to each other Do not you suffer Sin to rest upon each other Are not you guilty of not easing and relieving them when they are overcharged with businesses Do not you carry your selves proudly and magisterially towards Apprentices Do not you joyn in a confederacy to tell tales against your Governours And do not you charge your fellow-Servants with secresy therein whereby the Name and Authority of the Master is lost and all hopes of edifying are taken away CHAP. XXXII Their miscarriages with reference to the Ministers of Christ whilst they were resident with them 1. Professors miscarriages towards Ministers before their removal Not esteeming but slighting them 1 Thes 5.13 HOW little have you esteemed them and how much have you slighted them Though they were the Embassadours of the Lord of Heaven and should have had respect according to the rank of their Master that sent them yet how little did you honour them in your hearts Did you know them and esteem them highly for their Works sake Have you not very much slighted both their Persons and Message How many have thought they knew as much as their Ministers and therefore under-valued them How many Ministers have been slighted for their mean Parts As if the efficacy of the Ordinance depended on the Rhetorick of the Preacher as if no dainties could be brought them in a homely dish no treasure in an earthen vessel as if God could not speak out of the mouths of Babes as if the using Jordan were too contemptible a means I have feared the unsoundness of many hearts from the itching of their ears Paul was careful to preach not with enticing words 1 Cor. 14.18 with the wisdom of words Though he could speak with tongues more than all yet he desired to speak rather to edification It is likely your Ministers could have been Seraphical and in the clouds but they stooped and descended to your capacities and denied themselves that they might gain you more desiring that you should be brought in love with the naked truth of the Gospel than with the dress it comes in But nothing hath pleased your squeamish stomachs but meat so sawced you have loved the meat for the sawce when there was no sawce you cared not for the Sermon and when the sawce was gone you were weary of the Sermon you would have no more of the meat A Sermon full of plain naked Scriptures would not down in our last times We were Christ-glutted Gospel-glutted It 's observed by an Historian that before the great Massacre in France the Protestants were for a luscious wanton kind of Preaching Truly saith one of our own about 18 years since We cannot absolutely determine what will become of us only we have cause to fear that consciencious Sermons as much despised as they are may be a commodity dear enough in England ere long 1 Sam. 3.4 and visions may be less open that they may be more precious How unworthily have the Ministers of Christ been slighted by even such Professors who a little before pretended at least to have had their life growth from them and that they were the Seats â—â—â—â—etr â—â—â—istry that they were begotten and bred up under their shadow and yet in process of time have had low mean base and unworthy thoughts of them debased them as brats of Antichrist as limbs of Babilon Have not many eminent Professors been ready to entertain reports against their Ministers and have they not lost their esteems of them for one real or supposed weakness of theirs though you have been under so many engagements to them for your spiritual life c. yet if you have seen a little failing or miscarriage in them have not you forgot all their worth and all their many years labours and cares for your eternal welfare Have not you been so far from esteeming the Messenger for the Message that you have slighted the Message for the Messenger Hath not this been the language of your hearts if not of your months What nothing but this preaching Have not those that at first admired afterwards made nothing of this Heavenly Manna because of the commonness thereof When pearls were common among the Romans they wore them upon their Shooes Uniones emergere e luto cupiunt Tert. Hath not even the pearl of the Gospel been trodden under foot by you Have not you considered only the matter and not the stamp of the Coin Have not your Ministers though they have not kicked the dust of their feet against you yet oft complained to God of the contempt you have put upon them and how much their Embassy hath been undervalued by you It may be you have thought it was no great matter to slight them and their counsels but know for your trembling and amazement of Spirit therein you have slighted Christ himself He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 Mat. 10.15 Prejudiced against them May you not fear it will be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement than for you 2. How full of undue prejudices have your hearts been against your Ministers and you have not had the honesty to examine the grounds When they have delivered truths of a sublimer Nature than ordinary or have delivered any thing more obscurely than at other times how rarely have you confer'd with them thereabout Have not you gone among your Companions and fill'd your own and their hearts with prejudices against them When they have insisted long upon one subject have not you been offended But when did you ever cry out of others for being too long telling Money to you for spending too many hours