preach to the people that a Christian drunkard or a Christian fornicator or oppressor or a Christian worldling needeth no Conversion Qu. 10. Ask them wether they say not themselves that Hypocrisie is a great aggravation of all other sin and whether God hath not made the Hypocrites and Vnbelievers to be the standards in Hell Luke 25. 51. And whether seeking to abuse God by a mock-religion do make such false Christians better than the poor Heathens and Infidels or much worse And whether he be not an Hypocrite that professeth to be a Christian and a servant of God when he is none nor will be And whether he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall not have the sorest stripes or punishment Luke 12. 47. Qu. 11. Ask them whether in their Baptism which is their Christening as to Covenant they did not renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and vow and deliver up themselves to God their Father their Saviour and their Sanctifier And whether all or most men perform this vow And whether a perjured Covenant-breaker against God is fitter for salvation than one that never was baptized Qu. 12. Ask them whether the holy nature of God be not so contrary to sin as that it is blasphemy to say that he will take into Heaven and into the bosome of his eternal delights any unholy unrenewed soul 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Qu. 13. Ask them why it was that Christ came into the world whether it was not to save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. and to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and to bring home straying souls to God Luke 15. and to be the way to the Father Ioh. 14. 6. And whether Christ save that soul that is not converted by him and saved from his sins Or whether it be the dead Image only of a Crucified Iesus that is all their Saviour while they will have no more of him Qu. 14. Ask them why they believe and were baptized into the Holy Ghost and whether a man can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that is not born of the Spirit as well as of Water Iohn 3. 3 5 6. and that is not converted and begins not the world as it were anew in a teachable tractable newness of life like a little child Matth. 18. 3. And whether it be not a certain truth that If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Qu. 15. Ask them why Christ gave the world so many warnings of the damnableness of the Pharisees hypocrisie if Hypocritical Christians may be saved And what were these Pharisees They were the Masters of the Jewish Church The Rabbies that must have high places high titles and ceremonies formal garments and must be reverenced of all That gave God lip-service without the heart and made void his commands and worshipped him in vain teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and strictly tythed Mint and Cummin while love mercy and Justice were past by Who worshipped God with abundance of ceremonies and built the Tombs and garnished the Sepulchres of the Saints while they killed and persecuted those that did imitate them and hated the living Saints and honoured the dead They were the bitterest enemies and murderers of Christ on pretense that he was a blasphemer and a seditious enemy to Caesar and the common peace and one that spake against the Temple They were the greatest enemies of the Apostles and silencers of those that preached Christs Gospel and persecuted them that called on his name And had these no need of Conversion because they could say God is our Father when the Devil was their Father Iohn 8. 44. and that they were Abraham's seed And are not hypocritical Christians drunken Christians fornicating Christians carnal worldly infidel Christians the contradiction is your own persecuting Christians false-named hypocritical Christians as bad yea worse as they abuse a more excellent profession Mat. 15. 7 8. and 23. and 22. 18. and 6. 2 c. Luke 12. 1. Qu. 16. Doth not the Holy State of Heaven require Holiness in all that shall possess it Can an unholy soul there see and love and praise and delight in God for ever and in the Holy Society and employment of the Saints Rev. 21. 