Gods Call from Heaven Echoed, Part 2 · Chapter 4

Gods Call from Heaven Echoed · Part 2 · Chapter 4

p. 171CHAP. IV. III. Ʋſe: For reprehenſion.

IN the next place this Doctrine reads a Juniper S. 1 Lecture to ſuch as look not after this work of effectual calling; and ſharply chideth thoſe that have oppoſed, and ſtood out againſt the cals of God; have you lived in the boſome of the Church all this while, and are not yet in the boſome of Chriſt? are there ſo many witneſſes of Gods calling, and no evidence of your anſwer? Hath God called to you to awake, and are your eyes together ſtill? hath he called to you to ariſe, and do you ſtill reſt upon the couch of iniquitie? Hath the Lord ſtretched out his hands, and thou not regarded? Haſt thou turned the deaf eare to his voice? Haſt thou ſnibbed the ſpirit, muzzelled the mouth of truth, bruiſed the buds of grace, ſtopped the ſtirrings, murdered the motions to holineſſe? thou deſerveſt to be laſhed with reproof, till thine eye weep, and thy ſides bleed: You have heard before now, that whom the Lord predeſtinateth, them he calleth; and you are never ſollicitous Omnes ſumus in minimis cauti, in maximis negligentes.about it: You have had no ſerious thoughts about it; nay, you have done what in you lieth to hinder this work in your ſelves and others: You have not praied, nor endeavoured for it; the deſire of your ſoul hath not gone out with earneſt longings for this work; (nay, ſhut not up the Book, do not go your wayes; but ſtand ſtill, till you have gone p. 172through this uſe, bear your chiding patiently, and let your eare hearken to the reproof of life, Prov. 15. 31.Prov 15:31that you may abide among the wiſe. If you turn your back, and ſtop your ear, there is no hope for you) nay, hath not grace been a grievance, pietie needleſſe preciſeneſſe, the new birth a burden, duty a diſparagement in your conceit and eſtimation? Have you ſpent all your dayes in Goſpel places, and under Goſpel means, and yet are unchanged ſtill? why do you reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt? Do you not know that in thus doing you forſake your own mercies, ſin againſt your ſoul? Do you think you were born a Saint, and need no regeneration? alas you are miſtaken, for with David you were ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſin did your Mother conceive you. You muſt be born Pſ. 51. 5. Nullus vitam, in qua natus est, bene finiet, niſi renatus, antequam finiatur.Ps 51:5again, as well as born, or you will never do well. Or do you think it is enough to be a Chriſtian in the general? ſo are the Papiſts; or that it is enough to be a Proteſtant? ſo are many that live in known and open ſins; or that it is enough to be civil, or outwardly religious? ſo are many who yet deny the power. Truely the foulneſſe of your waies declares the 2 Tim. 2. 5.2 Tim 2:5folly of your thoughts, and your converſations will ſhew that there are ſuch cogitations within: what, haſt paſſed all this time in the world, and yet never paſſed the ſtreights of the new birth? Have ſo many years gone over your head, and the work of grace never come upon your heart? Oh, that you would be heartily aſhamed of this. Are you not at one time or other convinced, that your condition is not p. 173good towards God, and that you are not in an eſtate of grace? Though you keep your head above water, and cheriſh ſome raw hopes of your good plight, and that you ſhall be ſaved, ariſing either from love to your ſelf, (as if that muſt needs be which you could wiſh) or from preſumption, that the generalitie ſhall be ſaved and are in condition good enough; or from ignorance, taking that to be grace which is not, and thinking that repentance may be had, when you liſt, and think you have moſt need of it, at the laſt, when death comes. Yet upon more ſerious thoughts, you have miſgivings of ſpirit, that all is not well, which makes ſuch thoughts unwelcome gueſts to you; and for all your bravadoes, yet, you never yet durſt adventure upon the work of examination, or view your ſelf by Scripture light, for fear the iſſue and reſult ſhould not correſpond to your preſent hopes, and thoughts: Is it nothing to be in ſuch a condition, wherein thou haſt no truth of grace, as thou art, who never waſt converted, and changed? Is it nothing to have the Lord bring his action againſt thee for ſtanding out againſt him, and to threaten to execute the Law of retaliation upon thee, and to pay thee in thine own coyn? as he doth, when he ſaith, Becauſe I have called, and ye refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded, but ye have ſet at naught all my counſel, and would none of my reproof; I alſo will laugh at your calamity, I will mock, when your fear cometh, Prov. 1. 24, 25, 26. This is a dreadfull hearing, every word hath its weight: what, p. 174ſhall the Lord call, and ſinners not come? ſhall he reprove, and they refuſe? ſhall he offer, and they oppoſe? he counſel, and they contemn? ſhall the great God be thus condeſcending, and wilt thou be no more correſponding? It will be a vain plea, to ſay thou canſt not effectually call thy ſelf; ſuch excuſes and defences Cauſa patrocinio non bona major erit.will increaſe, and not decreaſe thy fault: For you can oppoſe, and with a ſtiff-neck reſiſt the grace of God: You have not heard, nor read, nor kept Godly company, &c. as you might; beſides, God hath made a gracious promiſe of giving his ſpirit, and this ſpirit hath Prov. 1. 23.Prov 1:23come, and you have given it churliſh uſe, and frowned it out of doores: Is it nothing to hear the Lord thundring againſt thee, as he did againſt his old people the Jews. And now becauſe ye have done all theſe works, ſaith the Lord, and I ſpake unto you, riſing up early, and ſpeaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye anſwered not: Therefore will I do unto this houſe, which is called by my name, as I have done to Shiloh; and I will caſt you out of my ſight. Jer. 7. 13, 14, 15. This reprehenſion and commination concernes thee as well as them, becauſe thou art in the ſame predicament, and condition with them. You ſee the hardneſs of your heart, and the heavineſſe of Gods hand go together; want of converſion brings woful confuſion; and ſuch as continue vaſſals of ſin are like to prove veſſels of ſorrow. Is it a light matter in your account not to Eccho to the voice of God from Heaven? Is it nothing to have the Lord of life and glory ſtand and knock at the p. 175door of your cottage, and you not let him in? He hath promiſed to open to you, if you knock, Matt. 7. 7.Matt 7:7and will not you open to him, when he knocks? Is it nothing to have God make tenders from Heaven, and we be unwilling to accept of his termes? Is it nothing for the Lord to complain, and ſay, All day long I have ſtretched forth my hands unto a diſobedient, and gainſaying people. Rom. 10. 21. If you be not paſt ſhame, you cannot but be aſhamed of theſe things; let not the Lord have cauſe to ſay, Were they aſhamed of what they had done? nay they were not aſhamed at all, neither could they bluſh. Oh, that you Jer. 8. 12.Jer 8:12ſhould make no more account of ſuch a work as this is? That you ſhould ſpend your time, and never ſeek for this? Bear with my chiding and reproof; the Lord ſet it home upon your hearts: It is out of love and deſire of thy good; I muſt not flatter thee. Open rebuke is better than ſecret love; faithful are the wounds Prov. 27. 5, 6. Magis ama tobjurgator ſanans, quam adulator diſſimulans.Prov 27:5Prov 27:6of a friend, but the kiſſes of an Enemy are deceitful: Such as you are muſt be rebuked ſharply: You are in much fault; your ſin is great, your condition is ſad, and not to deal plainly, were to deſtroy thee, and my ſelf too.

That this uſe may not fall off from your ſpirit, I ſhall faſten it with three nailes; and that I may make it more full and compleat, give me leave to lay before you a trinity of conſiderations; which are theſe:

1. Aggravating circumſtances.

2. Adminiſtring cauſes.

3. Aſtoniſhing conſequences, or conſiderations.

p. 1761. Aggravating circumſtances; In the firſt place, S. 2 I ſhal aggravate the neglect & want of effectual calling. It is good for ſouls to view their ſins round about; and to look upon them not onelyonly in the ſubſtantials but alſo in the circumſtantials of them; not only in their eſſentials but alſo in their accidentals. That may be a mole-hill in Tanto majus peccatum eſſe cognoſcitur, quanto major qui peccat, …abetur.one, as it were, which is a mountain in another; That may be leſs in one, which is larger in another; The quantity of ſin beareth proportion with the quality of the ſinner. Not only the abſolute conſtitution of ſin, but the relative dimenſions thereof alſo are to be taken into our conſideration. Now theſe following circumſtances do exceedingly greaten and enhance your neglect, and ſlighting of effectual calling, and the work of grace.

1. The multitude of your calls; in regard of

1. The frequencie of the Act.

2. The variety of the agent.

2. The altitude of your inexcuſableneſſe.

3. The magnitude of God's providences.

4. The lenitude of the ſpirit.

5. The longitude of your life.

6. The latitude of your comforts.

1. The multitude of your calls: You have had many calls many wayes.

1. In regard of the frequency of the Act: S. 3 You have been often called upon to turn in to the Lord, you have been often invited to the marriage Feaſt; The Lord hath repeated his calls, and do you renew your reſiſtance? The p. 177Lord hath multiplied his calls, and you have not magnified his grace by your acceptance: The Lord hath often called from Heaven, and thou haſt not taken one ſtep from Earth to meet with him: may not Chriſt ſay to thee, as he ſaid to the Jews; How often would I have gathered you together, as an Hen doth gather her Brood under her wings, and ye would not? Luke 13. 34. That how often, implieth often; foreign.the Lord Chriſt hath many times ſtretched out his wing of love, and thou haſt refuſed to come under his ſhelter. This is very ſad, and ſhouldſt thou then hear any other voice then that of Punitione gravi dignus est, qui ſaepius Dei gratiam contempſit.chiding and other language, then that of reproof. Thou art not able to reckon up the many times that God hath called thee. In the Canticles we find, Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return. Cantic. 6. 13. Four times: but this is nothing to the times that thou haſt been called. The Lord called to Samuel four times, before he underſtood his voice, 1 Sam. c. 3. beginning of it: but thou haſt been called not four, but four hundred, four thouſand, yea innumerable times, and thou knoweſt not his language; and haſt not yet made anſwer; ſpeak Lord, for thy ſervant heareth.

