indeed an unspeakable Blessing we enjoy above many other People For now in Jesus Christ we who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the Bloud of Christ who is our Peace Ephes 2.13 14. And are no more Strangers and Foreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God vers 19. It is counted a great Privilege amongst Men but to enjoy the Freedom of a City or Corporation as that which puts those who enjoy it above the Condition of Strangers and gives 'em to partake of many singular Advantages which Foreigners want But by being taken as Fellow-Citizens of the Saints and of the Houshold of God into Covenant with him we are Enfranchised Citizens of the New Jerusalem whereby we are entituled to all those Privileges which Christ has purchased for us which are unspeakable and invaluable and which does place us as has been often said in so much a better State and Condition than the rest of Mankind Such infinite reason have we heartily to Thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called us to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour THE XXV Lecture In my Baptism wherein I was made AS to what concerns the Nature and Substance of the Covenant of Grace I have already opened and declared to you I have shewed First What are its Terms Secondly That it restores us to a State of Salvation Thirdly By whose Mediation we obtained so gracious a Covenant and were restored thereby into a state of Salvation Fourthly By whom we have been Called into it And Lastly What mighty Thanks we do owe unto God that we have been called into so gracious a Covenant and happy state of Salvation My next Business must be to treat upon the Sacrament or Solemnity by which you Entred therein For the declaring whereof and and the full Explication of these Words In my Baptism wherein I was made it will be requisite That I should in some measure so far as relates to the Sealing of the Covenant of Grace open unto you the Nature and End of Baptism And not to give you now a full and particular account of the whole Nature and Meaning and End of Baptism which shall be more conveniently done when we come to the latter part of your Catechism where the whole Doctrine of that and the other Sacrament is taught you it may suffice to our present purpose to tell you That Baptism Baptism what is an outward Rite or Ceremony of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace Instituted by Christ for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on GOD's Part and Conditions on ours it being thus mutually Seal'd to betwixt GOD and us First Baptism I say is an Outward Rite or Ceremony of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace 1. On outward Rite of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admission of Persons into the Covenant of â—â—ace Although the Service prescribed us in the New Covenant be a spiritual Service according to that of St. John chap. 4.23 24. But the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth although the Gospel I say be a spiritual Service opposite to that Outward and Ritual Service that was Instituted in the Law in respect of which it was called Heb. 7.16 The Law of a carnal Commandment yet however it pleased Almighty God to Institute some very few Outward Rites and Ceremonies by which Believers as by certain Visible Signs should be obliged to that Service and Obedience due unto God on their part and by which even God Himself would Seal as with his Royal Signet the Favours and Promises to be made good on his part that so those Outward Solemnities might be express Marks of that mutual Agreement betwixt God and Man And indeed since such is the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature To have some outward Rites and Solemnities in Religion agreeable to the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature as being most apt to receive Impressions from sensible Things that nothing enters into our Minds but through the Door of our Senses and that which does strike our bodily Senses does make the deepest and most lasting Impression upon us since indeed it is so with us it was very agreeable with the Wisdom and Goodness of God to have that Respect to our Make and Nature in his Treatment with us as at the same time he threw away the many burdensome Ceremonies of the Law to retain so many and such at least as whereby we might be made more sensible of our Engagements to God and be the better assured of his gracious Promises unto us And therefore since all Men in their Covenants one with another ever used some Outward and Express Solemnities of Signing and Sealing for the better Assurance of the Performance of Promises on both sides it was no ways disagreeable to the Wisdom of our Saviour in so appointing it nor with the spiritual Nature of the Covenant of Grace that we should transact it with God in such a way and manner as might make us more deeply sensible of our Obligations by it and more full of Hopes of Benefit and Advantages from it It was truly well observed by the Father This especially requisite in the admission into Religious Societies and Covenants That Men can be associated together in no Religion whether true or false unless they he combined by the common Tie of some sensible Signs and Sacraments of their Profession For this reason it is like that a Visible Sign or Sacrament might be a continual and apparent