you say The time that I spend thus I can spare from my Soul that care 's taken already Christ is sure Heaven is sure to me Now for the flesh and mine ease and my pleasure now for this present World I have done enough for that to come Or else will you say These dayes of my Vanity and Earthliness will I hope be left out of my Reckoning my Prayers and my Alms the good that I have done is so much that my evil Deeds and Dayes will be over look'd and past by But must not every Day must not every Work be brought to Judgment Doth not the Righteous and All-seeing God book down all Is not the Sin of Judah written as well as their Tears and Duties Is not every thing noted in his Book And must not all things that are written therein be read in that day Canst thou look on this and not fear continually every day 1 Pet. 1.17 If ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work pass the time of your sojourning here in Fear If you had to do with a God that would never call you to a Reckoning whether you serv'd him or not or how much or how little you serv'd him or whom else you serv'd besides him if you had to do only with such a God the matter were not then so much how you liv'd and spent your time But if ye call on the Father if you serve such a God who will reckon with every one of you and for every thing you have done you had need look better to it Pass the time the whole time of your Sojourning here in Fear Beloved if your own Souls were not so highly concern'd yet this Consideration That the Work of your Lives is to serve the Lord would work you to Fear If you were upon some Service for a Prince or a great Man of the Earth suppose it were but to make him a Garment would you not fear how you sullied it or bungled upon it Or if it were but to keep his Garden would you not fear how you let it run to ruine What is this God whom you serve Is he not a great God the King of all the Earth Is he not an Holy God and a Jealous God that looks to be sanctified and to be the Fear and the Dread of all those that serve him Isa 8.23 The Service of God is often exprest in Scripture by fearing of God Cornelius Acts 10.2 was said to be a Man fearing God that is the same as a Man that served the Lord And the Apostle exhorts Heb. 12.28 That we have Grace in our Hearts whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly Fear Thou servest the Lord but wouldst thou that thy Service be accepted with God Then serve him with Fear Therefore to the end to hold this Fear upon you I shall add this Counsel Through your whole course and all the parts of it carry this express Notion upon your Hearts That you are serving the Lord in all that you do Do all you do as the Servants of the Lord and look on every Duty as the serving of him What the Apostle requires of the Servants of Men is the Duty of every one of the Servants of God Col. 3.23 24. What-ever you do do it heartily as unto the Lord for ye serve the Lord Christ When you go to pray think with your selves this is a Duty which I ow to God I am going into my Closet upon a Service I have to do for God there When you give an Alms or when you teach or instruct your Families think with your selves these are Services which I have to perform not only to my poor Brethren to my ignorant Family but I ow them to the Lord and to him I will perform them I have a Service to do for God amongst the Poor I have a Service to do for God in my Family God hath bid me Feed the one and Teach the other and to whomsoever I do it I 'le do it as unto the Lord. And in like manner in all the matters of your Life in the ordering of your whole Conversation let this be still in your Eye and upon your Heart God hath sent me forth as his Servant into the World I have no business here but for the most High I am born for him I am fed I am clothed I live for him all that ever I have are the Talents of my Lotd committed to me to use and improve for him I am Debtor to no other I am Servant to none else what-ever goes out any other way this is no less than unfaithfulness to him whose I am and now I go bound for him for his pleasure I was made and to him I am devoted this Life of mine and every day of it and every breath of it I consecrate to the Lord his Servant I am and 't is no Work for me that I cannot call serving the Lord. What would such a Sentiment upon the Heart bring forth What care yea what watchfulness yea what fear would it produce What shall I serve the Lord with that which cost me nothing Shall cheap-Service and easie-Service and lazy-Service and eye-Service be all that the Lord God shall have of me I dare not serve my Governour so and how will my God take it But what shall I divide my Service betwixt the Lord and any other Master shall my Flesh be serv'd shall my Pride be serv'd shall my Covetousness shall Men be serv'd shall this Heart or this Time or this Estate be divided betwixt the Lord and them How if the Lord find me in another Field in another House or upon other Work than whither he sent and appointed me How if he find any of his Talents wasted his Goods conveyed away to another Master how will he bear it Yea how shall I bear it Art thou not afraid O my Soul how this will be born and what a Reckoning thou mayest be brought to for it O let me fear to be such an evil Servant that I may not fear the evil Servant's doom let me continually fear every day that I may prevent the fear of the Reckoning-Day Such a standing Impression would this Notion of our being engaged in Service for God kept constantly upon the Heart produce This Notion mingled with all our Thoughts Duties and Wayes and the Holy Fear it will bring forth will not only hold us to constant Service but will put us upon the highest and best Service What is the Lord whom I serve Is he not one who looks for all I have and is he not worthy of all I have What an honour is it to be the Servant of God and what a terror to be none of that number He is the best Master he is worthy he is worthy of the very best I have Fear and be ashamed O my Soul to put him off with any thing that is not worthy of him What will an
