two terms yours and Gods that were not Christ in the middle they would never come together Yea but Christs coming between and joyning them together then all are yours because yee are Christs and Christ is Gods so that we may take the intent of the Holy Ghost here in this similitude though it be too low for the great mystery we are about to expresse Conceive God the father as the fountaine of all good and Christ as it were the Cisterne and then from him pipes conveiged to every believer and faith that sucks at the mouth of every pipe and drawes from God but it comes from God through Christ The Father he fills the Son with all good and so it comes from the Father through the Son by faith unto the soul of every beliver we have a notable expression further of this mystery in the Epistle to the Ephes in the second and third Chapters in Chapter 2. vers 12 having told them that they had been without hope and without God in the world but saith he vers 13. Ye who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ It is by the blood of Christ that you have any thing to doe with God but especially in Ephes 3. 12. In whom we have boldenesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him in whom in Christ we come to have boldnesse and accesse boldnesse the word signifies liberty of speech that we can come with liberty of speech before God and we have accesse Manudction we are led by the hand of Christ to the father there is no coming to the father but by Christ and Christ he takes a believer by the hand and leads him to the father and so he comes to have boldnesse as if a Traytor should be banished the Court and afterward the Prince should be a meanes of his reconciliation with the King and comes and takes the Traytor by the hand and sayes to him come I will lead you in my hand to my father and though you have provoked him yet being in my hand you need not be afraid but may goe to him with boldnesse and confidence Just the meaning of the Text here In Christ we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence and although before there was a dreadfull breach between the father and us yet being led by the hand of Christ there is accesse and freedome of speech for us well the truth is cleare enough in the whole tenour of the Gospell If you would know now how it comes to passe that though God be in himselfe the fountaine of all goodnesse and infinite mercy that yet there is such a stoppage as it were that there is not one drop of this mercy can be communicated to the children of men but this way that although we have to deal with God who in his owne nature is infinitely mercifull yet such is the case with man and such are the termes between God and man that there is not I say one drop of this infinite ocean can be expected to come for ever from God but onely this way It comes to passe thus First because of the breach of the first covenant that God made with mankinde for onely men and Angels the humane and angelical nature are capable of a covenant with God to speak of a covenant properly and because they are capable of this way of Gods proceeding with them God would goe according to the nature of his creature and therefore at first makes a covenant with them and intended to convey and communicate his goodnesse to them by that convenant now this covenant being broken and so there being a breach between God and man there is a stoppage made by vertue of that breach So that there is no good now to be had by vertue of the first covenant and unlessse there be a second there can be no good at all expected the first being broken and we being lost by that And further there is such an infinite distance between God and us that there can be no coming together and that not so much in regard of Gods excellency in himselfe and our meanesse that we are such poor low creatures as in regard of the infinitenesse of his holinesse and our uncleanesse and sinfulnesse this makes the distance Besides there is the strength of the law the curse of the law is upon every soul naturally and that stops there was never vessel stopt closer to be kept from having a drop of liquor poured into it then the curse of the law is close upon every soul to keep mercy from it so farre as God looks upon it meerly in its naturals and not through his Son Then there are the cryes of infinite Justice against men which must have satisfaction and till Justice be satisfied mercy stirres not unlesse it be in a way of providing satisfaction unto Justice so that put these together the breach of the first covenant the distance between God and man in regard of Gods holinesse and mans sinfulnesse the power of the curse of the law upon man and the cryes of divine Justice that will never be quiet till it hath received satisfaction these things being rightly apprehended we may come to see that we are farre off from receiving mercy from God though he be an infinite fountaine of mercy except there be some strange way of conveying it to us We know according to Gods dealing with the fallen Angels there is no way of conveying mercy to them but they are left to perish for ever if the thousands of Angels that fell from God should be thousands of thousands of yeares crying out for mercy they could not obtain one drop why because there is no mediator between God and them and it would have been our case with them had there not been a mediator between God and us Many thinke if they are sensible of their sinnes and can believe that God is infinitely mercifull they shall do well enough but I must tell you that though there be infinite mercy in God yet if thou hast no interest in Christ thou mayest be undone for ever But how is Christ all in all to us in Gods communication of good to us The first ground of all is the covenant that God the Father made with his Son from all eternity Therefore in Titus 1. 