great Luk. 18.13 and take up the Publicans Posture and Petition smite on your breast and say The Lord be merciful to me a sinner Beg strength against this sin pray for Truth in the inward parts pray as Psal 119.80 Make my heart sound in thy statutes that I may never be confounded Lord I have the Lineaments put into me the Life of a Christian make me what I seem lest at last I be found what I would not and here take heed you be not formal in confessing and praying against your formality a hypocrite that hath got the Art to confess his hypocrisie in hypocrisie and seems to be displeased with himself for that sin when he is not so indeed may well have Lord have mercy written upon his door Labour to get those things which are the Direct 3 very Life and Essence of a Christian those things which are constituent of and difference a Christian from all others Some of these things have been hinted already in shewing what a Formalist wants I shall touch upon them here and add more In general Content not your selves to act as Christians or in doing what a Christian doth 't is one thing to be and do as a Christian and another to be a Christian There are especially five things which constitute and are as it were ingredient into the very Essence of a Christian 1. A sound conviction of and deep humiliation for sin This as you heard before the Formalist wants this is the ordinary Foundation of all that saving-saving-work which the Spirit of God doth upon the Soul John 16.8 This is the ordinary forerunner of true solid Comfort Conviction and Contrition are the inlets and preparatives to Consolation Here begun the work upon those three thousand Converts Acts 2.37 upon Paul Rom. 7.9 And though it s wrought in some insensibly or with less noise and horror yet it is wrought in all really who are saved in Gods ordinary way and who are truly wrought upon Labour then to feel sin your heaviest burden and that not onely some one or few sins of your life 2 Chron. 32.26 but especially your heart-pollutions be humbled with Hezekiah for the pride of your heart and so for other inward lusts yea let your humiliation reach to your very duties be ashamed at their deficiency and defilements labour to see and be sensible that all your righteousness is as a filthy rag Isa 64.6 and cease not to follow the streams until you are come to the Spring-head viz. the corruption of Nature and here sit down and weep as the Jews by the Rivers of Babylon Never think your conviction and humiliation right till you arrive at this viz. A clear sight and deep abiding sense of the universal pollution of your nature and the utter inability to any thing truly and spiritually good Thus you must as it were begin the work again raze all other and lay this as a sound foundation he that hath this hath the root of the matter in him 2. Labour after a total abnegation of your own righteousness duties priviledges performances This is essential to a Christian in that brief but full description of a sincere Christian Phil. 3.3 this is one of the three Ingredients To put no confidence in the flesh The first Lesson in Christ's School is Self-denial Matt. 16.24 We must learn that counsel Luke 17.10 to acknowledg our selves unprofitable servants 't is one of he hardest Tasks but exceeding necessary True Grace and Christian Religion is perpetua naturae violentia a doing violence to our selves thwarting our passions depluming our selves of all those Feathers wherewith we are wont to strut and in which we have prided our selves We must learn to acknowledg with the Prophet Isa 64.6 That all our righteousness is but as a filthy rag that our best Duties or seem ng Graces are in themselves but a beautiful Abomination and to trust in them is but to go a cleaner way to Hell And what should hinder from this self-denial What is thy righteousness more nay is it not in many respects less then that of the Scribes and Pharisees Read Luke 18.10 11 and compare yet ver 14. the self-abasing Publican went away more justified than the Pharisee that is the Pharisee was not at all justified for there is not magis minus in Justification Away then with all thy proud self-reflections think but how strict a disquisition shall be made at the day of Judgment and how piercing the eyes of the Judg will be and then consider whether thou shalt be able to stand before him in thy own rags and if thou wilt not be able then to stand why shouldst thou now glory in them Oh! surely God can see beams in those duties where thou canst not discern moats and will discover blemishes where thou conceitest there is the greatest beauty 3. Endeavour a cordial close with Christ upon Gospel-tearms Here lies the main to which the two former are preparatory This was Paul's great desire Phil. 3.9 To be found in Christ Get therefore that precious Grace of Faith which is the hand wherewith thou must accept Christ whatever thou hast if this be wanting thou shalt certainly perish John 3.18 36. The grand Enquiry at the great Day will be Whether you believed or no though it 's true your work will be look't into but those as the proofs and evidences of the sincerity of your Faith There will be no standing before the Judg except himself be thy Advocate and this he will not be but upon thy cordial acceptance of him now On make out for Christ cry out Give me Christ or I dye And that you may get Christ you must not as Peter gird your Coat your own righteousness to you but as Bartimeus cast it from you Neither think that a blind bold adventurous rushing upon Christ a meer adherence to him or a confident perswasion of his good-will towards you in particular is the all or main of this Faith and Acceptance I am pressing this mistake will I