Last Warning to Secure Sinners, Part 2
1 Peter III. the later part of the 20 Ver.
—While the Ark was a preparing: wherein few, that is, eight ſouls were ſaved by water.
IN the former words you have an account given you of the Deſtruction of the old world by the flood. They were all drowned, Men, Women, and Children. God neither ſpared the grey-headed-ſinner; no, nor the ſucking-infant; children of wicked and Rebellious Parents, he drowned them all. The reaſon of this wrath of God that was poured out upon them, was their Diſobedience; their diſobedience to the Spirit of Chriſt, by which Noah Preached to them. What did he Preach? He Preached to them Repentance, called them to repent and reform their lives; and if they would not, God would drown them all. Why what were their ſins? Why, the very thoughts and imaginations of their hearts were evil, and that continually. They were men of wicked hearts, they were deviſing nothing but miſchief, they thought of nothing but the ſatisfaction of their luſts. I wiſh it be not the caſe of ſome here. I am ſure it is the caſe of every unconverted ſinner, the imaginations of his heart are evil, and that continually; for he does defile even his good thoughts with unbelief.
And their ſin was likewiſe the ſin of their lives. Their hands were full of violence, they were oppreſſors, they were cruel, they were bloody; and beſides this, they were ſecure and wanton, and they minded nothing but eating and drinking, and marrying, and giving to marriage, their whole hearts were taken up in theſe things. No man enquired after God, no man regarded the voice of God in his ſervant Noah. God waited upon them, (after he had ſent Noah, and forewarn'd them) above a hundred years; (and that while, was Noah a building his Ark), but they deſpiſed the long-ſuffering of God, which ſhould have led them to repentance: and at length the threatned Judgment came upon them, and they were drowned, all, but eight perſons. This is not all, God did not only deſtroy their bodies, but likewiſe (we read here in the Apoſtle Peter) their Spirits were laid in priſon, in the infernal Priſon of Hell for their diſobedience to the voice of Chriſt. Having already ſpoken to this; The Doctrine that I raiſed from this was, That thoſe wicked men (while they are in their bodies) that will not obey the voice of Chriſt in his Miniſters, but live and die impenitently, their ſouls by the righteous judgment of God ſhall be condemned unto the priſon of Hell: For what is ſaid of this old world, will be verified of every impenitent ſinner here, that dieth in his impenitent ſtate; Lord, who is it that does believe thy report? Few ſinners (the Lord knows) do regard it. God knows his word is little believed. We do as little believe theſe things now, as the old world did: and as the flood came upon them before they were aware, ſo the ſpirits of ſome here (God knows, as Jeremy ſaid, I do not deſire to ſee that evil day) may be in theſe Priſons before they believe them. Death (ſinners) is coming, which will drag you to the Tribunal of Chriſt; and aſſuredly Chriſt will do you juſtice: I ſay, he will do you juſtice. He that will be faithful to his promiſes that he makes to believers that obey the Goſpel, he will be faithful to do juſtice to thoſe that are diſobedient. He will give you all your Mittimus's, he will lay you faſt enough; and when he hath laid the Chains on, take them off if you can. I know (through your unbelief) what I ſay, ſeems to you but as a Fable: So did the drowning of the world appear to be; but they found it true, and ſo will you, if ye repent not. It amazeth me, my Brethren (when my faith at any time is but raiſed to the cloſe of theſe truths of God; it amazeth me) to look upon your faces, to ſee how indifferently you look, how careleſly you look; you look up-and-down this place as if theſe things did not concern you: but the reaſon of it is, you do not believe, your unbelief ruins you, and will ruin you for ever. What man that really was in his wits, and did believe a Hell, would venture upon thoſe ſins that will certainly bring him thither? But you ſlatter your ſelves in your unbelief, that there is no puniſhment to the wicked, nor reward to the godly; and ſo you go on in ſin: Theſe things are true (my Brethren), your Conſciences muſt bear me witneſs they are true. No man or woman that are in their wits, and did really believe an eternal Torment that is laid up for the diſobedient to the Goſpel, but they would obey be-times, they would not go on hardening their hearts againſt God: but you do not believe. We ſhall preſently make ſome enquiry into the reaſons of it.