27. Is he not liker a Mahometan than a Christian that looketh for a sensual and unholy Heaven Qu. 17. What is the difference between the Church and the world Is not the Church a holy Society of Regenerate souls Yea the Church visible is those only that in Baptism vow Holiness and profess it Look these hypocrites in the face and see whether they do not blush when they repeat in their Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost I believe the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints who shall have the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Ask them whether they mean Holy Adulterers holy worldlings holy perjured persons Ask them whether they mean a Communion of Saints in a Tavern in a play-house in a gaming house in a whore-house or a jesting canting stage-play Communion If the Church be holy be holy if you will be of the Church If it be a Communion of Saints make it not a Communion of swine and make not Saints and their Communion seem odious either for their infirmities or their crossness to your carnal interests or conceits Qu. 18. Ask them whether there be a Heaven and a Hell or not If not why are they pretended Christians If there be will God send one man to Heaven and another to Hell to so vast so amazing a difference of states if there be no great difference between them here If Holiness no more differenced Christians from others than saying a sermon or saying over a prayer doth difference one from an Infidel where were the Iustice of God in saving some and damning others what were Christianity better than the religion of Antonine Plato Socrates Seneca Cicero Plutarch if not much worse Go into London streets and when you have talkâ— with living prudent men then go to the Painters shop and see a comely picture and to the Looking-glass and see the appearances of each passenger in a glass and to the Periwig shops and see a wooden head with a Periwig upon the bulk and you have seen somewhat like the difference of a Holy Soul and of a dead and dressed formal hypocrite Psal. 23. 27. Qu. 19. Ask them whether Kings and all men make not a great difference between man and man the loyal and the perâ—idious the obedient and the disobedient And whether they difference not themselves between a friend and a foe one that loveth them and one that robbeth beateth or would kill them And shall not the most Holy God more difference between the righteous and the wicked Mal. 3. 17 18. Qu. 20. But if they are dead in every
AN ALARME TO Unconverted Sinners In a Serious TREATISE SHEWING I. What Conversion is not and correcting some Mistakes about it II. What Conversion is and wherein it consisteth III. The Necessity of Conversion IV. The Marks of the Unconverted V. The Miseries of the Unconverted VI. Directions for Conversion VII Motives to Conversion Whereunto are annexed divers Practical Cases of Conscience Judiciously Resolved By Ioseph Alleine late Preacher of the Gospel at Taunton in Somerset-shire LONDON Printed by E. T. and R. H. and are to sold by Nevil Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls-Church-yard 1672. To all the Ignorant Carnal and Ungodly who are Lovers of pleasures more than God and seek this world more than the Life Everlasting and live after the Flesh and not after the Spirit These Calls and Counsels are directed in hope of their Conversion to God and of their Salvation He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Miserable Souls THere is that Life and Light and Love in every true Believer but especially in every Faithful Minister of Christ which engageth them to long and labour for your Salvation Life is communicative and active It maketh us sensible that Faith is not a fantasie nor true Religion a stage-play nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream And as we desire nothing more for our selves than to have more of the Holy Life which we have alas in so small a measure so what is it that we should more desire for others With the eye of an infallible though too weak faith we see the Heaven which you neglect and the blessed souls in Glory with Christ whose companions you might be for ever we see the multitudes of souls in hell who came thither by the same way that you are going in who are shut out of the glorious presence of God and are now among those devils that deceived them remembring that they had their good things here Luke 16. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation and how light they once set by God by Christ by Heaven by Mercy whilest Mercy was an earnest solicitour for their hearts And with our bodily eyes we see at the same time abundance of poor sinners living about us as if there were no God no Christ no Heaven no Hell no Judgment no nor Death to be expected as if a man were but a master beast to rule the rest and feed upon them and perish with them And if it were your own case to see what souls do in Heaven and Hell and at once to see how unbelievingly carelesly and senselesly most men live on earth as if there were no such difference in another world would it not seem a pitiful sight to you If you had once seen the five brethren of Dives on earth eating drinking laughing and merry clothed and faring daily with the best and at the same time seen their brothers soul in Hell begging in vain for a little ease and wishing in vain that one from the dead might go warn his brethren that they come not to that place of torment would it not seem to you a pitiful sight would not pity have made you think Is there no way to open these Gentlemens eyes No way to acquaint