in Iesus Christ and favour with God when you die and As ever you hope to be set at Christs Right hand among his Sheep and to be Sentenced by Christ with them to his Everlasting Kingdom at that great and glorious day of his Appearing That you use all possible Care diligence and endeavours by the Grace and assistance of the Holy Spirit of God against all these fore-mentioned impediments unto Salvation and all such like that they may be removed out of your way to happiness and not be any hindrances at all to your Eternal Glory and Salvation And that this may be the more effectually enterprized and performed by you Let these Ensuing Instructions sink deep into your hearts and be most studiously seriously and sincerely pursued and practiced in your Lives viz. 1. Be deeply and thoroughly Convinced of the extream Sinfulness and wretchedness of your Natural State and Condition in the first Adam How you were shapen in iniquity and conceived in Sin Yea dead in Sins and trespasses and by Nature Children of Wrath even as others And How from this Original and Vniversal Corruption of your Natures your whole course of life is answerably corrupted also Every imagination of the thoughts of your hearts and consequently every word of your mouths and every Action throughout your lives being Evil onely evil continually evil so long as you continue in your Natural state and condition So then while you remain in the flesh you cannot please God nor can have anâ— actual Hope of Salvation upon any solid ground 2. Hence you may evidently See and must needs conclude That there is so great a necessity of a Supernatural Remedy against this your Natural State of Sin and Misery and against all the Sinfulness of your Natural Conversation by the Application of Jesus Christ unto your Souls and the Effectual operation of his Spirit to that End upon your hearts That without such applying of Christ by Faith unto you and the operation of his Spirit in and upon you by Effectual Calling Conversion Regeneration Renovation and Sanctification you can never Enter into the kingdom of God and be Eternally Saved 3. Therefore See that ye come unto Jesus Christ by Faith without delay and Receive him as your onely All-sufficient Saviour that is able to save you to the uttermost Accepting him upon his own terms of denying your selves taking up your Cross daily and following him So Iesus Christ will be unto you Wisdom to guide you in the way to Heaven Righteousness to wash away all your Sins by his bloud and justifie you freely by his spotless Righteousness imputed unto you Sanctification to furnish you sufficiently with all treasures of Grace out of his fullness of Grace and Redemption to deliver you from all your bondage under Sin Satan the curse of the Law the Wrath to come and all your Spiritual Enemies O thrice happy Everlastingly happy shall you be if once Iesus Christ become yours and you his Then you shall be espoused to the best Husband in the world The God and Father of Iesus Christ will be your God and Father The Spirit of Christ will be your Comâ—orter the Kingdom of Heaven shall be your Everlasting Joynture yea All things The World and Life and Death and things present and things to come All shall be yours Then All things shall work-together for good unto you Sickness as well as health Adversity as well as prosperity Death it self as well as life Then nothing in the world shall ever be able to separate you from the Love of Christ or from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Then no Condemnation shall ever befall you in this or in the world to come O happy Souls that ever you were born if you be born again and Christ be formed in you Christ is the Desire of all Nations Let him be the Desire of your Souls Christ is the chief among ten thousand Lâ—t him be the Chief of your choice Christs mouth is Sweetnesses yea all of him is Desires O let your hearts be even ravished with him at all times Say with that faithful Minister and Martyr of Iesus Christ Mr. John Lambert as he was now dying in the flames None but Christ none but Christ In a word I say to every one of you as sometimes Bernard said unto one sweetly Let IESVS be alwaies in thine heart Let Him be unto thee thy meat and drink thy sweetness and Consolation thy Hony and thy Desire thy Reading and thy Meditation thy Prayer and thy Contemplation thy Life and Death and thy Resurrection For Christ is All in All 4. Now Forasmuch as true saving Faith in Iesus Christ is not of our selves but the free gift of God and ordinarily God is pleased to work it in the hearts of his Elect Instrumentally by the Hearing of his Word faithfully preached Efficaciously by the