hath not a Will to a thing and he will not take it so present Christ the Spirit of God life eternall Heaven and Glory the great and pretious promises pardon of sin or what you vvill if a man have not a vvill he vvill not take it so that vvillingness is required to the taking If a man have not a mouth it is in vaine to offer him meate If men have not a will they vvill not receive Math 23.37 Acts 13.46 Therefore God requires vvillingnesse that men may receive the vvaters of life Secondly This willingnesse is requir'd that so men may not complaine for if men should be brought to drinke waters of life by a compulsory Act they vvill complaine of vvhat follows Therefore saith Christ in the 16 Math 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow me If any man will come if a man have a will saith Christ to follow me let him he vvill meete with hard things and if he be not willing he vvill complaine that I should cause him to follow me Men must deny themselves and take up crosses and indure persecutions and temptations and if they did not come willingly to Gods way they would complaine of it Now God to prevent Complaining of his wayes he requires that men be willing Thirdly This is that so the Communion between Christ and the soule may be the sweeter vvhere there is vvillingnesse on both sides there vvill be the sweetest life If the parties doe not consent on both sides you will say it vvill be an Ill match But if there be a willingnesse and a freenesse on both sides there the Communion will be the sweeter So Christ saith I freely give and I would have them freely receive and so there will be a sweete Communion between Christ and the soule I am my beloveds saith the soule and my beloved is mine There was mutuall Consent and Agreement between them Lastly This willingnesse is required that so the wisdome of God in the Governing of his Church and of the world might not be Questioned for should God force men to his service they would say where 's the goodnesse of God where 's the wisdome of God here 's Tyranny hereâ—s forcing of men into the service of the Lord. Now God will have none to be his servants but those that come freely Psal 110. In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing And when he speakes Compell them to come in It is not by Clubs Law but by strong Arguments tell them what the water of life is tell them what Supper is prepared tell them of the excellency of the provision that so that may compell them no other compulsion doth God use but the Grace of the Spirit and divine Arguments sett on upon the heart But this may seeme contrary to Joh 6.44 saith Christ No man comes to me except the Father draw him It should seeme then that it is not voluntary and free I answer God doth not force a mans will but God doth sweetly and lovingly take away the unwillingnesse of his will the corruption of his will Ezek 11.19 I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh I will take away the stoninesse the hardnesse that corruption that enmity and opposition I will take away all these out of them and put a new heart and a new Spirit into them So in the 36 of Ezek 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and doe them He will cause them to walke in his statutes vvhat will hee thrust them on against their wills no see vvhat the Church saith Cant 1.4 Draw me ô Lord we will run after thee When God comes to draw the soule runs willingly and freely So that you see a willingnesse is required The Water of Life Reve 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely TO proceed to the Uses of the poynt and so to finish the Text. Vse First If those that are willing shall have the waters of life then here it serves for Conviction and doth convince us that all who thinke and say they have drunke of these waters of life yet have not Every one thinks that he hath Grace and hath the Spirit hath Christ God and that he shall be sav'd but here is cleere conviction to the contrary for have you had this willingnesse in you that is required have men seene such excellency in these vvaters as to prize them above all have you so prized them as to choose them above all things in the world have you so chosen them as to pursue the getting of them to the uttermost of your power few have done so In the 7 of Math 21 22 c. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devills and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart foom me ye that worke Iniquitie These men did not see so much worth in the waters of life as they did in Iniquitie they did not prize Christs Grace his Spirit the Gospel and the promises thereof so much as workes of Iniquitie they would drinke puddle water poysonous water they would not let goe their Iniquitie for Christ yet these thought themselves Christians thought themselves safe happie and blessed creatures The five foolish virgins in the 25 of Math they had gotten lamps but they had gotten no Oyle in their lamps they had none of this water of life they had no Grace they had no Christ they had none of the Spirit they had none of the truths of God in their hearts they thought that to professe Christ and professe the Gospel was sufficient they had lamps but where was the oyle where was the water of life where was Grace they had none of it So in the 2 of Tim 3.5 Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power They had a forme they came to the Assemblies as you doe and sat there heard the word professe Christ seemed to be Christians and it may be did something in their families but they denied the power they never had this willingnesse to see the excellency of the power of Godlinesse never did they choose the power of Godlinesse never did they pursue after the power of Godlinesse And many in these dayes they live in base and sinfull