2. the Apostle speakes of the promise that was before the world began Now this promise can be meant onely of that covenant that past between the Father and the Son and therefore sayes the Apostle in 1 Cor. 2. 9. 10. Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them which love him but the spirit which searcheth all things yea the deep things of God he hath revealed them unto us that is the spirit of God in the Gospel discovers what were the eternal thoughts and purposes of God concerning us and what the transactions were between the Father and the
could sweare by no greater he sware by himselfe so I may say when God could sweare by no excellency above this he swares by his holinesse Again God glories in heaven it selfe as the habitation of his holinesse heaven is the habitation of Gods glory there God lets out his glory fully but what is that glory why the top of all is the holinesse of God Isaiah 63. 15. Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and thy glory yea the throne of God is Gods holinesse Psal 47. 8. God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse you know Kings upon their thrones are exalted and lifted up so is God lifted up upon the throne of his holinesse Solomon he made himselfe a throne of Ivory and overlaid it with the best gold 1 Kings 10. 18. But the throne of God is a throne of holinesse a throne of bright shining holinesse Again when God reloyces in his people he doth it as they are a holy people Deut. 7. 6. For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himselfe above all the people that are upon the face of the earth Yea further you shall finde that this attribute of holinesse is more especially ascribed to the third person in the Trinity God the Father is a holy God the Son he is the holy one of God but the Holy ghost hath his name from Holinesse and t is very observable that all the three persons challenge an equall share in the working of holinesse in the creature it being such a part of Gods glory that all the three persons work it wheresoever it is as the Father he is a Sanctifier Jude speaks of the work of sanctification wrought by God the Father in the first verse of his Epistle To them that are sanctified by God the Father And then for the Son Eph. 5. 25 26. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Christ he gives himselfe for his Church to what end Not that he might bring it to Heaven onely but that he might sanctifie it also and then the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God So that all the three persons come in for a share in this work this is the glorious work of Father Son and Holy ghost But yet further for the demonstration of it holinesse must needs be the glory of God because it is the highest perfection and rectitude of an Intelligent free Agent An Intelligent free Agent is the highest being of all and holinesse is the rectitude of that being and therefore must needs be glorious Hence it is that grace is called Gods image because it is that which represents God in his highest excellency for that is properly an Image of another thing that sets it out in the excellency of it if it doe it onely in a common and generall way it is not an Image of it And then in Scripture holinesse is called the beauty of God Psalm 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Now what is Gods beauty but the beauty of holinesse the holinesse of God appearing in his Ordinances and his worship is the luster and beauty of the infinite glory of God as Psalm 110. 3. the Ordinances are called the beauty of holinesse Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse c. Yea holinesse some seeds of it the very Image of it onely in the creature is called the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God the very beginnings of the work of holiness in the hearts of Saints is called the glory of God much more then the infinite holinesse of Gods own nature Further it is holinesse that puts a luster upon all the other attributes of God and makes them glorious and honourable Psalm 111. 9. Holy and reverend is his name the name of God is therefore reverend because holy so take all the height of excellencies that are in God yet if they be such as you can conceive them separated from his holinesse they doe not make his name reverend and this shewes how infinitely it concernes us to labour after holinesse if all the excellencies of God cannot make his name reverend being separated from holinesse then let the creature have what excellency it wil for parts for estate for dignity and honour in the world take away holiness you cannot say reverend is his name but holy and reverend is his name so it is said of God his name is reverend because holy Again Gods name is glorious by holinesse because it is the speciall end of all his works to advance holinesse a workman when he drawes a worke he shewes Art in the beginning of it but when he comes to the top of