when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory 1 Cor. 15. 53 54. 4. Will there be a Judgment 't is wonderful there should be so much security in them that hear of it 〈◊〉 Really the very mentioning of Christs Tribunal before which all must stand should make all Criminals to tremble If a Man were seized for a Crime that 's capital deserving Death by the Law of God and Man and being in Bolts and Fetters in Newgate he should be secure and unconcerned though the Sessious were at hand you would conclude him to be very stupid and inconsiderate What Sinner secure and shortly to be Judged O Drunkard Whoremonger Swearer Sabbath-breaker Covetous Worldling what secure and speedily to appear at the Judgment-seat of Christ who has said That they that do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God! Sin is folly security in Sin is the folly of that folly Take heed of Security 't is not I only but Christ himself also that gives you this necessary caution Luk. 21. 34 35 36. And take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch ye therefore and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. VSE II. By way of Counsel Two words of Counsel I would give this Congregation The one is more firmly to believe a Judgment and more frequently to think of it The other is Be sure in time to prepare for eternal Judgment 1. More firmly believe more frequently think of Judgment You have reason to believe it for the Judge is ordained and though neither Men nor Angels know the day yet the day is appointed Act. 17. 30 31. The time of this ignorance God winked at but now commands all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all in that he hath raised him from the dead The stronger your assent is unto this the more serious and often will be your Consideration of it To think of Judgment is proper for a Saint that he may be encouraged to fight the good fight of Faith and persevere in well doing to the end To think of Judgment is proper for a Wicked Man to awaken him and to make him with fear and trembling to work out his Salvation It 's proper for an Hypocrite to think of Judgment because then all Masks and Vizours will be pull'd off all shews will be at an end and naked Truth will appear at that day The Graves will be open'd and do ye think the whited painted Sepulchers will remain shut Oh! then all the concealed Pride and Filthiness and Selfishness and Sensuality and Injustice and earthliness of Professors will with all their aggravations be brought to light before Men and Angels Oh how many demure and serious Countenances that have been a covering to naughty Hearts will then be filled with Confusion 'T is proper for the Old to think of Judgment they have one foot in the Grave already and quickly the whole body must drop into it and the Spirit must return to God who gave it You also that are Young should think of Judgment have the youngest of you any assurance of your Lives Infants Children Youths do not many of them dye and step into Eternity and as you see them leave the World so certainly they appear before God and one way or other have their Doom Solomon tells you that Childhood and Youth are Vanity Would you that are Young be serious the Meditation of Judgment would conduce much to it Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young Man in thy Youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes He says Rejoyce but speaks Ironically and means the quite contrary thou hast no reason at all to rejoyce whilst taken with things that are seen and whilst thou walkest in those evil ways which thy Heart naturally does like Then the Wise man speaks seriously But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment If you ask me What are the Benefits that will accrue by a firm Belief and frequent Meditation of Judgment I thus Answer to this momentous Question 1. This will be a great Preservative against Temptation Look beyond the present advantage and delight that Sin boasts of and see as far as the Judgment-seat this is the way to silence the Tempter and to avoid his snare Would the Lyar dare to speak falsly if he considered that all Lyars shall be adjudged to the lake that burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21. 8. Would the Unclean Person dare to defile himself and run to the Harlots house if he did but believe and consider that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Improve Christs Cross and think of Christs Tribunal and this will cool and kill Corruptions and take away the force of your Temptations 2. The Belief and Meditation of Judgment will cause you to use this World as not abusing it to make a good improvement of it You that have this World in great abundance and have the clearest and largest Estates do you think you are Proprietors of what you have Do you think 't is given or only lent you for a time You are only Stewards intrusted with that which is Gods and not yours and are accountable at the last day for all you have received What sad accounts will most give up of their Stewardship when they must be no longer Stewards Imprimis So much daily for Eating and Drinking to Self and not to the Glory of God. Item So much for brave Apparel that Pride might be maintained and gratified Item So much for making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Item So much for costly and vast Past-times a great deal of Wealth and much more precious Time being wasted together But unto good uses to maintain a Godly and laborious Ministry of the Gospel to the poor and needy given very little or nothing With what an Eye do you think that the Judge will look upon such accounts as these Think of Judgment that you may holily improve the unrighteous Mammon and Christ may say you have been Faithful Stewards even of worldly things 3. The Belief and Meditation of Judgment will make you exceeding diligent that you may be found of your Judge in peace without spot and blameless With what Seriousness and Fervency will he come
the flesh Christ has the highest room in every true Converts Heart he counts all things loss that Christ may be gained Phil. 3. 8. And 't is but reason that Christ should be best loved by him whose love to him is greatest and most beneficial and who is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 〈◊〉 Vbi amor ibi oculus where the Love is the Eye is Christ being loved the Convert's eye of Faith is set also upon him and he stayes on Jesus the Author and finisher of his Faith that he may be preserved in a state of Grace and strengthned unto all continuance and perseverance in well doing Let senseless Souls that are without knowledge and experience call this Resting a Lolling on Christ notwithstanding their Ignorance and Blasphemy the Members of the true Church will according as the Holy Ghost by wise Solomon expresses it lean upon their Beloved Cant. 8. 5. in their passage through the Wildernâ—ss of this World that they may be conducted and brought safe unto the heavenly and incorruptible Inheritance Thus much of Conversion with reference to Jesus the Mediatour Sixthly and Lastly Conversion may be considered with reference to the Word of God This Word is the way into which every true Convert turns Psal 119. 59 60. I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments The Converts Eye is turned to look into this Word of God his Ear is turned to hearken to it his Feet are turned to walk according to it and his very Heart is turned to love it As 't is natural to new born Babes to desire the Mothers or Nurses Milk so 't is spiritually natural to them that are Regenerate and Converted to desire the Word of God 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby 1. The Converts natural enmity against the Word of God is cured he neither with the Jews counts the Gospel a stumbling-block and matter of offence nor with the Greeks does he esteem it foolishness he does not look upon the Mysteries of the Word as absurd nor upon the strictest Rules as unreasonable He owns the Authority of God in his Word and acknowledges his Wisdom and Goodness in giving such a Testimony of his Will upon record as is so faithful and worthy of all acceptation 2. The Convert approves the whole of the Word of God He prizes Truth and is afraid of Error for there are damnable Errors in Judgment as well as damnable Immoralities in Practice They that are led away with the Errour of the wicked do wrest the Scriptures and that is not without danger of Destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16 17. The Convert sees a need of threatnings to deter him from Sin and to keep his flesh in awe that it become not head-strong against the Spirit He likes the Commands as well as â—he Promises and is perswaded 't is a priviledge to work for God as well as an encouragement that his labour shall not be 〈◊〉 vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. He concludes whatever God has spoken is spoken for his good therefore dislikes nothing he has â—id The Apostle consented to the goodness of the Law and was troubled that so much evil was present with him which â—indred that exact obedience he desired 〈◊〉 yield Rom. 7. 16 21. And the Psamist â—eaks fully Psal 119. 128. I esteem all by Commandments concerning all things to be â—ght and I hate every false way 3. The Convert performs the word of God â—to the end his Faith is not temporary â—or his obedience forced by a present fear â—nishing away as soon as ever the danâ—r is apprehended to be over The righâ—ousness that is as the morning cloud is hyâ—critical and unacceptable The truly â—ghteous man holds on his way and waxes â—onger and stronger Job 17. 9. The entrance of the word gives that light and strength to the Convert as heartens him to go on the more he obeys the greateâ— cause and reason he sees to be still more obedient the greater progress he makes iâ— his course the nearer he comes to the prize the glory of that prize makes him press forward and run the faster Thus have I opened the Nature oâ— Conversion Much is included in it Happy those that have felt what I have spoken But what a Mulâ—itude of Professorâ— are excluded out of the number of sincerâ— Converts To how many a Man may Conscience say Thou hast no part nâ— experience in this matter thy heart is not rigâ— with God. Thy beloved lusts thy idolizâ— gain and pleasures thy unreasonable self-confidence have hindred thy coming to Christ tâ— turning to God and obeying his Word to thâ— day In the third place I am to tell you whaâ— are the Properties of Conversion Here shall observe several things concerning iâ— which will help you the better to understand it and may serve for a trial whethâ— you are indeed converted 1. Conversion is both a duty and a previledge Conscience should take notice oâ— and with authority and vehemency urge â—he Sinner to the duty and the Heart â—hould be forward to Conversion since it 〈◊〉 such a Priviledge The Gospel calls all that hear it to turn to God and layes them under an obligation to do it And Conversion being a Submission to the whole Will of God it is the summ of all the duties which he requires Turning to God is a consenting to do and suffer whatever he commands and continuing a Convert is a standing perfect with â—n evangelical perfection which is Sinceriâ— and compleat in all the Will of God Col. 4. 12. And as the Convert does his duty so the doing of it is beneficial to himself Is it not a priviledge and every â—ay for his truest interest to be near God â—o be received into his favour and to be under the blessed influence of his powerful and special Grace 'T was good counsel that â—liphaz gave though he gave it to a better man than himself Job 22. 21. Acquaint â—ow thy self with him and he explains that by returning to the Almighty and be 〈◊〉 peace thereby good shall come to thee 2. Conversion meets with great oppositiâ— What in the whole World is oppoâ—d more The Children of men go by â—roves in the broad way that leads to Destruction and they can't endure that any should part company if any begin to make a stand and run not with them to the same excess of riot they think it strange and their tongues speak evil of them 1 Pet. 4. 4. if they do not make them feel the violence of their hands also But if Earth is troubled when any are converted Hell is much more moved when a Sinner turns Satan loses an House where he dwelt and an Heart which was a Throne where he reigned And for that proud spirit to lose a vassal nay to be forced to flee from him as the promise is he shall upon resistance Jam. 4.
2. The Note of attention Behold is used and again repeated and the instant of time Now is also ' twice mentioned God is pleased Now to Call it concerns Man in point of Duty Wisdom and Safety Now to Turn When the Holy Ghost sayes To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Heb. 3. 7 8. He plainly signifies that no Sinner in the World when he hears the Gospel Call should deferr his Conversion so much as one Day longer When the Psalmist turned He made haste and delayed not Psal 119. 60. which shewed that he turn'd indeed To make haste in Conversion is to resemble a Condemn'd Man who hastes to take out a proffer'd Pardon because every moment he is in danger of having the Sentence past upon him put in Execution 't is to resemble a Man that makes haste out of a City that is all in Flames 7. Conversion that is true is without any deceitful Reservations The sincere Convert has not an Heart and an Heart he does not divide it between God and Mammon between Christ and Belial between Grace and Sin but consents to be wholly the Lords and at the Lords command and dispose That Conversion which is not with the whole Heart is but a feigned Conversion Jer. 3. 10. He that turns in truth does not thus capitulate with God. Such and such sins I will cast away but some I resolve to keep and live in still because my Constitution strongly inclines me to them because I have much Wealth by them and take much Pleasure in them such and such Commands I will observe but some Precepts are too strict for me and these I will cast behind my back I am willing to suffer a little for Christ some reproach some loss I am content to undergo but I must be excused from Obedience when I am called to lose all that I have in the World and my Life too Commands thus to suffer are hard sayings who can hear them These reserves argue reigning and damnable Hypocrisie The sound Convert is perswaded that God requires no more but what is just and equal and really for the good of them that are to obey hereupon without any limitation or exception he sayes Lord Let thy Will be done by me in me and upon me for thy Will is my Sanctification and whatever thou command'st me to do or suffer my Obeeience whether active or passive will turn to thy Glory to my own Comfort and Salvation 8. Conversion is an inward thing Rom. 2. 29. He is a Jew that is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God. There is that in Conversion which the eyes of those that are about us cannot see but 't is apparent to Him that searches the heart and tries the reins and has pleasure in uprightness Converting Grace reaches the inward parts pierces into the very Soul and there the greatest change is wrought there is a new light in the Mind and Conscience there is a new bent and disposition in the Heart the Soul has Wisdom put into it that before was foolish becomes true to God and to it self that before was false and unfaithful unto both there is a spiritual mysterious Life in the Soul which before was dead and this Life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. He whose religion lies all in the outside he may look like a Convert but never was Converted Colour and Form he may have but he wants depth and substance The Heathen World saw a necessity of inward Religion One says that God is Purâ mente colendus To be Worshipped with a pure Mind Another sayes Compositum jus fasque animo sanctosque recessus Mentis c. Honesty and uprightness of Heart and a moral Life is more pleasing to God than the costliest Sacrifices 9. Conversion though an inward thing yet shews it self visibly in an answerable Conversation Grace is an active Principle and where 't is wrought in the Heart 't will have an apparent influence upon the outward man 1 Joh. 3. 7. Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous As the Apostle sayes Shew me thy Faith by thy VVorks so may I say Shew me thy Conversion to God by thy godly Conversation If the Heart be turned Grace will shew it self in the Eyes by looks that are humble and modest a Covenant being made with them that they turn away from beholding Vanity Grace will breath out at the lips in Prayer Praises holy and edifying Communications And the Tongue will be laid under the law of Love and Kindness Grace will tye up the Hands from being employed in the unfruitful works of darkness but active they shall be in deeds of Righteousness and open and liberal in acts of Charity and Mercy Grace will hinder the Feet from running to evil the Path shall be ponder'd and the VVayes stâ—all be established 10. Conversion is gradual We read in Scripture of different degrees of Grace All Converts are not of the same Age Strength and Stature The Apostle speaks of little Children of young Men and of Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. The little Child has as truly the Nature and all the Parts of a Man as he that is grown up unto full maturity but the grown Mans Parts and Members are much stronger than those of the other The young Convert has all the Parts of the new Creature he is renewed in the whole Man after the Image of God though he be not wholly but only in part renewed And 't is the Work of God who has begun this good VVork of renovation by degrees to perfect it The weakest Converts that are true are not disregarded Mat. 12. 20. A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench 'till he send forth judgment unto Victory The bruised reed signifies the Converts great Infirmity the smoaking flax the noysom mixture of much Sin with that little Grace he has received yet that Grace is not though small despised but cherished and increased and hereby our Lord shews himself the true Messiah a Saviour to the uttermost Thus Judgment is brought forth to Victory and Truth The strongest Converts are still to grow stronger There is some remaining Sin in the best of Saints which they are still to be turning from and purging out neither are any of them come so near or become so like to God but they may be much nearer and liker to him At first breaking of the Day there is much darkness with the light but by degrees the light increases prevails against and expels the darkness An apt Similitude to Illustrate the matter in hand and to shew how that Conversion is by degrees compleated Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day 11. Conversion may be known to be
