of them to fit loose from them and make God and communion with God all in all to him 'T is a great saying which I have read of a learned man Although adversity breaks many yet prosperity and a fulness of enjoyments kills many more And how rare a man is that who in prosperity does not at least a little in some degree or other let down his Watch and remit his strictness and exactness in walking David was a wise man and Solomon was a wiser and yet both the one and the other discovered great sin and folly through abounding prosperity So that I say 't is both a rare and difficult thing but by how much the more rare and difficult it is by so much the more excellent and eminent when attained Oh for a man to swim Chin-deep in the streams of creature-comforts and yet not to forsake the Fountain of living waters for a man to have the streams run pleasantly on each hand of him and yet to bathe and delight onely in the Fountain as his rest and happiness for a man in the height of prosperity to be able to say to God as the Psalmist in his affliction did Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee this is noble Grace indeed O labour to come up to this whatever your worldly enjoyments are though never so great so high so pleasant yet as ever you would be ready for a dying hour fit loose from all die to all the more dead we are to the world the more ready we are to go out of the world a worldly spirit a spirit in love with this world is most unready for a dying hour how can he be ready to leave the world that is in love with the world a worldly spirit is most odious to the Spirit of God and most unsuitable to the future life and one living in that spirit cannot be fit to die 'T is a great saying I have read in one He is perfect whose soul is alienated from the world but says he that soul is far from God to whom this miserable life is sweet that is to fay who is fond of these poor things here O die die daily to the world under all your enjoyments of it if you would indeed be ready to die 3. For a man to be empty and yet full to be destitute of all outward comforts and enjoyments and yet to want nothing but to be content and to see all in God and enjoy all in God for a man to be afflicted and distress'd and yet at the same time see a fulness and sufficiency of all good and happiness in a naked God and naked Godliness and accordingly to live upon him and rest satisfied in him this is a noble strain of Grace indeed this the Prophet and in him the Church resolved upon Heb. 3.17 18. Athough the fig tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls Here you see is a most sad supposition a most forlorn and destitute condition supposed to come well and what then in case all this comes to pass what will the Church do then that the 18 verse tells us Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation she is resolved to live upon God and delight her self with God she sees enough in him alone and sets him and her interest in him over against all wants losses and afflictions So the Apostles 2 Cor. 6.10 who were as having nothing yet possessing all things they saw all in Christ and enjoyed all in Christ Here as one glosses upon the place we possess nothing but do wander up and down from place to place yet possessing Christ in him we possess all things Oh for a man to see and enjoy all in Christ when the world frowns upon him and is low with him this is a noble strain of Grace and let me say this that 't is an argument that we have carnal hearts if we see not all in God and enough in God to satisfie us and make us happy whether we have any thing or nothing of this worlds Heaven which death sends us to if we are indeed ready for it is no thing else but the vision and fruition of God for there he is all in all and certainly if we do not see all in God now and enough in God now we cannot suppose our selves to be so fully ready for death and Eternity as we ought to be 4. For a man to have no affliction and yet to be deeply afflicted to be wholly free from all personal affliction and yet greatly to lay to heart and be afflicted for the afflictions of Gods name and people this is glorious Grace Grace in lustre 'T is the observation of a worthy Divine That in the day of the Churches trouble and affliction when both his name and people do greatly suffer God does sometimes leave some of his people an affluence of all outward good things when others are stript of all their comforts they are full when others are in straights they abound neither is there any cloud upon their Tabernacle and this God does to try them whether they will take up in their enjoyments and forget the afflictions of his name and people and truly not to do so but in such a case to lay the Churches afflictions to heart and to bleed and mourn with the bleeding interest of Gods name and people this is pure Grace and marvellous pleasing to God such Grace some of the Saints have come up unto such Grace was sound in David 2 Sam. 7.1 2. And it came to pass when the King sate in his house and the Lord had given him rest round about from all enemies that the King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the ark of God dwelleth within Curtains Mark all was well with David he had rest and he dwelt in an House of Cedar he had all things suitable for and becoming a King ah but all was not well with the interest of God and his worship Davids house and interest prospered but it fared not so well with the house and interest of God and therefore all his enjoyments were as nothing to him he so laid the sufferings of Gods name and worship to heart The like was found in Nehemiah Neh. begin all things were well with him in his own person he was the Kings Cup-bearer and lived under the enjoyment of an affluence of all outward contentments and yet was in deep affliction of spirit upon the account of the Churches affliction When I heard these words says he verse 4. these words what words why that the remnant that were left of the Captivity were in great affliction and reproach that the wall of
which was wrought in me by the Law of God I was made to see my self lost and miserable and awakened out of my security Secondly when the soul is under some smart and notable affliction from the hand of God This is evident in that instance of Joseph's Brethren whose consciences were awakened when they were in distress and charged them with the guilt of their sin in selling their Brother Gen. 42.21 Thirdly when a man comes to die when the visions of death and the grave are before him Oh you little think how strict Conscience will be in its search how sharpe in its charge and how severe in its censure in a dying hour then if there be but the least frown in God's face towards the Soul the least flaw in his peace the least blot or blur in his Evidences for Heaven if there be but the least stain upon the Spirit the least sin unpardoned unrepented of it is a thousand to one but conscience will take notice of it and charge the Soul with it O Sirs you will find a great deal of difference between Conscience upon a bed of ease and Conscience upon a sick-bed between Conscience in an hour of health and worldly prosperity and Conscience in a dying