therein Hereby you have done the Devil as great a piece of service as any you could have done him in your life time Let me publish that to thine eye which was once whispered in the ear Take heed what thou dost this man is a Roman Should not you much more have taken heed of filling your own and others hearts with prejudice against your Ministers seeing they were the Prophets of the most high these men were men of God they were the special Ambassadours of Heaven I think he said well that Prejudice against the Preacher is the great prejudice to the hearers This Feaver of prejudice hath made many like the full stomach to loath the honey-comb Hath not God met with repulses whilst your Ministers have been entertained with prejudice So long as you have been prejudiced though you were convinced of many duties yet you have not been perswaded to obey the truth This hindred the Jewes from closing with Christ and made their house desolate over-turned their Temple so that a stone was not left joyned to a stone it brought a kind of Dooms-day on them 3. Not blessing God for them How little have you blessed God for the Gospel-Ministry which you have enjoyed and yet hath it not been the best under the Cope of Heaven This distinguishing Mercy did not
that they cannot pass up If I come to Christ he will not look on such a Wretch as I am Many such hard thoughts of Christ are suggested by Satan and too soon entertained by us Whilst so you can never thank God for any Mercy for you doubt whether it be a Mercy to you Can you bless him for life health and length of dayes whilst you have this Suggestion that your account swells with your time Can you bless God for Estates Honours Friends c. when you have this jealousie that God is fatning you as Hoggs for the slaughter Can you bless God for Ordinances whilst you suspect that there is a Commission given forth that though you have eyes yet you shall not see c. And that the Sun is to harden you whilst it softneth others Yea how can ye bless God for Christ when you imagine he is set for your fall By giving way to these Jealousies you dam up the Springs of Praise that should slow from your lips day and night Hereby you will also be hindred from waiting on the Lord with that free and chearful Spirit as ye ought I cannot wait on an Enemy as on a Friend If I have cursed jealousies of any man I find no pleasure to be in his company and if he employs me about any thing I goe grudgingly about it The truth is So long as you entertain suspitions of Gods willingness to make you happy Patricks Parable of the Pilgrim P. 27 28. and to afford you sufficient means to make you happy all your Religion will degenerate into a spurious and base-born Devotion Instead of that free and friendly converse that ought to be maintained between God and your Souls you will only flatter him in a servile manner and bribe him not to be your Enemy Worship God you must for fear of incurring his displeasure and lest your neglects of him should rouze up his anger against you but you cannot entertain any chearful and friendly society with a Beeing which appears in a dress so horrible to your Souls Now between this necessity of coming to him and that fearfullness to approach him what can there be begotten but a forced and constrained Devotion which because you do not love you would willingly leave did not the dread and horrour you have in your Souls of him dragg you to his Altars And what are you wont to do there Truly nothing but cry and look as if you were going to Execution till you can flatter your selves into some hopes that he is moved by your cries and forced submissions to lay aside his frowns and cast a better aspect upon you But your hard thoughts of God returning you are constrained to renew your slavish Devotions that you may purchase another gracious look from him In this circle do your poor Souls spend many dayes and advance not one step towards the New Jerusalem No wonder therefore if God be so provoked at this sin of evil surmises This is what I have observed very common among the Lords People they will pray with some earnestness and perhaps have some confidence that God is gracious and will answer their prayers and grant all their desires but no sooner off from their knees but if they think of God yet they lay down their expectations of receiving any thing from God and fall to distrusting and to renew their jealousies of God as soon as they have done Praying What Is God yea and nay Is he kind when thou art on thy knees and unkind as soon as off Will God take it well from thee that in thy duties thou shalt put to thy Seal that God is true and loving and minds thy good And presently take off the Seal yea rather Seal to a parchment of the Devils drawing that God is false churlish and one that seeks thy ruine O! whilst there is a Devil and a melancholy-humour to be wrought upon I do even despair to see this cursed God-dishonouring and debasing sin to be quite rooted out of the hearts of Christians but yet it is a Provocation and Let it be for a Lamentation CHAP. XII Their unthankfulness 5ly Professours unthankfulness UNthank fulness is another piece of ungodliness that Professours are very guilty of Praise or Thankfulness is as the Penny or Pepper-corn which God expects as acknowledgement as high Rent to be paid him for all we hold of him But how hath this been denyed And thereby how justly have we forfeited all into the hands of