12. ult yet they are not too much to be magnified A man may have the Gift of Prophecy who is not a Saint but a worker of Iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. A man may have the Gift of Prayer that has not the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and then though he Prayes never so well as to outward Expression yet his Heart being carnal proud self-conceited self-designing in his Duties he is really to be rank'd among the carnal and the formal Worshippers Under how many Praying lips are there covetous wrathful lustful and haughty Hearts and these Hearts are far from God whatever good words are given to him And if the Heart is absent from a Duty God is also absent and that Duty as splendid as it seems is really Hypocrisie and Provocation Judas had Gifts and so had Demas but had they saving Grace this World had the highest room in the Heart of the one and of the other I read in Scripture that an evil Spirit came upon Saul and he fell a Prophesying in the house 1 Sam. 18. 10. I have read of a Scottish Major who excelled in the Gift of Prayer but had made a compact with the Devil O Professor do not rest and glory in thy Gifts but humbly use them and be sure let it be within the sphere of thy Calling Labour to excell in Love and lowliness of Mind that 's the way to have the more comfortable evidence of Conversion in thy own spirit and to be the more truly serviceable to the Church of Christ Thus have I discover'd many mistakes about Conversion that your danger might be apprehended and avoided And pray remember that groundless Confidence you are Converted is one of the strongest barrs against the Grace of God one of the mightiest hindrances of Conversion And Oh! how unconceivably woful and dreadful will it be still to continue confident till Hell it self for ever but too late convince you that your Confidence is utterly unreasonable VSE II. If Conversion be thus necessary Behold the madness of refusing to be Converted There is an hereditary Phrenzy that is derived from the old fallen Adam unto all his Posterity not one of his Children is born in his right Wits the Understanding of none return until they are born again Physicians tell us that the signs of Madness are furor audacia fury and boldness and alas how bold are men in Sin They rush into it as an Horse into the battel Jer. 8. 6. They are so daring as to fight against the Almighty though none ever hardned himself against him and prosper'd And these audacious Sinners when reproved and urged to returning and submission they are full of fury and rage and are ready to rend the Reprover The Madness of every one that will not be Converted I shall demonstrate in several particulars and Oh that the Discovery may tend to the Cure of it 1. He that will not be Converted he will not be pardon'd though he is Condemn'd to dye eternally and a Pardon is offer'd him he hears the Gospel which is the Word of Reconciliation he is told that God is ready to forgive forward to be at Peace nay beseecheâ— him to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. but he will not be intreated he will continue an Enemy he chuses to lye under Guilt and Wrath still and acts so senslesly as if everlasting Burnings were not to be dreaded but to be desired 2. He that will not be Converted he will not be healed of a most deadly Plague though the Physician do offer freely and throughly to Cure him Sin is certainly the sorest Distemper because 't is the Souls Disease No Souls dye but of this Plague and all Souls must perish and be lost that refuse to be healed Christ came on purpose to heal but frantick Sinners are more afraid of their Physician than of their Sickness though never so dangerous and mortal The unjust Man sayes let me alone to be unjust still though my Vnrighteousness hinder my entrance into the Heavenly Kingdom the proud Man sayes let me be proud still whatever the Scripture speaks of Gods resisting the Proud the unclean Sinner sayes let me be filthy still if I can't go to Heaven without being Holy I care not to come thither Thus Jerasalem of old would not be cleansed the Lord offer'd to sanctifie and heal her but she would by no means consent to it Jer. 13. 27. Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be 3. He that will not be Converted is certainly frantick for he will not be eased of a load that he can't bear Can he stand under the weight of thousands and millions of Iniquities No no the least of all is heavy enough to sink him into Hell Oh how exceeding low will he be depressed under the whole number Can he bear up under the Almighty's Indignation that Wrath has such righteousness and strength with it that none can stand before it Now if the Sinner would become a Convert Iniquity should be removed divine Anger appeased through a Mediatour but he utterly rejects the motion 4. He that will not be Converted is resolved to remain poor though the greatest Treasure the Pearl of price be proffer'd him and may be had for prizing and acceptance The second Adam tells us how we are beggar'd in the first those words may truly be applyed to every natural Man Thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. Now our Lord adds v. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich This Gold can't be bought too dear nay 't is bought without money and without price Parting with our Sins and Idols which we preferr'd before this tried Gold and willingness to have it is in a Gospel sense buying of it But Unconverted Sinners are so poor in understanding that they preferr their beggery and lusts before all the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ 5. He that will not be Converted is resolved to be a Slave though he is called unto Liberty In the Gospel Liberty is proclaimed to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound Isa 61. 1. The Son of God did and suffer'd much to procure this Liberty he paid a vast Price when he gave himself a ransom But frantick Sinners are fond of their Fetters they chuse to be drudges in the basest work which is the working of Iniquity they fancy such is the distemper and vanity of their Imagination the bondage of Corruption though the worst of bondage and the forerunner of being for ever in Chains of Darkness to be easie and pleasant and they will not come to the Son to make them free indeed 6. He that will not be Converted the Hopes that he entertains are most unreasonable He Promises to himself safety though in the greatest danger he sayes he shall have Peace though the way of Peace he knows not but goes in
from every thing but Grace and Grace then is perfected in Glory The end of the upright and sincere Convert is Peace Psal 37. 37. and a peaceful Death is the forerunner of an everlasting Rest If he should dye in a Cloud he would shine not at all the less brightly in another World all sin and fears and tears will be gone as soon as he enters into Heavens door and sees his Lord there If he sets as the Sun in the clearest Summers evening his Death is encouraging to others comfortable to himself but ten thousand thousand times more Comfort will he presently have as soon as ever he is got out of and is absent from the body and is present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 8. I have done with the Motives to Conversion And now for shame be silent all tongues that talk against turning to God! Apostate Angels be for ever mute what Adversaries and lying Spirits are ye in disswading Man from Conversion and in asserting that though he turn not he shall not surely dye And Carnal Reason confess thy self quite baffled with strength of Argument and that not one word more of good sense can be spoken against the Sinners Conversion which is so much for his Interest both in time and to eternity VSE V. Of Direction how Sinners may become true and thorough Converts It greatly concerns you to be sincere in turning for in this matter you have chiefly to do with God himself who can't be deceived with the fairest shews but understands perfectly the most secret thoughts inclinations and purposes of the Hearts of Men every upright Heart is open to him and he takes Pleasure in the uprightness which himself has wrought And if there be nothing but Hypocrisie under the greatest Profession that Hypocrisie is both observed and abhorred Any thing short of true and thorough Conversion will be a dangerous Cheating of your selves therefore that you may be Converts indeed I shall give you these Directions 1. Let spiritual Wisdom and Knowledge be valued as that which is of great price and usefulness He that is indeed a Convert is called out of darkness into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. In this Verse where my Text lies Converting the Soul and making Wise the Simple are joyn'd together the one is necessary and subservient to the other That Devotion of which Ignorance is the Mother is indeed a following of blind and deluded or crafty and deluding Guides but a turning to and a following of God it is not Be well Catechized and Instructed in the Principles of the Scripture-doctrine let a true Light be set up in your Understandings The Mind is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading Faculty 't is needful it be well Informed In the first Creation when Darkness covered the face of the deep God said let there be Light and there was Light Gen. 1. 2 3. and thus it is in the new Creation and Conversion 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our Hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Search for Knowledge in the Scripture as you would search for Silver or hid Treasure and look up to Heaven for light and ability to understand it that you may know Christ and God in him and what you are to believe desire and do in order to your Happiness You can't be made wise to Salvation unless you are first made wise to Conversion And as you are to acquaint your selves with so you are firmly to assent to the Doctrine revealed in the Word of God and the more strongly you credit whatever the Word sayes the more powerful influence will this Faith have upon your Conscience Will and Life Vnbelief is the root of defection and departing from the living God Heb. 3. 12. If the arm of the Lord be revealed his Power shewn forth and cause the report of the Word all the Promises and Threatnings of it to be indeed believed this will have a mighty efficacy towards the Souls return to God again 2. That you may become true Converts be sensible that all Mankind are fallen by Iniquity and are estranged from God and you in particular are by Nature far off from Him. The Lord indeed made Man upright but he has sought out many Inventions Eccles 7. ult New wayes he thought to have found of being higher and happier but while through the subtilty of the old Serpent he catcht at a shadow he lost the substance and became both foolish and miserable Adam the first Man corrupted the humane Nature and as thus corrupted you partake of it so that you are by Nature Children of Wrath your Hearts are desperately wicked dangerously deceitful and returning to God is that which they have a strange and strong antipathy against The more you are sensible that your Hearts are thus depraved and alienated from Gâ—â— the more jealous you will be of them and the more earnest for that new Heart and new Spirit which the Lord has Promised in his new Covenant Ezek. 36. 26. Perceiving and being burthen'd with a Distemper is a good step towards a Cure especially if an able Physician is ready to heal any that will but make use of him A right sense that Sin has set you at a distance from God and that those who are far from him shall perish Psal 37. 27. will have a mighty tendency to your being brought nigh to him by the Blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus And truly He that in the daies of his Flesh was so ready to heal corporal Maladies is much more willing to heal the corrupted Nature and to change and turn the Heart of every one that seriously cries Turn me and I shall be turned heal me and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my Praise 3. Let Humiliation for Sin be very hearty and very deep A Soul that never was truly humbled for its iniquities still retains a liking of them and is more easily tempted to return to them Humiliation serves very much to break the league with Sin the Covenant with Death and Hell. The Apostle Paul who at his Conversion was deeply abased was made to tremble and to be astonished Act. 9. 6. seeing his Sin the insufficiency of his Pharisaical Righteousness and that he was so far from Salvation that he persecuted the onely Saviour after this low Humiliation how thorowly was his Heart turned to God! how precious was Jesus to his Soul how circumspectly did he walk how abundantly did he labour how patiently and joyfully did he suffer for Righteousness sake how constantly did he keep the Faith and finish his course till he got the Crown In true Humiliation there is a mixture of fear and sorrow and shame and upon these does follow holy anger and indignation Look up to Heaven behold the great and glorious God against whom every one of your Sins have
Majesty and Holiness of God especially considering he is alwaies by you and tryes your very Hearts and Reins The greatness of that God with whom you have to do should make you afriad to dally and trifle with him If you think he will be mock't you will find to your cost that you deceive your selves Oh stoop with the most profound Submission to this glorious Sovereign of Heaven and Earth 'T is the heighth of Madness for you that are so infinitely below Him and so wholly under his Power to refuse subjection to Him. He is Glorious in Holiness Exod. 15. 11. He can as soon cease to be himself as cease to be an Hater of the workers of Iniquity A fuller Perswasion of Gods Holiness and that his Holiness is his Glory will make you more sensible of the Necessity of turning from Sin and that Holiness will be your Glory and Perfection He that is changed and made a Convert is made a Glorious Creature and as this change is carried on there is still a Progression from Glory to Glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. Gods Nature is pure every Word of God is pure He is Righteous in all his wayes and Holy in all his Works Psal 145. 17. Oh cry incessantly that you may partake of a nev of the Divine Nature that a clean heart may be created in you that your Lips may be Pure your Words true and Gracious and that you may be Holy in all manner of Conversation Are not Gods eyes upon your wayes does not he hear all your words does not he weigh your very Spirits your whole man is under his Observation let there be a turning to God with your whole man. Sincerity in Conversion and hypocrisie are both known and only Sincerity has Gods love and liking 7. When you turn to God behold him as he is in Christ else there is no access to him nor acceptance with him After Adams fall the Mediator is presently revealed the Seed of the Woman that was to break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. The old Serpent by Sin had made a Rupture and breach between God and Man Now Christ the Mediatour is He that makes up the breach again and so destroyes the work and frustrates the design of Satan If God be lookt upon in Christ there is all manner of Encouragement to return to him He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. He is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy to all that call upon him Psal 86. 5. The Prodigals Father was not more forward who ran to embrace his returning Son than God is to receive returning Sinners If you would return to God indeed you must take Calvaâ—y in your way you must know Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. The Saints of old that were in Heaven before the Son of God was manifested in the Flesh as well as those that went thither afterward were all brought nigh to God by the Blood of his Cross Col. 1. 20. You cannot know and turn to the only true God so as to be received by him unless you know and receive Jesus Christ whom he has sent But if you behold God in Christ unbelief appears unreasonable despair is a monstrous absurdity You may perceive Love in the Lords looks his Justice fully satisfied his Anger all gone his Repentings kindled his Bowels yearning and you cannot so much desire Mercy as He delights in shewing it The true Convert to God must be a Believer in Jusus who is the way to the Father As God will not draw nigh to Man so Man cannot draw nigh to God any other way 8. With great earnestness implore the Spirits aid Be sure to grieve that you have grieved Him and acknowledge 't is just that for your grieving him he should leave you to your selves but beg his presence and his assistance that he would help you and make you truly constantly willing to be helped Adams Body was formed of the Dust of the Ground but was a lifeless Corps till God breathed into it the Breath of Life Till the Spirit of Life enters into you you are without Life or Motion towards God therefore with all seriousness ask the Spirit You come to God through the Son as the Mediator that procures access and opens the way but 't is by the Spirit as by Him who both inclines and strengthens you to come to Him Eph. 2. 18. The Promise of the Spirit is of ancient date implied in the Promise of the Messiah and very frequently expressed Under the New Testament Dispensation a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit is Promised Parents that are evil if their Children ask bread will not give them a stone to hurt them nor instead of a Fish a Serpent to sting them And if they give good gifts to their Children much more will the Father in Heaven give his Spirit to them that ask him There is hardly a more encouraging Word to Sinners in the whole Bible if they are inclined or would be inclined to have the Spirit given them And if the Holy Spirit be given you you will have Light and Life and Liberty Conviction antecedent to Conversion Conversion it self and Consolation afterwards are all of them the Works of the Spirit And be sure to observe the Accesses of the Spirit Sometimes the Wind blows fair and strong for Heaven now hoise up thy Sail that thou mayest receive the Gale sometimes by his Convictions motions strivings you may perceive the Spirit is very near you by a clearer and more affecting Light he shews you that turning to God is your Duty and Advantage and he very much presses you to it Nunc sunt Mollissima fandi Tempora Now is the time to speak and speed in your Supplications for the Spirit that he may thoroughly Convert you and consecrate you to the Lord and abide in you for ever 9. Would you be Converts in Truth give your whole Hearts to God and never be satisfied till you feel you love him above all Let the Lord have your Hearts to search them that all even the most secret evils there may be detected and being detected may be detested and abhorr'd Sin sometimes may be restrained from breaking out in the Life and yet then may be regarded and reign in the Heart Be willing to know the most inward spiritual wickedness that lies quite out of the sight of others and being acquainted with it consent to have it purged away Give your Hearts to God that he may possess employ and rule them at his Pleasure Tell the Lord that the very Throne is for him and that your Souls and all that is within you are ready to be at his command and that you consent every Lust should be slain because it would not that he He should reign over you In what a safe hand is the Heart when 't is in Gods how pure and excellent is it made with what Beauty does it
