CHAPTER 6:

The People of GOD described.

 

 HAVING thus performed my first task of describing the Saints' Rest, it remains that I now proceed to the second, and show you what these people of GOD are, and why so called; for whom this blessed rest rernaineth.

 

 Regeneration is the first and great qualification of the people of GOD. To be the people of God without regeneration, is as impossible as to be the children of men without generation: seeing we are born GOD's enemies, we must be new-born his sons, or else remain his enemies still.

 

 CHRIST has spoken it with his mouth, "That except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The greatest reformation of life, without this new life wrought in the soul, may procure our further delusion, but never our salvation. But by what acts doth this new life discover itself

 

 1. The first work I call conviction, which comprehends the knowledge of what the Scripture speaks against sin, and sinners; and that this Scripture which speaks so, is. the word of God himself. It comprehends also, some knowledge of ourselves, and our own guilt, and at acknowledgment of the verity of those consequences, which from the premises of sin in us, and threats in Scripture, conclude us miserable.

 

 2. As there must be conviction, so also sensibility. God works on the heart, as well as the head: both were corrupted, and out of order. The principle of new life doth quicken both. All true spiritual knowledge doth pass into affections. The great things of sin, of grace, and CHRIST, and eternity, which are of weight, one would think, to move a rock, yet shake not the heart of the carnal professor, nor pierce his soul to the quick: though he should be a constant preacher of them to others, yet they little affect himself: when he is pressing them upon the hearts of others, you would little think how insensible is his own soul: his invention procureth him zealous and moving expressions, but they cannot procure him answerable affections. The things that the soul is thus convinced and sensible of, are especially these.

 

 1. The evil of sin. The sinner is made to know and feel, that the sin which was his delight is a more loathsome thing than toads or serpents, and a greater evil than plague or famine, or any other calamities: it being a breach of the righteous law of the Most High God, dishonorable to him, and destructive to the sinner.

 

 Now the sinner reads and hears the reproofs of sin, as words of course; but when you mention his sin, he feels you speak at his very heart, and yet is contented you should show him the worst: he was wont to marvel, what made men keep such a stir against sin, what harm it was for a man to take a little pleasure; he saw no such heinousness in it. But now the case is altered: GOD has opened his eyes, to see its inexpressible vileness.

 

 2. The soul in this great work is convinced and sensible, as of the evil of sin, so of its own misery by reason of sin. They who before read the threats of GOD'S law, as men do the stories of foreign wars, now find it is their own story, and perceive they read their own doom, as if they found their names written in the curse, or heard the law say, as NATHAN, " Thou art the man." The wrath of GOD seemed up to him, but as a storm to a man in a' dry house but now he finds the disease is his own, and feels the pains in his own bowels. In a word, he finds himself a condemned man, dead, and damned, in point of law, and that nothing was wanting but mere execution to make him absolutely and irrecoverably miserable.

 

 Whether you will call this a work of the Law, or Gospel, it is a work of the SPIRIT wrought in some measure in all the regenerate: and though some judge it unnecessary bondage, yet it is beyond my conceiving, how he should come to CHRIST for pardon, that first found not himself guilty and condemned: " The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick." Yet I deny not, but the discovery of the remedy as soon as the misery, may prevent a great part of the trouble, and the distinct effect on the soul, to be with much more difficulty discerned: nay, the actings of the soul are so quick, and oft so confused, that the distinct order of these workings may not be apprehended or remembered at all; and perhaps the joyful apprehensions of mercy may make the sense of misery the sooner forgotten.

 

 3. So doth the SPIRIT also convince the soul of the creature's vanity and insufficiency. Every man, naturally, is a flat idolater; our hearts were turned from God in our first fall, and ever since the creature has been our God. This is the grand sin of nature: when we set up to ourselves a wrong end, we must needs err in all the means. The creature is to every unregenerate man his god: he ascribeth to it the divine prerogatives, and alloweth it the highest room in his soul; or if ever he come to be convinced of misery, he fleeth, to it as his Savior, Indeed God and his CHRIST hash usually the name; but the real expectation is from the creature, And the work of God is laid upon it. His pleasure, his profit, and his honor, is the natural man's trinity; and his self, that is these in unity: indeed, it is that flesh that is the principal idol; the other three are deified in their relation to ourselves. It was our first sin to aspire to be as gods; and it is the greatest sin that runs in our blood, and is propagated in our nature from generation to generation.

 

 When GOD should guide us, we guide ourselves; when he should be our sovereign, we rule ourselves. The laws which he gives us we find fault with; and if we had the making of them, we would have made them otherwise when he should take care of us, (and must, or we perish,) we will care for ourselves: when we should depend on him daily, we had rather keep our stock ourselves, and have our portion in our own hands when we should stand at his disposal, we would be at our own; and when we should submit to his providence, we usually quarrel at it; as if we knew better what is good for us than he, or how to dispose all things more wisely. This is the language of a carnal heart, though i t doth not always speak out. When we should study God, we study ourselves; when we should mind GOD, we mind ourselves; when we should love God, we love ourselves; when we should trust GOD, we trust ourselves; when we should honor GOD, we honor ourselves; when we should ascribe to GOD, and admire him, we ascribe to, and admire ourselves; and instead of GOD, we would have all men's eyes and dependence on us, and all men's thanks returned to us, and would gladly be the only men on earth extolled and admired by all.

 

 And thus we are naturally our own idols: but down falls this DaGod, when GOD does once renew the soul: it is the great business of that great work to bring the heart back to GOD. He convinceth the sinner, 1. That the creature can neither be his god, to make him; 2. Nor yet his Christ, to recover him from his misery, to restore him to GOD, who is his happiness. This GOD does not only by preaching, but by Providence also; because words will hardly take off the raging senses, therefore doth GOD make his rod to speak, and continue speaking, until the sinner hear, and has learned this great lesson.

 

 This is the great reason why affliction doth so ordin concur in the work of conversion; these real arguments which speak to the quick, will force a hearing when the most powerful words are slighted. When a sinner made his credit his god, and GOD shall cast him into the lowest disgrace; or bring him that idolized his riches, into a condition wherein they cannot help him, or cause them to take wing and fly away: what a,help is here to this work of conviction When a man that made his pleasure his god, whether ease; or sports, or mirth, or company, or gluttony, or drunkenness, or clothing, or buildings, or whatsoever a ranging eye, a curious ear, a raging appetite, or a lustful heart could desire, and GOD shall take these from him, or give him their sting and curse with them, and turn then all into gall and wormwood; what a help is here to conviction! When GOD shall cast a man into a languishing sickness, and inflict wounds anti anguish on his heart, and stir up against him his own conscience, and then, as it were, take hint by the hand, and lead him to credit, to riches, to pleasure, to company, to, sports, or whatsoever was dearest to him, and say, Now try if these can help you; can these heal thy wounded conscience Can they now support thy tottering cottage Can they keep thy departing soul in thy body Or save thee from mine everlasting wrath Will they prove to thee eternal pleasures, or redeem thy soul from the eternal flames Cry aloud to then, and see now whether these will be instead of GOD and his CHRIST unto thee -O how this works with the sinner, when sense itself acknowledgeth the truth, and even the flesh is convinced of the creature's vanity!

 

 4. The fourth thing that the soul is convinced and sensible of, is, the absolute necessity, the full sufficiency, and perfect excellency of JESUS CHRIST.

 

(L) This conviction is not by mere argumentation, as a man is convinced of some unconcerning consequence by dispute, but also by the sense of our desperate misery, as a man in a famine, by the necessity of food; or a man that had read or heard his condemnation is convinced of the absolute necessity of a pardon. Now the sinner finds himself in another case than ever he was aware of; he feels an in supportable burden upon him, and sees there is none but CHRIST can take it off: he perceives that he is under the wrath of God, and that the law proclaims him a rebel and outlaw, and none but CHRIST can make his peace: he is a man pursued by a lion, that must perish if he find not present sanctuary: he feels the curse dote he upon him, and upon all he has for his sake, and CHRIST alone can make him blessed: he is now brought to this dilemma, either he must have CHRIST to justify him, or be eternally condemned; he must have CHRIST to save him, or burn in hell for ever; he must have CHRIST to bring him again to God, or be shut out of his presence everlastingly. And no wonder if he cry, as the martyr LAMBERT,’ None but CHRIST, none but CHRIST.' It is not gold, but bread, that will satisfy the hungry; nor any thing but pardon that will comfort the condemned. " 

 

 All things are now but dross and dung;" and "what we counted gain is now but loss in comparison of CHRIST: “ for, as the sinner seeth his utter misery, and the disability of himself, and all things, to relieve him; so he doth perceive, that there is no saving mercy out of CHRIST. There is none found in heaven or earth that can open the sealed book save the Lamb; without his blood there is no remission, and without remission there is no salvation. Could the sinner now make any shift without CHRIST, or could any thing else supply his wants, and save his soul, then might CHRIST be disregarded: but now he is convinced, that there is no other name, and the necessity is absolute.

 

 (2.) And as the soul is thus convinced of the necessity of CHRIST, so also of his full sufficiency. He sees, though the creature cannot, and himself cannot, yet CHRIST can. Though the fig-leaves of our own unrighteous righteousness are too short to cover our nakedness, yet the righteousness of CHRIST is large enough: ours is disproportionable to the justice of the law, but CHRIST's doth extend to every tittle: his sufferings being a perfect satisfaction to the justice of GOD, and "all power in heaven and earth, being given to him," he is now able to supply every one of our wants, and "to save to the uttermost all that come to him."

 

 (3.) The soul is also here convinced of the perfect excellency of JESUS CHRIST, both as he is considered in himself, and as considered in relation to us; both as he is the only way to the FATHER, and as he is the end, being one with the FATHER. Before, he knew CHRIST's excellency as a, blind man knows the light of the sun; but now, as one that beholdeth his glory. And thus doth the SPIRIT convince the soul.

 

 (4.) After this sensible conviction, the will discovereth also its change; and that in regard of all the fore-mentioned objects.

 

 1. The sin which the understanding pronounceth evil, the will doth turn from, with abborrency. Not that the sensitive appetite is changed, or any way made to abhor its object; but when it would carry us to sin against GOD; this disorder and evil, the will abhorreth.

 

 2. The misery also which sin has procured, as he discerneth, so he bewaileth. It is impossible that the soul now living, should look either on its trespass against God, or its own self-procured calamity, without some compunction. He that truly discerneth, that he has killed CHRIST, and killed himself, will surely, in some measure, be pricked to the heart. If he cannot weep, he can heartily groan; and his heart feels what his understanding sees.

 

 3. The creature he now renounceth as vain, and turneth it out of his heart with disdain. Not that he undervalueth it, or disclaimeth its use; but its idolatrous abuse, and its unjust usurpation.

 

 There is a two-fold error very common in the descriptions of the work of conversion. The one, of those who only mention the sinner's turning from sin to GOD, without mentioning the receiving CHRIST by faith: the other, of those who only mention the sinner's believing, and then think they have said all: nay, they blame them as legalists, who make any thing but the bare believing of the love of God ill CHRIST to us, to be part of the work; and would persuade poor souls to question all their former comforts, and conclude the work to have been only legal, because they have made their change of heart, and turning from sin, part of it; and have taken up part of their comfort from the reviewing of these.