them what is become of their brother and where Lazarus is and whither they themselves are going No one driveth or forceth them to Hell and will they go thither of themselves and is there no way to stop them or keep them back Did you but see your selves what we see by faith believing God and at once beheld the Saints in Heaven the lost despairing souls in Hell and the senseless sensual sinners on earth that yet will lay none of this to heart sure it would make you wonder at the stupidity of mankind Would you not say O what a deciver is the Devil that can thus lead on souls to their own damnation O what a cheater is this transitory world that can make men so forget the world where they must live for ever O what an enemy is this flesh that thus draweth down mens souls from God! O what a besotting thing is sin that turneth a reasonable soul into worse than a beast What a Bedlam is this wicked world when thousands are so busily labouring to undo themselves and others and gratifying the Devil against the God and Saviour who would give them everlasting blessed life And as we have such a sight as this by Faith to make us pity you so have we so much tast of the goodness of God the sweetness of his wayes and the happiness of believers as must needs make us wish that you had but once tryed the same delights which would turn the pleasures of sin into detestation God knoweth that we desire nothing more for our selves than the Perfection and Eternity of this holiness and happiness which we believe and tast And should we not desire the same for you And being thus moved with necessary pitty we ask of God what he would have us to do for your salvation And he hath told us in Scripture that the preaching of his Gospel to acquaint you plainly with the truth and earnestly and frequently intreat you to turn from the flesh and world to God by Jesus Christ is the means with which his grace is ready to concurr for your salvation when obstinate resistance causeth not the Holy Spirit to forsake the sinner and leave him to himself to follow his own Counsels Lusts and Wills In this hope we undertook the Sacred Ministry and gave up our selves to this great and most important work in the great sense of our unworthiness but yet in the sense of your souls necessity We were not such fools at our first setting out as not to know it must be a life of labour self-denial and patience and the devil would do his worst to hinder us and that all sorts of his instruments would be ready to serve him against our labours and against your souls Christ our Captain saved us by patient Conquest and so must we save our selves and you and so must you save your selves under Christ if ever you be saved It was no strange thing to Paul that bonds and afflictions did every where abide him nor did he account his life dear that he might finish his course with joy and the Ministry committed to him by the Lord. Act. 20. 23 24. It was no strange thing to him to be forbidden to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved by such as were filling up the measure of their sins and were under Gods uttermost wrath on earth 1 Thess. 2. 15. 16. Devils and Pharisees and most where they came both high and low were against the Apostles preaching of the Gospel and yet they would not sacrilegiously and cruelly break their Covenant with Christ and perfidiously desert the souls of men even as their Lord for the love of souls did call Peter Satan that would have tempted him to save his life and
point save carnal interests ask them why they are Preachers or Priests And if Conversion and Holiness be a needless thing what use they themselves are of and why the Country must be troubled with them and pay them tythes and owe them reverence When these twenty Questions are well answered conclude that you may be saved without Conversion But if poor soul thou art fully convinced and askest What should I do to be converted The Lord make thee willing and save thee from hypocrisie and I will quickly tell thee in a few words 1. Give not over sober thinking of these things till thy heart be changed Psal. 119. 59. 2. Come to Christ and take him for thy Saviour thy Teacher thy King and he will pardon all that 's past and save thee Iohn 1. 12. and 3. 16. and 5. 40. 1 Iohn 5. 11 12. 3. Believe Gods love and the pardon of sin and the everlasting joyes of Heaven that thou maist feel that all the pleasures of the world and flesh are dung in comparison of the Heavenly delights of Faith and Hope and holy Love and peace of Conscience and sincere obedience 4. Sin no more wilfully but forbear that which thou maist forbear Isa. 55. 7. 5. Away from Temptations occasions of sin and evil company and be a Companion of the humble holy heavenly and sincere Psal. 119. 115. 63. 