We come now to the other part, wherein you have an account of a few that are ſaved. A few! Lord, What a few! Eight perſons out of a world of men and women. I do not know but the world at that time was as full of men and women as it is now; for the world was at that time about Fifteen hundred years old, and they lived many years: ſo that it is likely that there was a very numerous company of people; and that there were great Cities, and great Kingdoms upon the earth. What a ſtrange thing is it, that of a world of people there ſhould be found but eight perſons that would believe a God! And yet 'tis certainly ſo, there was but eight perſons ſaved; all the reſt were drowned for their diſobedience to the voice of the Spirit of Chriſt in Noah. Why were no more ſaved? Becauſe there did no more believe. They did not believe that God was in good-earneſt, they did not believe that God would ſend the flood, as Noah threatned: they looked upon Noah as a mad-man to build an Ark they knew not for what. Juſt ſo does the world now, they look upon poor, humble, believing Chriſtians, as a company of melancholy diſtracted perſons, that look ſadly, and pray much, and weep much, and hear much, and are afraid of ſinning; and all this while they are but buſie about their Ark: and they cry, what a ſtir is here that theſe people make? I will tell you what the meaning of it is: why this world is to be burned, and theſe poor ſouls are providing againſt the burning of the world: The wicked muſt be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God; and theſe poor, praying, humble Chriſtians do believe, fear, and tremble; and that is the reaſon that they live not as you live, but take that care that they do, to prepare againſt that great day of the Lord. And were not you deſperately blind and fooliſh, you would do ſo too? There were eight perſons (ſaith Peter) ſaved. Which were they? All of one Family, Noah and his Wife; there was the three Sons of Noah, and their three Wives, Gen. 7.7, eight perſons in one family, they were ſaved, they were ſaved from the deluge, they were ſaved from being drowned. God knows whether all theſe were ſaved from hell (too) of theſe eight. For of theſe, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, there was (one of theſe Sons) Ham, that did laugh at his fathers nakedneſs, and God afterwards curſed him; ſo that whether he was eternally ſaved, is not a thing certain unto us. But this is ſure, all theſe eight perſons did believe the deluge would come, or elſe they would not have entred into the Ark, for if any of them had looked upon it as a meer old doting fancy of their father, they would have been aſhamed to have gone into the Ark; but at the ſet-time before it began to rain, they all went, therefore they all did believe the word of the Lord, that the deluge would come. It's true they received an encouragement by the miraculous bringing of all creatures into the Ark to ſave them alive. Wherein few, eight perſons were ſaved by water. Saved by water! there may be a double ſenſe:
By water as an inſtrument; for that very water that was the inſtrument of deſtruction to the enemies of God, became a means of ſalvation to theſe eight perſons; for it bore up that Ark wherein the lives of theſe eight perſons were. It may be rendered,
Thus again, But they were ſaved by, or through water, ſaved through the danger of water, carried in the Ark through, or upon the water.
The Obſervation that I raiſe from it, is this,
That though many have the means of Salvation offered them, yet there are but few that make uſe of theſe means, and do obtain Salvation by them.
The old World had the means, as thoſe eight perſons had the ſame means; they were told of it, they were a hundred years told of it, God waited long enough; there were many had the means; if they had repented, the flood had not come; or if more had repented, they had been ſaved. But theſe eight did believe, and they were ſaved by water, the reſt had as good means as they, but they did not repent upon it, they did not believe upon it.
This ſhould be an awakening Conſideration to us, that though God does afford the means of Salvation to multitudes, yet there are a very few that do make uſe of thoſe means, and are ſaved by them: I ſay 'tis an awakening Conſideration. Here is England, a great and populous Country, here is London a great City, a City that hath ſome hundred thouſands of ſouls in it, they have all the means as the old World had; the Goſpel is preached up and down the City, and up and down the Suburbs; the voice is every where, throughout all your ſtreets. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, for there is a day of judgment, and Chriſt is made the Judg of quick and dead, that will give to every man according to his works. You have all the means, but alas, how few of England, how few of London, or of Southwark are like to be ſaved by theſe means! for how few do believe what we preach? How few do repent upon their ſeeming profeſſion of repentance, and believing? How few reform their lives? how few are converted in Southwark, in London, in England, ſo as to be healed by the grace of God! How few! Many are called (as Chriſt ſaith) but few choſen. Why here is perhaps three or four hundred people here, you have been called every one of you to repent, but when God that ſearcheth the heart, cometh for to examine the truth of our repentance, and of our faith, how few, how few in likelihood will there be found penitent? how few! alas, it was always ſo: Many called, a whole world called to repent, but eight believed. But perhaps you will ſay, that was an notorious wicked world, that old world; but ſurely the world is grown better ſince. Truly, there is reaſon it ſhould, becauſe they have that judgment to awaken them; but we will ſhow you that the hearts of men have been deſperately wicked, all along to this day; yea, under the richeſt means that ever God hath afforded the world, from the beginning to this very day. And we will take the ſeed of Abraham, and give you ſeveral inſtances thereof: God promiſed Abraham, that he would give him a ſeed that ſhould be as the ſtars of heaven, and would take that ſeed into a Covenant with himſelf, and that he would be their God, and they ſhould be his people. What a wonderful bleſſing was this, for the great God to marry himſelf to a people? And he gave them the Covenant of Circumciſion for a memorial of this Covenant, of this betrothing; he gave them the Oracles, and the Promiſes, and was with them, in the midſt of them; he was the King of them, he made War and Peace for them, fought for them, and defended them. They had all the means of Salvation, the beſt means that the world had in thoſe days. But you will ſee how few of them made uſe of thoſe means of grace that God afforded them.