and raise against every Soul that so much as looks after serious Christianity How full is the World of Experiences of this kind No sooner is any Soul awakened from his Sins making out after Christ and shewing himself among the Disciples but presently the Birds of Prey are picking at him His carnal Friends will disswade and discourage him the Ishmaels and Nimrods will be upon his back mocking and reviling hunting and persecuting him Christ tells us Luk. 15.10 There 's joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth But what is there in Hell or in the World the Territories of Hell O they are all in a rage the Devil is madded when he hath lost a Captive and resolves if he will be gone not to let him go without some marks of his Fury and Rage Sinner thou art yet under the Power of the Devil it may be thou mayst never make an offer to be gone but wilt abide with him in quiet till he carry thee home with him to his place But if ever thou shouldst make an attempt to be gone from him and to joyn thy self to Christ behold he hath a whole World of Instruments ready either to block up thy way or stick in thy sides And art thou not afraid if it should come to this that thou shouldst rather abide as thou art than adventure on such Discouragements 2. The Examples of the World are against it How great is the power of Example the whole World is much governed by Examples Laws can do little in comparison of what Examples can do There is a great influence that good Examples often have upon Mens Minds and Manners Therefore Christ did not only make a way into the Kingdom by his Blood nor only shew us the way in his Doctrine but also led us the way by his Example 1 Pet. 2.21 Therefore also the Ministers of Christ are required not only to feed the Flock by their Instructions and to rule them by good Discipline but to be Examples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5.3 And therefore also Christians are required to give a good Example to the World and one to another 'T is a vain thing for us to exhort one another Be humble be sober be meek be merciful whilst we our selves are proud and unmerciful passionate and revengful Give a good example if you would do good by your good words let not your Feet tread down what your Lips build up destroy not by an evil Life what you build by good Counsel Thou that teachest another should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a Man should not commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery Rom. 2.21 22. Thou that sayest to another Swear not Lye not give not place to Wrath speak evil of no Man Dost thou the same thing Thou dost more mischief by thy evil Works than ever thou art like to do good by thy good Speeches O by the way let us learn to bewail and to be ashamed of our evil Examples that we have given Ah Wretches that ever any People should be charged concerning any Professors as the Disciples were once charged concerning the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. Do as they say but do not as they do Shall this evil World have occasion to speak thus of any of the Preachers or Professors of Christianity Beware of them follow not after them for behold they bid Men beware of Covetousness and yet who more covetous They bid Men beware of Pride and yet who more proud They charge it upon others to be just to be true to be meek and yet who more fraudulent more false and peevish than themselves O how much mischief do poor Sinners suffer by the evil Examples of some Professors Good Examples draw mightily but evil Examples more But yet the evil Examples of Professors are not they by which Sinners are in the greatest danger of being kept back from Christ though these be pernicious enough but the evil Examples of the World Sinners are of the World and they are professedly for following of the World Now what Examples do the profane World set before them whither are they leading them Are they making towards Christ and running from their Sins unto God Does not the Stream run quite contrary And does it not pass for a sufficient Encouragement to them in their evil wayes to think they do but as their Forefathers did before them and as their Friends and their Neighbours do See how the Example of the World is urged against following of Christ John 7.48 49. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this People who knoweth not the Law are cursed What do ye mean ye foolish People to follow this Jesus Do ye see any of the wise Men or great Men do any of the Rulers believe on him And will ye think your selves wiser than they Go not after him be none of his Disciples And is not the same Argument urged upon Sinners daily Why should you trouble your heads about these Matters About Repentance and Regeneration and Conscience and making sure for the other World Do the Pharisees and High-Priests do the great Men and the wise Men trouble themselves about any such Matters It 's true there are a sort of People which know not the Law a company of ignorant Souls an heady and a giddy Generation that trouble themselves and the World about these things but what heed is to be given to them a company of despicable simple Souls Do any of the wise or great Ones take this course Sinner think with thy self what a mighty influence this sort of Argument hath had upon thee hitherto The World despise the Gospel the World neglect Christ The World are for the Flesh for Liberty and Care and Pleasures and Idleness and against the Spirit of Christianity the Stream runs downwards towards Sin and Hell and hitherto thou hast been swimming with the Stream hast gone with the Multitude and hast troubled thy self about Christ and Religion as little as any of them O tremble to think what great danger thou art in that thou mayest still run down that Stream and never stop till thou fall into that Gulf from which there will be no Return or Redemption for ever Now Sinner lay all these things together and then judg if thou hast not reason to fear thou mayest never escape the Wrath and Curse of God It is evident that whilst thou art unconverted thou art under the Curse Well but yet thou hopest that one time or other thou mayest be Converted But how great fear is there thou mayest not All the ungodly World are against thy Conversion thine own Flesh and the Devil are against it all these will joyn together to hinder it if they can And besides all the means that have been hitherto used prosper not thou hast been Preach'd to thou hast been Prayed over thou hast had many years of Warnings and yet nothing hath prevailed And what multitudes are there that have been in thy
out upon me in vain Behold the winter is past and the spring comes on the flowers appear the fig tree putteth forth and the vines with the tender grapes give a goodly smell Behold the fruits of that blessed blood and spirit in the reviving of this dead heart in the fructifying of this barren heart My Soul make thy boast of God though I have nothing of mine own but what I loath and am asham'd of yet here 's through rich mercy something of his fruits I have brought forth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and his grace hath not been bestowed on me in vain Come on thou withering Soul cry out with the Spouse Awake thou North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden let the Spirit of the Lord breath upon me that my Spices may flow forth and my fruits may appear and then thou mayest go on now let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits I cannot enumerate the particular fruits that you should bring forth they are all the fruits of righteousness but in hope that after all that hath been said your fear of being found among the barren may prepare you to receive some farther instruction for your growth and fructifying in every good work I shall only lay before you seven things which if they be in you and abound will make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Follow after 1. Power 2. Activity 3. Severity 4. Simplicity 5. Ingenuity 6. Spirituality 7. Pleasure 1. Power Grace in the very being of it includes power 1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdom or grace of God