6. Wait on Gods spirit in the diligent constant use of his own means Read hear meditate pray Pray hard for that grace that must convert thee wait thus and thou shalt not wait in vain Psal. 25. 3. and 37. 34. and 69. 6. Pitty O Lord and perswade these souls Let not Christ's blood his doctrine his example his spirit be lost unto them and they lost for ever Let not Heaven be as no Heaven to them while they dream and dote on the shaddows in this world And O save this land from the greater destruction than all our late plagues and flames and divisions which our sins and thy threatnings make us fear O Lord in thee have we trusted let us never be confounded Having thus contributed my endeavour in this Preface to the furtherance of the design of this excellent book I must tell thee Reader that I take it for an honour to commend so masculine a birth unto the World The Midwife of Alexander or Aristotle need not be ashamed of her office Who the Author of this treatise was how he preached how he lived how he suffered and for what and how he died his Life and Letters lately printed fully tell you and I earnestly commend the reading of them to all but especially Ministers not to tell them what men have been here forbidden to preach Christ's Gospel and for what nor what men they are that so many years have done it but to tell you what men Christ's Ministers should be But say not He kill'd himself with excessive Labour and therefore I will take warning and take my ease For 1. He lived in perfect health all his days notwithstanding his labours till after his hard and long imprisonment 2. It was not the greatest labours of his times of liberty that hurt him but his preaching 6 or 7 or 8 times a week after that he was silenced because he could not speak to all his people at once O make not an ill use of so excellent an example Say not like Iudas What need this waste His labour his life his sufferings his death were not in vain The ages to come that read his Life and read this little popular treatise and his Call to Archippus shall say They were not in vain And though he was cut off in the midst of his age and his longer labours more elaborate writings thus prevented take thankfully this small but methodical warm and serious tractate Read it seriously and it cannot be but it must do thee good I am one that have lookt into books and sciences and speculations of many sorts and seriously tell thee as a dying man that after all my searches and experience I have found that Philosophical enquiries into the Divine Artifices and the Nature of things hath among a greater number of uncertainties a great many pretty pleasant probabilities which a holy soul can make good use of in admiring God may find us a lawful kind of sport but in the moralities which Atheists count uncertainties the knowledge of God and our duty and our hopes the doctrine and practice of Holiness Temperance Charity and Iustice and the diligent seeking joyful hopes of life everlasting is all the true Wisdom the Goodness the Rest and Comfort of a soul whatever be our play this is the satisfying certainty the Business and the beatifying improvement of our lives I have done when I have sought to remove a little scandal which I foresaw that I should my self write the Preface to his Life where himself and two of his friends make such a mention of my name which I cannot own which will seem a praising him for praising me I confess it looketh ill-favouredly in me But I had not the power of other mens writings durst not therefore forbear that which was his due Had I directed their pens they should have gone a middle way and only esteemed me a very unworthy servant of Christ who yet long to see the peace and prosperity of his Church and should have forborn their undeserved praise as other men should have done their slanderous libels But if the Reader get no harm by it I assure him the use I made of it was to lament that I am really so much worse than they esteemed me and to fear lest I should prove yet worse than I discern my self who see so much sin and weakness in my betters and much more in my self as to make it the constant sentiment of my soul that PRIDE of mens GREATNESS WISDOM and GOODNESS is the first part of the DEVILS IMAGE on mans soul and DARKNES is the second and MALIGNITY the third Râ— Baxter TO THE UNCONVERTED Reader READER HOw well were it if there were no more unconverted ones among us than those to whom this is directed Vnconverted persons how many are there but how few unconverted Readers especially of such Books as this before thee A Play or a Romance better suits the lusts and therefore must have more of the eye of such what will cherish the evil heart is only grateful not what will change it How many are there to whom this is directed who will not know that they are the men and how little hope is there that this excellent Treatise should reach its end with those who apprehend not themselves concern'd in it Art not thou one of them Art thou a Convert or art thou not yet in thy sins What is sin What is Conversion It may be thou canst tell me neither and yet a Convert thou sayst thou art But to what purpose is it then like to be for the servant of God to
