of Gold and Silver And should not we more greedily and earnestly catch at the Doctrine of Reconciliation and the Promise of Eternal Life 5. We should yield submit to and obey Christ's Word The Scripture speaks of receiving Christ's Testimony John 3.33 34. and of receiving Christ John 1.12 If we receive the Doctrine of Christ we shall receive Christ himself on the other hand we reject Jesus Christ if we receive not his Word John 12.48 The Natural Man receiveth not entertaineth not the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though Men do exercise Hospitality and take in Natural and Moral Truth yet how is the door of the Heart shut against those supernatural Doctrines and Mysteries that the Spirit revealeth There is no room no Lodging or Entertainment for these wonderful and Divine Truths But we must comply with and yield Obedience to these things that the Spirit makes known We must believe them that they may work effectually in us 1 Thess 2.13 The Word of the Gospel must be a Mold to shape and fashion our Souls Rom. 6.17 You have obeyed from the heart that mold of Doctrine into which ye were delivered for so it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gospel of Christ is elegantly compared to a Mold into which the Hearts of Men as melted running Metal are delivered that they may be fashioned aright and conformed to the Word that they may be Holy Spiritual and Heavenly as the Word is The Gospel must leven all the Powers and Faculties of your Souls Mat. 13.33 and so give them a new taste and relish as a Graft doth meliorate improve the Sap of the Stock and makes it to bring forth better Fruit than ever it could otherwise do so the Gospel heightens ennobles and advances all the Faculties of the Soul to better and more excellent Operations than otherwise they would rise to or bring forth We must steadily look into this Spiritual Glass and behold the Glory of Christ in it 2 Cor. 3. last So by beholding the Glory of the Lord we shall be changed and transformed into the same Image Yield therefore to Christ and his Word let Christ erect his Tribunal in your Souls suffer him to Judge your State Condemn your Sins to pass Sentence on your Lusts that when he hath wounded he may heal you when he hath cast you down he may raise you up Isa 2.4 It it said of Christ That he shall Judge among the Nations and Rebuke many People Christ executes a Judicature by his Word to this you are to stand by this you are to be sentenced to Life or Death O therefore when you come to hear do not carp cavil and judge the Word because it thwarts your Foolish Notions or crosseth your vise Affections but yield and submit to Christ Judging and Commanding of you by his Word I shall now proceed to give and press some Motives to urge you to listen to comply with and obey the Son of God that Preaches to you 1. It is Wisdom that Preaches to you Prov. 1.20 21 22. The Son of God is the Wisdom of God and Wisdom is now come forth into our Nature and cries without in our Streets Doth not Wisdom deserve to be styled A wonderful Counsellor Isa 9.6 who is so fit to advise us how to fly from the Wrath to come to escape the Corruption that is in the World through Lust Who is so meet to Teach and Direct us how we may come out of Debt and get out of Prison as Infinite Wisdom Who can so well Instruct us how our Consciences may be purged the fore-skin of our Hearts cut off our Diseases healed our Guilt and Filth purged away as the Wisdom of God Shall we exalt our vain Minds and our foolish Understandings in Opposition to the Counsels and Dictates of Wisdom We are entangled in a Wilderness of Woe we are in a Labyrinth of Iniquity and Guilt and Wisdom only can teach us the right way to get out and lead us to the Glorious City of God above We knew not how God should be Just and yet justifie the Ungodly how his Righteousness should be glorified in Punishing and yet his Mercy magnified in Pardoning how Sin should meet with a Hell of Punishments and yet Sinners enjoy a Heaven of Blessedness Yet the Son of God that is Wisdom doth reconcile these things and make them to consist with each other 2. The Son that Preacheth is Love it self Cant. 3.5 The Church chargeth the Daughters of Jerusalem not to stir up nor awake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Love Christ is called by way of Excellency that Love that admirable that transcendent Love O will you not listen to him that is Love it self If he had not been Love it self he could never have stooped so low have drank so bitter a Cup have endured so heavy a Burden have exposed himself to so dreadful a Storm He that was Rich became Poor 2 Cor. 8.9 He that was the Holy One of God and without spot and blemish was made Sin he that was God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Was made a Curse John 3.14 And in order to all this he that