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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	know_v	8,213	5	4.2899	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03501	The mystery of faith opened up: or Some sermons concerning faith (two where of were not formerly printed.) Wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulness of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed. Whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning the great salvation, one of these not formerly printed, and a third concerning death. / By that pious and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1668 (1668)	Wing G1616; ESTC R177630	121,416	225

we will not delight our selves in loving of him And I would say this to you that though ye should weep the one half of your dayes and pray the other half yet if ye want this noble grace of Faith your righteousness shall be but like a monstruous cloath and filthy rags before him For what is praying without believing but a taking of his blessed Name in vain What is our conferring upon the most divine and precious truths of God without believing it is not a lying to the Holy Ghost and a flattering of God with our mouth And we would have you knowing this that there is a sweet harmony that is now made up betwixt Moses and Christ betwixt the Law and the Gospel The Law bringeth us to Christ as a Savior and Christ bringeth us back again to the Law to be a rule of our walk to which we must subject our selves So then would ye know the compend of a Christians walk It is a sweet travelling betwixt Mount Sinai and Mount Sion betwixt Moses and Christ betwixt the Law and the Gospel And we conceive that the more deep that the exercise of the Law be in a Christians conscience before his closing with Christ there is so much the more precious and excellent advantages waiting for him I. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law that it is the way to win to much establishment in Faith when once we begin to close with Christ O Christians would ye know that which maketh the superstructure and building of grace to be within you as a bowing wall and as a tottering sence of that oftentimes ye are in hazard to raze the foundation it is this ye were not under the exercise of the Law before your believing in Jesus Christ There are some who do not abide three days at Mount Sinai and these shall not dwell many days at Mount Sion II. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law it maketh Christ precious to a mans soul What is that which filleth the soul of a Christian with many high and excellent thoughts of Christ Is it not this to have the Law registrating our Bond and putting us as we use to speak to the Horn That is to have the Law cursing us and using the sentence of condemnation against us That which maketh us have such low and undervaluing thoughts of precious Christ is because the most part of us are not acquainted with the deep and serious exercise of the Law that is a mystery to the most part of a Christians practise Ye know that there were four streams which went out from the Paradise of God into which man was first placed and so may we say that there are four golden streams by which lost and destroyed man is brought back again to this Eden and Paradise of everlasting delights First there is the precious stream of Christs righteousness by which we must be justified And secondly there is that stream of his Sanctification by which we must be purified Thirdly there is that stream of the wisdom of Christ by which we must be conducted through this wilderness wherein we have lost our way And fourthly there is that stream of Christs Redemption by which we must be delivered from the power of our enemies and must turn the battel in the gate it is by the Redemption of Christ that we shall once sing that triumphant song O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory O but all these streams will be sweet and refreshing to a soul that is hotly pursued by the Law So long as we see not the ugliness of our leprosie in that glass of the Law we have our own Abana and Parpher that we think may do our turn but when once our case is truly laid open to us then will we be content to wash our selves in Jordan seven times III. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law that it maketh a Christian live constantly under the impression of the sinfulness of sin What is it that maketh sin exceeding sinful to a Christian Is it not this he hath been fourty dayes in Moses School And we conceive that the ground why such fools as we make a mock of sin is because we know not what it is to be under the power of his wrath and the apprehensions of the indignation of God But now to come to that which we intend to speak of we told you at the first occasion that we spake upon these words that there were many excellent things concerning the grace of Faith holden forth in them The first thing which was holden forth concerning this radical grace of Faith was the infinite advantage that redoundeth to a Christian through the exercise of Faith and giving obedience to this command which we cleared to be holden forth not only from the scope but also from the nature of this command And now to speak a little to the point we shall propose these cosiderations that may abundantly show how advantagious a thing this excellent grace of Faith is I. The first consideration that speaketh it is this that Faith maketh Christ precious to a soul according to that word 1 Pet. 2.7 To you that believe Christ is precious And we would have you knowing this that Faith maketh Christ more precious to a soul then sense or any other thing can make him And first Faith maketh Christ more precious then sense because the estimation which the grace of Faith hath of Christ it is builded upon the excellency of his Person but the estimation of sense it is builded upon the excellency of his actings so that because he is such to them therefore they love and esteem him But that heroick grace of Faith it taketh up the excellency of Christs person and that maketh him precious to them Secondly Faith makes Christ more precious then sense because sense looketh to that love which Christ manifesteth