with whom God is scarce in all your thoughts that are so ignorant that you cannot or so careless that you will not pray O repent and be converted break off your sins by righteousness away to Christ for pardoning and renewing grace give up your selves to him to walk with him in holiness or else you shall never see God Oh that you would take the warnings of God ◠In his name I once more admonish you Turn you at my reproof Prov. 1. 23. Forsake the foolish and live Prov. 9. 6. Be sober righteous godly Tit. 2. 12. Wash your hands you sinners purify your hearts ye double minded Iames 4. 8. Cease to do evil learn to do well Esay 1. 16 17. But if you will on you must die Ezek. 33. 11. CHAP. II. Shewing positively what Conversion is I May not leave you with your eyes half opened as he that saw men as trees walking Mar. 8. 24. The word is profitable for doctrine as well as reproof 2 Tim. 3. 16. And therefore having thus far conducted you by the shelves and rocks of so many dangerous mistakes I would guide you at length into the harbour of truth Conversion then in short lies in the thorow change both of the heart and life I shall briefly describe it in its nature and causes 1. The Author of it is the spirit of God and therefore it is called the sanctification of the spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13. and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Yet not excluding the other persons in the Trinity For the Apostle teacheth us to bless the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for that he hath begotten us again 1 Pet. 1. 3. and Christ is said to give repentance to Israel Acts 5. 31. and is called the everlasting Father Esay 9. 6. and we his seed and the children which God hath given him Heb. 2. 13. Esay 53. 10. Oh blessed birth Seven Cities contended for the birth of Homer but the whole Trinity fathers the new creature Yet is this work principally ascribed to the Holy Ghost and so we are said to be born of the Spirit Iohn 3. 8. So then it is a work above mans power We are born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 13. Never think thou canst convert thy self If ever thou wouldst be savingly converted thou must despair of doing it in thine own strength Ier. 31. 18. It is a resurrection from the dead Rev. 20. 5. Eph. 2. 1. a new creation Gal. 6. 15. Eph. 2. 10. a work of absolute omnipotency Eph. 1. 19. Are not these out of the reach of humane power If thou hast no more than thou hadst by thy first birth a good nature a meek and chast temper c. thou art a very stranger to true Conversion This is a supernatural work 2. The moving cause is Internal or External The Internal mover is only free grace Not by works of righteousness which we have done but of his own mercy he saved us by the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Of his own will begat he us Iames 1. We are chosen and called unto Sanctification not for it Eph. 1. 4. God finds nothing in man to turn his heart but to turn his stomach enough to provoke his loathing nothing to provoke his love Look back upon thy self O Christian. Take up thy verminous rags Look upon thy self in thy blood Ez. 16. 6. O reflect upon thy swinish nature thy filthy swill thy once beloved mire 2 Pet. 2. Canst thou think without loathing of thy trow and draugh Open thy Sepulchre Mat. 23. 27. Art not thou almost struck dead with the hellish damp Behold thy putrid soul thy loathsome members O stench unsufferable if thou dost but sense thine own putrefaction Psal. 14. 3. Behold thy ghastly visage thy crawling lusts thy slime and corruption Do not thine own cloths abhor thee Ioh 9. 31. How then should holiness and purity love thee Be astonied O Heavens at this be moved O earth Ier. 2. 12. Who but must needs cry Grace Grace Zech. 4. 7. Hear and blush you children of the most High O how unthankful generation That free grace is no more in your mouths in your thoughts no more adored admired commended by such as you One would think you should be nothing but praising and admiring God where ever you are How can you make a shift to forget such grace or to pass it over with a slight and seldom mention What but free grace should move God to love you unless enmity could do it or deformity could do it unless vomit or rottenness could do it How affectionately doth Peter lift up his hands Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who of his Abundant mercy hath begotten us again 1 Pet. 1. 3. How feelingly doth Paul magnifie the free mercy of God in it God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith be loved us bath quickened us together with Christ by Grace are ye saved Eph. 2. 