Heaven and Hell Epitomized, Text (2 of 5)

Heaven and Hell Epitomized · Text (2 of 5)

p. 74He continueth as it were in the ſame School; death only removes him to an higher form, or (if you will) death ſends him from the School (in which he was fitted and prepared) to the Univerſity of heaven; but O ſinner, thou muſt be deprived of this p. 75happineſſe; indeed now thou eſteemeſt the Ordinances of God a burden; as precious as they are to others, they are tedious to thee. The Church is thy Goal, the Sabbath is thy ague-day, the commands of Chriſt are bonds and fetters to thee, Pſa. 72.3. The voice of thy carnal heart is, when wil the glaſſe be out? when wil the duty be done? when wil the Sabbath be over? that thou mayſt follow the world, Amos 8.5. Thou thinkeſt the prayer is too long, the Sermon is too long, the Sabbath is too long, the duties are all too long; wel, be patient but a little, a ſhort time, and thou ſhalt never be troubled with theſe long duties more; The night is coming, when there is no working, Joh. 9.4. There is no enjoying Sabbath or Sacraments, or ſeaſons of grace, no wiſdome, knowledge or device, in the grave to which thou art haſtening, Eccleſ. 9.10.

Now the Miniſter exhorteth thee to caſt away thy ſins, and come to thy Saviour, to reject thy ſoul-damning luſts, and accept of a ſoul-ſaving Lord; The Father commandeth thee by his Soveraignty over thee, and propriety in thee as thy Creatour; The Son entreateth thee, by preſenting his bloody ſweat and ſufferings unto thee, as he is p. 76thy Redeemer; The Spirit ſtirreth thee to pity thy precious ſoul, and to minde thine unchangeable eſtate, to conſider ſeriouſly in this day of Gods patience, the things which concern thy eternal peace; The Goſpel is a Treaſure of ineſtimable value, freely offered to thee, upon condition thou wilt but heartily embrace it and the eaſie yoke of Chriſt together; The Word of God chargeth, inviteth, allureth, beſeecheth, promiſeth, threateneth; all theſe like ſo many Trumpets, do loudly ſound a retreat, to call thee off from thy ſlavery to the world and fleſh, unto the glorious liberty of the Sons of God: but thou art as deaf as the Adder, and wilt not hear the voice of theſe heavenly charmes; as hard as the Rock; the waves of threatenings which daſh unweariedly againſt thee, ſtirre thee not; the ſhowres and dews of promiſes which fall on thee continually, make no impreſſion, neither mercies nor judgements, neither men nor God can prevaile with thee; Well ſinner, think of it again and again (and thy heart is hardened with a witneſſe, if it do not tremble to think of it) the hour is approaching, when thou ſhalt never have theſe tenders, theſe invitations, p. 77theſe means, theſe motions more, though thou ſhalt earneſtly, and unceſſantly deſire them, and willingly accept of them if they could be granted thee; after thou haſt fryed as many millions of yeares in hell, as there are ſtars in the heavens, piles of graſſe on the earth, and ſands on the ſea ſhoar; yet thy intreaty upon ſuch an hard condition ſhall be denied, then thou wilt befool thy ſelf to purpoſe, for ſtaying til the day after the faire, for not accepting when thou waſt wel offered; then mercy wil be mercy indeed, then grace wil be grace indeed, then the Goſpel wil be glad-tydings indeed, when by the want of them thou ſhalt fully know the worth of them.

Now God holdeth the Candle of his Word to thee, and inſtead of working, thou playeſt; inſtead of working out thy own ſalvation, inſtead of working the works of him that ſent thee into the world, thou playeſt the fool, the drunkard, the beaſt, the hypocrite, the Atheiſt; wel, thou ſhalt go into utter darkneſſe, where thoſe lights which thou now enjoyeſt, will never ſhine.

Plutarch obſerveth of Hannibal, he might p. 78once have taken Rome, and would not; afterwards he would and could not; now God offereth thee heaven, thou chooſeſt earth, and notwithſtanding he aſſureth thee, that now is the only acceptable time, now is the only day of ſalvation, yet thou wilt not hear when he calleth; I tel thee, the day is near, when thou wouldſt, but God wil not; when thou ſhalt call, but he wil not hear, and then thou ſhalt find no place for repentance, though Eſau like, thou ſeek it carefully with tears; When once thy particular judgement is paſſ'd, 'twil be in vain to beg a Pſalm of mercy.

3. Thou ſhalt at death loſe the ſociety of all the godly, even of thoſe excellent ones, in whom is the delight of Chriſt, Prov. 8.31. and all the delight of Chriſtians, Pſa. 16.3. It is a bleſſing to thee upon earth, (did the Lord but ſanctifie it to thee) that thy lot is caſt in a Land, in a Pariſh, in a family, where thoſe holy ones are, that thou mayſt hear their gracious prayers, ſee their pious patterns, and enjoy their precious precepts.Homo boni pedis. A Saint is as the Proverb is in Africa, A man whoſe coming is proſperous; this churliſh Laban could confeſſe, p. 79Gen. 30.27. and the Heatheniſh Egyptian found by experience, Gen. 39.2. All the Countrey fareth the better for a good and rich Chriſtian, he eateth not his morſels alone, but keepeth open houſe for all comers.

He both deſireth, and endeavoureth that others might be not almoſt, but altogether as he is. None are more ſpiritually covetous to make Proſelites, then the true Iſraelites. As the wall which receiveth heat from the Sun, reflecteth it on the paſſengers: ſo he wiſheth ſo wel to the worſt, that they were partakers of the ſame grace, that they may have fellowſhip with the Father, and Jeſus Chriſt his Sonne, John 1.1. Like the Bee he goeth to this and that flower, to this and that Ordinance, and ſucketh ſome ſweetneſs, ſome ſpiritual good, and carrieth all home to his houſe, to his hive. As ſin is diffuſive, a little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump, 1 Cor. 5. & 6. Some ſay, they that have the plague are very deſirous to infect others: ſo is grace, like oil ſpreading; the gracious deſire to go to an innumerable company of Angels, with a numerous company of Saints.

Their examples are amiable, and ſometimes p. 80inſtrumental for the converſion of others, 1 Pet. 3.1. 1 Cor. 7.16. Juſtin Martyr confeſſeth of himſelf, that beholding the Saints piety in life, and patience at death, he gathered their doctrine to be the truth, and was converted; their prayers are deſirable, and that in the eſteem of prophane and ungodly men, Exod. 8.28. Exod. 9.28. Acts 8.24.

In a word, The Saints are clouds which water the earth, Heb. 12. the ſalt which keepeth the world from putrefaction, Mat. 6. That place Prov. 10.25. But the righteous is an everlaſting foundation, The Hebrews expound the righteous are the foundation of the world, which but for their ſakes, would ſoon ſhatter and fall to ruine;Sanctum ſemen ſtatumen terae Iſa. 6.13 Abſque ſtationibus non ſtaret …undus.Isa 6:13 I beare up the pillars thereof, ſaith David, Pſalm 75.9. It is for the ſake of the good, that the bad are ſpared. Acts 27.24. All that ſailed with Paul, were ſaved for his ſake; How many a time have they ſtood in the gap, and diverted a flood of wrath from breaking in? Pſal. 106.30. Numb. 14.20. How many a mercy hath come flying to the world upon the wings of their prayers?

But O ſinners, herein wil be a part of thy miſery, that thou ſhalt for ever be baniſh't p. 81their company; now poſſibly thou thinkeſt the Pariſh the worſe for ſuch ſtrict inhabitants, thy dwelling the worſe for ſuch preciſe Neighbours, thy family the worſe for ſuch an humble zealous child, or ſervant; now thou do'ſt not know what thou gaineſt, when thou haſt their ſociety, but thou ſhalt know what thou loſeſt, when thou haſt loſt them to eternity.

If Cicero did ſo bewail his baniſhment from the Romane Moraliſts, that though the Countries through which he travelled, did him much honour, yet he would often look towards Italy with ſighs and tears; and if the Diſciples wept ſo much for the loſſe of Paul, they fell about his neck, and kiſſed him and wept; ſorrowing moſt of all for the words which he ſpake, that they ſhould ſee his face no more in this world, Acts 20.37, 38. how wilt thou ſigh and ſob, weep and wail, when thou ſhalt be parted from them in the other world?

Did the devout men make ſuck great lamentation for the loſſe of one good man for a little time? Act. 8.2. what lamentation ſhalt thou make for the loſſe of all good men to eternity? Surely, as in Ramah, there wil be a voice heard, lamentation, weeping p. 82and mourning for the loſſe of theſe children of God.

4. When thou dieſt, thou ſhalt loſe all thy hope (or preſumption rather.) Thy dead hope (for Saints only have a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1.3.) wil fail thee at death. As thou haſt no true holineſs, ſo thou canſt have no true hope; but ſomething 'tis likely thou haſt, upon which thou relieſt as to thy future eſtate. It may be, thou haſt the good things of this life, and thence concludeſt thy right to a better life; as if becauſe the great Houſe-keeper of the world throweth ſome bones to the dogs, therefore he muſt love them with a paternal love; thou do'ſt not conſider, their houſes may be full of gold, whoſe hearts are empty of grace, and whoſe ſouls ſhall aſſuredly come ſhort of glory, Job 22.17, 18. Pſal. 17.13, 14.

It may be it is thy profeſſion of Religion, that holds thee up by the chin, and keepeth from ſinking; as if becauſe a ſtage-player is dreſt in the Robes, and for a quarter of an houre acteth the part of a King, he muſt therefore have a real right to the Dignity, Dominions, and Revenues of the Regal Office, not believing that thoſe colours p. 83of the form, which are not laid in oyl, in the power of godlineſſe, wil be waſh't off at death, Matth. 25.8. Or it is likely, thou enjoyeſt the priviledges of the Goſpel; Sabbaths, Sacraments, and the ſeaſons of grace are the bladders, with the help of which (without an inward change) thou thinkeſt to ſwim to heaven; do'ſt thou not know that many go to hel fire with Font-water on their faces, and from the table, to the tormentour? Matth. 22.13. that Eſau a caſt-away, and Iſhmael an out-caſt, had both Abram to their father; and ſo had they whom truth it ſelf aſſureth, that they were of their father the divel, John 8.44. Circumciſion availeth nothing, nor uncircumciſion, but a new creature, Gal. 6.15. All ſuch things are but lying words, where an internal work of grace is wanting, Jer. 7.4, 5, 6.