Thou haſt been called in thy non-age, in thy middle age, yea in thine old age, and yet thou art in thine old condition. Thou haſt been called long ago, and of later time. Thou haſt been called in thy ſingle, in thy ſociated eſtate. Thou waſt called in the time that is paſt, and art called ſtill in the time that is preſent. God hath, and doth ſend p. 178many meſſengers, ſpokes-men, to woo thee for himſelf, and thou haſt ſaid nay, to all. The Cock hath crowed not three, but three hundred Matt. 26. 75.Matt 26:75times, and yet thou haſt not remembred the words of the Lord, nor wept bitterly for thy ſins: You have been called on the Lord's day, and yet not one of your dayes have been ſpent for the Lord: You have been called on lecture dayes, and yet you have never truely leaned on Chriſt: You have been called in faſting ſeaſons, and yet you have not faſted from ſin: You have been called on thanks-giving dayes, and yet you have not given in your name to Chriſt: You have been called publikely, and privately, and yet will not be prevailed withall: Your callings have been frequent, and yet your Zeal is not fervent: Your calls have been many, but your graces not any: Your calls have been ſeveral, but your faith not ſaving: You have had divers invitations, but no dutiful inclinations. The dew hath fallen upon you every morning, and yet you have not ſprouted out. The ſhowers have deſcended upon you continually, and yet you have not aſcended Heavenward; the Heavenly Elatum cor, durum, & expers est pietatis, ignarum compunctionis.drops have fallen upon you every day, and yet your heart more hard then ſtone, hath received no impreſſions. The Lord may complain, and ſay, I have ſhewed thee my wayes, and taught thee my pathes, but thou haſt refuſed to walk in them: I have written to you the great things of my Law, but hitherto they have been accounted Hoſ. 8. 12.Hos 8:12as a ſtrang thinge by you. The Lord hath called you firſt in one place, and then in another: p. 179Firſt by one Miniſter, Friend, and Book, and then by another; Hath ſent many Epiſtles, and Letters ſubſcribed by his own hand, ſealed with his own Ring, by his appointed Poſts and Meſſengers; and yet all will not do, no anſwer is returned: my unworthy ſelf have divers years called you in the name of the Lord; and this poor Book the meaneſt in the Library of Divine writings, ſpeaks to you to this purpoſe; let not all theſe bear witneſſe againſt thee, ſo ſhalt thou not be judged with a witneſſe. Hath wiſedome prepared all things, and ſent forth her Maidens ſeveral times to Prov. 9. 1, 2.Prov 9:1Prov 9:2ſummon thee in, and yet wilt not thou come, but remain in the tent of thy folly? Verily Friends, this is a Lamentation, and there is reaſon it ſhould be for a Lamentation. If you call your Child, or Servant often to come to you, and they move not, how doth it trouble you? How do you think the Lord will take it at your hands, that come not after ſo many ſendings for? You have often heard of Chriſt and repentance, but yet you will not accept of the one, nor act the other. You have often been intreated to cloſe with Gods will, and you would never yet enter upon his waies. You can denie none of this that I ſay: Your conſcience tells you the ſame; what, not changed after all this? what a wretched creature art thou, that makeſt not the Lord welcome after all his journeies from Heaven to thee? Had you had but one call, it had been a great evil to have ſlighted it, but when you have had ſo many, how great muſt your contempt needs be? p. 180For the Lord to ſend Servant after Servant, to require repentance, to call to converſion, and you to return no ſutable Fruits, to give no demonſtratious of ought, but barreneſſe is a ſin of no inferiour nature. What is that whereby the Lord in Scripture doth ſo aggravate the ſtubborneſſe and ſin of his people, and doth leave, and give them up into the hands of miſerie, and puniſhment, for? is it not this, becauſe 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16.2 Chr 36:152 Chr 36:16he hath ſpoken ſo often, and they regarded not? The Lord hath but whiſpered to ſome, ſo that they have not underſtood his voice fullie; to others he hath called, but hath as ſoon turned his back upon them, as they upon him, and hath not returned to make any more offers; but with thee it is far otherwiſe, the Lord hath ſpoken to thee with a more clear and diſtinct voice, and though thou haſt run from him, yet he hath run after thee, and hath not ceaſed to call upon thee, and to beſpeak thine heart for himſelf, but this hath he done daie after daie, week after week; and yet thou continueſt in thy contradiction, and perſevereſt in the perverſeneſſe of thy rebellious heart.

2. In regard of the variety of the agent: The S. 4 Lord hath come to you in ſeveral ſhapes, & the manner of his calling hath been divers. He inviteth, Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden. Matth. 11. 21. He commandeth, This is his Commandement, that we ſhould believe on the name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt. 1 John 3. 23. He wooeth and intreateth; We pray you in Chriſts ſtead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5. 20. He threatneth: Every Tree, that bringeth not forth p. 181good fruit is hewen down, and caſt into the fire. Matth. 3. 10. He wiſheth, O that there were ſuch an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandements alwayes. Deut. 5. 29. He chideth and expoſtulateth, Why will ye die, O houſe of Iſrael? Ezek. 18. 30, 31, 32. He promiſeth, Whoſoever believeth in Chriſt, ſhall not periſh, but have everlaſting life. John 3. 19. The Lord doth as I may ſo ſay, turn every ſtone, and trie concluſions, for the turning Quid est cor durum? ipſum est, quod nec compunctione ſcinditur, nec pietate mollitur, nec movetur precibus, minis non cedit, &c.and converſion of thy ſtonie heart, and varieth the manner of ſuch diſpenſations on purpoſe to accommodate himſelf to us, ſeeking our good; and yet thy froward, waieward ſpirit doth not regard. He hath come, as I may ſay, in a ſeveral dreſſe and habit, and yet thou haſt not been taken with him. The Lord hath come with a loud, and with a low voice; with melting mildneſſe, and with terrifying threats; with pure Commands, and with a precious Covenant; with cordial invitations, and with confounding comminations: But you have not been allured by favours, nor ſcared by frowns: You have not been wonne by wooing, nor converted by counſelling. It is ſtrange and ſad, that you are ſo ſtubborn, that you will not be drawn with the Silken cords, and Golden bands of promiſes; ſo ſtout, that the diſcharge of God's Canon threatning doth not make you ſtoop; ſo rebellious, that the Authoritie of God's Command doth not awe thee; ſo ſtiffe, that his angrie chiding doth not make thee bend. The Lord hath hung out his white Flag firſt, and then his black Flag; and yet thou p. 182doſt not reſign, nor give up the Caſtle of thine heart to him. He hath piped unto thee, but thou haſt not danced; he hath mourned, but Matth. 11. 17.Matt 11:17thou haſt not lamented. If his Meſſengers tell thee of thy loſt condition, and dreadful condemnation; then thou art readie to ſay, he hath a Devil, and Preacheth nothing but Hell. If he tell thee of the grace of God in Chriſt, and the freeneſſe of ſalvation; then thou art readie to preſume, and goeſt on ſecurelie in thy ſins, ſaying, it ſhall be well with thee, though thou adde drunkeneſſe unto thirſt. John Baptiſt and Chriſt both have come; The Deut. 29. 19.Deut 29:19Lord hath thundred from Sinai, and breathed from mount Sion; and yet you cavil, and Nunquam deest impiis, & reprobis, quod calumnientur.have ſomething to object againſt your own ſouls. The Lord hath come to you like a Lion, and like a Lamb; he hath come to thee like a man of War, and like a Friend in Peace; he hath come with his drawn Sword in indignatition, and his Royal Scepter of reconciliation; he hath come with his rod of Iron, and that of Gold too. He hath called thee in a tempeſt, and in a calm; He hath uſed fair means and foul; what, are you ſo croſſe, that nothing ſhall pleaſe you? Is your mouth ſo out of taſt, that nothing can be well reliſhed with thee? Are you ſo averſe, that you will ſhunne God in all theſe wayes and pathes, wherein he comes to meet with you? Shall neither ſweet nor ſoure things have operation upon you? Doth not the bluſtring ſtorm make you ſeek a Sanctuarie? Do not the warm Sun-beams melt, and diſſolve you? It argueth a very evil frame of heart p. 183to oppoſe, or not to mind this work throughly. It argueth deſperate pride of ſpirit to reſiſt, to refuſe the grace of God, the calls of Chriſt under ſuch various diſpenſations.

He hath come to you with a rod in his hand, with chidings in his mouth: he hath come alſo in love, and in the ſpirit of meekeneſſe too. He hath ſent a thundring Luther, and a mild Melanchthon to you; he hath ſpoken bigge words; his words and calls have been of all ſorts and ſizes. He hath laid before you the curſe of the Law to deterre you, he hath ſet up the croſſe of Chriſt in the Preaching of the Goſpel to draw you; you have had ſound reprehenſion, ſweet exhortation; and yet for all this you have not run to the boſome of Chriſt, but remain in the borders of the Devil's Kingdom: Verily, this makes your ſin to ſwell and boln exceedingly.

2. The altitude of your inexcuſableneſſe: S. 5 Though people be never ſo guilty, yet they are Ʋſitatum generis humani vitium est, peccatum defendendo excuſare.too ready to acquit themſelves; and though they are to be accuſed, yet they would fain be excuſed; this practice we learned from our firſt Parents; and though we offend, yet we would defend: but the Lord hath ſtopped thy mouth, that thou haſt nothing to ſay for thy ſelf; and the Figg leaves of vain pretences will be but a weak Bulwark againſt the charge of the Almighty. If God ſhould ask you how it comes to paſſe, that you are ſtill unchanged who have ſate under the means, you will be like that poor man, Matth. 22. 12. ſpeechleſſe; and it will be moſt dreadful for any man or p. 184woman, when they ſhall be brought to their trial, and judgement at the laſt, to have no plea nor allegation to put in for themſelves. It is the way of the righteous God, (if ſinners will not be pliable) ſo to order his diſpenſations towards them, that they ſhall be left without excuſe, and ſhall be condemned by their own Conſcientia peccati formidinis mater.conſcience, which will be matter of greateſt horrour; conſider theſe enſuing particulars, and ſee what excuſe will be found for you.