in his face and in his hands and in his feet But Faith looketh to that love which is in his heart Sence will cry forth Who is like to thee whose countinance is like Lebanon excellent as the cedar whose hands are as gold rings set with beril and whose legs are like pillars of marble set in sockets of gold Sense will look to the smilings of Christ and will wonder it will look to his dispensations and actings and will be constrained to cry out Who is like unto thee But the grace of Faith solaceth it self in the fountain from whence all these springs and sweet inundations of love do flow Thirdly Faith maketh Christ more precious then sense because Faith looketh not only to what Christ is presently but unto what Christ is from eternity before time and what Christ shall be unto eternity after time but sense only doth look to what Christ is presently And ye must conceive that the sweet travelling of Faith betwixt infinite love from eternity before

bond of love and respect then our faith will increase with the increase of God Our entertainment of a bosom idol is ordinarily punished with the want of the sensible intimations of his peace and of our interest in him so that sometimes his own are constrained to cry out God hath departed from me and he answereth me not neither by dreams nor visions 4. There is that likewise that hath influence upon it our not closing absolutely with Jesus Christ but upon conditions and suppositions We make not an absolute and blank resignation of our selves over to Christ to hold fast the Covenant notwithstanding he should dispense both bitter and sad things to us but we conceive that Christs Covenant with believers is like that Covenant that God made with Noah that there should be Summer and Winter seed time and harvest night and day unto a Christian A Christian must have his night as well as his day he must once sow in tears before he reap in joy he must once go forth bearing his precious seed before he can return bearing his sheaves in his bosom and that this hath influence upon our instability may be seen from this that often a Christian after his first closing with Christ he meeteth with desertion in point of tenderness in point of joy and in point of strength so that his corruption seems now to be awaked more then formerly that he wants those seeming enjoyments of him which formerly he had and that much of his softness of his heart hath now evanished which is clear somewhat from Heb. 10.32 And after they were enlightened they endured a great fight of afflictions For the word that is there rendered afflictions signifieth inward troubles through the motions of sin as well as outward afflictions Gal. 5.24 And God useth to dispense this way to his own not only to take tryal of the sincerity of your closing with him but to make our Faith more stedfast and sure And no doubt if we close not absolutly with Christ when under these temptations and tryals we will reject our confidence as a delusion and suppose it to be but a morning dream therefore it were a noble and divine practise of a Christian to close with Christ without reservation seeing he doth dispense nothing but that which might tend to our advantage And we would say to such as are under these temptations that if ye endeavor to resist them it is the most compendious and excellent way to make your hearts which now are dying as a stone to be as a watered garden springs of water whose waters fail not and to make you strong as a Lyon so that no temptation can rouse you up but ye shall be enable to tread upon the high places of the earth and to sing songs of triumph over our idols 5. There is this likewise which hath influence on it our building of our Faith more upon sense then upon Christ or his word and therefore it is that Faith is so unconstant and changeable as the Moon we not knowing what such a thing means To hope against hope and to be strong in Faith giving glory to God And we would only say unto you that erect your cōfidence upon so sandy a foundation that when the wind and storm of temptation shal blow that house shal fall to the ground As likewise building of your Faith upon sense doth not abate much of your joy and much of your precious esteem of Jesus Christ It being Faith exercising it self upon an invisible object that maketh the Christian to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 6. There is this last that hath influence upon it even our sloathfulness in the exercise of our spiritual duties by which Faith should be entertained Faith is a tender grace and a plant that must not be rufled but nourished through the sap of other precious graces but we grow remiss in our spiritual duties and do turn our selves upon the bed of security as the door upon the hinges And doth not our drowsiness cloath us with rags and make us fall into a deep sleep while as if we were diligent our souls should be made fat and rich Yea sloathfulness doth not only imped assurance of this that it hindereth the divine communications of his love and respect by which assurance may be kept in life Cant. 5.2 but also it maketh our poverty come on us as an armed man and our want as one that travelleth And withal it letteth loose the chain by which our corruptions are tyed and maketh them to lift up their head by which our assurance is much darkned and impaired and our hope is much converted into diffidence and despair And we would only say this it is the diligent Christian that is the believing Christian and it is the believing Christian that is the diligent Christian there being such a sweet reciprocation betwixt these two precious graces that they die and live together Now thirdly we shal shut up our discours with this in pointing out a little what are those things that do obstruct a Christians closing with Christ and believing in his precious Name I. We conceive that this woful evil doth spring and rise from that fundamental ignorance of this truth that there is a God as is clear from Heb. 11.6 where that is required as a qualification of a Comer That he should believe that God is and assuredly till once this precious truth be imprinted upon our souls as with a pen of iron and point of a diamond we will look upon the Gospel as an