come to save that which was lost If any be a lost creature Jesus Christ is come to save that which was lost I hope then he is come to save me a lost creature I am a lost sheepe a lost Son I am a lost Goat surely if Christ came to save that which was lost he came to save Mee So in the 19 of Luke 10. you have it a little more full For the Son of man is come to seeke and to save that which was lost he is come to seeke it out he seekes out the Goat seekes out the lost sheepe he seekes out a lost sinner as he did the man at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole ô Lord I would faine be made whole but I have none to helpe me well saith Christ be thou whole Now see what use Paul makes of it 1 Tim 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe ô Lord doest thou come to save sinners here 's good tydings indeed Lord it 's a faithfull saying and it 's worthy of all acception it 's worthy you old ones should receive it you young ones should receive it you afflicted ones should receive it you that are conceited of your owne righteousnesse that you should receive it Jesus Christ came to save sinners what sinners soever they be great sinners old sinners that have liv'd many yeares in a height of wickednesse such as Paul was persecutors injurious persons c. If you seriously weigh this it will make you willing to have these waters of life Secondly Consider in Christ how sweetly he doth Invite you to take these waters of life If an enemy would give you water when you were thirsty would you not take it Give thine enemy to drinke if he thirst But if the dearest friend you have in all the world should say ô friend you are athirst come here 's water here 's wine here 's milke here 's any thing you would drinke you would take this well which is offer'd willingly Now have you a better friend in heaven and earth then Jesus Christ who laid downe his life and shed his blood for you saith Christ who ever will let him come take water even water of life poore soule I have taken thy nature upon me I have borne the wrath of God I have satisfyed the Law I have laid downe my life I come awooing to thee and doe intreat thee doe not damne thy selfe doe not throw thy selfe into hell poore soule take hold of me come I le leade thee to the water of life come I le give thee pardon I le give thee peace I le give thee my Spirit I le give thee my blood why doest thou drinke puddle water and poysoned water why doest thou not follow me but follow the Devill the Beast and thine owne lusts Thus the Lord Jesus Christ doth intreat us to take water of life In the 7 of Joh Christ stood up after a great seast and makes a Proclamation If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke You have been drinking wine water and such things as doe not quench the thirst of your soules But if there be any one man among you that is athirst for the waters of life let him come unto me my armes are out the waters are ready to give forth unto him let him come and drinke Thirdly Consider the promises and in them Consider three things First Consider the freenesse of the promise the promises are held out freely Whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely I require no money no qualifications or dispositions but freely take them onely be willing to take them and here they are So in the 21 Revel 6. I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely I will give unto him that is athirst that is unto him that is willing of the Fountaine of the water of life freely If a man should freely say to all the poore in a Towne come here 's an Angell apeice for every one that will come would not the poore come would not this beget a willingnesse in them It 's freely he doth not say if you be thus cloathed if your hands and faces be cleane if you be finely drest no but let every one come Though they have Leperous hands scald heads lame leggs and full of soares let them come Thus it is with the Lord Jesus his promise is free whosoever will shall freely have the water of life Secondly Consider the sufficiency and fullnesse of the promise if a promise be free and have not enough in it to releive a man then he would stick But there is a sufficiency and fullnesse in the promise Rom 8.32 He hath delivered up his Son for us all and how shall he not with him freely give us all things The promise hath all things in it all things needfull for soule and body for heaven and earth for this life or the life to come there 's enough in the promise So in the 81 Psal 10. Open thy mouth wide saith God and I will fill it let your desires be never so large there 's enough in the promise to satisfie your desires Math 5. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst they shall be satisfyed they shall have abundance of satisfaction Joh 10.10 I am come that they might have life and have it in more abundance would you have life and be lively Christians there 's abundance of life in Christ abundance of life in the Spirit and in the promise there 's enough to answer all your soules Then thirdly Consider the promise it is Generall it is not limited to the Jew or Gentile to one sort of men or women but it is Generall Whosoever will whosoever is willing If it were made to rich men poore men learned men noble men wise men fooles then some Question might be made but it 's tendered to all If a State offer a pardon to all the Traytors or all the Delinquents therein would not every one come in and say I am a Delinquent but here 's a pardon offered to me so every soule that is willing may come in and say Lord Jesus Thou sayest Whosoever will loe I am willing let me have water of life so that the freenesse the fullnesse and the Generall tenders of the promise unto all is a speciall meanes to beget willingnesse in us to receive the water of Life Fourthly Further Consider the excellency of these waters of life the necessitie of them the use of them these waters of life have a greater excellency in them then any thing you can Imagin there 's nothing in all the world is fit to be compared to the least drop of the water of life all your Gold Silver Diamonds and Pearles all your parts gifts and things of that nature are shaddowes to the water of life Christ with all his
of God is apprehended a man sees himself lost and undone this man is athirst now and this thirst is very troublesom unto him this is the nature and property of this Spiritual thirst it doth afflict and trouble the Soul 2 The nature of this thirst is that it is vehement it carries the Soul with a kind of vehemency after the thing thirsted for Give me children or else I dye there is a vehemency in the desire it makes the desire very violent earnest it is not a lasie sluggish desire as is in many Balaam desires to dye the death of the righteous the Sluggard lusteth and hath not that is a Voleitie as the School-men distinguish it from Voluntas but this is a vehement earnest desire saith Bartimeus in Mark 10. Jesus thou Son of David have mercy upon me he was carried out with a vehemency of spirit and when the Apostles and others charged him to hold his peace hee was more vehement Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me he cries lowder so that this Spiritual thirst in the Soul is vehement and carries out the Soul with earnestness 3 This Spiritual thirst is Complanitive full of Complaints it cannot be silent 2 King 3.10 saith Jehoram there There was no water for the Host and for the Cattel that followed them And the King of Israel said Alas that the Lord hath called these three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab And so in Numb 20.5 Wherefore have yee made us to come up out of Aegypt to bring us into this evil place it is no place of Seed or of Figgs or Vines or of Pomgranets neither is there any water to drink O wee are come into a place where there is no water so a Soul that hath this Spiritual thirst it complains and doth express it self Rom. 7. Paul there found sin in him that he was carnal sold under sin led Captive a Law in his Members warring against the Law of his minde and what saith he O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me he was thirsty now after deliverance and hee complains of his Corruption and inquires after deliverance so that a gracious Soul in this case it is complaining Psal 32.4 There David complains that his moysture was turned into the drought of Summer O when saith the Soul will this drought be taken a way and where where is there water to be had and where is there remedy the Soul is full of complaints 4 And lastly the nature of this thirst is such as that it is never satisfied without the Lord Christ A true Spiritual thirst is insatiable till it hath Christ himself saith Christ to the woman of Samaria I have water to give thee that thou having once drank shalt never thirst any more but it shall spring up as a fountain of living water in thee Lord evermore saith shee give me of that water A nd so Peter in Joh. 6. Thou hast the words of eternal life and to whom should we go O thou art a Fountain and thou art a Fountain of living waters Words of eternal life and to whom should we go wee will go to no other we are satisfied with thee Men that have Spiritual thirst will not be satisfied with honours with pleasures with gifts they will not be satisfied with any thing but the Lord Jesus Christ himself so then you see what this thirst is why it is required and the properties of it Application First of all is this thirst of this nature you have heard then here we may be informed there are few Spiritual thirsters it was in my thoughts to have made this an Observation and have prosecuted it but I rather referred it to the Use and here I say wee may see there are few Spiritual thirsters which I shall a little insist upon saith Christ here Let him that thirsteth c. If there be a man that thirsteth let him come So in Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And in the Philippians All men seek their own and no man the things of Christ there is no thirsting after Christ Now a little to insist upon this Few Spiritual Thirsters there are for few are afflicted in spirit few are sensible of the burden of sin so as to be afflicted in spirit