it there he shewes the excellency of his workmanship 't is so with God God will be honoured in all his workes of creation and providence but now come to the height and pitch of all and 't is that he might be honoured as a holy God and that he might have a holy people to honour him here and to all eternity I say holinesse is that which God aymed at in creating of heaven and earth 't is that which God aymes at in all the wayes of his providence It is the great businesse for which the son of God came into the world that he might redeem to himselfe a people to serve him in holinesse 't is the end of the great councell of God from all eternity yea and that he might manifest the beauty of his own holinesse in those two great attributes Mercy and Justice which are the branches of his holinesse that he might make them shine to all eternity this is that God aymes at therefore holinesse must needes be the glory of Gods name Now a little for the third but what is the reason that this Title is given to God here in this Song of Moses glorious in holinesse the reason is this to shew that the infinite excellency of Gods power is such that it is without any mixture of the least evill in the exercise of it here was an act of mighty power put forth and God was infinitely holy in this act of his power It is otherwise with men observe the difference between God and man It is a very hard thing for a man to doe great things and to manifest great power without a mixture of evill as 't is with the waters while
excellency and glory that there is in God to know much of God in his own essence and being and elevates the sould to converse with God in a higher way abundantly then reason can doe though it is true a great deal of God is understood by reason And then by faith the soul comes to know what riches there are in these excellent and glorious things of God It first sees them in God and then after that it sees this God to be infinitely willing to communicate and let out himself to his creature And then by faith the soul converseth with the deep and glorious councels of God between himself and his Son It sees into the great designe God had in sending his Son into the world for the working and bringing to passe those high and glorious intentions he had in communicating himself to the children of men through a mediator Again faith converseth with the great things of the covenant of grace and there sees into those unsearchable riches as the Apostle speaks that have no footsteps in the creature so the word signifies we cannot see them by reason or the creature A speciall object faith works upon is the covenant of grace in the Gospell and it sees the riches that are revealed there And faith receives the testimony of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is appointed by the Father and the Son to witnesse these great things to manifest to the soul the deep things of God those things that are but meer notions otherwise to the heart of a man the spirit of God discovers these to the soul and so faith working upon these objects and closing with them as the proper spheare for it to move in it makes all those glorious things that are revealed concerning the happinesse of those that God intends eternall good unto substantiall and reall to the soul such things as the soul can build upon and dare venture its self and its eternall estate upon and we had need have a good foundation in those things we are content to venture our eternall estate upon and because it must be the work of faith when God intends to save the soul to have such apprehensions of the Gospell as to be willing to venture its eternall condition upon it therefore it had need have a sure foundation and hence faith is the substance of things hoped for and gives a reall being unto these things And as it makes them reall and substantiall so there is another thing included in this word It makes them present though they are but things hoped for yet by faith they have a present subsistence to the soul they are lookt upon by faith as now subsisting though in themselves they doe not faith partakes much of the nature of God it hath a kinde of omnipotent power in it out of nothing to create something there are many excellent works of faith and amongst the rest this is a speciall one to give a being to that which in itself hath none to make it for the present a substantiall reall being to the soul the work of faith in this kinde is very observable for evill things that are very high faith can make them at a mighty distance and for good things that are never so far off faith can make them to be as present to it Observe what the Scripture speakes of it this way first for evils that are very nigh and encompasse us round about when we are in the midst of them faith can put the evill at a distance as Psalm 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee not come nigh thee If he had said it shall not be upon thee it had been somewhat but to say it shall not come nigh thee this is a strange kinde of expression how could it be said not to come nigh him when thousands fell on the both hands and he was in the midst of it it was by faith faith put that at a distance which was just upon him The strength of reason will help one when the plague is a great way off then a man thinks I am safe enough because farre enough from it but suppose the plague come into thy house into thy chamber now to believe a promise it shall not come nigh thee here is a mighty work of faith faith puts evils present at a farre distance And then on the other side for good things that are absent a great way off faith can make them as if they were really subsisting therefore Heb. 11. 