fear be the ruine of Thousands There must be an absolute resignment of thy self to Christ as well as reliance on him 'T is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gross and grievous mistake to think that the strength of Faith lyes in the strength of a man's Fancy or Imagination or of his perswasion that Christ dyed for him in particular True Faith gives as well as takes when you send for a Physician and he undertakes and promises your cure 't is supposed you accept of him and resolve to follow his Prescriptions else you may miscarry To accept Christ as your Saviour Soul-Physician necessarily includes your giving up your selves to follow his Prescriptions else you but dissemble with him This I hint to prevent mistakes about the nature of true Faith which are too ordinary Well if thou who art yet a Formalist wouldst be a Christian indeed get out of all and accept Christ as tendred in the Gospel
So that though the Arrow of the Word be directed to his Breast and hits his sin yet he perswades himself it was not intended though Conscience sometimes owns the sin being struck at by the Word and begins to charge it upon him yet he soon stops its mouth by perswading himself that the Minister did but accidentally light upon it that it was intended against some other person whereas the prophane person being conscious of the notoriousness of his sins and that they are such as are obvious to the worlds eye he is ready to think that every word is directed to him and therefore more apt to apply it The Formalist though conscious of a sin reproved yet is ready to think who imagines that I am guilty of such a sin I pass for a godly man a sincere Christian in the opinion of good men my Minister I know judges better and hath other thoughts of me and thus he waves the Charge A stout Thief will stand upon his own justification and outface the Judg when he knows the Act was so secret that there can be no Testimony produced thus it is with a Formalist whose sins for the most part are Chamber-sins Closet-sins such as are out of mens cognizance The notoriousness of a sin is many times a help to conviction It 's an easier matter to make a Malefactor own and confess that crime whereof he knows an hundred Witnesses may be produced then of that which he presumes is known to none but himself I may use that at least ellusively to this purpose 1 Cor. 14.24 If one come in that believeth not or is unlearned he is convinc'd of all he is judg'd of all So the notoriously prophane person when his drunkenness uncleanness swearing c. are spoke to he is ready to think this is intended against me and that every one in the Congregation will interpret it as spoken to him and though it is true that sometimes this heightens his hatred against the Word and Minister yet if God set in with it it hath a contrary operation viz. to edge the Word and facilitate conviction 4. VVhich is of affinity to all the other The smallness of his sin is another shelter they are not aggravated by those bloody and heightning circumstances as the sins of others He baptizeth them with the name of slips infirmities sins of dayly incursion unavoidable weaknesses spots of God's own Children such as are incident and common to the best of men nothing befalls him in this but what is ordinary yea he compares his sins with those of the godly recorded in Scripture Abraham's Lying Noah's Drunkenness Lot's Incest David's Murther and Adultery Peter's Denying and Forswearing his Master c. And finding his sins to fall very much short in point of guilt and scandal he not only concludes his condition good and safe but applauds himself as a Christian of a high form and great attainments Now while a man judges thus of himself it is impossible to fasten any humbling conviction upon him 'T is necessary in order to conviction that a man not only see sin but see its sinfulness hainousness and aggravated by its circumstances till a man say as David Psalm 25.11 Pardon my sin for it is great till with Paul he apprehend it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 7.13 Out of measure sinful till he look upon himself as the chief of sinners he will not be to purpose convinced or humbled Then will he cry out with Paul Rom. 7.14 I am carnal sold under sin 'T is sin clothed with exaggerated circumstances of Guilt Scandal Rebellion Atheism Contempt of God c. that awakens the Conscience and fastens the Dart of conviction in the heart of a sinner I acknowledg indeed that the same light is requisite to discover the hainousness of a prophane persons sin and the Arrow must be shot with the same Hand out of the same Bow that pricks and pierces his heart for we see that even those grosser sins of drunkenness adultery c. are by many counted venial infirmities tricks of youth c. yet if we consider the means whereby God ordinarily works on men it will appear that where sins are greater more palpable more directly against the express Letter of the word it is an easier thing to bring the sinner to acknowledgment and conviction since in such cases the Law and Conscience will bear witness against the sinner That sin the very act and matter whereof is expresly condemned by the word is more easily set home upon a man then when onely some circumstance makes it to be a sin Yet on the other hand I acknowledg that the smallest sin aggravated upon the conscience by the Spirit of God whose work it is to convince of sin John 16.8 will appear exceeding sinful Bolton's Soul-exaltation p. 118. Augustines robbing an Orchard when a Youth was afterwards a sin very hainous in his eyes when he considered it in its circumstances and he aggravates it upon himself by considering that it was against the very light