Few have any vehement desires after Spiritual things few do complain of the corruption of their Nature few are restless till they have gotten Christ and are satisfied with him And to make it evident that they are few Consider First of all that a great number of men in the world are worldly and earthly minded these do not thirst after Christ no worldly no earthly-minded man is a Spiritual thirster after Christ the text is clear for it in Phil. 3.18 19. For 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 and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things Mark those who minde earthly things are enemies to the Cross of Christ and do not Spiritually thirst after Christ no they are enemies to Christ Jam. 4. Yee Adulterers and Adulteresses know yee not saith he that the love of the World is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God If mens love be worldly and they earthly minded they do not thirst after Christ no they are enemies to God and Christ John tells you in his first Epistle ch 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him The love of the Father is not in him the love of Christ is not in him he hath no thirsting and desire after God and Christ Rich men 1 Tim. 6.9 Those that will bee rich pierce themselves through with many cares and sorrows and drown their souls in perdition Do these thirst after Christ no earthly minded man or woman hath any Spiritual thirst after Christ 2 None that do neglect the means of Grace do thirst after Christ and yet do not a multitude neglect the means they never read the Scriptures they never hear a Sermon or very seldom they never pray and do these thirst after Christ If they thirsted Spiritually after Christ they would use the means to come to Christ If a man were athirst he would use the means to get something to quench his thirst so if men do thirst after Christ they would read the Gospel study the Gospel call upon the name of God and Christ Jer. 10. Power out thy Wrath upon the men that call not upon thy name Now when men call not upon the name of God and Christ use not the means they are the enemies of God and Christ and wrath is their portion therefore you see whole Nations never looks after Christ multitudes in this place never look
There is no name under Heaven by which you can have Salvation but Christ it is not in the Spirit of God but in Christ who sends the Spirit the very Spirit comes from Christ so that all is saved in him 5 And lastly Peoples not hungering and thirsting after Christ Spiritually is from hence that they look upon the Doctrin and Discipline of Christ as unsuitable to them Christs Doctrin is a hard Doctrin a severe Doctrin Christs Discipline and Government they will not be under to bear his yoke they will not indure it what for a yoke to come upon their necks that is intollerable what must I give up my self to Christ and follow Christ fare-well all comforts all pleasures and all delights now because Christs Discipline and Doctrin is cross to flesh and bloud therefore they do not Spiritually desire Christ so then there are but few Spiritual thirsters and you see whence it is that there are so few The next use is a use of Examination that we would examine our selves whether we be Spiritual Thirsters yea or no that so wee may have this sweet invitation of Christ Let him that is athirst come Christ will say to thy Soul come come now I say let us examine and make inquiry whether we be Spiritual thirsters yea or no. But before I come to the discovery of it let me tell yee there is a false thirst and there is a true thirst The true thirst doth arise from the sense and feeling of want of moysture throughout the whole man the false is accidental the one is Natural the other is Accidental Accidental thirst you know is when a mans Stomack hath some saltish humour there and his Palate is distâ—sted then there arises a false thirst he hath some ill humour gotten into those parts and causes a drought there So now in his Spiritual thirsting a true thirsting doth arise from a defire of union with the Lord Jesus Christ through a general sense of sin and the false thirst doth arise either from apprehensionâ— of Wrath of Guilt of Condemnation and Punishment and so causes the Conscience to ake and thereupon hee desires Christ or it doth arise from the good in the Gospel propounded which tickles his fansie which is as it were the palate or throat of the Soul and thereupon he desires Christ so that there is a false Spiritual thirst as you may call it in some sense as well as a true Spiritual thirst but then to distinguish between these thirsts 1 If you would know whether you bee true Spiritual â—hirsters Difference between tâ—ue and false thirst inquire whether your thirsts do arise from the whole man the Natural thirst ariseth from the whole man for though the Stomack or Appetite do crave that is because it is the first receptacle and prompts you what Nature wants and must be conveyed that way to Nature for it is not only your Stomack is dry but every Member of your body is dry and there must be a repair of the whole so here in the Soul when the thirst is truly Spiritual it is a thirst of the whole Soul not a thirst of any one Faculty or of the Affections or Conscience or Will alone but it is a thirst from the whole Soul that the whole soul doth thirst