is an hypocritical and wicked purpose of repenting which is made a means to maintain us in our sins But sin must be avoided as far as we can and Repentance and Faith in the blood of Christ must remedy that which we could not avoid The righteousness of pardon in Christs blood is useful to us only so far as we are sinners and cometh in where our Imperfect Inherent Righteousness doth come short but must not be purposely chosen before innocency I mean we must rather choose as far as we can to obey and be innocent than to sin and be pardoned if we were sure of pardon THE twelfth Direction In this vigilant obedient penitent course with confidence upon God as a Father Rest upon the Promise oâ— Acceptance and Remission through the Merits and Intercession of him that Redeemed you Look up in hope to the Glory that is before you and believe that God will make good his Word and the patient expectation of the righteous shall not be in vain Cheerfully hold on in the work that you have begun and as you serve a better matter than you did before your change so serve him with more willingness gladness and delight Do not entertain hard Thoughts of him or of his service but rejoyce in your unspeakable happiness of being admitted into his family and favour through Christ Do not serve him in drooping dejection and discouragement but with Love and Ioy and filial fear Keep in the Communion of his Saints where he is cheerfully and faithfully praised and honoured and where is the greatest visible similitude of heaven upon earth especially in the celebration of the Sacrament of Christs Supper where he seals up a Renewed pardon in his blood and where unanimously we keep the Remembrance of his Death until he come Do not cast your selves out of the Communion of the Saints from whom to be cast out by just Censure and Exclusion is a dreadful emblem and fore-runner of the Iudgement to come where the ungodly shall