We will begin with this great people of Jacob coming out of Egypt. (The Lord help you to conſider what I am ſpeaking; for many, becauſe they are Chriſtians, and are baptized, they believe they ſhall be ſaved; but you are deceived. Juſt like the old World, they eat, and they drank, they married, and gave in marriage, and never dreamt that God was angry with them, and would drown them; and ſo do theſe people of England, never think that God does intend to burn them.) Now you ſhall ſee what advantage they made of the means, and you may read as in a glaſs the condition of England, and the moſt parts of the world at this day, Numb. 1.45, 46, So were all thoſe that were numbred of the children of Iſrael▪ by the houſe of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Iſrael: Even all they that were numbred were ſix hundred thouſand, and three thouſand five hundred and fifty. Theſe were the people that God brought out of Egypt into the Wilderneſs, and afterwards led to Canaan, the ſeed of Jacob, ſix hundred thouſand, all men, from twenty years old and upward: How vaſt muſt be the number of Women and Children, and young men alſo, that were below twenty years old! above ſix hundred thouſand fighting men! An Army of twenty thouſand is a great Army; but a hundred thouſand, that is much more: But here was an Army of ſix hundred thouſand fighting men, beſides Women and Children. What had God done for this people? I will tell you what God had done for them: why, they were in Egypt under a cruel hard-hearted Pharaoh, they were groaning under their burden, and God remembers his Promiſe made to Abraham, That he would viſit his ſeed, and bring them into Canaan. God cometh by Moſes, and commanded them to go; They are my people ſaith God, let them go and ſerve me. I will not let them go, ſaith Pharaoh; why who is your God, that I ſhould obey him? God at length ſends one plague upon him, and then another; and then another, and then a fourth, a fifth, a ſixth, a ſeventh, an eighth, a ninth, a tenth; ten Plagues God ſent upon him before Pharaoh would let them go. When they were gone, they came to a Red Sea, (I am telling you, my Brethren, the works of God for his people in the days of old, remember them, my Brethren, they are written for your example, they came to a Red Sea) now thinks Pharaoh I have got them in a trap, I will follow them, I will purſue, I will overtake, I will deſtroy them; but God makes the Red-Sea divide, and bringeth them all through; but Pharaoh and his Hoſt aſſayed to follow, and God makes the Sea to cloſe and drowned them all. Well, God carries them from thence to Mount Sinai, and there was thundrings and lightnings, and gave them his Law, and his Covenants, and did as it were ſolemnly marry that people to himſelf, promiſiing them if they did but do what he bid them, he would be their God, and fight their battels, and give them counſel in all their ſtraits, and be a defence round about them. Away he leads them then, and gives them a Symbol of himſelf; for if they marched by night, there was a pillar of Fire; if by day, there was a Cloud went with them. A wonderful condeſcenſion, that God ſhould do ſo with them! They come into a Wilderneſs, they want bread, they begin to murmur; Well, ſaith God, they ſhall ſee what it is to be my people; he gives them bread from Heaven, rains down Manna: They want water; Well, ſaith God, they ſhall not want water; he commandeth Moſes to ſtrike a Rock, and there came ſtreams out of it, and thoſe ſtreams followed them where ever they went up and down the Wilderneſs; they wanted Water no more. What now became of this People? Here is a good God, he lets them want nothing; he works wonders for them, and delivers them with a mighty hand, and gives them Angels food to eat, and water out of a Rock to drink; and here he numbreth them in the Wilderneſs, Six hundred thouſand fighting men. What did theſe people do? Do! Surely they loved God, and were obedient to his Law, and would never murmur againſt him more. But did they do ſo? No, you ſhall ſee how that before Forty years came about, God cut off all theſe Six hundred thouſand men, and left their carcaſes to rot in the Wilderneſs, and ſwore in his wrath, they ſhould never enter into his reſt. Notwithſtanding he had done all this for them, they ſo provoked him to wrath, and ſo abuſed all the means of mercy, that God cut them all off: See alſo, Numb. 14.28, 29, 30, Say unto them (ſaith God), As truly as I live, ſaith the Lord, as ye have ſpoken in mine ears, ſo will I do to you. What had they ſaid in his ears? They had murmured againſt God, and ſaid, God hath brought us and our children into the wilderneſs to deſtroy us. Well, ſaith he, I have heard your murmuring, and for your murmuring againſt me, your carcaſes ſhall fall in the Wilderneſs; and all that were numbred of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which you have murmured againſt me. Doubtleſs ye ſhall not come into the Land concerning which I ſware to poſſeſs you of, ſave Caleb the ſon of Jephuneh, and Joſhuah the ſon of Nun. There were ſix hundred thouſand men, and amongſt them there was but two men that did believe that Promiſe that God made to Abraham, that he would give them Canaan for an Inheritance. O read to day as in a glaſs here, the infidelity of England, and the World; for as face anſwers to face in a glaſs, ſo does the face of the generality of the men of the world, anſwer to the faces