after Christ My Soul thirsteth after God saith David but now in another it is a partial thirst his Conscience it may be akes and he thirsts now for Christ to releeve his Conscience and if guilt be taken away he is well or it may be he is athirst in his understanding he thirsts for some more light because he sees some errour in some way or he would have more parts and gifts and so it is a partial thirst but if it be a true Spiritual thirst it is a thirst of the whole Soul the Conscience thirsts and would have the Bloud of Christ to sprinkle it the Understanding thirsts and would have the knowledge of Christ compleated in it it is a total thirst 2 You may distinguish the true Spiritual thirst from the false one from the rise of the thirst both these thirsts may arise from the same cause yet have a differing way the true thirst arises from sin and so doth the other but under several Considerations 1 Hee that doth truly thirst after Christ his thirst rises first from the pollution 2 From the separation sin makes And 3 From the offence sin gives 1 It rises from the pollution of sin sin he sees hath so defiled the Soul so defiled the whole man that he is unmeet for God unmeet for all that are Spiritual and now because hee is so defiled so besooted and besmeared with the blackness of sin his Soul thirsts after the Bloud of Christ after the Spirit of God and Christ his thirst rises from the consideration of the pollution of sin And 2 From the consideration of the separation sin hath made this sin this sin hath made a breach between God and my Soul and separated mee from God who is the infinite good the only good O it hath put me in a great distance from God and therefore thirsts to have communion with God again 3 It rises from the offence O it hath caused God to frown God to be angry now his thirst rises from these and therefore hee thirsts after Christ But another now his thirst rises from the consequence of Sin O Sin will Damn me it will bring Plagues and Judgements sin will make me lye roaring in Hell for ever sin brings shame upon me the like so that this man thirsts after Christ upon this account I desire Christ that this punishment may be taken away that I may be kept out of Hell and the like and that I may not be ashamed so that the thirst arises from sin but upon these grounds and considerations 3 Again we may distinguish between these thirsts by the consideration of what is thirsted after as well as what the thirst arises from where the true thirst is it doth thirst after Grace after Holiness after Communion with God after the excellencies of God and Christ mark where the false thirst is it is after pardon after peace and after ease so I may be pardoned and saved and have peace and ease saith the Soul that is all I look after this is a false thirst but where the thirst is true it thirsts after Holiness and Grace and Communion with God and the excellencies of God and so to be healed as wel as saved saith David Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee My Soul is athirst saith he Lord heal my Soul why it is not pardon heals the Soul nor peace heals the Soul but it is Grace and Holiness heals the Soul that makes you like to God that makes you such as you should be Now another man he cares not for Holiness nor for Grace he would have pardon ease peace and Salvation but as for Holiness Grace and Communion with God
do not finde this thirst in my Soul I do not finde such a thirst as here is mentioned in my Soul and what shall I think of my self others it may be they have strong thirstings and such desires but as for my self I do not finde the same Ans To this I answer that there is a difference in men in regard of this Spiritual thirst as well as in men in regard of Natural thirst some bodies are more thirsty than others your Cholerick bodies are more thirsty than Flegmatick so some Christians are more thirsty than others some have lived very profane lives in scandalous courses and run out into exorbitant ways and greatly have dishonoured God and if God ever stir in their hearts and bring them to thirst their thirst will be vehement their thirst will be afflictive their thirst will bee stronger than other mens some they are trained up from the Cradle in the ways of God they have more ingenuous Natures and breaks not out into such ill ways and their thirst is more moderate and less discernable it is not the degree of the thirst but the truth of the thirst that is required though you have not a strong thirst yet you have a true thirst as it is not a strong faith but a true faith that is required to Salvation Now the degree of thirst which will bring you to Christ which will make you come and drink and stay with Christ that is sufficient Vse of Exhortation But to come to another use and that is an use of Exhortation Let him that is athirst come Men and women O labour to be true thirsters after Christ we can thirst after other things one thirsts after this another after that and another after another thing and all the things in the World are thirsted after by one or other but who thirsts after Christ All seek their own and none seek the things of Christ they neither thirst after Christ nor any thing belongs to Christ Now here I shall do two or three things 1 Shew you grounds why you should thirst after Christ 2 Give some directions to those that never thirsted and directions to those that do thirst that they may thirst more First for some grounds 1 Consider Why wâ—â— should thirst after Christ Blessedness is fixed unto Thirsting would you not be blessed all of you would you not have a blessing from the mouth of our dear Saviour Matth. 5. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness it may be you have not Righteousness yet but do you hunger and thirst after righteousness saith Truth it self the Lord Jesus Blessed is the man blessed is the woman and is there nothing in a blessing pronounced by him This word is a comprehensive word Blessed there is all good wrapt up in it all good for Soul all good for Body all good for present all good for future Blessed is the man that hungers and thirsts if you would therefore have such a blessedness as this is O hunger and thirst after Christ and the excellencies of Christ 2 Many great and precious Promises are made out to Thirsters and will bee made good to Thirsters In Isa 44. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thine Off spring and they shall spring up as among the Grass as Willows by the water-courses I will pour water upon him that is thirsty that is I will pour my Spirit upon him that is meant by water if thou bee thirsty God will not only give his Spirit but pour his Spirit it notes abundance it notes vehemency such a measure of the Spirit as shall bear down your corruptions and your sins God wil pour out his Spirit upon you so in the one and forty of Isaiah When the poor and the needy seek water and there be none and their Tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open rivers in high places c. If you be thirsty if you bee even fainting if you bee brought low now in your longings and desires after Grace and Holiness and the things of Heaven the Lord saith I will hear you mine ear shall be open mine hand shall be stretched out I will not forsake you I will not leave you in that condition I will releeve you so that sweet and choyse Promises are made to Souls that hunger and thirst they shall be satisfied 3 Again we should labour for this thirst because the invitation here is unto thirsters If any man thirst let him come so in Joh. 7.38 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The Lord invites such persons you know when he made a great Feast in the fourteenth of Luke he invited all sorts but those were not athirst they would not come the Yoke of Oxen the Wife the Farm drew them away but those that were athirst came If any man thirst let him come You would take it ill if Christ should not invite you to the dainties of the Gospel well do you thirst Christ invites you Are you a hungery will you eat will you drink Christ invites you the invitation is to Thirsters therefore get this thirst Quest But the Question is What directions will you give us to attain unto this thirst Ans First Some directions to them that have it not Secondly To them that have 1 For those that have it not Directions to those that have not this thirst and 1 Let such consider something of God something of the Law something of Sin something of their Lives something of Eternity God 1 Something of God Let them consider the Purity the Justice and Power of God 1 The Purity of God God is a holy God so pure that his eyes cannot behold iniquity to approve of it see what is said in Psal 5. Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee no unclean thing shall ever enter into his presence God is a holy God and who can stand before him 1 Sam. 6.20 He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 Well if God be holy and pure what wilt thou do then that art unholy unpure wicked carnal and corrupt he is an holy God whom thou hast to do withall 2 He is a just God a God that hath said The soul that sins shall dye Bee hee great or small rich or poor young or old learned or unlearned The soul that sins shall dye Psal 143. saith David there Enter not into judgement O Lord with thy Servant for no flesh living shall be justified in thy sight The Lord is so just so righteous so exact that no flesh living can be justified in his fight why flesh is guilty guilty before God and sinners must dye God is righteous 3 Consider as God is Pure Holy and hates all sin the appearance of
evil the thoughts of the heart As God is just and will punish sin so God is powerful to do it God he hath a strong Arm and when he comes to punish he can do it to purpose See what Job saith in chap. 16.12 I was at ease but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by my neck and shaken me to peeces and set mee up for his mark c. Did God deal thus with holy Job what will hee do with sinners Is not God a consuming fire Is not God terrible in righteousness Can any escape the hands of God Yee sinners in Sion can yee escape the hands of God What will yee do in the day of Visitation when God comes Can yee stand it out against the Almighty can yee plead with God and bring forth your Arguments to justifie your selves God will Condemn you he will shake you to peeces God will break your bonâ—s hee will make your reâ—es speak bitter things unto you Now the consideration of Gods Purity of Gods Justice of Gods Power sould make you thirst after Christ who may make you holy and free you from his Justice and from his Power that he