hour in the one great things bear but little weight but in the other little things usually bear great weight in Conscience then the Language of Conscience to the Soul is these and these things hast thou done thus and thus things stand with thee at best grace is thus and thus weak corruptions thus and thus strong temptations thus and thus prevalent the heart thus and thus out of frame the spirit thus and thus alienated from God and the like Hence 't is that at death there are such confessions as you have sometimes from men and women that now they will send for some godly Minister or Christian to pray with them and for them though perhaps they could not endure Prayer all their life-time before Now if in a dying hour Conscience be thus quick and smart in its threats and charges against the Soul then surely we had need and 't is greatly our concern to have all ready all in order against that hour comes The fourth Proposition is this That in a dying hour we shall have to do with God in a very stupendious and amazing way in such a way as may well startle and affright us to think of it we are said to have to do with God here Heb. 4.13 we have here to do with God in Duties in Ordinances in Mercies in Afflictions indeed we had as good never have to do with these unless we have to do with God in these but though we have to do with God here while we live yet know we shall have to do with God in another-guess way when we come to die in such a way as may well overwhelm us to think of it I shall give it you in three steps then we have to do with God immediately with God immediately as our Judge with God immediately as our Judge for Eternity And O how loud do these things call upon us to get all in order in the matters of our foul against a dying hour comes 1. When a man comes to die he has to do with God immediately and that is an astonishing thing In death the body crumbles to dust but the soul returneth to God that gave it so the Holy Ghost-tells us Eccl. 12.7 The body which came from the dust crumbles to dust again but the soul that goeth into God's immediate presence to deal and to treat with him as it were face to face The soul is alwayes with God and cannot possibly be out of his presence Psalm 139.7 And yet here the Holy Ghost tells us when we die the soul returns to God intimating that then the Soul goes into the immediate presence of God and has more immediately to do with him then here he was ever wont to have then he beholds his naked Majesty and Glory Now what an astonishing thing is this You will find if you observe that the Saints of God yea the holiest of them when they have dealt with God in a more immediate way than ordinary they have been overwhelmed by it Take for an instance Daniel who upon receiving Visions from God tells us there remained no strength in him That his comliness was turned into corruption Dan. 10.8 I might instance also in John who upon a view of and converse with Christ that was a little more immediate than ordinary fell down at his feet as dead Revel 1.17 Also that of Jacob I have seen the Lord face to face and yet my life is preserved sayes he intimating it was a wonder that he could so immediately see God and live Gen. 32.10 Now if we are to deal with God immediately when we come to die we had need have all in order before a dying hour comes 2. When a man comes to die he has to do with God immediately as his Judge as one that is to try him for his life to pass sentence upon his Soul to determine his state in righteousness measuring out life or death happiness or vengeance to him in the other world And is not this an astonishing and an amazing thing Then saith Solomon speaking of death shall the dust return to earth as it was and the spirit return to God who gave it Eccl. 12.7 At death the Spirit returns to God but it is to God as a Judge to determine his future condition for him We must all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ and every one must give an account of himself to God so the Scripture tells us Rom. 10.12 And it is appointed for all men once to die and after that the Judgment Heb. 9.27 When a man comes to die that which is immediately before him is the Judgement of God the strict the righteous the impartial Judgment of God then away goes the Soul into the immediate presence of God as sitting upon a Throne of Judgment to pass a sentence of life or death salvation or damnation upon him And believe it we had need have all things set right and well ordered in our souls when we come thus to deal with him we had need have all things well ordered and set right in the matters of our souls when we come to deal with God but as sitting upon a Throne of Grace but much more when we come to deal with him as sitting upon a Throne of Judgment to conclude and determine our future condition what it shall be Judgment is an astonishing and terrifying thing the hearing of it made Felix tremble or as the Word is it turned him into terror or affrightment Acts 24.25 And the Apostle calls it the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 Now when a man comes to die then he sayes or may say Now I am to deal with the great God the Judge of all Now I must appear before his righteous Tribunal and
a dying hour Truly the longer God spares us if we answer not his end in his sparing mercy the more miserable shall we be for ever It will be sad to perish at all but it will be doubly sad to perish under the long-suffering of God under the abuse of much goodness and long patience O to have many dayes and many years patience and goodness come in to witness against a man at last how sad will this be Think of and seriously lay to heart that Scripture Rom. 2.4 5. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Every day which God in his patience affords us if we be not led to repentance is a day of treasuring up wrath heaping up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath when wrath shall come upon us to the uttermost Well think then what a mercy it is that God spares you as he does and what an Obligation this sparing mercy of his is upon you to set all things right in the matters of your souls against a dying hour comes 4. Are you sure that those helps and advantages which now you enjoy to further you in your work will alwayes last and be injoyed by you Suppose my Beloved that God should yet spare you and prolong your dayes in the Land of the Living Yet O how soon may all your helps and advantages to further you in this great Work be withdrawn from you Now blessed be God you injoy many blessed helps and advantages for your furtherance in this great Work but how quickly may they all be gone 1. How soon may the Reproofs the Counsels the Holy Examples of your godly Friends Ministers and Relations be withdrawn from you now you injoy the loving Reproofs the wholesome Counsels the Holy Examples of such and such Friends and Relations one reproves you for sin another quickens you to duty one dehorts you from the World and carnal pleasure another perswades you to close with Christ and walk with God to pursue after Heaven and eternal life one wooes and beseeches you another charges and commands you to labour to know God and to live to him