Co-operation of his holy Spirit by which Means also it is nourished and increased Therefore be ye all of you Diligent and Constant Hearers of the Word of Christ faithfully preached Applying things spoken particularly to your selves treasuring them up in good and honest hearts and bringing forth the suitable fruit thereof by an Vpright practice in your lives and take singular heed that you never gâ—ieve quench or resist the operations stirrings or motions of the Spirit of God in the use of his Word and Ordinances or at any other times For Iesus Christ by his Word and Spirit especially stands at the door of your hearts and knocks and if any will open unto him he will come in unto him and Sup with him and he with Christ 5. For the increasing also of your Inward Peace Spiritual Ioy and Comfort Give all diâ—igence to make your Calling and Election sure Examining your selves frequently and seriously whether Jesus Christ be in you yea or no But how shalâ— this be done By comparing your Hearts Lives and Experiences with the written Word of God through the assistance and guidance of Gods Holy Spirit For to this End the Word of God was written to us and the Spirit of God is given to us that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God and that we may know that we have eternal life And for your more ready help in this weighty business you may make use of many Characters marks or Notes of Tryal which I have at large laid down in sundry of my Printed Books which you have by you Take heed you be not strangers to your own hearts and Spiritual States 6. As you have received Jesus Christ the Lord so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the Faith Be not Christians only in Name and outward Shew but inwardly sincerely and in good earnest So live and walk as Christ
7. 37. to the end of Saul that was injurious a Persecutor and a Blasphemer Act. 26. 9 10. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. 16. of the Thief upon the Cross that even after his Crucifiction had railed upon Christ Mat 27. 44. compared with Luk. 23. 40. to 44. Yea of those that were guilty of his Death and Blood yet even some of them Christ washed from their Sins by the very blood which they shed Act. 2. 36 37. to the end Oh miracles of Christs mercy and Compassion to lost Sinners when Christ accepts such who would not hopefully come to him When Christ saves such who have cause to despair that desire truly to repent and believe in him XV. Direction POwer thus to believe in Iesus Christ God-man and by believing to accept and Apply him for thy Recovery O Natural man out of thy sinful and wretched state of Nature thou hast none at all of thy self But all thy sufficiency in this behalf is wholly of God Nevertheless thou mayst and oughtest to do some things for the furtherance of thy Faith in Christ. I. That of thyself thou hast no power or sufficiency at all to believe in Iesus Christ to receive and apply him effectually by believing without the supernatural influence and assistance of God Is plain For 1. The Testimony of Christ and his Apostles is clear for it No man can come to me i. e. by believing Except the Father which hath sent me draw him Ioh. 6. 44. He cannot of himself or by his own power come and believe till God influence him and enable him Again Without me ye can do nothing viz. nothing in fruit bearing either of Faith or any other good spiritual fruit Ioh. 15. 5. That of the Apostles is punctual By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selve it is the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. 2. True saving Faith in Christ and the acting of it unto the accepting and applying of Christ is the special work of God and fruit of the spirit of the Regenerating spirit of God Compare and consider well Ioh. 6. 44. Gal. 5. 22. with Ioh. 1. 12 13. 3. Faith in Christ is the Life of the Soul from Christ it is as the vital spirits from him Gal. 2. 20. Rom. 1. 17. Now can the Soul of natural man which is dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. â— quicken it self by believing Hence then these things must needs follow 1. That whosoever do believe in Christ truly and by Faith apply him effectually and savingly they owe all this wholly to the rich Grace and meer favour of God And are to render unto him all the praise thereof 2. That 't is a piece of gross Ignorance and groundless Presumption for any Natural man whatsoever to think he can believe and accept Christ at his pleasure This is impossible 3. Let every natural man take heed he reject not the divine offers of Faith unto his Soul nor resist the Spirits motions and operations inclining drawing and perswading the heart thereunto 1 Thes. 5. 