this and you have many hindrances and lesse helps then others Therefore not many rich c. Secondly To poor you have a day too although not to be rich and honourable yet to be happy if you neglect it not It is a word of exhortation to you al to old ones you have spent a great deal of time and what provision have you made for Eternitie If your day be not over yet you cannot expect that yours will last long you cannot expect to enjoy many daies in the flesh and if this be a truth which you have heard from the Word you are in a great deal of danger and it is high time for you to awake 2 It speaks also to you that are Young ones and bless your selves in the prime of your daies beginning of your strength it speaks to you in that of the Wise-man Ec. 12 1. Remember now thy Creator Do not say In my old Age no but do it in thy Youth nor yet I wil do it in my Youth but not yet but set about it now I say to thee as Christ did to Judas What thou doest do it quickly Do not say Thy Years are but few yet and thy daies are but begun for ought thou knowest the day of Grace may be almost done although the daies of thy life are but begun this Gospel-day is nearer to an end then thou art aware of thou hast no assurance of life but much lesse assurance of this if You didst believe this how would it rouse up your spirits and provoke you to take heed of every opportunity for your souls 5. If it be so then take heed of slighting convictions and the struglings of conscience for these are the critical times of your lives then you are near to making or marring now is the time or never And although thou art called to be serious t all times yet more especially now thy eternal happinesse lies at the stake and when God begins to struggle with thee it will be seen in a short time whether thou wilt be eternally happy or miserable This part of thy life is like to those Critical days which Physitians observe when either the Disease abates and breaks or kills So now either thou wilt grow better or worse after this either the day will break and darknesse will fly away and scatter or else the night will begirt thee and thy darkness will be much blacker then it was Have a care therefore all you who come to the Ordinance and finde any stirrings upon your Consciences lest you neglect this time First Because now God is near unto you I may draw an exhortation out of the Apostles words Acts 17.27 Now feel after God if happily you may finde him for he is not farre from you he is now with you and in you by his enlightning and convincing power now is the time if ever for such a word to take place as we have Isa 55.6 Seek him whiles he may bee found If ever God were neare you in a way of mercy it is now he is not only near you by his Gospel but in it he comes in it and with it he sends the spirit with the Word if thou doest flight these motions thou mayest never find him so near thee if he once go out of his Word and leave thee without a convincing light and power he then will go further and further from you and then wee may say Woe to you when God is departed from you Hos 9.12 This is one of the first steps of Gods forsaking Souls when he forsakes the Word under which they sit and it is in order to that dreadfull sentence Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed c. O therefore as you would not hear that dreadfull Sentence then fear it now lose God now and thou art like to lose him for ever But if thou wouldest keep him now and possesse him then so keep and cherish his Convictions take heed of slighting these for it is a slighting of God and if thou slight him while he is near thee thou wilt drive him further off quickly Be more careful now then ever because the day spends apace it hastens away more then ever you know when the sun comes at the highest he declines apace when the days are at their length they do shorten quickly when it is noon the sun hastens to his bed This time of Gods stirring with thee by Conviction is as thy Noon-day if thou slight that thy day will decline apace it will not be long ere it be night therefore while it is not only day but noon-day work for there is but a little time betwixt Noon and Night Nay let me tell thee thy day of Grace is not like the Natural day or year You know that the sun is as long descending as ascending and therefore the after-noon is as long as the fore-noon But it will not be so with thee thou mayest have a long morning and a short noon and a speedy night It may be long ere God does begin to strive with thee he may let thee live twenty thirty or forty years before he comes thus near thee all this while is but as thy fore-noon and then he may come near thy Conscience This is the noon of thy day and here he may continue strugling with thee for a year a month a week a day nay perhaps but one hour as with Felix with whom God strugled but one hour in one Sermon and if thou wilt not now hear the night shall gather upon thee and thou shall be shut up under darkness God wil resolve to struggle but a little while and he will not be so long in departing as he was in coming but if noon be past night comes suddenly he may be long a coming but quickly gone from thee 3 Be more careful now because God proportions the length of our day to the clearnesse of the means which thou enjoyest and to the strength of thy Convictions If God give men lettle means then he allows them the more time if he gives them more means he gives them the lesse time for this great work I do believe that under the Law when things were dark and in former days when the Gospel was but little preacht to what now it is God did give men a longer and larger space for Repentance then he does now Matth. 3.10 he waited longer upon sinners then now he does or will And as he proportions to the means so to our Convictions If he do strive much with a Soul and cause Convictions to fal thick and strong upon it it is an Argument that he intends to contend but a little while with that soul if he slight them He will speedly convert that Soul or harden it As we see in Felix God did strive but a little while but it was in a notable way he made him tremble but we do not find that he did strive any more after that fit was over We see something of this in