of the unbelieving Iſraelites, and old unbelieving World. But ſaith he, For your little ones, which ye ſay ſhall be a prey; No, (ſaith God) your little ones ſhall go into the Land, and ſhall poſſeſs it; for they knew nothing of your murmuring. But as for you, there is not a man of you ſhall enter into the Land. Well, go a little farther, (for the inſtances are many,) I will paſs by all the dealings of God with this very people under the Judges, where you may read that they were as many times captivated (for their rebellion againſt God) as they had a Judg raiſed up among them; but we will paſs by the time of this people under thoſe Judges (becauſe the time will be ſhort for me to relate all the dealings of Chriſt with this Church) and we will come to thoſe Twelve Tribes, after they came into Canaan, and were divided into two great Kingdoms, Ten Tribes under Jeroboam, and Two Tribes under the Poſterity of David, two mighty Kingdoms; all of them that had, or might have had the Oracles, Promiſes, and Covenants, all of them had the Bible, and might have uſed it. But what did they do with it? They cri'd themſelves up, (juſt like England) The Church, the Church; The Temple of the Lord; and boaſted of their priviledges, that there was no people in the world like them; and that if God ſhould cut them off, he knew not where to find another people. See now what became of them; We will conſider the Ten Tribes firſt. In the firſt of Kings, the 19, and the 11 and 14 Verſes. And it was ſo, that when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in a mantle, and went out, and ſtood in the entring in of the Cave; and behold, there came a voice unto him, and ſaid, What doſt thou here, Elijah? And he ſaid, (Elijah ſaid) I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hoſts; becauſe the children of Iſrael have forſaken thy Covenant, thrown down thine Altars, and ſlain thy Prophets with the ſword, and I, even I only am left, and they ſeek my life to take it away. Here were Ten Tribes, a great Kingdom, a people of the Lord, that had the word of the Lord, and the great Prophet of the Lord Elijah among them, who called them to Repentance, and told them God was angry with them for forſaking Him, and his Covenant. Why, but how many of this Kingdom did ſo? Why truly, for what Elijah could ſee, he could not ſee one man, that did keep Covenant with God. I only am left alone. Why what did the reſt do? Why they have all forſaken thee. This is ſtrange! What! the ſeed of Abraham, all gone! What they, whoſe fathers God delivered out of Egypt; and brought them through the Red-Sea, and fed them with Manna, and gave them water out of a Rock! What, forget it all! Ai, forget it all. They have left the Lord, and forſaken his Covenant. What have they done with the Prophets of the Lord? Knockt them o' the head, ſlain them, kill'd them, thrown down his Altars, and no worſhipping of God; and yet theſe were the men that were the ſeed of Abraham, that had all the means of grace offered them; God had given them many a call, they had the word to do it, and his Prophets to do it, and yet we ſee they all left him. It is true (as God ſaid afterwards in reproving Elijahs judgment in the caſe, I have a few more, my Kingdom are not all gone) ſaith God, I have reſerved ſeven thouſand, that keep Covenant with me. Ai, but (my Brethren) what are ſeven thouſand to a whole Kingdom? What if God may have ſeven thouſand in England to keep Covenant with God? What if twenty thouſand? What are they to compare to thoſe many hundred thouſands that are in England? Here you ſee many are called, but few choſen; many are taken viſibly into a Covenant, but there are few that are ſpiritually in Covenant with God. Well, what became of theſe Ten Tribes? theſe that had the Oracles, Covenant, and Promiſes among them? What became of them? Why you ſhall ſee what became of them, (no good, you may be ſure, God pays them off their old ſcores at length) God is a long time in reckoning, but be ſure he will do them juſtice in the end. He will do it, 2 King. 17.18, there you ſhall ſee the deſtruction of them (In the 15 verſ. And they rejected his ſtatutes, and his covenants that he made with their fathers—and they followed vanity.) Therefore (Verſ. 18.) the Lord was very angry with Iſrael, and removed them out of his ſight: there was none left but the Tribe of Judah only. 22. For the children of Iſrael walked in the ſins of Jeroboam which he did, they departed not from them. 23, Ʋntil the Lord removed Iſrael out of his ſight as he ſaid by all his ſervants the Prophets. (The word of God ſpoken by his ſervants and Miniſters, (though but men) he will make it good; here you have Miniſter after Miniſter come to you; and believe it, when we ſpeak his word in his name, he will take care of our honour, and of our word; he made good the preachings of his ſervants the Prophets.) So was Iſrael carried away out of their own land to Aſſyria unto this day. There came the King of Aſſyria upon them, and took them away, and ſpoiled them, and carried them away captive, and they never returned more into the land of Canaan to this day. O wicked people! They had the means of grace, but would not make uſe of them. You are told of Heaven and Hell, and bid to repent, but no body repents; here you give us the hearing, and when you have done, you go away; and when gone, you paſs on in a carnal manner, and there is no reformation of your lives.