19. Act. 7. 51. Eph 4. Ioh. 6. 44. For what if the Spirit of God draw and move the heart so no more And without God there 's no believing II. Notwithstanding Though the Natural man cannot of himself savingly believe in Christ or apply him by any self-sufficiency or power of his own yet something towards it and towards the furtherance thereof he may and ought to do Act. 8. 13. Luk. 8. 13. For what a meer Natural man hath done heretofore why may not a meer Natural man do again Now then O Natural man though thou canst not of thy self believe in Christ and apply him savingly yet neglect not to do what thou canst do in order to this believing in Christ and applying of Christ to thine own soul. Art thou grieved in thine heart thou canst not enough believe in him Art thou desirous to believe in him alone for Recovery and Salvation I would fain take this for granted Let me then draw thee thou poor trembling soul a few steps further towards Christ. Make use of these few Helps and Furtherances unto Faith in Christ Jesus For this thou canst and ought'st to do viz. 1. Know and Consider Jesus Christ well both in his Person Offices and the effects or acquirements of his Offices as all these are delineated in the Holy Scriptures Ioh. 17. 3. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. Heb. 9. 12 13 14. and 10. 7. to 19. Rom. 5. 9 10. And Assent fully to the Record that God hath given of his Son in his Word that eternal life is in his Son 1 Joh. 5. 10 11. Now Knowledge Heb. 11. 3. Isa. 53. 11. Ioh. 17. 3. Assent 1 Ioh. 5. 10 11. And Application Ioh. 1. 12. Gal. 2. 20. make up the Nature of true Faith 2. Ponder often and earnestly upon the Promises of God touching Christ and touching believing in him As That whosoever comes to him by believing shall not in any case be cast out by Christ Ioh. 6 35 37. shall not be ashamed or confounded Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. shall not perish Joh. 3. 16. shall never hunger nor thirst more Joh. 6. 35. Isa. 55. 1. shall find rest from Christ unto his soul Mat. 11. 28 29. shall live though he were dead yea shall never die Joh. 11. 25. yea shall have eternal life and be saved Joh. 3. 16 17. Mar. 10. 16. Now these and such like Promises being Yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. they are Fundamentum Pabulum Fidei The very foundation whereupon Faith is bottomed and grounded and the food wherewith Faith is nourished See Rom. 4. 17. to the end Heb. 11. 11. 3. Consider well the Nature of God the Promiser For this will greatly encourage Faith to embrace the Promises and Christ in the Promises For Gods Truth is such he cannot lie Tit. 1. 2. 'T is impossible he should lie Heb. 6. 10. Gods Fidelity such he cannot will not deceive Heb. 11. 11. Gods Power such he can fully perform what he hath promised seem it never so improbable impossible incredible Rom. 4. 20 21. His love and free grace such in giving Christ for us Ioh. 3. 16 17. and offering Christ to us Rom. 3. 21 c. 2 Cor. 5. 18 c. That with him he will freely give all things Rom. 8. 32. 4. Be diligent and constant in attending upon Gods Ordinances whereby Faith is bred and nourished Especially be singularly careful and vigilant in hearing the Word faithfully and powerfully preached Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 14 15 17. The Word preached is the Seed of Faith and Regeneration 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. 5. Cherish and make much of every good motion stirring striving inclination operation of the Spirit of God in thine heart and soul tending to thine accepting and closing with Christ 1 Thes. 5. 19. Eph. 4. 30. Act 7. 51. For Faith is the proper
1 Cor. 3. 16. 17. And this Holy Spirit is the peculiar and immediate Author of Sanctification and Holiness to all Gods Elect 1 Pet. 1. 2. A Spirit of Grace Zech. 12. 10. 3 Who are grossly ignorant of the Spiritual things of God So as not to receive them but to count them foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 14. Eph. 4. 18. For The Spirit of God and of Christ is A Spirit of Truth leading unto all Truth Ioh. 16. 13. A Spirit of wisdom and Revelation for the knowledge and acknowledging of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephes 1. 17. c. 4 Who are not of Gods own family are not his Adopted children nor are furnished with Filial Confidence Fear Love Obedience and other Child-like Properties For The Spirit of God and of Christ is a Spirit of Adoption where he dwells Rom. 8. 15. Confirminâ—g their Sonship and assuring them of their Adopted State 1. As a Witness Rom. 8. 16. 2. As a Seal Ephes. 1. 13. 