1. Somtimes people excuſe themſelves, becauſe S. 6 they want their hearing; which I confeſſe is a ſad thing: for though the heathen Philoſophers have determined ſight to be the moſt noble of the ſenſes, yet Chriſtians have reaſon to account hearing the moſt noble, becauſe the moſt uſeful; for faith comes by hearing. It is Via Domini ad cor dirigitur, quum veritatis ſermo humiliter auditur.the channel whereby the word of life by the work of the Lord runs to the heart; bleſſe God, you that have the uſe of this ſenſe, and uſe it to Gods glory: yet the Lord many times ſhuts up the paſſages of the ear, by infirmities and caſualties, for reaſons beſt known to himſelf; but though thou canſt not hear, yet thou canſt read: Though thine eares be obſtructed, yet thine eyes be opened; though thine eares be deaf, yet thine eyes are not dim; though the Lord hath taken away thine eares, yet he hath given thee eyes, and though he have ſhut up one door, that leadeth to the head, yet he hath opened another; and hath afforded thee ſuch education, and bringing up, that thou haſt been taught to read: and though grace uſually come in by the ear, p. 185yet when the Lord bars up that, he can let it in by the eye; but you have not improved your talent of reading; you have been like the unprofitable ſervant, that hid his Lords Matt. 25. 25.Matt 25:25Talent in the earth. There hath been a price put into thine hands, but thou haſt been ſo fooliſh, thou haſt not had an heart to improve, Prov 17. 16.Prov 17:16and make uſe thereof. The Scripture and good books have been to you as a garden incloſed, and as a fountain ſealed; ſo little have you given your ſelf to reading: Paul's counſel to Timothy, give attendance to reading, is calculated 1 Tim. 4. 13.1 Tim 4:13not only for the meridian of a Miniſter, but of every true Chriſtian alſo: what know you, but God might have ſet home the word read upon your heart, and have ſent Acts 7. 29, 30.Acts 7:29Acts 7:30his ſpirit to help you, as he did Philip to the Eunuch in reading; will not this enervate and ham-ſtring the force of other pleas, that you had a could, but not a would to read, a faculty, but not a fancy? a power, but no pleaſure to read? that you had skill, but no will at all?

2. Many ſay they cannot read, when yet S. 7 they can hear. Not to read is very ſad; and ſuch have not performed the part of loving Parents, who have not given their children ſo good education, they are like to hold up their hands for it at the bar another day, without repentance: and thou alſo art in fault thy ſelf, for thou mighteſt have learned to read, and thou wouldeſt not give thy mind to it: or thou maieſt learn to read yet; but thou haſt many excuſes, thou art too old. Indeed we are alwayes too young, or too old, to that which p. 286is good; you have your ſenſes and memory vigorous enough for other things, and why not for this? There wanteth only a will; I Sola voluntate quiſque efficitur. Plut.have read of one Eurydice a noble Lady, who being a Slavonian born, and moſt barbarous, yet for the inſtruction of her own children, ſhe took pains to learn good letters, when ſhe was well ſtept in yeers. And ought not the life of our ſouls to be as dear to us as the children of our body? And though your ſight be taken away from you now, yet time was when you had the uſe of it, and it may be for not making uſe of it aright, God hath deprived thee of it; therefore that cloke of excuſe is not long enough. And though you cannot read, yet it may be ſome of yours can; though not the Parent, yet the poſterity; though not the Maſter, yet the man; and you may hear them. God hath not denied you your ſence; or if none in the houſe can read, which ſometimes falls out, (a woefull thing it is,) yet you having a gift of hearing, muſt wait upon the publike preaching of the word the more. The Philoſophers ſay, that nature is an indulgent mother, and where ſhe is defective in one kind, ſhe is redundant in another, and what ſhe ſubtracts from one faculty, or ſence, ſhe gives to another, and ſo doth compenſate, and make amends; as thoſe to whom ſhe denies ſight, ſhe gives the bettet memory, &c. So we wanting one faculty, or ſence, which might be very ſubſervient for our ſouls good, ſhould labour to make double, and ſo much the more improvement of that we have. But thou, though p. 187thou canſt hear, yet giveſt not thy ſelf to it; Thou ſhouldeſt hear more, and thou heareſt leſs than others; thou ſhouldeſt hear oftner, and thou heareſt ſeldomer. Oh it is a bleſſed thing Auris bona est, quae libenter audit utilia.to have the ability, and act of hearing that which is good; Bleſſed are your eyes, for they ſee, and your ears, for they hear, Math. 13. 16. It is thy duty to hear much, but not thy deed; thy part, but not thy practice; He that hath ears to hear, let him hear, what the ſpirit ſaith to the Churches, Revel. 2. 7. and bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophecy. But you come not at the word; Verba Dei, quae aure percipitis, mente retinete.or if you hear it outwardly, yet you care not for holding it inwardly; you had need never be out of Chriſts School, never make any play dayes; all dayes in the week had need be hearing dayes with thee; you had need lay your eare cloſe, and catch all, and not let any fall beſides you: but thou wilt purpoſly avoid the Church, or meeting place, thou wilt not come nigh the door of that houſe: for weekly lectures thou neglecteſt them, for Sabbath day Sermons thou art hardly drawn to them; for good company thou careſt not for coming amongſt them, and to hear their diſcourſes of heavenly matters. Thou art willing thine ears ſhould be as wickets, to let in wicked talk, but art loath to open them as gates to let in worthy truths: do you think you ſhall have any excuſe, who have been intruſted with ſuch a talent, as this is? Shall you bee allowed to pleade with your tongue, who have refuſed to hear with your ear? Have you forgotten p. 188what the ſpirit ſaith? He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer ſhall be abomination, Pro. 28. 9.

3. Many will ſay they have no time, which S. 8 is a poor excuſe; but it ſeems they think a bad one is better then none at all. Have you time for the world, and have you none for the word? You can find time for that which you would, and can you find no time for that which you ſhould? You have time for the body, but it ſeems none for your book. You Nemo veſtrum parvi aeſtimet tempus, quod in verbis conſumitur otioſis.have time for vain words, and have you none for vertuous works? God hath given you time for good duties, and if you give it away to the Devil and ſin, will it be a currant excuſe to ſay you had none? You have time to riot, but none to read; you have time to hunt, but none to hear: ſay, you have much ado to ſtruggle with poverty, and your day labour drinks up your time, yet you find ſome hours to waſt, and ſpend impertinently: Oh, if you did but lay out that time in ſpiritual induſtry, which you loyter away in ſinful idleneſſe, how much might your ſoul be advantaged? yet ſay, you had no vacant time, a wiſe man or woman Epheſ. 5. 16.Eph 5:16would redeem, and purchaſe ſome time out of the hand of bodily affaires, and beſtow it upon ſoul-concernments, and would provide for the life of his ſpirit, though with ſome loſſe to his fleſh, and yet be a gainer: but ſay, that in ordinary dayes an hours abſence from the world (which I will not, which muſt not be granted) to be preſent with God, could not be diſpenſed with all, and thy condition ſo p. 189hard-hearted, that thou couldeſt not borrow a few ſands of it; yet thou haſt the Sabbath-day free for this very end and purpoſe; which is to be ſpent wholly for thine eternal good, wherein thou art wholly to mind, and look after grace and Heaven; and if oni this day thou hadſt but ſtudied hard, thou mghteſt have been none of the meaneſt Scholars in the School of Chriſt. Thou maieſt not do the worlds works on this day, and yet rather than thou wilt do ought for thy ſoul, thou wilt trifle, and truant away this golden ſeaſon moſt wretchedly. It is a great burden to thee to give a few hours attendance in publike aſſemblies. How many vain words, worldly, yea, wicked works paſſe from thee on that day? The Sabbath is ſo irkeſome to thee, that thine heart many times ſaith as they, When will the new Moon be gone, that we may ſell corn? and the Sabbath that we may ſet forth wheate? Amos 8. 5. You ſhould have pleaded hard with the Lord on theſe dayes for grace; and you have played it away: You ſhould have been ſearching the Scriptures, which teſtifie of Chriſt, and ſo might have attained John 5. 39.John 5:39eternal life: You ſhould have been in your cloſet pouring out your ſoul before the Lord: You ſhould have been queſtioning your heart, and laying the line to your life, when alas, many ſuch dayes have paſſed over thine head, and if thou caſt up thine accounts, thou wilt find there hath been nothing done for thy poor ſoul. Thou knoweſt no more of Sabbath Sabbatum aſinorum.almoſt than the Oxe and the Aſſe, that reſteth from his labour. Thou maieſt not work on p. 190this day, and yet thou wilt not mind thy ſoul. Thou maieſt not trade in the world, and yet thou wilt not traffick to Heaven. Oh, will it not be terrible to think that thou haſt had ſo many Subbaths, and yet haſt no ſanctity; that thou haſt had ſo many hallowed daies, and yet haſt no holineſſe; That thou hadſt rather ſleep, and paſſe away theſe daies with oſcitancy, and careleſſeneſſe, than ſtrive to enter in at the ſtreight gate of grace. Thus this opponent is anſwered, and this excuſe, if weighed in the ſanctuarie ballances, will be found too light. Thou haſt had time more than thou haſt known what to do withall.

4. Many would plead for themſelves, that S. 9 they have but weak wits, and are but of ſmall and mean underſtanding; and they cannot ſound the bottome of things that they read and hear; their brains are ſo ſhallow that ſuch things are riddles to them: but yet they think they are crafty and witty enough in other things. There are indeed problemes and hard Paſcimur apertis, exe…cemur obſcuris.queſtions in the word to poſe the Schollers of the higher forme; and there are eaſie things for thoſe of lower capacities: there are ſhallows, where the Lamb may paſſe, and depths for the Elephant to ſwim in. The material fundamental things, that are of abſolute and indiſpenſable neceſſity to ſalvation are written in ſuch legible characters as it were, that he that runs, may read them: They are all plain to him that underſtands; to him that gives himſelf Prov 8. ….Prov 8to knowledge. They are printed with ſuch a great letter that weak eyes may read them; p. 191beſides, the Miniſters of the word are the Captaines and chief of your forme, whom God hath appointed to conſtrue your part to you, and to Job 33. 23.Job 33:23be interpreters to you of his mind and will: They ſpeak plain to you, and ſtand over you, and point you to every letter and word, as it were with a feſcue: For precept muſt be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little. They Iſai. 28. 10.Isa 28:10give you ſhort and eaſie leſſons, but a little at a time, that you may the better get it by heart. They explicate & illuſtrate it by the help of the ſpirit, for your better underſtanding. Though you have but weak conceptions, yet they have plain expreſſions. Though you have but ſhallow parts, yet they have ſignificant phraſes; Pro qualitate audientium formari debet ſermo doctorum.and ſuch as are faithful, do ſtudy to have their words conformed to the model of your apprehenſions; and deliver themſelves in a familiar way, that you may know where to find them. They ſpeak Engliſh, that thou maieſt underſtand them. Therefore thou art inexcuſable, O man, or woman, whoſoever thou art.