of Nature that he did it with a full propensity of will not for want but wantonness having better fruit of his own not so much out of love to the Fruit as out of love to Sin that he joyned himself with wicked company did it at Midnight having spent the time before in Luxury and Vanity that they carried away great Burdens when they came home they had no such desire to eat them but cast them to the Swine Upon these and the like considerations he breaks out into a passionate indignation against himself and exclamation to God Behold my heart O my God behold my heart which thou hast pitied in the lowest Hell Thus a small sin seen in Gods light appears odious and exceeding hainous Even those Motus primo primi as the Schools call them the suddain and indeliberate suggestions of sin not coming up to consent or action have been matter of strong conviction and deep humiliation to some souls yea and have more affected them then the grossest acts and greatest exorbitancies Yet if we look at God's ordinary way of working which is by the VVord and Conscience it will be easie to conceive that a Prophane scandalous sinner is in a nearer capacity of conviction then he whose sins are but as Motes to the others Beams as Mole-hills to the others Mountains 5. The last refuge I shall mention is the seeming Graces he hath and the Duties he doth Many good things are found in him and proceed from him these he ballanceth with his sins and finding his Sins small his Graces as he supposes strong and vigorous his Performances many and excellent he concludes well of himself and under this thick Covering he shrouds himself from the power of the VVord behind this Bulwark he secures himself from the Gun-shot of Conviction Thus the Pharisee Luke 18.11 12. I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers nor even as this Publican Here you see
God and the world but I shall find at last that I have deceived my own soul Psa 125.5 Will not God both find me out in these crooked wayes and turn me out with the workers of iniquity He that perverteth his wayes shall be known Prov. 10.9 The self-flatterers iniquity shall be found hateful Psal 36.21 Can I carry it so closely that God shall not find me out Doth not his eye pierce and his eye-lids try the children of men Doth he not set our secret sins in the light of his countenance Is there not a wo to them that dig deep to hide their sins as well as their counsels from the Lord Isa 29.15 16. Thus labour to make thy heart sensible of this sin 4. It is a sin of evil influence upon others Warm and lively Christians are the great blessings of the places where they live their zeal provokes many 2 Cor. 9.2 But a dead and heartless profession especially if of any eminency in the Church puts a stop to others who are apt to come up to their measure and there to rest The whole Army made a stand at Amasa's dead body 2 Sam 20.12 so do many at one dead Christian How may a dead and formal Minister or Master of a Family read his own in the Temper of his People or Family As face answers face in a glass so for the most part doth the complexion and temper of the Followers answer that of their Leaders Aggravate thy sin by this consideration upon thy own heart Vile wretch that I am how many do I hinder in heaven's way how doth my formality give occasion to some to think there is no reality in Religion and to others to rest in the same temper Were I a better Leader my People Family Neighbours would be better Followers If they perish in that sin how justly may their Blood be charged upon my head 5. It is a sin that insensibly hardens the heart every sin is of that nature Heb. 3.13 But as none is I think more deceitful so scarce any more hardning One or two duties customarily and formally done will be found mightily deadning and indisposing the heart to other duties afterward By Formality in prayer you may in time pray away both your Graces and Gifts so you may by customary hearing hear your selves quite deaf to all Gods counsels 2 Tim. 1.6 This makes the heart of many like the trodden path or neather Milstone Formality is a lazy sin it doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow up the Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit and so the Fire goes out Habits of laziness are hardly shaken off as we see in common Beggars indulging a lazy temper which is the Formalists sin must needs encrease it 'T is the Formalists frame that of the sluggard Prov. 6.10 and 26.14 Yet a little sleep Ver. 11. c. And what is said of him may well be applied hither So shall thy poverty come as an armed man By this lazy formal temper spiritual poverty invades and seizes upon the soul Besides this sin as it hath a natural so a judiciary tendency to hardness of heart i. e. it provokes God to give up to obduration Luk. 19.26 From him that hath not so as to improve shall be taken even that he hath or seems to have God will say to such in his just Judgment Sleep on and take your rest and as that great Commander finding his Sentinel asleep run him thorow saying Dead I found him dead I leave him Thus God deals with the lazy formal sluggish Christian Work this also on thy heart 6. It is a sin that broodeth hatcheth cherisheth many other Pride Self-confidence Contempt of others are the natural products of it Upon account of a constant course of formal duties men are apt to encourage themselves in sin see Jer. 7.8 9 10. 'T is storied of one an Italian as I remember who us'd to patter over his prayers in the morning and then challenge the Devil to do his worst Let but a Formalist observe his own heart and he shall find That when he hath done something more then ordinary in a way of duty he is apt to draw encouragements thence of being more loose afterward Set this home Oh what a Viper have I harbour'd in my bosome How many sins hath this one sin let in and drawn me into c 7. It 's a sin that brings both the surest and soarest destruction To such is that cutting word of our Saviour directed Matth. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can you escape the damnation of Hell Hypocrites are Leaders in the Black Roll Matth. 24. last And as dissembled Sanctity is double iniquity so shall it have a double portion of Misery These things I have suggested to help you in aggravating this sin upon your own souls it were easie to add many more but any one of these laid close to the Conscience will through the blessing of God make the Soul groan under the weight of this sin This is the sum of the first step which a soul is to take in order to cure Get a convincing sight and humbling sense of thy sin and would but the Lord bring on the Work thus far could I but see your hands on your loins could I but find you Ephraim-like smiting upon your thigh ashamed confounded were you but throughly convinced of the guilt and sensible of the weight of this sin how hopeful might I be of effecting the Cure Direct 2 When it is thus or rather that it may be thus with thee make thy addresses to God in way of humble confession and fervent petition But to hint something briefly 1. Fall down before the Lord in the shame and grief of thy own Soul making self-condemning Acknowledgments and aggravated Confessions of this sin Thou that hast been hitherto a proud Pharisee Luk. 18.13 now become an humble Publican Learn Davids posture Psal 51.3 This is a singular way to get thy own heart affected for indeed it 's a principal end of confession we do not confess sin to inform God but to humble and shame our selves In confession thou mayest use the forementioned aggravations 2. Add Petition to confession beg a more lively sense of this sin for it is not all thy own aggravating this sin upon thy soul that will make thee feel it to purpose till God take it and set it upon thy Conscience 't is the Spirit of God that must to purpose convince of sin John 16.8 the sins which look but as Moats will appear Beams in that Light which the Spirit of God darts into the Soul Beg Contrition also that acceptable Sacrifice of a broken heart must be of Gods own preparing the sorrow which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God 2 Cor. 7.10 must be from God Zech. 12.10 Beg pardon with the Psalmist Ps 51.1 Fitly may you use his Petition and Argument Psal 25.11 Pardon my sin for it is
not knowingly bank any much less make obedience to one a cloak of disobedience to another 8. Add one more briefly The Formalist is regardless of his own heart A stranger to that Duty Solomon presses Prov. 4.13 Keep thy heart above all keeping This is if I may so speak the very Formalis Ratio the Essence of Formality that the heart is wanting in all he doth he hath an eye to his Conversion as far as it is obvious to the eye of others but lets his heart run at liberty Now the sincere Christian's work is most within his greatest care is in weeding dressing keeping clean watching over his own heart he hath a wary eye to every entrance and out-going of the soul Thus you see some rude draught of a Formalist Judg your selves by these Characters and if you find cause apply the Text and Doctrine to your own hearts rectifie your mistakes and judg of your selves as the Word judges of you it may do you good for this is not a judgment of final decision but of trial and discussion which may bring you into the right way 4. The fourth and last Use I shall make of the Doctrine is Exhortation in which 1. A word to the Prophane 2. To the Formalist CHAP. VII The fourth and last Vse of the point viz. Exhortation And first to the Prophane That they will improve their hopes Prosecuted 1. by Directions 2. Encouraging Motives 1. TO you that wallow in the mire of sin and drink the very dregs of iniquity see your hopes your possibilities your probabilities for Heaven and lay hold on them possibly some of you may conceit your case hopeless and desperate but take not up such sad conclusions There is yet hopes in Israel concerning this thing say not then with the Eunuch and stranger Isa 56.3 The Lord hath utterly seperated me from his people Behold I am a dry tree Nor with the Apostate Jews Jer. 2.25 There is no hope c. Despair will make you desperate 'T is the Epicures language 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die q. d. Let us take our fill of pleasure and voluptuousness here we know not what our portion will be in another world none are so obstinately wicked as they that have hardned themselves by despair I have read of one who after a first and second relapse from purposed and promised Reformation being the third time visited with sickness sent for his Minister who minding him of his former promises and failings in performance aggravating his sin upon him he told him that except he did speedily and seriously repent and put away his Harlot who was then in his house there was no hope of his Salvation His reply was Say you so can I not be saved except I put her away Then I will do as well as I can while I live so calling for Wine Cards and that Woman he spent his time which was but three or four days in mirth and pleasure and so in a moment went down into the grave Oh take heed of bringing your selves to this pass That Scripture is notable Job 15.21 24. A doleful sound is in his ears Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid Here 's his despair or horror of Conscience see the effect of it Vers 25 26. He stretcheth out his hand against God and strengthneth himself