shine To turn with the whole Heart is for the whole to turn excellent for the whole to be secured Be never satisfied till you perceive that God has your love which is indeed the leading and commanding Affection If Sin if Mammons Pleasures and Wealth have still your love your professing your selves Converts is all but feigned kindness and you provoke the Lord to jealousiè Give unto God your Love which he calls for in the first and great Commandment or else you give him nothing if your love be given him you will not deny him any thing And if as yet you can't shew your love by delighting in God because of your doubts and the darkness of your state shew your love by desiring after God whose loving kindness is better than Life whose Alsufficiency is enough and enough and infinitely more than enough for you But here 's the difficulty How shall the Heart of Man be brought unto the love of God The Stream of the affections runs naturally and violently downwards and how shall the tide be turned how shall the love be carried quite contrary to the bent of Nature Certainly this must be the doing of the God of all Grace The Apostle prayes for the Thessalonians that the Lord would direct their hearts into the love of God 2 Thes 3. 5. Put up this Petition for your selves 'T is an encouraging Scripture Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul that thou mayest live apply it improve it and if you grudge your love to every thing else and are continually offering it to God and above all things in the World desire to love him and to be beloved of him Love is already wrought the acts of it appear and you shall by degrees love more sensibly and the stronger the love the more sound the Conversion 10. Deceive not your selves with faint wishes and half-willingness to be Converted I grant that the desire of Grace is Grace but if there be not Truth in the desire the Truth of Grace can't be concluded from it A lazy wish to be Converted where there is a prevailing resolution to connive at and continue in Sin what does it signifie but that the Heart is not right with God notwithstanding some feeble good inclinations towards him Our Lord commands his Followers to strive to enter in at the strait gate because many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. Many hereafter shall seek and expect admission into Heaven who shall be excluded because they would not strive they would not use an holy violence to take that Kingdom Many over hastily conclude they are Converted because there is some little inclination to what is good though a stronger inclination to what is evil without check does bear the sway in them In spiritual as well as natural lukewarmness there is some mixture of heat as well as a prevalency of cold Can water be called hot where heat is least and cold is most Can the Heart be said to be turned to God which is least inclined towards him and most strongly and resolvedly bent towards Sin and Vanity Oh take heed of Sloth and Idleness Sloth is that which has brought many a Conviction to nothing you can hardly name a greater Impediment of Conversion Upon thousands of Professors Tombs this may be written Here lye those who have undone themselves by Slothfulness and miss'd of Grace and Glory because they would take Pains for neither If you would be Conveâ—â—s indeed abandon Idleness let your very Hearts be in every Duty your Souls and the strength of them the fervency of your Spirits in every Ordinance of God Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business especially not in the main business servent in Spirit serving the Lord. Satisfie not your selves in a customary and formal using of the means of Grace but look to this that life and warmth and strength and Grace be indeed conveyed to you in them 11. Would you be Converts indeed look much into another World confine not your sight and thoughts to the things of time and sense but take the Perspective of the Word of God that to the eye of your Faith things unseen may become evident Heb. 11. â— Time is so short a thing that you may easily and quickly see to the end of it and yet concerning this short Time it may be said that Now you must be turn'd or Never At the end of Time Death stands thousands feel his stroke every day before your eyes and how soon may you feel his deadly Dart and return to the dust out of which we were all taken where 's the Man that upon good ground can say He is sure to live a Year a Month a VVeek a Day to an end Just behind Death is Judgment and at the Bar of God who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Counsels of the Heart what will a shew of Grace and of Conversion signifie At that Bar all the Children of Men must receive their final and unalterable Doom from that Tribunal there can be no Appeal to another there is no higher Judge than he who shall judge the quick and the dead at his Appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 1. The Sentence which he will Pronounce will stand good and firm for ever and 't will be a Sentence either to eternal Glory or everlasting Flames And know that Conversion now will make the Discrimination then only Converts will stand in Judgment only those that sincerely â—urn'd to God in this World will be received into his Joy and Kingdom in the other World. But as for the Unconverted who would not turn from Sin they shall without any Pity or hopes of any according as they were threatned and have justly deserved be turned into Hell and there will be no remedy You are all posting away from hence and shall shortly hear the Word and be seen your selves no more A serious belief and consideration of the eternal Joyes and eternal Woes of another World would have a mighty Influence upon the very worst of you to make you of another of a better Mind VSE VI. Of Consolation unto Converts There is a Consolation that has a Woe joyn'd with it VVoe to you rich Men for ye have received your Consolation The Wicked and the Hypocrite have their Peace and Joy but their Peace is false and their Joy but for a moment but the Converts Comfort is styled both strong and everlasting Consolation Here I shall first give you the Converts Character and then lay down the Grounds of his Comfort and indeed true Comfort belongs to none in the World but true Converts Though I have spoken a great deal already to shew who are Converted yet I shall add these Signs following 1. Converts chuse God for their Portron rather than the World Thou art my Portion O Lord I have said
he left all that he might enjoy pure publick Ordinances Certainly he found that of Grace that of Christ in them as was much more valuable to him than all his Pleasant and Plentiful Estate which is one of the chief Flowers in Italy the Garden of the World. 5. God is turned unto these true Converts that are turned to him and will never turn away from them to do them good and to keep them good and upright before Him. Regeneration and Conversion is a great Fruit and effect of the Resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. Believers are said to be begotten again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead And as Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more Dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. so they who by Converting Grace are made spiritually a live shall never totally relapse under the Dominion of Sin nor become again dead in Trespasses That God who has called these Converts is faithful and therefore as the Apostle sayes he will preserve their whole Spirits and Souls and Bodies blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5. 23 24. The Lord turns to them that are turned Zech. 1. 3. Turn to me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn to you saith the Lord of Hosts he turns his Eye his Face his Ear his Heart his Hand towards them for good And he has said he will never leave them nor forsake them neither shall they leave nor forsake him for he will establish them with his Free Spirit he will uphold them with the right hand of his Righteousness Oh Happy Converts who have Glory promised upon their Perseverance and have Strengthning Grace Promised to make them persevere unto the end 6. Conversion will end in Coronation All Converts are by Adoption the Children of God heirs of his Kingdom and shall for ever wear a Crown of Life Though the Heathens knew something of future Rewards and Punishments yet their Apprehensions of these were low and unsuitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who knows saies Euripides whether to live be not to dye and to dye be not to live He seems to guess there was a better Life after this yet he is not certain of it When Vlysses imagined Achilles the bravest among the Greeks to have been most happy after Death Homer Odyss l. 11. brings in Achilles appearing to him and saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which may be thus Englished I 'd rather serve a Clown on Earth for bread Than in those Regions of the Dead Command and be of all the supream Head. Heaven is here set forth as a poor and undesirable thing But Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. Here the Glory of the other World is displayed here is an excellent Map of the heavenly and everlasting Kingdom where Knowledge and Light is compleat without Darkness Holiness perfect without the least remainder of Defilement Blessedness and Joy is full without any Grief or Fear or Possibility of Sorrow where there is no such thing as Sin or Death or Trouble but God himself is All in All 1 Cor. 15. 28. All Converts their Feet are turned into the way to Heaven their Hearts are now set upon it it won't be long e're they be there and Crown'd there themselves Conversion is called a Rising from the Dead Eph. 5. 14. for it has some likeness to and is an earnest of a future glorious Resurrection What a glorious Creature will the Convert be when Christ has done his whole VVork upon him and has put to him his last hand in making his whole Man every way perfect Glorified Bodies will shine as the Sun glorified Souls will be pure and spotless like the Seraphim and Wonder Love Joy and Praise will be in Heaven the everlasting business I have spoken much to Comfort Converts but no Tongue can tell the thousandth part of all their Happiness The Heart of Man is too narrow at present to comprehend what God has prepared for them that Love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. VSE VII Of Counsel unto them that are Converted and my Advice shall be in these particulars 1. Thankfully admire the Grace of God which has Converted you The best thing in this World which is Grace and Glory in the World to come certainly do well deserve your thanks Sin has made you less than the least of Mercies by Conversion you come to partake of the greatest Christ is formed in you and you are made New Creatures that a New Song should be in your Mouths and that you should shew forth the Praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Let every Convert admire and admiring Praise and say How much has God done for me and how has he done that for me which he has not done for thousands and millions in the World in the very Church who are let alone to live and dye in Sin and to damn themselves for ever 2. Labour to be more thoroughly Converted Pray for this that God would still turn you more and more unto himself follow on to know him follow harder after him and strive still more to please him 1 Thes 4. 1. Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exhort you by our Lord Jesus that as ye have received how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more The more fully you turn the more you please him and to please him will be pleasant to you The nearer you come to God the safer you will be under his shadow the more evidently will you see and the more abundantly will you taste his goodness 3. Do nothing unbecoming Converts Think often with your selves whose you are and what a Price was pay'd to redeem you from all Iniquity and to make you Zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. Reckon it bruitish to be Intemperate and Unclean base to be Covetous and Earthly-minded hellish to be Malicious Envious and Proud. Be Patient under Gods Corrections under Injuries from Man Let your Tongues be true and kind your Hands merciful and just in your Morals be of great exactness Divine Morality without thee Religion is a vain shew holy Duties are but lost labour and Confidence that all is well is but self-deceiving What Brutus said of Vertue may be used concerning Faith O miserable Faith without moral Honesty thou art nothing else but an empty Name Take heed of falls especially great ones after Conversion least you wound both Conscience and Religion and go smarting and groaning to your Graves 4. Pity the Vnconverted about you Misery moves Bowels and stirs up Mercy who more miserable than Sinners who are at a distance from God and under his Wrath and who are so far from fearing and turning that they are still running farther from him and provoking him to
fiercer indignation Compassionate these Counsel these Pray for these and endeavour though they are and will be without the Word to win them by a wisely expressed Love and by a well-ordered Conversation 1 Pet. 3. 1. Let not your Bowels be straitned but Pray for the Worlds Conversion to God that he would return to this Earth which for Sin he has so justly forsaken and that he would turn the VVorld into a New One wherein may dwell Righteousness 5. Be sure to Love all true Converts Love them all because God loves them and love what you see of God in them The Image of God is so excellent that in whomsoever it shines it ought with pure affection to be owned and respected Converts I grant may differ in many things but they agree in the main all of them believe in Jesus all of them turn to God all of them endeavour to Glorifie him here on Earth and all of them are bound for Heaven And Vniversal Agreement thus far is a strong reason for Catholick and Vniversal Charity All Converts of what Perswasion soever of what Nation soever of what Rank and Condition soever in this World they are all adopted by one Father all redeemed by one Christ Jesus all espoused to one Husband all members of one Body all enlivened by one Spirit and shall all meet at last in one Heaven where they shall perfectly be joyned together in Union and in Love and this should strongly move and perswade unto Unity and Love at present 6. Lastly and so I conclude this Doctrine you that are Coverts see that you abide with God and be stedfast in his Covenant they that totally and finally depart from God never were totally and fully turned to him Let your Perseverance be an evident Demonstration to prove the truth of your Conversation let not the hardest labour the hottest service that you may be put upon the greatest sufferings that you may be exposed to in the least discourage you for God doth not require that you should do or that you should suffer any thing for him but only by the strength that he himself hath promised and doth intend to give All you Converts have done well in turning to God do better in following hard after him and best of all in finishing your course that you may get the Crown of Righteousness To conclude Let your Faith be firm like to the Rock it is founded upon let your hope be stedfast Be rooted and grounded in your love and let your hearts be so united to fear the name of God Psal 86. 11. that it may be as possible to hinder the Sun from rising as to hinder you from shining like lights in the World. That it may be as possible to cause the Moon and Stars to cease their wonted courses as to turn you out of the way of Truth and Holiness That it may be as possible to alter the Ordinances of Heaven as to make you neglect Heaven and become again earthly-minded Thus have I done with the first Doctrine that I raised from the words which I have been large upon That Conversion is of absolute necessity and the great thing that God requires of Man. Doct. 2. I proceed unto the second Doctrine that I raised from the words and that is this Conversion is then sincere when the soul is Converted The Soul of Man is the chief subject of Sin. It is the Soul that uses or rather abuses the members of the Body as Instruments of Unrighteousness The Beasts that have no rational Soul are not capable of committing Iniquity and as the Soul is the chief subject of Sin so it is the chief subject of Converting Grace if this be not turned really there is no true turning unto God. God is a Spirit and he weighs the Spirits of Men and he doth chiefly require the Heart and Spirit Prov. 23. 26. and accordingly the Convert with David sayes Psal 25. 1. Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul. And Psal 119. 129. Thy Testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my Soul keep them In the handling this Doctrine 1. I am to shew you when the Soul may be said to be Converted 2. To prove that till the Soul is Converted Conversion is not sincere 3. To demonstrate the necessity of turning to God with the very Soul. And then in the last place to make application 1. I am to tell you when the Soul may be said truly to be Converted the opening of this is the chief thing that I design in this Doctrine 1. When the Soul is Converted there is a marvellous Light that shines into the Mind The Tree of Knowledge was so called because it was a Tree of Tryal whether Man would persevere in goodness or whether he would be tempted and drawn away to evil but when this Tree was once tasted Man presently fell under the power of darkness The eyes of all understandings are blind till enlightned by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation Eph. 1. 17 18. All the Stars that are in the Firmament cannot make day without the Sun and all the works that God hath wrought all the words that he hath spoken cannot of themselves enlighten the mind of Man without the Spirit of God. It is He that takes off the Vail and causes the Light to shine upon and into the very Soul. This Light makes things manifest Eph. 5. 13. For all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light This Light that shines into a Converted Soul doth discover Sin it shews the filth the spots the sting the poyson the death the wrath the Hell that is in Sin or is annexed to it It doth discover the deceitfulness of Sin in hiding its own bad nature and the dreadful consequences that follow upon it And as this Light doth make sin manifest so it doth discover Christ too the sufficiency of his justifying Righteousness the excellency of his sanctifying Grace and how to turn to God is of miserable to become truly blessed This Light also is directing It directs what Converts must do that they may be saved It shews them the End and the proper Means for the attaining of that End. It leads them out of the broad way and from all the snares and stumbling-blocks and the precipices that are there and it leads them into the way that is everlasting Psal 139. ult Finally This Light that shines into the Converted Soul hath Heat and Influence like the Light of the Sun in the Spring-season that causeth the Trees and Plants to be flourishing and to be fruitful The Light of the Converts hath a mighty influence upon them The things that are freely given of God are so seen as that the heart is taken with them as the principal things of all and undervalues other things in comparison of those Thus the wise Merchant that sought goodly Pearls when he had found one Pearl of great price he went and sold all that he