4 5. The External mover is the merit and intercession of the blessed Iesus He hath obtained gifts for the rebellious Psal. 68. 18. and through him it is that God worketh in us what is well pleasing in his sight Heb. 13. 21. Through him are all spiritual blessings bestowed upon us in Heavenly things Eph. 1. 3. He intercedeth for the Elect that believe not Iohn 17. 20. Every Convert is the fruit of his travel Esay 53. 11. Oh never was infant born into the world with that difficulty that Christ endured for us How emphatically he groaneth in his travel All the pains that he suffered on his Cross they were our birth-pains Act. 2. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pulls and throws that Christ endured for us He is made Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. He sanctified himself that is set apart himself as a Sacrifice that we might be sanctified Ioh. 17. 19. We are sanctified through the offering of his body once for all Heb. 10. 10. 'T is nothing then without his own bowels but the merit and intercession of Christ that prevails with God to bestow upon us converting grace If thou art a new creature thou knowest to whom thou owest it to Christ's pangs and prayers Hence the natural affection of a believer to Christ. The foal doth not more naturally run after the dam nor the suckling to the dugs than a believer to Jesus Christ. And whither else shouldst thou go If any in the World can shew that for thy heart that Christ can let them carry it Doth Satan put in doth the world court thee doth sin sue for thy heart Why were these crucified for thee 1 Cor. 1. 13. O Christian love and serve thy Lord while thou hast a being Do not even the Publicans love those that love them And shew kindness to those that are kind to them Matth. 5. 46 47. 3. The Instrument is either Personal or Real The Personal
learned the most famous most prosperous While carnal he said Oh! if I were but in great esteem and rolled in wealth and swim'd in pleasure if my debts were paid and I and mine provided for then I were a happy man but now the tune is changed O saith the Convert if I had but my corruptions subdued if I had such measures of grace such fellowship with God though I were poor and despised I should not care I should account my self a blessed man Reader is this the language of thy soul His Ioys are changed He rejoyceth in the way of Gods testimonies as much as in all riches Psal 119. 14. He delights in the law of the Lord wherein once he had little savour He hath no such joy as in the thoughts of Christ the fruition of his company the prosperity of his people His Cares are quite altered He was once set for the world and any scraps of by-time nothing too often was enough for his soul. Now he gives over caring for the asses and sets his heart on the Kingdom Now all the cry is What shall I do to be saved Act. 16. 30. His great sollicitude is how to secure his soul. Oh! how he would bless you if you could but put him out of doubt of this His Fears are not so much of suffering but of sinning Heb. 11. 25 27. Once he was afraid of nothing so much as the loss of his estate or efteem the dipleasure of friends the frowns of the great Nothing sounded so terrible to him as pain or poverty or disgrace Now these are little to him in comparison of Gods dishonour or displeasure How warily doth he walk left he should tread on a snare He feareth alway he looks before and behind he hath his eye upon his heart and is often casting over his shoulder leâ—t he should be overtaken with sin Psal. 39. 1. Prov. 28. 14. Eccles. 2. 14. It kills his heart to think of losing Gods favour this he dreads as his only undoing Psal. 51. 11 12. Psal. 119. 8. No thought in the world doth pinch him and pain him so much as to think of parting with Christ. His Love runs a new course My Love was crucified said holy Ignatius that is my Christ. This is my beloved saith the spouse Cant. 5. 16. How doth Augustine often pour his loves upon Christ. He can find no words sweet enough Let me see thee O Light of mine eyes Come O thou joy of my spirit let me behold thee O the gladness of my heart Let me love thee O life of my soul. Appear unto me O my great delight my sweet comfort O my God my life and the whole glory of my soul. Let me find thee O desire of my heart let me hold thee O love of my soul. Let me embrace thee O Heavenly Bridegroom Let me possess thee O esternal blessedness c. His sorrows have now a new vent 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. The view of his sins the sight of a Christ crucified that would scarce stir him before now how much do they affect his heart His Hatred boils his Anger burns against sin Psal. 119. 104. He hath no patience with himself he calls himself fool and beast and thinks any name too good for himself when his indignation is stirred against sin Psal. 73. 