to think how many checks of conscience and motions of the Spirit you put by what terrour will it be to you to think what holy Saints you opposed and jeared what precious means of Grace you slighted and what pains you took for the world and how careless you were for your poor souls O think it no smal matter to die in thy natural estate and be damned if once thou come to hell there will be no ease nor end of thy misery for ever If God should but say to the damned in hell that after a hundred thousand years they should come out of their torments it would be some lightning to their hearts but there will be no end the worm dies not and the fire goes not out Christ goes over with those words three times almost together Mark 9.44,46,48 because he would have men in their natural condition take special notice of it that if they die out of him they will be miserable for ever miserable indeed to be alwayes dying alwaies burning alwaies weeping alwaies suffering the torments of Hell O therefore consider the state that thou art in before it be too late there is corruption and sin enough in one mans heart to undo all the men in the world if it were divided to them O then how easily will it undo one soul Know then if we be not justified freely by Gods Grace in Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of the Lord we must unavoidably perish for ever Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7,8 The time of Gods patience the time of Grace is but a short time therefore called a day To day if you will hear his voice It s but a day in comparison of Eternity nay in comparison of Eternity a mans daies upon earth are but as a moment or the twinkling of an Eye and the time of Grace is but a short time but a day in comparison of the greatness of the work that is to be done the making of our calling and Election sure It s but a day in respect of the uncertainty of our enjoying the means of Grace and it s but a day in respect of the uncertainty of our lives for in a moment we go down to the grave and all our thoughts perish To day therefore hear his voice come in to Christ do not say to morrow is soon enough do not put off the offers of Grace for now is the accepted time this is the day of Salvation CHAP. II. How natural men deceive themselves and think that their Estate is good IT S a great mercy for a man that is not in a state of Grace to know that he is yet without Christ but men flatter themselves that they are Christians and Saints when there is no cause in the world for it Men deceive themselves in their spiritual estate sometimes by not examining their condition many men never take thought whether they have Christ or no and if men do examin their spiritual Estate usually it is by false signs as outward performance of Duties or outward abstinence from many gross sins It s a sad thing when we have nothing to evidence a good estate but outward thing no work upon our hearts but only we have performed many Duties and sat under Ordinances so did they Isa 58. the beginning And many deceive themselves in their spiritual Estate by shunning a heart-searching Ministry they call for a Minister that may prophecy to them smooth things there is many mens Ministry that never touches upon the heart hath little tendency that way And men have a way to excuse sin and so think they are in a good estate though they live in all manner of sin as Adam laid the fault upon Eve and Eve shifted it off to the Devil Men that never pray in their Families never read the word in their Families lay the fault upon business Another way whereby we often deceive our selves in our spiritual estates is by looking upon the failings that the Saints have and so flatter our selves that our condition is the same with theirs thus men will say David did so and so and Peter did deny Christ Yea But David and Peter believed in Christ and mourned heartily for their sins A Saint hates all sin do you do so Again By Nature we are ignorant of the true nature of every Grace and therefore are easily deceived in our estate we do not know the true nature of saving faith we think it lies only in knowing that Christ dyed for sin we are ignorant of the nature of Repentance how the Love of God in Christ doth break the heart and we think if we give to the poor then we have Charity whereas in the Scriptures account a man may give all his goods to the poor and yet want true Charity 1 Cor. 13. And then men are loth to examin themselves to purpose whether they be in the faith or no for fear they should despair if they come to see their estate is not good though alas very few despair and its one thing for a man to be convinced of his estate being bad and another thing to despair for though he be not converted yet he may be converted afterwards Likewise the quietness and stilness of many mens consciences makes them think that they are in a good estate when as that may be a great Judgement upon them it s one thing to have true Peace of Conscience and another thing to have a seared Conscience There are certain plain signs that a man is not in a state of Grace which are evident in many and in such great Characters that he that runneth may read them as if men jear at the Spirit of God and jearat men for having the Spirit of God that they will say This is a man of the Spirit Dost thou think that thou art a Saint All Saints have the Spirit of Christ in them and they are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 and they prize the Spirit highly And if men be wholly ignorant of the way of Justification by the blood of Christ and declare plainly that they seek life by their own obedience and Righteousness it is evident that they are not in a good estate for all Believers desire to be found in Christ having on them the Righteousness which is of God by Faith and how many by this may be convinced that they are not in a good estate Or if men live in all manner of sin allow themselves in drunkenness swearing and the like These transgressions of the wicked say within my heart saith David That the fear of God is not before their eyes Psal 36.1 Let men say what they will if that they commit iniquity with greediness it is evident that they know not Christ in a saving manner For he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.4 Indeed Hypocrites may