that she was still indeed in her wickedness as long as sinful and vain thoughts had entertainment given to them Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee A converted Soul may be likened unto a House that formerly had very bad but now hath other and better Inhabitants The Hectors the Ranters the Swearers the Whoremongers the Drunkards they come and knock at the Door of this House and say that formerly none were more welcome there than themselves but the door is kept fast lockt bolted barr'd against them and the answer is that there is no room for such as they The House hath now another owner that don't like such company but another a better sort of Society Thus it is with the Heart of the Convert proud lustfull covetous malicious revengefull thoughts plead for admission and say we used to be very welcome and formerly there was a great deal of pleasure and delight taken in us and must we now be turned out of doors The answer is the Heart hath another Inhabitant Sin dwelt there before and then sinful thoughts were welcom thoughts Ay but now Grace reigns there therefore these sinful Thoughts as fast as they endeavour to Croud in there are endeavours used to extrude them And as sinful thoughts are burthensome to a Converted Soul so good thoughts are welcome guests Indulge Hospitio causasque innecte morandi A Converted Soul Indulges to such Thoughts and earnestly desires their constant abode and stay The Convert is truly troubled that he can hardly joyn three or four good thoughts together without some Interruption The Convert wishes that God were more and with more delight his Meditation and that his Law were meditated on and delighted in as well as himself Saith David Psal 104. 34. My Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. And in Psal 1. 2. It is said of the blessed man His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and Night And the Convert whose Soul is indeed turned unto God he speaks thus such and so delightful let my thoughts ever be 5. When the Soul is Converted there is a Conformity of the Will of man unto the Holy and blessed Will of God. This was the ground of the first controversie between the Lord and those Angels that revolted from him they would needs oppose their wills to his God would have them to keep humble their Wills were to become proud and pride was both the fault and fall of the Devil and his Followers 1 Tim. 3. 6. Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil God would have these Angels to abide in Truth but their will was to let go their Primitive Integrity and they turned false and rebellious Spirits And the natural man is too much like these evil Angels God calls but man will not hear God commands but man will not obey and in some sort evil men out-do the Apostate Angels because when God doth offer to sanctifie and to cure and to save the Children of men they chuse death and damning rather than they will consent to be healed But when the Soul is Converted the Will is changed and indeed the great turning change is here In the Will of man there is the great turning change wrought as long as that remains perverse and stubborn and refractory to be sure there is nothing of Converting Grace and when once the Will is changed and set right and inclined steddily towards God all remaining infirmities and the Truth of Grace may very well stand together There are these three things that the Will of the Convert doth 1. It doth make choice of that which God propounds as most eligible 2. It is Subject unto Gods Laws and Commandments 3. It submits to Correction and the Cross 1. The Will of the Convert makes choice of that which God propounds as most eligible and above all it makes choice of God himself It is taken with the exceeding Riches of his Grace It is taken with his Wisdom Truth Faithfulness Alsufficiency Vnchangeableness and Eternity To enjoy the highest and chiefest good and to enjoy this good for ever and for ever What is more what is so worthy to be chosen The bent of Davids Will was thus towards God when he said Psal 42. 2. My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God and though David was advanced to a Throne yet that doth not divert him from seeking after God and saying to him O when wilt thou come to me Psal 101. 2. I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way O when wilt thou come to me I will walk within my house with a perfect Heart Though my House be a Palace and though my Chair be a Throne I shall be uneasie in my Seat I shall look upon my Crown as uncomfortable unless I have thy Presence in this Palace of mine and therefore O when wilt thou come unto me The Converted Soul refuses what God informs it is evil what God informs it is abominable and Sin doth very well deserve the Name of Abomination The Converted Soul doth sleight that which the Word of God tells him is but contemptible Vanity And as the Will of the Convert does chuse God above all so it chuses other things with reference unto God It chuses the Word because it declares the Will of God and what it is that will indeed please him It chuses Christ because he is the way to God as Mediator It chuses Prayer because it is pouring out the Soul before God. Psal 62. 18. It chuses the Ordinances of God because God hath appointed them and is to be found in them The more Converts have of God in any thing upon that thing is put the higher esteem 2. The Will of the Converts is subject unto Gods Laws and Commandments The Heart of Flesh why do you think it is so called I will take away the Heart of Stone out of their Flesh and I will give them a Heart of Flesh Why is it called a Heart of Flesh Partly because it is sensible and troubled at Transgression and partly because it is soft and doth receive the impression of the Word and of the Law of God. It is indeed a fleshly Table on which the Law of God is written by the Finger of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 3. God hath written according to his new Covenant Promise his own Law in the Hearts of Converts and there is a voluntary and delightful Obedience yielded Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart God saies I Command The Convert answers I Consent and Lord help me to please thee still more and more for I am never better pleased my self than when I best please thee Thus the Wills of Converts yield to the
Will of God and in this harmony that is between the Humane and the Divine Will there is a great deal of Sweetness there is really that inward Peace in comparison of which all the delights of Sence are but inconsiderable 3. The Converts Will submits unto Correction and the Cross Where is there a School without a Rod The Saints do stand in need of Discipline and it is well they have it Afflictions wean us from this VVorld they help forward the work of Mortification they quicken us in our seeking after God and the more we 〈…〉 the more we find Luther said Cr 〈…〉 est nostra Theologia That the Cross alone is 〈◊〉 Divinity To improve Christs Cross and our own is the way to be truly wise The Convert sees reason for submission for Gods Corrections are all streams that issue from the Fountain of Love that is in him and they do end in the Souls greater Holiness which is its greatest Profit and they cause the peaceable fruits of Righteousness to be brought forth in greater plenty and abundance I grant indeed That Converts may have Temptations to and not only Temptations to but also great fits of Impatience but they do strive and they are helped in striving to allay the Storm and to be calmed into a submission to the will of God. The Converted Soul may sometimes be too much blinded by the prevalency of Passion and forgetting it self may complain after such a manner as this Though my daies are few on Earth yet how are they filled with trouble and sorrow No sooner have I got my head from under one wave but another Billow is just ready to overwhelm me Affliction seems to be my Lot and Portion and while the wicked of the VVorld prosper and increase in Wealth and have more than Heart can wish all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every Morning If I set my heart upon any temporal injoyment presently it is struck at and like the Gourd of Jonah withers away And if I am full of Expectation from the Creature my Expectation is ever frustrated and that which I expected comfort from proves Vanity and Vexation of Spirit VVhich way soever I look I see things visible enough to cast me down nothing visible to support me O wretched Life to be always thus under the Cross to be troubled and bowed down greatly and to go mourning all the day Thus the Converted Soul in its sits of impatience is ready to complain But unto these ravings I call them no other the Lord is pleased in a still Voice thus to answer Vnreasonable and silly Soul dost thou well to be angry and by thy needless and excessive sorrow to help forward thine own Affliction hast thou been a Learner so long in my School and dost thou not understand the Method that I use in training up my Children I give thee little in the World but it is that thou mayest not dye of a surfeit as thousands and millions do I cross thee in thy expectation from the Creatures that from my self thou mayest expect and receive the more Thou talkest of trouble but am not I thy present help Thou art in the waves but these waters shall not drown thee they shall only wash and cleanse thee and out of them thou shalt come forth much more purified Soul Cease thy discomposure I command the Tempest to be still Whatever my Wisdom and my Love sees convenient for thee thou shalt not want and to give thee more than is convenient would be to injure thee Thò all visible supports fail I the invisible and eternal God am always by thee and ready to shew my self strong on thy behalf My Care shall protect thee and provide for thee and this may be enough and enough to suffice Hereupon the Converted Soul is quieted it is satisfied and as to its Complaints silenced and it replys in Job's language Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I won't answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Now I see more fully who and what thou art and that my impatience and distrust in such a God was only the effect of my ignorance unbelief and â—olly from henceforth Lord I will see with 〈…〉 â—ther Eyes but thine and what thou seest to be best as best shall always be acknowledged My VVill I renounce and whatever thy VVill is I willingly assent unto I am satisfied that thy Goodness and VVisdom will order all things for me the very best and wisest way Thus the Will of the Convert is brought to a submission to the Will of God and as the Convert does speak thus to God so he speaks likewise unto his own Soul Psal 43. ult Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God. So much for the fifth particular When the Soul is Converted there is a conformity in the Will of Man unto the Will of God. The Will chuses what God propounds as most eligible is subject unto Gods Commands submits to Correction and the Cross 6. When the Soul is Converted those Affections that have evil for their object do spend themselves on sin which is of all the greatest evil Here I shall instance in four Affections that have evil for their Object and when the Soul is indeed turned these Affections spend themselves on Sin. 1. Sin is the Converted Souls Sorrow Tears here are very well bestowed God hath a bottle to put them in whereas Tears that flow from worldly sorrow are but as common water The Unconverted Sinner is never more merry than when doing evil When thou dost evil then thou rejoycest O how glad is he of an opportunity to commit a pleasing and gainful Transgression but the Convert hath been made so sensible of the evil that is in Sin that he can never make light of it more he hath been made so sensible of the evil that is in Sin that he is really inwardly afflicted because so guilty and defiled Sin doth provoke divine Anger and the Wrath of the Almighty is terrible Sin breaks the Law of God and the Curse hereby deserved is intolerable Sin causes the only Saviour to be neglected and the Spirit of God to be resisted who strives to draw the Children of men to this Redeemer Sin does weaken and wound the Soul makes it exceeding vile doth it an inexpressible mischief and therefore well may Sin be sorrowed for Take notice how David doth pour out his sorrow here Psal 38. 4 6. My Iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 2. As Sin is the Converted Souls Sorrow so it is his Fear too the Convert is afraid of contracting fresh Guilt and being overcome by new
without him O now the Soul honours God above all By these and such like acts of the Soul God is chiefly honoured therefore turning must of necessity be with the Soul. 3. The Soul must turn because it is the Soul that yields Obedience to the great commands both of the Law and Gospel There is not so much as one Precept either in the Law or in the Gospel kept aright unless the Soul keeps it The summ of the Law is Love but Love must be with the Heart and Soul nay it must be with all the Heart and with all the Soul or else it is but a meer shadow and appearance it is but like the Picture of Fire that hath no more heat in it than the Picture of Snow Heark what our Lord saies to him that asked Him Which is the great Commandment in the Law Jesus answered Mat. 22. 37 38. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind And as the Law calls for Love so it requires Spiritual Worship God is jealous of his Worship and he will accept of none but that which is worship in Truth John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and he will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Now there cannot be worship in Truth unless it be worship in Spirit All worship is but false and if it be false it must needs be vain that doth not proceed from the Spirit of the Worshipper If you should imploy many hours in a day in pattering over a great many Words that either you don't understand or if you do you don't mind all this would be unacceptable nay it would be abominable Then for the Gospel The two great commands of the Gospel are Faith and Repentance neither of these can be obeyed without the Heart It is the Soul and Heart that believes Rom. 10. 10. With the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation And as for Repentance it is impossible that should be true unless the Spirit be contrite unless the very Heart be broken Tears Complaints walking softly rending the Garments wallowing in Ashes this will not prove the truth of Repentance the Heart must be broken or else you have not truly repented Psal 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise And so in Psal 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken Heart and saveth such as be of a conitite Spirit 4. Lastly The Soul must turn to God because Judgment at the great day will be according to Truth Then the Secrets of all Men will be made manifest when the Lord appears he will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart and then shall every man have Praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. At the great Day all things all Persons will be called by their proper Names Hypocrisie will be called Hypocrisie and Saints will be called Saints No Hypocrite will be owned for a Saint at that day nothing that is counterfeit will pass for currant the Judgment of God will be according to Truth In the day of Judgment only Conversion with the Heart Conversion with the Soul will pass for true Conversion Sincerity will be owned and it will be Crowned Hypocrisie will be unmasked and which should exceedingly startle all unsound Professors of Religion Hell is in a special manner called The Portion of the Hypocrite as it is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels I have shewed you when the Soul may be said to be converted unto God I have proved till then Conversion can never be sincere I have demonstrated the Necessity of Conversion with the Soul. The Application of this Doctrine remains I shall be but brief upon it There are two Uses that I shall make By way of Information in the first place And by way of Exhortation in the second place From this Doctrine we may be informed concerning several particulars 1. If sincere Conversion be with the Soul hence we may inferr the Souls Capacity The Soul is chiefly receptive of the Grace of God. It is the Soul of Man that doth principally partake of the divine Nature The Soul of Man hath a natural resemblance of God because as God is a Spirit so the Soul of Man is a spiritual and an immortal Substance And then the Soul doth spiritually resemble God when it is renewed in the spirit of the Mind and when true Holiness by the Spirit of the Lord is wrought in it Eph. 4. 23 24. 2. Hence I inferr the Souls great worth and value Gods Eye is upon your Souls all the while you are in his presence and though you do never so much if you deny him your Hearts and Souls you do nothing that he will accept at your hands Thousands of Rams ten thousand rivers of Oyl the first-born for the transgression the fruit of the body for the sin of the Soul as the Prophet speaks Micah 6. 7. What doth all this signifie All this is nothing nay let me tell you it is worse than nothing Souls are of great account with the Father of Spirits How much was done how much was paid that Souls might be redeemed And therefore in all your Services your Souls must be ingaged or else the ingaging is to no purpose The Conversion of one single Soul to God is more pleasing to him than the most laborious and heartless services of all the Hypocrites from the beginning of the World to the very end of it these Services are so far from being pleasing that they are expresly affirmed to be an abomination unto God. 3. Hence I inferr the difficulty of Conversion If the Soul must be converted certainly Conversion is a very difficult thing It is comparatively more easie though hard still but comparatively it is more easie to order the conversation to bridle the tongue But to rule the spirit to bring the thoughts into Captivity to alter the bent and natural inclination of the Will and to raise the Affections towards those things that are above to make them prized and pursued that before were things utterly sleighted this is difficult indeed and really the difficulty would be insupâ—rable were it not for the Resurrection of Christ and the Power of that Resurrection shewed forth by the Spirit of Christ Before a Soul can turn to God it must be new made it must experience the power of Christs Spirit and it must rise with Christ or else it can never in good earnest seek those things that are above Col. 3. 1 2. Lastly Hence I inferr that in Examining whether we are Converted or no a special Eye must be upon our Hearts and Souls We must take our Souls to task and strictly try them and see what is most suitable to them what they love best and what it is that they desire most And if