But (pray) what became of the other Tribes that were under the tutilage and government of the Poſterity of David? Why the truth is, they were ſometimes better than the other. But ſee alſo what became of them for their revolts, 2 Chron. 36.15, 16. But what did they do? (theſe were the two tribes) They mocked the meſſengers of God, and deſpiſed his words, and miſuſed his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord aroſe upon them, till there was no remedy. 17, Therefore he brought upon them the King of Chaldees, who ſlew their young men with the ſword, in the houſe of their ſanctuary, and had no compaſſion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that ſtooped for age; he gave them all into his hand. And this was all for their general revolt that they made from God. Follow it (now) to the time of Chriſt; when Chriſt Jeſus came into the world, and preached the Goſpel himſelf, one would have thought now, that though they had abuſed all his Prophets of old, yet now his Son himſelf is come, ſure they would hearken to him. When Chriſt himſelf turns Preacher, and works ſuch Miracles among them to confirm his Doctrine, and to evidence himſelf to be ſent from God, and all this to bring them to Heaven: When Chriſt came to preach the Goſpel, did they believe him? No, he lifted them up to Heaven by means; he would as it were have drag'd them by force, he lifted up voice and cried, Ho, every one that thirſteth, come unto me, and drink of the water of life freely. He cried and wept over them, O that ſhe had known the things of her peace! (Mighty earneſt!) I would have gathered her, but ſhe would not. And did they believe? No. Why, what do they do? They conſpire together, and lay hold of him as a malefactor, and crucified him; they put him to death: & as being very well ſatisfied, when that innocent blood was ſhed, O ſay they, Let his blood come upon us and our children: we are not afraid of his blood. Of all that people of the Jews, there was but a few that did believe in him: And that the Apoſtle takes notice of, Rom. 11.5, I ſay then, Ver. 1, Hath God caſt off his people? God forbid. For I am an Iſraelite: God hath not caſt away all Iſrael, not every individual: For I am of the Tribe of Benjamin: And through Gods mercy, I am not caſt away (ſaith he), for I do believe in Christ, and there are ſome few with me that do believe alſo. But what became of the whole Nation? They are cut off, the curſe of God is upon them, and they are a hiſſing and diſgrace to this very day. I tell you, Sirs, of theſe poor contemptible Jews; God offered them a Chriſt before he offered him to you: Chriſt came of the Loyns of a Jew, he was born (after the fleſh) of a Jew, he was firſt ſent to the Jews; and offered grace firſt to the Jews; and you came in but in the ſecond place. But for their Infidelity, God hath cut them off, only a remnant, a little ſcattering flock, they hearkned, they believed, they embraced Chriſt, and they were ſaved, and the reſt were cut off. Here are a great many inſtances, That many are called, but few choſen. Here is a great deal of Preaching to England, but few of England like to be ſaved: Don't think it a hard cenſure. What a whole world drowned, and but eight ſaved? What a whole Kingdom of ten Tribes, and but ſeven thouſand ſaved? What, that great Kingdom of Judah cut off, and but a few of them ſaved? There were (it is true) a good ſeed in that Kingdom of Judah, but take the generality of them, they did provoke God as much as her Siſter Samaria did. Well, But what ſhall we ſay of our ſelves? Look in the glaſs of the Chriſtian Church, and then tell me, how many among us are like to be ſaved? 2 Cor. 6.10, Know ye not, (Ver. 9,) that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? (and if they do not, they ſhall never be ſaved; for none are ſaved, but they inherit the Kingdom of God) Who are they? Why God knows, ſome of you may read your own Names here in your Character. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, or unclean perſons: you know what it means: If there be any wanton perſons here, the Lord give you Repentance. Such as you are for the flood, and for the fire, and for Hell. God hath ſet you a-part. The Lord give you Repentance. No Idolater, no Image-worſhipper, no Hoſt-worſhipper; ſuch as thoſe Popiſh Idolater, worſhipping Saints and Angels, and praying to a peice of bread, as unto God himſelf. Theſe are Idolaters. God will not give his honour to any other. And Papiſts will know in the end, that they have wronged God, to give his honour to a peice of bread. God will not be wronged of his Glory. Be not deceived, many Idolaters have been apt to flatter themſelves, that it ſhall go well with them; but they have deceived themſelves, and ſo will theſe in the end. No Adulterers, the Lord help you to look into your hearts and lives: There is an Adulterous heart, and an Adulterous life: none ſuch ſhall enter into the Kingdom of God. Theſe are all for the flood, theſe are ſet a-part for burning: aſſuredly, you ſhall be burned, if you repent not. Believe it, it will be ſo, if you reform not; you may laugh and mock at me, and Paul, and the Bible, as the old world did at Noah. Nor effeminate, not abuſers of themſelves with mankind. No Thieves: that is, that repent not in their time. No Drunkards; mark, that you Ale-houſe-haunters, and Tavern-haunters! None of theſe, not a man of them ſhall be ſaved, except, in time they repent and reform their lives. Say you ſo? None of them? No, none of them ſhall inherit the Kingdom of God. Ah, but (by your leave) we won't believe you tho. I know there are but few will believe it. I knew it before I came to you before I read this Text, Lord who hath believed our report! I have been a Preacher (up and down) two and twenty years, and have had experience of the hardneſs of mens hearts. I can Preach to them, and take them in a room, and ſit an hour over a hard heart, and make it no more ſtir, than a rock: No, he does not believe, turns away, and laughs at (perhaps) all the counſel given him. But whether you believe, or believe not, This day know, God hath given you warning; you are men as certainly ſet aſide, and deſigned to be eternally burned, as the old wicked world was deſigned to be drowned. And if you ſay why do I give you this notice? Why, The Lord in mercy gives it you, that in time you may repent. But if you repent not; as the flood drowned the old world, ſo Hell will burn and torment you.