dyed for thee in particular But it is a believing that God is â—ue and that the Record which he hath given of his Son is true From hence we have this expression John 3.33 He that believeth hath put to his seal that God is true And unbelief is described notably 1 John 5.10 He that beleeveth not maketh God a lyar Not that a Beleever cannot know and believe his interest particularly in the death of Christ or be certain of Election but the Gospel cals upon us to prove these things and infer them by reason and experience Yet here ye must not think that Faith lies only in assent of the understanding only but also in the consent of the Will I speak here of it only as it respects the former How do many content themselves with giving a general assent to the truth of the word of God and yet they deny the great and main truths of it and make God a lyar in the great things which he hath spoken concerning eternal life Many men pretend that the reason why they stir no more for salvation is because they know not whether they are elected or not or whether Christ dyed for them or not But alas there is something else really at the botttom They beleeve not the Record which God hath given of his Son If they did believe what God hath spoken concerning mens natural and spiritual estates concerning Christ and sinne Heaven and Hell they would look about them But although these men beleeve not yet it will appeare that this foundation was laid for them also even the truth and faithfullness of God into which the faith of all the Lords people shall bee resolved God proposed such termes of eternall life annext a promise to them The Elect closed with these terms and relyed on the truth of God to make the promise good and was not the truth of God engaged as much to the one as to the other in case they had rested on it Fourthly They have and enjoy the same means God preaches to them by the same messengers he does not send one wiser and more learned or more holy to preach to those who are or shall be saved and one weake and insufficient or less convincing to preach to those who perish But they often heare the same word together from the same person Christ bids his Disciples enter into the house where the Son of Man was not as well as in to the house where he was Luk. 16.5 6. and Christ wrought the same works before the Pharisees that he did before the Disciples Fifthly the Gospel in offering Christ unto thee says nothing of Election makes no difference betwixt elected not elected It speaks not to the Elect as Elect but as fallen as sinners as poor lost undone creatures and so it speaks to thee and to all The Gospel says nothing to thee of election until thou hast past over the first work of Beleeving and if thou art not elected yet this cannot properly be a reason of thy rejecting Christ for the Gospel made no difference betwixt thee and Elect ones in offering Christ unto thee Secondly neither didst thou consider thy Non-Election in thy rejecting Christ Who told thee that thou wert not Elected Nay thirdly Thou didst think that thou wert Elected and yet didst not look after Christ Sixthly They have such termes proposed that if they did come up to them they should be saved Although the Lord hath purposed not to â—ave some men yet we must not conceive that God wills that they should not be saved upon any termes he wills their salvation so far as they will the terms of salvation If they would comply with the way and meanes which he hath proposed and prescribed i.e. Beleeve repent they should be saved upon such terms as these God wills every mans salvation Revel 22.17 And let him that will come if he will come up to the termes of Christ he shal have of the waters of life whoever he be There is a great difference betwixt Gods willing mans salvation upon Gospel termes and his Electing men unto salvation For whom he Elects he absolutely determines to save out of the good pleasure of his will He appoints the meanes as well as the end he resolves to give faith and Repentance to such to incline their hearts and to convert them to himself Thus he wills the salvation of the Elect. But he wills the salvation of all men otherwise viz. upon such and such termes If they wil make use of such meanes as he gives them and come up to his termes they shall be saved otherwise not Nay he gives them so much as to leave them inexcusable at the last day and to make it evident that he wil'd their salvation more then they did It wil be then clear that had many men will'd their salvations upon those terms which the Lord did they had been saved Quest But how does that appear Answ Thus God was willing to give thee salvation if thou wouldest turn to him But thou didst never will it upon such termes Mat. 13.14 15. Thou wert willing to be saved but it was if thou mightest keep thy old Lusts still thou wouldst not buy salvation at so dear a rate as Conversion So that we may say that the reason why many a man is not saved is not because God