and his former offences and affronts be they what they will shall not be an Impediment nay the former refusing to turn though it was never so long shall be past by The proclaiming of thiâ— accepted time should be lookt upon as glad tidings indeed 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. We then 〈◊〉 workers together with Him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted in a day of Salvation I have succoured thee Christ himself in the days of his flesh was heard was succoured was carried by the power of his Godhead through the whole work of Mans Redemption Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation This day of Salvation is the fruit of a Saviours Obedience and Sufferings in his day Now those that have sold themselves to commit Iniquity and are under the bondage of Corruption may recover their liberty those that had lost the incorruptible and undefiled Inheritance may be re-instated and again possessed of it Now the Lord is neer to them that seek him and ready to be found and if the wicked forsake their ways and thoughts and return to Him he assures them he will have mercy and pardon so abundantly as shall exceed their conceptions and the manner and wayes of mens shewing Mercy one to another as the Heaven is high above the Earth Isa 55. 6 7 8. 5. In the Word of God there are Instances and Examples of very great Sinners who have been converted and saved How great are the Acts of Grace which have been done by the God of all Grace and comfort Stand forth O David guilty of Adultery and Murther first defiling the Wife and then killing the Husband afterwards Stand forth O thou great Apostle Peter who wast so confident in thy self that thou shouldest abide the sorest Trial but didst so basely shrink and once twice thrice and with Cursing and Swearing didst deny thy Lord Stand forth ye Corinthian Saints who were Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers effeminate abusers of your selves with Mankind who were thieves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. And all of you proclaim That the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and love which is in Christ Jesus as the Apostle Paul speaks who himself had obtained Mercy although he had been a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Setting aside the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost and final Impenitency and Unbelief for ought I know Heaven can shew as great Sinners as Hell who notwithstanding all their guilt and filthiness were washed sanctified justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God and now their Holiness is perfected in Glory This is an encouragement to the worst of men to hope if they return to God they shall not be rejected Nay suppose there should be now a greater Transgressour than ever yet obtained Mercy it would not be impossible for such an One to obtain Mercy for Divine Grace and Mercy have not yet done their very uttermost 6. The Word of God discovers Sinners weakness and where that Strength is without which turning to God will never be That Grace which brings Man to God to Heaven must come from the God of Heaven Can man arise from the Dead till the Voice of the Lord which is powerful say Awake thou that sleepest Can any come to God but by his Son Jesus can any come to Christ but those whom the Father drawes Joh. 6. 44. God Works to Will He Works to do and he does the one and the other freely of his own good Pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Sinners are then encouraged to seek unto God to do both for them And He can easily take away the Heart of Stone and give a new Heart and a new Spirit and cause those who before neglected now to turn into the way of Salvation and to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling 7. I might also add that the Word of God shuts the Kingdom of Heaven against â—hose that are resolved to continue Vnconvertâ—d Nothing but Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish is thundred out â—gainst them that will continue in their evil doing that will not be gathered by a Saviour that will not be made clean by his Sanctifying Spirit Nay the Word concludes them under greater misery and â—ooms them to a severer Damnation who are called to turn and yet refuse Mat. 11. 23. Thou Capernaum that are exalted unto Heaven who hast Heaven offer'd and such advantages of getting thither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not only go to Hell but be brought down with force and fury to one of the hottest and lowest places there It â—hall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorâ—ah in the day of Judgment than for Thee Such kind of threats may help to cure the spiritual Lethargy and to make Sinners â—fraid of remaining Unconverted You see what it is in the Word that has a tendency to Conversion In the second Place I am to demonstrate the Aptitude and fitness of the Word to be such a means of Conversion What has been spoken already is in part a Demonstration of it but this fitness of the Word may be further made evident 1. The Word is a Light which shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1. 19. and therefore 't is a proper means to turn men from darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God. The Word discovers what the Prince of darkness studiously endeavours to conceal Ignorance and Infidelity are the Pillars of Satans Kingdom he takes much pains to blind the Minds of the Unbelievers that the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God may not shine into them 2 Cor. 4. 4. This light gives a true and faithful representation of Sin as the most hateful and hurtful thing in the whole World of Satan also as the most subtle false envious malicious Deceiver and Murtherer of the Sons nay of the very Souls of men The Word reveals the Devils grand secret that the Broad way is the high Road to Ruine which has been trod by all the Damned Hell at the end of this way becomes naked by the Word of God which the Lying Spirit would not have at all to be credited or so much as thought on till Sinners find themselves thrown into it and there without any hope of Release and Remedy 2. The Word is a Perspective glass which brings things afar off near to the eye that so the Heart may be the more affected It shews that the whole of Time from the very first to the very last is but short if compared with Eternity and how the end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4. 7. and the Oath will at length be sworn That there shall be time no longer Scoffers indeed who walk after their own lusts do say Where is the Promise of our Lords coming They
mock at that glorious Redemption which Believers at Christs second appearing do expect and they laugh at till they feel the Flaming Vengeance that is to be executed upon themselves But the Word shews the Worlds end and how 't is reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and Perdition of ungodly men 2 Pet. 3. 7. The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night sadly surprizing the most of men in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the Works therein shall be burnt up Oh dreadful spectacle to behold the whole World in a Flame the serious and believing consideration of this conduces very much to Repentance Conversion and amendment of our wayes 'T is the Apostles own inference Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3. 10 11. 3. The Word is an Hammer to break the Heart Contrition and brokenness of Heart is one constant Ingredient in Conversion No less than Salvation is Promised to the contrite ones Psal 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken Heart and saveth such as be of a contrite Spirit Now the Word is the Hammer which breaks the Stony the Rocky Heart to pieces Those Hearers who derided the Miraculous Gift of Tongues the Apostle Peters Sermon reached and pierced their very Hearts and made them cry out Men and brethren what shall we do Act. 2. 37. Now Sin was set in order before their eyes and charged home upon their Consciencos now they tremble and are afraid of deserved Wrath now their stubborn spirits begin to yield unto God. They desire to know upon what terms they might be saved being willing to consent to any terms rather than miss of Salvation and perish everlastingly 4. The Word is a Fire to melt and purifie and so a proper means of Conversion which is indeed a turning from Sin to Holiness 'T is the Nature of Fire to separate the Mettal and the Dross Gold and Silver are refined by being put into the Furnace Thus the Word also separates between the Heart and its vicious and evil Habits and Qualities it separates between the Soul and its fleshly and worldly Lusts Now are ye clean says Christ through the Word which I have spoken unto you Joh. 15. 3. This Word is very Pure in it self and Pure in its Operation and Effects It severely forbids all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit and in this Word we find as a Precept concerning Holiness that 't is our Duty to perfect Holiness in the fear of God so a Promise wherein God has said he will work this Holiness in them that seek unto him and desire it Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you The Word is a Fire to Melt and Purge the Soul and then 't is a Mould also into which the Soul is as it were cast so that it has another an excellent form being conformed to the holy Nature and Will of God himself 5. The Word is as Seed of which the New Creature is begotten God himself is he who does regenerate all that are Converted and he does it of his own meer good Will and Pleasure but the Word is the Seed by which he does it Jam. 1. 18. Of his own VVill beg at he us with the VVord of Truth that we should be a kind of First-fruits of his Creatures So 1 Pet. 1. 23. Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible by the VVord of God which liveth and abideth for ever From this Seed comes the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness This Word is quick and powerful 't is powerful to quicken and enliven so that the Soul has a new Life and lives to God which before was dead in trespasses This Seed is effectual to a new formation of the Souls faculties and powers New Eyes there are in the Mind a new Disposition and Inclination in the Will the Affections also are new and of low and carnal they become high and holy and heavenly The Preachers of the Gospel are the sowers of this Seed of the Word and how should they be in travel till a New Creature comes on 't till Christ be formed in them that receive it Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth again till Christ be formed in you 6. The Word is a proper Means of Conversion for 't is the unerring Rule which shews both good and evil Evil that there may be an Aversion from it Good that there may be a Conversion to it The Scripture calls things by their deserved Names what that pronounces bad will be found by the most Unbelieving to be bad indeed and what that affirms to be good is really good at present and proves best at last Here are the Commandments in conformity to which true Goodness lies and Sin is defined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of them heark to the Prophet Mic. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what does the Lord thy God require of thee but to do jâ—stly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God All this is good in its own Nature pleasing to God profitable and pleasant unto Man The better this is understood the more likely 't is that evil and dangerous wayes should be forsaken and those Paths chosen and turn'd into that are safe and holy The Word shews what God approves and what he abhorrs It shews Mans Duty which is his Priviledge and that Sin is Mans Prejudice and Plague And he is a good Scholar indeed who has learnt to do well and ceased to do evil 7. The Word is a fit means of Conversion because it is the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. How shall not the Ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious The Word of God is of the Spirits Inspiration and his own Word he is pleased to accompany he moves and breaths and acts in it so that Miracles of Grace are wrought thereby He says to the blind Mind Receive thy sight and know the things that concern thy Peace to the Deaf the Spirit says Hear my Voice and yield Obedience to the Dead he says Arise out of thy Sins and from the Earth in which thou hast layn so long buried and live the Life of God from which thou hast been so long alienated And as the Spirit thus speaks so he speaks with efficacy He can work so that none shall hinder O blessed Word in which we find that exceeding great and precious Promise of the Spirit 't is but asking him and having him and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Captive Sinner is freed from the
let them hear them And after 't is answered further If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Luk. 16. 27 -31 A Sinner whose Heart is all Adamant and Sermon-proof the terrours of the Lord don't affright him the inestimable Treasures of the Gospel don't take him the Mediatours Vengeance for neglecting great Salvation is not at all dreaded Suppose a command should be given to unlock the gates of Hell and a damned Spirit that has been for some time tortur'd in the slames there and was once well known to this stupid Sinner should at Midnight appear to him and the Curtains being drawn aside and that Soul out of the midst of fire with a ghastly horrour in its looks should thus speak to Him Awake hard-hearted Wretch awake awake What sleep and lye secure in Sin that art in danger of dying in Sin every moment VVhat take thine ease who art so near to endless pain and Torment Thy time has both Feet and VVings and is with great haste both running and flying away from thee and as thy time in Sin and folly spends so thou daily and hourly approache◠nearer to a miserable Eternity Thy Judgment lingers not thy Damnation does not slumber while thou refusest to awake to Righteousness Once I made a mock of Sin as much as thou dost was mad to destroy my self as thou art I made a meer Jest of Hell but now I know I feel and wo wo is me I shall to my Sorrow feel for ever what 't is to be damn'd in earnest Sin 's thy worst Enemy Oh cast it away before it undoe thee past remedy Divine wrath and jealousie is in the other World found a hotter and heavier thing than ever could be conceived in this 'T is really a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But I have leave to stay no longer be sure to take this warning I have given thee I must again to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone where there are no such things as Help or Hope or Happiness but Pain and Misery are extream and endless Suppose I say a damned Soul should speak such language to a Sinner that has all along been deaf to the call of the Word and resisted the Spirit of the Lord he might perhaps be exceedingly amazed and possibly be frighted out of his VVits but he would not be scared out of his Sins nor ever by such an Apparition alone be turned unto God. If Gods own Word will not make thee a Convert O Sinner thy disease is obstinate against the likeliest remedy and what means will 5. The Word is a Means which Thousands and Millions in the VVorld never were so much Priviledg'd as to enjoy An Hallelujah is justly deserved and expected from the People of God of old because he shewed his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and Judgments to the Children of Israel whereas He had not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they had not known them Psal 147. 19 20. How great a part of the World is Satans Common how little comparatively is so much as the visible Inclosure of our Lord Jesus It is the observation of a Learned man that if the World were divided into thirty parts Nineteen would be found still Pagan six Mahometan and but five Christian take in all of all Perswasions But alas how much darkness is there even in Nations that are called Christian Ignorance is affected the Word of God and the Knowledg of it is taken away though the Scripture says that for lack of it people are destroyed Hos 4. 6. How Happy would you be that in this City enjoy the light of the Word of Truth if you would but thankfully and fruitfully improve it It is as it were Noon day with you whereas in other places it is but a dark down and in most parts of the Earth a black midnight In the fourth place I am to tell you whence this Means the Word of God comes to be effectual to Conversion 'T is made effectual by the Power of God and this Power he exerts by his own Spirit 1 Thes 1. 5. Our Gospel came not unto you in word only but in Power also and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance the wonderful effects of Divine Power wrought by the Holy Ghost in the Preaching of the Gospel was an Evidence and Assurance that this Gospel is not the Word of Man but of God Himself Now the manner of the Spirits working when he makes the Word effectual to Conversion I shall declare in these particulars 1. The Spirit impresses upon the Sinners Heart the Divine Authority of this Word 'T is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. 16. When the Lord Himself is eyed and own'd in his Word then it shews it self mighty If the Messengers and Publishers of the Word only are regarded and there is not a looking beyond them they being but earthen vessels the Word though a Treasure will be trampled under foot But when Sinners are Converted the Spirit makes it evident that the Word is really of God. The demonstration of this is styled the demonstration of the Spirit He does demonstrate the Words divine Authority several wayes By Signs and VVonders wrought for its Confirmation Heb. 2. 4. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost according to his own will. That these Miracles were done 't is plain for the Word of God pretending to Miracles done so openly so often by and upon so many persons in the midst of cunning and malicious Adversaries who were watchful enough to have espied the deceit if there had been any if such Miracles really had never been wrought this Word and the Religion it teaches would never have been received Our Lord Jesus though the Son of God when upon Earth was humbled in the form of a Servant yet affirms himself to be the Saviour of the VVorld preaches a Doctrine contrary to Flesh and Blood tells all that will be his Disciples they must deny themselves and forsake all that is dear to them in this World whenever they are called to it for the sake of a Treasure and Kingdom in Heaven And often he appeals to his working Miracles as a Confirmation of his Doctrine that it was from Heaven Now if such Miracles had never been wrought the Imposture would have been so apparent that the Christian Faith would never have been embraced by any of common sense and understanding And 't is evident also that these Miracles were done by the power of God. Wonders indeed were wrought by the Egyptian Magicians but outvied by greater Wonders effected by Moses Gods Servant These Miracles were beyond the Power and Ability of second Causes Who could make the blind to see and the deaf to hear and the lame to walk but that God who formed the Eye