Or poſſibly thou art a man of many performances; thou mindeſt ſecret, family, relation-duties, (which too too many neglect) praying, reading, hearing, Chriſtian communion; like the ſpider thou weaveſt a curious web out of thine own bowels, and therewith makeſt thee a houſe in which thou reſteſt quietly; but O friend, God p. 84hath**Job 8.14 15.Job 8:14 a beſome of death which will ſweep this down. This, and all the reſt as nigh as they ſeem to be to heaven, will prove but a Caſtle in the air; whether any or all theſe, or ſomething elſe be the Pillars by which thy hope is upheld in life, they wil fail thee at death; and then the rotten props being taken away, the houſe of thy hope wil fall. Theſe are all but a ſandy foundation, and therefore when that great ſtorm comes, they will down to the ground, Matth. 7.26, 27.

It is poſſible thou mayeſt hope all the time thou liveſt, but thy life and hope wil depart together; like thy neighbours, thou mayſt be ful of hope even when thou art going into the pit of deſpaire; and die in peace, though thou art going unto the place of eternal war; but the next moment after death, thy hopes wil take wings and flie away. Prov. 11.7. When a wicked man dieth, his expectation ſhall periſh, and the hope of unjuſt men periſheth. He died perhaps with his head ful of hopes and expectation, as thoſe ſeemed to have done, that came bouncing at heavens gate, with Lord, Lord open to us; but ſoon were their hearts filled with deſperation, when they p. 85heard, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I know you not. Etiam ſpes valentiſſima periit, as ſome read that fore-cited place, His great hope ſhall be little worth. A falſe heart and falſe hope can never hold out in ſuch a real hardſhip. Job 27.8. What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained, when God ſhall take away his ſoul. An Expoſitor gloſſeth on it thus; The anchor of a wicked mans hope entereth not within the vail (as a godly mans doth cloſing with God himſelf in Chriſt, Hebr. 6.19. which anchor in all ſtorms is ſure and ſtedfaſt) but is caſt upon falſe and looſe ground, and therefore when the ſtorm comes, his Anchor drives and is unſtedfaſt; and ſo his hope and heart fail together. The ſtouteſt unregenerate man alive wil drop at laſt; when God cometh to take away his ſoul, then his creſt falls, and his plumes flagge. The wicked is driven away in his wickedneſse, Prov. 14.32.

He being arreſted by death as a cruel ſerjeant, in the divels name is hurried away, and hurld into hel; as Syrens are ſaid to ſing curiouſly while they live, but to roare horribly when they die; ſo thou that art high in hope on earth, wilt be lower in grief in p. 86hel; when thou ſhalt ſee all thy hopes like Abſoloms Mule, to fail thee in thy greateſt extremity.

We ſay, if it were not for hope, the heart would break; what wilt thou do then, when thy hope ſhall depart, and thy heart continue?

How ſad wil thy condition be, when thou ſhalt fall from the high pinacle of thy preſumption into the bottomeleſſe gulph of deſperation! ſurely thy raiſed expectation diſappointed, wil prove a ſore vexation; how extreamly wilt thou be perplexed, when thou ſhalt fall as low as hel, whoſe hopes were raiſed as high as heaven! If hope deferred make the heart ſick, Prov. 13.12. then hope of ſuch happineſs wholy fruſtrated, wil kil it with a thouſand deaths.

Improbidū spirant ſperant: juſtus etiam cum expirat ſperat.When a gracious man dieth, his hope is perfected in the fruition of all (and ten thouſand times more then) he hoped for; when a graceleſs man dieth, his hope periſheth, in an utter diſappointment of all that he (though with little reaſon) ſo much expected.

5. Thou ſhalt loſe by death thy precious ſoul; this wil be a loſſe indeed; the p. 87price of this pearl is not known to thee on earth, but it wil be fully known in hel; this one head Reader, didſt thou but underſtand what is included in it, would ſtab thee to the heart; and the thought of this one loſſe, would be enough to imbitter the comforts of thy whole life. The ſoul of man is called the man, Job. 4.19. though not in a natural,Quia animaeſt principalior pars hominis, unumquodque autem conſuevit appel…ari id quod in e… eſt principalius. Aquin. in Job 4.19.Job 4:19 yet in a moral conſideration (ſaith one upon that place) it being the moſt noble, the moſt excellent part of man; and 'tis uſual to denominate the whole from the better part. The body is but an houſe of clay, its foundation is in the earth; but the ſoul the inhabitant in this houſe, is of an Angelical, ſpiritual nature; The generation of this was from heaven. Zachariah 12.1.

The operations of this are moſt noble; the Redemption of this coſt the blood of God, Pſal. 31.5. Acts 20.28. this is that part of man which is capable of the Image of his Maker. Col. 3.10. Epheſ. 4.24. the working out the ſalvation of this, is the whole of a Saints care and labour, Phil. 2.14. 'tis upon the welfare of this, that the body dependeth for its unchangeable eſtate; what a loſſe then wil the loſſe of this be?

p. 88Faci…is jactura ſepulcri.An Heathen can tel us, that it is an eaſiy matter to beare the loſſe of an earthly houſe for our bodies, when we die; but certainly it wil be hard to beare the want of an heavenly habitation for thy ſoul. Let him that bought this ware, ſpeak to its worth, and thy loſſe; What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? Or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul? Matth. 16.26. Behold what an incomparable, what an irreparable loſſe is here. It is ſuch a loſſe, there is none like it; The gain of the whole world, cannot ballance the loſſe of one ſoul. If a temporal life be more worth then meat, and the body then rayment, what is an immortal eternal ſoul worth? Couldſt thou ſet thy ſoul to ſale for all the world, yet for all that thou wouldſt be a loſer, nay, as the rich man, a beggar. This is an irrecoverable loſſe; If thou loſeſt one eye, thou haſt another; if thou loſeſt one limb, thou haſt more; if thou loſeſt thine eſtate, thou mayſt recover it again; if thou loſeſt thy life, thou mayſt be a gainer by it, thou mayſt find it again. Matth. 16.25. but if thou loſeſt thy ſoul at death, thou haſt no more; there is no ſecond throw to be caſt, p. 89no after-game to be play'd, thou art gone, thou art undone for ever. Here is a loſſe (man) that may make thy hair ſtand an end thy head, yea, thy heart to ake when thou readeſt or thinkeſt of it, do not thine eares tingle, and thy loines tremble to hear of it?

When God would ſmite the rich fool, under the fifth rib as it were, and ſtrike him ſo home, as that there need not a ſecond thruſt, he doth it in theſe words, Thou fool, this night thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee, Luke 12.20. Ah! ſad ſentence, wherein every word ſpeaketh wo, every ſyllable ſorrow and ſighs; Had it been, Thou wiſe man, the meſſage might have been wel-come, and death deſireable as a paſſage to eternal life; but it's Thou fool; had it been this year, or this month, nay, had it been this week, the man might have been fore-warned and fore-armed, but it is, this night thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee; Had it been this night thy riches ſhall be required of thee, how harſh would it have ſounded in his eares who had no other God but his gold; who like a Mole lived in the earth as his element! O how hard would it be to part this covetous p. 90muck-worm, and his Mammon of unrighteouſneſſe! but it is not thy ſilver, but thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee! Had it been, This night thy relations ſhall be required of thee, thy wife and children, and all thy kindred ſhall be required of thee, what heavy tidings would it have been to his heart, that had had no kindred in heaven! with what wringing of hands, and watering of cheeks, and ſighs and ſobs would ſuch news have been entertained! many an eye would a tender husband and father have caſt upon his loving wife and lovely babes; and O how would his eye have affected his heart with grief and ſorrow, to conſider that theſe thriving hopeful plants muſt be removed into another ſoil, that this near conjugal knot muſt be untied, and he and his deareſt relations, who had ſo often, and ſo much rejoyced together, ſo ſuddenly be ſeparated, and that for ever! but it is not thy wife that is one fleſh with thee, but thy Spouſe that is a ſpirit within thee; thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee. Had it been, This night all the means of grace ſhall be required of thee, it had been worſe then the loſſe of a limb to him that had had any ſpiritual life; the Ordinances of God to a p. 91ſoul, are as the Sun to the world, without which (notwithſtanding all its earthly delights) it would be but a place of darkneſſe, and of the ſhadow of death, Matth. 4.16. but it is thy ſoul; the former might have ſpoken the mans condition very dangerous, but this ſpeaks it altogether deſperate, Thou fool, this night thy ſoul ſhall he required of thee. The former although ſad, are yet nothing to this, not ſo much as the noiſe of a podgun to the noiſe of a Cannon. This is the great Ordnance which includes, and yet drowns thoſe ſmaller pieces.

Couldſt thou,Ambr. ult. pag. 69. ſaith one upen the fore-cited Text, purchaſe a Monopoly of all the world, hadſt thou the Gold of the Weſt, the Treaſures of the Eaſt, the Spices of the South, the Pearls of the North; all is nothing to this incarnate Angel, this invaluable ſoul: O wretched worldling, what haſt thou done, thus to undo thy ſoul! Was it a wedge of gold, an heap of earth, an hoard of ſilver, to which thou truſtedſt? ſee they are gone, and thy ſoul is required. Alas poor ſoul, whither muſt it go? to heaven? No, there is another place for wandring ſinners; Go ye into everlaſting fire, p. 92prepared for the Divel and his Angels; thither muſt it go with heavineſſe of heart, into a Kingdome of darkneſſe, a lake of fire, a priſon of horrible confuſion, and terrible tortures.

Reader, if thou art not new-born, put this caſe to thy ſelf, and ask thy ſoul what it wil do in ſuch an hour, when the grave ſhall come with an habeas corpus for thy body, and the Divel with an habeas animam for thy ſoul; when thy ſoul ſhall leave this dwelling of thy body, and paſſe naked of all its comforts into a far countrey, where Divels and damned ſpirits are the inhabitants, where ſcreeching, yelling, and howling, is the language, where fire and brimſtone is the meat, and a cup of pure wrath without the leaſt mixture is the drink, where weeping and wailing is their calling, where a killing death is all their life. Aſſure thy ſelf if thou dieſt unſanctified, thou wilt find far more, and worſe then all this.