would not but because they would not There were termes proposed by the Lord and there was nothing that parted the Lord and them but their wills As in the case of the young man in the Gospel whose estate parted Christ and him Was it not his wil that undid him Dare any say that if he had come up to the termes of Christ he had not been saved Christ made him a firm promise upon a condition which only parted Christ and him Mat. 19.21 And what was it that undid Israel Psalm 81.13 Oh that Israel had walked in my wayes c. Did Israel suffer because God was not willing to bless and prosper them Surely no But because Israel did not seek it in the way which God was willing to bestow it Had they will'd their peace in the way that the Lord will'd it they had had it And so in the Text did wicked men wil their own salvation as the Lord does they should be saved Seventhly They have some inward meanes and helps to make their day of peace the cleerer The Spirit of God does strive with them in his word and works and sollicites their return but they will not obey it Gen. 6.3 Thus the Lord strove with the old world until he was weary This was it which Stephen charged upon the Jews Acts 7.51 Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost To this we may add that of 1 Pet. 3.18 19. God did not onely preach by Noah whilst he was preparing the Arke but by his Spirit also convincing them of sinne and warning them to repent Now that you may see how farre the Lords affords inward meanes
as well as outward to many that perish I shal lay down these few particulars First He inlightens their understandings which before were wholly darkned and gives them the knowledg of many Gospel truths yea sometimes in such a manner and measure that they are able to teach and instruct others and to tel others what is to be done when yet they themselves wil not doe what they direct others unto Rom. 2.19.20 Thus Judas and Demas had such gifts and knowledg as made them for a time serviceable to others yet they served not the interest of their own souls Secondly He shews them the equity of his wayes so that he cannot but confesse that what the Lord requires is just and reasonable and so also what he threatens and yet they have no wil to do the same Rom. 1.32 The Heathens were convinced that God would judge their wayes and he would punish them with death and they could not deny the justice of this sentence How much more are many convinc'd strongly of this who live under a searching Ministry To this we may adde that of Rom. 2.18 Thou approvest of the things which are excellent God inlightens them so far that their judgements are for him though their affections are for the Devil and sin Thirdly He moves so far sometimes until he stirre up some kinde of resolutions in them and Conscience grows so hot that nothing wil quiet it but making of promises to do something in answer to such Convictions Acts 24.25 Thus Felix quieted his Conscience when it was in a flame by telling it he would hear Paul and it another time Fourthly He moves so strongly upon the heart of a sinner that he cannot be quiet unlesse he do something for the present in obedience to that word which is set close to him by the Spirit of God Thus Herod heard John Baptist and did many things Mark 6.20 Fifthly He squeezes a sweetnesse out of his wayes upon their spirits sometimes so that they are convinc'd that it is good following of God Thus the stony ground received the Word with joy Matth. 13.20 And They tasted of the heavenly gift Heb. 6.4 They had some peace in their spirits and comfort in the hope that sin was pardoned and this seemed a sweet thing to them Sixthly He gives them some taste of the powers of the World to come as Balaam had Numb 23.10 He had strange Convictions of the povvers of the World to come He â—avv that a mans happinesse did not lie in the things of this life But there vvas another life vvhich vvas principally to be cared for and look't after He knevv that the people of God had a happinesse reserved for them in that life which was more then all the pleasures of this He knevv that they vvould be the happy men vvho had feared and loved the Lord yet he loves not them although he desired their Condition He would have cursed them for wages yet he desired to be blessed with them Thus you see God goes farre to stirre those who are not saved I have now shewne you wherein a wicked mans day consisteth and how farre it does extend to outward and to inward helps and meanes whilst these things continue which I have shewed you it may be sayd It is day with them But as this day of theirs seemes to be some what cleere in respect of meanes yet it is a very uncertaine day whose length is onely known to the Lord. For he causes the Sun to rise and set at his pleasure And although wee cannot by the exactest Calculations finde out precisely how long or short this day is to particular soules yet we may lay down General Rules and make such Scripture proposals as may help men very much in judging concerning this Gospel day at least I doubt not but to shew you so much as will cleere this truth or Second Proposition That a sinners day may end whilst he injoyes the outward means of grace Sometimes the Lord brings the nigth upon a people by taking a way the means of grace wholly from them When the Sun sets it must needs be dark and if the Gospel were taken quite a way he world would be as dark as Hell But I intend not to insist upon the proofe of this I shall grant that a sinner may have all the choyce outward helps that can be injoy'd continued to him and yet this day may be over