But truly I have not come to the half of that which I intended.
The Queſtion will be, What is the reaſon that men will not believe? What, but eight perſons believe, in a whole world? But one Elijah in a whole Ten Tribes? What, but one Elijah? No truly, for ought that he knew. What, but a remnant in the time of Chriſt? No, but a remnant. So but a few, a very few in England. What is the reaſon of all this? why the general reaſon of it all, is this: Neither would the old world believe, that God was in good earneſt; neither would Iſrael believe, neither will England believe; they don't believe what is ſaid. No. What if God ſpeaks by a Noah, will you believe? No. What if God ſpeaks by a Moſes, will you believe? No. VVhat if God appeareth upon a Mount, and ſpeaks ſignally, will you believe now? Yes, for a little while, but not long, as they did not. VVill you believe by a Chriſt? No. (Crucifie him.) Will you believe the Apoſtles? No. Will you believe us that ſpeak? No, No, you will believe none? What is the reaſon of it, why wont you believe? VVhy, I think this is one reaſon:
In very truth, ſaith the poor carnal wicked world, we do not believe that God is in good earneſt; none of them did, till they found the judgment upon them. But why, you poor ſinners, why do not you believe that God is in good earneſt now? VVhy I will tell you, you flatter your ſelves thus; ſurely God is a very good God, and he hath done us good all our days; he hath been my God twenty, thirty, forty years; he hath fed me when hungry; and when naked he hath clothed me; and when ſick, he hath healed me and mine; and when in danger he hath deliver'd; and do you think that God will damn me, and burn me (as you talk of) at laſt? Ai, but ſinner! hath not God ſaid he will? Ai, but ſay you, God is not in good earneſt; he threatens us, but as we threaten our Children. We threaten our Children ſometimes what we will do! and then lay down the rod again. Ai, but ſinner! God is not like a man, that he ſhould change. But ſay you, he is good. 'Tis true, or elſe he would never have ſtayed ſo long; but for you to ſay he is good, and will not therefore be true to his Word, that's abſurd. Why ſhould he not (notwithſtanding all his goodneſs) damn ſuch a rebel as thou art, as well as damn an Angel? Thou art his Creature? ſo were the Angels. Does God give thee abundance of the glory of the earth? ſo God gave him abundance of the glory of Heaven, and yet notwithſtanding all this, for ſin he threw the Angels down into Hell, and now they are Devils.
Why, if God ſpared not an Angel, doſt thou think he will ſpare a man or woman? Nay, when thou haſt provoked him to wrath more than the Devil, doſt thou think he will ſpare thee, and not an Angel? God never offered a Saviour to the Devil, but he offered a Saviour to thee, that if thou wilt repent and turn, he will ſave thee: and wilt thou abuſe all, and go on in thy wickedneſs? Why certainly, as thou ſinneſt more in this reſpect than the Devil, thou wilt as ſure go to hell as he did; 'tis not your relation to God as Creatures, that will ſave you. What, (I pray) was the old World? Did not God drown them all? were not they men and women as you? and had not they Children as well as you? and had not God bowels to them, as well as to you? But was God loth to drown them? Why, firſt, it repenteth me, ſaith God, that I made them, I will drown them all; Tuſh, ſay they, God is ſo good he will not. But I will, ſays God. You ſay God hath done you good, and heal'd you of many diſeaſes, and hath looked to you, and bleſſed you, and hath wrought wonders for you, and that therefore he will never damn you. O poor ſinner! how ſimply doſt thou cheat thy ſelf? Single me out any blind Drunkard, or unclean perſon, or ſelf-juſticiary, I would ſingle thee out, and reaſon with thee this day; God hath wrought wonders for me, he will not damn me (ſaiſt thou). Alas! that's true, ſays a poor drunken Water-man, I was at Sea, and was in danger to be drown'd, and God ſaved me; and do you think that he will damn me! And ſaith another, ſuch a time I was ready to fall off from a houſe, and God prevented me. Why I tell thee now, that though God does give many ſignal mercies and tokens of his long ſuffering to ſinners, he does not intend therefore to ſave them. When God brought Iſrael out of Egypt, did God ever work ſuch Miracles for you, as he did for them? Did God ever bring ten Plagues upon your enemies to deliver you from them? Did God ever in a danger that you have been in, make a Sea for you to paſs through, and your life ſaved? And when you were hungry, and had no bread, did God ever rain bread down from heaven to you? When you were thirſty, did God ever bring water out of a Rock to quench your thirſt? Theſe, and ſuch things as theſe did God do for Iſrael. Here now was ſome ground for them to plead, and yet though God did this; did he love Iſrael ſo, that he would not deſtroy them? No. He laid their Carcaſes as dung in the wilderneſs, and ſwore in his wrath that they ſhould never enter into his reſt. I'le tell thee ſinner, if thou liveſt for forty years together upon bread out of the Clouds, yet if thou liveſt and dieſt in thy ſins, thou wilt moſt certainly be damned. God can be good, (man!) for all thou art damned; for God is good to the Angels that ſtand, though the reſt that fell are in Hell; ſo he will be good in his mercy to Saints and Angels, when the wicked are thruſt down into Hell. God can be good, (man!) and God can do thee good, and when he hath done, he can hang thee up in flames. Alas, you ſee that commonly among your malefactors, Princes do allow their priſoners to have meat and drink, while they are in priſon, they ſhould not be ſtarved; and when condemned to be hanged, there will be care taken, that they ſhould be fed and clothed; but when the day comes, away they are bound, and to the cart and gallows they go. Thou priſoner! (for ſo thou art in the decree of God) before thou come to that priſon of hell, he will feed thee, and clothe thee, and yet all this while intends to deſtroy thee, if thou repent not.