O my ſoul, ſaith Bernard, what a terrible day ſhall that be,Bern. medita. when thou ſhalt leave this manſion, and enter into an unknown Region? who can deliver thee from thoſe ramping Lyons? who ſhall defend thee from thoſe helliſh monſters.

p. 93Now thou moſt unworthily undervalueſt thy precious ſoul, little caring what flaws by ſin thou cauſeſt in this Diamond; like the cock on the dung-hill, thou knoweſt not the worth of this Jewel, but preferreſt thy barly-corns before it. I have read, that there was a time when the Romans did wear Jewels on their ſhoes;; thou do'ſt worſe, thou trampleſt this matchleſſe Jewel under thy feet; whil'ſt thy dying body is cloathed and pampered, thy ever-living ſoul is naked and ſtarved; ſome write of Herod (I ſuppoſe becauſe of that infant maſſacre;) It was better to be his ſwine than his Sonne; for when his ſuperſtition hindred him from ſlaying his hogs, his ambition helpt him to kill his child. I ſay, it were better to be thy beaſt than thy ſoul; thou canſt every morning and evening what ever happen, take care that thy beaſts be watered and foddered, and many times in the day look abroad after them, to ſee what they ail, and accordingly take order for their ſupply; and yet O man, or rather O brute, thou canſt let thy ſoul go an whole day, and never feed it with the ſet meals of prayer, Scripture and meditation, yea, and in an whole day (nay, it may be an whole week) not p. 94ask thy ſoul in good earneſt how it doth, what it wanteth, what ſins it hath to be mortified, what grace it hath to be beſtowed or increaſed, what ſpiritual neceſſities to be ſupplied.

Reader, Is it not ſo? let conſcience ſpeak; and canſt thou read theſe lines without bluſhing and heart-breaking, that thou ſhouldeſt ſpend more time and ſtrength upon thy beaſts than upon that ſoul which truth it ſelf ſaith, is more worth than a world? Matth. 16.26. which is created capable of ſuch an high work, as pleaſing, glorifying, and enjoying God, and of ſuch an happy reward as the immediate and eternal fruition of, and communion with his infinite majeſty in heaven! Well, this ſoul thus deſpiſed, when loſt, though then too late, will be eſteemed. Hell will read thee ſuch a Lecture of thy ſouls worth, that it will make thee underſtand it, and believe it whether thou wilt or no, and then thou ſhalt have time enough (in that eternity in which thy ſoul ſhall be loſt) to befool thy ſelf for thy deſperate madneſſe, in gratifying thy bruitiſh fleſh, and thus baſely neglecting thy ſoul, that heaven-born Spirit.

p. 95Sixthly, Thou ſhalt by death loſe the infinitely bleſſed God; this is the loſſe of loſſes, the miſery of miſeries, the very hell of hell, ſuch a loſs as there was never the like before it, nor ever ſhall be again after it, ſuch a loſs as no tongue can expreſs, as no heart can conceive, yet ſuch a loſs as thou ſhalt know fully, when experimentally. The four firſt loſſes might have been born with comfort and delight by the perſon that had but gained this good, and the firſt could not have been without this. The eternal death of the ſoul conſiſteth in its fartheſt ſeparation from that God, whoſe favour is far better than life. This is the loweſt round in that ladder, by which thou ſhalt deſcend into the bottomleſs pit. This is the foot of this black bloody account, the head of that arrow which pierceth the hearts of the damned.

This is the worſt effect and fruit of ſin, that it is privative of our union with and fruition of God:Vines on James 4.8. pag. 23.Jas 4:8 Depart from me is as terrible a word as everlaſting fire: Ah whether do they go, that go from him? when he alone hath the power of eternal life: how diſmal, how dark muſt that dungeon be, where this Sun will not ſhine in the leaſt p. 96degree, with the light of his countenance well may it be called blackneſſe of darkneſſe for ever, Jude 15. the hell of the hypocrites, which will be hotteſt of all, is ſet out by this, Job 13.16. the hypocrite ſhall not come before God. Couldſt thou have all the mercies that the world can give, yet in this want of God thou wouldeſt be compleatly miſerable. Ten thouſand words cannot ſpeak a ſoul more unhappy than thoſe two words, Without God, Epheſ. 2.12. Thou mayeſt be without riches, without friends, without health, without liberty, nay without all outward bleſſings, and yet bleſſed: but if without God, thou art curſed with a curſe. When God would couch all arguments in one to perſwade to duty, this is inſtead of all, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, Jer. 7.23. when he would diſſwade and drive them from iniquity,Sicut Sole recedente ſuccedunt denſae tene brae: ſic Deo recedente ſuccedit horribilis maledictio. Paraeus in …. Hoſ. this is the ſtinging whip, Be inſtructed, O Jeruſalem, leſt my ſoul depart from thee, Jer. 6.8. When he would ſtrike Iſrael dead with a blow, this is it, Wo unto them when I depart from them, Hoſ. 9.12. How ſad a ſaying is that of Saul, I am ſore diſtreſſed! (and well he might) the Philiſtines are upon me, and God is departed from me, 1 Sam. 28.15.

p. 97If a partial Eclipſe of the Sun cauſe ſuch a drooping in the whole Creation; what will a total Eclipſe of this Sun cauſe? how mournfully doth Micah bemoan the loſſe of of his dunghil deity! Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I mor…e and what is this that ye ſay unto me, what aileth thee? Judg. 18.24. ſurely the damned, as they will have infinitely more cauſe, ſo they will with more horrour and anguiſh bewail the loſſe of the true God; though all the tears in hell are not ſufficient to bewail the loſſe of this heaven. If the body from which the ſoul is parted be ſuch a deformed ſad ſpectacle, what ſhall the condition of that ſoul be, from which God is parted for ever?

How unable are the children of God to bear the abſence of God in this life, though it be but in part, and for a ſhort time; take Heman, Pſal. 88.14, 15. Lord, why caſteſt thou off my ſoul? why hideſt thou thy face from me? I am afflicted, and ready to die, while I ſuffer thy terrours, I am diſtracted. Obſerve the good man is at deaths door, and no wonder, when as to his apprehenſion the life of his ſoul had left him: for though no man can ſee the eſſential face of God, and live; yet no Saint can live, unleſſe p. 98he ſee the providential face of God. Conſider Job a man of courage, one that had entered the liſt againſt Satan, and foild him. The Sabeans and Chaldeans were too hard for his ſervants, and captivated his cattel, but Job was too hard for them, he conquered them; the winde that blew down the houſe on his children, could not blow down the tower of his confidence, his hold on Chriſt; yet when this valiant Warriour comes to encounter with the withdrawings of God, how exceedingly is his courage withdrawn, Job 13.24. wherefore hideſt thou thy face, and holdeſt me for thine enemy? Why Lord, are all the appearances from heaven ſo black and lowring? Why is it that I ſee not the former ſmiles of thy face? O what is the cloud that hindereth the light of thy countenance from ſhining on me! What ſin is the miſt which is gathered about the true Sun, impeding my fight of thee!

Behold our Lord Jeſus himſelf, that could bear the ſpiteful buffetings of ſome, the bloody ſcourgings of others, the ſcorn and deriſions of many; that could ſuffer the treaſon of one Apoſtle, the denial of another, and the unkindneſſe of them all, p. 99without complaining; yet when the Deity did but withdraw it ſelf for a time, that the humanity might ſuffer for our ſins, how mournfully doth he ſigh out that expreſſion, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Matth 27.46. It was not his torturing from men, nor the terrours of devils, not the preſence of all the powers of darkneſs that Chriſt complained ſo much of; as the abſence of God: Now meditate, O ſinner, if the departure of God▪ though partial and temporal, were ſo terrible to his Saints, to his Son; how intolerable will the loſſe of God be to thee, when it ſhall be total and eternal! Do they mourn ſo bitterly when for a ſmall moment he forſaketh them, though with great mercies he gathereth them, when in a little wrath he hides his face from them, though with everlaſting kindneſſe he hath mercy on them? Iſa. 54.7, 8. How bitterly wilt thou complain, when he ſhall forſake thee to eternity, when he ſhall hide his face from thee for ever, and not beſtow on thee the leaſt mercy or the ſmalleſt kindneſſe! This will be a woe with a witneſſe: Suffering may be the portion of Saints; but ſeparation from God the puniſhment of Devils. As the face and p. 100comfortable preſence of God is the greateſt felicity of the ſaved;Summa mors animae eſt alienatio à vita Dei in aeternitate ſupplicii. Aug. de civit. Dei, lib. 6. ſo the full withdrawings or abſence of God will be the greateſt miſery of the damned.

Now thou doeſt not value the enjoyment of God, thou thinkeſt often that he is too neer thee; the coming of God to thee is as to the Devils a torment, Matth. 8.29. If he draw nigh to thee ſometime in a Sermon, in a private Inſtruction, in a motion of his ſpirit, or in a conviction of thy conſcience, thou wiſheſt him farther off with his preciſe laws, that thou mighſt have more liberty for thy fleſhly luſts: The voice of thine helliſh heart unto God, is, Depart from me, I deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes, Job 21.14. Well, thy petition ſhall be granted to thy deſtruction, and God will take thee at thy word, and give thee thy wiſh to thy woe, when thy doom ſhall be to depart from him, Luke 13.27. Matth. 25.41. and then thou ſhalt know the incomparable worth of him; thy underſtanding ſhall be cleared, though not changed, that thy knowledge may increaſe thy ſorrow: Thou art now wilfully ignorant of him and his Will: (ſome never look up to the Sun, but in an Eclipſe) but then thou p. 101ſhalt know ſo much of him to grind thee with tormenting grief for thy loſſe of him. As a priſoner through the grates may ſee the coſtly apparel, the precious liberty, the pleaſant and plentiful proviſion which others enjoy, wh…leſt he is vexed with hunger, nakedneſſe, cold, and bondage; So thou ſhalt ſee bread enough in the Fathers houſe, and the children ſitting round about his table, eating bread, and feaſting in the Kingdom of heaven, while thou art periſhing with hunger: Thou ſhalt ſee thoſe Rivers of pleaſures, wherein the godly bathe their ſouls, thoſe ſoul-raviſhing delights which they enjoy in God, the fountain of all good, whileſt thou art ſentenced to an eternal ſeparation from him.

Now tell me whether the ſinful wretch be not a loſer by death, when he ſhall loſe all his wealth, friends, and opportunities of grace, the company of all the Saints, all his falſe hopes of heaven, his precious ſoul, and the ever bleſſed God; & tel me whither ſin, how ſweet ſoever it be in the commiſſion, will not be bitter in the concluſion; whether in ſuch an hour, the Devil will not pay thee thy full wages, for all thy wicked works; p. 102whether it be worth the while to continue in thine unregenerate eſtate, though thou couldſt gain never ſo much, when it will certainly end in ſuch ineſtimable loſſe. In a word, anſwer me whether the greateſt pleaſure thou canſt gain for thy fleſh, the greateſt addition thou canſt gain to thy eſtate, by a ſinful irreligious life, can countervail the everlaſting loſſe of God and thy ſoul.