planted the Ear and curiously fashioned the other Members Who would raise the Dead but the Lord of of Life himself The Spirit further also demonstrates the Words Authority from the accomplishment of Scripture Prophesies as concerning Cyrus building of the Temple Isa 44. 28. The King of Grecia his ruining the Persian Monarchy which was verified in Alexander the Great Dan. 8. 21. The calling of the Gentiles Isa 42. 4. Zeph. 2. 11. How many false Gods do we find famished and the Lord Jehovah worshipped in the Isles of the Heathen It was also fulfill'd which our Lord spake concerning his Death that after his being lift up from the Earth he would draw all men to him which was rather likely to drive all men from him He also said he would have a Church to the end of the VVorld Mat. 28. ult and notwithstanding all that Earth and Hell can do he has had one to this very day The Spirit also shews the divine Matter of the Word the admirable consent and agreement of all its parts and the design of the whole which is to give Glory to God and to represent him as most worthy of Admiration Praise Faith Fear and Love and Service Its Precepts are so excellent and pure that if the Professors of Religion would but live according to them the World might quickly be convinced of the unreasonableness of Infidility A thorow perswasion of the Words Authority is from the Spirit and has a mighty force to startle the Conscience and awe the heart of a Sinner And to make it stoop unto God which was before rebellious 2. The Spirit causes the Word most firmly to be believed as that which is of most certain verity and truth this follows upon the former If it be the Word of God who cannot lye there is nothing false or uncertain in it Ever since Man first harkned to the Father of lies he is very prone to embrace falshood He is not to be trusted as a Guide any further than God guides him because so apt himself to err and mistake But let God be true saies the Apostle though it follows and every Man a Lyar Rom. 3. 4. God cannot be deceived because he is Omniscient and his understanding is Infinite Psal 147. 5. And he will not deceive any because he is the God of Truth Whatever has proceeded out of his Mouth its certainty is not to be doubted of Faith therefore which believes whatsoever God speaks and because he speaks is indeed the highth and very â—lower of Reason We read of a Door of Faith Act. 14. 27. They rehearsed all things that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles The Word of God has entrance by Faith as by a Door into the Heart and Faith as a Door shuts it in then how powerful is it in working The Commands being lookt upon as indeed the Commands of God will no longer presumptuously be broken the Promises being believed â—â— be the Promises of God who keeps Truâ—â— for ever will be embraced A firm belief of the Words truth is at the bottom of all true Conversion to God and 't is Infidelity that is the great reason of departing from him 3. The Spirit powerfully convinces the Sinner how evil a thing Sin is which the Word of God so severely and strictly forbids Sin is that which of all things in the World is most of all mistaken If it were rightly known by all not one in the World could love or like it But most are ignorant what 't is and whither it tends and securely and unconcernedly remain under its guilt and power Mens lusts are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. they seem to consult their gain and pleasure but indeed war against their Souls and yet this War is so carried on that 't is not perceived Souls are kept stupified and intoxicated till they are utterly lost and ruined 'T is the work of the Spirit to discover what Sin is He shews how contrary 't is to God how evil and provoking in the eyes of his Holiness and his Glory how contrary 't is to the Law of God which is most exexcellent all whose Precepts are most profitable and pleasant to those that love and keep them He shews likewise how contrary Sin is to Man himself It loads him with Curses of various sorts it makes every thing he has to be cursed to him It does defile debase and wound him and unless he turn from it it will for ever destroy and damn him 'T is one thing to be told of all this by Man and another to have a powerfull discovery and Conviction of all this by the Spirit He shews the Vanity of all sins excuses pretences and promises of Impunity Peace and Safety The Spirit speaks very home to the Conscience and particularly and causes the Sinner to whom he speaks to hear and heed and tremble Thou art the Man that hast offended God! Thou art the Soul that hast sinn'd and dost deserve to dye Thou art the Fool-hardy Wretch that hast engaged the Almighty to be thine Enemy Against thy ungodliness and unrighteousness in particular his wrath is certainly revealed from Heaven And how soon if thou refusest to forsake thy impious and unrighteous ways may this wrath fall upon thee and sink thee into the bottomless pit of Wo. If thou resolvest still to go on in thy trespasses thy very next step may take hold of Hell 4. The Spirit reveals Christ in the Word and draws the Sinner to him The Holy Ghost does testifie concerning the Lord Jesus Joh. 15. 26. The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me And what a Glorious Testimony does he give him Christ is the summe and substance of all Supernatural Revelation All the lines both of the Old Testament and of the New do meet in this Center The design of the Old Testament was to forshew him as the Peace-maker between God and Man who was to be wounded for transgression to make his Soul an offering for Sin to bring in everlasting righteousness and to be the Author of plâ—nteous and eternal Redemption and Salvation The New Testament which is the accomplishment of the Old does more fully declare Christ Here the Spirit more plainly tells us of his Godhead of his fulness of his Manhood of his Mercifulness what power he has to save what Bowels of Pity towards them that see they are lost without him And in shewing all this how does the Spirit shew himself a Comforter And as the Spirit discovers Christ so he draws the Sinner to him he causes the Word to reach the Heart and to subdue it so that the Heart gladly surrenders and freely opens to receive Jesus which before by ignorance prejudice and unbelief was very fast Bolted and Barr'd against him There can be no turning to God but as he is in Christ for how can guilty and defiled Man draw
Beloved do you think that Sathan hath not carefully treasâ—red up all the Sermons that you have lost all the Sermons that you have slept away all the Sermons that you have remained Ignorant and stupid under Sathan hath them to produce and shew against you at the great approaching day Be unwilling that your Hearts should remain like stony ground a hard heart will hinder the Word of God from taking root Be not terrified at any Persecutions that you may meet with for the Words sake Let the fear of God swallow up the ensnaring fear of Man. Pluck up all the thorns and how many of them are in your hearts Away with your cares about the World let not these eat up the heart and time and expell the more needful care about the one thing necâ—ssary Be not deceived by Earthly Riches let not these dazle your eyes with their glistering nor cause you to look with a strange eye upon the Treasures of Heaven which are everlasting In a word be not fond of your Lusts of your Pleasures any longer Sin hath kept you at a distance from God and the Children of wrath and disobedience but too long already 2. Chuse to sit under that Ministry thâ—â— speaks most home to the Conscience and that doth manifest the most earnest desire after the Conversion of Souls Those that are instructed from Heaven rightly to wield the sword of the Spirit so that it shall pierce the heart and as it were diâ—â—ect the Soul and make the secrets of â—â— manifest really their pains are very much to be prized and it were to be wisht that the voice of such could reach the ears of thousands and of millions because these Preachers are bound for Heaven themselves and it is their desire and design that great multitudes may go along with them thither 3. Be glad of and take the watchmans warning believe and tremble at the Sword of God that is coming to wound to slay all those that go on still in their trespasses Psal 68. 21. Destruction from the Almighty in which the Power of God is to be manifest in the glory of it must needs be exceeding terrible settle it upon your hearts that every Sin doth anger God Flee from Sin you must or escape his wrath you cannot As certainly as God is holy just â—â—â— true so certainly none but those that are holy shall be happy in and with him so certainly all that refuse to turn to him â—hall be Sentenced to depart for ever from â—im into everlasting burnings Your Blood will not lye upon my head I have told â—ou of the Sword that is a coming I â—ave given the watchmans warning if â—ou love God if you love your selves take â—â— 4. Hear God himself speaking by the Miâ—istry of Man if you would have the Word â—ffectual to your Conversion Alas the word â—f Man is but feeble breath but the Word â—f God can raise the dead John 5. 25. Veâ—ily verily I say to you the hour is comâ—â—g and now is when the dead shall hear the â—oice of the Son of God and they that hear â—all live It is not Man mistake not It â—â— not Man but God that telleth you that â—e Soul that sinneth shall dye It is not Man but God that tells you if you turn â—â— him he will turn to you and he will â—ecome a God and Father to you and you â—â—ough never so much strangers though â—ver so great enemies shall become the â—â—ns and Daughters of the Lord Almighty Cor. 6. ult These Gospel invitations these â—ospel Promises ought to be heeded ought â—â— be credited as if God had utter'd them with an audible Voice from Mount Sion as he did the Law of old from Mount Sinai Friend where are you You are before God who is speaking to you You are taking notice of the man Pray look further God speaks to you by the Tongue of a mortal Man. In hearing the Word remember that you have to do with God and how dare you refuse to turn to him 5. Lastly Would you have the Word effectual unto your Conversion Pray that God would open your Hearts to attend to what is spoken We read of Lydia that her Heart was opened Naturally it was shut and it would have remained shut still notwithstanding all the skill and Endeavours of the Minister The Text plainly tells us that it was the Lord that did open the heart of Lydia Acts 16. 14. And as the Lord did open hers so it is the Lord alone that can open yours Upon the hearing of this one should sigh and say Lord open mine Another should groan and say Lord open mine And a third should burst out into tears and say Lord open mine And this should be the general request of all That God would immediately open the Hearts of all and if once your hearts are opened then the Word of God will enter and the Spirit of Grace will enter and all will turn to God that are before him Thus have I finished the third Doctrine that I raised from the Text That the Word of God is the great means of Conversion Doct. 4. I come to the fourth and last Doctrine that I raised from the words and that is this That in the VVord of God which is the means of Conversion there is a Perfection and Sufficiency The Law of the Lord is perfect Converting the Soul I wish that the Power of this Word upon your Hearts and Consciences this day may be a sensible Demonstration of this Words perfection There are several properties of this Word that do commend it and render it much more desirable than all the Worldly wealth and greatness that the Children of Men do so much admire It is of Heavenly Original it is true it is necessary it is pure it is powerful it is perspicuous and plain and among other properties of the Word this is one it is perfect The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The Hebrew word signifies pure without mixture whole and compleat having nothing wanting There is no defect in this Word of God of any thing that ought to be there and it cannot be charged with any thing that ought not to be there or that doth unbecome that God whose Word it is In the handling of this Doctrine I shall proceed in this Method 1. I shall shew you in what sence the Word of God is perfect And 2. By Arguments I shall prove the Perfection and Sufficiency of the Word of God. 3. I shall give you the Reasons why the Perfection and Sufficiency of the Word of God is mentioned when Conversion is spoken of And then in the last place I shall conclude with the Application 1. I am to state this Perfection of the Word of God and to shew you in what sence the Word of God is perfect By his Word you are to understand that which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament the Penmen of these Scriptures
you will deem your selves you will be â—ost about with every wind of Doctrine your Heads and Hearts too will be strongly possest by the evil Spirit and having run through all Forms of Religion you may at length cast off the very Profession and Form of Godliness and degenerate even into the rankest Atheism living and oh dreadful dying also without God! 2. Take heed of those who charge the written Word of God with Impersection whatever pains such may take to make Proselytes of you certainly they are not likely to turn you to God who endeavour to instill a prejudice into you against his Word They that disparage the Holy Scripture as unnecessary as obscure as onely occasionally written and not fully declaring the Mind of God whatever they pretend really the Scripture is against them and their false Opinions and carnal Interest and that 's the true ground of their quarrel with it Open the door for unwritten Traditions and at that Door the foulest Heresies will presently enter and pretend to great Antiquity nay to Divine Authority St. Cyprian Epist 74. Vnde est ista Traditio utrum de dominica evangelica auctoritate descendens an de Apostolorum mandatis atque epistolia â—eniens Eâ—â—nim facienda quae scripâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—â— testatur Si ergo in Evangelio praecipitur aut in Apostolorum 〈…〉 Actibus contiâ—â—tur observetur hac divina 〈◊〉 sanctae traditio Cyprian Epist 74. Pompeio fratri tells us plainly That that is to be allowed as an holy and divine tradition that is commanded in the Gospel or contained in the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles This Man was a Father very Ancient and a Martyr too for the Faith of Christ Keep stedfast and attentive to the Word of God. They who would lead you into Paths no where in Scripture to be found would mislead you Christ is to be heard and 't is in his Word that his voice sounds his own sheep know his voice and follow him but a Stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of Strangers Joh. 10. 4 5. The Apostle signifies that they who teach a voluntary humility the worshipping of Angels the neglect of the body or any other Will-worship though there be never so great a shew of wisdom in it they do but go about to beguile others and are vainly puft up with a fleshly mind themselves because these things have no warrant from the Word of God Col. 2. 18. 23. 3. Take heed of of a profane contempt of this Word of God which is such a perfect Remedy and which you all do so much need What are you more afraid of the Medicine than the Malady More afraid of that VVord which is such a means to turn you than of Sin which is ready to ruine you To throw your Silver and Gold about the Streets to burn your Houses down to the ground setting Fire to them with your own hands to cast your Food which you should live upon unto the Dogs is nothing neer so pernicious a madness as to contemn the Word of God the great Means of Conversion and Salvation Preferr not the Curse before the Blessing when both are set before you Chuse not death when if you are but willing to live Holily and Happily Eternal Life will be your own Esau is branded as a profane and foolish Wretch who for one morfel of Meat sold his Birth-right Heb. 12. 