is not in word but in power Natural men have natural powers but there is nothing of spiritual power in them wishes and velleities they may have after that which is really and spiritually good O that I could forsake this world and crucifie this flesh and follow God and walk worthy of the Gospel in all things thus they may wish and desire but for their hearts they cannot come to it they cannot bring forth their wish into a will nor their will into performance The least child of God hath more of the power of God in him than the most knowing and the very best of natural men all the parts and vertues of a natural man do fall as much short as to this spiritual vital power of the least of Saints as a dead man does of a living child But yet where there is grace in the beginnings of it in comparison of what it may grow to its power may be small and its strength may be but weakness How great is the power of the healthy above the sickly and faint how much is the power of a man above the power of an infant 'T is well thou art alive but wilt thou still be but a child O what weakly Souls are many amongst the living Souls How ordinary is this complaint To will is present with me but how to perform I find not O how many frustraneous attempts and ineffectual offers do we make at an holy fruitful life we wish for more care and more diligence and more usefulness but still we fall short we are reaching towards but cannot reach to it We judge our selves for our failings we groan under our imperfect duties we are sick of those corruptions that are mingled with them but we cannot overcome them we lament our barrenness we hunger and thirst after more fruitfulness and yet we cannot obtain we cannot do the good that we would we cannot forbear to do the evils that we would not so weak is our heart that though we can weep over our falls and failings yet we cannot amend them But art thou not afraid to continue thus what if death should overtake thee thus how would'st thou dye when thy sin is so much alive yea how canst thou live in any peace whil'st thou seest thou livest to so little purpose Therefore my Brethren let me exhort you in the words of the Apostle Ephes 6.10 Be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put forth the power that you have receiv'd trust on God for more Put forth that power that you have that 's the way to encrease your strength Do not make your selves to be weaker than you are say not 't is for want of power that 't is no better with you when 't is for want of care and industry much more certainly might be done if we were better Stewards of what we have Let there not be a pretence of weakness to excuse your laziness do what thou canst thou canst do more than thou do'st and if indeed thy strength be but small thou knowest whether to go for more Study well and lay hold on that word Isa 40.28 29.31 Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as the Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint Christians let it not suffice you that you are men of understanding and good affections get a Spirit of power as well as of love and of a sound mind 2. Activity An unactive spirit is next to impotence Awaken from thy liveless wretchless temper put away sloth thou sluggard wilt thou still be a drone this drone hath a sting thine own Soul will feel it sooner or later that thy sloth will sting thee to the heart Christians let it appear that the spirit of the living God is in you by your sprightfulness and vivacity Shall the evil spirit be the only active spirit shall sinners flow forth in vanity and wickedness shall their filthy waters be such a quick and running stream and shall the waters of the Sanctuary be but as a standing pool Be bent for holy action be prepared and ready for every good work It 's said Ephes 2.10 that Christians are created unto good works in the very make and constitution of the new creature we may read its use and end we are new made for this very end and purpose we are adopted and prepared for an active useful life for those good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Thou had'st need stir up thy self and put thy self on lest thou quickly come to question whether thou be a new creature or no if thou continuest so backward and unready to that for which the new creature is Hast thou grace indeed blow off the ashes from that living coal that it may burn and shine out in a gracious life Fire it the most active of all the elements it will not be inclosed but will find a vent for its flames sure thou hast little of that divine fire in
doth Lust lead but to Sin and whither doth Sin lead but to Death and to Hell Be not mistaken that 's the Lake that this whole Herd of Swine being driven by the Devil are running headlong into Friends this is the very case that the World is brought into it lyeth in Wickedness and runneth upon Vengeance And yet behold all at quiet all secure no news nor noise nor fear of danger but all in peace Dost thou not find Sinner that none of these things move thee or put thee to any trouble or care And is this sleepy Evil the Disease only of the World Are there none to be found in the Churches of God sick of the same Disease Is there that watchfulness that jealousie that should be upon those that profess themselves Christians and to have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Do these Virgins alwayes stand with their Loins girded and their Lights burning Do not our Souls also lie open to the temptation is not our foot often taken in the snare What means the dimness of our Light the damp that is upon our Love the spots upon our Faces the clouds that we sometimes find upon all our Comforts What means our poverty and leanness our frequent decayes and backsliding How hath this World crowded in with so much of its Cares and Lusts and hath seated it self so near the Throne of God Are there no worldly Professors no covetous greedy Professors Is it a sign thou hast stood upon thy Guard that there are so many Thorns sprung up so many Thieves stollen in before thou wert aware Dost thou not see how thou art surprized daily and met with at every turn Dost thou not often confess this to the Lord and complain against thy self what an uneven unstable Soul thou art and how many and how great thy Falls and Corruptions are and hast thou not still abundant matter of the same Complaints to make Who would think 't were possible that such a soul should yet be secure and careless Hast thou catch'd so many a Fall for want of fear of falling how then canst thou but Fear And yet after all this after this sinning and falling and confessing and complaining how quickly is all forgotten and about the World again we go to our Businesses to our Recreations to this Company to that any whither whither our Hearts or Occasions lead us leaving our selves as open to every Temptation that meets us as if we had never suffered by it This Evil as 't is a common so it is a dreadful Evil there 's a Woe denounced against it Amos 6.1 Wo to them that are at ease in Zion To them that are at ease that is to th m that are secure as you have it in the Margin In Zion