U●opian fancy and a deluding notion to teach unstable souls who know not the way to attain unto real blessedness And truly it is a fault of many that they begin to dispute their being in Christ before they know there is a Christ and do dispute their interest in him before they believe his being and that there is such an one as is called Christ II. Our coming unto Christ is obstructed from the want of the real and spiritual convictions of our desperate and lost estate without Jesus Christ and that our unspeakable misery is the want of him which is clear from Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more to thee And it is evident from Revel 3.16.18 that such a delusion as this doth overtake many that they can reign as Kings without Jesus Christ and that they can build their happiness and establish their carnal felicity upon another foundation But O that we could once win to this to believe what we are without Christ and to believe what we shal be in the enjoyment of him with the one eye to descend and look upon these deep draughts that the mystery of iniquity hath imprinted upon our immortal souls and withal to reflect upon the wages of sin which is death and be constrained to cry out Wo is me for I am undone and with the other eye to ascend and look to that help that is laid

it to study saving wisdom this is clear Psalm 90.12 where David putteth up this request So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom As if he had said I will never think my self wise till I know that blessed piece of A●ithmetick How to number my days I would desire every one of you all to think with your selves every morning when you arise Now we are an hour nearer unto eternity then we were before and at the end of every hour Now we are a day nearer unto eternity then we were before I say think often yea always thus We were never so near death as we are now for oh are we not all nearer to eternity to day then we were ye sterday The seventh advantage attending the faith of approaching death is this That it will make a Christian very careful in preparing for death it is impossible for one to believe really that death is approaching and not prepare for it Say what you will if you be not careful in preparing for death you have not the solide faith of this truth that you shal dye Believe me it is not every one that thinketh he believeth this truth that believeth it indeed And O how dreadful is it for an unprepared man to meet with death He desireth not to dye yea he would give a World for his life but dye he must whether he will or not for death will not be requested to spare a little when he cometh and therefore I say unto you Set your house in order for you shal surely dye Old men and women Set your house in order for surely ye must dye Young men and women Set your house in order for to morrow ye may dye and be cut off in the flower of your age Think not that there are any who can sell time for I say you shal never get time sold unto you Alace I feat the most part of persons that dye now death findeth them at unawares for indeed the persons that dye amongst us when we come to visite them we may give you a full account of them for we think they are all comprehended under these four sorts First when we go to visite some persons on their death bed they are like unto Nabal their heart is dying and sinking like unto a stone within them they are no more affected with death then if it were a fancy Alace for the great stupidity that hath overtaken many Therefore I intreat you delay not your repentance till death lest the Lord take away your wit so that you cannot then repent for your senslesness and stupide frame of spirit A second sort we find in a presumptuous frame saying They have had a good hope all their days and they will not quite it now they will go down to the grave with their hope in their right hand or rather they will go down to the grave with a lye in their right hand they live in a persumptuous frame and they dye in the same delusion for when we tell them that by all probability they are going down to hell they answer God forbid I was all my time a very honest man or woman But I love not that confession for there are many such honest men and women in hell this day The third sort we find have some convictions that they have been playing the fool all their days but we can get them no further I shal only say to such To go down to the Grave with convictions in their breast not making use of Christ is to go down to hell with a candle in their hand to let them see the way and truly the greater part that dye dye in this manner Fourthly there are some whom we find in a self-righteous frame trusting upon the covenant of works and their own merits and trusting by these to go to heaven yet neglecting the offer of Christs righteousness But alace we find not one of a thousand in this frame I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ that is best of all And scarcely do we find any in such a frame O wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from the body of this death Therefore I say unto you who are all here O will you mind death before it take hold on you Oh mind your work now for you will find that death shal be work enough for it self though you leave no work till then The eighth advantage that attendeth the Christian believing this truth that once he must dye is this Death will not be so terrible to him as it is to many when it cometh What think you maketh death a King of terrors What maketh many to shake like the leaf of a tree when they are summoned to appear before Gods Tribunal It is even because of this they have not been thinking on death before it came so as to prepare for it and I fear many in this place may be feared for death and that when it cometh to them they will say unto death as Achab said to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy Surely death will take you and bring you to the Judgement-seat of Christ therefore study by all means to think ofren upon it and make ready for it for believe me death is a very big word for it will once make you stand with horror in your souls if your peace be not made up with God I know not a more dreadful dispensation then death