Remembrance to 'em and put 'em in Mind of that Profession they took upon 'em by that Rite and that it might be a Visible Testimony and Witness against 'em if they should ever act contrary to that Profession Hence therefore all the Religions we hear of in the World have had their solemn Rites of Initiation or Admission into ' em The Israelites The Israelites were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism they were initiated into the Covenant God made with them by the Ceremony of Circumcision which is therefore called by a Figure or Form of Speech very usual in the mention of Sacraments where the Sign is often put for the Thing signified the Covenant in their Flesh Gen. 17.13 it being the Sign in their Flesh of their Covenant with God The Jews also had their Baptisms whereby they admitted their Proselytes or Gentile-Converts into their Covenant and by Baptism they say all their Women who never were Circumcised and both Men and Women during their sojourning in the Wilderness when Circumcision was dispensed with because it would make them sore for Travelling By Baptism therefore they were entred into Covenant and this seems also to be clear from that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.2 They were all Baptized
concern us That we be not Ignorant of these his Devices Now these Politick Methods of his These Politick Methods of his discover'd to us under the Parable of a malicious Enemy coming privately in the Night sowing Tares where the Husbandman had before sown good Seed whereby he Endeavours To Corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion so that by their very Religion they may Dishonour him are discover'd to us in the Gospel under the Parable of some malicious Enemy who coming privately in the Night sows Tares where the Husbandmen had before sown good Seed The Parable runs thus Matth. 13.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is liken'd unto a Man which Sowed good Seed in his Field but while Men slept his Enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way But when the Blade was sprung up and brought forth Fruit then appeared the Tares also And in the 37 38 39 ver Our Saviour himself gives us this Explication of it He that soweth the good Seed is the Son of Man the Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom that is the Ministers of Religion and their good Doctrine The Tares are the Children of the wicked One that is Hereticks and their Evil Principles The Enemy that sowed them is the Devil Like a skillful Husbandman he is choice about the Nature of the Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil the Fitness of the Season and the skillfulness of the Seeds-man From which Parable and Explication of our Saviour's we may observe That the most skilful Husbandman is not more curious about the Nature of his Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil and the Fitness of the Season and the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man than Satan is choice and considerate about the Nature of his Erroneous Doctrines the Preparation of Men's Minds to Receive 'em about the most proper and seasonable Times of dispersing 'em and the Capacity and Qualities of those his Agents whom he Imploys to sow them in the Souls of Men. And * First As to the Nature of the Seed he takes care his Heretical Opinions and Practices should bear some Resemblance of Divine Truth in order to conceal their Discovery First I do take it to be infinitely worth your while to consider That those Heretical Principles and Opinions which Satan does choose to Blend with Christianity Do generally bear some Resemblance of Divine Truths in order to conceal their Discovery So that as the Tares which the Enemy sowed were not Distinguishable till the Wheat grew up and bore Fruit So the Heretical and Impious Doctrines of Satan's infusing can scarcely be Known but by their Fruits to which way of Trying 'em our Saviour does therefore direct us And thus he does usually Gild over his Errors Thus especially he Gilds his Errours where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine as here I. When under the plausible Appearance of Advanceing God's Honour in some of his Attributes he renders him Odious and Despis'd in Others with the Resemblance of Divine Truth especially in those Churches and Countries where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine And I think I cannot do you better Service than to Instance in some of those pernicious Errors both in Faith and Practice of this Kind which do at present Infest this Church and Nation that so you may be Caution'd against the Entertainment of them And First It is usual with Satan here amongst us Vnder the plausible Appearance and Colour of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes to render him Odious and Despised in other Thus for Instance By infusing into Men's Hearts a Belief that God has Created the far greatest Part of the World on purpose to manifest his Dominion and Power and Justice in Damning them afterwards for their Sins he Robs him of the Honour of being a Gracious Merciful and Good God to the utter abolishing of all Veneration towards him and Love of him Insomuch that the very Atheist who denies there is a God does not so much Affront him as even a sober Heathen thought as those who think so Dishonourably of him II. When under â—â—e Colour of