But this is not all, (ſinner) I have not done with thee; yet I have told thee a little of thy loſſe; for the whole of it, no tongue can tell, no pen can write; I will now tell thee thy gain by death, and then do thou caſt up the accompt, and tell me whether thy wickedneſſe will not end in woe.

Firſt, By death thou ſhalt gain a curſed perfection of ſin, (if it may be called a perfection) Upon earth the moſt notorious ſinner is a lion chained up, and kept in; but in hell he will be let looſe, and then his ravenous nature and cruel diſpoſition will appear to purpoſe.

Gurnals Armour. Part. 1. p. 257.Thou yet ſtandeſt in a ſoil (ſaith that accurate Writer) not ſo proper for the ripening of ſin, which will not come to its p. 103fulneſſe, til tranſ-planted unto hel. Thou who art here ſo maidenly and modeſt, as to bluſh at ſome ſins out of ſhame, and forbear the actings of others out of fear, when there thou ſhalt ſee thy caſe as deſparate as the Devil doth his; then thou wilt ſpit out thy blaſphemies with which thy nature is ſtufft, with the ſame malice that he doth. The vileſt man in this world Is like a ſwine in a fair meadow; but in the other world, there wil be the wallowing in the mire. Thy heart now Is like the Sea which cannot reſt, but is ever caſting up mire and dirt of ſin, foaming out thy own ſhame, yet ſtill it is ſhut up with bars and doors of reſtraining grace; hitherto ſhalt thou come, and no further; and here ſhal thy proud waves be ſtayed; but then the doors wil be opened, the banks broken down, and the flood-gates taken up; and ô what a deluge, what an overflow of ſin will be there! Here if God ſhould not put a bridle into the mouth of theſe unruly beaſts, and hold them in, there would be no living for a Saint among them; but then when the good ſhall be parted from them, the reins ſhall be laid (in ſome reſpect) on their own necks, and then they wil run p. 104to the ſame exceſſe of riot and ſin with the very divels.

Voluntas morientis confirmatur in eo ſtatu in quo moritur.All the weeping in hell will not waſh thee a whit the cleaner, and all the fire there wil not conſume the leaſt of thy droſſe. He that is filthy at death, will be filthy ſtill, and he that is unjuſt then, ſhall be unjuſt for ever. Rev. 22.11.

Arcem omnium turpitudinum.Hell may fitly be called, as Tertullian called Pompeys theatre (the glory of old Rome) a ſtye of filthineſſe. Every bottle of wickedneſſe, wil be there filled with thoſe bitter waters; thou that now makeſt a match with miſchief, ſhalt then have thy belly full. Here ſin is thy ſin and defilement; but there it wil be thy hel, thy puniſhment. Here thou ſporteſt with it, but there thou ſhalt ſmart for it; now it is thy pleaſure, but then it wil be thine everlaſting pain.

Sin is ugly to a Saint on earth, notwithſtanding all her gaudy attire, and painted face; but O what a deformed monſter wil ſhe be in hel, when ſhe ſhall be ſtript of all her ornaments of pleaſure and profit, and when all her paint ſhall be waſht off with Rivers of brimſtone. I thus preach, and thus think (ſaith Chryſoſtome) that it is p. 105more bitter to ſin againſt Chriſt, then to ſuffer the torments of hell. And holy Anſelm ſaith, that if the evil of ſin were proffered to him, and the torments of hell, he had rather chooſe hell then ſin. Thus odious ſinne is to a godly man in this world; and ſurely it will not be amiable to a wicked man in the other world; but they who now glory in their ſhame, will then be aſhamed of their glory, and find their luſts more burthenſome to them (how lightly ſoever now they go with them) then ever Priſoners did their chains and fettets.

If thy ſoul be ſo unhealthy in ſo pure an air as this (comparatively) is among the Saints of God; how diſeaſed will it be in that miſty Region of darkneſſe, in that Peſt-houſe, among Divels and infectious ſpirits

2. Thou ſhalt gain by death a fulneſſe of ſorrow; when thy ſins come to their higheſt degree, then will thy ſorrows likewiſe, both in regard of intention and duration.

1. In regard of intention; and how great this will be, I am not able to tell thee. When one was deſired to paint the Spaniſh Inquiſition, he took a Table and beſmeared p. 106it with blood, implying the torments were ſo cruel and bloody, that his pencil could not delineate them. Sure I am Phaleris Bull, Low-countrey wracks, and all out-landiſh tortures whatſoever, are but plays and bug-bears to the ſufferings of the damned; There are no ſorrows like to their ſorrows, wherewith the Lord afflicteth them in the day of his fierce wrath;Unum guttula malae conſcientiae totum mare mundani gaudij …bſorbet. Lu If the wrath of God be kindled but a little, and a ſpark thereof light into the conſcience of a Saint, what a work doth it make? there is no reſt in his fleſh, nor quiet in his bones; when the arrows of the Almighty ſtick within him, the poiſon thereof ſoon drinks up his ſpirits. Pſal. 38 3. Job 6.4. what wil their condition then be, againſt whom God ſhall ſtir up all his wrath, Pſal. 78.39. Hell is ſaid to be prepared for the Divel and his Angels, Matth. 25.41. as if the Almighty and infinite God had ſate down, and ſtudied the moſt exquiſite torments that could be, to inflict on them. As when he would glorifie the riches of his mercy, on them that love him and keep his commands, he provideth fulneſſe of joy, and greater pleaſures than the heart of man can poſſibly conceive; So when he would p. 107glorifie his Juſtice in the higheſt degree on them that hate him, and wilfully break his Laws, he prepareth fulneſſe of ſorrow, and greater pain then any, yea, then all the men in the world can poſſibly comprehend. A melancholy man may fancy (ſaith one) vaſt and terrible fears, fire, ſword,Dr. Reynolds on Hoſ. 14. p. 23. of Sermon 1.Hos 14 tempeſts, wracks, furnaces, ſcalding-lead, boyling pitch, running bell-metal, and being kept alive in all theſe, to feel their torment: but theſe come far ſhort of the wrath of God; for firſt there are bounds ſet to the hurting power of the creature; the fire can burn, but it cannot drown; the ſerpent can ſting, but not teare in pieces. 2. The fears of the heart are bounded within thoſe narrow apprehenſions which it ſelf can frame of the hurts which may be done. But the wrath of God proceeds from an infinite juſtice, and is executed by an Omnipotent and unbounded power, compriſing all the terror of all the creatures, (as the Sun doth all other light) eminently and exceſſively in it. It burns and drowns, and tears, and ſtings, and can make nature feel much more than reaſon is able to comprehend.

A wounded ſpirit who can beare? Prov. 18. p. 10814. The wiſe man gives a challenge to the whole creation, to find out a perſon that is ſtrong enough to undergo ſuch a burden, and certainly none ever dared to accept the challenge. How intolerable hath ſuch a weight been to them that are Lyons for ſtrength and courage? This cauſed Davids broken bones, and watered couch. This made Heman at his wits end, Pſal. 88.15. This made Spira that ſeven years monument of Gods juſtice,In his ſincere convert. (as Mr. Shepherd calls him) to roare ſo horribly out of anguiſh of ſpirit. This made Daniel chooſe rather to be caſt to the cruel Lyons, then to carry about with him ſuch a ravenous Lyon in his conſcience. This made ſome of the Martyrs to feel a very hell in their conſciences after their recantation; no wolfe in the breaſt, no worm in the bowels, no phrenſie ſo out-ragious as a gnawing corroding conſcience.

If the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon; O what is the wrath of God! and if his wrath be ſo terrible in this world, where there is ever ſome mixture of mercy with it, what will it be in the other world, when the ſoul ſhall have a cup of pure wrath to drink, when God ſhall ſhew the unconceiveableneſſe p. 109of his ſtrength, in tormenting the creature,Primamors animam nolentem pellit á corpore; Secunda no…entem retinet in corpore. Aug. de civit. dei lib. 21. cap. 3. and preſerving it to feel thoſe torments? (Who knoweth the power of his anger? Pſal. 90.11.) there will be tribulation and anguiſh, indignation and wrath on the ſoul of every man that doth evil, Rom. 2.8, 9. There is fire to burn, and brimſtone to choak, Matth 13.40. and chains to bind, and ſerpents to ſting, and worms to gnaw, Mark 9.44. Jude 12. and darkneſſe to affright; there is variety, univerſality, and extremity of torments.**Aug ibid l. 21. c. 13. Auſtine admires it, and ſaith, that for vehemency of heat it exceeds our fire, as much as ours doth fire painted on the wall. But the ſufferings of thy ſoul will be the ſoul of thy ſufferings; the worme that never dyeth, will be the killing death, when thou ſhalt remember all thy former ſinful pleaſures, of which nothing remaineth but thy preſent ſhame and pain; when thou ſhalt reflect upon the former offers thou haſt had, of all the dainties which others feed on in heaven, and deſpair now of ever obtaining the leaſt crumb that falleth from the Maſters table; when thou ſhalt fore-ſee the great and terrible day of the Lord Jeſus, the re-uniting of thy body to thy ſoul, the p. 110eaſeleſſe and endleſſe torments which ſoul and body muſt endure together;Memoria praeteritorum, ſenſus praſenaium & metus futurorum are the whole of the ſouls torments. thy ſins paſt will horribly perplex thee, thy preſent ſhame will lamentably confound thee, thy future tortures will unſpeakably affright thee. O it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Heb. 12. ult. one touch of it, made a man at arms to cry out ſadly, Have pity upon me my friends, have pity upon me, for the hand of God hath touched me. Job. 19.21. One blow of it broke the backs of the Angels, Jude 6. Alas ſinner, what wilt thou do under the whole weight of it? how will thy heart endure, or thy hands be ſtrong, in this day that the Lord ſhall thus deale with thee! the Lord hath ſpoken it, and he will do it, Ezek. 22.14.