and a guilty conscience meeting together The second thing that I shal speak unto from the first observation viz. That it is a most certain and infallible truth that all persons shal once see death shal be to give some good considerations for pressing you to prepare for death The first consideration is this that to dye well and in the Lord is a most difficult work therefore I intreat you prepare for death It is a difficult work to communicate aright it is a difficult work to pray aright and it is a difficult work to confer aright But I must tell you it is a more difficult work to dye aright then any of these it is true it is more difficult to communicate aright then to pray aright yet it is much more difficult to dye aright then to communicate aright for it is a most difficult work to dye in the Lord. Death will put the most accurate Christian that is here to a wonderful search and therefore I will tell you nine things that death will try in thee 1. Death will try both the reality and strength of thy faith it may be easy for thee to keep up faith under many difficulties but death shal put thy faith to the greatest stress that ever it did meet with Yea know this that the faith of the strongest believer may get and ordinarily doth get a set at death the like whereof it never got before therefore prepare for death 2. Death will try thy love to God some persons pretend much love to

them all if we make conscience seriously to obey this command of Faith which is indeed the sweet compend of the Gospel all these things doth most clearly appear i● that believing here is called His Commandment by way of excellency as if this were his only commandment But that we may yet a little more particularly point out the absolute necessity of Faith there are these things that speaketh it forth to the full 1. That though rivers of tears should run down our eyes because we keep not his Law though we should never rise off our knees from prayer● and should all our lifetime speak to God with the tongue of Angels and though we should constantly obey his commands yet without faith we should never escape that eternal sentence of excommunication from the presence of the Lord there being no action that doth proceed from 〈◊〉 which can please the Majesty of the Lord unless it hath its rise from this principle of faith as i● clear from Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God And though we should offer ●nto him ten thousand rivers of oyl and thousands of rams and should offer up in a burnt sacrifice all the beasts that are upon the mountains and the trees that are upon many hills this should ●e the answer that God should return to us Who ●…th required these things at your hands I take no cleasure in these solemn sacrifices because there is no way of attaining peace with God but through ●he exercise of faith making use of the spotless ●ighteousness of Jesus Christ 2. Let us do our ●tmost by all the inventions we can to bring ●own our body and let us separate our selves from ●ll the pleasures of the flesh yet all our Idols shal ●eign without much contradiction except we do ●nce attain unto this grace of faith which is that ●ictory whereby we must overcome the world and the hand that maketh use of infinite strength for ●bduing of coruptions making the Christian ●weetly to take up that song Stronger is he that is with us then he that is in the world Form all this that we have said both of the sweetness of Faith and the necessity thereof we would propose these few considerations to two or three sorts of persons 1. There are some who live in that vain imaginary delusion of attaining to heaven through a ●ovenant of works and do neglect to seek salvation by Faith in the righteousness of Christ and ●o those who build upon this sandy foundation I ●hal say but these two words First how long shal ●e labor in the fire for very vanity Do ye ever think to put on the cap-stone Know you 〈◊〉 that the day is approching when your house shal fall about your ears your confidence shal be rejected and your hope shal evanish as a dream and flee away as a vision in the night Secondly what a monstruous blindness and what an unspeakable act of folly must it be to say that Christ was crucified in vain which yet ye do practically assert when ye go about to purchase a righteousness through the works of the Law 2. There are some who are secure in their own thoughts concerning their faith they never questioned the reality of it they never examined it O ye whose faith is as old as your selves ye say y● never knew what it was to dispute and I may say ye never knew what it was to believe Thou profane hypocrite let me tell thee a strong faith and yet strong idols must needs be a strong delusion Thou wilt not obey the Lord Thou wilt no● pray thou wilt not believe a threatning in all the word Thou wilt count all Religion madness and foolishness and yet thou wilt perswade thy self thou believest in Christ Oh! be not deceived God is not mocked and why will ye mock your selves 〈◊〉 Shal I tell you that reprobats have a sad Religion One day they must believe and obey and pray and give a testimony to godliness but alace too late and little to their advantage Shal no● he whom all the Ministers on earth could scarce ever perswade to believe so much as a Heaven o● Hell or one threatning in all the Book of God at last be forced to believe their own sense when they shal see the Ancient of dayes upon the Throne and shal hear the cryes of so many thou●and living witnesses come out both from Heaven and Hell bearing testimony to the truth of threatnings and promises that not one jot of them ●s fallen to the ground and he would never be ●erswaded to bow a knee to God in earnest all his ●…fe Shal he not then pray with greatest ferven●y That hills and mountains might fall upon him ●o cover him from the face of the Lamb And he that would never submit to a command of God must he not at last obey that dreadful command Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting torments c. Yea he who was the greatest mocker ●n the world shal then confess that they are blest who put their trust in the Lord as they are excellently brought in though in an Apocryphal ●ook Wisd chap. 5.4 