3. As an Earnest of their Inheritance Ephes. 1. 14. And 4. As a first-fruits Rom. 8. 23. 5. Who are prayer-less persons wholly unable with filial faith zeal and affection to cry Abba Father For the Spirit of God and of Christ is a Spirit of prayer a Spirit of grace and supplication Zech 12. 10. enabling Gods children to cry fervently Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and the Spirit helps our prayer infirmities when we know not what to pray for as we ought For he maketh intercession for us viz. by enabling us to intercede for our selves with unutterable groans i. e. with unutterable desires and longings of soul Rom. 8. 26 27. 4. If thou art still without the immediate fundamental and saving effects of the Spirits of God and of Christ viz. Regeneration Ioh. 3. 3 5 6 8. Renovation Tit. 3. 5. New Creation in Christ Eph. 2. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Conversion from sin and Satan to God Act. 26. 18. Effectual vocation 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Ioh. 6. 44. And Sanctification 1 Pet. 1 2. 2 Thes. 2. 13. By which Gods Spirit brings sinners out of the state of Nature Then art still in the sinful and wretched state of Nature 5. If thou art still unbelieving without faith unfeigned as by Nature all are Tit. 1. 15. 2 Thes. 3. 2. And having no hope no well-grounded hope of salvation and happiness by Christ in this or the world to come as is the condition of all in state of Nature Eph. 2. 12. Then thou remainest in the state of Nature to this hour 6. If thou continuest still impenitent and un-reformed to this day not turned from darkness to light nor from the power of Satan to God Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. Thou art still in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature For by repentance God brings men unto himself into a spiritual supernatural state of life holiness and happiness Act. 2. 38. and 5. 31. and 26. 18. Repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. 7. If thou dost habitually and primarily mind the things of the flesh If thy thoughts contrivances designs c. are chiefly about carnal and worldly things how to grow great rich c. but seldom or never mindest the things of the Spirit how to obtain Christ how to be saved how to make thy calling and election sure how to make Heaven sure how to walk with God c. Then thou art still after the flesh Rom. 8. 5 c. 8. If thy mind and wisdom be enmity against God and cannot endure to be subject to the Law of God then it is carnal Rom. 8. 7. Col. 1. 21. The Natural mans mind is so set upon sinful principles and wicked works that it cannot choose but hate God and his Law that utterly condemn them 9. If thou art not a lover but a hater of Gods people in whom Gods image appears and shines forth He that hateth his brother is in darkness viz. in the darkness of a sinful and miserable state by Nature and walketh in darkness 1 Joh. 2. 9 19 11. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death Whosoever hateth his brother i. e. his Christian brother for God Christ Grace Godliness c. in him is a Murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 1 Ioh. 3. 14 15. 10. If thou art under the Power of darkness Col. 1. 13. The Natural man is not only Dark in the Concreet but Darkness itself in the Abstract Eph. 5. 18. He is so dark that he is all darkness and nothing but darkness therefore he is under the raign and power of it so that he cannot by any ability of his own Extricate or deliver himself out of it The Natural man is under the power of a threefold Darkness viz. 1 The darkness of Sin Sins are works of Darkness Eph. 5. 11. The State of Sin is a state of darkness Such are dead in Sins and trespasses and as dead they are overwhelmed with darkness dwelt in darkness Eph. 2. 1. 5. 2 The darkness of Ignorance This in part is that darkness that blinds the Eyes of Natural man 1 Ioh. 2. 11. So that he cannot receive the things of God they are Foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10 11. 14. The Gospel is hid to them that are lost the God of this world having blinded the minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them 2 Cor. 3 4. 3 The Darkness of misery by reason of his Sinfulness The Scripture frequently expresseth misery under the Notion of Darkness which is very uncomfortable and dreadful As the Miseries in this life Psal. 88. 6. and 107. 10. In death Iob. 10. 21 22. In Hell wher 's utter Darkness Mat. 22. 13. and 25. 30. Blackness of darkness for ever Iude vers 13. Everlasting chains under darkness Iude 6. The Natural man being a child of wrath Eph. 2 3. having the wrath of God abiding on him and being condemned already Ioh. 3. 