 

 Indeed, should they take up here without CHRIST, or take such a change instead of CHRIST, in whole or in part, the reprehension were just. But can CHRIST be the way, where the creature is the end Is he not the only way to the FATHER Can we seek to CHRIST to reconcile us to God, while in our hearts we prefer the creature before him In the soul of every unregenerate man, the creature is both GOD and CHRIST. Can CHRIST be believed in, where our own righteousness, or any other thing, is trusted as our Savior

 

 The truth is, as turning from the creature to God, and not by CHRIST, is no true turning; so believing in CHRIST while the creature has our hearts is no true believing. And therefore in the work of self-examination, whoever would find in himself a thorough sincere work, must find, in entire work; even the one of these as well as the other. In the review of which entire work, there is no doubt but his soul may take comfort: and it is not to' be made so light of, as most do, that Scripture doth so ordinarily put repentance before faith, and make them jointly conditions of the Gospel: which repentance contains those acts of the will before expressed.

 

Iris true, if we take faith in the largest sense, then it contains repentance in it: but if we take it strictly, no doubt there are some acts of it go before repentance, and some follow after.

 

 4. And as the will is thus averted from the forementioned objects; so at the same time doth it cleave to GOD the FATHER, and to CHRIST. Its first acting consists especially in intending and desiring GOD for his portion and chief good; having before been convinced, that nothing else can be his happiness, he now finds `lt~ Go n; and therefore looks towards it. But it is yet rather with desire than hope: for, alas! the sinner has already found himself to be a stranger and enemy to GOD, under the guilt of sin, and curse of the Law, and knows there is no corning to him in peace, until his case be altered; and therefore having before been convinced also, that only CHRIST is able and willing to do this, and having heard this mercy in the Gospel freely offered, his next act is, to accept of CHRIST as his Savior and LORD.

 

 Therefore both mistake: They who only mention our turning to CHRIST, and they who only mention our turning to GOD, in this work of conversion ST. PAUL'S preaching was "repentance towards GOD, and faith toward our LORD JESUS CHRIST." And "life eternal" consists, first in knowing "the only true GOD," and then, "JESUS CHRIST whom he has sent." (John 17: 3.) The former is the natural part of the covenant, to take the LORD only for our God. The latter is the supernatural part, to take CHRIST only for our Redeemer. The former is first necessary, and implied in the latter. Though repentance and good works are required to our full justification at judgment, as subservient to, or concurrent with faith; yet is the nature of this justifying faith itself contained, in accepting of CHRIST for Savior and LORD. I call it accepting, it being principally an act of the will; but yet also of the whole soul: This accepting being that which the Gospel presseth to, and calls the receiving or accepting CHRIST. I call it an affectionate accepting, though love seem distinct from faith, yet I take it as essential to that faith that justifies. To accept CHRIST without love, is not justifying faith nor doth love follow as a fruit, but immediately concur, as essential to a true accepting.

 

It is an accepting him for our Savior and LORD; for in both relations will he be received, or not at all. It is not only to acknowledge his sufferings, and accept of pardon and glory, but to acknowledge his sovereignty, and submit to his government, and way of saving.

 

 The work (which CHRIST, thus accepted of, is to perform) is, to bring the sinners to God, that they may be happy in him; and this both really by his SPIRIT, and relatively in reconciling them, and making them sons; and to present them perfect before him at last, and to possess them of the kingdom. The obtaining of these are the sinner's lawful ends in receiving CHRIST; and to these uses doth he offer himself to us.

 

 5. To this end doth the sinner now enter into a cordial covenant with CHRIST. But he was never strictly, nor comfortably in covenant with CHRIST until now. He is sure CHRIST doth consent, and now doth he cordially consent himself; and so the agreement is fully made.

 

 6. With this covenant concurs, a mutual delivery; CHRIST delivereth himself in all comfortable relations to the sinner, and the sinner delivereth up himself to be saved and ruled by CHRIST. Now doth the soul resolvedly conclude, I have been blindly led by the flesh, the world, and the Devil, too long, almost to my destruction; I will now be wholly at the disposal of my LORD, who has bought me with his blood, and will bring me to his glory. And thus the complete work of saving faith consists in this covenanting, or mystical marriage of the sinner to CHRIST.

 

 Thus you have a naked enumeration of the essentials of this people of GOD: not a full portraiture of them in all their excellencies, nor all the notes whereby they be discerned. And though it will be part of the following application, to put you upon trial; yet because the description is now before your eyes, and these evidencing works are fresh in your memory, it will not be unseasonable to take an account of your own estates, and to view yourselves exactly in this glass, before you pass. And I beseech thee, reader, as thou hast the hope of a Christian, yea, or the reason of a man, to deal thoroughly, and search carefully, and judge thyself as one that must shortly be judged by the righteous GOD; and faithfully answer to these few questions.

 

 And first, Hast thou been throughly convinced o universal depravation through thy whole soul And a universal wickedness through thy whole life And how vile a thing this sin is And that by the tenor of that covenant which thou hast transgressed, the least sin deserves eternal death Dost thou consent to this law, that it is true and righteous Hast thou perceived thyself sentenced to this death by it, and been convinced of thy undone condition Hast thou further seen the utter insufficiency of every creature, either to be itself thy happiness, or the means of curing this thy misery, and making thee happy in GOD Hast thou been convinced, that thy happiness is only in God as the end and only in CHRIST as the way to him and that thou must be brought to God by CHRIST, or perish eternally Hast thou seen hereupon an absolute necessity of enjoying CHRIST and the full sufficiency that is in him, to do for thee whatsoever thy case requireth by reason of the fullness of his satisfaction, the greatness of his power, dignity of his person, and the freeness of his promises Hast thou discovered the excellency of this pearl, to be worth thy selling all to buy it Has all this been joined with some sensibility As the convictions of a man that thirsteth, of the worth of drink and not being only a change in opinion, produced by reading and education, as a bare notion in the understanding Has it proceeded to an abhorring sin Have both thy sin and misery been a burthen to thy soul And if thou couldest not weep, yet couldest thou groan under the insupportable weight of both Hast thou renounced all thine own righteousness Hast thou turned thy idols out of thy heart; so that the creature has no more the sovereignty; but God and CHRIST Dost thou accept of CHRIST as thy only Savior, and expect thy justification, recovery, and glory, from him alone Dost thou take him also for LORD and King And are his laws the most powerful commanders of thy soul Do they ordinarily prevail against the commands of the flesh, of SATAN, of the greatest on earth that shall countermand, escape it if thou canst. I know, if thy heart and life were throughly changed, thy relation to CHRIST and eternity would be changed also; he would then acknowledge thee for one of his people, and give thee a portion in the inheritance of his chosen. But if thou end thy days in thy present condition, as sure as the heavens are over thy head, and the earth under thy feet;-as sure as thou livest and breathest in this air, so sure shalt thou be shut out of this rest of the saints, and receive thy portion in everlasting fire. I expect that thou shouldest, in the pride of thy heart, turn upon me, and say, And when did God show you the Book of Life, or tell you who they are that shall be saved, and who shut out I will not answer, thee according to thy folly; but plainly discover this thy folly to thyself, that if there be yet any hope, thou mayest recover thy understanding, and return to GOD and live. First, I do not name thee, nor any other; I only conclude of the unregenerate in general, and of thee conditionally, if thou be such a one. Secondly, I do not go about to determine who shall repent, and who shall not, much less, that then shalt never repent, and come to CHRIST. These things are unknown to me; I had far rather show thee what hopes thou least before thee, if thou wilt not sit still and lose them and I would far rather persuade thee to hearken in time, before the door is shut against thee, that so thy soul may return and live, than tell thee that there is no hope of thy repenting and returning. But if the foregoing description of the people of God do not agree with the state of thy soul, is it then a hard question, whether then shalt ever be saved Even as hard a question as whether God be true Do I need to ascend up into heaven, to know, "That without holiness none shall see GOD" Or, that only " the pure in heart shall see GOD" Or, that " except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" Cannot these be known, without searching into Gore's counsels And yet dost thou ask me, howl know who shall be saved What need I go up to heaven to inquire that of CHRIST, which he came down to eater to tell us And sent his SPIRIT in his Prophets and Apostles to tell us; and has left upon record to all the world And though I do not know the secrets of thy heart, and therefore cannot tell thee by name whether it be thy state, or no; yet if thou art but willing or diligent, thou mayest know thyself, whether thou art an heir of heaven, or not. And that is the main thing that I desire, that if thou be yet miserable, thou mayest discern it, and escape it. But canst thou escape, if then neglect CHRIST and salvation " If thou love father, mother, wife, children, houses, lands, or thine own life better than CHRIST; if so, thou canst not be his disciple;" and consequently canst never be saved by him Is it not as impossible for thee to be saved, " except thou be born again," as it is for the devils themselves to be saved Nay, GOD hash more plainly and frequently spoken it in the Scripture, that such sinners as thou shalt never be saved, than he has done, that the devils shall never be saved. And do not these tidings go cold to thy heart Methinks, but that there is yet life and hope before thee, and thou hast yet time and means to have thy soul recovered, the sight of thy case should even strike thee dead with amazement. But because I would fain have thee, if it be possible, to lay it to heart, I will here stay a little longer, and show thee, first, the greatness of thy loss; secondly, the aggravations of thy unhappiness in this loss; thirdly, the positive miseries that thou must endure, with their aggravations.

 

 First, The ungodly, in their loss of heaven, lose all that glorious personal perfection, which the people of God there enjoy. They lose that shining lustre of the body, surpassing the brightness of the sun. Though even the bodies of the wicked will be raised incorruptible, yet that will be so far from being happiness to them, that it only makes them capable of the more exquisite torments. They would be glad then if every member were a dead member, that it might not feel the punishment inflicted on it; and if the whole body were a rotten carcass, or might again he down in dust and darkness. Much more do they want that moral perfection which the blessed partake of; those holy dispositions, that blessed conformity to the holiness of GOD, that cheerful readiness to his will, that perfect rectitude of all their actions; instead of these, they have their old ulcerous, deformed souls; that perverseness of will, that disorder in their facilities, that loathing of good, that love to evil, that violence of passion, which they had on earth. It is true, their understandings will be much cleared, both by the ceasing of temptation and deluding objects, and by the sad experience which they will have in hell, of the falsehood of their former conceits and delusions. But the evil disposition is never the more changed; they have the same dispositions still, and fain would commit the same sins, if they could; they want but opportunity. Certainly they shall have none of the glorious perfections of the saints, either in soul or body. There will be a greater difference between these wretches and the glorified Christian, than there is betwixt a toad and the sun in the firmament.