crying out with great ter●or while they behold that unexpected sight of ●he glorious condition of the godly O here is the men say they whom we mocked whose life we accounted madness and their end dishonorable Be wise therefore in time and do that willingly which ye must do by constraint and do that with sweetness and advantage that ye must do at last with loss and sorrow Thirdly there are some who certainly have some hope of eternal life but content themselves with a smal measure of assurance these I would befeech that ye would be more endeavoring to make your calling and election sure and would be endeavoring to see your names written in the ancient Records of heaven And this we shal press upon you by several arguments 1. Those strong and subtil● and soul-destroying delusions that are amongst many who conceive they do believe as we were saying and are pure in their own eyes who yet are not purged from their iniquities O are there not many of us that are in a golden dream that suppose we are eating but when we awake our soul is empty whose faith is a Metaphysick notion that hath no foundation but mans apprehension And this shall never beare us through the gates of death nor convey us in unto eternity of joy 2. May not this press you to follow after assurance that it is the compendious way to sweeten all your crosses as is clear from Hab. 3.17.18 where the conviction of this made Habakkuk to rejoyice in the God of his salvation though the fig tree did not bear fruit and the labor of the olive did fail and there were no sweetness to be found in the vine And from Heb. 10.34 when they take joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing within themselves that they had a better and an enduring substance This is

there are these seven advantages which attend those who live within the continual sight of this truth that they must dye First the faith of approaching death will make a soul exceeding diligent in duty This was our blessed Lords Divinity John 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day the night ●meth when no man can work That i● death is approaching therefore I must work It is clear also 2 Pet. 1.12 compared with verse 14. In the 12. verse Peter is exceeding diligent in his duty and the ground of his diligence is in the 14. verse Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle c. Yea it is even the Epicures argument Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shal dye And should not the Christian much more cry out Let me watch and pray for to morrow I may dye I say if the Epicures did make use of that notion to make them vigorous in the pursuit of their pleasures O how much more should a Christian improve it for making him vigorous in the pursuit of his duty Therefore I say unto you all O! be diligent for your night is drawing near O Christians and expectants of heaven are you not afraid lest you be nighted before you have walked the half of your journey For if you be nighted on your journey to Heaven before you come to the end of your race there is no retiring place whereunto you may turn aside to lodge therefore O work work work while it is day for behold death is approaching and then shal we all be called to an account 2. The faith of approaching death will make a Christian exceeding active in his duty he will not only be diligent but also exceeding serious and zealous in the exercise of his duty This is clear from that notable exhortation Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might and the reason is for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Wherefore O be active while you are alive for you shal never work any more after you are dead and if ye leave but one work undone there is no doing of it after death There is no work saith Solomon in the grave therefore O be active 3. The faith of this truth that we must all dye will help a Christian to be exceeding mortified to the things of a present World Oh covetous men and women would you shake hands with cold Death but once every morning I should defie you to pursue the World so much as you do Paul was much in the meditation of his change which made him 2 Cor. 4.18 to overlook those things that are temporary VVhile we look not saith he to the things that are seen which are temporal but to the things which are not seen which are eternal Therefore chap. 5.1 Knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens therefore in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven What aileth you Paul might one have laid may you not take a look of the World No saith he for I know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved I have a house with God not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens That is I know that ere long the pins of my Tabernacle will be loosed and it will fall down about my ears therefore I must look for another dwelling house And 1 Cor. 7.24 The fashion of this world passeth away therefore saith he verse 32. I would have you without carefulness caring to please the Lord. And Phil. 4.2 Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand As if he had said death is approaching and at hand therefore I intreat you be sober But I think many of us will be found like Saul hid amongst the stuff that is we will be lying amongst the midst of the pleasures of this passing World But I say to thee who art such an one that death will break the strings of thy harp and thy musick will quickly cease O! but death will make thee have a low esteem of the World O! blessed is the person who hath those thoughts of the World all along his way which he shal have of it at his death Have not the most cursed wretches been forced to cry out Oh! I would give ten thousand worlds for Christ Have not some persons who have had the Moon upon their head and that have made their belly their God being forced to cry forth at death O cursed person that I am that ever I made the world my God! Alace that I contented my self with the World Therefore I say unto thee who art such an one O! stay thy pursuit after the World for death is approaching that will cause all thy worldly comforts to evanish 4. When a Christian believeth this truth that he must dye it will be an exceeding great