22. Prov. 30. 2. He could once swill in it with too much pleasure now he loaths the thought of returning to it as much as of licking up the filthiest vomit Commune then with thine own heart and attend the common and general current of thine affections whether it be towards God in Christ above all other concernments Indeed sudden and strong commotions of the affections and sensitive part are oft times found in hypocrites especially where the natural constitution leads thereunto and contrariwise the sanctified themselves are many times without sensible stirrings of the affections where the temper is more slow dry and dull The great enquiry is whether the judgment and will be standingly determined for god above all other good real or apparent and if the affections do sincerely follow their choice and conduct though it be not so strongly and sensibly as is to be desired there is no doubt but the change is saving 2. Thorowout the Members These that were before the instruments of sin are now become the holy utensils of Christs living Temple Rom. 6. 19. 1 Cor. 3. 16. He that before made as it were a baud or a barrel of his body now possesseth his vessel in sanctification and honour in temperance chastity and sobriety as dedicated to the Lord. Thes. 4. 4. Gal. 5. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. The eye that was once a wandring eye a wanton eye a haughty or a covetous eye is now employed as Mary in weeping over her sins Luke 7. 38. In beholding God in his works Psal. 8. 3. in reading his word Act 8. 30. in looking up and down for objects of mercy and opportunities for his service The ear that was once open to satans call and that like a vitiated palate did relish nothing so much as filthy or at least forthy talk and the fools laughter is now bored to the door of Christ house and open to his discipline It saith speak Lord for thy servant heareth It cries with him veniat verbum Domini and waits for his words as the rain and relishes them more than the appointed food Iob. 23. 12. than the very honey and honey-comb Psal. 19. 10. The head that was the shop of worldly designs is now filled with other matters and set on the study of Gods will Psal. 1. 2. Psal. 119. 97. and the man beats his head not so much abouts his gain but about his duty The thoughts and cares that now fill his head are principally how he may please God and flie sin His heart that was sty of filthy lusts is now become an Altar of incense where the fire of divine love is ever kept in and whence the daily sacrifice of prayer and praises and sweet incense of holy desires ejaculations and anhelations are continually ascending Psal. 108. 1. Psal. 119. 20. Psal. 139. 17 18. The mouth is become a well of life his tongue as choice silver and his lips feed many Now the salt of grace hath seasoned his speech and eat out the corruption Col. 4. 6. and cleansed the man from his filthy communications flattery boasting railing lying swearing backbiting that once came like the flashes proceeding from the hell that was in the heart Iames 3. 6 7. The throat that was once an open sepulchre Rom. 3. 13. now sends forth the sweet breath of prayer and holy discourse and the man speaks in another tongue in the language of Canaan and is never so well as when talking of God and Christ and the matters of another world His mouth bringeth forth wisdom his tongue is become the silver Trumpet of his makers praise his glory and the best member that he hath Now here you
descend with you Psal. 49. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 7. If not had you not need look after somewhat that will What mean you to stand wavering to be off and on Foolish children how long will you stick between the womb and the world Shall I leave you at last no farther than Agrippa but almost perswaded Why you are for ever lost if left here As good not at all as not altogether Christians You are half of the mind to give over your former negligent life and to set to a strict and holy course you could wish that you were as some others be and could do as 〈◊〉 can do How long will you rest in idle wishes and fruitless purposes when will you come to a fixed full and firm resolve Do not you see how Satan gulls you by tempting you to delays How long hath he toll'd you on in the way to perdition How many years have you been purposing to amend What if God should have taken you off this while Well put not me off with a dilatory answer Tell not me of hereafter I must have your present consent It you be not now resolved while the Lord is treating with you and wooing of you much less are you like to be hereafter when these impressions are worn out and you are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Will you give me your hands Will you set open the doors and give the Lord Jesus