 

 Secondly, But the great loss of the damned, will be their loss of God. They shall have no comfortable relation to. him, nor communion with him; as "they did not like to retain GOD in their knowledge," but bid him, "Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways;" so GOD will abhor to retain them in his household, or to give them entertainment in his fellowship' and glory. He will never admit them to the inheritance of his saints, nor endure them to stand amongst them in his presence; but bid them, "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity: I know you not." Now these men dare belie the LORD, if not blaspheme, in calling him by the title of their Father. How boldly and confidently do they daily approach him with their lips, and indeed reproach him in their formal prayers, with that appellation! As if GOD would father the Devil's children; or, as if the slighters of CHRIST, the friends of the world, the haters of godliness, or any that delight in iniquity, were the offspring of Heaven! They are ready now to lay confident claims to CHRIST, as if they were sincere believers; but when that time is come, and CHRIST will separate his followers from his foes, and his faithful -friends from his deceived flatterers, where then will be their presumptuous claim Then they shall find that GOD is not their Father, but their foe, because they would not be his people; and as they would not consent that GOD should by his SPIRIT dwell in them, so shall not these evil doers dwell with him: the tabernacles of wickedness shall have no fellowship with Him, nor the wicked inhabit the city of GOD; " for without are dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and whosoever loves and maketh a lie." Got) is first enjoyed in part on earth, before he be fully enjoyed in heaven. It is only they that walked with him here, who shall live and be happy with them there. O, little doth the world know what a loss that soul has, who loseth GOD! What were the world but a dungeon, if it had lost the sun What were the body but a loathsome carrion, if it had lost the soul Yet all these are nothing to the loss of GOD. S;) that as the enjoyment of God is the heaven of the saints; so the loss of GOD is the hell of the ungodly. And as the enjoying of GOD is the enjoying of all; so the loss of GOD is the loss of all. 

 

 Thirdly, As they lose God, so they lose all those delightful affections and actions, by which the blessed feed on GOD. That transporting knowledge; those ravishing views of his glorious face; the inconceivable pleasure of loving GOD; the apprehensions of his infinite love to us; the constant joys which. his saints are taken up with, and the rivers of consolation wherewith he doth satisfy them. Is it nothing to lose all this The employment of a king in ruling a kingdom, doth not so far exceed the employment of the vilest slave, as this heavenly employment exceedeth his.

 

 Fourthly, They shall be deprived of the blessed society of angels and glorified saints. Instead of being companions of those happy spirits, and numbered with those joyful and triumphant kings, they must now be members of the corporation of hell, where they shall have companions of a far different nature. While they lived on earth, they loathed the saints; they imprisoned, banished them, and cast them out of their societies, or at least they would not be their companions in labor and in sufferings, and therefore they shall not now be their companions in their glory. Now you are shut out of that company, from which you first shut out yourselves; and are separated but from them whom you would not be joined with. You could not endure them in your houses, nor in your town, nor scarce in the kingdom; you took them as AHAB did ELIAS, for "the troublers of the land;" and as the Apostles were taken for "men that turned the world upside down." If any thing fell out amiss, you thought all was through them; when they were dead or banished, you were glad they were gone, and thought the country was well rid of them. They molested you with their faithful reproving your sin; their holy conversation troubled you; you scarce ever heard them pray or sing praises in their families, but it was a vexation to you; and you envied their liberty of worshipping God. And is it then any wonder if you be separated from them hereafter The day is near when they will trouble you no more; betwixt them and you will be a great gulf set, that those that would pass from thence to you (if any had a desire to ease you with a drop of water) cannot, neither can they pass to them who would go from you.

 

 CHAPTER 2:

 

The Aggravation of the Loss of Heaven to the Ungodly,

 

 I KNOW many will be ready to think, If this be all, they do not much care. What care they for losing the perfections above What care they for losing GOD, his favor, or his presence They lived merrily without him on earth, and why should it be so grievous to be without him hereafter And what care they for being deprived of that love, and joy, and praising of GOD They never tasted sweetness in the things of that nature; or what care they for being deprived of the fellowship of angels and saints They could spare their company in this world well enough, and why may they not be without it in the world to come To make these men, therefore, understand the truth of their future condition, I will here annex these two things:

 

 First, I will show you why this loss will be intolerable, and most tormenting then, though it seem as nothing now.

 

 Secondly, I will show you what other losses will accompany these; which, though they are less in themselves, yet will now be more sensibly apprehended.

 

 First, then, That this loss of heaven will be most tormenting, may appear by these considerations: 

 

 1. The understandings of the ungodly will be then cleared, to know the worth of that which they have lost. Now they lament not their loss of GOD, because they never knew his excellency; nor the loss of that holy e.ulployment and society, for they were never sensible what they were worth. A man that has lost a jewel, and took it but for a common stone, is never troubled at his loss; but when he comes to know -what he has lost, then he lamenteth it.

 

 Though the understandings of the damned will not then be sanctified, yet will they be cleared from a multitude of errors. They think now that their honor, their estates, their pleasures, their health and life, are better worth their labor, than the things of another world: but when these things, which had their hearts, have left them in misery,-when they know by experience, the things which before they did but read and bear of,-they will be quite in another mind. They would not believe that water would drown, until they were in the sea; nor that the fire would burn, until they were cast into it; but when they feel it, they will easily believe. All that error of their mind, which made them set light by God, and abhor his worship, and vilify his people, will then be removed by experience; their knowledge shall be increased, that their sorrows may be increased. Doubtless those poor souls would be (comparatively) happy, if their understandings were wholly taken from them; if they had no more knowledge than idiots, or brute beasts; or if they knew no more in hell than they did upon earth, their loss and misery would then less trouble them.

 

 How happy would they now think themselves, if they did not know that there is such a place as heaven Now, when their knowledge would help to prevent their misery, they will not know; but then, when their knowledge will but feed their consuming fire, they shall know, whether they will or not.

 

 2. The loss of heaven will more torment them then, because as the understanding will be cleared, so it will be more enlarged, and made more capacious, to conceive of the worth of that glory which they have lost. The strength of their apprehensions, as well as the truth of them, will then be increased.’What deep apprehensions of the wrath of GOD, of the madness of sinning, of the misery of sinners, have those souls that now endure this misery, in comparison of those on earth that do but hear of it! What sensible apprehensions of the worth of life, has the condemned man that is going to be executed, in comparison of what he was wont to have in the time of his prosperity! Much more will the actual deprivation of eternal blessedness make the damned exceedingly apprehensive of the greatness of their loss; and as a large vessel will hold more water than a shell, so will their more enlarged understandings contain more matter to feed their torment, than now their shallow capacity can do.

 

 3. And as the damned will have deeper apprehensions of the happiness they have lost, so will they have a closer application of this doctrine to themselves, which will exceedingly tend to increase their torment. It will then be no hard matter to them to say, This is my loss, and this is my everlasting misery. The want of this is the main cause why they are now so little troubled at their condition; they are hardly brought to believe that there is such a state of misery, but more hardly to believe that it is like to be their own. This makes so many sermons to be lost, and all threatenings and warnings prove in vain. Let a Minister of CHRIST show them their misery never so plainly, they will not be persuaded that they are so miserable. Let him tell them of the glory they must lose, and the sufferings they must feel, and they think it is not they whom he means. We find in all our preaching, by sad experience, that it is one.of the hardest things in the world to bring a wicked man to know that be is wicked;-a man who is in the way to hell, to know that he is in that way; or to make a man see himself in a state of wrath and condemnation. How seldom do you hear men, after the plainest discovery of their condemned estate, cry out, “I am the man!” or to acknowledge, that if they die in their present condition, they are undone for ever! There is no persuading men of their misery until they feel it, except the SPIRIT of the ALMIGHTY persuade them. O, but when they find themselves suddenly in the land of darkness, perceive by the execution of the sentence that they were indeed condemned, and feel themselves in the scorching flames, and see that they are shut out of the presence of GOD for ever, it will then be no such difficult matter to convince them of their misery. This particular application of GoD's anger to themselves, will then be the easiest matter in the world; then they cannot choose but know and apply it, whether they will or not.

 

 4. Again, as the understandings and consciences of sinners will be strengthened, so will their affections be more lively and enlarged. As judgment will be no longer blinded, nor conscience stifled, so the affections will be no longer stupefied. A hard heart now makes heaven and hell seem but trifles; and when we have showed them everlasting glory and misery, they are as men half asleep; they scarce take notice what we say; our words are cast as stones against a hard wall, which fly back in the face of him that casteth them. We talk of terrible astonishing things; but it is to dead men, that cannot apprehend it. We speak to rocks, rather than to men; the earth will as soon tremble as they: but when these dead wretches are revived, what passionate sensibility! what working affections! what pangs of horror! what depth of sorrow will there then be! How violently will they fly in their own faces! How will they rage against their former madness! The lamentations of the most passionate wife for the loss of her husband, or of the tenderest mother for the loss of her children, will be nothing to theirs for the loss of heaven. Oh, the self-accusing and self-tormenting fury of those forlorn wretches! How they will even tear their own hearts, and be GOD's executioners upon themselves! I am persuaded, as it was none but themselves that committed the sin, and themselves that were the meritorious cause of their sufferings, so themselves will be the chief executioners of those sufferings; GOD will have it for the clearing of his justice. Even SATAN himself, as he was not so great a cause of their sinning as themselves, so will he not be so great an instrument of their torment. How happy would you think yourselves then, if you were turned into rocks, or any thing that had neither passion nor sense! How happy were you, if you could now feel, as lightly as you were wont to hear! And if you could sleep out the time of execution, as you did the time of the sermons that warned you of it! But your stupidity is gone; it will not be.

 

 5. Moreover, it will much increase the torment of the damned, that their memories will be as large and strong as their understandings and affections. Were their loss never so great, and their sense of it never so passionate, yet if they could but lose the use of their memory,-those passions would die, and, that loss being forgotten, would little trouble them. But as they cannot lay by their life and being; so neither can they lay aside any part of that being. Understanding, conscience, affections, memory, must all live to torment them, which should have helped to their happiness. And as by these they should have fed upon the love of GOD, and drawn forth perpetually the joys of his presence; so by these must they now feed upon the wrath of GOD, and draw forth continually the pains of his absence.

 

 And yet these men would never be brought to consider; but "in the latter days, says the Lord, they shall perfectly consider it: " when they are ensnared in the work of their own hands; when God has arrested them, and judgment is passed upon them„ and vengeance is poured out upon them to the full, then they cannot choose but consider it whether they will or not. Now they have no leisure to consider, nor any room in their memories for the things of another life: but then they shall have leisure enough, they shall be where they have nothing else to do their memories shall have no other employment, it shall be engraven upon the tables of their hearts. GOD would have had the doctrine of their eternal state to have been written on the posts of their doors, on their houses, on their hands, and on their hearts: and seeing they rejected this counsel of the LORD, therefore shall it be written always before them, in the place of their thraldom, that which way soever they look, they may still behold it.

 

 I will briefly lay down some of those considerations, which will thus feed the anguish of these damned wretches.