made all things was made Flesh John 1.1 2.14 He shewed himself to be Love that as a Head he would choose and take a Body below and as a Bridegroom be related to a Spouse on Earth O how wonderful is this that Nobility should wooe Vileness and Baseness That Riches should court Poverty And Beauty be enamoured with Deformity O! is it not wonderful Love that the Heir of all things should make Addresses to those that had nothing yea were indeed worse than nothing For nothing cannot go Astray cannot run a Whoring cannot Rebel and Provoke yet sinful Men and Women are guilty of all these If the Son of God were not Love would he have dyed to open a Fountain to wash us Zech. 13.1 to provide a Remedy to heal us Isa 53.5 By his stripes are we healed If he had nor been Love would he have been a Sacrifice 1 Cor. 5.7 8. that we might have a Feast on his Altar Heb. 13.10 If Jesus Christ were not Love would he cast his Net to draw us out of a dead Sea * Ezek. 47.10 Would he speak to raise us out of a Spiritual Grave * John 5.25 Would he call us out of a dark and doleful Prison Isa 49.9 If he were not Love would he Preach to raise Sinners out of their Ruins and to build them up as a House and Temple for God 1 Pet. 2 4 5. Would he enclose and take us within the Walls of the Spiritual Jerusalem Jer. 31.38 39 40. Jerâ—miah Prophesies of a Jerusalem that should be built to the Lord that is for him to dwell in the Name of this City is Jebovah Shammah Ezek. 48. last It is an Honourable and Glorious Name that Jehovah is there that his special Presence is to be found
be Visited when others are passed by and neglected Why should the Son of God come to and knock at our Doors when he is far off from others and makes no Address to them And will you slight and abuse Christs Kindness Will you break off the Treaty of Peace and reject the offers of Mercy If you delay Jesus Christ may withdraw he may utterly depart from you the Bridegroom may no more woo you the Physitian may no more offer his Help to you but suffer you to die of your Diseases the great Shepherd may break his Staff of Beauty take no more care of you but leave you to be a prey to Satan that roaring Lion O! consider if you delay and put Christ off Sickness may suddenly seize you Death may in a moment snatch you away your Flower may soon Fade your Lamp of Life be quickly blown out an Apoplexy may surprize you your Reason may be Clouded your Understanding darkned your Speech may fail you some sudden accident that you never thought of may cut off your Life in an instant will not your delays then be pernitious and fatal to you What then will become of all your Promises and all your purposes to Believe Repent and turn to God Will not Satan then catch away the Soul to Hell Will you not then fall into the Hands of the Living God Will you not be the objects of his Eternal Frowns and Fury Will you not then too late understand your Folly and Madness in puting off Jesus Christ O! will not Conscience then twit upbraid reproach you what did you think it was too soon to be Cured of your Diseases Was it too soon to have your Bonds and Satans snares broken Was it too soon to be made wise Too soon to be set at liberty Too soon to be Pardoned Too soon to return from your wanderings and get into the way of Salvation and Eternal Life How did Satan blind your Eyes How did Sin charm and bewitch your Souls You that once thought it too soon do now understand and feel that it is too late It is a very observable Sentence in Cyprian Sero credunt in aeternam paenam Contra Demetr qui noluerunt credere ad aeternam vitam Those too late will believe the truth of Gods word to their Eternal Punishment who would not timely believe to their Eternal Life they that would not see their Danger shall see their Destruction They that would not fear the Threatnings of Gods Mouth shall feel the Blows of his Hand Is it not better to hear now the sweet noise of the Bridegroom than hereafter to hear the terrible Voice of an Angry and Condemning Judg. Take heed that you be not Cheated and Beguiled by Satan he tells thee thou maist listen to Christ and Repent hereafter but his design is to harden thy Heart and that thou shalt never listen or turn to Christ As the Levite rose early to go his Journey Judges 19.5 but his Father in Law incouraged him to stay and comfort his Heart with a morsel of Bread and afterward he should go his way so Satan and sin are first modest in their Temptations and Suggestions They tell sinners they need not rise early and soon set out in the way to Heaven That it is best first to Comfort their Hearts with the Pleasures and Enjoyments of the World after they have Eaten a Morsel and Drunk a Draught of Stolen Waters they may go on in their way to another World and as the Levites Father in Law that first asked but for the Morning afterward desires the whole day