might not destroy you The Law Secondly Consider the Law of God the Law of God is in few words in the Ten Commandements there is much forbidden and many things commanded he that is angry without cause he that saith unto his Brother Racha or thou fool is in danger of Hell fire Hee that looks upon a Woman and lusts after her hath committed Adultery and Adulterers shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven you think Thoughts are free and lust free but what saith Paul When the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed the Commandement slew me and if the Law once enter and seize upon your heart it will drink up the moysture of your spirit it will make you restless night and day it will be as an Arrow in your Liver as a hot burning Iron Paul thought himself once that he was righteous blameless civil just and that no man should be saved sooner than himself but he was deceived when the Law came he saw what a sinner he was what vild thoughts vild lusts and practices he had been guilty of and the Law slew him The Law pronounces a Curse over your heads and James tells you He that breaks one is guilty of all therefore do not you see a need of Christ now Have you no thirsting desires after Christ who shall deliver you from the Law who shall free you from the Curse if you have not Christ to do it you will stand and fall by the Law and you cannot be justified the Jews would be saved as it were by the Law but they perished seeking righteousness by the Law and so will all that go that way Sin Again consider something of Sin are you not sinners If there be any here that saith he is not a sinner let him depart but if we be all sinners let us consider the nature of Sin O how doth sin defile us how doth sin black us what ugly loathsome Creatures doth sin make us what Black-a-mores are wee and those that are in their bloud in their filth those that dye in their sin wo bee to them well let us then lay to heart the evil of our sin and I am perswaded there is not one here that hath any understanding about it but sees a great deal of evil at one time or other in sin it is the offence of God it is the death of the Soul it is the breach of the Command Sin is that that separates between God men now what you have in the notion bring it down and reallize it in your hearts follow it with meditation and let meditation bring in the evil of sin bring in the Indictment I am guilty of this and that and the other sin and let Conscience now sit as Judge in you and speak out Conscience will Condemn you and say O thou hast sinned against my Lord and Master I am his Deputy and I sit as a petty god in thy Soul and I tell thee Thou art a Damned lost Creature now when things are brought home thus then will yee thirst after a Pardon then will you look out for Salvation then will you see Christs Bloud Christs Intercession and Christs Merits to bee precious Stout-hearted Sinners and High-way Men when the Sentence of death hath been pronounced over their heads and they have seen that they are Condemned men then they have fallen down upon their knees and have begged mercy so many stout-hearted Sinners if they would but follow home their sin by Meditation and bring the Notion home to their hearts they would see themselves to have need of Christ and to have Mercy and Grace through him Our own Lives Again Consider your own Lives have you any Lease of your Lives as Hezekiah had Do you know you shall live another week another year another night or day Are not your Lives uncertain your breath in your Nostrils Do we not finde in Scripture and in daily experience how suddenly men and women are pulled away by some hand of God or other Senacheribs Army smitten all in a night one hundred fourscore and five thousand men fifty thousand Bethshemites smitten for peeping into the Ark Herod eaten up with Worms the Tower of Shilo fell upon eighteen two Bears out of the Wood tare forty two Children And have we not examples in our days How many are blown up with Powder how many are burnt with fire how many drop down in the streets as they go Why do not you thirst after Christ and his Righteousness There is no way for you but by Christ it is Christ alone that will secure your Souls therefore can you be too early hie forward upon this account If Christ be not yours and you dye wo to you you shall dye in your sins saith Christ This were a sad Sentence to be pronounced over your head to be written upon your doors or hearts Man Woman thou shalt dye in thy sins it had been better thou hadst never been born now unless you get interest in Christ you must dye in your sins Eternity Lastly consider Eternity here you have a being but for a little time but what comes after there is an eternal condition of bliss or wo and the most go the wrong way there is a possibility for thee for eternal Happiness and the way is to thirst after Christ sit down and consider with thy self whosoever thou art that art in the gall of bitterness and hast deluded thy Soul hitherto with an out-side or form of godliness Consider ere long I must go hence and there are thousands go to Hell for one that goes to Heaven well it is time for me now to look to my self I may be gone before next day before next year and is Christ mine what a Swearer a Drunkard a Worldling a Whore-master one that doth rail slander and