 

 1. It will torment them to think of the greatness of the glory which they have lost. O, if it had been that which they could have spared, it would have been a small matter! Or, if it had be: n a loss reparable with any thing else; if it had been health, or wealth, or friends, or life, it had been nothing; but to lose " that exceeding eternal weight of glory! "

 

 2. It will torment there to think of the possibility that once they were in of obtaining it. Then they will remember, the time was, when I was in as fair a possibility of the kingdom as others; I was set upon the stage of the world; if I had played my part wisely and faithfully, now I might have had possession of the inheritance; I might have been amongst yonder blessed saints, who am now tormented with these damned fiends! The LORD (lid set before me life and death, and having chosen death, I deserve to suffer it: the prize was once held out before rue: if I had run well, I might have obtained it; if I had striven, I might have had the mastery; if I had fought valiantly, I had been crowned.

 

 3. It will yet more torment them to remember, not only the possibility, but the great probability that once they were in, to obtain the crown. It will then wound them, to think, why, I had once the gales of the SPIRIT ready to have assisted me: I was fully purposed to have been another man, to have cleaved to CHRIST, and to have forsaken the world; I was almost resolved to have been wholly for GOD: I had even cast off my old companions, and yet I turned back, and lost my hold, and broke my promises, and slacked my purposes; almost GOD had persuaded me to be a real Christian, and yet I conquered those persuasions. What workings were in my heart, when a faithful Minister pressed home the truth! O how fair was I once for heaven! I had almost had it, and yet I have lost it; if' I had but followed on to seek the LORD, and blown up the Sparks of desire which were kindled in me, I had now been blessed among the saints.

 

 4. Yet further, it will much add to their torment, to remember that God himself did condescend to entreat them: How long he did wait, how freely he did offer, how lovingly he did invite, and how importunately he did solicit them! How the SPIRIT did continue striving with their hearts, as if he were loath to take a denial: How CHRIST stood knocking at the door of their hearts, sermon after sermon, and one Sabbath after another; crying out, Open, sinner, open thy heart to the Savior, and "I will come in, and sup with thee, and thou with me." Why dost thou thus delay What dost thou mean, that thou dost not open to me How long shall it be until thou attain to innocency "How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee " Woe to thee, O unworthy sinner! Wilt thou not be made clean Wilt thou not be pardoned, and sanctified, and made happy When shall it once be! O that thou wouldest hearken to my word, and obey my Gospel! " Then should thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Though thy sins were as red as crimson, I would make them as white as the snow. O that thou Overt but wise to consider this! and that thou wouldest in time remember thy latter end, before the evil days come upon thee, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say of all thy vain delights, "I have no pleasure i n them" Why, sinner! shall thy Maker thus bespeak thee in vain Shall the GOD of all the world beseech thee to be happy, and beseech thee to have pity upon thine own soul, and wilt thou not regard him Why did he make thy ears, but to hear his voice Why did he make thy understanding, but to consider Or thy heart, but to entertain the Son in love "Thus says the LORD of Hosts, Consider thy ways."

 

 O how all these passionate pleadings of CHRIST will passionately transport the damned with self-indignation! That they will be ready to tear out their own hearts! How fresh will the remembrance of them be still in their minds, lancing their souls with renewed torments! What self-condemning pangs will it raise within them, to remember how often CHRIST would have gathered them to himself," even as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but they would not" Then will they cry out against themselves, How justly is all this befallen me Must I tire out the patience of CHRIST Must I make the GOD of heaven to follow me in vain, until I had wearied him with crying to me, Repent, return! Must the LORD of all the world thus wait upon me, and all in vain O how justly is that patience now turned into fury, which falls upon my soul with irresistible violence! When the LORD cried out to me in his word, " How long will it be before thou wilt be made clean and holy! " my heart, or at least my practice, answered, Never! I will never be so precise: and now when I cry out, How long will it be until I be freed from this torment, and saved with the saints! how justly do I receive the answer, Never, never O sinner, I beseech thee for thy own sake, think of this while the voice of mercy soundeth in thine ears! Yet patience continueth waiting upon thee; canst thou think it will do so still Yet the offers of CHRIST and life are made to thee in the Gospel, and the hand of GOD is stretched out to thee: but will it still be thus The SPIRIT has not yet done striving with thy heart: but dost thou know how’soon he may turn away, and give thee over to a reprobate sense Thou hast yet life, and time, and strength, and means; but dost thou think this life will always last "O seek the LORD while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. He that has an ear to hear, let him hear" what CHRIST now speaketh to his soul! And " to day, while it is called to day, harden not your hearts, lest he swear in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest." Forever blessed is he that has a hearing heart and ear, while CHRIST has a calling voice.

 

 5. Again, it will be a most cutting consideration to these, to remember on what easy terms they might have escaped their misery. If their work had been to remove mountains, to conquer kingdoms, then the impossibility would somewhat assuage the rage of their self-accusing conscience. If their conditions for heaven, had been the satisfying of justice for all their transgressions, the suffering of all the Law did lay upon them, or bearing the burthen which CHRIST was fain to bear; this were nothing but to suffer hell to escape hell: but their conditions were of another nature. The yoke was light, and the burthen was easy, which JESUS CHRIST would have laid upon them: his commandments were not grievous. It was but to repent, and accept him as their SAVIOR; to study his will, and seek his face; to renounce all other happiness, but that which he procureth us, and to take the LORD alone for our supreme good; to renounce the government of the world and the flesh, and to submit to his meek and gracious government; to forsake the ways of our own devising, and to walk in his holy delightful way; to engage ourselves to this by covenant with him, and to continue faithful in that covenant.

 

 These were the terms on which they might have enjoyed the kingdom. And was there any thing unreasonable in all this Was it a hard bargain to have heaven upon these conditions When the poor wretch shall look back upon these easy terms which he refused, and- compare the labor of them with the pains and loss which he there sustaineth, it cannot be now conceived how it will rend his very heart! Ah, thinks he, how justly do I suffer all this, who would not be at so small pains to avoid it Where was my understanding when I neglected thy gracious offer When I called the LORD' a hard master, and thought his pleasant service to be a bondage, and the service of the Devil and my flesh to be the only freedom Was I not a thousand times worse than mad, when I censured the holy way of GOD as needless preciseness and cried out on it, as an intolerable burthen When I thought the laws of CHRIST too strict; and all too much that I did for the life to come O what had all the trouble of duty been, in comparison of the trouble I now sustain Or all the sufferings for CHRIST and well-doing, in comparison

 

of these sufferings that I must undergo for ever 

 

 What if I had spent my days in the strictest life What if I had lived still upon my knees What if I had lost my credit with men, and been hated of all men for the sake of CHRIST, and borne the reproach of the foolish What if I had been imprisoned, or banished, or put to death O what had all this been to the miseries that I now suffer Would. not the heaven which I have lost have recompensed all my losses P and should not all my sufferings have been there forgotten What if CHRIST had bid me do some great matter, as to live in continual tears and sorrow, to suffer death a hundred times over, (which yet he did not,) should I not have done it How much more, when he said but, a Believe, and be saved: Seek my face, and thy soul shall live: Love me above all; walk in my sweet and holy way; take up thy cross and follow me, and I will save thee from the wrath of God, and I will give thee everlasting life." O gracious offer! O easy terms! O cursed wretch, that would not be persuaded to accept them!

 

 6. This also will be a most tormenting consideration, to remember what they sold their eternal welfare for. When they compare the value of the pleasures of sin, with the value of the recompense of reward, how will the vast disproportion astonish them! To think of a few pleasant cups, or sweet morsels, a little ease, or low delight to the flesh; and then to think of everlasting glory! What a vast difference between them will then appear! To think this is all I had for my soul, my God, my hopes of blessedness! It cannot possibly be expressed how these thoughts will tear his heart. Then will he exclaim against his folly, O miserable wretch! Did I set my soul to sale for so base a price, Did I part with my God for a little dirt and dross and sell my SAVIOR, as JUDAS, for a little silver O for how small a matter have I parted with my happiness! I had but a dream of delight, for my hopes of heaven; and now I am awaked, it is all vanished. Where are now my honors and attendance My morsels are now turned to gall, and my cups to wormwood. They delighted me no longer than while they were passing down; and is this all that I have had for the inestimable treasure O what a mad exchange did I make! What if I had gained all the world, arid lost my soul But, alas! how small a part of the world was it, for which I gave up my part of glory!-O that sinners would think of this, when they are swimming in delights, and studying to be rich and honorable! when they are desperately venturing upon known transgression, and sinning against the checks. of conscience!

 

 7. Yet much more will it add unto their torment, when they consider, that all this was their own doings, and that they wilfully procured their own destruction. Had they been forced to sin, it would much abate the rage of their consciences; or if they were punished for another man's transgressions; or if any other had been the chief author of their ruin,: but to think, that it was the choice of their own wills, and that God had set them in so free a condition, that none in the world could have forced them to sin against their wills, this will be a griping thought. What, (thinks this wretched creature,) had I not enemies enough in the world, but I must be an enemy to myself' Got) would neither give the Devil, nor the world, so much power over me, as to force me to commit the least transgression. If I had not consented, their temptations had been in vain; they could but entice me, it was myself that yielded, and did the evil; and must I needs lay hands upon my own soul and imbrue my hands in my own blood Who should pity me, who pitied not myself, and who brought all this upon mine own head Never did God do me any good, or offer me any for the welfare of my soul, but I resisted him: he has heaped mercy upon me, and renewed one deliverance after another, to entice my heart to him, and yet was I never heartily willing to serve him: he has gently chastised me, and made me groan under the fruit of my disobedience, and yet, though I promised largely in my affliction, I was never unfeignedly willing to obey him.

 

 Thus will it gnaw the hearts of these wretches, to remember that they were the cause of their undoing; and that they wilfully and obstinately persisted in their rebellion, and were mere volunteers in the service of the Devil. They would venture, they would go on, they would not hear him that spoke against it: God called to them to hear and stay, but they would not: men called, conscience called, and said to them, (as PILATE'S wife,) "Have nothing to do with that hateful sin; for I have suffered many things because of it." But they would not hear; their will was their law, their rule, and their ruin.

 

 8. Lastly, It will yet make the wound in their consciences much deeper, when they shall remember, that it was not only their own doing, but that they were at so much cost and pains for their own damnation. What great undertakings did they engage in to effect their ruin, to resist GOD, to conquer the SPIRIT, to overcome the power of mercies, judgments, and the word itself; to silence conscience All this they did take upon them and perform. What a number of sins did they manage at once What difficulties did they set upon Even the conquering the power of reason itself. What dangers did they adventure on Though they walked in continual danger of the wrath of GOD, and knew he could lay them in the dust in a moment; though they knew they lived in danger of eternal perdition, yet would they run upon all this. What did they forsake for the service of SATAN, and the pleasures of sin They forsook their God, their conscience, their best friends, their hopes of salvation.

 

 O the labor that it costeth poor wretches to be damned! Sobriety they might have at a cheaper rate, and a great deal of health and ease too; and yet they will rather have gluttony and drunkenness, with poverty, and:shame, and sickness, with the outcries and lamentations of wife and children, and conscience itself. Contentedness they might have, with ease and delight; yet will they rather have covetousness and ambition, though it cost them study, and cares, and fears, and labor of body and mind, and continual unquietness and distraction of spirit. Though their anger be nothing but a tormenting themselves, and revenge and envy consume their spirits, and keep them upon a continual rack; though uncleanness destroy their bodies, and estates, and names; yet will they do and suffer all this, rather than suffer their souls to be saved.