Ai, but ſay you, there is another reaſon of our unbelief: why truly, God hath threatned ſuch great things that they are incredible. VVhy, what are they? God threatens priſons for Spirits; Alas, we can't underſtand how this ſpirit ſhould live after our bodies are dead, that when our bodies are rotting in the grave, our ſouls ſhould be roaring in flames. And then again God tells us of the Reſurrection of our bodies; How is it poſſible it ſhould be ſo? And then again, God threatens to throw our bodies and ſouls into Hell, to be burned for ever; an incredible thing! who can believe this, when we can hardly live fifty or threeſcore years, How can we be alive for ever and ever? And that Chriſt ſhould judg the world; it is now ſixteen hundred years ago; wonderful things! Here has been a great deal of talking, but no performance. A company of fables! we can't believe them; and who would go and venture to make themſelves ſad and miſerable in the world, with fear and repentance; with fear of theſe things that are never like to come to paſs. I know it, ſinners, that theſe are the workings of thy heart, as well as if I was within thee. VVhy, do you think there are any ſuch here, that are of ſuch a mind? why truly, it is likely, for there were ſuch in the Apoſtles days, and of this ſort of people the Apoſtle ſpeaks in 2 Pet. 3.2, That in the latter days there ſhould come ſcoffers, walking after their own luſts: one after the luſt of uncleanneſs, another after the luſt of drunkenneſs: VVhat are theſe walkers? Scoffers. VVhat do they ſcoff at? why they ſcoffed at the burning of the world, and the day of Judgment. VVhy do theſe men ſcoff at it? why, I will tell you; they ſcoff becauſe the Scripture does threaten the eternal burning of theſe ſort of men that walk after their own luſts, and they cry, Tuſh, we believe no ſuch thing. VVell, and thus they argue, ſaying, Where is the promiſe of his coming? Chriſt ſaid, He would come, and he would come quickly. Here is a talk of his coming, but here is no Chriſt come; when will this Trumpet ſound? No, no, for ſince the fathers fell aſleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation: The Sun riſes as it did, and the Moon obſerves its courſe, we have Summer and VVinter, and we ſee all things juſt as they have been for theſe five thouſand years, and we ſee no change. No? (ſaith the Apoſtle) don't you? But, ſaith he, if you are ignorant of this one thing; you are wilfully ignorant: VVhat is that? why ſaith he, That by the Word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth ſtanding out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, periſhed. But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the ſame word are kept in ſtore, reſerved unto fire againſt the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. I'le tell thee, thou ſcoffer, and walker after thy luſts, Doſt thou not know that God once drowned the world? if thou art ignorant, 'tis a wilful ignorance. And I pray you ſcoffers, is it not as eaſie a thing to conceive how God ſhould burn the world, as drown the world? he hath done one already; the Lord open your ears and hearts to underſtand it. You ſcoff now, as the old world ſcoffed at Noah; but they found that Noah's words were true; and you will find that our words are true too. The Lord ſtrike you with the authority of the VVord, that you may receive it as the Oracle of God. This is the VVord of God, and do you oppoſe it, and rebel againſt it, and ſlight it if you dare. But I know you have that impudence to do it. But then I ſummon you to anſwer it at the day of judgment; do you remember it then.
There are ſeveral other workings of carnal hearts, by which they encourage themſelves in their wicked lives.
What are they? Come let me name them.