to provide for another life and they all shew you the path of Life they tread the way to Heaven in your sight All which are great helps and advantages to further you in this Great Concern of yours But how soon may all these be withdrawn thy Friends thy Ministers thy Relations will speedily be lodged in the dust and thou shalt never have a word of reproof a word of counsel a word of quickning a word of encouragement or a pattern of faith and holiness set before thee by them any more for ever which would be a dreadful thing Now thy godly Father Mother Yoke-fellow Master Friend and Acquaintance is plying thee with counsels and instructions for the good of thy Soul to morrow it may be he or she goes down to the Gates of the Grave and then no more of this for ever 2. How soon may the Word and Ordinances of God which you now enjoy be withdrawn from you Now you enjoy the Word and Ordinances of God you go from Ordinance to Ordinance you have line upon line precept upon precept as it is Isa 28.10 Yea let me tell you you see and hear those things which many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see and hear but saw and heard them not Matth. 13.16 O how is Light and immortality brought to light to you How is the Way of Salvation made plain and manifest before you What glorious discoveries What blessed revelations What sweet and frequent tenders of Christ are made to you How freely are you called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb How lovingly does Christ invite you to himself How kindly does he stand knocking at the Door of your souls O my Beloved I may now say to you as Paul to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation O what helps and advantages are these But how soon may they all be gone How soon may the Word of God be withdrawn How soon may your light be put out and your souls left in darkness not knowing whither to go Remember that word of Christ and lay it to heart John 12.35 Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light least darkness come upon you and he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth While you have the light believe in the light that you may be the Children of the light It is a great question whether we may not lose Gospel-Ordinances and all and where are we then 3. How soon may the motions and strivings of the Spirit of God be withdrawn from you Now you have the motions and strivings of the Spirit of God in you and with you he moves upon the face of the waters in your souls he moves and strives in and by the Word and Ordinances Mercies and afflictions now you have enlightening and then you have quickening influences from him now he shews you your work and then he tenders you his assistance now he discovers the odiousness of sin to you and then he displays the beauty sweetness and excellency of Christ and holiness before you But alas How soon may all this be at an end Think of that terrible word Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall no more strive with man God may possibly the next day yea the next hour say to his Spirit concerning one or another of us let him alone strive no more with him move no more in him convince him no more perswade him no more draw and allure him no more he is addicted to his lusts and to this World let him alone he has no mind to Heaven no desire to make any provision for another World let them alone he is unwilling to see beyond time to eternity he is given to his carnal pleasures let him alone he has a resisting gain-saying spirit let him alone O how soon these and all other helps and advantages you now enjoy may be withdrawn who knows You have all these together in one Scripture which I desire you to lay to heart Luke 19.41 42. When he was come near he beheld the City speaking of Jerusalem and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes They had had a day they did injoy the things of their peace they might and should have improved their day and the things of their peace by securing their eternal state But they neglected it and now all these are withdrawn from them which caused the Lord of Glory the Joy of the whole Earth to weep over them so
woful miserable and deplorable he saw their condition to be and how sad will it be with you if once Christ should come to say over you that dismal word now they are hid from your eyes 5. Is it an easie matter think you to set things right in your souls and to make all things ready for a dying hour Suppose my Beloved that you should live yet many days and withall your helps and advantages for the good of your souls should be continued to you yet is it an easie work which you have to do and shall you have time and days to spare Believe it Sirs all will be little enough to set things right to make things ready for a dying hour Pray consider with me these few things as to this 1. Consider in what a woful disorder all things are at present with you and how utterly unready for a dying hour I will give you the Scripture state of your case you are dead in trespasses and sins under whole loads and mountains of scarlet crimson guilt without Christ without hope without God in the world alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yea enmity it self against God and Christ full of sin both within and without and nothing but sin having no good dwelling in you void of all grace all true spiritual life under the power and predominancy of lust serving divers lusts and pleasures and carried Captive by the Devil at his will Closely glued to and deeply in love with this World ignorant of God and of the great Mystery of the Father and of Christ at least having no saving knowledge of them No savour of Heaven no relish of spiritual things in your souls wallowing in your blood and gore being filthy and abominable to every good work reprobate the heart strongly averse from God and all good and vigorously bent to sin and vanity nothing of Heaven within but full of Hell full of the Spirit and Image of the Devil under the Law of Sin strangers to the Law of Grace no Union with Christ no Oyl in the Vessel poor miserable blind and naked at most having but the form and denying the power of godliness This is your condition O what disorders are these And what an unready posture are you in for Death and Eternity 2. Consider how great a thing it is to be ready for Death ready indeed and to have all things set right and in order against a dying hour comes and how much is requisite in order thereunto 'T is a great saying of an holy man No one saith he can joyfully welcom Death but he that has been long composing his Spirit and making ready for it O my beloved to be indeed ready to quit the World to go into the Divine Presence the great the holy glorious presence of God to be ready to enter upon the Beatifical Vision to possess a Mansion in the Father's House to joyn with an heavenly Host of Angels and Spirits of just men made perpect in eternal praising admiring and adoring of Father Son and Holy Ghost Believe it this is a great thing and great things are requisite thereunto This calls for a near Union with Christ a firm peace with God clear Evidences for Heaven for much grace and holiness much heavenliness and