5. If thou be of a dull, heavy, ſluggiſh, regardleſſe S. 10 temper: The Miniſter he doth his endeavour to quicken thee; if backward he ſeeks to draw you forward. He is earneſt, and inſtant; urgent, and preſſing: If you be cold, he is very hot; if thou lie ſtill, he is ſtirring; if thou wouldeſt ſleep in thy ſins, he labours to rouze thee; if thou be loath to hear, he is loud; if thou ſecure, he goeth about to ſhake thee; if thou haſt no feeling, nor ſence of any thing, he ſeeks to touch thee to the quick. For ſo are p. 192the Miniſters of the Lord commanded to do, Cry aloud, ſpare not, lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, and ſhew my people their tranſgreſſion, &c. Iſai. 58. 1. If thou be a dead-hearted creature, they are to ſound the Trumpet in thine eares. If thou be ſpiritually deaf, they ſpeak the louder, and more vehemently, in a more then ordinary manner. How fervent hath the Miniſter been many times, that he might ſtartle thee? How zealous, that he might be a means to enliven thee; he hath been more than uſually earneſt, and hath been carried out with a more then ordinary vehemency, and vigour, Supr a modum: quibus verbis melius ſignificatur tum ſervornm Dei audacia tum populi ſurditas obfirmata. Jun. in loc.that he might make thee ſenſible of thy condition, and bring thee to a ſight of thy ſins. He hath wearied himſelf, that he might win thee; and ſpent his lungs, that he might ſpeed thy courſe. He hath roared in reproof, been exquiſite in examination, pathetical in perſwaſion, that he might rouſe thee from thy ſecure reſt, rectify thy mis-judging thoughts and raiſe thee from the bed of ſin. He hath thrown Hellfire into thy face, hath opened to thee the poſterne of Heaven, that thou mighteſt have a glimpſe of glory; and all to make thee nimble, and vigorous in ſeeking grace, in ſueing for a pardon, in ſetling upon Chriſt. He hath been carried out beyond himſelf, hath been enlarged above meaſure, hath out-done his ſtanding abilities, that thou mighteſt be carried into the boſome of a Redeemer, live no more with a ſtreightned heart to God, that thou mighteſt have ability to do for God.

6. Some ſay, they are forgetful, and have S. 11 p. 193no memory: They are like a ſive, and cannot retain; but though it be thus with thee, yet repetitions are made uſe of for thy good; which is a commendable thing, for as much as we find warrant for it in Scripture; what elſe is the Book of Deuteronomy, but a repetition of of what was formerly delivered? This was Paul's courſe, when he ſaith, To write the ſame things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is ſafe. Phil. 3. 1. Hath not the Miniſter ſpoken to thee the ſame things divers times, either in the ſame, or ſeveral words; he hath inculcated and repeated, that thou mighteſt the better remember ſomewhat. He hath often harped, and ſtruck upon the ſame ſtring, that thou mighteſt be inabled to retain the note. How often hath he repeated the doctrine of faith, the duty of repentance? Directions, means, motives, have been gone over again, and again; ſo that if thou remember not, it muſt needs be more through wilfulneſſe than forgetfulneſſe; and more through the obſtinacy of thy heart, than the oblivion of thy head; you have had the ſame thing preſented to you more than once, and yet is the repreſentation and Idaea thereof out of your mind? I might have ſpoken to many other excuſes that people have, but by theſe and their anſwers may the reſt be ſatisfied; when they have had time and opportunities, and means of getting grace, and God hath provided remedies againſt their weakneſſes, which might ſtand in the way to hinder them; when things have been propounded preſſingly, delivered lively, and yet p. 194have not been ſavingly cloſed withal; when truths have been ingeminated, and not applicated; what excuſe can they have for themſelves? Is it not plain that they wilfully neglect Conſcientia mille teſtes.grace, and voluntarily ſlight the calls of God; and will not their own conſcience be the chief witneſſe againſt them?

3. The magnitude of God's providences: In S. 12 the next place conſider in what, and how many Nullum eſt momentum, quo homo non utatur, vel fruatur dei bonitate, & miſericordia.remarkable providences the Lord hath walked towards thee. He hath clouded thy condition ſometimes, and again hath cauſed the Sun of more comfortable diſpenſations to break forth, and ſhine upon thee with its cheering beams. He hath broken thine eſtate, that it may be thou waſt not worth a groate, and again hath increaſed thy ſubſtance unexpectedly, that thou art become great; like a skilful Arithmetician he hath leſſened thy means by ſubſtraction, and diviſion, and hath augmented it by multiplication; he hath preſerved thee from deſtruction Jonah 1. 17. M. Bridge.Jonah 1:17by drowning, when thou waſt at the brink of danger; and hath provided for thee a chamber of preſervation even in the belly of confuſion, as he did for Jonas; as a late Divine ſaith well. Thou ladſt a fall from a ladder, or pair of ſtaires, and yet the Lord caught thee in his hands, that thou waſt not broken to pieces; and yet thou haſt not fallen down upon thy knees with humiliation and ſorrow for thy ſins, nor given up thy ſelf into the hands of the Lord, to be faſhioned, and framed to that temper, that likes him beſt. Thou waſt at the mouth of the grave by ſickneſſe, and yet the p. 195Lord returned thee to the Land of the living: but for all this, thou haſt not been ſenſible of thy ſpiritual death in ſin, nor breathed after a recovery to grace; you were invaded by the fury of fire, but the Lord came in to your reſcue, as he did to the three Children in the fornace, and yet you have not ſought to eſcape the fire of Hell. The Lord hath brought you into ſuch a Town, or Family, and there hath done you good, and yet you have not ſought to be one of the Family, and houſhold of Faith. If thou do but ſet down and reckon, thou maieſt recount many dealings of the Lord to thee in a more than uſual manner, and yet thou haſt not ſet thy ſelf to delight in him and his wayes. Have none of his providences prevailed with you? none of his mercies melted, and moved you? Innumerable have been the Lord's gracious eminent dealings towards you, which are ſet off with the greater glory and ſplendour, by the foil of ſome precedent, or intermixed Pſa. 51. 8. Quam dives es in miſe…icordia, quam magnificus in juſtitia, quam munificus in gratiâ, Domine Deus noſter! non eſt, qui ſimilis ſit tibi.Ps 51:8adverſity, or caſualty; your deſperate wound was cured, your broken bones God hath cauſed to rejoyce: your poyſoning hath been prevented, the ſnare that was laid for you the Lord hath broken; the time would fail to enumerate all; ſo that thou maieſt ſay, How excellent is thy loving kindneſſe, O God. Pſal. 36. 7. But, O the ſadneſſe, for all theſe thou haſt gone on in thy ſins, and rebellions againſt God, and haſt not cared for a change from ſin to grace: thou haſt ſlighted the Lord's ſayings, notwithſtanding theſe his doings, and haſt contemned his calls, notwithſtanding theſe p. 196his carriages towards thee. Ah ſoul, is this 2 Sam. 16. 17.2 Sam 16:17thy kindneſſe to thy Friend? What, doeſt thou ſtill ſtand out againſt the Lord, and build Bulwarks againſt the moſt high? This was the great ſin of the Iſraelites anciently towards the Lord, that they came not into him who had done ſo much for them; They ſoon forgat God Pſal. 106. 21.Ps 106:21their Saviour. Doth not a Parent take it ſadly, when after all he ſeeth no amendment in the Child? The Lord was angry with Salomon, becauſe his heart was turned from the God of Iſrael, 1 Kings 11. 9.1 Kgs 11:9who had appeared to him twice. How many times hath the Lord appeared to you, and yet you have never appeared for him? Have the paths of the Lord to thee been mercy and truth, and yet haſt not cared for his Chriſt, his Covenant? The Lord may ſay complainingly of thee, as David of Nabal: Surely, in vain I Matt. 25. 10. 1 Sam. 25. 21.Matt 25:101 Sam 25:21have kept all that this fellow hath in the Wilderneſſe, ſo that nothing was miſſed of all that pertained to him; and he hath requited me evil for good: I have done thus and thus for this man, or woman, and yet I perceive nothing but ſtubborneſſe and ſtoutneſſe in them, towards me.

Haſt thou had ſo many word-calls, and ſo many work-calls, and yet hath no ſaving work paſſed upon thy ſoul? Have there been ſuch goings of the Lord to thee, and yet no goings of thy ſoul to the Lord by Chriſt? Do all theſe deeds of God bring thee to no duty for God? Have they not made thee ſit down, and reflect upon thine own heart, and ſay, what? ſhall I go on in my oppoſition againſt my portion p. 197and preſevere againſt my rock and refuge; againſt my Friend and Father? Doeſt thou thus requite the Lord, O fooliſh ſoul, and unwiſe? Is Dcut 32. 61.not he thy Father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and eſtabliſhed thee? This Quo liberalius nobiſcum agit Deus, eo magis accendi decet pietatis ſtudium in cordibus noſtris. Calv. in loc.makes your condition ſad, and aggravates your rejecting the offers of grace more and more: for our hearts ſhould be tinded and fired at the beams of God's bounty; and the fannings of his favours ſhould blow that fire up to a flame. The Lord hath ſought by theſe to gain you, and yet you have refuſed to give him your heart. If you ſearch all your common places, I think you will not find an Argument, whereby you may plead for your ſelf.