13. It is said of the Fathers that they saw the promises afarre off and embraced them the word in the originall is saluted the promises now friends when they salute must be nigh one another their faith made the promises which were a great way off to be with them as if present therefore it is said of Abraham that he saw Christs day and rejoyced and the Scripture speaks of taking hold of eternall life and that we doe by faith and of being in heaven receiving the end of your faith T is not you shall receive but now you are receiving Psalm 108. 7. 8. God hath spoken in his holinesse I will rejoyce I will divide Sechem c. Gilead is mine Manasseth is mine marke is mine he presently concludes as if the thing were already done for it was so by faith faith gives a present subsistence to things Reason it self hath a great deale of power to make things that are future to be as present both in evill things and in good In evill things a man that is a contemplative man and hath a wicked heart he will fetch the sweetnesse of his lust and sinne which is a great way off and make it as present by mediation and roling it up and down in his thoughts in a way of discourse and so acts his sinne contemplatively though he may be in hell before he act it really Now as reason and discourse can fetch in a lust and make it as if it were present so reason can goe a great way in making a future good thing as if it were present And this is the difference between a rationall creature and a sensuall a sensuall creature is only for the things that are before it but now reason can fetch things that are absent and make them as present and in regard of this God hath a mighty advantage of mankinde either for the bringing of his wrath upon them or for bestowing happinesse upon them as you can fetch in your lusts that are absent and make them as present to you in your thoughts by the work and discourse of reason so by the worke of this faculty God can make evils and plagues though future yet to be as present with you And in this respect the wofull evill of those that perish eternally may be set out dreadfully namely thus they being reasonable creatures by the work of their reason they may fetch in all the
Son in reference to man-kind before the world was The covenant now being between the Father and the Son and the Father requiring in this Covenant satisfaction to infinite divine justice Christ he yeilds to this And therefore in the second place Christ he actually comes to be the way of conveyance by taking our nature upon him and so makes us reconcilable to God by taking humane nature into such a neer union to the divine nature to the second person in the Trinity so as that there should be but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one person in them both that there should be a personall union which is the great mystery of the Gospell There are two great mysteries in the Gospell the one that there should be divers persons in one nature and this is the mystery of the Trinity the other that there should be divers natures in one person and this is the mystery of the hypostaticall union of our nature with Christ So that Christ taking mans nature into such a neer union to himselfe it was a mighty preparative for God to have thoughts of peace toward humane nature rather then to the Angels and it was one part of his humility and therefore hath a meritorious efficiency in this worke of reconciling God to man But this was not sufficient Therefore in the third place Christ was content now to come into the world and be made the head of a second covenant between God and mankinde to performe what ever God the Father should require for the satisfaction of divine Justice so that look as Adam by being the head of the first covenant was the meanes of conveying all evill to us so Christ by being the head of the second covenant is the meanes of conveying all good to us by his subjecting to this we come to receive all grace and mercy from God And it could not have been otherwise for though God would have thought of a second covenant yet if he had left it to us to have performed the termes of it we should assoon have broken that as we did the first but Christ undertaking to be the head of the second covenant and performing whatever the Father required in it by his perfect obedience to the law and satisfaction to divine Justice divine Justice had nothing to lay to the charge of those that Christ undertook to satisfie for This was a mighty way of Gods letting out his grace and mercy to the souls of believers for what is it that stops the current of his mercy 't is the curse of the law and cryes of divine Justice but now Christ undertaking to undergoe that curse and to satisfie divine Justice God hath as much honour now by his suffering as he had dishonour by mans sinning so that mans sinne is made up in this and that is it Justice requires I have had dishonour by sinne sayes Justice I must have this dishonour made up by suffering and so much suffering as in which I must have as much honour as I had before dishonour in sinning These