in the Church of God Woe to the secure Israelites to secure Professors there 's no Priviledg there 's no Profession that will secure the Secure from the Woe and Wrath of God 'T is a wretched thing to behold a secure Worldling secure Aliens and Strangers from God who know not the Judgments of God but to see a company of secure Israelites of secure Christians to whom it hath been said Awaken thou that sleepest stand up from the Dead save thy self from that misery that is coming upon the World this is indeed a woful and a wonderful thing Thou that hast been warned so often that hast been preached to and prayed over and hast been as a Brand pull'd out of the Burning and yet no more to dread the Fire thou that hast tasted of the bitterness of Sin and felt the smart of it and hast had thine Eyes opened to see what it is preparing for thee thou that canst talk sometimes of tenderness of watchfulness of care and heedfulness and of the constant necessity thereof art thou a secure careless Soul Wo be unto thee Vers 3. We have a particular Instance of one piece of this Security that put far away the evil day which because it hath an influence upon the maintaining of this whole Disease I shall enlarge a little upon it By the Evil Day understand the day of retribution or recompence whether it be the day of tribulation in this World or the day of Death and of Judgment There is a double putting this evil day afar off There is a putting it 1. Far from our Reins 2. Far from our Loyns 1. Far from our Reins That is from our Thoughts and Consideration as Jer. 12.2 Thou art near in their Mouth and far from their Reins Thou art much spoken of but little thought on Thus Men put the Evil Day far off when they do not think of such a day it 's out of sight and out of mind with them 't is the least of all their Thoughts that there is an evil day coming The thoughts of such a day would have the same effect as that cry that was made at the coming of the Bridegroom Matth. 25.6 At midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh and this cry turn'd Midnight into Morning all the Sleepers awakned and arose and trimmed their Lamps How is it Friends that there is not such a Cry made every Day and every Night How is it that your Hearts do not still cry in your Ears The Day of the Lord is near the Judg is at the Door the Avenger is at the Heels Behold the Bridegroom cometh O this seldom enters into our Hearts this Day of the Lord is far from our Reins If the Evil Day were kept nearer us 't would make Evil Works keep farther off If when Men are jolly and merry and mad after their Lusts and drunken into a dead sleep in their Sins If whilst others are idle and slothful are retchless and supine in their Spirits and Ways laying by all care and circumspection over themselves giving themselves up to the heedlesness of their sluggish hearts and hereby led out into those sins vanities which are the Fruits of such Security if such Thoughts should arise in their Minds and sit close upon their Hearts How shall I answer for this in the Day of the Lord Is not the Day of the Lord coming Is it not near May not the very next day be the Evil Day And if it should prove to be so indeed what a case am I in if my Judg should find me thus How would such Thoughts scatter away Iniquity and scare such drowsie Souls out of all their ease and slothfulness Friend consider thou knowest what a life 't is thou ordinarily livest Art not thou one of those that art at ease in Zion art not thou the Man that dwellest careless that art quiet and secure hast not thou left thy Soul like that City that hath neither Gates nor Bars is not that heart of thine left open Night and Day let the Tempter come when he will he may find easie entrance Is not thine heart open to Temptations yea and open
to Wrath and Vengeance Wouldst thou be content the Day of the Lord should find thee thus Art thou sure but that Day may find thee thus Would not such a Voice from Heaven Thy Day is come strike thee into horror and amazement and strike through thy easie lazie Soul as a Dart through thy Liver O why wilt thou not try what some thoughts of that Day might do whether it would not perswade thee to a wiser course and put thee into a better case against it comes indeed It is a strange thing that it should be possible for Sinners that believe the Scriptures not to think of a day of recompence Hast thou not heard dost thou not read that the Wages of Sin is Death dost thou not know that every working day must have its pay-day Canst thou be Sowing daily and never think of Reaping And hast thou not learned That as thy Sowing is such must thy Reaping be that an evil Seed-time will bring forth an evil Harvest Canst thou be Sowing Tares and either not think of Reaping at all or think of Reaping Wheat Is this all the wit thou hast Be not deceived as Men Sow so shall they also Reap he that Soweth to the Flesh shall Reap Corruption he that Soweth to the Spirit shall Reap Life Everlasting Gal. 6.7 8. Know it in time and throughout thy Sowing think of thy Reaping-Day 2. Men put the Evil Day far from their Loyns That is though they do think of the Judgments of God and as such as both may overtake them and if they fall will fall heavy upon them and grind them to Pouder yet they count 't will be a great while first there may be time enough to prevent them or at least the distance they apprehend of them from them makes them the less to be feared or regarded Eccles 1.8 Because Sentence against an evil work is not executed specdily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do evil Because Judgment is so long a-coming therefore they grow bold in their Sin as if 't would never come Not till after a long time is almost the same with them as never at all As if because the Bench and the Gibbet stand not both together because the Sin and its Sentence the Sentence and its Execution are not on the same day therefore there will be no Sentence no Execution as if because it's Sun-shine to day there were no fear of a Storm for many dayes after The Thoughts of Sinners are like those words of Rebellious Israel Ezek. 12.27 The Vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he Prophesieth of the Times that are far off Those Scoffers who walk after their own Lusts 2 Pet. 3.4 demand in derision Where is the Promise of his coming Where is the Promise that is where is the Threatning of his coming The same word that is a Promise to the Saints is often a Threatning to Sinners Where is the Threatning of his coming There hath been much Preaching and Talking of the Day of the Lord of a Black Day that 's coming to pay all our Scores this hath been foretold a long time agone even in the dayes of our Fore-fathers who are yet gone to their Graves in peace and behold to this day after the revolution of so many Ages we see no sign of it but all things are still as they were and Men may sin at as cheap rates now as they did then Those Rebel Jews Isa 5.19 That drew Iniquity with Cords of Vanity and Sin as it were with Cart-ropes are so bold as to say Let the Day of the Lord come let it hasten that we may see it let the Counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh that we may know it Such Infidels were these Rebels become that they made the Threatnings of the Lord a meer Mock or a Dream or a lying Vision that would never come to pass But even among those that do believe that there is such a day a-coming wherein the Lord will confirm the Word of his Servants and perform the Counsel of his Messengers even amongst them there are who say Yet the Lord may delay his coming I may have time enough to repent before it comes not considering that though to day it be said Time enough yet to morrow the word may be Too late too late though now the word be My Lord delayeth his coming the next word may be He is come the Day of the Lord is come and I must no longer escape O my foolish Soul thou thoughtest such a day might come but didst thou think it so near Wo wo unto me the Day of Vengeance is come in a day that I thought not of in an hour that I was not aware He is come he is come to cut me in sunder and to give me my Portion with Hypocrites It is fallen unto me as to some Women with Child my Time is come before my Reckoning was out Friends Is there nothing of this kind of Security also to be found even among those that take themselves to be wiser than this Bedlam-World How is it with many Professors of Religion Do we live in hourly expectation of the Day of Retribution Are we so vigilant and so circumspect in our daily course as Men that do believe that the Day of the Lord is at hand How didst thou live yesterday didst thou carry it so as if that should have been thy last day How dost thou behave thy self to day Dost thou now carry it so as if thou expectedst to hear This night shall thy Soul be taken away Dost thou hear daily as if thou wert hearing thy last Sermon Dost thou pray daily as if thou wert making thy last Prayer Dost thou not sleep daily and sin daily as a Man that presumeth on many dayes to come Dost thou never venture on a little sin or on remisness in thy Duty with this thought it will but be repenting of it after Wouldst thou dare to do what sometimes thou dost wouldst thou dare to neglect what sometimes thou dost neglect wert thou sure there would be no time for repentance Wouldst thou be so proud as thou art or so covetous as thou art or so vain or so slothful as thou art if thou didst not count upon more day before thee Darest thou never lie down one night in an unrepented Sin for fear of what may be before the morning O what Holy-Dayes what Sabbath-Dayes would every day be did we but daily think this may be my Judgment Day But dost thou use to think so Thou hast thy fleshly designs already laid for to morrow and next day and next year to morrow thou sayest thou wilt go to such a City to buy and to sell and to get gain next day to such a Fair next day to such a Feast to make merry with thy Friends and there thou goest and eatest and drinkest and tradest and so thou meanest to go on from Year to Year and
yet enquire What ground and reason can you give of the hope that is in you and it may be all the answer that will be given amounts to no more than this I hope because I hope I am perswaded because I am perswaded my Mind gives me so mine Heart tells me so I can have no other thought but that it is well and shall be well with me There 's many a Man that 's like unto that Man pointed out Deut. 29.19 who though he heareth the words of God's Curse blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imaginations of mine own heart Though God speaks never a good word though the Scriptures speak never a good word of such though God curses such a Man yet his own heart blesses him Though God sayes to him Thou Fool thou Belial thou Infidel thou Child of the Devil yet not a word is heard from his own heart but an honest Man a good Christian and a Child of God There is sometimes to be found a poor trembling Christian whom the Devil sets a cursing himself when God doth bless him that calls himself Hypocrite Unbeliever a Cast-away and Reprobate from God though God calls him Beloved and highly favoured and so there is that blesses himself whom God hath cursed It 's vain to tell him Thus saith the Lord or to bid him search the Scriptures hearken to what the Lord God will speak or to say to him as Jehoshaphat to the King of Israel 1 Kings 22.7 enquire of the Prophet of the Lord. Doth God his Scriptures his Ministers speak any good concerning thee It 's vain to speak thus to him Thus saith mine heart is more with him than Thus saith the Lord. Thus my mind gives me is enough to make him dis-believe the God of Truth he will rather make God a lyar than not believe his lying heart Consider this Sinners whether this be not your case God sayes The Ignorant the Unbelievers Liars Swearers the evil Workers and Impenitent are the Children of the Devil and shall never inherit the Kingdom of God And yet thou though thou canst not say but that thou art ignorant impenitent an evil worker given up to thy hearts lusts and hardned in thy way wilt not be perswaded but thou art a Child of God God sayes thou art none of his and thou wilt still say thou art to his Face Just thus was it with those Jews afore-mentioned John 8.44 Christ tells them to their Faces Ye are of your Father the Devil and proves it to them for saith he The Lusts of your Father ye do and you are just like your Father he was a Murtherer from the beginning and a Liar and the Father of it and what else are you And yet behold the confidence of the Men No we are Abraham's Seed and the Children of God Sinner who-ever thou art that art doing the Lusts and working the Works of the Devil Christ speaks this very word to thee which he here spake to those Jews Thou art of thy Father the Devil If yet thou sayest I hope not God is my Father and I am his Child there is that Presumption that may keep thee from fearing till thou too late feel the Wrath of God seizing upon thee This Presumption that 't is so well with thee already that if it be possible I may make thee afraid of that which keeps thee from fear know for a certain it will endanger so to hold thee in thy wretched state that 't is never like to be better with thee than ' t is This is it which hardens thee against Counsels and Reproofs slights the tenders of Mercy and out-faces the terrors of the Lord this shuts up thine Ears and thine Heart against the word of Reconciliation and does non-plus all the importunities of the Ministers of the Gospel Let them bid thee believe thou art a Believer already Let them command thee to repent Thou hast done it let them warn thee to flie from the Wrath to come and this is all the Fruit thou tellest them thou art already passed from Death to Life The confidence that thou art well enough already is like to make the Preaching of Christ to be of none effect to thee And because this is such a brazen Wall as keeps Christ and Grace out of the Heart and resists and repels all those Arguments which the Word makes use of to perswade to Christ and Life I shall make some batteries upon it as I pass along The first step to Conversion is Conviction Conviction is Presumption broken down