16. And what folly and profaneness will you discover if you mind only the vanities of this World the fashion of which passes away and neglect all that Grace and Glory whereof in the Word of God you have so full and compleat a discovery Where is the Faith where is the Reason where is the Self-love of that Man who despiseth a perfect Word which perfectly shewes the way to an everlasting Kingdom Consider this and shew your selves Men O ye Transgressors VSE II. Of Counsel and that in several particulars 1. Take notice of the Divinity of the Word in its Perfection God himself is Perfect his works are perfect and so is his VVord The Words Perfection shews its Original Divine Wisdom Holiness Grace and Mercy how illustrious are they in the Scripture The Laws from Mount Sinai are such in both the Tables as speak more than what is Humane more than the disposition of Angels and evidently shew that the Wise the Good the Righteous Jehovah was the Legislator The Mysteries of the Gospel are the deep things of God 1 Cor. 10. 11. which could never have entred into Mans Heart and Understanding if the Spirit of God had not revealed them Here is a Depth of counsel and knowledg an highth of Love which was from Eternity which shall never change in time and which will continue unalterable to Eternity Precepts are plain and full Promises precious threats though severe yet needful One God is made known and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. Distinctions ubi lex non distinguit where the Word distinguishes not are in no wise to be admitted It is through the Son not by Angels and Saints in Heaven that we have access by one Spirit unto the Father Eph. 2. 18. This is the true Worship this is the right way keep in it and be safe There are several external motives of credibility and there are intrinsick evidences in the word it self that 't is of God and among the rest its Perfection is a great one And 't is observable that they who deny its Perfection do make its Authority to be dependent and precarious 2. Admire the Perfection and fulness of the written Word It was a noble saying of * Scriptuâ— esse doceat Hermogenis officina si non est scriptum timeat Vae illud adjicientibus aut detrahentibus destitiatum Tertul. lib. adversus Hermog cap. 22. Tertullian Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem I adore the fulness of the Scripture We need no more than what is there upon record to bring us to the true knowledg of God and to make us increase in spiritual understanding and the more we look into the Scripture we shall still see more and more in it to raise our admiration to take our Hearts and our Affections The Scripture is a Mine out of which comes nothing but what is Sound and Pure helps to understand it are to be valued But by these helps we must take heed of being drawn off from it self This Mine is farther and farther to be searched into for we are to be growing in Grace and Knowledge all our days 2 Pet. 3. ult And Solomon tells us that this searching will not be lost labour Prov. 2. 4 5 6 7. If thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledg of God for the Lord giveth wisdom out of his Mouth cometh Knowledge and Vnderstanding he layeth up sound wisdom for
Detestation and abhorrency I was upright before thee says David and I kept my self from mine iniquity Psal 18. 23. possibly he may mean revenge upon Saul which he had again and again opportunity to take which not only those that were with him but Corruption of Nature might prompt him to but the true Grace which was in him was peremptory against 4. Let your Hearts be perfect in being sound in Gods Statutes Let them all be approved for all are the Lords and all are worthy This argues a rectified Judgment indeed when every Precept is lookt on as right and that the keeping of it is not only a Duty but a kindness to him that keeps it I esteem all thy Commandments says the Psalmist concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal 119. 128. Though there be an Election of some yet if there be a Reprobation of other Commandments the Heart is not sound It cannot have a right respect to any unless it have a general respect to all The Apostle tells us that parâ—iâ—â— obedience will not pass Jam. 2. 10. VVhosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all An allowed neglect oâ— one command argues that none are kept because they are Gods and that he may be pleased because he has been pleased to injoyn one as well as another 5. Let your Hearts be perfect in consenting to the Sanctification of all your Faculties and Powers Desire that your whole Souls should be renewed by the Grace of God and highly value every Grace of the Spirit Every Power iâ— you needs Renovation and every Grace of thâ— Holy Ghost excells in worth all things that arâ— Temporal Faith Love Fear Hope Meekness Patience Temperance Humility and the rest how much better are they than the best thingâ— of this present evil VVorld And when any new degrees are added to the Grace you have conclude that you are very highly favoured 6. Let your Hearts be perfect in havinâ— right designs and making God your end He 〈◊〉 his own end and with good reason for theâ— is nothing so good so high as He. Let hiâ— be your end in all you do Still let your Hâ—aâ— designing to extol him by more high aâ— suitable apprehensions by more enlarged 〈◊〉 raised affections by a more profound Submiâ—sion to him Design that others may be brougâ— to Honour him and desire his Name may be â—lowed all the Earth over and that his Kingdom may be advanced above all other Monarchies whatsoever Thus your hearts should be perfect 2. I exhort you to walk in a perfect way Walk not according to the course of this World after the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that works in the Children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. Walk not as those Professors did of whom the Apostle speaks with Weeping Phil. 3. 18 19. Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even Weeping that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is in their shame and who mind earthly things But do you take heed of imitating such patterns be sure to shun their pernicious paths Follow better examples walk in a perfect way Thus to walk implys three things 1. Walk humbly with God break not the first Table of the Law let not onely the Lord himself but his Worship his Ordinances his Name his Sabbaths be dear unto you Neglect not publick Ordinances in the Sanctuary private in the Family secret in the Closet Perform every Duty as before God Perform every Duty as to Him. 2. Make great Conscience also of doing your Duty towards Men. Be perfectly true and just in all your dealings with all To defraud to deceive to over-reach any way to be unjust to your Neighbour is to injure and engage the Justice of God against you â—e very merciful to those that are in distress and â—isery and if your Souls are drawn out towards â—hem indeed to compassionate their case purses and â—ands will be open for their relief Especially prâ—y those that are in Sin as well as Misery and are â—n the worse condition because neither Sin nor Miâ—ery are perceived I beseech you also be very exact in doing the Duties of your places and relations that you may glorifie the Perfect Word of God the perfect rule you walk by in being Parents Children Subjects Husbands Wives Masters Servants with a Nonâ—-such none that are without the Word being in any of these relations comparable to you 3. Do not injury but your duty towards your selves Employ not your Eyes your Tongues your Hands or any of your Members to your own hurt and defiling Do not by uncleanness sin against your own bodies 1 Cor. 6. 18. Do not by Surfeiting and Drunkenness load them with diseases and hasten them to the Grave Let not Covetousness and carking care make you to â—ise up early and sit up late and eat the Bread of sorrows nor cause you to be uncharitable to the needy and to grudg what is convenient to your selves Thus walk in a perfect way 3. In the third and last place I exhort you to stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God Col. 4. 12. His Perfect Word should alwaies be heeded The good and honest Heart receives this Word understands it and how safe 't is to be guided by it eveâ— unto death and therefore brings forth fruit with patience Luke 8. 15. Why with patience Because patience is very requisite to overcome both the difficulty of duty and trouble and Persecution upon the account of duty Heb 10. 36. Ye have need of patience that after ye have doâ— the Will of God ye might receive the Promise Perseverâ— in the Perfect Word in the good the acceptable the perfect Will and Work of God unto thâ— end hereby manifest you are Disciples and Servants indeed And an happy Eternity will satisfie you that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. VSE IV. Of Consolation The Perfection of the Word of God serves for much comfort to the Church of Christ and all Converts the true Members of it The Grounds of Consolation are these 1. Wherever this Church is this perfect Word of God shall certainly be The Word may sometimes be Eclipsed in a Church but never quite extinguished Indeed when a Church is unchurched the Word goes When the Candlestick is removed the light in that place is put out But suppose a Church to remain there will be the Word by which 't was gather'd and which is a means also to govern and preserve it in spight of all opposite Policy and Power Spiritual hunger is a blessed thing it never ends in Starving but in Satisfaction Mat. 5. 6. The sincere Members of the true Church have this hunger therefore they shall more or less have the food of the Word to sustain and strengthen them The Great and Good Shepherd will some way
or other provide for the Sheep of his Pasture 2. This Church shall have the Spirit along with the Word We may as well suppose a living Body without a Soul as a true Church of Christ without his Spirit The Spirit is promised and given to the Church to abide there for ever Joh. 14. 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Now where the Spirit of the Lord is how effectual is the Word what Light what Liberty what Power what Peace is there The Spirit makes the Means of Grace to attain their end He fills Ordinances with an Heavenly vertue he quickens the Dead enlarges the straitned Heart causes fruit to be brought forth plentifully he comforts the true Converts and stablishes them in every good word and work 3. It 's matter of Consolation that in this perfect Word of God there is wisest and safest counsel given Prov. 6. 22. When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou awakest it shall talk with thee So Prov. 3. 23. Thou shalt walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble This Word counsels Converts against evil Men evil Women evil Angels an evil World and against every evil work It never gave bad counsel unto any The Counsels of the Word are best with reference to Eternity and with reference to Time also It bids us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear to live as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth that we may be less concerned and disturbed and keep more unspotted from the World. It bids us to walk uprightly that we may walk surely It informs us that all carnal Policy which is joyned with a contempt of God and Religion is onely a cunning contrivance to undo our selves but 't is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of Wisdom and the Knowledge of the Holy is understanding 4. In this Perfect Word of God a compleat Armour is found to secure Converts against the Enemies of their Salvation Eph. 6. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand This Armour is to be valued indeed which is Armour of proof which secures us against the worst and most powerful Adversaries which certainly defends and makes us victorious when sighting for Eternal life when those against whom these Enemies prevail will surely dy the everlasting Death The Apostle speaks at large of the pieces of this Armour We are furnished with the Girdle of Truth sound Doctrine must be held fast our Judgments well settled against errour Here is the Breast-plate of Righteousness Sincere Holiness must be in the Heart if the Spirit be not right if the Heart be not clean there can be no safety Here the feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace The Gospel that is the Word of Reconciliation with God and that speaks Peace to the Conscience does prepare and fit us to walk in the way of Holiness and the difficulties of that way are endured with patience Here is the shield of Faith Believing on Jesus resting on the Promises that in in Him are Yea and Amen quenches the Fiery Darts of Satan so that true Converts are not sunk into an Hell of Despair by the remembrance of their past Sins which the Blood of Jesus has made an atonement for neither are they discouraged by fiery Trials by the siercest Persecutions Here is the Helmet of Salvation that is the Hope of Salvation This Hope is lively well grounded will never make ashamed and causes the Convert to lift up his head with courage because Redemption and Glory are aproaching Here is the Sword of the Spiâ—it the Word of God rightly used and applyed And unto these pieces of Armour Preces Lacrymae arma Ecclesiae Prayers and Tears which are the Churches Weapons must be added because we need not onely Armour but skill and strength to use it from above then we shall prevail indeed when we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might How strong may be the Consolation considering how compleat and strong the Armour is how strong the Helper of a Christian Eph. 6. 10 -18 5. In this Perfect Word of God the Convert finds Promises that may serve to support and encourage him in every condition Is he afflicted 't is in faithfulness and love not in wrath and hatred Prov. 3. 12. Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth And affliction shall be profitable because it shall be purifying Heb. 12 10. He that is the Father of Spirits chastizeth for our profit that we may be partakers of his Holiness Is the Convert poor and destitute He may cast all his care on God who cares for him 1 Pet. 5. 7. The young Lions lack and suffer hunger but those that seek the Lord have him to be their Shepheard and shall not want any good thing Psal 34. 10. Is the Convert tempted His merciful and faithful High-Priest was tempted before him and knowes how to succour him Heb. 2. ult When the Apostle was sorely buffered by Satan and cries for help what answer has he See be encouraged when you see 2 Cor. 12. 9. And the Lord said unto me My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Is the Convert deserted and troubled because God hides his face He has the Name of God and his everlasting Covenant to trust in and the Face that is now hidden will be shewn again and dry up the Tears of the deserted Isa 54. 7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a little wrath hid I my Face from thee for a Moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 6. 'T is matter of Comfort unto Converts that this Perfect word endures for ever 1 Pet. 1. 24 25. All Flesh is grass and all the glory of Man as the Flower of the field the Grass withereth and the Flower thereof falleth away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you The Word is an everlasting truth never did any never shall any find it false 'T is a means to Convert the Soul to make the Heart new and 't is written in the new heart in Characters that are indelible and abiding 't is a Sustentation to the New Creature and cherishes it unto that Life which is Eternal The New nature is Immortal true Grace never dies but at Death is perfected in Glory that fadeth not away The CONCLUSION THus have
I done with all the Doctrines but yet I have not done with you Words of instruction Solomon compares to Nayls Eccles 12. 11. I shall add a few strokes more to drive them home How can I with patience see any of you secure in Sin still fast asleep Under Satans power and upon the bottomless pits brink And every moment in danger of tumbling down into it Though some of you make light of Hell and more light of Sin that does deserve it yet I foresee how you will change your minds when once you feel what 't is to be there and I would fain prevent your going thither What shall I say how shall I do to prevail with you to become willing to a sincere Conversion and so escape eternal Misery and Confusion Once more I cry as loud and earnestly as I am able Tâ—rn ye Turn ye O ye youngest that are here turn to God Your whole time is short enough to provide for Eternity begin early to redeem it Can you be too soon safe and happy safe in being under the Wing of Christ happy in having the Lord to be your God and Father Oh ye Children become Converts Christ is ready to embrace you in his Arms and bless you I should not at all fear the Gospels going if I could behold much of the Work of Regeneration among the young generation O ye oldest Sinâ—rs Turn to God the door of Mercy is not quite shut though you have lived so long in Sin 'till you have one foot in the Grave Admirable Mystery and Miracle of Grace when those are in a spiritual sense New Born who were old both in Years and Wickedness Turn ye O you that have most Righteousness of your own for your Righteousness is filthy raggs and you have Sin enough to ruine you Turn ye O you that have been guilty of the greatest Transgressions for in the Lord is superabâ—ndant Grace enough and enough to save you If you will not Turn you gratifie the evil One the Enemy of your Salvation you Consent to be his Slavis and Prey and chuse rather to dwell with him in Torment than with the Lord in Glory If you will not turn you are Sâ—lâ—-haters not Accessariâ—s only but Principals in the Murthering of your own Souls It was a true saying of Salvian Nemo nobis Crâ—â—â—â—ior nobis none more Cruel none so cruel to sinful Man as he is to himself The very Prince of the Devils has not so great an hand in his Destruction If you will not turn immediately this very day hour moment it may quickly be too late Abused Mercy may go away for ever and God may now at last foreit who has long waited to be gracious The Axe before another Sabbath may be laid to the root of the Tree which bears nothing but the Grapes of Sodom and the Clustâ—s of Gomorrah A Sentence may be pronounced from Heaven Hâ—w down such a strange and degenerate Plant and cast it into fiâ—e unquenchable But if at last you see with with your Eyes and hear with your eaâ—s and understand with your hearts and turn to the Lord the Father will receive you with open arms of love and kindness his tenderest Bowels will be troubled for you and sure Mercies shall be yours Tâ— Lord Jesus will see of the travel of his Soul to his Satisfaction rejoycing that Children of Regeneration are born into his Church whâ— shall be Heirs of Glory The Comforter who was grieved and vexed at your resistance will be much pleased to see you yield and will delight to dwell in you and to fill you both with Grace and Peace Converting Grace whenever wrought on Earth causes a Neâ— Triumph above in Glory The Thrones Dominions the Cherubim the Seraphim that are there will sing a New Song of Praiâ— they will give glory to God in the Highest when more Sinners are begotten again to a lively Hope they will ascribe Blessing and Honour to the Lamb when more Souls are redeemed by his Blood. Have I been speaking unto Stocks and Stones or unto those who have Senses Souls and Reason If you will not turn that you may be saved I must confess 't were well if you had no Souls to lose for ever It was a Custom among the Ancient Romans to keep dead Bodies above ground several dayes and often to cry in their ears with a loud Voice to see if they were dead indeed And these were called Corpora conclamata Bodies that had been cryed unto in vain and then they were carried to their Burial May not your Souls O unconverted Sinners be called Animae conclamatae Souls that have been often cryed unto to turn and live But if you still refuse 't is a sign you are very dead indeed and you may quickly be buried in the fiery Tophet out of which you shall never rise more But alas all Pleadings Intreaties Arguments will be to little purpose unless there come a convincing Light a converting Power from above Cachedram habet in coelo qui corda docet in terrâ He has his Chair in Heaven who teaches hearts on Earth Oh that the glorious Spirit would come and breath upon the dead dry bones and inspire a Life that may never end That he would cause All even the most hardned and dead in sin to become Alive to God and have their fruit unto holiness that the end may be everlasting Life Let God arise and let his enemies be scatter'd Let Sin Satan and Mammon be forced to flee before Him that all Hearts possest by them may now submit to Him When the tongues of Men and Angels cannot prevail one powerful word from God can convert a multitude of Souls though they have been never so disobedient and gainsaying If the Lord will fill his Sanctuary with his Glory it will be to all unconverted Ones that are here the place of their new Birth and the very Gate of Heaven FINIS A WARNING GIVEN TO Secure Sinners TO Prepare for Judgment TO Flee from Wrath to Come AND Turn from All Sin BUT Especially the Sin which does most easily beset them By NATHANAEL VINCENT M. A. Minister of the Gospel Ezek. 33. 