18. 36 may well be said to be under the power of darkness 11. If thou art under the Power of Satan hitherto thou art still in thy Sinful and wretched State of Nature For every man Naturally is under Satan's Power and dominion till he be supernaturally converted unto God Act. 26. 18. Hence Satan is called The Father of such Ioh. 8. 44. The Prince of this world Ioh. 14. 30. The Prince of this power of the Air the spirit that effectually worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. The God of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. Now thou art under the power of Satan 1 While Satan blinds thine eyes so that the Gospel is hid to thee Is a mystry a Paradox to thee c. left the glorious Light of the Gospel should shine unto thee 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 While thou art an Unbeliever 2 Cor. 4.
return 1 King 12. 28. to the end and 19. 14 18. 2 King 17. 3. to 24. 5. The two Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin remaining grew very wicked from time to time especially in the reigns of wicked Kings insomuch that at last the face of all things in the Church was so corrupt that both the King Priests and people grew to such an height of impiety that there was no remedy and God gave them into the hand of the Chaldeans who destroyed them without pity and carried them captive to Babylon where they were in thraldom 70 years together 2 Chron. 36. 11. to 22. 6. Many of the Jews after their return from the Babylonish Captivity whereby they should have been reformed fell into sundry offences in the dayes of Nehemiah which he endeavoured to reform as most oppressive Usury Neh 5. 7 c. Prophanations of the Sabbath-day Neh. 13. 15. to 23. Marriages with Wives of Ashdod Ammon and Moab Neh. 13. 23 c. 7. Finally In the dayes of Antiochus the whole face of Religion was miserably corrupted and the conscientious were cruelly persecuted 1 Mac. 1. 45. to the end And when our Blessed Saviour became incarnate the whole affairs of Religion lay miserably prostrate and defaced See Mat. 5. and 6 and 7 and 15 and 23. Now all these things Considered How few can we rationally imagine to have been plucked out of their sinful and wretched state of Nature when iniquity so abounded in the Church 3. By the Scarcity of the Truth Life and Power of Godliness and Christianity even in the Visible Churches of Christ now under the New Testament the fewness of those that are effectually recovered out of their Natural state of Sin and misery may further appear For 1. In our Blessed Saviours dayes as the Scribes and Pharisees had in a manner engrossed all Religion to themselves as is none were Religious but they Luk. 18. 9. c. Phil. 3. 5. Act. 26. 5. So the whole Religion of the Scribes and Pharisees stood in outward Forms hypocritical appearances c. Rather then in any sincere Realities Math. 6. 2. 5. 16. and 15. 2. to 10. and 23 2 to 8 13. to 34. and therefore our Saviour tells his hearers plainly That Except their Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 20. 2. The Apostle Paul hath prophecied of perillous times to come in the last dayes viz. That men shall cloak and shelter their many notorious abominations under a form of Godliness denying the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 3. In the New Testament we are oft informed how rare and precious true Religion is As That Christs flock is but a little flock Luk. 12. 32. That of the ten Virgins the one half were foolish having lamps of Profession no Oil of Grace in them Math. 25. 1. c. That in the flower of the Church as there is Wheat so there is Chaff and more Chaff than Wheat Mat. 3. 12. That of four sorts of Hearers there are three naught Mat. 13. Luk. 8. And that it is very observable If out of the Visible Church you take away All the notoriously Prophane All the meer Moral and Civil honest men All the gross Hypocrites whose hypocrisy half an eye may discern all the privy close Hypocrites who know themselves to be Hypocrites and all formal Hypocrites or Temporary believers that believe only for a time Luk. 8. 13. Mat. 13. 20 21. the Residue will be very few in Comparison that are plucked by the hand of Heaven out of their Natural state of Sin and misery and thereby prepared for eternal felicity V. Direction EArnestly and Effectually lay to heart O Natural Man How happy it would be for thy poor Soul to he one of those few recovered out of the Sinful and wretched state of Nature rather then one of those many that live and die and so perish therein eternally Luk 13. 24. Mat 7. 13 14. O do not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23. 