4. The lenitude of the ſpirit: Adde to theſe S. 13 the actions of the ſpirit. That hath gently ſtriven, but you have not been ſtirred; that hath called, but you have not anſwered. Oh, the Ad faciendum bonum quid in nobis bonus Spiritus operatur? monet movet, docet.ſweet gales, that that hath breathed upon you, which would have carried you into the haven of Chriſt's boſome, into the creek of an eſtate of grace! But you with the perverſeneſſe of your will, have rowed hard againſt the wind, that you might not be born down by the ſweet impulſes thereof. That hath taken you by the hand, and hath ſaid, Come, go along with me, and I will ſhew you the Father; it hath in love laid hold upon thee, to lead thee to Chriſt, but thou haſt pulled away the ſhoulder: It hath got thee into the ſhip, and would have launched forth into the deep, and have carried thee over to the other ſide, to the land of promiſe, but thou haſt skipped out, and made away from it. p. 198O the renitencies, and reluctancies of thy ſpirit, againſt the reducing and reverting acts of the ſpirit. It hath admoniſhed, and adviſed; moved, and minded; taught, and tutoured Monet memoriam, movet voluntatem, docet rationem. Iſa. 30. 21Isa 30:21thee; but thou haſt not learned: when thou haſt been ready to turn aſide to the right hand, or to the left, thou haſt heard the ſpirit ſpeaking a word behind thee, ſaying, This is the way, walk in it: When thou haſt been ready to ſtretch forth thine hand to unrighteouſneſſe, thou haſt heard that ſaying: Oh, do not this abominable thing, that I hate: But thou haſt not Jer. 44. 4.Jer 44:4obeyed the voice thereof. Though the Lord ſaith to thee as he ſaid to Abraham, in all that Sarah hath ſaid unto thee, hearken unto her Gen. 21. 12Gen 21:12voice; ſo in all that the ſpirit ſaith unto thee, hearken unto its voice. The Poets tell of one Orpheus, who was ſo cunning a player on the Harp, that by his excellent Muſick he drew after him wild Beaſts, Woods, and Mountains, and by the ſame recovered his Wife out of Hell. The ſpirit hath made to thee the Muſick of the ſpheares, and plaid deliciouſly upon the ſtrings of holy writings to allure, but thou haſt been more wild than the Beaſts of the Woods, more immoveable than the mountains, and haſt refuſed to follow its delightful harmony; nay haſt been unwilling to come out of the fire of Hell, to be drawn out of the Hell of thy natural condition by the allurement of its choiceſt tunes, and raiſed ſtraines. Sin hath taken you by one hand, and the ſpirit by the other to draw you from ſin to it ſelf, but you have ſcowled upon the ſpirit, when you ſmiled upon ſin. p. 199The ſpirit hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good, Mie. 6. 8.and what the Lord doth require of thee, even to do juſtly and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God: But thy endeavours have not been ſuitable to the ſpirit's diſcoveries.

The ſpirit hath made to you revelations of God's will, and yet there hath followed thereupon no reformation of your wayes. Nay, the ſpirit hath gone ſo far with you, that it hath convinced you of thus much, that you ſhould be better than you are, and yet for all this you are the ſame man and woman: It hath convinced you of Chriſt's readineſſe to eſpouſe you, and yet you have not been willing to give your ſins a Bill of divorcement, and to put them away; it hath made conſcience its deputy, (your boſome Friend that knows you well, and ſhould have great intereſt in you,) Conſcientia eſt cordis ſcientia.and hath ſet it on work to ſpeak to, and to deal with you, but all will not do. The ſpirit hath viſited you every day upon this account, and hath ſpoken to you enticing words, and intreated you not to be ſo unruly like an Heifer unaccuſtomed to the yoke, and hath ſaid, come ſoul, hearken to the voice of God, obey the call of Chriſt, you do not know how much it may be for your good; why will you not be gracious, and holy? Do you not know, that to be Godly, is to be Godlike? The great God that can grind you to powder, the good God that can ſave your ſoul, calls upon you, invites you, and will you ſay nay? The ſpirit hath opened the Lord's love Letters, and read them to you, and deſcanted upon them: but you regard p. 200not. To ſin againſt ſuch ſhinings of the ſpirit is no ſmall matter: affronts offered to the ſpirit will ſit heavy upon the ſoul, when time ſhall be. Hath the Dove come, and have not you Spiritus Jeſus, ſpiritus bonus Sanctus rectus, &c. Iſai. 63. 10.Isa 63:10opened the window to let it in? Hath the holy, good, pure ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt thus parlyed with you, and do you ſtand out againſt its ſweet aſſaults? This is to vex and rebel againſt the ſpirit, which is a great provocation to the Lord, and aggravation of thy ſin, whereby thou doeſt incurre his diſpleaſure, procure thy deſtruction.

5. The Longitude of your life: The thred S. 14 of your life hath been ſpun out to a great length; you have lived many a year in the world; you have lived to ſee your glaſſe run, and turned up again, when others have died before their glaſſe hath been half run. The day of your life hath been not a Winter's, but a Summer's day: You have followed many of your relations, and acquaintance to the grave, who have been younger than you, but you live ſtill. The Lord hath made you a long leaſe, and it is not yet expired. He hath cut down ſome aſſoon as they have budded and bloſſomed; but he letteth you ſtand ſtill: He hath ſtopped the breath of ſome, ſoon after he hath given it them, but thy breath is ſtill in thy noſtrils. Thy radical heat is not put out, thy radical moiſture is not yet dried up: He hath cauſed thy Sun to ſtand ſtill in the Firmament, and hath kept it from going down at noon day; he hath lengthened thy time from the ſpring of youth to the autumne of ripe and mature years. And yet thou haſt brought forth no p. 201cluſters of Grapes, no ripe fruit. It was the aggravation of Jezebel's ſin, that the Lord gave her ſpace to repent of her fornication, and ſhe repented not. Revel. 2. 21. It is ſad that thy Virtutes faciunt dies bones.dayes have been great, but not good; that thy dayes have been many, and thy grace but mean. Thou haſt through the Lord's clemency renewed thy youth as the Eagle; but though the Lord hath been calling, thy heart is not renewed. The Lord hath added years to thy daies, as he did to Hezekiah; but thou haſt 2 Kings 20. 6.2 Kgs 20:6not yet added ſanctity to thy civility, nor piety in the power to thy profeſſion in the forme. Thou art well ſtricken in years, but thou haſt never yet fully ſtricken a Covenant with the Lord. Thou art entred a great way into the ſcores, but wouldeſt never yet enter cordially into the School of Chriſt. The Lord hath cut off many in their ſins, while they have been acting unrighteouſneſſe; as the drunkard that ſaid, he ſhould never die, yet fell down a pair of ſtaires preſently, and died: while you have eſcaped, and your life hath been given you for a prey; and yet all this while you have gotten no grace. You have ſeen of the fruit of your body it may be to the third generation, and yet the Lord hath ſeen no fruits of grace from your ſoul: you have been fruitful according to the fleſh, but barren according to the ſpirit. You have lived ſo long as to have an hoary head, but not ſo long as to have an holy heart. Hath the Lord lengthened out your daies to a longer date, than the daies of many of your ſtock and Family, and yet are you without p. 202grace? Are you ancient in years, and yet have not come in, to the ancient of dayes? Is invaluable time of no value with you? Is it nothing, think you, to live thirty, fourty, fifty, Nihil pretioſius tempore, & heu, nil hodiè eo: vilius invenitur.nay ſixty, yea almoſt four-ſcore years, without a change, without converſion after ſo many callings? The Lord giveth you time to turn in, and will not you turn in time? The Lord deferres as doomes-day, ſo death's-day, out of long ſuffering, becauſe he is not willing that thou ſhouldeſt periſh, but that thou ſhouldeſt 2 Pet. 3. 92 Pet 3:9come to repentance. Haſt thou ſtood all this while in the Lord's orchard, and is not the time of Figs yet with thee? What will Chriſt ſay, when he comes & finds nothing but leaves on thee at theſe years? Age and years aggravate Mark. 11. 13, 14.Mark 11:13Mark 11:14failings of infirmity, becauſe ſuch ſhould have more diſcretion, much more then, the fault of impenitency, becauſe they ſhould have had true contrition. It is not becauſe others are worſe then you, that while they after a little time have withered in the grave, you for a long time have walked on the Earth, but it is that you might be better then they. It is not becauſe you ſhall not die to nature, but it is becauſe he would have you live to grace; and yet are you dead while living? no life, nor love to this day?

Ah poor ſoul, is it not a very great evil that the Lord hath been laying ſiege to thine heart, theſe thirty, fourty, fifty years, or more, and yet thou haſt ſtood up, and ſtouted it out againſt him; that thou haſt ſo long been called by him, and yet thy deaf vile heart hath not hearkned p. 203to him, nor cloſed with him; length of time overcomes many things, but thou haſt been little Nihil eſt, quod longinquitas temporis efficere non poſſit.the better for thy long time. There hath been an extenſion of thy daies, but no intenſion of thy deſires; a lengthening of thy ſeaſon, but no loathing of thy ſins.