7. O Son of Man I have set thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the Word at my Mouth and warn them from Me. LICENSED March 17th 1688. LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers-Chappel 1688. THE Epistle to the READER Reader WHen I Preached these following Sermons I had not the least thought of Publishing them They were taken from my Mouth by a dexterous and nimble hand that wrote almost every Word I utter'd I was very much sollicited to Print them and the Notes being written out fair and brought to me I have look'd them over and now they are presented to thee with a sincere Design that they may be beneficial to thee and not without Hope they will be so
the words is this Though all sin is to be cast away the Master-sin especially is to be abandoned In the handling of this Doctrine I shall 1. Prove that all Sin is to be cast away 2. I shall shew you how the Master sin may be known 3. Produce the Reasons why this in a special manis to be forsaken And then in the last place make Application In the first place I am to prove that every sin should be cast away and the Argument to convince you of this is in the Verse where my Text lies Every Sin is a weight and a most unreasonable thing it is that Men should be fond of that which is burthensome and grievous The weightiness of Sin I shall demonstrate in these particulars 1. Sin is a weight to a softned and sensible soul though a stupid Transgressor feels Sin no more than a stone does a Mountain that lies upon it yet when once the Heart of Stone is turned into a Heart of Flesh Sin presently becomes very burthensome He that has a new Heart and a new Spirit given him will have new and other apprehensions of Sin he will look upon Sin with sorrow and himself with self-abhorrency Ezek. 36. 26 31. A new Heart will I give you a new Spirit will I put within you Then shall ye remember your evil wayes and your doings that have not been good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations David could not make light of sin when once convinced of its evil by the Spirit he grieves because he had offended God he fears his wrath that he had deserved and earnestly implores compassion and favour His Sin lay very hard upon him Psal 38. 4 6. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 2. Sin is a weight unto the damned in Hell that 't is so I know but how weighty I cannot express no mind on Earth is able to conceive Sin is the weight which has sunk all the Souls that are there into that place of Wo and because sin will ly upon them for ever they shall never be able to rise up under it In Hell there is a full a general an everlasting Conviction that sin is heavy If we could discourse with the rich Man who as the Gospel tells us is in Hell and ask him whether his Gluttony Pride contempt of God hatred of Holiness are light or weighty Oh! what would that Tongue that cryed out for a drop of Water answer to such a question Surely none in Hell â—n make light of sin which brought them thither 3. Sin is a weight which burthens the whole Creation Hard-hearted Man groans not under it when the whole Creation besides does The Creatures were made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Rom. 8. 20. and v. 22. We â—â—ow that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together even until now And all these travelling pains they are the effects of Sin. Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes uses several very significant expressions Vanity of Vanities all is vaniny and all things are full of labour Man cannot utter it And again there are many things that increase vanity When Sin entred into the World it made a sad alteration in it well may the Creatures groan under it and though their pains are terrible pains of travel yet because such pains they are hopeful and will issue in a restauration which will certainly be for God has said it He has told us thus much that the Creature shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8. 21. But the manner of this Restauration he has not told us Gods silence should repress inquisitive Curiosity 4. Sin was found a Weight by Jesus the Mediator He undertook and 't was well for us he did to bear this Burthen and no Shoulders but his could have born it but when he bore it how did he groan under it This put him into an Agony this made him Sweat and Sweat drops of Blood. This made him cry out my Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death And My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh! blessed Saviour what extorted such cryes as these from Thee Oh! Sinner It was thy Sin and the Sins of all others whom I save that lay so hard upon Me Isa 53. 6. All we like Sheep sayes the Prophet have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquity of us all If the Man Christ Jesus had not been the Eternal Son of God he could never have born such an heavy Load as all the Sins of his whole Church laid upon him at once all together 5. God himself complains of Sin as a weighty thing which He is very weary of Isa 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy Sins and hast wearied me with thine Iniquities And Amos 2. 13. Behold I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves Sin is a Burthen to the Almighty tho he be so rich and abundant in Forbearance and Long-suffering Nay Sin will make Duties to be a Burthen to Him Isa 1. 13 14. Bring no more vain Oblations your Sabbaths and calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is Iniquity even the Solemn Meeting Your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth they are a Trouble to me I am weary to bear them And 't is observable when the Lord comes to a Resolution to punish Sinners because of their Transgressions He speaks as One about to ease himself of a Load Isa 1. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel Ah! I will ease me of my Adversaries and avenge me of my Enemies If Sin be thus a Weight I advise all to be weary and beg to be eased of it He is a senseless Fool indeed who makes a Mock of Sin and still goes on to add unto his own Burthen In the second place I shall shew you how the Master Sin may be known And here I would premise these three things 1. All Sin that is allowed of may truly be said to Reign where 't is allowed A Man that wilfully continues in the Commission of any Sin is certainly the Servant of it whatever it be 'T is the Misery of the unregenerate that they have tot Dominos quot vitia so many Lusts so many Lords 2. There is in many Persons a particular Sin which does prevail more than any other In the Natural Body there are all the Humours yet One commonly is Predominant and the Denomination is from that Thus 't is in the Body of Sin tho there is a Mass of all Corruption yet there may be some special Corruption that has the
't is no longer loved 'T is a Sign of malice towards our Neighbour if we are glad to hear all the Evil that is spoken of him and all the Reproach that is cast upon him 'T is a Sign of hatred to Sin when we like to have it discovered when we like that its deceitful and damnable Nature should be represented and the falsness foulness and filthiness of it should be laid open and naked Sin is so great an Evil that there cannot be too much Evil spoken of it 't is so great an Enemy that you can never too faithfully and plainly be warned against it 3. Do you apprehend your greatest danger to be from your Master Sin and therefore continually endeavour the Mortification of it The King of Syria give this Commission to his Army Fight neither against small nor great save onely with the King of Israel What were all besides to be spared No certainly many Israelites fell in the battel But there was a principal design to take at least if not to cut off the King of Israel All Sin deserves thy hatred no Sin is so small an Enemy as that thou mayest safely spare it But the Master Sin is the chief foe therefore its destruction should chiefly be designed That Man that is an Enemy to his Master Sin desires it may be still weakned by all means Oh! saith he that every Mercy may help to kill it leading me to Repentance for it That every stroke of the Rod may help to strike it more dead that every Sermon may give this Sin a blow that by every Prayer I may obtain more strength against it That every time I come to the Table of the Lord this Sin may be in a greater measure Crucified VSE II of Exhortation And of this there are two Branches I shall speak to Sinners that are under the full Fower of their Master Sin. Then I shall speak to Saints in whom there are too great remainders of it 1. I am to speak to Sinners who are under the full Power of their Master Sin. It is storied concerning Agrippina the Mother of Nero Caesar that it was told her by an Oracle that her Son should be Emperour of Rome but afterwards should kill his own Mother Agrippina replies Occidat mode imperet Let him kill me so he does but reign O 't is the Language of all presumptuous Sinners concerning their Master Lusts Let them but reign no matter though they are our Damnation and Destruction But what do you see in Sin or in its Wages that any of you should be thus fond of its Service What good reason can be given why Sin should have one slave in this whole Congregation or in the whole World I 〈…〉 stly exhort you to lay aside every weight but especially the Sin 〈…〉 t does most easily beset you Arguments to perswade are these 1. Consider the Master Sin is the strongest hold of Satan While Sin keeps up its Dominion Satan holds fast his Possession This Sin is your most deadly disease and the strongest Cord in which the Devil binds you and leads you Captive at his Pleasure 2. The Master Sin is the great hindrance of the efficacy of the means of Grace This makes the Preachers pains lost labour this makes Mercies and Afflictions to be lost upon you this makes you to lose all the duties you perform 3. This Master Sin is not without its Train A great Person especially a Crown'd Head is not without a great many that attend him A Master Sin has a great Attendance Many lusts are subservient to this Main one that the greater and more plentiful Provision may be made for the fulfilling it How great is thy danger who hast so many Enemies lodging in thee and lording it over thee 4. Suppose this Master Sin were alone this were enough to ruine thee If a Pistol is discharged at the Heart and a small Bullet enter there it kills as certainly as if there were a thousand Cannons discharged at a man at once One Sin suffered to rule in thy Heart is sufficient were there no more effectually and eternally to ruine thee 5. The Master Sin wars against thy Soul most dangerously and wounds most deeply And after it has ruined thee Oh with what anguish will it be reflected on in the lowest Hell This will be there thy heaviest load Thou wilt remember how deaf thou werâ— to all Counsel to cast it away and how great thy madness was iâ— taking most pleasure in that which proves the cause of the greatest even everâ—asting Sorrow and Vexation Oh be so wise as to change your old Master Sin and let Christ become your Lord. 2. I am to speak to Saints in whom there are too great remainders of the Sin that was once their Master I exhort you more essectually and throughly to mortifie it Pray consider 1. If this Sin does frequently prevail it will keep you very low in Grace Faith will be weak Hope will be dampt Love will be cool and the whole inward Man will wofully languish 2. As you will be weak in Grace so will be low in Comfort When Temptations are yielded to Conscience will be disquieted Peace will be disturbed Thâ— Pride thy Passion thy carnal Affections prevailing will make thy Heart too much like the troubled Sea when it ca 〈…〉 rest whose waters cast forth mire and dirt Isa 57. 〈◊〉 3. T 〈…〉 lency of this easily besetting Sin will hinder you from being so 〈…〉 le to your great and gracious Lord. It will make his work to 〈…〉 glected and when done to be done too negligently sorry Servants you will be and very sorry your services will be The more sanctified you are the fitter you are for your Masters use 2 Tim. 2 21. but Sin makes you unmeet and more unable and unwilling to serve him 4. This Sin will make you to shine less in your lives 't wil fully your Conversations and hinder you from adorning the Gospel Oh keep unspotted and walk exactly as in the day that you may be blameless and harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation and that you may shine as Lights in the World Phil. 2. 15. 5. This Sin may cause you to set in a Cloud It may fill you with doubts when you are dying and that will be very dreadful You may be terribly frighted with the fears of Hell when you are just at Heavens gate Be therefore upright keep your selves from the iniquity that does most easily beset you that you may be more useful in your lives have the stronger and more lively hope in Death and that your End when it comes may be more perfect Peace VSE III. Of Direction How the Sin which does most easily beset you may be laid aside 1. Pray for a clean Heart Psal 51. 10. David having been overcome by a strong Corruption and done a Deed that was very foul cryes for a purer Heart a more right and constant Spirit he knew that to purge the Fountain was the way to have the streaâ—s clean Go unto God for a new Heart which he has promised and will give to all who prize and desire such an Heart Sâ—rike at the root of Sin in the Heart then the branches and this top branch the Master-sin will wither 2. Seriously â—â—â—â—o Heart how much the Sin that naâ—â—â—aâ—ly is 〈◊〉 beloved does deserâ—â—â—â—ur hatred Hated Sin is so â—eak that it can ruine none 't is the love of Sin that gives it power and as it were puts a Sword into its hand to flay you 3. Resist the very first stirrings of this Sin in you I believe if David as soon as ever he beheld from his Palace the beauteous Bathsheba had presently turn'd away his eyes and had fallen upon his knees and gone to Prayer he had overcome the Temptation Sin is more weak at the beginning Our Lords Counsel is Watch and Pray that ye enter not into temptation Mat. â—â— 41. 4. If you would abandon the Master-sin Pray much for the contrary Grace Is Pride thy Master-sin Pray much for Humility Is Passion thy Master-sin Pray much for Patience â—â—â— for the Meekness and Gentleness of Christ Is Love to the 〈◊〉 thy Master-sin Pray that thou may'st rise with Christ 〈◊〉 â—ve and mind a better World better Honours better Plea 〈…〉 a more lasting Wealth than this World can yield 5 Let the Word of God which does forbid and threaten this Master-sin be carefully hid in your Heart This Word may be in thy Moâ—th thou mayest talk of it it may be in thy Mind thou may'st have a notional Knowledge of it Nay it may go further and be in thy Conscience and be thought of in the very act of Sin. But if it be in thy Heart if thy Will and Affections are taken with it then it will be an effectual Preservative against Iniquity Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my Heart that I might not sin against thee 6. Improve the Death of our Lord Jesus Bring the Sin which does so easily beset you to the Cross of Christ No Sin truly dyes but upon Christs Cross Gal 5. 24. They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts these are never Mortified but by being Crucified How can the old Adam dye but upon the Cross of the second Adam Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this that our old man is Crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serâ—e sin 7. Call in the Spirits aid He can make the Word sharp as a two-edged Sword to pierce the Heart and to slay the strongest Sin there He glorifies Christ and can draw you to him and enable you by Faith to derive Grace from him sufficient to help you against the most powerful Corruptions He can kill the Sin that is hardest to be slain he can mortifie all the deeds of the body Rom. â— 13. the strongest members on the Earth Col. 3. 5. and he can seal you unto the day of Redemption FINIS