Now thou canſt hear and read, and talk of hell, and be no more troubled, then Phyſicians are at the many diſeaſes which affect their Patients; nay, it may be thou doſt jear when thou ſhouldſt fear; like Leviathan, Credo quae de inferit dicuntur falſa exiſtimas, ſaid Cato to Caeſar.laugh at the ſhaking of this ſpear; if a Miniſter come to thee as Lot to his Sons in-law, and warn thee to leave the Sodome of thy ſinful ſenſual life, and tell thee that otherwiſe the Lord will deſtroy thee, that p. 111fire and brimſtone will be thy portion; he ſeemeth to thee (as Lot to them, Gen. 19.14.) as one that mocketh, thou thinkeſt that he is in jeſt; but they feel what they would not feare; now they are ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 7. and ſo wilt thou, if God prevent it not by renewing thy heart, and reforming thy life. And though now thou art ſo ſenſeleſſe that the ſeat thou fitteſt in, and the pillar thou leaneſt on, are as much affected with the threatenings and denunciation of the judgements of God, as thou art, yet then thou wilt be ſenſible enough; and thine eyes ſo dry now, will weep enough when they come to that place, where is nothing but weeping and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth, Matth. 24.51. As the love of God is a known unknown love, Epheſ. 3.18, 19. none know it fully but they that enjoy it in glory; ſo the anger of God is a known unknown anger, Pſal. 90.11. none can know it perfectly but they that ſhall feel it eternally.

2. It will be full in regard of duration; all thy ſad loſſes, and all thy ſorrowful gains will be for ever; there was nothing elſe wanting to make thee compleatly miſerable, p. 112but the everlaſting duration of them, and lo here it is; the poſitive part of thy puniſhment will be permanent; there the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mark 9.44. and the privative part alſo ſhall be perpetual, thou ſhalt ſuffer everlaſting perdition from the preſence of the Lord, 2 Theſ. 1.9. Thou ſinneſt in thy eternity, and God will make thee ſuffer in his eternity.

Thou ſinneſt againſt an infinite God, and therefore thy puniſhment muſt be infinite; which becauſe it cannot be, in regard of intention, thy back is not ſtrong enough to bear an infinite ſtroak; therefore it muſt be in duration; Infinite power cannot inflict greater or longer paines than infinite Juſtice doth call for. The debt thou oweſt to the righteouſneſs of God will be ever paying, and never paid, and therefore thou ſhalt not eſcape out of that priſon, till thou haſt paid the uttermoſt far thing, Matth. 5.23.

Ita feri, ut ſe mori ſentiat. Suer.The command of Caius Caligula to the Executioner (after he had condemned a malefactor) was ſo to ſtrike, that they might feel themſelves dying, and indure the pains of an enduring death. Such will be the everlaſting death of the damned; they p. 113will be ever, ever dying, and never dead; they ſhall ſeek death, but not find it, follow after it, but it will free from them, Rev. 9.6.

The ſame Author reporteth of one that requeſted of Tiberius Caeſar death rather than long impriſonment,Nondum tecum redii in gratiam. how he was anſwered by the Emperour; You and I are not yet friends. The truth is, the puniſhment there muſt needs be long, yea eternal, becauſe God and the ſinner ſhall never be friends: In this life God treateth with the ſoul by his Ambaſſadours upon terms of peace; nay, he beſeecheth the ſinner to be reconciled, 2 Cor. 5.21. the carnal man ſtill continueth in his enmity againſt God, walking contrary to him, and fighting againſt him; God continueth many a day, to ſome many a year, offering peace, deſiring there may be a league made; onelyonly it muſt be offenſive and defenſive; it muſt be an holy peace and league againſt the Devil, the world, and the fleſh; upon this the ſinner breaks off, he will not be an enemy to his old curſed friends: now at death this Treaty dieth, and the breach then continuing it is irreconcileable for ever. Then the King of Kings cauſeth his terrours to ſet p. 114themſelves in array againſt the ſinner, and proclaimeth open and eternal war.

Reader, for thy ſouls ſake let me beſeech thee to ponder this but one half quarter of an hour every morning, that the pain which ſin bringeth will be eternal. O how may it take off the edge of thy love to thy moſt pleaſing luſts! Endleſſe miſery muſt needs be eaſeleſſe: no condition ſo intolerable as a miſerable condition that is unalterable. Its a comfort to a woman in travel, in the midſt of her ſharp throws and bitter pangs, to think theſe will have an end; the hope of that doth much help her to hold out; but wo and alas they whoſe end is damnation, ſhall have damnation which hath no end.

It doth much ſupport the Saints under the anger of God, that though it be ſharp, it will be but ſhort, his anger endureth but for a moment, Pſal. 30.5. but then will not the heart of the ſinner be rent in pieces with rage and deſpair, to know that the wrath of God muſt abide on him? John 3. ult.

The Egyptians three dayes darkneſſe was eſteemed a ſore plague, but what will thy puniſhment (O ſinner) be, when thou p. 115ſhalt ſuffer utter darkneſſe, blackneſſe of darkneſſe for ever, Jude v. 12. Ah wounding word, ever, ever; the moſt cutting word in compariſon of it is healing; the bittereſt word, in reſpect of this, is ſweet; Deſpair will be the cutting off of all hope; and to have hope, the anchor of the ſoul, cut off, will be the deepeſt cut in the world; then the veſſel of the ſoul will be liable to all ſtorms and tempeſts imaginable.

Suppoſe that one of thy hands were to continue burning in one of our fires, as many millions of years, as there have been minutes ſince the Creation, couldſt thou undergo it with any patience? what thinkeſt thou of it? Alas! this were a mercy, a heaven to the miſery of men in hell; what wilt thou do when thy whole man ſhall ſuffer the vengeance of eternal fire? Jude 7. Who can dwell with the devouring fire? who can dwell with everlaſting burnings? Iſa. 33.14.

It is ſtoried of one Roger Biſhop of Saliſbury, that being in priſon extreamly tortured, live he would not, and die he could not: truly ſuch will the caſe be of rebellious ones; they ſhall long for death, but it will not come; and dig for it more than p. 116for hid treaſures. O how would they rejoyce and be glad, if they could finde a grave! but a being muſt be given to them that are in miſery, and life to the bitter in ſoul: It is called death indeed, becauſe … is neither deſired there, nor can it properly be ſaid to be enjoyed; it is a living death, or a dying life, ſuch a death as ſhall never taſte of life, and ſuch a life as ſhall never taſte of death. After the murderer of his ſoul hath continued in that lake of fire, as many thouſand years as there are fiſh in the mighty Ocean, and as there are creatures great and ſmall upon the whole earth, and as there are ſtars in the heavens; and after this as many millions of ages as there are hours in all the fore-mentioned time, yet after all this his torment will not be one moment neerer to an end. O eternity, eternity, eternity, what art thou? to what ſhall I liken thee, or with what compariſon ſhall I compare thee? Thou art like a vaſt Ocean which hath no banks, like an outragious fire which knoweth no bounds, like the grave that is never ſatisfied, like the barren womb that never ſaith, It is enough; in reſpect of God thou art like Melchiſedec, without father, without mother, having p. 117neither beginning of dayes, nor end of life. In reſpect of the good, like a day which had a morning, but ſhall never have an evening: in reſpect of the bad, like a night which had an evening, but ſhall never have a morning. In thee it is that the juſtice and ſeverity of God, the ſinfulneſſe and malignity of ſin, the deceitfulneſſe and vanity of the world, the madneſſe and deſperate folly of ſinners will ſufficiently be demonſtrated. In time men are whipped, but in thee it is that they are executed. In thee it is that men muſt ſuffer long, for all their abuſe of the long-ſuffering of God. In thee it is that the ſwearer ſhall have enough of wounds, and oaths, and blaſphemies, when he ſhall have Devils wounding his ſoul with their fiery darts, and when he ſhall blaſpheme the Name of God through extremity of torments. In thee it is that the Adulterer will have enough of luſt and laſciviouſneſſe, when he ſhall imbrace deformed Devils, and lie down in a bed of fire (inſtead of feathers) ſurrounded with curtains of frightful fiends. In thee it is that the drunkard wil have enough of his cups, when a cup of the pure wrath of an infinitely incenſed God, ſhall be preſented p. 118to him, and he forced to drink it all up, though there be eternity to the bottome. In thee it is that the Sabbath-breaker ſhall have enough of diſturbing Gods reſt, when he ſhall be tormented, and have no reſt day nor night for ever and ever, Revel. 14.16. In thee it is that the Atheiſt in his family ſhall have enough of his prayerleſſneſs and regardleſſeneſſe of God, when he ſhall be ever, ever praying with his whole heart for a drop of water to cool his tongue, and God ſhall never, never ſhew the leaſt regard towards him. In thee it is that the hypocrite wil have enough of putting off God with a painted holineſſe, when he ſhall find a real Hell. In thee, laſtly, it is that the covetous worldling, that like Corah is ſwallowed up of earth alive, and yet hath never enough, ſhal have fire enough, pain enough, and wrath enough in Hel.

Conſider this, ye that forget God, leſt he tear you in pieces, when there is none to deliver you, Pſal. 50.22. Good God! whether is man fallen? what deſperate hardneſſe hath ſeiſed on his heart, that he ſhould be every moment liable to ſuch a boundleſs, bottomleſſe ſea of ſcalding wrath, and yet as inſenſible of it, as if it did no whit concern p. 119him; Ah did but the ſeduced world believe thy word, they would mind other works than now they do.

But Reader, what is thy judgment? is not the mirth of every ſinner that maketh a mock of ſin worſe than madneſſe? Should not the ſting in ſins tail deterre thee more than the falſe beauty of its face allure thee? Shalt thou look hence forward upon the moſt delightful ſin as any better than Claudius his muſhrome, pleaſant, and poiſon? Well, whoever thou art that readeſt this Uſe, be confident all this, and ten thouſand times more is thy birth-right; thou art by nature an heir to this eſtate, that lieth in the valley of Hinnom: All this is the wages due to thee for thy ſervice to ſin; ſin payeth all that die its ſervants in ſuch black mony; and ſhouldſt thou go out of this world before thou art new-born, thou ſhalt as certainly find and feel more than all this in the other world, as there is a God in heaven, and as thou art a living creature on earth. The God of truth hath ſpoken it, and who ſhall diſ-annul it? Matth. 18.3. Matth. 5.20. John 3.3. though thou art not actually under it, yet then art every moment liable to it; this cloud of blood hangs p. 120night and day over thy head, and thou knoweſt not how ſoon it may break and ſhowre down upon thee. The decree and ſentence is already paſs'd in heaven, that thou who turnſt not in time, ſhalt burn to eternity; and thou canſt not tell how ſoon God may ſeal the warrant for thy execution.

Bellarmine is of opinion, that one glimpſe of hel-fire were enough to make a man turn, not only Chriſtian, but Monk, and to live after the ſtricteſt order. Drexelius tells us of a young man given to his luſt, that he could not endure to lie awake in the dark; and on a time being ſick, he could not ſleep all night; and then he had theſe thoughts, What! is it ſo tedious to lie awake one night? to lie a few hours in the dark; what is it then to lie in everlaſting chains of darkneſſe! I am here in my houſe, on a ſoft bed, kept from ſleep one night; O to lie in flames, and in darkneſſe everlaſting, how dreadful will that be? this was the means of his converſion.