6. The latitude of your comforts: Your S. 15 daies have had breadth as well as length: Your daies have been fair, not foul; clear, not cloudy; delightful with Sun-ſhine, not darkned with ſadneſſe; ſome have had a continued, but not a comfortable life; ſome have lived many years, and may ſay with David, My life is ſpent with griefe, and my years with ſighing. Pſal. 31. 10. Have lived all their daies, and it may be not ſeen the Sun, when it may be, it was never hid from thee. The Lord hath watered your Praeſentis vitae proſperitas aliquando idcirco datur, ut ad meliorem vitam provocet.long life with the ſhowers of comfort, that it hath flouriſhed; and yet for all this you have not been found in his wayes; others have been ſtreightned by poverty, when you have been enlarged by plenty; others have been overwhelmed with miſery, when you have been over-flowed with mercy; the condition of others hath been very ſickly, while your conſtitution hath been very healthy: You have hardly had a day of ſickneſſe, while others have had dayes of nothing but languiſhing ſorrow; others have been made (with Job) To poſſeſſe moneths of vanity, and weariſome nights are appointed to them, that when they lie down they ſay, When ſhall I ariſe, and the night be gone? and I am full of toſſings to and fro, untill the dawning of the day: But thou haſt had p. 204Job 7. 3, 4.Job 7:3Job 7:4moneths of liberty, and years of proſperity; and yet with the Halcyon, thou haſt not bred in ſuch calm weather; nor bloſſomed as the Roſe in this warm Sun-ſhine. The Lord hath hedged thee in with his favour, and compaſſed thee about with fatneſſe, and yet thou haſt not been his ſervant: You have not felt of the calamities, nor hardly taſted of the inconveniencies, that others have drank bitter draughts of, and yet you are never the nearer compliance with the Lord: Have you known of nothing but proſperity almoſt, and yet will you know nothing of true piety. Hath that driven you from God, that ſhould have drawn you to God? Hath your habitation ſtood toward the Sun, and yet hath not your heart ſtood toward Zion? You have enjoyed a Paradiſe of contentment, (not but that you have met with Deus felicitatibus terrenis amaritudines miſcet.ſome croſſes, for that is a very clear day, wherein there comes no cloud between the Sun and our ſight:) But in compariſon of others, you have lived as it were in Eden; and yet have you not hearkened to the voice of the Lord walking in the midſt of the Garden in the cool of the day? Have you had ſuch a circumfluence of outward peace, and no circumciſion of your inward parts? Sickneſſe is a burden you ſay, and that hindreth, and maketh you unfit for any good; and it ſeems health doth not further you in ſpiritual things. Want is a woeful thing, you ſay, and diſtracts you that you cannot look after grace, and it ſeems wealth doth the ſame too, as you order the matter. Hath not your tranquillity, I ſay, your aged tranquillity p. 205invited you to hearken to the calls of Heaven? Hath the Lord cut the wings of proſperity, that it might not flie from you all your dayes, and have you clipped, or clogged the wings of your affections and deſires, that you might not flie into the boſome of Chriſt? Hath the Lord cauſed peace, and priviledges, comfort, and temporal contentments to be your houſhold gueſſe, and to lodge with you all night, and yet will you refuſe to make the Lord Chriſt welcome to your heart? hath the Lord enlarged thy borders, and filled thee with the flower of wheat, and yet hath not thine eare been open to his call? Hath the candle of the Lord ſhined upon thine head all thy daies? Haſt thou waſhed thy ſteps with butter, and hath the Job 29. 3. 6.Job 29:3Job 29:6rock powred thee out Rivers of Oyl? And yet hath not thy light ſhined before men in good Matth. 5. 16.Matt 5:16works? Haſt not thou been willing to be waſhed in the laver of regeneration? Hath not thy Tit. 3. 5.Titus 3:5rocky ſpirit powred out rivers of teares for thy ſins? Thine head hath been crowned with Roſe buds all thy daies, but thou haſt not been willing that thy heart ſhould be crowned with grace. Upon all theſe conſiderations you cannot, are not able to ſay, that you are not guilty, but muſt rather ſay, you are notoriouſly guilty: after all theſe means not to be mended, after all theſe allurements not to be altered; to make ſturdy oppoſition, when thou haſt no ſufficient objections, maketh your ſin great, and grievous, and raiſeth it beyond the ordinary pitch.

To contemne grace after all God's countenancings, p. 206to continue in rebellion after ſo many calls to repentance doth exceedingly aggravate your fault.

2. Adminiſtring cauſes: In the next place S. 16 let us inquire into the cauſe of theſe carriages; for it may ſeem a wonder, that any ſhould neglect ſo great a work; there muſt be ſomething more then ordinary in it, that overtures of grace, ſhould be ſo overly dealt withal. If we ſearch, we ſhall find there is a root of bitterneſſe that produceth this fruit; and if we find the cauſe, there is ſome hopes of a cure; for who having found the cauſes would not, (if in their right minds) have them pulled Sublatâ cauſâ tollitur effectus.up by the roots; and if the foundation fall, the building cannot ſtand.

Now the cauſes, why people no more mind, and look after effectual calling then they do, are theſe.

1. Not right apprehenſions

1. Of the nature of calling. (calling.

2. Of the need of

3. Of the number of the called.

2. Falſe ſuppoſitions

1. Of their condition.

2. Of God's compaſſion.

3. Sinful procraſtination.

4. Worldly proſecution.

5. Want of intention.

6. Others converſation.

7. Wilful ignoration.

1. Not right apprehenſions: People have S. 17 not thoſe clear thoughts of things, as they p. 207ſhould have. An errour in Theory muſt needs produce an errour in practicks. An errour in the head will ſoon bring an errour into the heart. Wrong apprehenſions are not like to have right actions. The underſtanding is the leading faculty, and if that be out of frame, no wonder if the reſt move not in their ſpheare. As our judgements are of things, ſo are our indeavours about them more, or leſſe: We ſhall begin with the firſt thing where about their apprehenſions are not right.

1. Of the nature of effectual calling: Here S. 18 they are out, and quite beſides the cuſhion. The moſt of people are in an errour concerning this thing; and the moſt that they have are ſome ſcattered notions, but no diſtinct and ſpecial conceptions of it; ſome common thoughts, but not the centain truth.

They may happily underſtand it according to the Letter (though many come not thus far) but not according to the ſpirit: they take it to be that, which it is not; but they take it not to be that which it is. Nicodemus, though John 3. 4.John 3:4a chief man, yet was but a Child in this thing. That which was ſpoken ſpiritually, he underſtood carnally. Chriſt laid before him that which was right, and he looks upon it as a riddle, yea as ridiculous.

The moſt uſeful things are moſt unknown, Multa ſcienda neſciunturand the moſt needleſſe moſt known; and if people have not right apprehenſions of effectual calling, how can they have zealous affections for it? unſeen things are unſought. In the confuſion of Babel, they underſtood not one p. 208Ignoti nulla cupido.another; ſo by the fall of man came ſuch confuſion upon the underſtanding that people know not the language of the Lord; and when he calls for repentance, converſion, and bids them Ezek. 18. 31.Ezek 18:31make them new hearts, they know not what theſe things mean.

They take this work to be a Star of the leſſer magnitude, when it is a Star of the greater magnitude. The Lord calls for the heart, My Son, give me thine heart. Prov. 23. 26. And ſuch are peoples miſconceits, that they give him the hand.

The Lord calls for the power, and they miſtaking give him the forme. The Lord calleth for ſincerity in the inward parts, and they give him conformity in the outward profeſſion. The Lord calls for the conſcience within, and they give him nothing but compliance without. They know not the nature of it. They do not rightly conceive the parts and properties, the dignity, and excellency thereof. They think there is ſuch a thing, but wherein the formality of it conſiſteth, they do not apprehend, for they are carnal, and natural. Now the natural man as he receiveth not, ſo neither doth he perceive the things of God: for they are ſpiritually 1 Cor. 2. 14.1 Cor 2:14diſcerned.

They are many ſtrains above the reach of his capacity, above the touch of his apprehenſion. Hence it is that they ſet not upon this work, when called to it; and that they go away without practice, when ſuch things are preached unto them. Hence, when exhorted to it, they know not how to enter upon it; and p. 209when adviſed, they know not how to addreſſe themſelves to it; miſunderſtanding of the object muſt needs marre the undertaking of the ſubject; nor will this be any excuſation, but rather an accuſation of them, becauſe this and Mala voluntate unuſ quiſque miſer efficitur.the reſt of the evil crew that follow, ſpring chiefly, and principally from the will: for people neither know, nor will know. They love to be Children in ſuch things, and care not for the eſtate of man-hood, wherein childiſh things ſhould be put away. Turn them to the theſe things, and they have hardly a Primmer knowledge of them. In other things, what a deal of capacity in the conceiving of them? and therefore a deal of dexterity in the acting them: but here how ſhallow, low, and mean are peoples thoughts? Their eyes are blinded, their minds obſcured; and yet it is ſtrange that people ſhould be in the dark, when pregnant light ſhines upon them. Though people have theſe things opened, and unfolded to them, yet that they ſhould not ſee into the nature of them, is very ſad. That the Doctrine of effectual calling, or repentance from dead works, (for they are all one) which is an element and principle of piety, and therefore put into the Chriſtians Catechiſme by the Author to the Hebrews, ſhould be ſo little known, though often Heb. 6. 1. 2.Heb 6:1Heb 6:2conned; ſo little ſeated in the head, though ſo often ſaid by heart, is matter of admiration. This is the great Remora, and let in the way. Till they get over this ſtile, they cannot come into the field of grace. Till you know the meaning of this work truely, you cannot p. 210expect to be mended throughly.

2. Of the need of calling: People have not S. 19 right apprehenſions of the need of this work of effectual calling; and hence alſo it comes to paſſe that they are no more careful about it, nor deſirous that it paſſe upon them: where the neceſſity of any thing is not ſeriouſly apprehended, there actual endeavours will never be ſuitably extended.

Great is the force of need, and the ſence thereof, to ſet the heart on deſiring, and the hand on doing; and he that knows his need of any thing which he conceives to be of weight and moment, will through fire and water for the attainment thereof: neceſſity will take no denial, and knows how to object againſt all excuſes, and put-offs. But though a thing were of never ſo great excellency and utility, that it were the marrow of their comforts, the life of their ſouls, yea the key of Heaven, yet if their eye were not opened to ſee this their deſires and endeavours would keep their hands in their boſome, and never put forth themſelves to do ought. Now how needful is effectual calling, and a ſanctifying and ſaving change upon the whole man? If we look upon it as the mind of God, as a mean to Heaven, we Neceſſitas praecepti, & medij. Luk. 10 42Luke 10:42ſhall ſee it is needful: as Chriſt ſaid to Martha, ſo may we of this, One thing is needful, viz. to hearken to, and obey the call of Chriſt. It is needful for people, if they would be ſaved, and who will not profeſſe deſires that way? If they would have a throne in glory, it is needful. If they would live for ever, if they would p. 211eſcape everlaſting burnings, it is needful. But people are as careleſſe hereof, as if either there were no God, no Heaven, no Hell, or as if they had found out ſome other paſſage to Heaven; ſo long as people's need is unknown, ſo long their negligence will be uncured; ſo long as people think they are ſafe without it, ſo long they will never be careful to be ſaved with it; and ſo long as they think they are well without it, they will not readily have a will unto it. It is ſtrange that they ſhould not know how needful it is, which is ſuperlatively needful. It is ſo needful poor ſoul, that unleſſe thou be effectually called, thou muſt be eternally curſed; ſo needful, that if thou be not changed, thou canſt never poſſibly be crowned; that if thou be not cleanſed, thou ſhalt never be glorified; that if thou be not ſanctified, thou canſt never be ſaved. By nature thou art an enemy to Col. 1. 21.Col 1:21God in thy mind by wicked works, and therefore muſt be renewed, or thou canſt never walk Amos 3, 3.Amos 3:3with God in the ſtreets of the new Jeruſalem. For can two walk together, except they be agreed. Be thou what, or who thou wilt be, if thou be not drawn to God by grace, thou wilt be damned in Hell. If thou wert the Son of my Mother, or the fruit of mine own body, I muſt tell thee, that if this work be not done, and paſſe upon thee, thou muſt needs be undone, and periſh for ever.