and would have the Levite tarry all Night and so he did even thus Sin and Satan deal with wicked men after they have prevailed with them to mis-spend and vainly Consume the Morning of their Lives they afterwards insinnate desire and demand the whole Day of Life to be spent in Estrangement from God in the service of vile Affections and base Lusts so that the Night of Death comes on them and they drop down into the bottomless Pit The Levite tho he did not depart and journey one day yet he might Travel away the next but when our one day of Life is past and spent in sin there is no day of Life or Grace that will succeed to amend our Folly or repair our loss Psal 49.19 careless and negligent sinners go to the Generation of their ungodly Fathers they that never see the Light there will be a morning for Judgement and Condemnation but none for Repentance Delays are exceeding dangerous the Heart it more hardened Heb. 3.13 the old Man is more corrupted Ephes 4.22 As a Dead Body doth every day grow worse more corrupt and putrified even so the old Man in us doth more corrupt in its desires and affections it is great Policy in a Captain to hold an Enemy in a Treaty about a Surrender while he doth Portify his Garrison so it is a deep Policy of Satan to put thee on Fair Promises and faint purposes of yeilding to Jesus Christ while thy Heart is more Fortified with prejudice and enmity against God and Christ O! therefore soon stretch out thy Hands to Christ Psal 68.31 Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God in the Hebrew it is shall make her Hands run to God O! that thy Hands may run to Christ to receive precious Gifts from him and to offer up a Living Sacrifice to him The Second Part of a Discourse on 1 Pet. 3.19 The Second Doctrine that the last words of the Text afford us is this 2. Doct. The spirits of Wicked Men when they go out of the Body are confin'd to and shut up in Gods Prison THree things here are to be spoken to and insisted on 1. That God hath 2 Prison 2. That the Souls of wicked Men when they go out of the Body shall be cast into this Prison 3. I shall shew how Dreadful and Terrible this Prison is 1. That God hath a Prison Earthly Princes have places of Durance and Restraint for such as offend them and Transgress their Laws Gen. 1.2 3. two of the Officers of Pharaoh offended the King of Egypt their Lord was wroth with them and expresses his Displeasure by puting them in Prison And is it not highly reasonable and just that the King of Heaven and Earth should have his Prison to confine Transgressors to and to punish delinquents in Should Sinners that do their own wills fulfil the Devils Lusts Rebel against Gods Laws still be at liberty to Contract more Guilt and provoke more wrath if Iniquity were for ever joyn'd with Impuâ—ity would not the Majesty of God be still affronted his Laws trod under foot his threatnings derided and scorn'd Tho sinners own God in word and cannot utterly race and extirpate the Notion of a Divine Being out of their Souls yet they hold it in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 They are as Dark Lanterns to shut in and hide the Light of this great Truth they
of Light and Love shall not be Prisoners in Hell or bound there with Chains of Everlasting Darkness 5. Is your Prison Rayment put off and changed when Joseph was brought out of the Dungeon and was called to come in to Pharaoh it is said he changed his Raiment Gen. 41.14 Prison Garments were not fit to be worn by a Man called unto Liberty and in the presence of a King While we are in the spiritual Prison we wear filthy Garments Zech. 3.3 The old Man is a sordid Garment that doth defile and deform our Souls this Prison Raiment doth fit Men for the Prison of Hell O therefore consider whether you have put off the old Man and his Deeds Col. 3.9 and have crucified the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 Have you put on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13. last Have you put his Mind on your Mind and his Will on your Will and his Affections on your Affections Have you put on the new Nature of Jesus Christ and so put him on for Sanctification it is said of the Church that she is all Glorious within and that her cloathing is of wrought Gold That she shall be brought unto the King in Raiment of Needle work Psal 45.13 14. and it is said verse 15. That she and the Virgins her Companions with Joy shall enter into the Kings Palace This Scripture teaches us how they must be cloathed that are to be Married to Jesus Christ and to be taken into his Royal Palace and into a blessed Communion with him The cloathing the Ornaments of our Souls will inform and instruct us whether we are secured from Gods Eternal Prison and fitted to dwell in his glorious Palace 3. Vse O seek to prevent your going into and abiding in this dreadful Prison when the