spirituality of mind much weanedness from this World much holy deadness to sin self and the Creature much Victory over Corruption much Soul-cleansing much purity of heart and affections much diligence and faithfulness in Duties And my Beloved are these little things or things easie to be accomplished and attained unto O Sirs The Scripture speaking of these things calls upon us to strive Luke 13.24 to give all diligence in the pursuit of them 2 Pet. 1.5 10. To manage and dispatch them with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 All which tells us that they are great things and not easily to be accomplished and attained unto Therefore we had need look after this and neglect no longer 3. Consider what lets and hinderances difficulties and oppositions you must expect to meet withall in your minding and managing this Work Not only is the Work it self great but you must also expect many lets and hindrances much difficulty and opposition in the managing of it You must expect lets and oppositions from the Devil he is the Enemy of Souls and you must expect that he will make use of all his wiles methods and devices all his craft and cunning all his Artifices and that he will stir up all his wrath and malice against you he is your Enemy and he is a subtil Enemy a potent Enemy an indefatigable Enemy an Enemy that always goes about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 You must expect lets and oppositions from the World too from the men of the world from the things of the world from the smiles of the world from the frowns of the world The world is your Enemy as well as the Devil So much is intimated 1. Joh. 5.4 and you must expect opposition from it The men of the world will discourage you the things of the world will divert you the troubles of the world will mightily depress you the enjoyments of the world will miserably ensnare and entangle you The world is of a marvellous bewitching ensnaring and entangling nature it is indeed opposite to God and all goodness and so to the whole interest of our souls The friendship of the world is enmity to God Jam. 1.4 The world will plead for and take up your time your strength your thoughts Oâ— the hinderance that the World is to thousands and ten thousands in the work of their souls truly this ruines multitudes for ever This ruined him we read of Matth. 19.32 And saith Paul Demas hath farsaken us having embraced this present World 2 Tim. 4.10 You must expect lets and hinderances also from your own hearts yea from them above all others The heart the Holy Ghost tells us is deceitful above all things and disperately wicked Jer. 17.9 And who of us does at all observe it and the workings of it does not find it to be so Now it will openly oppose you then it will secretly seduce and ensnare you Now it will carry you off and draw you back from God and Duty Hebr. 3.12 then it will turn you aside to sin and vanity Isai 44.20 Now it will divert you from Duty then it will make you dead and slothful in Duty 'T is indeed wholly set against all that is good and it has a thousand wayes to hinder you in your Great Work and you must expect that it will do its utmost to hinder you This is a close Enemy it is alwayes at hand there is no end of its opposition till life it self ends One of the Ancients I remember breaks out into a sad exclamation against his own heart thus My heart saith he is a wicked heart a vain heart a roving a wandring heart My mind is exceeding light wonderful unconstant a
hence and be no more Sinners will you set about this great business your work is wholly yet to do though it may be your day is far spent your Glass is almost run your Sun near setting and all your work to do Oh 't is high time for you to awake out of sleep unless you mean to sleep the sleep of Eternal Death Saints will you set about this great business while God spares you You have done somewhat but there is much more yet to be done there is much out of order yet in your souls Grace weak it may be Corruption strong Peace broken Evidences blurr'd and blotted Unbelief powerful within you the heart much estranged from God little suitableness to Heaven in your Spirits and the like will you now labour to recover strength how many of us may complain as that holy man St. Bernard once did I am ashamed to live because I am so unprofitable and I am afraid to dye because I am so unprepared Surely this truth concerns the best of us all and if we understand our selves we cannot but know it the Lord help us to know it effectually And if after all you would indeed address to this great work and business then I have several great and weighty directions to propound to you for your help therein of which some more general some more particular and I would speak of each distinctly CHAP. VII Wherein are propounded several general directions in order to a through preparation of Soul for a dying hour 1. WOuld you indeed set all things right in your souls make all ready for a dying hour then in your most prosperous and flourishing state here maintain a frequent and serious remembrance of death and the grave upon your spirits If a man live many years saith Solomon and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the days of darkness for they are many Eccl. 11.8 By the days of darkness here we are to understand death and the state of death the abode of our bodies in the grave which is a Land of darkness and where the light is as darkness Job 10.20 Now saith he though a man live many years and rejoyce in them all that is though a man live long and prosperously long and joyfully yet let him remember death and the grave the future state 'T is true there are other days of darkness which we are subject to in this world and should be remembred by us days of outward darkness the darkness of outward trouble and affliction and days of inward darkness the darkness of spiritual distress and dereliction and indeed 't is of marvellous use to us in our prosperity to remember these days of darkness but especially we should remember death and the Grave we should carry a lively remembrance of these days of darkness daily upon us and indeed our not remembring these days of darkness is one great cause why we are so unready for Death and the Grave as we are When we are in the midst of our enjoyments and the streams run pleasantly about us we are too apt to forget these days of darkness we are so taken with our earthly comforts that we are loth to think of Death and Eternity putting far from us the evil day as those in their enjoyments did Amos 6.3 And therefore when these days come they find us so unready and our spiritual concernments so discomposed as usually they do But my Beloved as ever you would have all right and in order in your souls against a dying hour comes let me recommend this to you as one special help maintain a deep and frequent remembrance of Death and the Grave upon your Spirits remember the days of darkness and that especially these two ways 1. Remember them so as to have them much in your meditation be much and frequent in the contemplation of Death and the Grave This the Holy Ghost calls a considering our latter end and withal mentions it as a business of great