restraint to keep him from sinning as is clear Job 31.13 compared with verse 14. where Job reckoning over many good deeds done by himself saith What then shal I do when God riseth up And when he visiteth what shal I answer him As if he had said Sirs mistake me not I am not boasting much of my self for I could not have done otherwise else what should I do when God riseth up How could I answer to God if I had done otherwise I think it were a notable practise for each of you when temptations begin to assault you to say O temptation what shal I answer to God when he riseth up to reprove me if I should yeeld unto thee Likewise Eccles 11.9 where Solomon disswading young men to pursue after vanity bringeth this as a reason Know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Therefore I say unto thee who art often tempted to sin let death and reckoning with God be still in thy sight and I defie thee then to embrace half so many temptations as now thou dost I intreat you to answer all your temptations with that one word What shal I do when he riseth up And what shal I answer when he visiteth me 5. When a Christian liveth within the sight of this truth that he shal once see death it shal make him exceeding patient under every cross wherewith he meets Such a Christian will hardly meet with a cross but he will quiet himself with this Death will put me beyond this cross This is but a cloud that will quickly pass away And for this cause did David so composedly put up that desire Psalm 39.4 Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my days He was sure that the knowledge of his end would put him in a sober and patient frame The sixth advantage is this The faith of approaching death will teach the person that hath

And ye shal then b● confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shal not at death before or after it be brought to your remembrance And O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shal open the Book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the great Salvation Thus I invited you when you were twelve years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were thirty years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechless before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you Therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it 6. Challenge Will be for your sinning oftentimes against light And O how painful and sad a challenge will that be at the day of death when it will be said Thou sinned with a witness in thy bosom that thou wast doing wrong Thy conscience will say Oftentimes I did tell thee this is sinful yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer to this 7. Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon very small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confess it and say Oh how often have I deserted Christ and embraced my idols upon a small temptation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material challenges which certainly shal be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to embrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant And that will answer all your challenges Though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting covenant to ●il● my salvation upon Now to press you to make use of Christ I shal give you these four considerations Consideration 1. If ye embrace not Christ now death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of death but this I am Christs I am Christs Is there any other thing can comfort● thee in that day but only this I am Christs and he is mine Consideration 2. If ye embrace not Christ and the great Salvation now it will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or liberty to do it when ye are going to dye For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favor to grip Christ at death Therefore think on it for you will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now embrace the great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seize upon you ye shal never be able to make up that loss For will the dead rise and praise God Or shal any one come from the Land of forgetfulness to take hold upon a crucified Savior Therefore O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shal be your guide when ye are going thorow the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psalm 48.14 This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye-strings shal begin to break O how happy is he who can say Though I walk thorow the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for I know that the Lord is with me Now this is the acceptable day and the year of Salvation therefore do not delay but embrace Christ lest death surprise you ere ye be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned Atheists in hell that sometimes did think as ye think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shal meet I hope that three days repentance will satisfy for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three days to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and embrace Christ presently Now are ye all perswaded of this truth that ye shal once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us that shal go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to embrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe me death will preach these things unto you in a more terrible manner then we can do at this time Therefore I say to each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death find you in an estranged estate from God I defie the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate and the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once he●… wherein Christ was freely offered to me when th● shalt be tormented without hope of remedy therefore while it is to day harden not your heart● for your late wishes shal not be granted when are gone if ye make not haste O therefore has● haste in time and come out from the land of your c●ptivity and from the house of your bondage a● take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of yo● youth and old age Now unto him who can le●… you thorow all these steps betwixt you and Heven be eternal praise Amen FINIS