Psalmist was under but Temporal Afflictions and outward Restraints how doth he cry to God! Psal 142. last Bring my Soul out of Prison that I may Praise thy Name And should you not be more earnest and importunate with God to bring your Souls out of a spiritual Prison and to prevent their being cast into an Eternal Prison Dives would have his Brethren warned that they might not come into that place of Torment Luk. 16.28 and shall not we much more desire this for our selves and regard Gods warnings that we may not come into this Prison Two things here I shall endavour 1. To give you some Motives to stir you up to avoid this Prison 2. I shall give you some Directions how you may be preserved from this Prison Strive to escape this Prison that your Lot and Portion may not be in it for ever For 1. This is a most uncomfortable Prison The Company is very bad Devils and damned Souls will inhabit these Regions of darkness O what horrid Scrieches and doleful Grans what fearful Execrations and Blasphemies will be heard there to Eternity Prison-Fare here in the World useth to be course and unpleasant 1 King 22.27 Ahab saith of the Prophet Micaiah Put this fellow in Prison and feed him wich Bread of affliction and water of affliction But how much worse will the Treatment of Sinners be in Hell they must feed on Wormwood and gall and be filled with the fruit of their own ways and drink the Wine of the Wrath of God God will call off all Comforters frm them and call all his Terrors against them Lam. 2. last As Jesus when he stood in the place of Sinners and aswered Gods Justice for their iniquities he was deserted by all his three Disciples that he took to be with him in his Agony who fell asleep when he was apprehended all his disciples forsook him and fled from him Mat. 26.40 Mark 14.50 Jesus Christ complains in that Prophetical Psalm Psal 69. v. 20. Reproach hath broken my Heart and I am full of heaviness and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for Comforters but I found none He complains God his Father forsook him Psal 22. He hid his pleasing Countenance from him and turned his angry Face against him the sight of this caused Christ to sweat drops of Blood in the Garden You see Jesus Christ stood alone to bear the wrath of God all forsook and rejected him As Jesus Christ was dealt withal so thou must expect to be used all Creatures will withdraw and God also will hide his Face Sinners shall behold nothing but the huge Host of their iniquities compassing them about and the Lord of Hosts fighting against them Conscience shall reproach them God will loath them all Flesh will abhorr them Isa 66. last 2. Gods Prison is a reproachful ignominious and infamous Place Here Gods Debtors are detained here his Enemies are confined this will be an Eternal Disgrace to the Prisoners that a patient Creditor was put to arrest them that a long-suffering God was necessitated to apprehend and shut them up He hath sworn that to Him every Knee shall bow Isa 45.23 And those obstinate stiff-necked Sinners would not willingly stoop to God would not yield him any sincere Obedience therefore God was obliged to bow to break to stoop them whether they would or no. To be a Tree for Fruit is honourable but for Barrenness to be made a Tree for Fuel is disgrace ful to serve God only by their Sufferings and Torments to illustrate the Story of Gods Justice by his Hating of them and the Glory of his Power by Punishing them this is infamous to Creatures Dan. 12.2 it is said some shall rise to shame and everlasting contempt 3. The Prison is our own Place Acts 25. Judas is said to go to his own Place We have deserved to be cast thither to be confined there for ever Confusion of Face belongs to us Dan. 9.8 9. Death is the Wages due to our Iniquities Rom. 6. last We have shewed the Power of our Enmity against God and he may shew the Power of his Wrath against us Psal 90.11 We are Children of Wrath by Nature Eph. 2.3 so Hell is our Inheritance and Patrimony We are Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 and so Hell is our Purchase God hath been exiled out of our Minds Psal 10.4 and we deserve to be banish'd out of his glorious Presence It is said that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4.16 and the Prodigal went into a far Countrey Luk. 15.13 14. Thus Sinners do sinfully banish themselves from God and a sinful Banishment doth deserve and may procure a poenal Banishment If every Worker of Iniquity hath bid God Depart Job 21.14 15 They say to the Almighty Depart from us then surely it is but a just Recompense for Christ to say at last Go ye Cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25 41. 2. I shall now proceed to some Directions how you may escape this Prison 1. You must Believe soundly that there is such a Prison This Truth must be fixed on and rooted in your Minds