against the Almighty he runneth upon him even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his bucklers Some wild Beasts when hunted to a stand will turn again and fly in your face So do sinners when grown desperate even fly in the face of God himself 'T is the Devils ordinary way when he hath drawn men into sin and kept them in it as long as he can when they begin to think of turning to perswade them there is no hope Oh but consider the Text possibly thy case may be more hopeful then many a one that passes in the world for a sincere Christian yet the door is open the Golden Scepter is held out thy case is not desperate make it not so by going on still in thy wickedness Presumption begins obduration but despair heightens and compleats it If once thou drink in this deadly conclusion That there is no possibility of Salvation for thee thou wilt then bid defiance to God This made one shoot his darts against Heaven another throw up handfuls of his own blood crying out Vicisti Galilaea O Galilean thou hast overcome A third wish himself above God that he might be able to grapple with him and a fourth lay violent hands upon himself and become his own Executioner This is it that makes the Devil a Devil Jam. 2.19 He believes and trembles 'T is a Hell worse then Hell it self See therefore and lay hold on thy opportunity Publicans and Harlots saith the Text go into the Kingdom of God art thou worse 'T was a cheering word to poor blind Bartimeus Mar. 10.49 Be of good comfort rise he calleth thee The same I may say to you he came to call sinners and are not you such to repentance Oh that you would now imitate that poor blind man who V. 50. cast away his Garment rose and came to Jesus Acts 13.43 with 47 48. See how the Gentiles rejoyced and flockt in when God vouchsafes them an invitation Poor souls They thought God had cast them off and not reserved such a blessing for them therefore they are even ravished with the glad tidings and become as Corn fully ripe that shakes into the hand of the Reaper or as mellow fruits dropping into the mouth of him that gathers them Oh that this discovery of the like hopes for you prophane sinners might have the like operation upon you Oh that I could hear some poor soul pouring out such breathings as these What Is there hopes for me for me an old Drunkard an unclean wretch c Will Christ vouchsafe to give me a call an invitation Is it possible that I that have spent my choice time exhausted my best Spirits c. upon sin should yet be in a possibility of Heaven Is it thy pleasure dear Saviour to bestow thy Blood and Merits thy Grace and Spirit yea an heavenly Inheritance a Crown of Glory on such a dead dog as I am Surely though none could have less hope yet none hath more need then I since there is a peradventure I will go in if I perish I perish Oh take the Prophets Counsel Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Give me leave to sub-join two or three words of Direction and as many of Encouragement 1. Come within the call of Christ lie at the Bethesda of Ordinances put your selves under the Physicians hands if you will be cured Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 Miss not an opportunity you know not when the Spirit will
blow or the Angel descend to move these waters Though God hath called some from the Ale-bench Tavern Stews Receit of Custom yet it is not to be presum'd God will do so 't is out of Gods ordinary road Those whom Christ cured or called were such ordinarily as were in his way So the ten Lepers Luke 17.12 The blind man Luke 18.35 The wounded man lay in the way betwixt Jerico and Jerusalem c. Zacheus got into the Sycamore-tree where Christ was to pass by Luke 19.4 5. and he hears that glad tidings Come down Zacheus c. Ezek 16.6 When I passed by thee I said unto thee live 'T is good to be where Christ may pass by us and that is in his Church amongst his people for his walk is in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 2.1 Wisdom cries without she uttereth her voice in the streets she cryeth in the chief place of concourse c. Prov. 1.20 What hope maist thou conceive if thou waitest at her Gates and watchest daily at the posts of her doors since such are pronounced blessed Prov. 8.34 Some have been caught in the net before they were aware a happy catching yea when they came to catch carp and deride What hope maist thou have if thou wilt constantly and conscientiously wait upon God in his Ordinances 2. Call upon Christ cast thy self at his feet with the Lepers and the blind man Luk. 18.41 Lord that I might receive my sight Learn the Publicans posture Luk. 18.13 Lord be merciful to me a sinner Take the Apostles counsel to Simon Magus Act. 8.22 Pray that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee such prayers whatever some say shall not be rejected else why doth the Holy Ghost direct to the use of them Christ hath taught thee importunity Luke 18 1-8 Put his Lesson in practice beg pardon and justification say to Christ Lord spread thy spirit over me since thou art become a near kinsman Beg Sanctification Lord here 's a filthy heart O cleanse it a hard heart O mollifie it a dead heart O quicken it Plead such free Promises as that and put them in suit Ezek. 36.26 Take Lord the stone out of my heart and give me an heart of flesh sprinkle clean water upon me c. Take up Ephraim's words Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God And Hos 14.1 2. Plead the examples of such as thou art whose conversion is recorded for thy encouragement Magdalen Zacheus Paul see that sweet Scripture 1 Tim. 1.15 16. How be it for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting Cast thy self upon him in confidence of that word