God Psa 65. ult Isa 46. ult Though the paying of this rent penny be the only Heavenly work that can be done on Earth the only joyfull imployment that shall last to all Eternity in another life a work that should ever wait for God in Zion and therefore Zion is called Israel my glory not only because God glorieth in Zion but because Zion should continually glorifie God yet how unthankfull are the most Professours The very Heathens will rise up in judgement against unthankfull Christians They had their hymns to their Gods Plato when ready to die gave God thanks for three things that he was made a man that he was born in Greece and that he lived in the time of Socrates How much more should our lips shew forth the high praises of God who hath made us not only men but new men That we are born of God adopted the Children of the most high and regenerated by the Spirit That we have breathed not in Greece but in England in Ariel a place of Visions in the Valley of Vision O the riches of free grace I that our Mothers Conceived with us in this place of light and at such a time when the Nation was most enriched with the light of the Gospel when it was full of gracious Ministers the best that ever the world saw since the Apostles dayes Why had not God brought thee out of the Womb when this land was overrun with Paganism with Popery Why had not the Lord shut thee up and imprisoned thee with the rest of the World in darkness and in the shadows of death O that when the Gospel shines but upon a little spot of ground which God hath inclosed for himself and stiles it his pleasant place his garden that thou shouldst be the man born there That when the rest of the world is like the barren mountains on which no rain falls and brings forth nothing but bryars that God should bring thee forth in the place of his Tabernacle And yet thou ingratefull wretch will hardly confess that the lines are fall'n happily and that thou hast a goodly heritage How seldome is such language as this heard from thee Blessed be the Lord that my lot is fall'n in so fair a ground blessed be God that I was born in England and not in the Wasts of Arabia or America thanks be to the Lord that I have had more than the light of the Sun Moon and Stars to conduct me to Jesus that so
mind If all were as unmercifull as some of you they and their Children would swoon away in desolate Wildernesses Remember Hagar and the Child Did God pity that Egyptian and have you no pity on your poor Ministers Are not you so far from the Macedonian bounty 2 Cor. 8.3 of giving above your power that you will not afford them your superfluities Who is there that redeems from his table from his belly from his cloaths to cover these naked shoulders and to fill these empty bellies Doth not Baruck's sore run upon you you trade for your selves seek great things for your selves and send away your spiritual Fathers with I pray God bless you c. be ye cloathed c. but do not give according to their necessities and your abilities O! Jam. 2.15 16 17. How dwelleth the love of God in you Boast what you will of your Profession and Faith your Faith without Works is but dead CHAP. XXXIV Want of Love among Professours AS touching brotherly love saith the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians you need not that I write unto you A complaint of the want of love among Christians 1 Thes 4.10 for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed you do it But may not I say to English Professours As touching brotherly love you need that I write unto you for you are not taught of God The fire of brotherly love saith one is almost ready to goe out scarce any spark of it yet remaining among us but instead of the fire of love the wild-fire of passion rageth vehemently and is predominant Many live as if they had been born on the Mountains of Bether the Mountains of Division and as if they had been baptized in the Waters of Meribah the Waters of Strife Oh! that my head were waters and mine eyes fountains of tears 〈◊〉 weep day and night for the want of love in the Christians of this generation towards one another How common hath it been to confine our love to our own party We have not loved all the Saints Col. 1.14 How few Bucers are there How few love all in quibus aliquid Christi vident in whom they see any thing of Christ Many even hate those that differ from them though but in Circumstantialls Others though they are ashamed to profess their hatred upon such an account Prov. 26.26 yet cover their hatred by deceit till their wickedness can be hid no longer but shew'd before the whole Congregation The Devil began his Legerdemain this way by covering his Enmity with pretence of Friendship What saith the Apostle Let love be without dissimâ—lation Rom. 12.9 Psal 12.2 1 Pet. 1.22 1 John 3.18 But alas With a double heart how do Professours speak How few have turified their Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren Most love in word and in tougue only but not in deed and in truth Many like your Feather caps humble Servant pretend love but it never appears above-board it is Dear Friend Good Soul but their hearts are not with you Evidenced in calling for Fire from Heaven against those of different perswasions In order to the convincing of us of our guiltiness herein O that our Consciences may be suffered to give in full answers to the following Queries 1. How have we call'd for Fire from Heaven like the two