and the breaking in of that Fear which makes way for Faith There are in Conviction these three things 1. Illumination 2. Redargution 3. Consternation 1. Illumination the enlightning of the Mind the opening of Sinners eyes and making their Sin and the danger that it exposes to known unto them the convincing Spirit brings the Commandment before them by which is the knowledg of Sin Rom. 7.7 and vers 9. When the Commandment came Sin revived and appeared to be Sin and exceeding sinful vers 13. It could be no longer hid nor any longer be look'd on as a light thing but a very dreadful thing to be a Sinner the truth is we none of us know Sin as it is some Light hath broken in upon our Hearts but 't is but little in comparison and thereupon we can be venturous so far upon it and too easily go out with it and lick our selves whole when we have sinned but if we knew the Heart and the Tail of this Scorpion what malignity there is in it and what comes after 't would make us tremble and take heed When the Spirit of the Lord brings the Commandment to us and layes Sin by that 't will look with another face than now it does 2. Redargution The Spirit of God not only shews what Sin is and what a fearful thing it is to be under Sin but withal proves and demonstrates to Sinners what-ever their confidence hath been of the contrary that they are under Sin when the Commandment hath done its work to discover Sin and the evil of it then Conscience is brought forth to do its work to witness the Sinner guilty Hast thou not sinned let Conscience speak does not thine own Heart tell thee of thy Lying and of thy Swearing and of thy Coveting and of thy company-keeping and a World more of such evils that thou hast lived in And hast thou ever been purged from thy Sins hast thou repented and turned from thy evil Wayes thou knowest thou hast not thou art in love with Sin in a league with Sin and livest to this hour in the practice and under the power of it Is this the Man that hath been so confident of the goodness of his state whose heart hath blessed him and promised him that no evil shall befal him What a Sinner and yet at peace What an impenitent Sinner and yet so confident thou shalt have peace Thou must
Hearts deceive them Sometimes even by the Good that is in them The Heart of Man can make a Snare of every Creature Condition Relation or Comfort can make a Net for Souls of the coursest or of the finest Thred can undo them by their Friends and by their Enemies by their Prosperities and by their Adversities by their Sins and their Rigthousness Where-withal may this Man be enticed to Sin to neglect Christ and his Soul Some Mens Hearts find that a Harlot will do it others that a drunken Companion will do it others that nothing but Gold and Silver will do it others that applause will do it some that Idleness others that Business some that Friends others that Enemies some that Prosperity others that Affliction will be the likeliest Temptations and accordingly it manages its deceiving work Our Hearts can deceive us by the best we have by our Vertues by our Duties by our Priviledges and this is often the most dangerous deceit The more generous the Wine in which thou receivest thy Poison the more deadly the Potion Some Hypocrites Hearts tell them they are sincere But how can they make them believe it Why if the Heart may not be believed for its own word the Word of God must be brought to witness this lye Doth not the Scriptures say Rom. 10.9 If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy Heart that God raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved And do not I believe the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead Do not I confess and acknowledg it I be ieve it with all mine Heart I confess it before all the World and therefore without doubt I am in a state of Salvation If this will not do but the Heart perceives there must be more in that belief than a notional Assent there must be more in that Confession than a verbal Acknowledgment than its Virtues and Duties and Priviledges its Prayers and Hearings and Alms its Sobriety and Temperance its keeping of Sabbaths and attending upon Ordinances must all be call'd forth to testifie Am not I of God Am not I in Christ Let my Prayers speak let mine Alms speak let my Temperance let my Patience let my Sabbaths speak whose I am I keep the Sabbath whilst others pollute it I hear whilst others forbear I pray and fast whilst others neglect both and therefore sure it must be well with me when yet it may be the Man is ignorant of the Spirit and a secret Enemy against the Power and Purity of Religion all the while I might multiply Instances of the several sorts of the Heart's deceivings and shew that there is nothing but in some way or other may be made use of to beguile us 3. Of what may our Hearts deceive us Even of all we have Of what did our first Parents Hearts deceive them Of their Portion in God and their place in Paradise Of what did Esau's Heart deceive him Of his Birth-right and the Blessing Of what did Sampson's Heart deceive him Of his Locks and of his Life Of what did that Fool 's Heart deceive him Luke 12.20 Of his Soul Isa 44.20 A deceived Heart hath turned him aside so that he cannot deliver his Soul You that believe your selves Saints are apt to think that what-ever you be deceived of yet your Souls are safe and therefore that you have no such need to Fear as other Men. But it may be you may be deceived in this and this very confidence That thy Soul is safe may prove its eternal loss But if you should come off at last with the Salvation of your Souls yet how many desperate hazards do you run of losing them by hearkning to these evil Hearts How much of your time do they steal away which was given you for the working out your Salvation How many Duties have they lost you how many Ordinances have they lost you which the Interest of your Souls could ill have spar'd What a dead and dark and carnal and loose Spirit hast thou sometimes been bewitched into wherein God hath been laid by Soul hath been forgotten Conscience hath been laid a-sleep and all care about the things of God hath been swallowed up of the cares of this Life Is it nothing to thee to be in such a case Doth it not grieve thee to think whither thou art fallen and art thou not afraid what the issue may be whether ever thy Soul may be lifted up out of this Pit whereinto it is sunk so deep in mud and mire But if thou should'st be ask'd now Friend how camest thou in hither who hath led thee into this Dirt who hath cast thee into this Pit May be thou wilt be ready to answer as Eve did The Serpent beguiled me in or as Adam did The Woman deceived me in thou wilt find some else to father thy Faults upon the Devil deceived me into this case the World deceived me in evil Company deceived me in Like enough they did But what could they all have done if thine Heart had not joyned with them The hand of Joab is in all this thine Heart is the Joab that hath dealt this subtilly and deceitfully with thee 1 Kings 22.20 Who will perswade Ahab saith the Lord that be may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead I will go saith the Devil I will perswade him But where-with wilt thou perswade him I will be a lying Spirit in the Mouth of his Prophets Go up and prosper go up and prosper that shall be the word that shall do it There 's no fear of falling at Ramoth thou shalt prevail against thine Enemies and return a Conqueror If it shall be said in like manner who shall perswade this foolish Man to go on his evil wayes that he may fall and perish I will go sayes his Heart presently I 'le be the Devil to perswade him But wherewith wilt thou perswade him O I 'le be a lying Spirit within him I 'le make him believe he shall prosper and have peace in his way he shall not fall nor shall hurt come unto him Go sayes God to the Devil and take heed he sayes not so to that false Heart of thine Go thou shalt perswade and thou shalt prevail Thou shalt intice this idle Person thou shalt harden this vain or this careless Person and he shall hearken to thee he shall follow thee till he fall and perish Christians we have every one of us such an Heart as this that is too ready to go upon such a wretched Errand Have we not suffered much by it's treachery Hath it not often trip'd up our heels or turned us out of our way Hath it not betray'd us out of our Refuge and led us aside after lying vanities Though Grace hath been some security to us against it yet hath it not often been too hard for all the Grace we have Who is there of us that dares stand forth and say My Heart I hope is no such heart It is better than
it up it flows forth of it self Such a state as this are sinners in they are Prisoners and voluntary Prisoners natural slaves whose servile spirits are altogether suited to their servile state who whilest they continue thus are fit for nothing else but to be made slaves of they are fit for no other Master but the Devil for no other work but wickedness Corrupt nature is their chain to bind them to the Devil and his cord to drag them to destruction Art thou not afraid Sinner to stay any longer in such a state sure thou dost not know where thou art or thou could'st not but fear When Christ intends to fetch sinners out he first makes them to see where they are Isa 42.7 He opens the blind eyes and brings forth the Prisoners from the Prison He opens their eyes not barely that they may see their way out but that they may see what a Prison 't is they are in what a vile Prison what a strong Prison what Irons there are upon them and what a dark hole and dismal dungeon there is in the bottom of it into which they are dropping and unto which they are reserved in these chains and fetters There 's little hope of perswading sinners out till upon the sight of their misery and danger they are afraid to continue longer there O I am afraid and yet I cannot get loose why what is it that hinders thee O this evil heart holds me in whatever danger I am in this evil nature will venture it all rather than go to Christ All within me cries in mine ears stay stay where thou art this bondage is liberty in comparison of that state that Christ would bring me to Ay that 's it indeed this corrupt nature is thy Prison and thy Gaoler and till the power of nature be broken till the stream of nature be turned till those bars and gates be cut in pieces the fleshly will and its lusts by which thou art holden in there will be no getting forth Thou hast been called back often and yet thou goest on as thou didst how comes this to pass why thy nature leads thee on thy nature holds thee fast Hos 6.7 You like men have transgressed you like men have been hardned you have done like your selves Like men like brutes or stocks rather why that 's the same man is become brutish and his foolish heart turn'd into a senseless stock and yet this heart must have the custody and government of thee O flee every one of you flee away from your selves arise escape for your lives is this the state out of which you are so loth to depart Men and Brethren save your selves from this woful state O generation who hath forwarned you that you should flee shall I say nay who hath bewitched you that you will not flee from the wrath to come Get you up get you up out of this evil state How is it that you stir not how is it that we yet hear no such cry among you Master save us we perish Thus saith the King Come out will you say no but I will dye here Flee Sinners 1. As Lot out of Sodome though you must leave all behind you all your substance all your kindred and acquaintance the fire and the brimstone is coming get you gone and leave all behind you 2. As Israel out of Egypt whatever difficulties be in the way the Mountains the Red-Sea the Wilderness could not keep Israel to the brick-kilns God will make a way through the Sea through the most astonishing difficulties if you will venture to follow him out Say not t is hard say not 't is impossible to escape the Mountains shall be made a plain the Sea shall become dry Land the wilderness shall become a fruitful Land to the followers of the Lord. 3. Flee as men out of an house all on fire or a sinking ship in haste Say not 't will be time enough to morrow or hereafter the house burns the beam is falling the ship is sinking away away e're it be too late 'T is no time to stand delaying 't is no time to stand deliberating Shall I shall I To day if you will hear his voice 't is high time to awaken out of sleep Rise up every man and woman shake off your fetters slay your keeper some Prisoners have broken Prison by knocking their Gaoler on the head get this old heart slain and get you a new heart when that 's once done then you have broken Prison and your souls are escaped 2. Flee the practice of Sin Say not I am now in Christ and my sin shall never separate me from him If Christ do not separate thee from thy sins thy going on in them will prove thee separate from Christ Isa 1.16 Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil An evil life argues an evil state thou hast no part in Christ who art still going on in thy wickedness the practice of sin doth both evidence and uphold the power of sin what clearer evidence that sin is Lord still than when its Laws are obeyed who can think that the root is dead whilest the branches bear and flourish How is a tree known but by its fruits It s true that Moss and Mushromes and such like excrescencies may grow out of the best trees but yet it may be still said of all trees By their fruits ye shall know them Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Do men gather Gourds of Vines or Hawes of the fig-tree 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Art Thou in Christ who art not turn'd from thy sins Do not say I hope I may be however hereafter and so indulge thy self thy liberty in sin till Christ come and set thee free but whether thou be in Christ or yet short of him put away iniquity from thee let there be a present forbearance of the acts of sin and that will be a means to destroy its habits as it is with some plants by cutting them off above ground you may kill the roots Do not say I will be a Drunkard till God give me a new heart I will go on in this swearing and lying and mocking till God work a change upon this evil heart this is thy resisting the work of God and such a wicked resolution as may provoke the Lord to leave thee for ever under the power of Sin and the Devil Whatever thou be go presently and put away every iniquity from thee greater or smaller open or secret corporal or spiritual wickednesses have done with them all Do not only lament or mourn for sin but fight against it and the best fighting is by flying The Souldiers of this world when they flee once the fight is lost but Christ's Souldiers never fight well but when they fly when you fly sin you have won the field when the Devil flyes he is overcome when you fly you have