 

 O how the reviews of this will feed the flames in hell! With what rage will these damned wretches curse themselves, and say, Was damnation worth all my cost and pains Was it not enough that I perished through my negligence, and that I sat still while SATAN played his game, but I must seek so diligently my own perdition Alight I not have been damned on free cost, but I must purchase it so dearly I thought I could have been saved without so much ado and could I not have been destroyed without so much ado How well is all my care, and pains, and violence now requited! Must I work out so laboriously my own damnation, when GOD commanded me to work out my salvation O if I had done as much for heaven as I did for hell, I bad surely had it. I cried out of the tedious way of godliness; and -yet I could be at more pains for SATAN, and for death. If I had loved CHRIST as strongly as I did my pleasures, and profits, and honors, and thought on him as often, and sought him as painfully, O how happy had I now been! But justly do I suffer the flames of hell, who would rather buy them so dear, than have heaven when it was purchased to my hands.

 

 Thus I have showed you some of those thoughts which will aggravate the misery of these wretches for ever. O that God would persuade- thee, who readest these words, to take up these thoughts now, for the preventing that inconceivable calamity, so that thou mayest not take them up in hell as thy own tormentor.

 

CHAPTER 3:

 

They shall lose all Things that are comfortable, as well as Heaven.

 

 HAVING showed you those considerations which will then aggravate their misery, I am next to show you their additional losses, which will aggravate it. For as " Godliness has the promise both of this life, and that which is to come; " and as GOD has said, "That if we first seek his kingdom and righteousness, all things else shall be added to us; " so also are the ungodly threatened with the loss both of spiritual and of corporal blessings; and because they sought not first CHRIST'S kingdom and righteousness, therefore shall they lose both it, and that which they did seek, and there shall be taken from them even that little which they have. If they could but have kept their present enjoyments, they would not have much cared for the loss of heaven: but catching at the shadow for the substance, they now find they have lost both; and that when they rejected CHRIST, they rejected all things. If they had lost and forsaken all for CHRIST, they would have found all again in him; for he would have been all in all to them: but now they have forsaken CHRIST for other things, they shall lose CHRIST, and that also for which they did forsake him.

 

 But I will particularly open to you some of their other losses.

 

 1. They shall lose their present conceit of their interest in GOD, and of his favor towards them, and of their part in the merits and sufferings of CHRIST. This false belief doth now support their spirits, and defend them from the terrors that would else seize upon them: but what will ease their trouble when this is gone When they can believe no longer, they will be quiet no longer. If a man conceit that he' is in safety, his conceit may make him cheerful until his misery comes, and then both his conceit and comforts vanish.

 

 There is none of this believing in hell; nor any persuasions of pardon or happiness, nor any boasting of their honesty, nor justifying themselves. This was but SATAN'S stratagem, that, being blindfold, they might follow him the more boldly; but then he will uncover their eyes, and they shall see where they are,

 

 2. Another addition to the misery of the damned will be this: That with the loss of heaven, they shall lose all their hopes. In this life, though they were threatened with the wrath of God, yet their hope of escaping it did bear up their hearts. We can now scarce speak with the vilest drunkard, or swearer, or scorner, but he hopes to be saved for all this. O happy world, if salvation were as common as this hope! Even those whose hellish nature is written in the face of their conversation, whose tongues plead the cause of the Devil, and speak the language of hell;, yet strongly hope for heaven, though the God of heaven has told them no such shall ever come there. Nay, so strong are men's hopes, that they will dispute the cause with CHRIST himself at judgment, and plead their eating and drinking in his presence, their preaching in his name, and casting out devils, (and these are more probable arguments than our baptism, and common profession, and name of Christians,) they will stifly deny that ever they neglected CHRIST in hunger, nakedness, prison, until CHRIST confute them with the sentence of their condemnation. Though the heart of their hopes will be broken at their death yet, it seems, they would fain plead for such hope at the general judgment.

 

 But, O the sad state of these men, when they must bid farewell to all their hopes! When their hopes shall all perish with them! "The eyes of the wicked shall fail, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost." The giving up the ghost is a fit, but terrible resemblance of a wicked man's giving up his hopes.

 

For First, as the soul departeth not from the body without the greatest pain, so doth the hope of the wicked depart. O the pangs that seize upon the soul of the sinner at death and judgment, when he is parting with all his hopes!

 

 Secondly, The soul departeth from the body suddenly, in, a moment, which has there delightfully continued so many years; just so doth the hope of the wicked depart. Thirdly, The soul which then departeth, will, never return to live with the body in this world any more; and the hope of the wicked, when it departeth, taketh an everlasting farewell of his soul. A miracle of resurrection shall again conjoin the soul and body, but there shall be no such miraculous resurrection of the damned's hope. Methinks it is the most doleful spectacle that this world affords, to see an ungodly person dying; his soul and hopes departing together. With what a sad change he appears in another world! Then if a man could but speak with that hopeless soul, and ask it, Are you now as confident of salvation as you were wont to be Do you now hope to be saved, as soon as the most godly O what a sad answer would he return!

 

 O that careless sinners would be awaked to think of this in time! If thou be one of them, who art reading these lines, I do here, as a friend, advise thee, that as thou wouldest not have all thy hopes deceive thee, when thou hast most need, thou presently try them, whether they will prove current at the touchstone of the Scripture; and if thou find them unsound, let them go, whatsoever sorrow they cost thee. Rest not until thou canst give a reason of all thy hopes; until thou canst prove that they are the hopes which grace, and not nature, has wrought; that they are grounded upon Scripture promises; that they purify thy heart; that they quicken, and not- cool thy endeavors in godliness; that the more thou hopest, the less thou sinnest, and the more painful- thou art in following on the work, and not grown more loose and careless by the increasing of thy hopes; that thou art willing to have them tried, and fearful of being deceived; that they stir up thy desires of enjoying what thou hopest for, and the deferring thereof is the trouble of thy heart.

 

 There is a hope which is a singular grace and duty; and there is a hope which is a notorious dangerous sin so consequently, there is a despair, which is a grievous sin; and there is a despair which is absolutely necessary to thy salvation.

 

 I would not have thee despair of the sufficiency of the blood of CHRIST to save thee, if thou believe, and heartily obey him; nor of the willingness of God to pardon and save thee, if thou be such a one; nor yet absolutely of thy own salvation, because while there is life and time, there is hope of thy conversion, and so of thy salvation; nor would I draw thee to despair of finding CHRIST, if thou do but heartily seek him. But, this is the despair that I would persuade thee to, as thou lovest thy soul: That thou despair of ever being saved, except thou be born again; or of seeing GOD without holiness; or escaping perishing, except thou soundly repent; or of ever having part in CHRIST, except thou love him above father, mother, or thy own life; or of ever truly loving GOD, or being his servant, while thou lovest the world, and servest it.

 

 These things I would have thee despair of, and whatever else GOD has told thee shall never come to pass. And when thou has sadly searched into thy own heart, and findest thyself in any of these cases, I would have thee despair of ever being saved in that state thou art in. This kind of despair is one of the first steps to heaven.

 

 Consider: If a man be quite out of his way, what must be the first means to bring him in again Why, a despair of ever coming to his journey's end in the way that he is in. If his home be eastward, and he be going westward, as long as he hopes he is in the right, he will go on; and as long as be goes on hoping, he goes further amiss. Therefore, when he meets with somebody that assures him that he is clean out of his way, and brings him to despair of coming home, except he turn back again;’then he will return, and then he may hope. Why, sinner, just so it is with thy soul. Thou art out that we will do thus no more, but will meet together in the worship of GOD, and help one another towards heaven, as oft as we have met for our sinful merriments, in helping to deceive and destroy each other. This would be the way to prevent this sorrow, and a course that would comfort you when you look back upon it hereafter.

 

CHAPTER 4:

 

The Greatness of the Torments of the Damned discovered.

 

 HAVING thus showed you how great their loss is, who are shut out of rest, and how it will be aggravated by those additional losses which will accompany it, I should next here show you the greatness of those positive sufferings which will accompany this loss. But I will not meddle with the quality of those sufferings, but only show their greatness in some few discoveries, lest the careless sinner, while he hears of no other punishment but that of loss, should think he can bear that well enough. That there are, besides the loss of happiness, actual sensible torments for the damned, is a matter beyond all doubt, and that they will be exceeding great, may appear by these arguments following:

 

 1. From the principal Author of them, which is God himself. As it was no less than God whom sinners had offended, so it is no less than God that will punish them for their offences. He has prepared those torments for his enemies; his continued anger will still be devoring them; his breath of indignation will kindle the flames; his wrath will be an intolerable burden to their souls. If it were but a creature that they had to do with, they might better bear it: but woe to him that falls under the strokes of the ALMIGHTY! They shall feel to their sorrow, " that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." It were nothing in comparison to this, if all the world were against them, or if the strength of all creatures were united in one to inflict their penalty. What a consuming fire is his wrath! " If it be kindled here, and that but a little," how do we wither before it, "as the grass that is cut down before the sun!" How soon doth our strength decay, and turn to weakness, and our beauty to deformity! The flames do not so easily run through. the dry stubble, as the wrath of God will feed upon these wretches. O, they that could not bear a prison, or a gibbet, for CHRIST, scarce a few scorns, how will they now bear the devouring fire!

 

 2. The place or state of torment is purposely ordained for the glorifying GOD's justice. As all the works of GOD are great and wonderful, so those above all, which are specially intended for the eminent advancing of some of his attributes. When he will glorify his power, he makes the worlds. The comely order of all and singular creatures, declare his wisdom. His Providence is shown in sustaining all things, and maintaining order, and attaining his excellent ends, amongst the confused, perverse, tumultuous agitations of a world of wicked, foolish, self-destroying miscreants. When a spark of his wrath doth kindle upon, the earth, the whole world, save only eight persons, are drowned; Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, are burned with fire from heaven to ashes; the sea shuts her mouth upon some;. the earth doth open and swallow others; the pestilence destroyeth them by thousands.; the present deplorable state of the Jews may fully testify this to the world. And yet the glorifying of the two great attributes, of mercy and justice, is intended most eminently for the life to come. As therefore, when GOD will purposely glorify his mercy, he will do it in a way that is now beyond the comprehension of the saints that must enjoy it, so that the blood of his SON, and the enjoyment of himself immediately in glory, shall not be thought too high a honor for them; so also, when the time comes that. he will purposely manifest his justice, it shall appear to be indeed the justice of God. The everlasting flames of hell will not be thought too hot for the rebellious; and when they have there burned through millions of ages, he will not repent him of the evil which is befallen them. O, woe to the soul that is thus set up for a butt, for the wrath of the ALMIGHTY to shoot at; and for a bush that must burn in the flames of his jealousy, and never be consumed!