2. To walk according to the Course of this World to do as most do to swim down the Common stream c is the Natural man's way and delight Eph. 2. 1 2 3. But 't is no safe way The broad way hath most Company but the worst issue Destruction The Narrow way hath fewest passengers but the best Event eternal life Mat. 7. 13. 14. Will it not be infinitely better for thee To be converted with afew then to remain carnal with a Multitude To be Justified adopted acquitted at last day and eternally saved with a few rather then to be held guilty cast out of Gods family condemned at the last day and eternally tormented with the greatest multitude will it be any ease to thy 〈◊〉 to be tormented with the greater Company when the numerousness of the Tormented will but augment and aggravate one anothers torments Oh it will be far happier for thee to be in Abraham's bosom with one Lazarus then to be tormented in infernal Flames with Dives and all his five brethren Luk. 16. 23. 28. and with all the ungodly of the World VI. Direction FUlly be convinced O Natural Man How impossible a thing it is for thee or for any of the Sons of Adam to be effectually brought out of this Sinful and wretched state of Nature into an holy and happy state of Grace by any ability or sufficiency of our own or by the Sole Assistance or influence of any meer Creature in the whole world This is a point of great Consequence For clearing of it I shall endeavour to shew 1 what Natural man cannot do for delivering himself out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature 2. What he can and ought to do 3. How for not doing what he can and ought to do he shall justly perish for ever I Natural man in order to his effectual Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature cannot do these things following O Natural man thou canst do none of these things viz. 1. Thou canst not Circumcise thineheart from its natural filthiness Deut. 30. 16. nor take away thine heart of Stone canst not remove the natural hardness of thine heart in unbelief impenitency and Sin Nor free thy self from thy Death in Sins and trespasses This is Gods peculiar work Ezek. 36. 26. Eph 2. 1. 5. 2. Thou canst not furnish thy self with the Spirit of God the Spirit of Grace of Regeneration of Renovation nor with the Principle and Habits of Grace infused into the Soul as Repentance unto Life Faith unto Salvation c. These are not of ourselves they are the proper Gifts of God See Zech. 12. 10. Ezek 36. 26 27. Act. 11. 18. and 5. 31. Eph. 2. 8. 3. Thou canst not Actuate Exert and draw into Exercise the Principles and Habits of Divine Grace already infused and instilled into thy Soul but by Gods special assisting and Co-operating Grace Turn
the strait Gate to attain eternal life by Christ and to make thy Calling and Election sure while thou art here on earth while thou art in this present world under the heavenly deaws of the Gospel Mat. 13. 44 45 46. Luk. 13. 24. Phil. 2. 12. 2 Pet 1. 5. to 12. before thine immortal Soul be implunged into the intollerable and everlasting torments of Hell-fire Luk. 16. 23 24 28. Mat. 25. 46. Or never For if once thou art cast out into the Lake of Fire there is no mercy no mitigation of torment no repenting no possibility of reconcilement with God c. And thence is no hopes of Redemption or Recovery Oh if the damned in Hell could by any tears or importunities obtain liberty though but for a few months weeks or dayes to be on Earth again how diligently would they strive to enter in at the strait gate Luk. 13. 24. How zealously would they attend upon the preaching of the Gospel How religiously would they sanctifie the sabbath how devoutly would they pray Once more offer Christ unto us Once more touch our hearts and Consciences Once more enlighten us let us partake of the Holy Ghost taste the good word of God and the Powers of the world to come Heb. 6. 4 5. Once more open the gate of mercy c. How deeply with sighs and tears would they lament their sins day and night How would they endeavour to believe in Christ repent and obey yea to do or suffer any thing that they might come no more into that place of torment But all such hopes are for ever dasht They had their time and season for all these things which they neglected and lost and now shall never enjoy more so long as Heaven is Heaven and Hell Hell O that all these things could be seriously thought upon before it be too late But when must it be NOW or NEVER XX. Direction UPon the sincere closing with Christ accepting and applying him to thy self as thine only Saviour and Redeemer what fullness of all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ will be heaped upon thy Soul Eph. 1. 