Joh. 6.37 Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast off Plead as the servants of Benhadab 1 King 20.31 I have heard the God of Israel is a merciful God A meer peradventure should be enough to an undone Creature as it was to the four Lepers 2 King 7.8 much more when thou hast such invitations and encouragements to allure thee to come in 3. Cast away thy transgressions Ezek. 18.31 Thou canst not be saved in them but from them thou maist This is the good old way wherein onely thou shalt find rest for thy soul Jer. 6.16 This doctrine will abide the fire when all the wood hay and stubble of novel and unscriptural speculations will be burnt 'T is Christ's own Doctrine Luke 13.3 5. Away then with thy lewd companions excess revellings put away those works of the flesh Gal. 5.22 else take no comfort in all I have said read over the examples of all those that were saved especially such prophane ones as thy self Was not this valley of Achor bitter Repentance their door of hope 'T is not Paul the Persecutor but Paul the Penitent the faithful Apostle that is in Heaven Not Zacheus the Oppressor but Zacheus the Restorer Not Magdalen the Harlot but Magdalen the Penitent weeping Magdalen washing Christ's feet with her tears and wiping them with the hairs of her head And what is there in any sin that hopes of future glory should not make thee willing to part with it Is the Favour of God Are the Consolations of the Spirit The Priviledges of the Saints Is Heaven and Glory and the eternal fruition of the Beatifical Vision so contemptible that they cannot out-bid one base lust Are the pleasures of sin for a season better then the eternal recompence of reward Are devouring flames everlasting burnings such light matters so easie to be endured that for the enjoyment of some worldly delight or contentment perhaps for some sin that hath in it neither profit nor pleasure such as swearing is you should plunge your selves into them irrecoverably Do you believe those eternal things or no If not Why do you come to hear Why do you not declare your selves professed Atheists and lay aside all Profession of Religion Why do you not take your fill of carnal pleasures But if you do believe them as I know you will profess you do why do you not put away your abominations Why do you not fly from the wrath to come by bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance Will you yet say my case is hopeless I have sinned away my opportunities Look once again into the Text see who the persons are Publicans and Harlots What their priviledg is they go into the Kingdom of God To whom they are preferred as to their hopes of Salvation the Morally Righteous the Formal Professor you may if you will take the course prescribed step into Heaven before them But that I may leave you without scruple in this particular take these two considerations further along with you 1. Will not God think you be most ready to do that which best pleases and most honours him and what 's that but pardoning the Penitent embracing returning Prodigals Do you question this A great part of Scripture yea the very scope of the Gospel may convince you Read Jer. 9.24 Mich. 7.18 Exod 34.6 7. Isa 55.7 Joel 2.12 13 Will you believe God upon his word he hath told you Ezek. 18.32 that he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth will you have his Oath Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live herein he hath pleasure turn ye turn ye from your evil ways c. If neither Word nor Oath will serve yet I hope his Actings and gracious Dispensations towards the sons of Men towards your selves may pass for a Demonstration Had God delighted in the Destruction yea had he not had unspeakably more delight in the salvation of poor sinners would he have sent his Son Would he have published the Gospel Would he wait and beseech and so pathetically beg your souls 2 Cor.
brimstone What if these washt in the blood of the Lamb cloath'd in the long white Robe stand amongst the sheep at Christ's right hand when thou in the filthy stained rags of thy unrighteous righteousness shalt be thrust amongst the Goats on his left hand and when they hear Come ye Blessed c. thou hear Go ye Cursed Will not this even rend asunder thy heart-strings and fill thy soul with unspeakable horror and consternation Thus doubtless it will be if thou live and die in thy condition Oh that I could provoke you to jealousie as God threatens to do and did provoke the Jews by the conversion of the Gentiles Deut. 32.21 Rom. 11.11 One day doubtless you will be provoked to a sinful and malicious jealousie at th s sight but I had rather now provoke you to a vertuous and holy jealousie such as might rouze you out of your Formality and make you altogether Christians The Jews were never more incensed then when they were told God had rejected them and embraced the Gentiles Act. 22.21 22. They gave him audience to that word and then lift up their voices and said Away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that he should live The elder Son grows sullen and envious at his Prodigal brothers entertainment and welcome Luk. 15.28 29. 