 

 3. Consider who shall be GOD's executioners of their torment; and that is, first, SATAN; secondly, themselves. First, he that was here so successful in drawing them from CHRIST, will then be the instrument of their punishment for yielding to his temptations. It was a pitiful sight to see the man possessed, that was bound with chains, and lived among the tombs; and that other that would be cast into the:fire and into the water; but alas, that was nothing to the torment that SATAN puts them to in hell: that is the reward he will give them for all their service; for their rejecting the commands of God, and forsaking CHRIST, and neglecting their souls at his persuasion. All, if they had served CHRIST as faithfully as they did SATAN, he would have given them a better reward. 2. And it is most just also, that they should there be their own tormentors, that they may see that their whole destruction is of themselves; and they who were wilfully the meritorious cause, should also be the efficient in their own sufferings and then who can they complain of but themselves.

 

 4. Consider also that their torment will be universal, not upon one part alone, while the rest are free; but as all have joined in the sin, so must all partake of the torment. The soul, as _ it was the chief in sinning, shall be the chief in suffering; and as it is of a more spiritual and excellent nature than bodies are, so will its torments far exceed bodily sufferings. And as the joys of the soul far surpass all sensual pleasures, so the pains of the soul surpass all corporal pains.

 

 And it is not only a soul, but a sinful soul, that must sutler: the guilt which still remains upon it, will make it fit for the wrath of God to work upon: as fire will not burn except the fuel be combustible; but if the wood be dry, how fiercely will it burn then The guilt of their sins will be as tinder to gunpowder to the damned soul, to make the flames of hell take hold upon them with fury.

 

 And as the soul, so also the body must bear its part. That body that must needs be pleased, whatsoever become of its eternal safety, shall now be paid for its unlawful pleasures. That body which was so carefully looked to, so tenderly cherished. That body which could not endure heat or cold, or an ill smell, or a loathsome sight: O what must it now endure! How are its haughty looks now taken down! How little will those flames regard its comeliness and beauty! But as death did not regard it, nor the worms regard it., but as freely feed upon the face of the proud and lustful dames, and the heart of the most ambitious LORD’s or Princes, as if they had been but beggars;- so will their tormentors then as little pity their tenderness, or reverence their Lordliness. Those eyes which were wont to be delighted with curious sights, must then see nothing but what shall amaze and terrify them; an angry GOD above them, and those saints whom they scorned, enjoying the glory which they have lost; and about them will be only devils and damned souls: ah! then, how sadly will they look back and say, Are all our feasts, our games, and revels, come to this Then those ears which were wont to be delighted with music, shall hear the shrieks and cries of their damned companions; children crying out against their parents, that gave them encouragement and example in evil, husbands crying out upon their wives, and wives upon their husbands; masters and servants cursing each other; ministers and people, magistrates and subjects, charging their misery upon one another, for discouraging in duty, conniving in sin, and being silent or formal, when they should have plainly told one another of their misery, and forewarned them of this danger. Thus will soul and body be companions in calamity. 

 

 5. And the greater by far will their torments be, because they shall have no comfort left to mitigate them. In this life, when a Minister told them of hell, or conscience began to trouble their peace, they had comforts enough at hand to relieve them: their carnal friends were all ready to comfort them, but now they have not a word of comfort either for him or themselves. Formerly they had their business, their company, their mirth, to drive away their fears; they could drink away their sorrows, or play them away, or sleep them away, or at least, time did wear them away; but now all these remedies are vanished. They had a hard, a presumptuous unbelieving heart, which was a wall to defend them against troubles of mind; but now their experience has banished these, and left them naked to the fury of those flames. Yea, formerly SATAN himself was their comforter, and would unsay all that the Minister said against them, as he did to our first mother; has God said,’ ye shall not eat ye shall not surely die.' So doth he now: doth GOD tell you that you shall he in hell It is no such matter; GOD is more merciful; he doth but tell you so, to fright you from sinning: or if there be a hell, what need you fear it Are not you Christians And shall you not be saved by CHRIST Was not his blood shed for you Ministers may tell what they please, they would make men believe that they shall all be damned except they will fit themselves to their humor.-Thus as the SPIRIT of CHRIST is the Comforter of the saints, so SATAN is the comforter of the wicked; for he knows if he should now disquiet them, they would no longer serve him; or if fears or doubts should trouble them, they would bethink themselves of their danger. Never was a thief more careful lest he should awake the people, when he is robbing the house, than SATAN is, not to awaken a sinner. But when the sinner is dead, and he has his prey, then he has done flattering and comforting him. While the sight of sin and misery might have helped to save him, he took all the pains he could to hide it from his eyes; but when it is too late, and there is no hope left, he will make him see and feel to the utmost. O, which way will the forlorn sinner then look for comfort They that drew him into the snare, and promised him safety, now forsake him, and are forsaken themselves. His ancient comforts are taken from him, and the righteous GOD, whose forewarnings he made light of, will now make good his word against him to the least tittle.

 

 6. But the great aggravation of this misery, will be its eternity: That when a thousand millions of ages are past, their torments are as fresh to begin as at the first day. If there were any hope of an end, it would ease them to foresee it; but when it must be for ever so, that thought is intolerable: much more will the misery itself be. They never heartily repented of their sin, and God will never repent him of their suffering. They broke the laws of the eternal GOD, and therefore shall suffer eternal punishment. They knew it was an everlasting kingdom which they refused, and therefore what wonder if they be everlastingly shut out of it It was their immortal souls that were guilty of the trespass, and therefore must immortally suffer the pains. What happy men would they think themselves, if they might have lain still in their graves, or continued dust, or suffered no worse than the gnawing of those worms! O that they might but there he down again! What a mercy now would it be to die! And how will they call and cry out for it! O death, whither art thou crone Now come, and cut off this doleful life! O that these pains would break my heart, and end my being

 

 O that I might once die at last! O that I had never had a being!-These groans will the thoughts of eternity wring from their hearts. They were wont to think the sermon long, and prayer long; how long then will they think these endless torments What difference is there betwixt the length of their pleasures and of their pains The one continued but a moment, the other endureth through all eternity. O that sinners would lay this thought to heart! Remember how time is almost gone. Thou art standing all this while at the door of eternity; and death is waiting to open the door, and put thee in. Go, sleep out but a few more nights, and stir up and down on earth a few more days, and then thy nights and days shall end; thy thoughts, and cares, and displeasures, and all, shall be devoured by eternity; thou must enter upon the state which shall never be changed. As the joys of heaven are beyond our conceiving, so also are the pains of hell; everlasting torment is inconceivable torment.

 

 But methinks I perceive the obstinate sinner desperately resolving, if I must be damned, there is no remedy; rather than I will live so precisely, I will put it to the venture; I shall escape as well as the rest of my neighbors, and we will even bear it as well as we can.-Alas, poor creature! would thou didst but know what it is that thou dost so boldly venture on: I dare say thou wouldest sleep this night but very unquietly. Wilt thou leave thyself no room for hope Art thou such an implacable enemy to CHRIST and thy own soul And dost thou think indeed, that thou canst bear the wrath of God, and go away so easily with these eternal torments! Yet let me beg this of thee, that before thou dost so flatly resolve, thou wouldest lend thine attention to these few questions:

 

 First, Who art thou that thou shouldest bear the wrath of eon Art thou a god; or art thou a man What is thy strength to undergo so much Is it not as the strength of wax or stubble, to resist the fire or, as chaff to the wind; or as dust before the whirlwind Was he not as stout a man as thyself, who cried to God, " Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble " If thy strength were as iron, and thy bones as brass, thou couldest not bear. If thy foundation were as the earth, and thy power as the heavens, yet shouldest thou perish at the breath of his indignation. How much more when thou art but a little, creeping, breathing clay, kept a few days from stinking, and from being eaten with worms, by the mere support and favor of him whom thou thus resistest

 

 Secondly, If thou be so strong, and thy heart so stout, why do those small sufferings so dismay thee If thou have but a fit of the gout or stone, what groans lost thou utter The house is filled with thy complaints. If thou shouldest but lose a leg, or an arm, thou wouldest make a great matter of it. If thou lose thine estate, and fall into poverty and disgrace; how heavily wouldest thou bear any one of these And yet all these laid together, will be one day accounted a happy state, in comparison of that which is suffered in hell. Let me see thee make as light of convulsive, gouty, rheumatic pains, when they seize upon thee, and then the strength of thy spirit will appear. Alas, how many such boasters as thyself have I’ve seen made stoop and eat their words; and when GOD has but let out a little of his wrath, that PHARAOH, who before asked, " Who is the LORD" has cried, " I have sinned."

 

 Thirdly, If all this be nothing, go try thy strength by some corporal torment; as BILNEY before he went to the stake, would first try his finger in the candle; so do thou hold thy finger awhile in the fire, and feel there whether thou eanst endure the fire of hell. AUSTIN mentioneth a chaste christian woman, who being tempted to uncleanness by a lewd ruffian, she desired him for her sake to hold his finger one hour in the fire; he answereth, it is an unreasonable request: How much more unreasonable is it (said she) that I should burn in hell for the satisfying your lust So say I to thee; if it he an intolerable thing to suffer the heat of the fire for a year, or a day, or an hour, what will it be to suffer ten thousand times more forever What if thou wert to suffer LAW RENCE's death, to be roasted upon a gridiron, or to be scraped or pricked to death, as other martyrs were' If thou couldest not enduresuch things as these, how wilt thou endure the eternal

 

flames

 

 Fourthly, If thou be so fearless of that eternal misery, why is the least foretaste of it so terrible Didst thou never feel such a thing as a tormenting conscience If thou hast not, thou shalt do. Didst thou never see and speak with a man that lived’ in desperation, or in some degree of these wounds of spirit that was near despair.

 

 How uncomfortable was their conference How burdensome their lives Nothing doth them good which they possess; the sight of friends, or house, or goods, which refresh others, is a trouble to them; they feel no sweetness in meat or drink; they are weary of life, and fearful of death. What is the matter with these men If the misery of the damned itself can be endured, why cannot they more easily endure these little sparks

 

 Fifthly, Tell me faithfully, what if thou shouldest but see the Devil appear to thee in some terrible shape, would it not daunt thee What if thou shouldest meet him in thy way home, or he should show himself to thee at night in thy bed-chamber, would not thy heart fail thee, and thy hair stand on end I could name thee those that have been as confident as thyself, who, by such a sight, have been so appalled, that they were in danger of being driven out of their wits. Or what if some damned soul, of thy former acquaintance, should appear to thee, would not this amaze thee Alas, what is this to the torments of hell Canst thou not endure a shadow to appear before thee O how wilt thou endure to live with them for ever, where thou shalt have no other company but Devils and the damned; and shalt not only see them, but be tormented with them, and by them!

 

 Lastly, Let me ask thee, if' the wrath of GOD be to be made so light of, why did the SON of God himself make so great a matter of it When he had taken upon him the payment of our debt, and bore that punishment we had deserved, it makes him sweat water and blood; it makes the LORD of life to cry, " My soul is heavy, even to the death." It makes him cry out upon the cross, "My GOD, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" Surely, if any one could have borne these sufferings, it would have been JESUS CHRIST. He had another measure of strength to bear it than thou hast.