any thing thou apprehendest to be praise-worthy this must be meat for thy pride It may be thou prayest against thy covetousness or sensuality but as soon as thou art off thy knees away thou goest to work for the one or to thy play to please the other When some of thy last words are lead us not into temptation it may be thy very next steps may be running into temptation this is but mocking of God and deluding thy self If thou would'st prosper against this enemy whil'st thou stormest it by seeking to God starve it by denying thy self 3. Put a bridle on its Jaws My meaning is restrain it from its actings if thou canst not prevent its conception strangle it in the birth if the fire be kindled within yet give it no vent allow not the lust of thine heart the priviledge of thy mouth or the command of thine hand if thou canst not restrain thy covetous desires yet hold in from covetous practices if thou lovest the wine and the strong drink yet withhold the cup from the lip if thou canst not so easily rule thy spirit yet bridle thy tongue the fire of passion doth not waste by spending but rather increases the ordinary preventing and restraining the acts of sin will weaken its habits I have heard some persons vainly speaking at this rate when I have anger in mine heart out it must and then I am friends and so take it for their vertue rather than their sin that they cast out all their mire and dirt in a storm because then a calm follows Thou fool hast thou conquered thine unruly spirit by suffering thy self to be thus conquered by it what do'st thou think of him that conquers his lust by going to an Harlot when thou hast eas'd thy stomach by thy Bedlam-language then there is a calm but thou neither considerest the sin of letting fly thine angry words nor yet wilt mind that the fire will kindle the sooner for that it finds so easie a vent Damme up the furnace and that 's the best way to quench the coals 4. Set thy foot on the neck of Sin Have any of thy lusts fallen before thee make them sure tread them under thee that they rise not up again do not slight them as conquered enemies which now thou needest no more to fear those which are now under thy foot if thou look not well to them may be Lords over thee again Hath the Lord humbled thy proud heart broken thy unruly spirit and seem'd to turn a Lyon into a Lamb whilest thou sayest I hope I shall never be proud again never be so froward or peevish again whil'st thus thou hopest thou shalt not yet still fear lest thou should'st whil'st sin hath any life in it thou art still in danger as we use to say of dying men whil'st there is life there is hope so may it be said of these dying beasts while there is life there is fear Let that fear be as the foot upon their necks to prevent their rising and return upon thee Well thus set upon sin let it be destroyed reward it as it would serve thee and because it will be long a dying let it be killed all the day long draw not back thine hand whil'st its life is left in it O what an advantage will the death of of sin be to the life of holiness when the body of sin is dead 't will stink dead bodies will do so and all the issues of it will be noisome and loathsome to thee Lust is never deadly but when it lives and is sweet and pleasant when it dies and stinks and is become an annoyance to thee it will be the less thine hindrance it hath now done its worst the more it offends the less it will hurt Do'st thou find sin sweet Is it still a pleasure to thee beware of it 't is a sign 't is still alive it would stink if it were dead thou would'st nauseate it thy stomach would rise against it O this stinking pride this stinking covetousness these stinking pleasures away with them my very soul is sick with the stench they make and when sin stinks then holiness will be pleasant and the work of holiness a delight the very severities of Religion will be sweet when the pleasure of sin ceases The death of sin is all our diseases cured the lean and consumptive Soul will now revive and recover and be strengthened for its work The crucifying of sin is the casting off our weights that hang on to hinder us in our way Heb. 12.1 2. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth easily be set us and run with patience the race that is set before us 't is ill running with weights upon our backs Lust is such a weight upon the Saints as Conscience is upon sinners some sinners Consciences make them drive heavily on in their way of sin when they can once knock off this weight when they can kill Conscience and get themselves rid of its checks and controuls then they rush on upon iniquity as the horse rusheth into the battel let the Saints serve their Lusts as Sinners do their Consciences and then they may run with patience the race which is set before them There is a sore evil that is seen under the Sun Sinners all upon the Tantivie riding post towards Hell O how sprightly O how hot are they upon their chace of sin and vanity and poor creeple-Christians but barely wagging on by a Snail-creeping motion heavenward O 't is a sign that the weights do yet hang on thou art yet heavy loaden thou carriest too many bundles of thorns upon thy back too many burthens of earth and flesh upon thine heart to make any hast heaven-ward lay aside these weights tread down these worldly lusts throw off these worldly cares and carnal desires and delights yea get this carnality which is the body of Sin and the very soul of that body to be slain and crucifyed with Christ and when thou art dead with Christ thou shalt live the better to him He that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and vers 18.22 Being made free from sin ye then become the Servants of Righteousness and so shall have your fruit unto holiness and your end everlasting life O what a visible improvement should we quickly see on the professing world did we prosper more in our mortifying work then would the languid and pale-fac'd Saints have blood in their cheeks and more spirits in all their veins the young man within would be fresh and ruddy were the old man once well laid then would the Plants grow up into Trees and the Shrubs into Cedars then will the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb be loosed then would this vile image of earth and flesh vanish and disappear and the Spirit of Glory and of God would more visibly rest upon us and we should go forth as the Sun out of his Chamber and rejoyce as the