are the conditions upon which God will be reconciled to man and upon no other I beseech you consider this and herein you will see an infinite necessity of Christ God is with us upon these termes sayes God you have sinned against me and dishonoured me how doe you think to be delivered why Lord thou art mercifull I sayes God but I am resolved upon this I will have as much honour by suffering as I had dishonour by sinning And Lord what would have become of us if we had been left to make up this breach This is the very reason why the damned in hell are there eternally because they are there upon these termes sayes God I am infinite and I am dishonoured and there they must lye till I have as much honour by their suffering as I had dishonour by their sinning Now after they have been there thousands of thousands of yeares still the honour of God calls for more and therefore they must lye there for ever But now Christ who is the great Saviour he comes and entering into covenant with God and fulfilling that covenant he layes downe God such a price that God shall have as much honour in his suffering for sinne as he had dishonour before in the committing of sinne Now this being done the current of mercy being unstopt and the passages of it opened and God being infinite in grace and mercy in himselfe what a glorious way is made for the streames of his mercy to issue and flow forth to the children of men And take in this one particular more and then we shall have done with this head In this we may see that God in forgiving of sinne and shewing mercy to sinfull creatures is just and goes in a way of Justice as well as in a way of mercy therefore that Text Rom. 3. 25. 26. is very observable a Text that Luther for a while was exceedingly troubled about the meaning of it Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his righteousnesse that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus This was that which troubled Luther so much that God should declare his righteousnesse in the remission of sinnes that God declares his mercy every one knowes but that God declares his righteousnesse and that Christ is set to be a propitiation that God might declare his righteousnesse this may seem strange and then the Holy Ghost repeats it To declare I say his righteousnesse as if he should say consider that God in the pardoning of sinne doth not onely manifest his grace and mercy but declares his righteousnesse That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Not mercifull but just thus wee see what way Christ takes to be the meanes of conveying Gods goodnesse to us by performing the covenant and so satisfying divine Justice Lastly he is the way of conveying good to us as by his satisfaction so by his intercession for he is now and shall for ever be at the right hand of the Father in glory making intercession for his people that is continually presenting before his Father the worke of his mediation his merits what he hath done and suffered and as it were pleading with his Father for the conveyance of all needfull mercy and good unto the souls and bodies of his people whom he hath redeemed As if he should every moment eternally speake thus to the Father Father behold here is my bloud my merits my death all my sufferings the worke of my humiliation it is for these yea for this poor soul and for that poor soul particularly for know that Christ thinks not only of the lumpe of believers in the generall but particularly of every believer and is continually presenting before the
cut then thou art gone for ever For after death comes judgement In the meditation of this point me thinks I cannot but look upon God as beholding all the children of men in their fallen lost sinful and miserable estate with pity and compassion saying poor creatures they have sinned against me and have made themselves liable to eternal wrath which they understand not which they are not able to beare well a little time I will grant unto them to sue out their pardon and to come in and make up their peace with me and I will give them meanes for that end but let them look to themselves for according to the improvement of the time that I now give them so shall it be with them to all eternity if they neglect it they are gone for ever mercy then shall doe them no good so that the tenour upon which we all hold our lives it is no other then as a malefactor condemned to dye who hath granted to him through the favour of the Prince a little time of reprieval and some intimation withal given of a possibility in that time to sue out his pardon and according as he spends that time so it shall be with him for life or death Thus I say we all hold our lives we are all condemned before the Lord onely God hath out of his infinite grace provided a way and meanes of salvation for the children of men and gives us a little time we know not how long whether two or three dayes but as long as we live to look about us to provide for the making of our peace with him and if that be neglected all is gone and we are undone for ever great things then doe depend upon this uncertaine small time of our lives It is reported of Alexander that when he went against any City he did use to set up a lampe burning and would make proclamation that whosoever came in while this lampe was burning should finde favour and have his life but whosoever staid till this lampe was out he was but a dead man and must expect no mercy brethren know that God hath set up a lampe and our life is this lampe and God proclames Whosoever comes in while this lampe is burning shall finde mercy but if you stay till the lampe be out there is nothing but eternal misery to be expected Now this lampe of your lives may not onely goe out upon the consumption of the oyle but it may be put out by accidental meanes and if this lampe be once out and your work not done you are lost for ever We read 1 Kings 6. 