O that Reader, what I have written, might work ſuch an effect upon thy ſoul; how abundantly ſhould I be ſatisfied for all my pains, how heartily ſhould I bleſſe that p. 121God, who by his providence call'd me to this task? Shall I entreat thee (as thou haſt the leaſt ſpark of true love to thy dying body, to thy immortal ſoul, to thine eternal peace) to break off thy ſins by repentance, and flie all ungodlineſſe as hell; for doſt thou not perceive out of the Word of the living and true God, that though thy luſt may be ſweet in the act, yet her end is bitter as worm-wood, ſharp as a two-edged ſword, her feet go down to death, her ſteps take hold of hell, Prov. 5.4, 5.

And in order hereunto, I deſire thee to obſerve faithfully thoſe directions I ſhall give thee in the third uſe; for I would not only open the ſore and ſhew its danger, but alſo by the help of the Phyſician of ſouls, prepare a plaiſter; the Lord enable thee to apply it for thy cure.

Take a man that is moſt addicted to his pleaſures, and bring him to the mouth of a furnace red hot, and flaming, and ask him, How much pleaſure wouldſt thou take to continue burning in this furnace for one day? he would anſwer undoubtedly, I would not be tormented in it one day, to gain the whole world, and all the pleaſures of it; ask him a ſecond time, what reward would p. 122you take to endure this fire half a day? propound what reward you wil, there is nothing ſo precious which he would buy at ſo dear a rate as thoſe torments; and yet how comes it to paſſe O God, that for a little gain, and that vile; for a little honour, and that fugitive; for a little pleaſure, and that fading, men ſo little regard hel-fire which is eternal.

By this time I hope it is day in thine underſtanding,Drex. of etern. third conſid. Rhododaphne. and thou ſeeſt clearly that there is a difference between the death of the righteous and the wicked; that as the ſame perfume, which is mortal to the ravenous vulture, is refreſhing to the true Dove; that as the ſame hearb which cureth men ſtung with Serpents killeth beaſts: ſo the ſame mortal diſeaſe which cuteth the Godly of all their ſpiritual and bodily diſtempers, killeth the wicked; they are killed with death, Rev. 6.

Heavineſſe to a Saint, may endure for the night of this life, but joy wil come in the morning of death; whereas the freſheſt ſtreams of ſinful delights, wil end in a ſalt ſea of ſorrows and tears.

I come now to a ſecond uſe, and that will be by way of examination. If it be ſo, p. 123that they who have Chriſt for their …ife …ll have gain by their death; then examine whether thou art one of them, to whom to die will be gain. Like a Merchant, caſt up the accompts between God and thy ſoul, and ſee how much thou art worth for another world; It is good husbandry to know the ſtate of thy flock, Prov. 27.23. but there is a greater neceſſity of knowing the ſtate of thy ſoul, of communing with thy own heart. Pſal. 4.5. Is it not a thouſand pities to live known to others, and to die unknown to thy ſelf? to ſpeak ſo often,Many a man may ſay of himſelf, as the …pigram… matiſt of his unneighborly Neighbor, In urbe tota nemo tam prope tam proculque nobis. and ſo much to others, and yet in the many years that thou haſt lived, never to have ſpent one houre in ſerious diſcourſe with thy ſelf, about thine eternal condition, what ſhall become of thee for ever?

Friend, it may be thou haſt been very ſolicitous to know what ſhall befall thee whil'ſt thou liveſt; is there not more cauſe for thee to be inquiſitive, what ſha…l befall thee when thou dieſt? I think it concernneth thee to be faithful and diligent about this work of examining thy ſoul, whether Jeſus Chriſt be thy life, when all thy happineſs hangs on this hinge, even thine eſtate for eternity: Trivial matters may be p. 124paſſ'd over ſleightly, but things of weight muſt be minded ſeriouſly. Reader, hadſt thou ever a matter of greater or equal concernment to thine unchangeable eternal eſtate? Are not thy following thy trade, thy providing for thy family, thy eating, drinking, ſleeping, and the moſt neceſſary things thou canſt imagine about thy outward man, but rattles and babies, but toys and trifles in compariſon of this?

Suppoſe the title I am ſpeaking of, did but concern an eſtate in Land of 100 pound per annum, which thou wert buying, wouldſt thou not conſult with this and that man, whether the Title were good or no? wouldſt thou think two or three dayes ill ſpent, in ſearching and adviſing to prevent the cozenage of thee and thy children? And doth not thy ſoul, thine eternal eſtate, deſerve more care, more time, more pains, more conſulting, ſearching and queſtioning, for fear of an everlaſting miſcarriage? Let thy reaſon be judge; Had not thoſe wyers need to be ſtrong, that have ſuch a weight as thy eternal welfare hanging on them? Should not that Anchor be caſt ſure, which is entruſted with a veſſel ſo richly laden as with thy p. 125ſoul, that Jewel of ineſtimable value more worth than a world? Can that foundation be too firmly laid, that hath ſuch a building as eternity of happineſſe depending on it. Without queſtion, thoſe deeds and evidences (if ever any) had need to be unqueſtionable, that convey the inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, reſerved in heaven.

And the rather ſhouldſt thou try thy ſoul throughly, becauſe ſhouldſt thou content thy ſelf with a counterfeit Title to heaven, (as moſt men and women amongſt us do) by vertue only of ſome deeds which the divel and thy carnal heart have forged, and ſhouldſt ſo dy, thou wouldſt aſſuredly be dealt with as a cheat, and caſt into the priſon of hell, and then thy condition will be moſt lamentable, becauſe it will be irrecoverable.

If thou miſſeſt at all when thou dieſt, thou miſſeſt for all and for ever: An error then can never be mended; there can be no ſecond throw caſt, no ſecond Edition come forth to correct the errors of the former; but the great work for which thou wert born not being done, thou art undone to eternity; and then (as godly p. 126men befool themſelves in this world, while they live, Pſal. 73.2. for their corruption, ſo) thou wilt befool thy ſelf in the other world, when thou dieſt for thy preſumption, Jer. 17.11. that thou ſhouldſt think the rotten props of a little profeſſion of a few outward priviledges, and inward good meanings (as thou call'ſt them) could bear the weight of thy ſoul and thine endleſſe ſtate, that thou ſhouldſt build ſo ſleightly for a dwelling of perpetuity. Set thy heart therefore to all the words that I ſpeak unto thee; for it is not a vain thing, but it is for thy life, Deut. 32.46, 47.

Wel friend, the great queſtion which I ſhall put to thee, will be this; Canſt thou ſay,foreign to pierce through and through, becauſe by piercing, a thing is tryed what it is within, whether found or no. To thee to live is Chriſt? thy gain by death dependeth on this, Examine thy ſelf throughly, prove thy ſelf, whither thou art in the faith or no, 2 Cor. 13.5. The Eagle tryeth her young ones by the Sun, whether they be of the right brood or no, as ſome affirm; do thou try thy ſelf by this Sun of righteouſneſſe, by this life in Chriſt, by thine ingraffing into Chriſt. Ask thy ſoul whether it be acquainted with the new birth, the new Creation, the Divine nature, the renewing in the ſpirit of thy p. 127mind, the ſanctification of the Spirit, the walking after the Spirit, the Image of God, the writing of his Laws in thy heart, the Law of the Spirit of life in Chriſt, effectual calling; unleſſe thou haſt that one thing ſignified by all theſe things, thou haſt nothing; then and not till then, thou haſt croſt thy line, ſhot the gulph, art ſafely landed in Chriſt, and haſt attained that which ever accompanieth ſalvation.

But becauſe this ſelf-tryal, though it be a neceſſary duty, yet is a work of much difficulty; It is eaſier for a man to ſpeak to the ſtatelieſt King in the world, then to him ſelf as he ought to ſpeak; and becauſe naturally, mens ſores and corruptions make them ſo unwilling to be ſearched for feare of pain, I ſhall annex two or three quickening motives to perſwade thee to this much neglected duty.

1. Conſider how eaſie and ordinary it is to be deceived, though it be in a work of ſuch infinite weight; now where the buſineſſe is weighty, and the miſtake ordinary and eaſie, it requireth thee to ſearch throughly. It's one of the moſt ordinary and eaſie things in the world, for a child of diſobedience to live and dye aſleep in ſin, p. 128and never dream of hell, till he come to awake in the other world in a bed of fire; thy deceitful heart will be night and day inclining thee to ſleep, and the divel wil be ſure to keep the cradle rocking.

Alas, how very very few are there that will be perſwaded to caſt up their ſpiritual accompts; but like men that we ſay are worſe than naught, loath the thoughts of looking into, or ſumming up their eſtates; or like ſome women, when they come to be old, turn the back-ſide of their looking-glaſſes towards them, as unwilling to ſee their own wrinckles, and deformity.

And of thoſe that do ſometimes examine themſelves, how many are there that do it ſleightly and ſuperficially, contenting themſelves with falſe marks, quickly believing what they would have, even all to be well till they are ſent to be undeceived in hell?

Maud mother to King Henry the ſecond, being beſieged at Oxford, ſhe got away with white apparel in the ſnow undiſcovered.Cambd. Brit. So do many hypocrites with their profeſſion of ſnow like purity paſſe among men, but God knowes the heart.

p. 129All is not gold that gliſters, nor is all grace that makes a fair ſhew in the fleſh; there is much counterfeit coin in the world, that goeth currant among men, as if it were as good as the beſt; ſo there is a great deal of counterfeit holineſſe in the world, a great deal of civility, of morality, of common grace, which is taken (or rather miſtaken) by men for true ſaving grace; much fancy is taken for faith, preſumption for hope, ſelf-love for Saint love, and worldly ſighs for godly ſorrow.

What can the Saint do, but as to the outward appearance, the ſinner may do the ſame? as the divel is Gods ape, ſo is the ſelf-deluding ſoul not ſeldom the Saints ape.