 

 Woe to poor sinners for their mad security! Do they think to find it tolerable to them, which was so heavy to CHRIST’ Nay, the SON of GOD is cast into a bitter agony, ’and bloody sweat, under the curse of the law only; and yet the feeble, foolish creature, makes nothing to bear also the curse of the Gospel. The good LORD bring these men to their right minds by repentance, lest they buy their wit at too dear a rate.

 

And thus I have showed you somewhat of their misery, who miss of this rest prepared for the saints. And now, reader, I demand thy resolution, what use thou wilt make of all this Shall it all be lost to thee Or, wilt thou consider it in good earnest Thou hast cast by many a warning of GOD, wilt thou do so by this also Take heed what thou doest, and how thou resolvest. GOD will not always stand warning and threatening. The hand of revenge is lifted up; the blow is coining, and woe to him on whom it lighteth. Little thinkest thou how near thou standest to thy eternal state, and how near the pit thou art dancing in thy jollity. If thy eyes were but opened, as they will be shortly, thou wouldest see all this that I have spoken before thine eyes, without stirring from the place in which thou standest. Dost thou throw by the book, and say, it speaks of nothing but hell and damnation Thus thou usest also to complain of the Minister; but wouldest thou not have us tell thee of these things Should we be guilty of the blood of thy soul, by keeping silent that which GOD has charged us to make known Wouldest thou perish in ease and silence, and also have us to perish with thee, rather than displease thee, by speaking the truth If thou wilt be guilty of such inhuman cruelty, GOD forbid we should be guilty of such sottish folly!

 

 There are few Preachers so simple, but they know that this kind of preaching is the ready way to be hated of their hearers: and the desire of the favor of men is so natural, that few delight in such a displeasing way. But I beseech thee consider, are these things true, or are they not If they were not true, I would heartily join with thee against any Minister that should offer to preach them, and to affright poor people when there is no cause. But if these threatenings be the words of God), what a wretch art thou that wouldest not hear it, or consider it Why, what is the matter If thou be sure that thou art one of the people of GOD, this doctrine will be a comfort to thee: but if thou be yet unregenerate, methinks thou shouldest be as fearful to hear of heaven as of hell, except the bare name of heaven or salvation be sufficient. Sure there is no doctrine concerning heaven in all the Scripture that can give thee any comfort, but upon the supposal of thy conversion; what comfort is it to thee, to hear that there is rest remaining to the people of GOD, except thou be one of them Nay, what more terrible, than to read of CHRIST and salvation for others, when thou must be shut out Therefore, except thou wouldest have a Minister to preach a lie, it is all one to thee, for any comfort thou hast in it, whether he preach of heaven or hell to thee. His preaching heaven and mercy to thee, can be nothing else but to entreat thee to seek them; but he can make thee no promise of it, but upon condition of thy obeying the Gospel: and his preaching hell, is but to persuade thee to avoid it. And is not this doctrine fit for thee to bear Indeed if thou wert quite past hope of escaping it, then it were in vain to tell thee of hell, but rather let thee take a few merry hours whilst thou mayest; but as long as thou art alive, there is hope of thy recovery, and therefore, all means must be used to awaken thee from thy lethargy.'

 

 O that some son of thunder who could speak as PAUL, until the hearers tremble, were now to preach this doctrine to thee! Alas, as terrible as you think I speak, yet is it not the thousandth part of what must be felt; for what heart can now conceive, or what tongue express, the pains of those souls that are under the wrath of GOD Ah, that ever blind sinners should willfully bring themselves to such unspeakable misery! You will then be crying to JESUS CHRIST, O mercy! O pity! Why, I do now, in the name of the LORD JESUS, cry to thee; O have mercy, have pity upon t line own soul! Shall GOD pity thee, who wilt not be entreated to pity thyself If thy horsy see but a pit before him, thou canst scarcely force him in; and wilt thou so obstinately cast thyself into hell, when the danger is foretold thee " O who can stand before the Lord, and who can abide the fierceness of his anger" Methinks thou shouldest need no more words, but presently cast away thy sins, and deliver up thyself to CHRIST. Resolve on it immediately, and let it be done, that I may see thy face in rest among the saints. The Lord per• suade thy heart to it, without longer delay! But if thou be hardened unto death, and there be no. remedy, yet do not say another day, but that thou wast faithfully warned, and that thou hadst a friend that would fain have prevented thy damnation.

 

 CHAPTER 5:

 

The second Use, reprehending the general Neglect of this Rest, and exciting to Diligence in seeking it.

 

 I COME now to the second use. If there be so certain and glorious rest, why is there na more seeking after it One would think that a man that aid but once hear of such unspeakable glory, and did believe what he heareth to be true, should be transported with desire after it, should almost forget to eat or drink, and mind and care for nothing else, and speak of and inquire after nothing, but how to get this treasure. And yet people who hear it daily, and profess to believe it, do as little mind it, or care, or labor for it, as if they had never, heard of any such thing, or did not believe one word that they hear.

 

 1. I shall apply this reproof more particularly to four sorts of men. First, to the worldly-minded, who is so taken up in seeking the things below, that he has neither heart nor time to seek this rest.

 

 May I not well say to these men, as PAUL to Galatians in another case, Foolish sinners Who path bewitched you" It is not for nothing that Divines use to call the world a witch; for as in witchcraft, men's lives, senses, goods, or cattle, are destroyed by a strange, secret, unseen power of the Devil, of which a man can give no natural reason.; so here, men will destroy their own souls in a way quite against their own knowledge. Would no, a man wonder, that is in his right senses, to see what riding and running, what scrambling and catching there is for a thing of nought, while eternal rest lies by neglected! What contriving and caring, what fighting and bloodshed, to get a step higher in the world than their brethren, while they neglect the kingly, dignity of the saints! What insatiable pursuit of fleshly pleasures, whilst they look upon the praises of GOD, which is the joy of angels, as a burden! What unwearied diligence is there in raising their posterity, enlarging their possessions, gathering a little silver or gold Yea, perhaps for a poor living from hand to mouth, while in the mean time their judgment is drawing near; and yet how it shall go with them then, or how they shall live eternally, did never put them to one hour's sober consideration.

 

 What rising up early, sitting up late, laboring and caring year after year, to maintain themselves and children in credit until they die. But what shall follow after, That they never think on; and yet these men cry to us, May not a man be saved without so much ado How early do they rouse up their servants to their labor Up; come away to work; we have this to do, and that to do;' but how seldom do they call them, I Up; you have your soul to look to; you have everlasting life to provide for; up to prayer, to the reading of the Scripture.

 

 What a gadding up and down the world is here, like a company of ants upon a hillock, taking incessant pains together a treasure, which death will spurn abroad, as if it were such an excellent thing to die in the midst of wealth and honors! Or as if it would be such a comfort to a man in another, world, to think that he was a LORD, or a knight, or a gentleman, or a rich man on earth What has this world done for its lovers and friends, that it is so eagerly followed, and painfully sought after, while CHRIST and heaven stand by, and few regard them Or what will the world do for them for the time to come The common entrance into it is through anguish and sorrow. The passage through it is with continual care and labor. The passage out of it is with the greatest sharpness and sadness of all. What then doth cause men so much t o follow and affect it O unreasonable, bewitched men! Will mirth and pleasure stick close to you Will; gold anti worldly glory prove fast friends to you in the time of your greatest need Will they hear your cries in the day of your calamity If a man should say to you, as EL1AS did to BAAL'S priests, "Cry aloud; " O riches, or honor, now help us! Will they either answer or relieve you Will they go along with you to another world, and bribe the Judge, and bring you off clear; or purchase you a room among the blessed Why then did so rich a man want a drop of water to cool his tongue Or, are the sweet morsels of present delight and honor, of more worth than eternal rest, and will they recompense the loss of that enduring treasure Can there be the least hope of any of these What then is the matter Is it only a room for our dead bodies that we are so much beholden to the world for Why this is the last and longest courtesy that we shall receive from it. But we shall have this whether: we serve it or no; and even that homely, dusty, dwelling, it will not afford us always neither; it shall possess our dust but till the resurrection. How then doth the world deserve so well at men's hands, that they should part with,CHRIST and their salvation to be its followers Ah, vile deceitful world! Row oft have we heard thy faithfullest servants at last complaining, O the world has deceived sue, and undone me! And yet succeeding sinners will take no warning.

 

 So this is the first sort of neglecters of heaven; which fall under this reproof.

 

 2. The second sort here to be reproved, are the profane, ungodly, presumptuous -multitude, who will not be persuaded to be at so much pains for salvation, as to perform the common outward duties of religion. Yea, though they are convinced that these duties are commanded, yet will they not be brought to the common practice of them. If they have the Gospel preached in the town where they dwell, it may be they will give the hearing to it one part of the day, and stay at home the other; or if the master come to the congregation, yet, part of his family must stay at home. If they want the plain and powerful preaching of the Gospel, how few are there in a whole town who will travel a mile or two, to hear abroad; though they will go many miles to the market for their bodies.

 

 And though they- know the Scripture is the Law of GOD, by which they must be acquitted or condemned in judgment; and that it is the property of every blessed man to delight in this law, and to meditate in it day and night; yet will they not be at the pains to read a chapter once a day, nor to acquaint their families with this doctrine of salvation. But if' they carry a Bible to Church, and let it he by them all the week, this is the most use that they make of it. And though they are commanded to" pray without ceasing; " and to " pray always, and not to faint; " to " continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; " yet will they not pray constantly with their families, or in secret. You may hear in their houses two oaths for one prayer. Or if they do any thing this way, it is usually but a running over a few formal words which they have got on their tongue's end; as if they came on purpose to make a jest of prayer, and to mock GOD and their own souls.

 

Alas! he that only reads in a book that he is miserable, and what his soul stands in need of, but never felt himself miserable, or felt his several wants, no wonder if he must also fetch his prayer from his book only, or at farthest from the strengthof his memory. SOLOMON'S request to God was, That " what prayer or supplication soever should be made by any man, or by all the people, when every man shall know his own sore, and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands before God, that Go.n would then hear and forgive." (2 Chron. 6: 29, 3O.) If these men did thus know and feel every man the sore and the grief of his own soul, we should neither need so much to urge them to prayer, nor to teach them how to perform it. Whereas, now they invite G.on to be backward in giving, by their backwardness in asking; and to be weary of relieving them, by their own being weary of begging; and to be seldom and short in his favors, as they are in their prayers; and to give them but common and outward favors, as they put up but common and outside requests. Yea, their cold and heartless prayers invite God to a flat denial- for, among men, it is taken for granted, that he who asks but slightly and seldom, cares not much for what he asks. Do not these men judge themselves unworthy of heaven, who think it not worth their more constant and earnest requests If it be not worth asking for, it is worth nothing. And yet, if one should go from house to house, through town and parish, and inquire at every house as you go, whether they do, morning and evening, call their family together, and earnestly seek the LORD in prayer; how few would you find that constantly and conscientiously practice this duty If every door were marked where they do not thus call upon the name of GOD, that his wrath might be poured out upon that family, our towns would be as places overthrown by the plague; the people being dead within, and the mark of judgment without. I fear, where one house would escape, ten would be marked out for death; then they might teach their doors to pray, "Loan, have mercy upon us; " because the people would not pray themselves_ But especially if you could see what men do in their secret chambers, how few should you find in a whole town, that spend one quarter of an hour, morning anti night, in earnest supplication to GOD for their souls. O how little do these men set by eternal rest

 

 Thus they do slothfully neglect all endeavors for their own welfare, except some public duty in the congregations, which custom or credit doth engage them to. Persuade them to read good books; and they will not be at so much pains: persuade them to learn the grounds of' the religion in some Catechism; and they think it toilsome slavery, fit for school-boys: persuade them to sanctify the Lord's Day, and to spend it wholly in hearing the word, and repeating it with their families, and prayer, and meditation, and to forbear all their worldly' thoughts and speeches; and whet a tedious, life do they take this to be; and how long may you preach to them, before they will be brought to it As if' they thought heaven were not worth all this ado.