the â—ull and present possession Will you put in your names into his covenant Will you subscribe What do you resolve upon If you are sâ—ill upon your delays my labour is lost and all is like to come to nothing Fain I would that you should now put in your adventures Come cast in your lot make your choice Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation to day if you will hear his voice Why should not this be the day from whence thou shouldst be able to date thine happiness Why shouldst thou venture a day longer in this dangerous and dreadful condition What if God should this night require thy soul Oh that thou mightest know in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace before they be hid from thine eyes Luke 19. 42. This is thy day and 't is but a day Iohn 9. 4. Others have had their day and have received their doom and now art thou brought upon the stage of this world here to act thy part for a whole eternity Remember thou art now upon thy good behaviour for everlasting If thou make not a wise choice now thou art undone for ever Look what thy present choice is such must thine eternal condition be Luke 10. 42. Luke 16. 25. Prov. 1. 27 28 29. And is it true indeed is life and death at thy choice Yea 't is as true as truth is Deut. 30. 19. Why then what hinders but that thou shouldst be happy Nothing doth or can hinder but thine own wilful neglect or refusal It was the passage of the Eunuch to Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptised So I may say to thee See here is Christ here is mercy pardon life what hinders but that thou shouldst be pardoned and saved One of the Martyrs as he was praying at the stake had his pardon set by in a box which indeed he refused deservedly because upon unworthy terms But here the terms are most honourable and easie Oh sinner wilt thou burn with thy pardon by Why do but forthwith give up thy consent to Christ renounce thy sins deny thy self take up the Yoke and the Cross and thou carriest the day Christ is thing pardon peace life blessedness all are thâ—â—â—e And is not this an offer worth the embracing Why shouldst thou hesitate or doubtfully dispute about the case Is it not past controversy whether God be better than sin and glory better than vanity Why shouldst thou forsake thine own mercy and sin against thine own life When wilt thou shake off thy sloth and lay by thine excuses Boast not thy self of to morrow thou knowst not where this night may lodge thee Prov. 27. 1. Beloved now the holy spirit is striving with you He will not always strive Hast thou not felt thy heart warmed by the word and been almost perswaded to leave off thy sins and come in to God Hast thou not felt some good motions in thy mind wherein thou hast been warned of thy danger and told what thy careless course would end in It may be thou art like young Samuel who when the Lord called once and again he knew not the voice of the Lord 1. Sam. 3. 6 7. but these motions and items are the offers and essays and the calls and strivings of the Spirit O take the advantage of the tide and know the day of thy visitation Now the Lord Jesus stretcheth wide his arms to receive you He beseecheth you by us How â—â—ovingly how meltingly how pitifully how passionately he calleth you The-Church is put into a suddain extasie upon the sound of his voice The voice of my beloved Cant. 2. 8. Oh wilt thou turn a deaf ear to his voice It is not the voice that breaketh the Cedars and maketh the mountains to skip like a Calf that shaketh the Wilderness and divideth the flames of fire it is not Sinais Thunder but the soft and still voice It is not the voice of Mount Ebal a voice of cursing and terrour but the voice of Mount Gerizim the voice of blessing and of glad tidings of good things It is not the voice of the Trumpet nor the noise of War but a message of peace from the King of peace Eph. 6. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. Methinks it should be with thee as with the spouse My soul failed when he spake Cant. 5. 6. I may say to thee O sinner as Martha to her Sister The master is come and he calleth for thee Iohn 11. 28. Oh now with Mary arise quickly and come unto him How sweet are his invitations He cryeth in the open concourse If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Iohn 7. 37. Prov. 1. 21. He broacheth his own body for thee Oh come and lay thy mouth to his side How free he is he excludeth none Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Whoso is simple let him turn in hither Come eat of my bread drink of the Wine which I have mingled Forsake the foolish and live Prov. 9. 4 5 6. Come unto me c. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. How doth he bemoan the obstinate refusers O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Behold me behold me I have stretched out my hands all the day to a