A Spiritual Antidote Against Sinful Contagion, Treatise 1
A SPIRITUAL ANTIDOTE FOR A Dying Soul.
Or, An Infallible Cure of all Soul-Contagion, upon the speedy, conscientious, and sincere receiving, and improving of One and twenty Ingredients.
Dear Friends,
THe great concernment of every Man in this World, is with utmost and unwearied Diligence, to take care what shall become of his Precious and Immortal Soul in another life. But much more should this be minded with double Diligence, in a time of such great Mortality; when so many fall on the right hand and on the left; when Death is raging in every street; when it is breaking in at every Door, and climbing up in every Window: Bereaving Parents of their Children, which they have brought forth with Sorrow, and brought up with care; nay, not sparing the tender Babes, that hang upon the Brest, the Children of their Parents: Separating betwixt the loving Husband, and the Wife that loves as much as he.
Now, we are not sure of to morrow, nor this hour of the next; how soon we must flie, we do not know; and a remove into eternity, will be the greatest remove we ever made: And though in his Providence, God hath removed me and my Family from the hearing of your Passing-Bells, and the doleful Lamentations that the ears of the there present, are filled with: Yet methinks I see the living laboring day and night, to Bury their Dead, while the other half, as yet remain, partly lamenting the Death of them departed, and partly looking for their own. Methinks I see many oftentimes viewing of their own Bodies, to see when the Tokens will appear. Methinks I see one sick and dying in one Room, and another in another; and those that yet are well, tread every step they take upon the Brink and Border of another World. Surely then, now is the time, if ever, for Men to be serious with God, and in good earnest about the Matters of another World: And now to pray, as those that might be arrested while they are speaking, and be fetch'd from off their knees to Gods Bar; and now to hear and do every duty, as those that are so near, so very near, to an eternal and unchangeable State. Oh what havock doth the Plague make amongst Mens Bodies! and what slaughter is Sin making amongst Mens Souls! Oh how fast are Men passing into Eternal torments, when the Plague cometh and catcheth the Drunkard, the Swearer, in his known Impiety, and the Hypocrite in his close Hypocrisie! Ah that I could bewail the doleful state of the unbelieving and impenitent, of the Christless and the Graceless Souls, that must not live in this World, and yet are unfit to go into another! And yet must (when Death comes with its commission in its hand) (Poor Souls!) must into another life; which indeed, is a living Death, and a dying Life. Oh now are they the Blessed People (whatever thoughts the World had of them) that have walked close with God; that are washed in the Blood of Christ; that have the pardon of their sins! Oh now is Christ, a gift indeed; and now is saving grace, a mercy indeed! Grace is the truest, suitablest, and most durable riches; which neither Death, nor Men, nor Devils can strip us of! Oh will not that Christ, which was not valued by sinners in their life, be of greatest worth unto them when they come to die! Oh Dreadful Souls, that have now no interest in God, nor title to his Kingdom! Oh miserable Men and Women, who have Spots and spots; Spots upon the Body, that are not the Spots of those that must remain in life; and spots upon the Soul, that are not the spots of Gods Children! That die temporally by the Plague upon their Bodies, and die eternally by the Plague upon their Hearts.
Oh, now my Friends, bless God that did encline your Hearts to close with Christ before this day of great distress did come; Do you now Repent of all the Pains you took for Heaven? Do you now not think that was the Best time you spent, which you spent upon your Knees in conversing with your God, in looking Down into your Hearts? Or do you not rather repent you spent no more? that God had no more of your Hearts and Time? that you have done no more for God? and received no more Influences from Him? Who, that waits and looks for Death, doth not wish he had better mannaged and improved his life? Do you not now finde and see the difference betwixt Christ and Earthly Friends? Earthly Friends are full of Fears to approach near unto their Friends, when they are visited with the noisom Pestilence; but Christ doth not refuse to come into his Peoples Hearts, when neighbours and Friends are afraid to come into their Houses. If the Door of your House should be shut up, yet keep open the Door of your Heart, and the *Psal. 24. 7, 9.King of Glory will come in: It is the Spots of Sin, and not Plague-Spots, that will make Christ stand at a distance from your Soul: and yet, oh, the Wonderfull astonishing Love of an Holy Christ, that will come under the Roof of an Heart that is Stained with Sin, if it be the Sinners Grief, and Burden, and Complaint! Oh then get nearer to your Lord, and follow hard after the Enjoyments of your God, and Learn your Duty, what God doth in a special manner require, and expect at your hands, at such a time as this; and then you may with greater comfort trust your self, and all your concernments with him; especially, be much in the practice of these following Duties, which, as a wel-wisher to your Souls Health and Happiness, I would minde you of.