And that will appeare First Because God may withdraw the Convictions of his Spirit from him notwithstanding he injoyes the word the Lord may say as Gen 6.3 My Spirit shall strive no more with this man And alas when God hath withdrawne his Spirit from the world to what purpose is it Secondly No onely so but the Lord does hold them from seeing and understanding those things which concern their peace as he held the Disciples from knowing him whilst he talked with them so does he these men from knowing any thing savingly Rom. 11.8 10. God hath given them a Spirit of slumber c. When God hath plainly convinc'd of the truth of his Gospel and sollicited their returne by many morall perswasions and stirrings of Conscience and they will not receive the truth in the love of it He then does not onely withdraw the light which shined convincingly upon their Consciences but he dos hold their eyes from seeing or puts the truths of his Gospel into such a dress that they should mistake them Therefore sayes Christ Matth. 13.11 13. I spake to them in parables Thus says the Lord to his Word and Messengers Go and speak to such a people concerning their peace but I wil cast such a vayl upon plaine truths that they shall not understand what is plainly spoken to them for their good Compare Isai 6.9 with Isa 29.10 and tel me whether God does not take up such resolutions as this That the people who would not see at one time shal not see at another And how farre are such a people from night judge you Thirdly He sometimes hardens their hearts and makes them heavy by that word which in it self is a word of healing and softning He hath said the word shall not go forth in vaine and return empty It shal do something either as a savour of life or of death but because they have refused the word as it offers life God in just judgement makes it a killing word to them as we may see Isaiah 6.10 it is a sad thing when the Lord shoots the Gospel as poysoned arrows against the soul which wil surely kil yet this the Lord often does against such as have rejected the saving offers of it as we may see Isaiah 28.12 13. The Lord gave them line upon line and precept upon precept that they might goe and fall backward and be broken c. But the Lord never deales thus with a people but for sins against his word that he might by his word punish their disobedience to it Fourthly He delivers them
far in a profession of Religion and seemed to have some power upon them to reform them yet the Corruption of their wils overcomming the light and Convictions which were in their Consciences and finding themselves at liberty they are more vile then ever They are worst at last as is not onely asserted here but in that Parable Mat. 12.43.44.45 If the unclean Spirit be cast out by the power of Conviction alone he will returne to his old habitation he will come and see who keeps house and if it be empty in respect of grace and garnished only with a profession and with natural abilities he will enter againe and he will bring company enough to guard for the future and they shall be none of the best seven Spirits more wicked then himselfe Perhaps hee was a drunkard or swearer or Sabbath-breaker But as he troubled himself about Religion so hee troubled not the professors of it But if he fal back to these sins againe it s ten to one but he proves a scoffer or a persecutor of the wayes and people of God See an instance Mal. 3.14 There where some who pretended to holiness but when they fel off Obs First They did not onely lay aside such duties but struck at them Secondly They scoffed at such as walked humbly with God Thirdly They joyned and so took part with the worst of men They call the proud happie Apostates seldom stand as Neuters Thus I have I hope cleered the two first propositions you have seene it both day and night with the wicked I come now to speak of The Third Proposition viz. That when this day is past and over the things of peace are hid from the soul This is so easily deducible from the two former that I need not speak much to prove it If a day be set to treat with persons and upon terms to conclude a peace if they stand out this day and do nothing the Commission is out of date Thus says the Lord I gave Commission to my Messengers to Conscience and to the Word to plead and strive with you about an agrement and ye would not Now the time is over Conscience and the Word have no Commission to treate with thee againe for I am resolved against peace now Thus God dealt with Jezabel Rev. 2.21 I gave Jezabel space to repent says he But she repented not I am now resolved to take another course with her I will call her c. If the day end any way Peace must needs end with it When God workes as I have shewne you and they come to that passe as hath beene declared we may easily Conclude Peace is hid First if God withdraw from the soule and give over stiring Corruption must needs carry it When God takes away those Convictions which did restaine and bridle the man he will doubtlesse then follow his own lusts and take fil of sinne commit it with greediness But you see it evidently God hath said my Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Such a man hath desired to enjoy his Lusts quietly and I am resolved he shal have enough of it and where wil such a man stop whom God wil not hinder or when wil he returne whom God will not draw Corruption will doubtlesse Lord it in such a soule Secondly If the Lord leave stiring wtth the soule Satan wil have his wil upon it If the Lord withdraw his inward workings Satan wil draw neere and he will fill up the House If