Disciples when we have thought our selves dishonoured in that others have not given such a reception to our wayes and practises in Religion as we expected Have not Magistrates been instigated against godly persons if of a different perswasion from our selves Have not we wished others that divided from us in some Circumstances of Worship even banished Have we not cryed out the Land is not able to bear them Have not we been glad when such were put out of all Offices and Places of Profit And have not some thought it good service to God if they had been kill'd Whilst some under colour of mercy and tenderness oryed for a general Toleration even of blasphemy Others ran into the other extream and would endure nothing that they deemed an Errour Even to this day if men scruple at the lawfulness of some Ceremonies and Gestures in the Service of God they are thought worthy not only to be cast out of the Church but to be delivered over to the Secular Magistrate for Imprisonment and Confiscation of Goods at least So much is Pauls meekness forgotten and un-imitated who though zealous against the Faith-destroying Errours of Hymeneus and Philetus yet would have much forbearance for others when doubting of the use of Meats and the Jewish Ceremonies Baxters Saints Rest Edit 8. part 1. chap. 7. p. 111. I read indeed in Pagan Writers saith one that Christians were as cruel as Bears and Tygers against one another c. But I had hoped that this accusation had come from the malice of Pagan Writers Little did I think to have seen it so farr verified c. Lord What Devils are we Unsanctified when there is yet such a Nature remaining in the Sanctified Such a Nature hath God in these dayes suffered to discover it self even in the Godly that if he did not graciously and powerfully restrain they would shed the blood of one another and no thanks to us that it is not done 2. un-Sainting of them upon that account Hildersham on Psa 51. P. 691. To facilitate the destroying of such without remorse Have not we blotted out the reputation of their holiness and represented Saints even as Devils It is utterly a fault mong you said one of our English Worthies formerly that the difference in judgement and practice about the Ceremonies of our Church hath caused such strangeness and alienation of mind and affection between such as do truly fear God both Ministers and People We are so farr from receiving esteeming loving and maintaining society one with another notwithstanding this difference of judgement about these things that we are apt to despise and judge one another for it and doubt whether there be any truth of grace in them that differ from us in these things Surely saith the one side the indifferency and lawfulness of these things is now so clearly manifested as these men must needs be willfully blind that do not see it Nay certainly they cannot chuse but see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect to their credit with the people among whom they have gotten a great Name and Applause by standing out so long they would doubtless conform themselves And surely saith the other side the utter unlawfulness of these Ceremonies is now so clearly revealed that these men must needs be wilfully blind that see it not Nay they do see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect they have unto their worldly peace and estate they would never use them certainly they sin against their Conscience in observing of them And
unfaithfullness YOu have Professed in your Creed to believe the Communion of Saints You have been admitted to the Priviledges of this Communion you thought it not safe or good for man to be alone to live retired from the Society of Saints you have been inrolled among the Saints in Jerusalem which came down from above you have with some Solemnity engaged your selves to be faithfull to the Souls of your Brethren and yet what an unprofitable Hermit hast thou been in Zion Like a wild-beast thou comest out of thy Den for thy prey to feed upon the Mountains of Spices to enjoy the provisions of Gods house but immediately thou retirest and art no way serviceable to the Body It is a wonder to me how Christians can content themselves with the Priviledges of Gods house and neglect the mutual duties that are incumbent on them A learned man complains of many Ministers that they are but Traditional-Preachers and I fear there are too many Traditional-Christians who are very zealous for the practising of some Duties which they have received from their Fore-fathers whilst they can over-look many express Commandements obliging them to take care as Members of the Natural Body do each for other The Apostle tells us that the meanest Members in the Church yet are necessary But alas How many are there who shut up their Light in dark-lanthornes who immure themselves within their own walls who are so involved in worldly businesses and have so little care and zeal for the house of God that they no way profit no way edifie their Brethren How can such over-look those plain express requiries of Christ by his Apostle Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace Rom. 14.19 1 Thes 5.11 and things wherewith one may edifie another Wherefore comfort or exhort your selves together and edifie one another I wish I could add as the Apostle doth even as also ye do 1 Cor. 14.12 26. Ephes 4.16 For as much as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church Let all things be done to edifying From whom i. e. Christ the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love v. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers Rom. 15.2 3. Let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to edification For even Christ pleased not himself c. But exhort one another daily Hebr. 3.13 while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin And let us consider one another to provoke unto love 10.24 25. and unto good works Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of same is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Look not every man on his own things Phil. 2.4 5. 〈…〉 man also on the things of others 〈…〉 excluded it is every mans work 〈…〉 mind be in you which was also in Christ â—esus Hebr. 12.15 Look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up trouble you and thereby many be defileâ— If they do not over-look how dare they â—â—ntemn all these Commandements of our 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ How can they look upon themselves as no way concerned in these duties 〈…〉 a Lamentation and should be for a Laâ—◠〈…〉 on that so many Church-Members like 〈…〉 of prey slye alwayes alone and through 〈…〉 ritual sloth through a lothness to displeaâ—â— through want of charity and pitty to the 〈◊〉 of their Brethren suffer them to perish in carelessness sensuality formality c. rather than they will labour to quicken restore and save them An Ingrosser is hateful to men But of how much sorer punishment shall ye be thought worthy who ingross your graces your gifts your experiences wherewith a Church of Christ might be edified 〈◊〉 Every man is a Steward Give an account of 〈…〉 But you are Stewards in an 〈◊〉 meaner You are Stewards of the 〈◊〉 the spirit which are given to profit 〈◊〉 How dare ye hide your Talents in a 〈◊〉 You have a greater trust committed 〈…〉 others have You have Souls 〈…〉 to your care for Church-Member are to care even naturally one for anoâ—â— If God hath two Servants and he inâ—â— one with his Lumber the other with 〈◊〉 children and if both be negligent sure 〈◊〉 all suffer the highest indignation from the Lord who neglects the Children What are you afraid you shall have the less light the less grace the less comfort from Christ for that others share with you And therefore will ye turn Ingrossers and Monopolists O! Know the more useful you are to invite the Children to their Father the more you your selves will be inriched and supplyed and whilst you are dividing your loaves God will act at a wonderful rate for you the bread will multiply you shall receive whilst you are disbursing your light and heat will increase by your holy dispersing it 2. Neglecting godly Conference How is godly conference neglected even among Church members What! are you ashamed of your God is the speaking of grace and glory some kind of disparagement to your tongues When Saints come together 〈…〉 precious time is devoured in back 〈…〉 undue unseasonable censuring of 〈…〉 who are not capable of making 〈…〉 esence or else in foolish impertinent discourses of worldly matters Few like the Disciples in their journey to Emaus discourse of such matters as Christ himself joyns with them in and causeth their hearts to burn When do you warm one anothers hearts and sit each other to enter into Communion with God in secret How do many complain of you that their hearts are estranged from God by converses and intimacies with you and that they loose their affections by keeping up correspencies with you and therefore count it their wisdom to retire into their closets rather than mispend precious hours in foolish communications with such barren frothy empty Professors How many weak Christians are there who are not acquainted with the wiles of Satan and they sit down pensive and dejected thinking no condition like theirs and conclude hereupon that they are none of Gods Children whom if you were spiritual pitiful active and free to acquaint them with your own experiences that you have been tempted as they you might succour under their temptations and comfort with the comforts wherewith you have been comforted and ease them by hearkning to their doubts and complaints and shewing them a way how to deliver their Souls Were you of a Christ-like Spirit you would not break these bruised reeds nor quench these smoaking flaxes but rather blow up their graces and labour
of your provocations humbled in the very dust be sure to keep Conscience tender Let not your convictions dye strike again and again smite on the thigh again and again whilst the Iron is hot This fire may be kept alive by bringing new fuel to it Labour exquisitely to afflict your Souls that you should be so foolish so vile as under Christs Livery to commit so great and so hideous abominations Take words and say O the Light that I have abused O the means of Grace that I have slighted O the little service that I have done to Christ O the many dis-services Let these things cut and grave and afflict and humble thy Soul exceedingly from morning to evening and from evening to morning till God be pacified towards thee beware lest the motions of a lazy heart cause thee to desist sooner A patient that hath had a long disease must continue in the use of the prescriptions till the ill humour be purged away 4. Indignation Let your sorrow be accompanied with detestation See all your sins and loath them and your selves too This is