'T is not this sinful envy that I would excite in you but an holy jealousie fear emulation lest such prophane ones should get before you into the Kingdom of God If such a sight would be as needs it must be grievous and tormenting endeavour now to prevent it by a timely escape from Formality otherwise I shall say Averroes a Mahumet n. as the Heathen Philosopher who seeing the Christians eat their pretended God cryed out Sit anima mea cum Philosophis so I Sit anima mea cum prophanis scil penitentibus I had rather be a penitent Thief then a proud Formalist or Judiciary 3. Thou never knewest nor shalt know the real comforts of Christianity while thou continuest in Formality a painted Christian hath but imaginary comforts the Hypocrite hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6.2 5. a Hypocrites reward proportionate to his service Sincerity as it shall onely wear the Crown hereafter so it onely enjoyeth true solid consolation here The joy of the Holy Ghost is their priviledg who are made partakers of the Holy Ghost not in his common gifts but saving graces The true waters of consolation are drawn out of those wells of salvation the sense of God's special love shed abroad in the heart the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience and the sanctifying spirit of God first working and then shining upon his own work He that is a stranger to these is a stranger to true joy and who but the sincere Christian hath these things The stream can neither rise higher nor continue longer then the fountain whence it arises and what is the fountain of a Formalists comfort but his own spotted righteousness and sorry performances the web wherewith he covers himself is spun out of his own bowels and this can neither afford him warmth nor long endure The sparks wherewith he encompasseth himself are but from a fire of his own kindling all the light and warmth he hath is thence and what then can his portion be but at last to lie down in sorrow Is 50.11 When he is brought to the King of terrors his confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernale Job 18.14 His comfort is but a land-flood violent but not lasting 'T is evident for 1. All true comfort flows from Christ from a saving interest in him and reconciliation with God by him this the Formalist hath not he never drunk of that rock but onely out of the muddy puddles of his own polluted duties which have nothing but filth and gravel at the bottom 2. True Consolation is the consequent of sound Humiliation to which he is a stranger Psal 126.5 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy c. Isa 66.10 There seems to be something to purpose intimated in that Prov. 14.10 The heart knows his own bitterness and the stranger intermedleth not with his joy Why may not the meaning be this That as the heart hath its sorrows that others know not so its comforts also and he that never knew the one shall never taste the other however the thing is a Truth The vapours of a truly humbled soul's tears sighs sorrows exhaled do afterwards come down in refreshing dews and showers of consolation Liquors bottled up increase their strength and virtue God bottles up the tears of his people and these waters so bottled are turned into wine of consolation But the Formalist never knew how to weep for sin as sin he is a stranger to those Evangelical meltings and therefore cannot have those reviving cordials of comfort 3. True comfort is the fruit of a conscience pacified purified sanctified 2 Cor 1.12 This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our exultation the Testimony of a good Conscience c. such is not the Formalist's Conscience silent and peaceable it may be not pacified for that 's onely by the blood of sprinkling it may bring in an absolving verdict but it 's upon mistake which will be rectified by the supreme Judg at the last day Well then Wouldst thou drink the pure wine of Consolation Wouldst thou taste of the hidden Manna Have the new Name The white stone Get out of thy Formality Be that indeed which now thou woudst be accounted and desirest to be found at last A sincere Christian 4. Let this consideration drive thee out of thy Formality He that is no more then form will very probably ere long become less then form Formality is but a water-colour not laid in the oil of grace not dried in the grain of Christ's blood and therefore will fade it will either wear off in time or wash off with the waters of affliction The Stage-Player who onely bears the person of a Prince when his part is acted and the Comedy ended puts off his habit and is but what he was before The Formalist doth but personate and represent the Christian and this will not always continue Job 27.10 Will the Hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God He will not Artificial Christians will be but Temporaries Such were Judas Demas Julian nor wilt thou onely lose what thou seemest to have but become worse The salt that hath lost its savour makes the very ground it is cast upon barren The counterfeit friends of Religion have often proved her most embittered Enemies Julian's little finger who once professed Christianity was heavier then the loins of the other persecuting Emperors rottenness in profession often turns into ranchor and malice against it Had some of the Apostates of this age been told while they made profession of the Truth that they should become revilers of Ministers contemners of Ordinances violent Persecutors