Christ rule not he will Paul sets out the Condition of poore souls who are without Christ thus 2 Tim. 2.26 Satan leads them Captive at his will and Eph. 2.2 He says they walk according to the Prince of the power of the Ayre i. e. according to his mind This is the Condition of every Naturall man Satan hath goten such a power over them that they doe what he Commands But besides this power which Satan hath in men naturally here is a Judiciary delivering up of Souls to the power and will of Satan when their day is over Many who are under the first power of Satan may be recovered but such as come thus under his power are irrecoverably lost and undone 2 Cor. 4.3.4 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to such as are lost in Adam as all men are who are naturally in a lost Condition of which yet some at least shall be repayred But such as are appointed to be destroyed who are lost past Hope In a word when a mans day is over he is lost and peace is hid from him upon a twofold account First In respect of God He withdraws the light and resolves never more to have to doe with such a poore Creature in a way of mercy never to whisper one word of conviction or of Counsell more to him concerning his soule and then he that is filthy must needs be filthy still who will be faithfull to that mans soul or shew him the misery of his Condition or the folly of his waves whom God will Counsell no more The Sunne is set and the day must needs be done Secondly The day being done peace is hid in respect of himself because he had no eyes to see the things of peace They were but shut before either out of prejudice or neglect or wantonness but now they are put out or sealed up so that they shal be opened no more and then although the Sun shine never so Bright yet the eyes being put out he lyes under an impossibility of seeing the things of peace This is as clear as the Sunne when it shines from that of John 12.39 40. Therefore they could not beleeve because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts c. Thus the day of grace and peace you see may be over unto men although the Gospel in respect of the publique administrations doe continue as clear as ever Thus we finde it was with some of the Jewes in Isaiahs time as I have shewn you from Isa 6.9 10. Yet was he the most Evangelical of all the Prophets And thus it was in Christ's time many who lived under the Richest dispensations of the Gospel who heard and saw Christ who spake as never man spake and did what never any did yet were past seeing and Christ saies expressely at last That he did not intend that they should see Mat. 13.10 11 12. Before I come to apply these truths which have been proved I shall clear them from some mistakes or misapprehensions which might arise First Some will say Does not that which hath been spoken strongly infer that Christ died for all Answ The Gospel hath plainly and fully declared that Christ died for sinners and all sinners without exception are invited to come to him and take freely of the waters of life and the promise of Acceptance is cleare None shall be refused who will come to him So that upon this account we have as
art chusing and when reason and judgement are quickest and least engaged least the engaging of these blinde thee that thou wilt not see the scale when it turns We have a Scripture which will give much light to this Heb. 11.24 25. Moses when he came to years refused to be called the son of Pharaohs Daughter and chose rather to suffer with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season when he came to weigh and consider things and to make his choice then he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs Daughter then he threw away the Court Honours and Pleasures but it was in judgement he chose rather to suffer with the people of God he saw something of greater importance to him Before this time he was pleased wel enough with AEgyptian toys and trifles of the Court but now comes his chusing time he must be seted in his spirit and he weighs all and upon a serious survey of both sides he throws away the Rattles which hee had played withall before and he makes another choice he chose rather to suffer Thus wee have the sum of the words in the dayes of thy choice Here is a second word to make it more full In thy choice dayes in the days that thou art fittest for Meditation or Action then set the Lord before thee do not put off the thoughts of God till a time when thou shalt be altogether unfit for him and his Service till a time wherein thou wilt be fit for nothing these are the choice days and thy youth is the chusing time We have the same word which in my text is rendered youth read chosen men 2 Sam. 6.1 David gathered together the chosen men of Israel the choisest and fittest men for action now thou art fittest for the Service of the Lord and this sense seemes to correspond much with the text for it agrees much with that which is but a Paraphrase upon these words before the evil dayes come when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Do not say in thy heart I will try what the world will afford me now and when I have sucked the breasts of her consolation dry and there no more to be had there then I will try what is to be had in Religion what the ways of God will yeeld this Religion is a thing only fit for old Men and Women that have nothing else to do whose palats are grown old and cannot rellish or taste the delights which youth affords or whose memories are grown weak and have forgotten the pleasures of their past days these may begin to think of Heaven now their blood