importance to us Deut. 32.29 To consider is to revolve a thing in our minds and to keep it much in our thoughts and meditations And thus we should consider our latter end and remember the days of darkness this is that the Saints of old have been much conversant in they were much and frequent in the thoughts and meditations of death as I might instance in the good old Patriarchs Job David and others And 't is what does marvellously conduce to our preparation for it The meditation of death saith one is life it is that which greatly promotes our spiritual life therefore walk much among the Tombs and converse much and frequently with the thoughts of a dying hour 2. Remember them so as to have them daily in your expectation In the midst of all your enjoyments expect Deaths approach daily this is called a waiting for our change All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change comes Job 14.14 And we are commanded to wait for the coming of our Lord as that which lies in the directest tendency to the exactest readiness and preparation for his coming Luke 12.36 Expect death every hour saith one for 't is every hour approaching thee In the morning when thou risest think with thy self this may be the last day In the evening when thou lyest down think with thy self this may be the last night I may ever have in this world I know not when my Lord will come whether in the morning or in the evening at mid-night or at the Cock-crowing therefore I will be always expecting his coming Woe and alas for us we are apt to talk of many years yet to come as he did Luke 12.9 whereas we should live in the expectation of death every moment Thus let us consider the days of darkness it will marvellously conduce to the preparation of the Soul for them the meditation and expectation of death will conduce much among others to these four things 1. It will conduce much to our humbling and self-abasing Let a man own himself to be a mortal saith Austin and pride will it must down And think frequently of death saith another and thou wilt easily bring down thy proud heart Hence also the consideration of Death is often in Scripture mentioned by the Holy Ghost as an argument to make us humble Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 as elsewhere 2. It will conduce much to the weaning of our hearts from this world and to the loosening of them from the things here below The time is short saith the Apostle what then Why it remaineth that they that have Wives be as though they had none and those that weep as though they wept not and those that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not those that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. He mentions the shortness of time as that the meditation
welcomest news a poor soul can possibly hear to be told that God is his and Heaven is his and Eternal Life is his and when once this news is come then welcom life and welcom death welcom time and welcom eternity then the Soul can say O sweet Eternity O blessed Eternity O Sirs be not satisfied without some good assurance of Gods love to your souls and your right and title to heaven and eternal life yea without the fullest assurance that is attainable here for know that there are degrees in Assurance it self the Scripture mentions three degrees of assurance First there is assurance The work of righteousness is peace and the fruit of righteousness is assurance for ever Isa 32.17 and give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure as in the place before quoted Secondly there is much assurance Our Gospel came unto you not in word only but in power and in the demonstration of the Spirit and much assurance 1 Thes 1.5 Thirdly there is a full assurance We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Heb. 6.11 Now my Beloved I would not have you satisfied without assurance without much assurance yea without a full assurance the more full your assurance is the more chearfully joyfully and triumphingly will you die Thirdly Would you indeed have all all right all in order in the matters of your souls for a dying hour then labour to maintain a constant actual peace with God every day making even with him and renewing the sense of his pardoning love in your souls as a firm union with Christ and a well-grounded assurance of an interest in God and eternal Life so also an actual peace with God and a daily renewed pardon from him is requisite to a thorough readiness and preparedness for a dying hour David had an interest in God yea and his interest was clear to him yet how sollicitous was he to get all even between God and him and how uncomfortable was it with him till he had renewed his peace with God when by his fall it had been broken Psal 51.8 12. This also is what is evidently held forth Job 7.21 where Job pleads thus with God Why dost thou not pardon mine iniquity and take away my transgression for now shall I sleep in the dust thou shalt seek me in the morning but I shall not be In the verse before he acknowledged he had sinned and here he intimates that God frowned on him for his sin the sense of pardoning love was not renewed in his soul which here therefore he pleads for and that upon this account because he was speedily to die intimating he could not die with comfort till he had a renewed sense of Gods pardoning love And this is the very thing which David begs in the Psalm of my Text in order to his comfortable going hence viz. that God would take away his transgressions Psal 39.8 As long as there is any sin any guilt lying upon our Consciences any sin unpardoned any difference between God and us any frowns in his face towards us we are unready for death and cannot with that comfort and boldness of spirit welcom it as we ought but when our peace with God is maintained and we have a renewed sense of his pardoning love in our souls then are things right and in order with us indeed deed and we may think of death with boldness and comfort and therefore mind this as ever you would be found ready for a dying hour every day even things between God and you every day get a fresh sense of pardon from him First as near as possible may be do nothing that may occasion any breach between God and you or raise any frowns in his face towards you if you do not break with God he will not break with you all breaches as to peace and friendship between God and us begin on our part yea neither will God break with us for little things in case they be not allowed by us but watched and striven against therefore as near as possibly you can do nothing to break and interrupt your peace with God for one moment And because when you have done all many things may and will fall out we having sinful sinning hearts and living in a world of snares and temptations for which God may justly frown upon us let us Secondly every day make even with him in the close of every day let us consider wherein we have broken with God come short of duty given any grief any distaste to his Holy Spirit and by Faith and Prayer let us sue out the pardon of it and let us not lie down if possible without some intimation of his pardoning love for which end First We should act Faith on the Blood and Advocateship