1 3 4. c. What tongue can utter them What heart of man can comprehend them 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. Be thou careful to walk worthy of them continually Eph. 4. 1. Col. 2. 6 7. 1. What heavenly Relations are presently vouchsafed to thee Thou art a fellow-citizen with the Saints and of the houshold of God Eph. 2. 19. and they all thy brethren and sisters in Christ 1 Pet. 2. 17. God is thy Father and thou his Child 2 Cor. 6. 18. Ioh. 20. 17. Christ is thine elder brother and not ashamed to call thee one of his brethren Rom. 8. 29. Heb. 2. 10 11. Christ thine head and thou his member 1 Cor. 6. 15. Eph. 4. 15 16. Christ thine Husband and thou his Spouse 2 Cor. 11. 3. Christ thy Redeemer and Saviour and thou his redeemed and saved Heb. 9. 12. Luke 2. 10 11. The Holy Ghost is thine Inhabitant and thou his Temple and Habitation 1 Cor. 6. 19. and 3. 16 17. Ephes. 2. 21 22. Therefore be thou holy in all manner of Christian conversation 1 Pet. 1. 14. to 18. 2. What great and precious Promises are thereupon given thee 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. Promises 1. Of the life that now is 2. Of the life to come and what Promises canst thou desire more 1 Tim. 4. 8. Now Gods Promises are not like mans Promises yea and nay off and on sometimes performed sometimes violated c. but they are all Yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. altogether immuâ—able it being impossible that therein the God of truth should lye Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. Having then these Promises cleanse thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. What a cluster of soul-beautifying Graces are immediately together with Faith in Christ instilled and infused into thy soul Faith is the Captain and leading Grace all the rest follow 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 c. These are the Divine Nature and Image of God whereby the Believer resembles the heavenly Father 2 Pet. 1. 4. Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 11. These make the Kings Daughter all glorious within so that her clothing is of wrought gold Psal. 45. 13. These make the Church beautiful even to the ravishment of Christ Cant. 7. 1. to 10. and 4. 1. throughout Labour thou to abound and grow in these Graces continually 2 Pet. 1. 8. and 3. 18. And as he that hath called thee is holy so to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. 14 15 16. 4. What eminent Priviledges are upon thine accepting of Christ heaped upon thee â— 1. Thou art eternally redeemed from all thy spiritual bondage under sin Satan c. under which thou wast enthralled Heb. 9. 12. Gal. 4. 4. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Gal. 3. 13 14. 2. Thou art reconciled unto God who wast formerly at enmity with him Rom. 5. 10. 3. Thou art justified freely through his Grace thy sins being pardoned fully through the blood of Christ and thou art so justified and accepted of God that thou art become the Righteousness of God in him Rom. 3. 24 25. Eph. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 19 21. 4. Thou art adopted into Gods Family and art become one of the Houshold of God and so art made an heir of God a joynt-heir with Christ Gal. 4. 4 5 6. Eph. 2. 19. Rom. 8. 15 16 17. 5. Thou hast access with filial boldness by the Spirit unto the Father and maist confidently cry Abba Father Eph. 2. 18. Rom. 8. 15. 6. Thou art brought into sweet communion with God Father Son and Holy Ghost which is even the Saints â—eaven on earth 1 Ioh. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 13. 14. 7. Thou hast a Treasury and Fountain of all true Comfort bestowed upon thee the Holy Ghost the Comforter dwelling in thine heart 2 Cor. 1. 3. 4 5. Iohn 14. 16. 8. Thou hast in Christ a new and most excellent Title to all the good things of this present life 1 Tim. 4. 8. Matth. 6. 33. 1 Cor. 3. 20 21. 9. Thou art assured that all things even the worst of afflictions and persecutions shall work together for thy good for thy best Rom. 8. 28. 10. And finally Thou hast well-grounded hopes of eternal Happiness in Heaven when this life shall be no more in the immediate vision and fruition of God in Christ face to face which is far best of all 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 c. Rom. 5. 1 2. Ioh. 17. 24. Phil. 1. 23. And therefore give all diligence to walk worthy of all these blessed Priviledges Enthral not thy self again in the yoke of any spiritual bondage Provoke not God unto enmity by thy renewed sins Blot not blur not the evidence of thy sins pardon by lapses and falls against thy Conscience Behave thy self towards thy God and all his Children as one of