is grown cold and their senses fail them that they can hardly distinguish between sweet and bitter when we have worn out our selves in the world and crippled our Bodies and worn out our Senses in turning every stone and sucking every flower which will afford us any comfort then will we creep to our Closets and cloyster up our selves there too and spend the remainder of our dayes in praying and sighing but for our youth you must excuse us we will take this time to our selves to eat drink and be merry and put death and Judgement and every troublesome thought from us O say not thus in your heart but in your choyse days begin thus work for no day nor time is too precious for the Lord. I have now briefly opened the words I shall propound such Observations as will naturally flow from them 1. That every man has a choice or chusing time 2 God expects that at that time we should chuse him 3 It is a great advantage to begin with the Loâ—d before we are too far engaged in other choyces 4. Remembring and considering or setting God before our eyes is a great Duty and a great help towards the feare of the Lord. 5. No time so fit for this great work as the youth I shal not handle all these distinctly but shall dravv them into one grand Conclusion and in handling that I shall touch and clear up all these as branches of that great Truth vvhich lyeth in the vvords vvhich is this DOCTRINE That nothing conduces more to the fear of the Lord as a means on our part then a seas nable and timely setting him before our eyes A serious and a solemn calling forth of the Attributes of the glorious God and comparing and weighing them with the vanity of the creatures does wonderfully conduce to the ballancing our spirits and to the setting and fixing them upon God as our and chiefest good and at least to over-awe our spirits with a fear of him if not to draw forth the heart unto a love of him For it is very clear that all the wickedness amongst men does arise from a forgetfulness of God David renders a reason of the wickedness of his enemies Psal 54.3 they did not set God before them For strangers are risen up against me and oppressors seek after my soul they have not set God before them And in that fore-mentioned place Deut. 8.11 12. the Lord clearly expounds disobeence and forgetfulness of himself one by the other I shal not spend time in proving this Truth generally but shal divide my discourse into these four parts 1. To enquire how and what of God is to be set before our eyes to help forward this work 2. How the setting of the Lord before us doth further this feare in our hearts 3. How to keep the Lord in our eye when we have him there 4. Why the young man especially must set upon this duty For the first How and what of God is to be set before our eyes to help forward this work Answ I le begin with that in the Text Consider him as thy Creator this doth surely reach thee this reaches Angels and Men and Devils in In ipsa voce creatoris occultum habetur Argumentum look to thy very being or to the beings of thy Creature-enjoyments and Nature wil tel thee by these That God is to be feared that thou dost ow him homage and service think what God may challenge from thee as thou art his Creature the Apostle condemns the Heathen that they did not walk up to this light Rom. 1.21 Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God God complains from hence of unjust measure from his people Ezek. 16.18 19. Thou hast set mine Oyl and mine Incense before them my meat also which I gave thee fine flower and oyl and honey where-with I fed thee thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour Hosea 2.8 For she did not know that I gave her wine and oyl and multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for Baalim And may not the same complaint be made against us That we offer up our time and strength and parts to the World and Sin and Lust and Satan Did they give you these things Are these your Creators Did â—hey give you your being
up to their own carnal loose hearts to commit sin with greedinesse Rom. 1.28 As they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gave them over to are probate mind c. When the heart is once grown hard and fat that Convictions and Reproofs come not at it or when it is past feeling as they were who are mentioned Eph. 4.19 the next thing is a giving up of themselves to all wickedness When God gives men over to their lusts men wil quickly give themselves over to them You have a very ful place which shews that God does thus give up some men Secondly Why he does it and Thirdly What the effect of this is Psalm 81.11 12. It is said that God gave them up to their own lusts Secondly The reason of this is Because they would not hearken to and embrace the Lord and his counsel And thirdly The effect of this was they walked in their own Counsels The raines were no sooner laid on their necks but they ran away from God Fifthly God goes so far with some that he wil not punish them for sinne here he wil not lose one stroak more upon them he wil not afford them those outward means of humbling which he affords to many others As he says of Israel Hos 4.13 14. Your daughters shal commit whoredom and your spouses shal commit adultery I wil not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery Oh it is a sad judgement and a dreadful when God says of such a soul I wil not visit him here for sin let him be unclean stil let him be a vile wretch stil a drunkard a lyar a blasphemer a Sabbath-breaker stil I wil seem to take no notice of it I wil not reckon with him til I have him in Hel and then I