â—dvancing â—ospel truths â—â—e propagates â—eresies wchâ—o undermine â—eligion and â—he Necessity â—f a holy Life Secondly Vnder the Colour of Setting up as the most precious Gospel Truths some Opinions that seem to have a great Resemblance of Truth he brings in such Heresies into the Church as do utterly undermine Religion and the necessity of a good Life Thus by his Teaching that Christ has so Paid the whole Debt for our Sins that the vilest Wretch that Lives need no more but be Perswaded that he is an Elected Person and that the Promises belong to him on the Assurance of his particular Election and that such a Faith as this will save him By Vertue of such an Opinion of Satan's infusing no doubt you shall too often find an Envious Malicious Viper a Covetous Worldling a Rebel and an Adulterer even before his Sins are Repented of talk of Recumbing and Leaning upon Christ and Roling upon the Promises as they are pleas'd to Express it with more Assurance than the best and holiest Livers and the faithfullest Servants of Christ III. When he teaâ—hes to prefer â—ome eminent Christian Duty or some Part of a Duâ—y or one Way of perâ—orming a Duty to the â—isparagement of anoâ—her Thirdly A most fatal and mischievous Delusion of Satan rise amongst us in this Nation at this Day is his Teaching Men to prefer some Eminent Christian Duty or One Part of a Duty or One way and manner of performing a Duty to the Disparagement of another Thus you shall often see some careless whether they come to Prayers or not so they can be but at the Sermon and others on the contrary say they care not whether they shall hear a Sermon in their Lives so they can have but Prayers But the most notorious Cheat he puts upon Men is his infusing into their Hearts to Prefer One Part of a Duty to the utter Contempt of the Other Thus because in the Worship of God in Prayers and Praises to perform this with an Hearty inward Devotion is principally required and we are commanded As to prefer Prayer to the neglect of Preaching or Sermons to the contempt of Prayer that since God is a Spirit Christians must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth Hence vast Numbers of Men do conclude that Outward Reverence by Kneeling lifting up the Eyes and the like is a meer Outward Ceremony not at all necessary under the Gospel insomuch that God is now most highly Dishonour'd even in our Publick Assemblies where we come to do him Honour by the shameful want of Reverence appearing in most People by Sitting at their very Prayers As also prayâ—ng in Spirit â—o the regard of Bodily Worship So true it is what One said That such a rude and slovenly Kind of
their Neighbour and Themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace Enabling them to discharge ' em They shall not have Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other's Offices but not of their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have received Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the mystical Body by keeping himself United to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him And that too in such Measures and Proportions And also in such Measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so Extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law and the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers Extraordinary Gifts viz. Of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the Malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion so all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily Strengthen'd no doubt to Resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is Establish'd and the Truth of Christianity already Prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out in any Part of the World as sometimes they are to this Day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those Means that Christ has Appointed in his Church for that Purpose so very considerable on many accounts are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Church THE Seventh Lecture Wherein I was made a Child of God THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Church Catechism as I have already told you do give you a general Account of the whole Covenant of Grace And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ being the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us in this Covenant on God's Part I have already explain'd and open'd to you what they do Import The next of those Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace is exprest in these Words Wherein I was made a Child of God in order to make you sensible of the Vastness of which Priviledge also First I will shew you what is meant in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God Secondly What an inestimable Priviledge accordingly it is to be a Child of God â—hat is â—â—t in the â—chism by â—hild of 〈◊〉 And first let us Enquire What is meant both in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God To understand which we must Enquire into the several meanings of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures and then in which of those Sences it is to be understood here in your Catechism when every Catechumen is taught to Answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God And as to the several Acceptations of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures I. 