of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his Blood to declare his righteousness for remission of sins Rom. 3.24 25. And indeed Christ hath set up a Standing Office in Heaven which we may call the Pardon-Office he procureth new Pardons for his People daily under their new sins We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Have daily recourse to the Blood of Christ truly without it there is no living the best the holiest on earth have daily need of his Blood and should have daily recourse unto it for the maintaining of their peace and for the renewing of Gods pardoning love in their souls Secondly We should be humbly and earnestly importunate with God in prayer resolving not to let him go without this blessing carrying upon our spirits the sense of the worth and also of our unworthiness of it Thus the holy men of God of old have done they have sued out the pardon of their sins by Faith and Prayer and gotten a fresh sense of Gods love when they have broken with him as I might instance in Job in David and others we should every day pray as that Father did O Lord saith he do not after the manner of a Judge weigh or consider what I have done what I have spoken what I have thought but blot out all my sins with thy own Blood And as another of them did Lord saith he there is that in me which may offend thy holy eyes I know and confess it but who shall cleanse me or to whom shall I fly for relief but to thee O hide not thy face from me Truly when we have walked most watchfully most circumspectly many things may and will fall out that may offend the pure eyes of Gods Glory which we should confess and bewail before him suing out the pardon of them by the Blood of his Son Some of the Saints have made this their daily practise and so have maintained their peace for many years together and when they have come to die have gloricusly triumphed over Death
welcom is the Harbour to him especially after having been long toss'd and beaten with storms and tempests and how sweet will rest be to the poor troubled tempted labouring travelling Saint whose whole life has been little else but trouble labour and sore travel who here could scarce all his days find a resting place for the sole of his foot the world as to him being covered with a deluge 3. Death whenever it comes will turn your conflicts into victory this Aceldama or Field of blood for such is this world into a Mount of Triumph and a Throne of Glory What is this world but an Aceldama a Field of blood to the poor Saints Sure I am this life is little else but a perpetual war and conflict with lusts with devils with afflictions and with temptations hence 't is call'd a fight a warfare and the like and the enemies which they in this warfare have to grapple with are formidable enemies We wrestle not says the Apostle with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses Eph. 6.12 13. We wrestle not vvith flesh and blood that is vvith men or any thing that is frail and vveak no vve have more potent and formidable enemies to deal vvithal vve vvrestle and conflict vvith Devils vvho are potent subtile and indefatigable Enemies as Calvin observes upon the place which wound before they appear and kill before they are seen Enemies which deal not onely by force and power but who are dreadfully crafty and subtil yea enemies which have fiery darts to cast at us as afterwards he speaks and for my own part I think it vvere vvell for us over what it is if these vvere the vvorst enemies vve had to grapple and conflict withal but there are legions of lusts within which I look upon to be vvorse enemies vvhich vve do and must vvrestle vvith intestine enemies are in many respects the vvorst these war against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 and vvere it not for these all the Devils in Hell could do us no hurt Thus this life is to the Saints a vvarfare a conflict and O the vvounds the bruises the bloodshed vvhich they are exposed unto in this War now their Peace and then their Grace now their Comforts and then their Consciences are sorely wounded and they lie a bleeding for days and weeks and months together yea sometimes like him that vvas travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho they are vvounded and left half dead and did not the good Samaritan pass by take compassion on them and pour in of his Wine and Oyl his Blood and Spirit into their vvounds they vvould soon be vvholly dead Well but now when Death comes that puts an end to this War and sets them all down upon a Throne of Triumph To him that overcometh says Christ will I grant to sit with me upon my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father on his Throne Rev. 3.21 When death comes then you begin an eternal Triumph with Christ then the Palm vvill be put into your hands and you shall triumphingly cry Victory Victory for ever O how sweet vvill this be how sweet is the Victory to a Souldier that has been long and hard put to it in the Battel and indeed the harder the Battel the more glorious the Triumph 'T is a sweet and a great saying which I have read in Aug. to this purpose The Conquerour saith he triumphs and unless he had fought he had never conquered and by how much the greater his danger and difficulty was in the battel by so much the greater is his joy in the triumph O Sirs not only will death set you upon a Mount of Triumph but know for your encouragement the sharper your conflicts and warfare have been here the more glorious will your triumph be when Death shall set you upon the Throne 4. Death whenever it comes will change your bondage into liberty your spiritual thraldom into glorious freedom and is not this a kindness Poor soul one thing which here thou bleedest and groanest under is that spiritual bondage and thraldom which thou liest under And indeed this world is no other than a Prison a Dungeon an house of Bondage to thee the Land of thy Captivity Here thou liest in Chains and Fetters the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Guilt yea and the iron sometimes enters into my spirit Hence we read of the bondage of corruption which indeed is the forest bondage in the world a worse bondage ten thousand times than that which Israel groaned and sighed under in Egypt who yet were made to serve with rigour and whose lives were made bitter with hard bondage Exod. 1.13 14. Truly this lust and the other lust this corruption and the other corruption are as so many Egyptians cruel Task-masters which make thee serve with rigour and thy life bitter to thee with hard bondage and oh how dost thou groan and sigh under the bondage of a proud dead hard carnal unbelieving heart an heart bent to backsliding from God And indeed who that is sensible of it can but groan under it This drew that heavy groan from Paul and bitter out-cry Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am says he Why Paul what is the matter Oh says he I find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death I am by sin brought into captivity to sin and I have a body of sin and death lying heavy upon me heavier than a Mountain of Brass or Iron and who can but groan and as 't was with him so 't is with all the Saints in their measure