7. that when Solomon was preparing the Temple he made all things so ready before hand that there was no noise of axe or hammer heard there Whosoever God intendeth for a living stone in the glorious Temple of Heaven he squares and fits them here there is no noyse of repentance and sorrow for sin after this life what is to be done must be done here nothing will doe it hereafter Whatsoever thou hast to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nos knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whòther thou goest Eccles 9. 10. and Chapter 11. vers 3. In the place where the tree falleth there it lyeth Which way thou fallest when thou dyest that way thou shalt lie eternally if Godward then God is thine for ever if sinward then misery and destruction is thine for ever Eccles 12 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it The souls of wicked men doe returne to God that gave them as well as the souls of the godly that is they doe presently returne to God to receive the sentence of their eternal doome from him and to be stated in their everlasting condition there is a mighty change in the soul immediately after it is departed from the body and is brought to stand before the glorious God to be stated in its eternal condition There are twelve houres in the day sayes Christ wherein a man may worke but the night comes when no man can work John 9. 4. The time of this life is thy working time I but the night is coming and then no man can work Revel 6. 8. And I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him Hell immediately followes death where death surprizeth any in their natural condition that have not finished the work of making their peace with God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the flesh whether it be good or bad It is not according to what we doe afterwards but according to what we have done here in the flesh so it must be with us for ever There can be no repenting no believing after this life body and soul being parted the whole man is not capable of a work of God upon it And besides immediately after death God takes all meanes away you shall never heare Sermon more never have admonition more never have good connsel more never have any working of Gods spirit more to draw you soules to Christ And not onely so but God then withdrawes himself so fully in regard of all the common workes of his spirit that there is a kinde of stating the soul in sin which yet cannot so properly in regard of God be said to be sin as evil so that it shall be impossible for thee to doe any thing but sin as the Saints though while they live here they have many lusts and corruptions in them yet immediately after death their souls are so fully possessed of the spirit that then they cannot sin so on the contrary though wicked men while they live here have divers common gifts of Gods spirit and many restraints upon them yet immediately after death they are so fully separated from God and God so fully withdraws himself from them that it is impossible for them to doe any thing else but sin and rebell against God and blaspheme him to his face There was in Adam in innocency a possibility not to have sinned there is in us while we live in this world an impossibility but that we should sin but in the world to come there is in the Saints an impossibility that ever they should sin and look how the impossibility is on the one hand with the Saints so is the impossibility directly contrary on the other hand with the wicked therefore the wicked must needs be stated in an everlasting evil condition There is no more possibility for the damned souls in hell ever to doe any thing but to blaspheme God then there is a possibility for the Saints in heaven ever to sin against God And yet further at the great day Christ gives up the kingdome to the Father and then there will be another manner of administration then before
Christ will not then be exercised in the work of his mediatorship to mediate any further for those for whom he did not mediate in this life And presently after the separation of the soul from the body the spirit of God wholly departes from the soul and the wrath of God is let out so fully into it that it breaks the soul and fills up every faculty of it so that it is impossible in regard of the strong current of divine wrath that carries the soul along with it that ever it should be exercised to all eternity any one moment in any thing but onely in bearing of torment and divine wrath As the Saints shall be filled up with the presence of God and carried on with such a strong current of divine mercy that it shall be impossible that their souls should ever to all eternity be exercised in any other thing but in the enjoyment of God and living to his praise so on the quite contrary is it with the wicked therefore after death there is a stating of both I will enlarge