If thou wert as potent as Alexander, as rich as Croeſus, as ſubtle as Achitophel, as beautiful as Abſalom, as ſtrong as Sampſon, yet without this paſſe-port thou canſt not be pardoned, nor p. 212partaker of glory; ſo indiſpenſably, and abſolutely neceſſary is this work, that we may ſay Non aqua, non igni, non aere pluribus locis utimur, quam amicitia.of it more then the Heathen Oratour ſaid of friendſhip; water, fire, and aire are needful, but this more. Friendſhip and amity with God is moſt neceſſary; yea, it is before meat and drink, for we may live here without them, as Chriſt ſaith, Man liveth not by bread alone, Mat. 4. 4. Senſus est, homines non vivere ex ſolis cauſis phyſicis, quum Deus non ſit illis adſtrictus, Bez. in loc.Matt 4:4but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God: For God is not tied up to natural cauſes: but we cannot live hereafter without this; for without holineſſe no man ſhall ſee the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. It is one of the firſt ſteps of that Ladder, which reacheth to Heaven, and unleſſe here thou firſt ſet footing, there is no climbing the tree of life. If you cannot produce new hearts, my dear Friend, and Chriſtian Reader, you ſhall never poſſeſſe the new Heavens. If you have not this work upon your ſouls, you can neither do, nor have, that which a Saint ſhould do, and have: You cannot live to God, nor upon God, nor with God, unleſſe you live from God; what though it do not purchaſe Heaven? yet it prepares for it; what though Heaven be not the deſerved wages of grace, yet grace is the deſireable way to Heaven. Oh, ſad it is, that you ſhould not know the need of it. Tiberius Caeſar ſaid it was a ſhame that men of ſixty years of age ſhould reach out their hand to the Phyſitian to have their pulſe felt, becauſe they ſhould not be ignorant of the temper of their body themſelves; what a ſhame is it for men and women, to live many years in the School of Chriſt, and to p. 213know ſo little of the need of grace, which is there conſtantly preached, and preſſed? what Ignorantia ſui initium omnis peccati.a ſhame for men and women of yeers to have ſo little cognizanee of their own condition, ſo little acquaintance with their own eſtate, ſo little knowledge of their ſouls concernments, as not rightly to apprehend the need of a change? where almoſt is the man or woman, that is truly ſenſible of the need of a new nature? How hard a work is it to convince them thereof? to work it into their heads, to ſink it into their hearts? Did any that were bodily ſick look after Chriſt, when he was on earth, for a cure, but thoſe that perceived their need thereof? and we are ſoon brought to a ſenſe of temporal miſeries, and by that to a ſight of the need of a medicine: but in ſpirituals (through ſtupefaction) we feel no pains, and hence it is we care for no plaiſter; or if people have ſome ſenſe of the need of this work, yet it is ſo faint and ſlighty, that it makes them not fervent in ſeeking after, and ſuing for it: They have ſuperficial thoughts that the thing may be good and commendable, and it is well for them that are in ſuch an eſtate; but as for permanent and powerful thoughts thereof they have none: They have not ſuch thoughts as the Apoſtle had in another caſe of great moment; A neceſſity is laid upon me, yea, and wo be unto me if I preach not the Goſpel. 1 Cor. 9. 16.1 Cor 9:16So they cannot ſay, a neceſſity is laid upon my ſoul, yea, and wo be unto me if I be not effectually called: Soul, thou doſt not conſider, that without this Benjamin, (this child of God's p. 214right hand) thou canſt never ſee his face; and that unleſſe thou be regenerated and born again, thou canſt not enter into the Kingdom John 3. 3.John 3:3of God; that without the life of grace, you have none of the love of God; you conſider not that it had been good for you not to have been born, as Chriſt ſaid of Judas, if thou be not reborn to good; that without this evidence you can have no inheritance; without this wedding garment no acceptance. If here you have not the communication of the Spirit's grace, you cannot have hereafter the participation of its glory; if the whole world ſhould be laid down as a pawn for you, it would not prevail: The Angels in Heaven, that are without ſpot, cannot ſtead you without this. Ah, if you did but know how needful it were, you would grieve in ſpirit, you would long and labour, you would ſigh and ſeek for it, and find no reſt in your ſpirit neither day nor night, till God had turned your night into day, you ſin into ſanctity; you would never be quiet till you were ſpiritually quickned; and would find no true contentation Corporis converſio, ſi ſola fuerit, erit nulla.in your mind, till you had a total renovation of the whole man; yea, you would ſay, Lord, give me grace, a new nature, at what rate ſoever, though it coſt me all I have: Thou mayſt buy gold too dear, but thou canſt not buy grace too dear; you would give all that you might have this gift beſtowed upon you; you would be importunate with the Lord, and take no nay, till you were called home into his boſome, if you did but know the neceſſity of this work.

p. 2153. Of the number of the called: This is the S. 20 third thing whereabout peoples apprehenſions are not right, namely, the number of the called: thoſe that are outwardly called indeed are numerous, but thoſe that are inwardly called are ſoon numbred. People think that profeſſion of Chriſtianity, and profeſſion of Chriſt are of equal extent, they think that all that have the word of grace in their eare, have the work of grace on their heart; that all are Iſrael, that are of Iſrael; that all that have the name of a Chriſtian, have the nature Rev. 3. 1.Rev 3:1too; not conſidering that the viſible Church is leſſe then Chriſtendom, and the inviſible than the viſible; like a leſſe circle in a greater. Multi dicuntur eſſe in domo, qui non ſunt de domo.There are many in the houſe of God, who yet are not of the houſe: It is day with many, who yet did never ſee the ſun up. There are many that hear the voice of God, but there are but few that obey it; which made Iſaiah to complain and ſay, Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Iſa. 53. 1. And S. John alſo ſaith, The whole world lieth in wickedneſſe, 1 John 5. 19. There are but a few that are up and doing the work of the Lord, the moſt lie ſtill in the bed of ſin; there are but a few that have got open their eyes, and are awake, the moſt are faſt aſleep on the couch of ſecurity. There are but a few that have caſt off the works of darkneſſe, and put on the armour of light; the moſt are in the region of darkneſs and ſhadow of death; bordering on the confines of that Countrey which is Terra del fogo, a land of p. 216nothing but fire and ſmoak: There are but a few that have got up to the top of holineſſe; the moſt are below in the valley of folly and vanity. There are many that are the people of God, who yet have no part in God: Thoſe that are effectually called are but a few, as a remnant left of the whole piece; as a garden plot in compariſon of the whole world. In all ages they have been but few that have received the ſpirit to the renewing of their hearts: The garland of grace is not ſet upon the head of every one. It is a rare thing to be gracions, and they are rare perſons that are ſo. The heavenly ſeed, though it be ſown thick, yet it comes up but thin; we muſt beat many trees to gather a buſhel of ſuch fruit; and ſearch many Towns to find a little company that truly fear the name of the Lord. Where we conceive things to be of a more common and univerſal nature, we are eaſily induced to think we have, or ſoon may have a right and propriety in them; but where we think they are ſingular and ſeldome, it is more difficult to raiſe ſuch concluſions, and renders us more diligent in the conſtant proſecution of them. Did you know how few were called, you would fear that your ſelf were not one of that number: Did you know there were but a few that did attain to grace, you would hardly contain your ſelf, but would be jealous that you were not within the ring: If you did but Perpauci perducuntur ad reg…um coeleſte.know the paucity of the ſanctified and ſaved, it would make you more look after the purifying of yourſoul. If this truth were but faſtened p. 217upon your ſpirit, it would make you more to follow after this work: Did you know how few are clad in white, and that none but ſuch are cloathed with ſcarlet, it would make you willing to put off the black weeds of nature, and to put on the ſhining raiment of grace: If you knew that but few were good, it would make you more unwilling to be bad: If you knew that moſt were ſinners, it would make you more deſirous to be a Saint: Til you know that moſt are excluded, you will never be careful that your ſelf be included: Till you throughly weigh that moſt are graceleſſe, you will never heartily wiſh that your ſelf be made gracious; the Scripture ſpeaks of but a few, a remnant, a tithe, be you therefore ſuſpicious of your ſelf.