O ſay you, we don't deny, but God will condemn men, and we don't deny but God can make good all his threatnings: But ſay you, we are in ſuch a body, and our bodies are in ſuch want; you know we muſt not ſtarve, and ſuffer our poor wives and children to famiſh for want of bread; and truly we are poor, and muſt work for our livings; and we are ſo taken up, that we have no leiſure to hear what God ſays, or what Chriſt ſays; we have ſcarce leiſure to read or hear the word of God: This is another thing.
I know you would fain be gone, but I will tell you why I ſtay you ſo long; I would fain (before you go out of them doors) have you to believe. If Gods Miniſters do ſo compaſſionate you, you ſhould compaſſionate your ſelves: Ah, But ſay you, I can't attend it, I muſt be gone, my dinner waits for me; no, nor to morrow neither. I have no time at all to think of theſe things. No? Have you no time to think of them? Do you think that they don't deſerve your thoughts? Why, What are your poor bodies (for which you labour ſo much), in a compare to your ſouls? I tell thee (man) if it were put to thy choice, that thou ſhouldſt either ſtarve, or make uſe of the means of Grace; thou ſhouldſt rather go and read, and kneel, and pray till thou art faint, and canſt ſcarce riſe up: If one muſt periſh, ſoul or body; let the body ſtarve. Thou poor creature! Thy ſoul is more worth than thy body; 'tis a thouſand times better that thy body ſhould ſtarve, than that thy poor ſoul ſhould be damned. But, Starve! Thou poor unbeliever! Thy wretched heart of unbelief deceives thee. I tell thee (man)! (but that thou haſt no faith to entertain what I ſay, I tell thee) if thou wilt but ſet thy ſelf, firſt to mind this great work of ſaving thy ſoul, and preparing thy Ark; if thou wilt ſet thy ſelf to look upon thy ways, and confeſs thy ſins, to turn to the Lord, to cry mightily, and to pour out thy ſoul in ſecret to God, that he would pardon thee, and ſanctifie thee, and reform thee, and give thee grace: I tell thee, I dare promiſe thee in the name of the Lord, that thou ſhalt live more comfortably as to this world, than ever thou didſt in all thy life. Why, will you promiſe that we ſhall grow richer by it? This I will promiſe thee in the name of the Lord, (and I am ſure 'tis true) that either thou ſhalt thrive more in the world, or elſe thou ſhalt be better contented with what thou haſt: and beſides, it ſhall be bleſſed to thee, that thou wilt ſay, it is far better to thee than abundance. Seek ye firſt the Kingdom of God and his righteouſneſs, and all other things ſhall be added to you. Do but ſet thy ſelf to pray mightily to God, that whatever he does, he would ſave thy ſoul; and then for thy care, thou mighteſt caſt thy care upon him; your care diſtracts you, it is Gods ſetting in with you, that makes your care ſuccesful. O poor ſinners, if you were but acquainted with God and Chriſt, you would have a God to caſt your care upon. You Maſters of Families; begin your day with God, bring your Families to God, make it your great buſineſs to ſerve God; and then truſt God for his bleſſing upon your endeavours. There is another Reaſon.
What is the reaſon that you do not believe? That you believe not God that ſpeaks by his Son, and by his Prophets? Why truly I dare not believe. For (to ſpeak plainly) I am ſo in love with my ſins, that I cannot think to part wirh them; and I do profeſs, if I muſt be damn'd for them, I muſt run the hazard. Such deſperate ſlaves are Satan's ſlaves, though they ſee Hell before them, and in they muſt, if they repent not; ſaith Chriſt, Light is come into the world, and men love darkneſs rather than light, Why? becauſe their deeds are evil. They love their evil deeds, and love darkneſs, and hate the light of the Goſpel; they hate my word, becauſe my word threatens their deeds of darkneſs with Hell; they can't endure to ſee what is at the end of ſinning. I have kept you a long while; and ſo God kept them above a hundred years. I have ſpent one hour (perhaps half an hour more), but if it were poſſible that I could Preach an hundred years to an unbelieving heart, it would never work upon him, without Gods Grace: O therefore reſiſt not Crace: When I have done all, 'tis God that ſingles out one at one time, and another at another time, and then another, and ſometimes many at once, and opens their eyes and hearts, and makes ſuch a Sermon bear upon them, and commandeth their hearts to ſtrike in with the word: And if the Lord does but bleſs the word, to take hold of ſome poor youth, whether man or maid; it is worth all my labour that I have ſpent in Preaching: If the Lord would but bring ſome poor ſoul to believe, that the word of God is true, and that it is as certain that they will be damn'd, if they repent not, as is was certain that the old world was drown'd: This might be the beginning of a new life. O 'tis an hour well ſpent, and thou wilt bleſs God for it, if he will come in with light upon thee, and make thee believe the Goſpel, that Chriſt is willing to ſave every penitent ſinner that is brought thus to believe in him. O that God would be pleaſed to convince you that he is in good earneſt to damn the wicked and impenitent ſinner; but to bleſs and crown with eternal life, every obedient ſoul.
I am forced to cut off many things that I have to ſay; But the Lord in heaven bleſs this word unto you.
FINIS.