 

 5. The third sort that fall under this reproof; are those self cozening, formal, lazy professors of religion, who will be brought to any outward duty, but to the inward work they will never be persuaded. They will preach, or hear, or read, or talk of heaven, or pray customarily or constantly in their families, and take part with the persons and causes that are good, and desire to be esteemed among the godly, but you can never bring them to the more spiritual duties, as to be constant and fervent in secret prayer; to be conscientious in the duty of self-examination, to he constant in meditation; to be heavenly minded; to watch constantly over their heart, and words, and ways; to deny their bodily senses, their delights, to mortify the flesh, and not make provision for it, to Fulfilll its lusts; to love and heartily forgive an enemy, and to prefer their brethren heartily before themselves. The outside hypocrites will never be persuaded to any of these: Above all other, two sorts there are of these hypocrites. (1.) The superficial, opiniative hypocrite. (2.) The worldly hypocrite.

 

 (1.) The former entertaineth the doctrine of the Gospel with joy; but it is only into the surface of his soul; he never gives the seed any depth of earth. He changeth his opinion, and thereupon engageth for religion, as, the right way; but it never melted and new moulded his heart, nor set up CHRIST there in full power and authority: As his religion is but opinion, so is his study, and conference, and chief business all about opinion. He is usually an ignorant, proud, hold inquirer and babbler about controversies, rather than a humble embracer of the known truth, with love and subjection: you may conjecture by his bold and forward tongue, and conceitedness in his own opinions, and slighting the judgments and persons of others, and seldom talking of the great things of CHRIST with seriousness and humility, that his religion dwells in the brain, and not in his heart; where the wind of temptation assaults him, he easily yieldeth, and it carrieth him away as a feather, because his heart is empty, and not balanced and established with CHRIST and grace. If this man's judgment lead him in the ceremonious way, then doth he employ his chief zeal for ceremonies: If his judgment be against ceremonies, then his strongest zeal is employed in studying, talking, disputing against them, and censuring the users of them; for not having the essentials of Christianity, he has only the mint and cunimin, the smaller matters of the law, to lay out his zeal upon. You shall never hear any humble and hearty bewailings of his soul's- imperfections, or any heart-bleeding acknowledgments of his unkindnesses to CHRIST, of any pantings and longings after him, from this man; but that he is of such a judgment, or such a religion, or society, or a member of such a Church: herein doth he gather his greatest comforts; but the inward and spiritual labors of a Christian he will not be brought to.

 

 (2.) The like may be said of the worldly hypocrite, who chokes the doctrine of the Gospel with the thorns of worldly cares and desires. His judgment is convinced, that he must be religious, or he cannot be saved; and therefore he reads, and hears, and prays, and forsakes his former company and courses; but because his belief of the Gospel doctrine is but wavering and shallow, he resolves to keep his hold of present things; and yet to be religious, that so he may have heaven, when he can keep the world no longer. This man's judgment may say, God is the chief good; but his heart and affections never said so, but looked upon GOD as to be tolerated rather than the flames of hell, but not desired before the felicity on earth. In a word, the world has more of his affections than GOD, and therefore is his God. This he might easily know and feel, if he would judge impartially, and were but faithful to himself; and though this man does not gad after novelties in religion, as the former; yet will he set his sails to the wind of worldly advantage. And as a man whose spirits are seized on by some pestilential malignity, is feeble, and faint; and heartless in all that he does; so this man's spirits being possessed by the plague of this malignant worldly disposition, how faint is he in secret prayer! How superficial in examination and meditation! How feeble in heart watchings, and humbling, mortifying endeavors l How nothing at all in loving and walking with God, rejoicing in him, or desiring him! So that both these, and many other sorts of lazy hypocrites there are, who though they will trudge on with you in the easy outside of religion, yet will never be at the pains of inward and spiritual duties.

 

 4. And even good men themselves deserve this reproof, for being too lazy seekers of everlasting rest. Alas, what a disproportion is there between our light and our heat Our professions and prosecution Who makes that haste as if it were for heaven How still we stand! How idly we work! How we talk, and jest, and trifle away our time How deceitfully we do the work of GOD! How we hear as if we heard not; and pray, as if we prayed not; and confer, and examine, and meditate, and reprove sin, as if we did it not; and use the ordinances, as if we used them not; and enjoy CHRIST, as if we enjoyed him not; as if we had learned to use the things of heaven, as the. Apostle teacheth us to use the world Who would think that stood by us, and heard us pray in private or public, that we were praying for no less than everlasting glory Should heaven be sought no more earnestly than thus Methinks we are none of us, all in good sadness for our souls. We do but daily with the work of GOD, and play with CHRIST, as children play with their meat when they should eat it we hang upon ordinances from day to day, but we stir not ourselves to seek the LORD.

 

 I see a great many very constant in hearing and praying, but they do not hear and pray as if it were for their lives. O what a frozen stupidity has benumbed us The plague of LOT'S wife is upon us, as if we were changed into lifeless and immoveable pillars. We are dying, and we know it, and yet we stir not; we are at the door of eternal happiness or misery; and yet we perceive it not: death knocks, and we hear it not: CHRIST calls and knocks, and we hear not: GOD cries to us,’1 To day if you will hear my voice, harden not your hearts. Work while it is day, for the night cometh, when none shall work."' Now ply your business, now labor for your lives, now lay out all your strength, now or never; and yet we stir no more than if we were half asleep., What haste do death and judgment make! How fast do they come on! They are almost at us, and yet what little haste make we! The spur of GOD is in our side, we bleed, we groan, and yet we do not mend our pace. LORD, what a senseless, sottish, earthly, hellish thing, is a bard heart! That we will not go roundly and cheerfully toward heaven without all this ado! No, nor with it neither! Where is the man that is serious in his Christianity Methinks, men every where make but a -trifle of their eternal state: they look after it but a little, b y the by; they do not make it the task and business of their lives.

 

 To be plain with you, I think nothing undoes men so much, as complimenting and jesting in religion. O if I were not sick myself of the same disease, with what tears should I mix this ink; and with what groans should I express these sad complaints; and with what heart's grief should I mourn over this universal deadness Do the magistrates among us seriously -perform their portion of the work Are they zealous for GOD Do they build up his house Are they tender of his honor Do they second the word, encourage the good, relieve the, oppressed, compassionate the distressed, and fly at the face of sin and sinners, as being the disturbers of our peace, and the only cause of all our miseries Do they study how to do the utmost they can for God To improve their power and parts, and wealth, and honor, and all their interests, for the greatest advantage to the kingdom of CHRIST, as men that must shortly give an account of their stewardship Or do they build their own houses, and seek their advancements, and contest for their own honors, and do no more for CHRIST, than needs they must, or than lies in their way, or than is put by others into their hands, or than stands with the pleasing of their friends, or with their worldly interest.

 

 And how thin are those Ministers that are serious in their work! Nay, how mightily do the very best fail in this! Do we cry out of men's disobedience to the Gospel, in the evidence and power of the SPIRIT, and deal with sin, as that which is the fire in our towns and houses, and by force pull men out of this fire Do we persuade our people, as those that know the terrors of the Lord should do Do we press CHRIST, and regeneration, and faith, and holiness, as men that believe indeed, that without these they shall never have life Do our bowels yearn over the ignorant, and the careless, and the obstinate multitude, as men that believe their own doctrine When we look them in the face, do our hearts melt over them, lest we should never see their faces in rest Do we, as PAUL, tell them weeping, of their fleshly and earthly disposition; and teach them publicly, and from house to house, night and day with tears; and do we entreat them, as, if it were indeed for their lives That when we speak to the joys and miseries of another world, our people may see us affected accordingly, and perceive that we mean as

 

we speak Or rather, do we not study words As if a Minister's business were but to tell them- a smooth tale of an hour long, and so look no more after them until the next sermon.

 

 O the formal, frozen, lifeless sermons which we daily hear preached upon the most weighty, piercing subjects in the world! How gently do we handle those sins, which will handle so cruelly our people's souls And how tenderly do we deal with their careless hearts, not speaking to them as to men that must be wakened or damned. We tell them of heaven and hell, in such a sleepy tone, and slight way, as if we were but acting a part in a play; so that we usually preach our people asleep with those subjects, which one would think should rather endanger the driving some besides themselves.

 

 In a word, our want of seriousness about the things of heaven, doth charm the souls of men into formality, and has brought them to this customary, careless hearing, which undoes them. The LORD pardon the great sin of the Ministry in this thing, and in particular, my own.

 

 And are the People any more serious than Magistrates and Ministers How can it be expected: Reader, look but to thyself, and resolve the question. Ask conscience, and suffer it to tell thee truly. Hast thou set thine eternal rest before thine eyes, as the great business which thou hast to do in this world Hast thou studied, and cared, and watched, and labored, with all thy might, lest any should take thy crown from thee Hast thou made haste, lest thou shouldest come too late, and die before the work be done Has thy heart been set upon it, and thy desires and thoughts run out this way Hast thou pressed on through crowds of opposition "towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of GOD in CHRIST JESUS" When you have set your hand to the work of God, have you done it with all your might Can conscience witness your secret cries, and groans, and "tears Can your families witness that you have taught them the fear of the LORD, and warned them all with earnestness and unweariedness, to remember God and their souls Or that you have done but as much for them, as that damned glutton would have had LAZARUS do for his brethren on earth, to warn them that they come not to that place of torment Can your Ministers witness that they have heard you cry out, " What shall we do to be saved " And that you have followed them with complaints against your corruptions, and with earnest inquiries after the LORD Can your neighbors about you witness, that you are still learning of them that are able to instruct you

 

 And that you plainly and roundly reprove the ungodly, and take pains for the saving of your brethren's souls Let all these witnesses judge this day between God and you, whether you are in good earnest about eternal rest. But, if yet you cannot discern your neglects; look but to yourselves, within you, without you, to the work you have done: You can tell by his work, whether your servant have loitered, though you did not see him; so you may by yourselves: Is your love to CHRIST, your faith, your zeal, and other graces, strong or weak What are your joys What is your assurance Is all right and strong, and in order within you Are you ready to die, if this should be the day Do the souls, among whom you have conversed, bless you Why, judge by this, and it will quickly appear whether you have been laborers or loiterers.