wil reckon with him for all together Acts 14.16 Acts 17.30 Let him go on and prosper and florish in his body and estate he shal not be crost as other men are that he may bless himself and fal It is one of the saddest and sharpest of the judgements of God that can befal a poor creature not to feele the smart of sin here To lye under this judgement that he shal finde the sweet of sin onely Oh let me tel you it is a great and manifest token of Gods displeasure and that he is implacable when he suffers thee to go on quietly in a way of sinne and neither smites thee by his word nor yet by his providences but lets all things go to thy mind and thee go after thy lusts Sixthly God gives them up to strong delusions so that they who would not believe the Word and Conscience when they spake truth to them shal asterwards believe every delusion of Satan every forgery of their own corrupt hearts and every deceit of sin See that of Isai 66.4 I will choose their delusions saith the Lord because when I called they did not answer but chose the thing in which I delighted not This is a dreadful place for such as wil not hearken to and obey the truth when they are convinced of it see another to confirm this 2 Thes 2.10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie that they might be damned c. Oh such a word should make men upon whose consciences God is stirring afraid to dally with it May not the Lord say to such If you wil not listen to the truth to day you shall listen to a lie to morrow I will give Satan leave to tempt and I will give thee up to beleeve whatever he shall propose Because thou wouldest not beleeve me for thy good thou shalt beleeve him for thy hurt and ruine Seventhly They may and do often fall back from most or all of those Convictions which they had upon their spirits of the things of God which I mentioned before whilst the Spirit strove with them as for example First For the knowledge which they had of the truth of God they may beleeve manifest lyes in opposition to them 2 Thes 2.11 Secondly Their Judgements may be so corrupted that they may passe against those things which they did approve of they were in their Judgments for holines now they may be for sin Mal. 3.15 They call the proud happy and whereas before they did approve of things which are excellent yet now they thinke it a vaine thing to serve the Lord and they say with those Apostates Mal. 3.14 What profit is there in serving the Lord Thirdly Whereas he had some convictions under the Word and he made many promises to reforme yet now he may be past feeling as they were Eph. 4.19 His Conscience is past all tenderness and remorse and he is seared with a hot iron 1 Tim 4.2 Fourthly He may lay afide that which he had taken up of the form of Godliness whereas while God followed him with Convictions he used to do something that savoured of Religion and to associate himself with those who made a profession but now let them goe by themselves he is not to be found amongst them Mal. 3.15 16. As soone as the Prophet had taken notice of the apostacy of some he adds presently Then they that feared the Lord spake often together As if he should have said You might afterwards have found the Saints by themselves these men were not to be found in their meetings Fifthly Whereas he had a sweetness in the performance of duty he forgets that and returns to lick up his old vomit again and that is sweeter to him then ever Religion was and the reason of this is because he had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.12 And although they might forget this pleasure while Conscience was heated and find some pleasure in the waies of God by the allaying this heat of Conscience yet Conscience being quiet and cool again they lose the pleasure which they apprehended in the ways of God and imbrace the pleasures of sin afresh Sixthly Whereas they had some Convictions of the powers of the World to come and some sad thoughts of Eternity were darted into their spirits that they could not be quiet the love of the present world the profits pleasures and honours of it eat up all these and they forget that there is such a thing as Eternity to be provided for and they live only as if they were to live to this present World Seventhly Such men do not only fall back from their Couvictions and seeming work of Conversion but they go forward in wickednesse perhaps not known or practis'd by them before This we find mentioned 2 Pet. 2.20 Ifaster they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are intangled therein and overcome the latter end with them is worse then the beginning for c. Men that have gone
and yet they would not listen to him they would not be obedient the means of Conviction had been so plain and clear that God could not bear their unbeleef any longer he threatens therefore to disinherit them O hath not this been your case Have you not enjoied the Word in that plainness that you might easily have bin convinc'd long since of your Pride covetousness Uncleanness Drunkness Sabbath-breaking nay thou mightest have seen thy unbelief and the irregeneracy of thy heart thou hast had things so planly brought home to thee that if thou wouldest have used thy Reason and have suffered conscience to speak thou hadst been convinced of thy lost condition long ago and yet thou goest on in those things which the Word condemns and tels thee That thy ways are not the ways of Gods people yet thou goest on carelesly and securely and cryest peace peace this is a provocation Thou hast been plainly shewn what Formality is and what Unbelief is and what are the signs of a Regenerate unregenerate condition that if thou wouldest but make application to thy self bring the Word thy condition together thou couldest not but see that thy condition is dangerous yet thou wil not be convinced thou wilt not examine and try thy heart and come to a result concerning thy Soul strong security after much plainness in Preaching and clearness in the meanes of Conviction speaks a people near to hardening and that their day is almost at an end 2 When men have clear Convictions of the Truth and of their condition and of their duty and yet hold the truth in unrighteonsness Rom. 