Doth the Saint abſtain from groſſe ſins? ſo doth he whoſe Religion conſiſted ſo much in Negatives, Luke 18.11. Doth the Saint pray? ſo do the Phariſees, and make long prayers too, Matth. 23.14. Do the Saints faſt? Nehem. 1.4. Dan. 9. So do they, Matth. 6.16, 9, 14. and it may be twice in one week, Luke 18.11. Do the Saints give alms? Acts 10. ſo do they, Matth. 6.1, 2. Do the Saints confeſſe ſin, the ſinner can do it in the very ſame words, p. 1301 Sam. 15.24. Doth Ephraim repent? Jer. 31.18. ſo doth Judas, Matth. 27.3. Doth Abram believe? Rom. 4. ſo doth Simon Magus, Act. 8.13. Doth Hezekiah humble himſelf? 2 Chron. 32.26. ſo doth Ahab, and walk ſoftly into the bargain, 1 Kings 22.15. Doth the man after Gods own heart fulfill all Gods will? Act. 13.22. you ſhall hear that a Jehu ſhall do very much, and that by a teſtimony from Gods own mouth, 1 Kings 10.31. Thou haſt done well in executing that which was right in mine eyes, thou haſt done unto the houſe of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart: What a great reſemblance is there in all theſe outwardly? but a vaſt difference inwardly. The ungodly ſometimes do attain to the outward actions, but never to the inward ſanctified affections of the godly. As the painter may paint fire, but he cannot paint heat, that is beyond his skill. Many titular Chriſtians are like the Onyx-ſtone, of which Naturaliſts write, that it is clear and bright in the ſuperficies, but dark and muddy at the center; men of civil converſation, but not of ſanctified affections. Now all this calleth aloud to thee, to try thy ſelf whether thou goeſt beyond them, that do all p. 131before-mentioned, and yet come ſhort of heaven.

Beſides it is not ſeldome that a true Chriſtian, for want of a prudent trial judgeth himſelf unſound; As the face of Moſes, ſo his heart ſhines with grace, and he knoweth it not; Chriſt is in him, as he was with the two Diſciples, and he (as they) is ignorant of it. Many Chriſtians like Hagar, weep and mourn, that they muſt die for thirſt, when the water of life is by them, yea within them.

There is that maketh himſelf rich (full of peace and joy, from aſſurance of Gods favour and his ſalvation, yet hath nothing, (not one jot of grace or true ground of joy) there is that maketh himſelf poo… (perſwadeth himſelf to be in a moſt wretched eſtate) and yet hath great riches, Pro. 13.7.) is highly in Gods favour, and hath great ſtore of ſaving grace.

But moſt cōmonly the error is on the other ſide; how doth every ſwaggering, or at beſt, civilized ſinner preſume that he is a Saint? how often hath he blear-eyed Leah lying by him all night, and he thinketh it is beautiful Rachel, til the light of the morning diſcover the contrary? how many have the p. 132Devil and the world lodging in their arms and embraces, and think it is Chriſt, the faireſt of ten thouſand, till upon examination it be found otherwiſe?

Reader, take heed this be not thy caſe, that thou like Uriah carrieſt letters about thee, importing thy own execution, and yet thou not know of it; it is ordinary for men to think they are ſpiritually rich, and increaſed with good, and to have need of nothing, and not to know that they are wretched and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked, Revel. 3.17. they cry like Agag, Surely the bitterneſſe of death is paſt; there is no fear of death, of wrath, of hell, or damnation, when they are liable every moment to be hewn in pieces before the Lord, to be torn in pieces by the roaring lion: O how many a precious veſſel (ſoul I mean) hath been ſplit upon this rock of preſumption! Doth it not therefore concern thee to be ſerious and faithful in ſearching thy heart, leſt thou ſhouldſt (as the moſt) deceive thy ſelf about a buſineſſe of ſuch unſpeakable conſequence?

Secondly, conſider the fewneſſe of them that have Chriſt for their life, or that live p. 133this ſpiritual life; every one almoſt that liveth within the viſible Church is ready to ſay, that heaven is his inheritance, and he ſhall eſcape the wrath to come; when the Word of God, and the works of men do clearly and fully ſpeak the contrary.

The Devil hath his droves, all the earth wandreth after the beaſt, Rev. 17.8. The whole world lyeth in wickedneſs, 1 John. 5.19. The enemies of God cover the earth like graſshoppers for multitude, Judg. 7.12. they fill the Countrey, when the Iſraeliter are like two little flocks of Kids, 1 Kings 20.27. The good and the true ſhepherd calleth his flock a little flock, Luke 12.32. nay a little, little flock, foreign.there being in the original two diminutives to ſhew ther fewneſſe. When four, if not five Cities were deſtroyed, one righteous Lot with his ſmall family is delivered, Gen. 19.15. When an whole world is drowned, a few, that is, eight ſouls are ſaved, 1 Pet. 3.20. Therefore the children of God are called a remnant, Micah 7.18. two or three yards remaining of fourty or fifty, and compared to the gleanings after the vintage, Iſa. 17.6. one or two bunches may be left under ſome thick or outmoſt bough; but what are they to the many baskets full that were p. 134gathered before. The Saints are jewels; now how few are there of ſuch pearls, in compariſon of pebbles! Mal. 3.17. and ſtrangers, Pſal. 119.19. how ſmall is their number to natives, which are the worlds own, Joh. 15.19. The Church of Sardis hath a few names onelyonly that have not defiled their garments, Rev. 3.4.

Some have divided the world into thirty parts, and have affirmed nineteen of thoſe to be without Chriſt, (in whoſe name alone is ſalvation) and ſix of the remaining eleven to be …apiſts, which certainly are in no ſafe way to heaven, and five parts of thirty only to be Proteſtants, amongſt whom they that read of their way of worſhip beyond the Seas, will find many of theſe to be but mungrel-Proteſtants; But (to wave this, and) to come to England, where it is generally by godly men believed, that God hath as numerous an iſſue of new-born children, as in any ſuch quantity of ground in the world; and Reader, take the publick congregation thou doſt joyn with in the ſolemn worſhip of the ever-bleſſed God upon his own day; and ſuppoſe one ſhould come and ſweep out of it in the firſt place, all notorious ſinners, drunkards, ſwearers, p. 135adulterers, extortioners, liars, railers, ſcoffers at godlineſſe, Sabbath-breakers, and the like; upon whom whoſoever looketh with Scripture-ſpectacles, may ſee the Devils mark on their foreheads, hell written on them in great letters,1 Cor. Gal. they continuing impenitent; would not ſuch a beſome ſweep away much duſt, even a great part of the people of the Pariſh where thou liveſt: but ſuppoſe one ſhould come in the ſecond place, and purge out your civil and moral, yet unſanctified men and women; ſuch I mean, as are fair and juſt in their carriage and dealings, you cannot ſay black is their eye; they pay to every man his due; theſe are good ſecond-Table men and women, their Religion conſiſteth altogether in their righteouſneſſe towards men; they will not for a world wrong their neighbour of a farthing, but they make no conſcience of robbing God of the great fear, chief love, choice delight, ſtrong truſt, which are due to his Majeſty; they know not what it is to know him and his will, to acknowledge him by religious performances of prayer, reading, and the like in their Families and Cloſets, they can ſcarce tell you what God is, or what Chriſt is; or what the Lord p. 136Jeſus hath ſuffered or purchaſed for ſinners: As old as many of them are, they are more ignorant of the natures, offices, ſtates of Chriſt, of regeneration, juſtification, and ſanctification, than little children; and yet they are too old to learn; the Miniſter cannot perſwade them to come to him, and be inſtructed by him in the principles of the Oracles of God; nay, and they will not believe that ignorance is a damning ſin, though God hath ſpoken ſo peremptorily, That Chriſt ſhall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God, 2 Theſſ. 1.8. and he hath told them expreſly, that men periſh for want of knowledge, Hoſea. 4.6. Prov. 1.22, 29.

Suppoſe, I ſay, one ſhould purge out all theſe civil righteous, yet ignorant and irreligious perſons, queſtionleſſe he would purge out two parts of three of the remaining ill humours; how very many would that blind Captain ignorance lead out of a Congregation?

But ſuppoſe one came, in the third place, again, and take away them that are righteous in their dealings with men, and ſeem teligious in their duties towards God; that pray, and hear, and read, and faſt, and inſtruct p. 137their Families, and call upon God in ſecret, and yet are only ſo good to the eye of man, being like ſome fruit, fair in the outſide, but rotten at coare, having ſelf-ends and carnal principles in all they do, Matth. 23. and Matth. 6.

After three ſuch ſweepings, how few thinkeſt thou would be left in a Congregation, or in a Pariſh? If Chriſt ſhould come with his whip of cords, and ſcourge all theſe out of his Temple (whom the Word of God clearly condemneth) would not Jeſus be left almoſt quite alone, as he was in John 8.9?

Beſides all thoſe fore-mentioned;Totus mundus eſt Arrianus. Hierom. how many are there whoſe Religion conſiſteth meerly in opinions, or hereſies, or ſchiſme, and ſeparation from the people of God and publick worſhip, and from the good old way of faith and repentance, that minde neither Sabbath, nor Sacraments, nor Family-duties, and truſt for ſalvation to the light within them, even till they come to utter darkneſſe? 2 Pet. 2.1, 2. Jude 11, 12. 1 John 2.19. O how few are there that ſhall be ſaved! If Ulpian complained, there were few true Philoſophers, have not we more cauſe to complain, there are few true belieers; p. 138for who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed, Iſaiah 53.1.

The termes of denying a mans ſelf, of crucifying the fleſh, with the affections and luſts thereof, of cutting off right hands, and plucking out right eyes, of hating father, mother, wife, child, name, houſe, and lands (without which Chriſt will not ſave the ſoul) are ſo irkſome, and contrary to the ſenſual brutiſh man; that rather then admit them, they will take their leave both of Saviour and ſalvation: Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that finde it, Matth. 16.24. Galat. 5.24. Mark 9.43. Luke 14.26. Matth. 7, 14.

Reader, I take not delight to number the people of God, much leſſe to leſſen their number. The Lord knoweth, I have not written this Head without ſome ſorrow of heart;2 Sam. 24.3.2 Sam 24:3 my prayer is like that of Joabs, The Lord adde unto his people an hundred fold, and grant that his ſons may come from far, and his daughters from the ends of the earth, that the dominion of his ſon may be from Sea to Sea, and from one end of the land unto the other; but without all controverſie, they are comparatively p. 139very few; and why doth the Word of God mention it ſo much, but to make thee more diligent and violent for the Kingdome of heaven! Matth. 7.13, 14. If there were but few damned, and many ſaved out of the places where we live, I think it would behove thee to try upon what ground thou ſtandeſt, leſt thou ſhouldſt be one of thoſe few that muſt ſuffer the vengeance of eternal fire; but when ſo many, when ſuch multitudes go in the broad way that leadeth to deſtruction, when the love of many waxeth cold; and tis but an he almoſt that ſhall endure to the end, and be ſaved, Matth. 24.12. how much, how much doth it concern thee to look about thee, that all things are right within betwixt God and thy ſoul!