〈◊〉 the Son â—od by an â—nal Geâ—â—ion First In the highest most natural and most proper meaning of the Word there is He who is the Son or Child of God by an Eternal Generation viz. Our Saviour Jesus Christ who being Begotten of God the Father from all Eternity in a peculiar inconceivable and inexpressible manner so as to be Co-equal Co-eternal with the Father himself is call'd the Onely Begotten Son of God Joh. 3.16 But then being he is in so peculiar and high a manner the Son of God as infinitely to exceed that wherein any one else whether Angels or Men can be call'd his Sons he cannot in any measure be meant here by a Child of God which signifies a Priviledge common to many as will be presently shew'd â—ot every â—by Temâ—â— Creaâ—â— which is â—ence too 〈◊〉 Secondly There are those who are the Sons of God by a Temporal Creation and such are Reasonable Creatures both Angels and Men both being call'd the Sons of God as you will see Job 1.6 and Luk. 3.38 And that both upon the account of the manner of their Production which was by the immediate Power of God and because of their Spiritual and Immortal Natures in which both do so immediately resemble God But this is an Acceptation too wide That which is meant here by a Child of God is a Priviledge which all Men in the World do not enjoy but is the Favour which is granted to a selected Body of Men who are separated from the rest of the World Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we shoould be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Thirdly III. Nor such only who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow There are those who are the Children of God by Spiritual Regeneration by being renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and by being Created anew in Righteousness and true Holiness And these are such Who have put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and who have put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 23 24. They are such who are Born not only of Water but also of the Spirit that is who have not only been Baptized into the Christian Church but have been Sanctify'd by the Holy Spirit and have their whole Natures and Dispositions so altered for the Better that from Vicious and Ungodly they are chang'd to Vertuous and Holy Dispositions and Inclinations And such a vast Change wrought in our Natures by the Word and Spirit of God may very justly give those who Enjoy it the Title of the Children of God for if in the way of Natural Generation the Communicating of a Principle of Life and of suitable Operations does found the Relation and Title of a Father there is as good Reason why in Regeneration the deriving such Holy and Heavenly Dispositions and Powers from the Word and the Spirit of God to the Soul as give to a Man a
Religion hath made its way into the World by this Policy of Satan and such a shameful Carelessness in Divine Worship that should a Stranger to our Religion come into our Assemblies he could not by the Carriage of the Generality of People imagine what they were Doing and that they were Worshiping of the Glorious Majesty of Heaven would perhaps be One of the last Things he could Conjecture And Extemporary Prayer to the utter Contempt of Forms of Prayer But the most fatal Error of this Kind the most mischievous to the Church and Nation and to Men's Souls therein Is the Preferring a way of performing a Duty that is Vnpracticable by the Generality of Christians to the utter Disparagement of another more easy and no less acceptable way of discharging it This is eminently seen in Advancing Extemporary Prayer as the only Spiritual way of Worshiping and in raising Prejudices in the Minds of Christians against Forms of Prayer as not Spiritual enough if at all Lawful It is very certain that the far greatest Part of Christians are utterly unable to Conceive for themselves much less before others such Prayers or Praises as are proper for their Occasions and fit to be Offer'd in Decency and Honour to so Great and Wise a Majesty as God is And this consider'd if Prayers of other Godly Men's nay of a a whole Church's composing must not be Us'd does it not necessarily follow that this Principal of all Christian of all Natural Duties must suffer if not a total Neglect at least-wise that it must be very indecently and rudely Perform'd and in too familiar a manner with God as is too usual Why woful Experience does plainly shew us that for this very Reason it does And therefore tho' no Church through the Care of its Pious Bishops and Pastors By this latter Means Satan has utterly Defeated those excellent Helps we have in our Church and brought in a great Neglect of Publick Family and private Devotion did ever Abound with more excellent Forms and Helps and those better fitted for Publick Family and Private Devotion than our Church does at this Day yet upon the account of Men's Prejudices which they have been taught to Entertain against Forms of Prayer as not Lawful or not Expedient or not Spiritual enough Never did Persons so sadly Profane the Worship and Service of God so heartlesly join in the Common-Prayer so scandalously throw aside Family Religion and so universally I fear neglect Private Devotion as now they do I fear that those who so zealously decry Forms of Prayer and that on purpose to Advance in its stead a more Spiritual way of Worship as they think will take it