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as forcibly hold the Truth and inslave it wil not suffer it go its own way the Truth bids them do one thing and they would do another they have will of Conscience that would go for God that would be for Prayer and for reading the Word and for hearing but there is the wil of their affections and that is for the world and for the Ale house or for this pleasure or for that lust so that these men draw their consciences after them as you lead a Dogg in a slip he must go your way by force They have gotten so much of the knowledg of the truth to convince them that it is their duty to pray in the Family and in the Closet and conscience minds them of this and sollicites them to go this way and to begin the day thus but the affections they go after their covetousness the thoughts of his Calling comes in some design for profit cals him off and he goes away and slights conscience or the thought of his pleasure comes to him and he must attend that so that he imprisons the truth under unrighteousness and although conscience goes grudgingly up and down and grumbles at him while he is in the Alehouse or in his calling in his pleasures or elsewhere and tels him that he should have been doing something else that while yet it is all one he keeps it under like a slave and drags it after him while he satisfies his Lust Such as these are mentioned in two Scriptures the first is he that keeps it in a Negative unrighteousness or an unrighteousness of omission Luke 12.47 who dos not follow the truth in those things which are clearly revealed to him it is said that he shall be beaten with many stripes The second is he who holds truth in a positive unrighteousness or an unrighteousness of Commission who does not only refuse to follow the light and truth into those duties which it would lead him unto but runs against the clear light and truth into the contrary practises which the light and truth do abhor These are spoken of Rom. 1.32 Such men carry a conviction of the justice of that sentence which God wil pass upon those who walk in such wayes and yet they both do them and delight in them and if you observe how these men came to the height of wickedness it was first of all by not walking with after their light that they came so boldly at last against it vers 21. Thus you see that this contradicting and forcing the light and truth received into the understanding borders on this night for you see it is presently added after he had given an instance of such as did thus hold the truth in unrighteousness that they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened vers 21. God punishes this perversness of the wil with blindness of mind and it is fit that he who would not use no eye should have never an eye O now bring this home to your own souls Be there not many of you who walk in the Omission of known duties such things as you cannot but be acquainted withal How many prayerless Families be there here and yet the master of the Family knows it is his duty topray with and for his Family and to instruct and command them concerning the fear of the Lord How many prayerless souls be here that seldom or never seek the Lord in private O if I should run thorow particular known duties how many should we find guilty and if Conscience would stand it would say This is a known duty and yet I live in a constant or general neglect of it I le name but one and it is a great and plain one 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether ye be in the faith or not It is a word spoken to such as had been owned for Saints there were many strong probabilities that they were such yet these are advised to make diligent search into their hearts and to bring themselves to the touchstone But do you do so How many be there here that never spent a serious hour in all their lives in debating this question whether Christ be in them or not they think it is enough to believe that God is merciful and that they are Christions and it is a shorter way to believe then to prove it It is every man and womans duty solemnly to search the scripture and to search their hearts and bring these two together and then come to a serious resolution Is Christ in me or not of a truth But are there not many here that are so far from searching the scripture in order to this work that they wil not make use of those things which do immediately concern their condition when they are brought to their hands out of the word how long would it be ere such souls would search the scriptures themselves to find out the state of their souls who wil not make use of them when so plainly proposed take heed of holding the truth thus in unrighteousness in neglecting those duties which lie so plain in the woâ—d 2 Bring the second also home and take heed of swearing drunkenness lying cheating add defrauding of pride uncleannesse Sabbath-breaking scoffing these things cannot but be with some conviction and although thou sayest God hath