Well but when death comes Sirs that will turn all this your boudage into liberty yea into the glorious liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8.21 that will turn again this your captivity And oh how sweet will that be You have some little tastes of this liberty here for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.7 and the tastes of it are sweet very sweet but O how sweet vvill the full enjoyment on 't be Paul breaks out into praises in the faith of it before-hand I thank God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.25 O soul how should this make thee long for Death Can a Prison can an house of Bondage can a state of thraldom be pleasant to thee Canst thou be vvell-pleased to lie in chains and fetters of sin and guilt Shouldest thou not rather vvelcom that vvhich alone vvould vvork thy deliverance 5. Death whenever it comes will be the death of all your sins and the perfection of all your graces and will not that be a kindness Poor Saint how dost thou here bleed and groan under the sense of the life and vigour of thy sins on the one hand and of the weakness and imperfection of thy graces on the other hand yea how great are the conflicts and holy contentions of thy spirit to
observes so the immortality of the soul is here asserted Besides Abraham Isaac and Jacob with the rest of the good old Patriarchs and Servants of God who died long since are notwithstanding living still so Christ argues you know Mat. 22.32 that is their souls live as indeed do the souls of all that are gone hence their souls all live either in happiness or misery with God or Devils and so must thine and mine Sinner when our body shall be eaten by the worms our souls will live either in Heaven or Hell Oh think of this daily contemplate and say I have a soul within me that must live for ever and that as filled with even an infinite happiness or misery I have a soul within me that is capable of unspeakable joys or unconceivable torments and in the one or the other it will it must live for ever why then am I not more concerned for it 2. Seriously contemplate and daily soak your spirits in the thoughts of the wonderful weight and importance of Eternity the greatness of the concern of the other world O Eternity Eternity O vast great boundless Eternity how shall I do to speak of thee how are my thoughts lost and my spirit overwhelmed when I set my self to contemplate how great how weighty a thing thou art an endless boundless bottomless state a state that admits of neither change pause or period for ever a state of unconceivable happiness or misery happiness in the enjoyment or misery in the loss of and banishment from God and Christ for ever happiness in the fruition of infinite love or misery in the revelation of infinite wrath one of which every soul must be the object of for ever Eternity such is the weight of it in it self that indeed we know not how to conceive of it every thing but Eternity has an end a last so innumerable as the stars of Heaven are yet there is a last Star and the number of them has an end though we cannot reach it so innumerable as the Sands on the Sea-shore are yet there is a last Sand and the number of them has an end could we reach to it so numerous as the piles of Grass which are now and from the Creation of the world have been and to the end of the world shall be are yet there is an end of the number of them could we reach it there is a last pile a last spire of Grass so innumerable as the grains of Corn in all the Harvests that ever were or shall be are yet the number of them has an end though we cannot reach it and there is a last grain so innumerable as all the drops of Rain that ever did fall or shall fall upon the Earth from the Creation to the end of the world are yet still there is a last drop yea and that though all the drops contained in the wide and deep Sea be added thereunto so innumerable as the children of men have been are and shall be to the end of all things so innumerable as all the hairs of the head of them all have been are and will be so innumerable as all the thoughts of the hearts of all throughout all Ages have been are and will be so innumerable as all the Bruits and Animals which both the Earth and the Sea have brought forth do and will bring forth are and will be yet still the number of them has an end could we reach it and there is a last man a last hair a last thought a last animal should all the vast Body of the Heavens which our eyes behold be full written with figures by the hand of an Angel yet the number of those figures would have an end and there would be a last figure but as for Eternity that has no end no last could all those vast numbers prementioned be put together into one who could in the least conceive of the thousand thousandth part of it yet all this were nothing to Eternity no not the thousand thousandth part of it Thus Eternity is unconceivably weighty in it self and 't is Eternity indeed that puts weight into all other things 't is Eternity that puts weight into the future Judgment what were that Judgment but that 't is Eternal Judgment Heb. 6 2. 'T is Eternity that puts weight indeed into the happiness and joys of heaven what were that happiness and those joys were they not Eternal hence 't is cal'd Eternal life Eternal glory a never-fading Crown an everlasting Kingdom joy and pleasure for evermore So you know the Scripture speaks of it as that which is its Crown and perfection hence we read of being for ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 to be with the Lord is sweet Peter found it so all the Saints in their measure find it so here but to be with the Lord for ever that makes it infinitely sweet indeed thus and thus for ever in the bosom of my Father's love and there for ever in the views of my Redeemers glory and there for ever joyned in with an innumerable company of Angels in loving praising admiring adoring and singing Hallelujahs to God and the Lamb and this for ever to be fully swallowed up in the Divine life the Divine will the Divine presence the Divine fulness and this for ever to be set above all fin to be delivered from an unavoidable necessity of sinning to an absolute impossibility of sinning and this for ever O how sweet how glorious is this this one word Eternity or for ever is that which puts great sweetness into it Again 't is Eternity that indeed puts weight into the miseries and torments of the damned what were the fire of Hell were it not unquenchable fire what were the Worm there were it not a never-dying Worm when the Scripture would speak of the exceeding greatness and severity of those torments you know 't is in this language There the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched Mark 9.44 their miseries and torments are eternal and indeed Hell would be no Hell in comparison had it not Eternity in it Most weighty is the meditation which I have read in a learned and holy man to this purpose O Eternity Eternity O never-ending Eternity O Eternity that can be measured by no spaces of time that can be perceived or apprehended by no humane intellect or understanding how unconceiveably dost thou augment the torments of the damned And but a few lines after he again cries out O Eternity Eternity thou and thou alone dost aggravate the torments the punishment of the damned beyond all measure Heavy is the punishment of the damned because of its sharp ness its extensiveness its universality there being all plagues and punishments in it but says he it is most heavy because of its Eternity Oh 't is this indeed that makes it intollerably great and heavy O not only to be banished from God and Christ to be driven from the Beatifical Vision but to be banished and