ill that their darling Opinion should be Entituled to the Policy of so ill an Author but if considering the Mischief together with the Cunning there does appear upon Examination to be in Satan's Contrivances to Ruine Religion and to draw us off from God we may safely Conjecture any Doctrine that is Pernicious in its Effects when Plausible in its Appearance to be of his â—â—vention surely that which under the Colour of Advancing a more Spiritual Worship does so fatally destroy all Religious Worship has another Spirit for its Author than is commonly Pretended And thus you may perceive by these few Instances whereby you may be enabled to make a happy Conjecture concerning the rest how Cunningly Satan does Gild over and Disguise his Errors with something of a Resemblance to Divine Truth in order to prevent their Discovery And this he does especially in those Countries and Churches where Men do Thirst after Divine Knowledge and to that End do Search the Scriptures The Devil 's main and principal Care indeed is to keep out the Word of God from shining upon any People and at first he bends all his Forces to keep off the Preachers of it that so the World being detain'd in Ignorance they may not know how to Repent and Return to God But when the Light of his Holy Gospel does once begin to shine upon any People then all his Endeavours are to Corrupt and Deprave it with false and forc'd Explications and to multiply Controversies and Contentions in Religious Matters to teach Men to Scruple every Thing and out of a scrupulous Humour to divide and sub-divide into innumerable Sects and Parties stirring up each to Persecute and Destroy the other that whilst the different Parties contend so furiously with one another he may securely Triumph over all and bring the Holy Scriptures at last into Contempt with Prophane and Atheistical Men As if they were the Occasion of all those Wars and Confusions that are occasion'd in the World by Religious Disputes when alas He alone by managing the Lusts and corrupt Humours of sinful Men is the cause thereof So St. Jude ver 19. These be they who separate themselves Sensual having not the Spirit They have not the Holy Spirit of God tho' none make more confident Boasts thereof than Schismaticks and Separatists usually do But the Spirit which they have is the Spirit of Satan and of Sensuality whatever Godliness and Purity above other Men they pretend to II. As to the â—emper and â—reparation 〈◊〉 the Soil 〈◊〉 Churches â—here the â—criptures â—re lockt up â—nd Ignoâ—ance preâ—ails he imâ—ses the grosâ—st Heresies â—s Articles of â—aith But Secondly Is the Soil better prepared to his Mind I mean Is there no Prophecy no Teaching Are the Scriptures Lockt up in an unknown Tongue and is a Cloud of Ignorance drawn over a whole Church Why then he throws off the Veil and walks as at Noon-day And there is no Error and Heresy so gross there is no Doctrine so contrary to Truth that he will not Impose as an Article of their Belief There is not that Ceremony so Absurd Trifling and Ridiculous which he will not Introduce into such People's Worship And there is no Immorality so bad in Practice which he will not teach such People securely and without Fear of Damnation to commit And I do call such Souls who know not the Scriptures and are utterly Ignorant of Divine Things a Soil better prepared to his Mind because he can with the greatest Ease reduce such back to his Ancient Paganism and Idolatry or something like it which above all things he desires Especially he â—â—troduces Iâ—olatry and â—uperstition â—hereby he is â—ost immediâ—tely and diâ—ectly serv'd because by Superstition and Idolatry he is more directly and immediately serv'd As a Politick Prince he 'll make great Advantages of the Divisions of another's Subjects But the Idolater is his immediate Slave and therefore an ignorant Soul as being most proper to sow that Weeâ— in is the Soil he does most of all like But he has a wonderful skill in suiting his Seed to any Soil so that whatever People's Interests or Lusts do incline 'em to Believe he will never fail to suggest such plausible Arguments as will most probably take with ' em III.
inflames their Lusts and Appetites after the Enjoyment of ' em But he draws a dark shade over the deformed Part of the World that we may not perceive those manifold Troubles and Vexations and Disappointments and Punishments attending these Things in the unlawful getting of 'em and the never-failing Remorses and Regrets of Conscience Amazing and Distracting and stinging with a Venom more inflam'd and furious than that of Scorpions the Souls who wickedly pursue and attain to those Things All this dark Part he reserves till this World's Goods are so unjustly got to work upon their Shame and Despair in order to promote his farther Designs upon 'em as you will see in his following Temptations IX â—â—ving preâ—il'd thereâ— upon Perâ—s to comâ— some greâ—us Sin to â—ain them 〈◊〉 then lays 〈◊〉 shame and â—grace of â—ir Sins beâ—e 'em perâ—ading 'em 〈◊〉 commit aâ—her horrid â—ckedness to â—e from the â—s of Men 〈◊〉 shame of â—e former As Ninthly When any have been once prevail'd upon by the Conveniency the Beauty the Honour or the Pleasure of any of these Outward things which the Devil has presented to their Fancies to commit Sin to obtain them Then he fails not to lay the Shame and Disgrace of their Sins