my self no further in the opening of this point but come presently to apply it for this point is applicatory rather then doctrinal and I shall content my self with three or foure branches of application and so conclude In the first place hence we may see what cause we have to blesse God for the continuance of our lives especially any that are here this day that have not throughly made their peace with God that are not upon certaine and infallible termes in this great businesse of providing for their eternal estates If there remaines but any doubt in thy heart concerning thy eternal condition and if the feares of eternity have been upon thy spirit thou Wilt from this point that hath been thus briefly spoken to see cause to blesse God with thy face up on the ground adoring the riches of his grace that thou art alive this day why because thy life it is the time of making up thy peace with God it is the time of providing for thy eternal condition if thy life be at an end and this work not done then all is gone then judgement comes and thou wilt be infallibly and unalterably stated in a lost and undone condition O therefore it s well that thou art alive this day if a man have a great businesse to doe that concernes his whole estate or life and it must be done in a very little time O what a favour would he count it to have his time lengthned out though but a little because his businesse is of great weight and he thinkes with himself if I miscarry in it I am lost and undone for ever so all those that have ever had serious apprehensions of the infinite consequence of what depends upon their lives here they cannot but sit downe and blesse God for lengthening out their lives for the time of this life is a happy time it is a day of grace a day of salvation O how happy would those poor creatures upon whom this judgement is past that are stated in their eternal condition think themselves if they might have but one day wherein it might be said there is a possibility for them to make provision for themselves concerning their eternal estate As they were not long since so art thou now and therefore know how to prize thy life O the lives of men and women especially such as have not yet done that great work are worth a thousand thousand worlds I remember I have heard of a speech of a great Gentleman who being very sick and Physitians telling him that there was no way for him but death O sayes he that I might live though it were but as a Toad and indeed what man or woman is there that hath not got a thorough and Scripture-assurance of this great work that their peace is made up with God but may upon very good ground if sicknesse be upon them desire to live though but as a Toad because such great things depend upon their lives here in this world Brethren doe but say this to your own hearts upon serious meditation of this that I am now speaking of What if God should come now to this Congregation and say to every one of you Well now the time that I have given you to provide for your eternal estate is at an end if you have done your work well and good you shall be saved and possesse eternal glory but you must be cast according to that which is now done I feare if such a message should come from heaven to many of us it would make our hearts to ake within us and we should cry out O Lord give me a little space before I goe hence and be no more seen O that I might yet have a little more time Suppose God had taken you away when he took away such a kinsman or kinswoman of yours such a neighbour or friend and death had come then and judgement had then been past upon you which way doe you thinke you must have been cast cannot some of you remember that if God had taken you away at such a time or when such a one dyed you were then in such a case that you have cause to think you had been certainly stated in a condition of eternal misery therefore blesse God that you are alive at this day to heare of such a doctrine as this is that so long as you live God gives you time to provide for your eternal estate Psalm 78. 38. the Text sayes God did not stirre up all his anger but called back his wrath when sicknesse comes upon men and women some part of Gods anger is let out I but if God had let out his anger but a little more what would have become of you you had been gone one stroake more had cast you for ever I but God was pleased to call back his anger and did not stirre up all his wrath O blesse God for sparing you at such a time for certainly had you died then your condition had been as irrecoverable as the Devells themselves now t is a day of grace now you have the voyce of the Gospel and the glad tidings of salvation sounding in your eares but then you had been past the time of grace past praying and past repenting now that you are not past this day you are to prize your lives And brethren know wherein consists the worth of your lives and the continuance of them there is a horrible impudence in some men they would faine have their lives lengthened to have their lusts more satisfied did God give thee thy life for this end no the end why thou shouldst desire to live is that thou mayest have further time to make provision for that which is of such infinite consequence which if it be not done it had been better for thee to have been a Toad or Serpent or the vilest creature that ever lived O that we had hearts to give God