driven from hence for ever O doleful to be in the flames to suffer the vengeance of Eternal fire to be sinning and always bearing the punishment of sin and all this for ever O this makes it out of measure heavy thus and always thus under the wrath of God and for ever so this puts weight into it Thus you see a little of the weight of Eternity O contemplate it daily 3. Consider and contemplate how doleful a thing it will be to miscarry for ever and on the other hand what a wide door of mercy there is open to you the fair opportunity you have of making a blessed provision for your souls and eternity 1. Consider and contemplate how doleful a thing it will be to miscarry for ever to perish eternally the more worth there is in the soul the greater weight there is in Eternity the more doleful it will be to perish or miscarry as to the interest of them to miscarry in our Estate in our trade in our name in the change of our condition in this world or the like this is sad and sinks many but Oh what is this to the miscarriage of the soul for ever what is this to a miserable Eternity to the loss of God of Christ of the Comforter of Heaven and Eternal life what is this to the wrath of God to the vengeance of Eternal fire to utter darkness to blackness of darkness for ever O Sirs to have infiniteness and Eternity combined against you to make you miserable and to be for ever as miserable as infiniteness and eternity can make you as assuredly you will in case you neglect to make provision for your souls and the future life O how dreadful how doleful will this be and what bitter lamentations will it fill you with for ever Did Esau weep when he had lost his Birth-right and did Lysimachus upbraid himself and bewail his folly for parting with his Kingdom for a draught of water O then how will you weep and wail and even tear and torment your selves for ever for your sin and folly when you shall find that for a little of this world for the satisfaction of a lust for a few dreggy drossy pleasures and sensual delights or perhaps through a mere sloth of spirit you have lost your souls and have plunged your selves into an infinite Ocean of Eternal woe and misery whence thereis no redemption for ever for you Pray lay that Scripture to heart now Lu. 13.27 28. Depart from me says Christ all ye workers of iniquity Depart here is the Doom that will pass at last upon every unrepenting unbelieving sinner every soul that makes not ready for a dying hour well and what then there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you thrust out O Sirs when you shall see such and such lodged safe in Heaven in the Bosom of Christ and your selves shut out and not only so but cast into utter darkness as you have it added Mat. 18.12 when you shall see your selves shut up in the infernal Pit and there seal'd up under Gods eternal wrath O then ye will weep and gnash your teeth indeed then your own Conscience will be eternally a second Hell to you tearing and tormenting your souls in the remembrance of your sin and folly in neglecting to prepare for and make sure of a better state Think of these things ere it be too late 2. Consider and contemplate what a wide Door of Mercy there is open to you and what a fair opportunity God gives you to make a blessed provision for your souls and Eternity What shall I say why Sirs the way of Salvation is made plain to you and you are daily called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb the great King of Heaven invites you to come and partake of his Gospel-Feast by one and another Servant of his which he sends to you he lets you know that all things are ready all that your souls can need to make them happy for ever Christ is ready and in him life is ready grace is ready peace is ready pardon is ready a compleat righteousness for your justification acceptation with God is ready heaven is ready salvation is ready and withal he bids you come yea he earnestly importunes and solicites you to come and feast your souls upon these things he freely and frequently offers himself and all to you intreating your acceptance yea more he opens the arms of his love to you assuring you of most cordial welcome and ready reception notwithstanding all your sins and miscarriages him that cometh unto me I will by no means cast out Jo. 6.37 let him be who and what he will a young an old sinner a small a great sinner a sinner that hath stood it out against me a little or a long time I will not cast him out my Grace is free my Fulness is large and sufficient my Blood is precious and has an infinite vertue in it my Spirit is powerful and efficacious I am every way mighty to save able to save to the utmost all that come to God by me yea 't is my work and business to save my Father seal'd and sent me for that end and for that end came I into the world and there did and suffered such things as I did and I may not I will not cast off any poor soul that will come and partake of me and my Fulness and that would fain be helped on towards life and blessedness This is really the language of Christ to poor sinners yea more he sends his Spirit to enlighten to convince to perswade to draw and allure them and he does move in them and strive with them O what a wide door of mercy is there here open to you Sirs and how fair is your opportunity of preparing for and making sure of a blessed Eternity O accordingly as you love your souls and would live for ever come into Christ come and apply and improve him in a way of believing for the good of your eternal souls in his strength set upon repenting believing work the work of your souls and Eternity and your day being so bright as indeed it is O labour to know the things of your peace in your day lest neglecting them Christ speedily say of you as once with tears in his eyes he did of neglecting Jerusalem Luke 19.42 O that thou hadst known in thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes I have done I 'l close all with that holy wish for you my dear Congregation and my self that Austin was wont to make for himself and his people namely That as they had been often crowded together to worship God in that earthly Temple wherein he preach'd so they might eternally live toge-in the Heavenly Temple above So my wish and desire is that we my beloved you and I who have often been thronged and crowded together in an earthly House may live together eternally and eternally adore God together in our Father's House above and if we shall never preach and pray and here and sing together more on Earth as I am apt to think we shall not yet that we may praise and love and admire God and sing Hallelujas to him for ever together in Heaven Amen Amen FINIS