Thirdly, conſider the profitableneſſe of a ſerious faithful examination of thy eſtate; if thou haſt this ſpiritual life, thy comfort dependeth upon the knowledge of it. He that hath true grace, ſhall go to heaven certainly; but he only that knoweth it,De non apparentibus & non exiſtentibus, eadem eſt ratio. ſhall go to heaven comfortably. What the Lawyers ſay of civil things, I may ſay of ſpiritual: Things that appear not, are all one p. 140as if they were not at al in being. What comfort hath he that is heir to a vaſt eſtate, till he know of it, more than he that hath nothing to do with it? What comfort is it to thee that thou art a child of God, a member of Chriſt, an heir of heaven, unleſſe thou knoweſt it upon Scripture-grounds. If twenty or thirty are condemned, and one be pardoned, this man torments himſelf with fears and terrours as much as the reſt, till he knoweth of his pardon. Doth not many a Chriſtian, like Jacob, go down to the grave with ſorrow, and refuſe to be comforted, onelyonly upon a falſe ſuppoſition, that the Joſeph of their ſoul is dead, when indeed he is alive, and in favour in the heavenly Court, as they upon a true ſearch and enquiry will find? vide Galat. 2.20. 2 Pet. 1.10. which will ſhew this to be a duty and attained unto by others, 2 Cor. 5.1. and indeed how contented wilt thou be in all conditions, when thou haſt once attained the knowledge of thy good eſtate God-ward! thou wilt bid every meſſenger welcome for his ſake that ſendeth him; thou needſt not fear any ſervant can night or day knock at thy door with ill news; how willingly wilt thou go to duty? and with what alacrity p. 141perform them? knowing the God whom thou draweſt nigh to, is thy loving Father; the Chriſt in whoſe Name thou approacheſt, is thy lovely Saviour; nay, how joyfully maieſt thou think of death, as the portal through which thou ſhalt go into thy Maſters joy and endleſſe life! Believe it, thy life will be an heaven upon earth. And ſhouldſt thou find thy eſtate loſt, will it not be an infinite mercy to thee, that thou didſt know it before it was too late! how will it awaken thee out of thy ſecurity, and affrighten thee upon the apprehenſion of thy miſery! how will it quicken thee to mind thy duty! in loathing thy ſelf, in leaving thy ſins, and in flying to thy Saviour. Sound converſion begins at ſelf-examination; Firſt we ſearch and try our wayes, and then turn to the Lord, Lament. 3.39. The way to have our ſores cured, is firſt to have them throughly ſearched; I conſidered my wayes, and turned my feet to thy teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59. If thou wouldſt have thy face clean, look into the glaſſe of the Law, and view thy ſpots: He that knoweth not that he is in a wrong path, will not turn back, though the farther he goeth, the greater is his deviation and danger. Jer. p. 14231.19. After I was inſtructed, or after I was made known to my ſelf, I repented. As Abigail ſaid to David, if thou hearken to thy ſervant, it will be no grief of mind hereafter to my Lord, that thou art kept from ſhedding of blood; ſo ſay I to thee; If thou wilt faithfully examine thy ſelf, it will be no cauſe of ſorrow hereafter to thee, that thou wert thereby kept from a further ſhedding the blood of thy ſoul.Biſh. Halls Meditat. & Vows, Cent. 2. Meditat. 4. I will conclude this motive with the meditation of the learned and holy Biſhop, now with Chriſt.

That which is ſaid of the Elephant, that being guilty of his deformity, he cannot abide to look on his face in the water (but ſeeks for troubled and muddy channels) we ſee well moralized in men of evil conſcience, who know their ſouls are ſo filthy, that they dare not ſo much as view them, but ſhift off all checks of their former iniquity, with the excuſes of good fellowſhip. Whence it is that every ſmall reprehenſion galls them, becauſe it calls the eye of the ſoul home …o it ſelf, and makes them ſee a glimpſe of what they would not: So have I ſeen a fooliſh and timerous patient, which knowing his wound very deep, would p. 143not endure the Chirurgion to ſearch it; whereon what can enſue, but a feſtering of the part, and a danger of the whole body? ſo have I ſeen many prodigal waſters run ſo far in books, that they cannot abide to hear of a reckoning; It hath been an old and true Proverb; Oft and even reckonings make long friends; I will oft ſumme my eſtate with God, that I may know what I have to expect and anſwer for; neither ſhall my ſcore run on ſo long with God, that I ſhal not know my debts, or fear an audit, or deſpair of pardon.

I come now to the touchſtone, by which thou muſt be tried, whether thou art true gold or counterfeit; it is likely thou preſumeſt thy eſtate is good; well, art thou willing, the Word of God that muſt whether thou wilt or no judge thee for thy eternal life or death at the laſt day,Ad bunc librum, ut judicem; ad alias, ut … judex divenio, ſaith Melancth. of t… … ble. ſhould try thee at this day? If thy wares be right and good, thou wilt not be afraid to bring them out of thy dark ſhop, into the light: If thy title be ſound and good, I know thou wilt be ready for a fair Trial at law, even at the Law of God.

p. 144I ſhall try thee two wayes, though both will lead to the ſame place; I muſt firſt intreat thee to put thoſe four particulars to thy ſoul, which in the beginning I told thee were included in that expreſſion, To me to live is Chriſt.

1. Ask thy ſoul what is the principle of thy Religious performances, what is the ſpring of thy obedience; men indeed judge of others principles by their practices, becauſe they cannot diſcern the heart, whether it be right in a duty or no; but God judgeth of mens practices by their principles, as we may ſee by his ſpeech of Paul, Behold he prayeth, Act. 9.11. Paul was a Phariſee, one of the ſtricteſt of them, and they were much in prayer, but God who knew his heart was wrong in former duties, takes not any notice of them; now behold he prayeth; he might ſay a prayer before, but he never pray'd a prayer til now; when he had a right principle, being regenerated by the holy Ghoſt, then and not till then he made a right prayer. Til the Tree be good, the fruit can never be good, Matth. 7.17. Now Friend, what is the principle of thy duties? is it fear of men, hope of honour, deſire of gain, or mearly the ſtopping p. 145the mouth of conſcience, or cuſtome? are theſe the weights that make thy Clock to go? and if theſe were taken off, would thy devotion ſtand ſtill? then thy heart is not right in the ſight of God; intreat him for the Lords ſake, that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee; Or do thy pious actions flow from a renewed will, and renewed affections? Doth the outward correſpondency of thy life to the Law of God, proceed from an inward conformity in thy heart to the nature and Law of God, from the Law written within? if it be thus, thy condition is ſafe; for the deeper the ſpring is from whence the water comes, the ſweeter the water is, and thy ſervices the more acceptable to God.

Speak thy ſelf, whether thou prayeſt, readeſt, heareſt, ſingeſt from the Divine nature within, from love to the infinitely amiable God, from the delight thou takeſt in communion with him in duties; O how ſweet is that hony, that drops of its own accord from the comb! and how pure is that Wine which floweth freely from the grape! So grateful and acceptable is that ſacrifice to God, which is ſeaſon'd with ſincere love. Bleſsed is the man that feareth p. 146the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his Commandments, Pſal. 128.1.

Or doſt thou worſhip God from the ſame principle the Sadduces do, who deny the Reſurrection? only from a deſire it may go well with thee in this life; or from the ſame principle from which the Perſians do the divel? only from fear leaſt he ſhould do thee hurt; ſurely that ſervice will be ſowr, which like verjuice is ſqueezed out of the crabs; To ſerve God with a filial fear is commendable, but to ſerve him from a ſervile fear is unacceptable.

The upright Chriſtian worketh from an inward principle, the new Creation within; and thence it is, that ſpiritual things are ſo natural and delightful to his regenerate part, as we ſee in David, I delight to do thy will, O my God; how cometh this to paſſe, but from an inward principle? Thy Law is within my heart, Pſal. 40.8. or as it is in Hebrew, Thy Law is in the midſt of my bowels. But now an hypocrite uſually acteth from ſome outward principle, as the Phariſees did, Matth. 23.14, 27. Matth. 6.1, 5. the wind from without makes their Mill to go; ſome goads, or whips, force them forward; hence it is, that like tired Jades, p. 147they are preſently weary, and deſire nothing more then to reſt, and ceaſe from ſuch unpleaſant labour.

2. Ask thy ſoul what is the pattern of thy life; whom doſt thou labour to imitate, is it Chriſt or thy Neighbour? Do'ſt thou ſet thy watch by the Town Clock, or by the dial of Scripture, becauſe that never faileth of going according to the Sun of Righteouſneſſe? A man dead ſpiritually (like dead fiſh) ever ſwimmeth down with the ſtream of the times, will follow a multitude to do evil, cannot endure to be ſingular; like the Planet Mercury (at beſt) if in conjunction with good, he is good; if with bad, he is bad; or like water, taketh the figure of the veſſel, what ever it be, into which it is put; But now a living Chriſtian doth not dreſſe himſelf by the glaſſe of the times; whil'ſt he is in the Wilderneſſe of this world, he may follow the cloud of faithful Witneſſes, but it muſt be no farther then they follow Chriſt, 1 Cor. 11.1. Chriſt is the great ſtandard by which he meaſureth and trieth, and which he endeavoureth to imitate in his thoughts, words & actions; He doth uti verbis & nummis praeſentibus, & vivere moribus praeteritis, uſe p. 148ſuch words and money as is currant at preſent, but lives after that example which was in times paſt; the patterns of godly men bear much ſway with him; but he knoweth there are ſome things in their lives,Admonet non omnes promiſcue eſſe imitandos. Calv. in Phil. 3.Phil 3 which are ſea-marks to be avoided, and not Land-marks to direct us; therefore like the Eagle, he looketh moſt at the Sun, Chriſt himſelf; Now Chriſtian, examine thy ſelfe whom doſt thou look upon for thy pattern; is it thy deſire and care to regulate thy Family and life, as ſuch a Knight, or Eſquire, or Gentleman in the Pariſh where thou liveſt ordereth his, or as thy prophane irreligious Neighbours do theirs? or do'ſt thou look upon, and labor to reſemble Jeſus Chriſt, to govern thy houſe and heart as he did his, praying with his Apoſtles, inſtructing them in the Myſteries of the Kingdome of heaven, and the like? Matth. 6. walking humbly, inoffenſively, and worthy of the Lord, even unto all well-pleaſing, Heb. 7.26. 1 Pet. 1.19.