sensible of his growth nor a fit Judg of it That of the Orator concerning growth in knowledg may be fitly appli'd hither As we see the shadow of a Dial to have gone but see it not go and the Herb or Grass to have grown but do not see it grow so the encrease of knowledg and the same may be said of Grace because it consists of very small additions is seen only at some distance Yet with these limitations I may affirm That every true Christian is in a constant thriving posture 1. That he grows downward like Trees in Winter when he seems to decay upward he grows more humble when he seems to be less holy and this is real growth God in wisdom suspends his influences as to the growth of other Graces that there may be a proportionable growth in that Christians like the Athenian Students the more they grow in Grace the more out of conceit with themselves As they at their first coming thither arrogated the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wise men then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of wisdom Afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speakers of wisdom At last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ideots So it is with Christians 2. That he grows more into hatred of sin when he seems to decay in strength against it when he feels corruption prevail lusts predominant he cryes out with the Apostle Rom. 7.15 What I hate that do I. And v. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death He more loaths sin and himself that he cannot conquer it he abhors the very thoughts of it and grows more impatient of its yoke 3. That he grows in depth of Judgment when he declines in height of Affection possibly when young he had more leaves and blossoms stronger affections and more serverous motions but now is more sober and solid At first he was sick of love now more rooted in love But now it is otherwise with the Formalist he experiences no such growth but the contrary he goes backward and not forward Jer. 7.24 grows more proud and self-confident sin grows less burdensome or more delightful to him as he hath less strength so he hath less heart then formerly to resist sin or perform duty Conscience is in a consumption and he that would have strain'd at a Gnat can after some time swallow a Camel he loses his seeming love to and savour of Religion Observe then if it be thus with thee for by these thou mayest discover thy Formality 2. But it is not enough to get a convincing sight of this sin i e. that thou art a Formalist except thou hast also an humbling sense of it there 's a great distance betwixt the eye and heart a man may clearly see that he is a sinner yet be little affected with it the Drunkard Swearer c. cannot but see their sin yet are far from feeling it It must be therefore our endeavour in order to the cure of this sin to get the heart affected as well as the Judgment convinced Sin must be our burden else we shall never look out for ease To this end therefore it must be thy endeavour to view this sin in its aggravations to consider and dwell upon the consideration of its hainousness till thy heart be pressed with the weight of it To help thee a little in this take a few things of many 1. It is a sin that turns the greatest reality in the world into a meer shew and shadow Religion is the greatest reality all we do in the World besides the work of Religion is but a meer dream Regeneration Communion with God the Spiritual combat the Life of Faith Mortification of sin c. these are realities indeed Now Formality turns all these into a naked empty Profession a vain Theatrical shew as the Poetical Fiction of the Eccho metamorphosd from a real Virgin to a meer Sound as the Papists have turn'd the true Fast into a mâ—ck-fast Repentance and afflicting the soul into lashings of the Body and Pilgrimages the Sacrament of the Supper into a dumb shew and the whole Worship of God into a ceremonious Enterlude So the Formalist turns Prayer Hearing Sacraments c. into shadows and is this a small sin think you Dwell upon this consideration how soon would Religion vanish into nothing if there were not a few serious spirits to uphold it in the power of it This eats out the kernel the heart the life of Religion It was no less serious then witty a division which one gave of that Text 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness Here said he you have 1. The Body of Religion viz. Form 2. The Soul of Religion viz. Power 3. The death of Religion and that is the separation of the Soul from the Body Power from Form This is the effect of thy sin it murders Religion 2. It is a mocking God to his very face it 's a lying to God and will God endure it What are your formal Petitions Confessions Thanksgivings c. but meer mockeries Thou com'st to hear but it is as they in Jer. 42.5 6 9. who when they received a Message contrary to their designs tell the Prophet to his face that he lies or as Isa 58.2 who were but as a people that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God Or as they are described in Ezek. 33.31 32. The Prophet's Preaching was to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice They heard his words but did them not And what greater abuse can be put upon God then for men to come and pretend a desire to know his Will yet to take no care of performing it As to your prayers I may invert that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 14. Your understanding prayeth but the spirit is unfruitful Your approaches to the Lords Table are no better than a Judas's kiss nor can God take any more pleasure in your approaches then he did in the like service of the Jews Isa 1 12-15 66.3 You do but complement with God and that is no better then meer mockery O think how wretched a thing it is how highly displeasing your duties all of them while you continue in Formality are so many jeers and abuses put upon God 3. By this sin you put a cheat and fallacy upon your own souls you mock God but deceive your selves Gal. 6.3 If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he deceives himself seduces his own soul Jam. 1.22 Bare hearers do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 play the sophisters put tricks and fallacies upon themselves So v. 26. He that bridleth not his tongue and such ordinarily is the Formalist bitter railing censorious but deceiving his own heart his Religion is vain And what greater madness than for a man to cheat himself Lay this home and aggravate your condition by it Wretch that I am I think to deceive