before them and will perswade them to commit another horrid Wickedness to hide from the Eyes of Men the Shame of the former Thus when he had Tempted David to commit Adultery with Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah then must the Injur'd Husband be made Drunk that his Lying with his Wife might not be Discover'd when he return'd from the Battle but that He and the World might think the Child Begotten was his own And when that would not make Vriah go in unto his Wife then at last he must be Murder'd by being put into the Front of the Battle and then Treacherously left to be Cut off by the Enemy that she being freed of her former Husband he might without Scandal to the Eye of the world Enjoy her as his own Wife And how often do we see the like Device to draw Men into Sin Acted over and over at this Day and many lewd ungodly Persons after they have committed Uncleanness privately to Murder their own Off-spring to prevent the Shame and Disgrace that will follow the Fact being known And when Children and Servants have done amiss how commonly are they prompted to tell a Lye nay and sometimes to Swear to it that it may not be Discover'd The Devil well knows that Sin is like laying a Train of Gun-powder which if you Fire but One Corn it will presently give Flame to all the Rest So one Sin committed the shame of that will engage you to commit another to hide the former And therefore it is I say the usual Policy of Satan when he has Tempted any Person to commit a Wickedness then to lay the Shame and Disgrace thereof so sensibly before him that he shall again commit a worse on purpose to cover the Knowledge of the former from the Eyes of Men. And then Tenthly X. Having once Engaged a Person into many Sins he either lulls him in Security or drives him into Despair When he has once Engag'd a Person into many Sins either he will lull him into a fatal Security whereby he foolishly perswades himself that God will deal more mercifully with him than he has declared in his Word or else Satan will not fail to present at last to such an enormous Sinner's Conscience the infinite Guilt and Horrour of his Crimes to make him despair if he can that ever they will be Forgiven they are so many and Monstrous That so he may never endeavour to Repent or so much as fly to God in Prayer to have Mercy on him At first he presented to the Sinner's Fancy nothing but the Beauty the Conveniency the Pleasure the Glory of the Things of this World as of the Pleasures Riches and the Honours of this Life with all their Advantages without any thing of that Sting and Remorse and Trouble that must necessarily attend them if unlawfully pursued and obtain'd But when by this Means the Sinner has run on without the least stop or stay into a vast Number of wasting Sins some of them perhaps of such a Nature that no Reparation or Restitution can be made for them as Adultery and Murder Then will he pour in all of a sudden whole Broad-sides such an Horrour and such an amazing sence of Guilt into the Soul of such a Sinner that thinking it to no purpose to Retreat he shall push on to commit the most outragious Villanies till at length when Death seizes him he goes down into Hell desperately Cursing the Day he was Born and Blaspheming that God who gave him a Being And now Lastly I shall not mention any other way Lastly there are those whom God does in a great Measure give up to the Delusion of Satan Others whom he does wholly Abandon to the Power of the Devil wherein Satan tempts Men except it be when God in Punishment to some sort of Sinners does abandon them to the Devil to be wholly in a manner Ordered and Acted by him And there are Three sorts of Sinners that do seem to be thus abandon'd by God and given up some in a great measure others wholly to the Management of Satan First Such ill-dispos'd Minds as out of Hatred to the Ways of God and out of Love to their own Lusts do endeavour to possess their Minds with such Principles and do seek such Teachers as will make Sin easy to their Consciences and will reconcile the Hopes of Heaven and a bad Life together And such are in danger of being justly left in a great measure to the Delusion of the Devil As to such Men I. Such ill dispos'd Minds as out of love to their Lusts seek after such Principles Teachers as will make sin easy to their Consciences are justly left to the Delusions of Satan because They receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be Saved God does threaten to send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lye 2 Thes 2.10 11. And because the Generality of the World is so ill-dispos'd that it cannot endure sound Doctrine which would discover or hinder or gall their Consciences in their evil Practices God does therefore most justly permit so many to be deluded by Satan into the most vile Principles and Practices Hence no doubt has the Church of Rome in these latter Days as 't was foretold it would 1 Tim. 4.1 Departed from the Faith giving heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils And hence also amongst our selves do so many particular Persons When they will not endure sound Doctrines heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears and do turn away their Ears from the Truth and are turned unto Fables 2 Tim. 4.3 4. There are a Second sort of Sinners II. Such as by a long Course of many Damnâ—â—g Sins have â—id wast