promised they shall loath their ways and doings which are not good O! how much sin have we confessed which yet we have secretly hug'd in our hearts Labour to have your hearts rise against your pride hypocrifie c. Hate sin not only for Hell but as Hell yea hate your selves for your sins yea hate your selves that you can hate your sins no more O that my hatred of my Lusts might be greater than ever my love was unto them I wish from my Soul Professors were more apprehensive of Gods Judgements that are upon them and the Nation for their sins I wish many of us were come up to the frames of the hard-hearted Jews and expressed so much tenderness as they did when Gods hand was heavy upon them their sins also were an heavy burden Hos 7.14 In their affliction they sought God early they mourned and humbled themselves very much though with the removal of their trouble their sorrows wore away However be not satisfied with this sorrow but labour for such sorrow as David had when he was wounded in his heart for sin though Nathan told him his sin was forgiven yet he continued his sorrows for his great transgressions Labour I beseech you for tears of hatred and indignation be greatly displeased with your selves because you have so foolishly and wretchedly dishonoured God and ventured your eternal undoing and if yet thine eyes be not like the Fish-ponds of Heshbon for thy sins take words and sament before God thine hardness of heart that thou shouldst so grievously offend and provoke God so good so gracious a God and that notwithstanding thine heart should remain unbroken 5. Supplication Let there be added hearty cries to God for pardon of all these and all other abominations Who forgives him that scorns to sue for Remission Here is your work in this day the Devil and a false heart will put you upon other work but this is your present work Cant. 1.6 They made me the keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard I have not kept But O! do not leave the work that God sets you about I know it is your duty to provide for the bodies of your Children but consider the danger of thy Soul what guilt thou art under and give the Lord no rest till he hath blotted out all thy sin and art assured that he will remember it no more Relieve not thy self with the general bounty of God or with the free grace and rich mercy of God whilst thou neglectest to cry to God for grace and mercy He will be sought unto by the house of Israel Prize thy condition that thou art alive to pray thou mightst have been in Hell there to howl for ever and ever Seek the Lord whilst he may be found Seek in time before it be too late And if thou doubtest whether thou hast an interest in Christ and the promises because of thy hideous transgressions yet remember the gracious words that tell once from the mouth of Christ to the Samaritan John 4.10 If thou didst know the gift of God thou wouldst have asked and he would have given thee living water Though thou art unworthy of Childrens bread and hast deserved to be cast forth among the dogs yet thou hast to do with a bountifull and mercifull Lord and therefore be not cast down so as to be discouraged from waiting on the Lord. It was ill said of him why should I wait on the Lord any longer There is no hope I would have thee take better words into thy mouth and say Lord I am unworthy to be the object of thy mercy unworthy to live worthy to be denyed because thou didst call and I did not hear therefore if I call thou mayst justly turn me off in thy fury thou mightest answer me by terrible things in righteousness But deal not with me according to my deservings O! make me the great instance of the power of thy grace let thy mercy in pardoning be great exceeding great O God! Do not delay the suing out thy pardon Without delay away quickly to the Throne of Grace Remember Faelix put off his work till some other time There is danger in delays lest your sense of sin and sorrow for it vanish and decay blow up the first sparks of grace lest they go out and dye again take the first advantages of the grace of God Hast thou an inclination to humble thy self to pray to seek Gods face improve it quickly lest the wrath of God who is nighly provoked already against thee break form upon thee and there be no remedy Do not you know that you have lost the sense of the love of God But have you also lost all sense of Gods wrath Do not you wonder you escape that you are yet alive that you are not free among the dead incorporated with the Hypocrites and damned crew Will you dare you go on in your hardness of heart Will you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath O! God forbid Lay by the world thy false friend thy treacherous Joab that hath smitten to the earth with its kisses and its smiles Here is a business on which thy life the life of thy precious Soul depends Prepare to meet thy God wrath is gone out from the Lord howl weep cry it may be you shall be hid is the day of the Lords wrath it may be your sins shall be forgiven Though the law be a looking-glass to shew you your spots the Baver under the law was made of looking-glosses yet it cannot cleanse you it is the Gospel alone that pardons Away ye wandring Sheep to the great Shepheard of your Souls Hebr. 13.20 great he is in affection and love to his flock he hath laid down his life for you he hath purchased you with his own bloud Nathans parable of the Ewe-Lamb is most true of Christ and