2. Falſe ſuppoſitions: This is a ſecond cauſe S. 21 of peoples not looking after grace, and their not obeying the call of God. Falſely to ſuppoſe is a ſore evill; it is the bond of iniquity, and the bane of felicity. Thoſe that are infatuated by falſe ſuppoſitions, muſt needs be intricated in fearfull confuſion: and this falſe ſuppoſition is of two things,

1. Of their condition: People ſuppoſe themſelves S. 22 that which they are not, and therefore oppoſe themſelves to that which they ſhould be. They take themſelves to be good, and Multi ad ſapientiam perveniſſent, niſi ſe perveniſſe putaſſent, Cic.hence it is, they obey not God: it is becauſe people have ſo ſtrong fancies, that they have ſo weak faith. Thoſe that dream that all is well, will never deſire a remedy for all ill: They that think they are ſufficient ſchollers in Chriſts p. 218ſchool, will ſhut up their book, and away to play. High conceits of preſent attainments are great obſtructers to future atchievements. Thoſe that are whole, though but in their own thoughts, will never care for the Phyſitians druggs: men think it loſt labour to beſtow ſo much as a wiſh upon that which they think they have already. This hath ſtaved off many an one from Chriſt; this ſnare hath entangled many an one, that they could not goe a ſtep further: yet this is the courſe of the world, and moſt are delighted to be carried with this ſmooth ſtream: They love guilded ſhadows, better then they love golden ſubſtances: There are too many that make themſelves rich, when yet they have nothing. Thus it was with the Laodiceans, Prov. 13. 7.Prov 13:7they fancied worth, but feared not want; they dreamt of plenty, but thought not Revel. 3. 17, 18. Rev. 18. 7.Rev 3:17Rev 3:18Rev 18:7of their poverty. Many ſay with Babylon, I ſit a Queen, and am no widow, and ſhall ſee no ſorrow. Many think they are ſpirituall Queens, eſpouſed to Chriſt, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and ſo ſhall never be invaded by ſorrow, when as they are deſolate widows, and have the greateſt cauſe of mourning that may be. So the proud Phariſees could not endure to think that they were otherwiſe then they ſhould be, which made them ſay ſcornfully, Are we blind alſo? If people be but turned Joh. 9. 40.John 9:40from prophane courſes to ſome more civil carriages, they think it is enough, and are ready to chriſten it, and give it the name of true piety. With ſome every ſpark is a Starre, and every Gooſe a Swan; and if ever they mount p. 219from the bottom to the middle, they preſently take the middle for the top. This is one of the devils maſter-pieces, to lull ſoules aſleep, and then to work upon their ſancies, that they may dream of health, when there is nothing but ſickneſs; of a garden of flowers, when there is nothing but a wilderneſs of weeds, and then he doth not much fear parting with his prey. When the wine is in, the wit is out, we ſay; and thoſe that are conquered thereby, are ready to have high conceits of themſelves; (whence foreign, wine;ſome would have the words to be a kin:) ſo foreign, ween.when ſouls are intoxicated with the Wine of Satans deluſions, they are ready to magnifie themſelves in their own conceptions; and ſuch as are ſecure, are ſeldom carefull to provide for their ſafety: This ſweet poyſon hath been ſwallowed down too haſtily by many. Theſe are the willing eaſie chains whereby many are captives to ſin and Satan. Theſe are the lock and key of hell gate, of the dungeon door. Oh! dear friends, if you think your condition good, when it is not, you are in the high way to deſtruction; you have wind and tide, and oare, to ſpeed your voyage to the lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone. You get up upon the devils back, and poſt it along through the valley of the ſhadow of death: The Angel of the covenant come (though it be with a drawn ſword in his hand) and ſtay your courſe, ſtop you in your full career. Doe not blind your eyes with falſe conceits, becauſe you would not ſee the worſt of your Non nocet ſenſus, ubi deest conſenſus.ſelfe: A ſenſe of ſin will doe you no hurt, if p. 220you doe not conſent: though it be painfull, yet it will be profitable: the other, though ſweet for the preſent, yet will be ſoure afterwards; theſe honey conceits will leave you in the gall of bitterneſs: whilſt you think you are good, you will never, while the world ſtands, ſeek to be made good. As ever you deſire to be made a living Saint, ſo ſee your ſelfe to be a loſt ſinner: but the wretched world love and Joh. 3. 19.John 3:19live in darkneſs, and rather then they will have a true reflextion of their condition, they either draw the curtain before the glaſs, or put their hand before their eyes; and ſo farre hath the God of this world infatuated them, that they will draw up ſuch concluſions, to Conſcientia est codex, in quo quotidiana peccata conſcribuntur.which neither conſcience (if ſuffered to ſpeak) nor Scripture will give conſent. If you did but ſearch conſciences record, and Scriptures teſtimonie, ſure you could not be of that perſwaſion, whereof you are.

2. Of Gods compaſſion: people think, that the S. 23 Divine being is all merciemercy, and no juſtice; and that by his mercy they ſhall be preſerved from damnation, though through wilfulneſs they perſevere in their abominations: This is the laſt refuge that they betake themſelves to, and the univerſal remedie and plaiſter, that they think Ʋltimum refugium. foreignto be healed by. It is true, the mercy of God is the ſovereign ſalve for the ſores of our ſouls, but it muſt be rightly ſpread, and applied; It is the onelyonly balm of Gilead, but it muſt be rightly uſed.

Gods mercy is ſanctifying as well as ſaving; renewing, as well as redeeming; delivering p. 221from the power, as well as from the penalty of ſin; from the way, as well as from the wages of ſin: and thoſe that have not the firſt effect thereof, cannot expect the latter. If it bring not to repentance for ſin, it will never bring to acceptance in a Saviour. The Author Rom. 2. 4.Rom 2:4to the Hebrews ſpeaking of mercy of the higheſt ſtrain, even that which comes to ſouls in the blood of Chriſt, (which though it be the pillar and baſis of Gods kingdom) yet he doth not infer, that therfore be we what we will, we ſhall ſhall be ſaved, but this, that we muſt have grace, Heb. 12. 24. 28, 29.Heb 12:24Heb 12:28Heb 12:29whereby we may ſerve God acceptably, with reverence and godly feare, or otherwiſe he will be a conſuming fire, notwithſtanding this eminent demonſtration of his mercy. The Lord ſaveth none in their ſins; but ſaved from your ſins you may be. To fancie ſuch mercy, is but In omni opere Dei est miſericordia et juſtitia.to fall down to an Idol; for mercy and juſtice meet together: the riſing of one attribute is not built upon the ruine of another. God is full of pity thou thinkeſt, that he will ſpare thee though thou be never ſo full of impietie; and therefore you ſend not forth ſo much as one thought to look after grace: He that made you will not damn you, he that formed you, will not confound you for your ſinnes, you think: Doe but conſult that ſtartling place in Eſay. It is a people of no underſtanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them; and he that formed them, will ſhew them no favour, Eſa. 27. 11. Gods merciemercy you ſee, will not advance you to happineſſe, if you live, p. 222and die without holineſs: By ſuch thoughts you make mercy a means to ſink you, which otherwiſe might be a means to ſave you: what is this but to turn the grace of God into wantonneſs? Be not deceived, God will not be mocked: the Lords mercy glorifieth in heaven onelyonly thoſe whom he ſanctifieth on earth.

Though God be mercifull, yet you will be miſerable without grace; preſumption of Gods favour, without a change on your heart, will prove the confuſion of your face: and if becauſe of his compaſſion you diſobey the call of his Spirit, you are like to meet with nothing but condemnation: let merciemercy be a motive to draw you to contrition, and not a means to drown you in perdition. Every one, though their hearts be fraughted with nothing but ſin, yet they would caſt anchor in the mercy of God, that they might be ſaved from tormenting tempeſts, and ſo long as they think they ſhall have glory, let who ſo will look after grace: if they may be ſaved through Gods mercy, what need they care for Chriſts Spirit? but ſoul, know thus much, that though Gods mercy have neither bottom nor bank, yet it will not benefit you in reference to glory, if you come into, and goe out of the world a ſinfull wretch: Thoſe that confide in Gods mercy againſt Gods method, are like to have a ſad come off, when it comes to the upſhot.

3. Sinful procraſtinations: This is another cauſe of peoples being without, and not looking S. 24 after effectual calling, becauſe they defer and put it off to the time to come; hereafter p. 223they think will be time enough, though it be Qui non eſt, hodiè, cras minus aptus erit.high time at preſent; not conſidering that duration in ſin, brings obduration of heart; in temporals people are altogether upon the ſpeed, and in ſpirituals altogether upon the ſlack. It is an uſual thing for people at 20, to put off repentance, and the ſerious minding of their ſouls to 30; and when they are come to 30, to crave yet a further day, and that the buſineſſe may lie ſtill till 40; and ſo putting off from one time to another, from the Spring to Autumn, from the flower to the fall of our age, the work is undone; for gray heads can find excuſes as well as green heads: for when they grow old, then their ſenſes ſinke, their memories grow mean, their underſtandings decay, and now it is no time for ſuch things; even as Thales, who when his mother asked Plutarch.him in his younger years why he did not marry, anſwered, He was too young; and after in his elder years, ſhe putting the ſame queſtion to him, anſwered, He was too old. So the Lord by his Miniſters and Spirit, asketh people when they will marry, & be eſpouſed to Jeſus Chriſt; they ſay, It is too ſoon; they have good deſires to Chriſt, but they would ſtay yet a while; the Lord in patience waits and comes to them with the ſame query afterwards, and then they ſay, It is too late; nature is decayed, their ſpirits are ſpent; but they will wiſh well, and they would have God accept of that: moſt put of all to the laſt, and yet then they are as unfit and unwilling as ever; and God in juſtice rejects them who injuriouſly p. 224refuſed him. People are like little children, who loathe to have their play ſpoiled or hindred by wet weather, ſay, Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. Sinners have ſometimes convictions, that they begin to melt and be ſorrowful; and the heavenly doctrine falls upon them in ſuch drops, that it begins to wet them, to damp their ſport, to dull their joy, and they bid it go away, and if it come in old age it ſhall be welcome; and put away the meſſages of God, the calls of the ſpirit, and ſay, as Felix to Paul, When I have a convenient Acts 24. 25.Acts 24:25ſeaſon I will call for thee: but know thou, that delays are deſtructive; as one hath ſaid,

Who love delays, and their time for to ſlack,

Live by the loſſe, and ſhall no ſorrows lack.

To defer in this caſe is to deny; to procraſtinate, is but to prevaricate. He that refuſeth to hearken now, it is to be feared he will hearken never. When Saul would have asked counſel, by his prolonging he was prevented: 1 Sam. 14. 18, 19.1 Sam 14:181 Sam 14:19future intentions are great hindrances to preſent actions; and thoſe that account of doing much in the time that ſhall be, do nothing in the time that is. You know the Proverb, which ſaith, Make hay while the Sun ſhines, and ſtrike while the Iron is hot; and what Solomon ſaith in his Proverbs, Boaſt not thy ſelf of to morrow, for thou knoweſt not what a day Prov. 27. ….Prov 27may bring forth. The preſent time only is ours: It may be hereafter the Sun may not p. 225ſhine, nor the Spirit blow the fire; to morrow may be worſe then to day: many have thought Deteriot poſterior dies.to get looſe from ſin in futurity, and ſo have loſt their ſouls to eternity; many there are who have ſinfully deferred converſion, and thereby have been ſadly defeated of their expectation; many have thought to get goodneſs in their age, and have been cut off for badneſſe in their youth: God's calls are in the preſent tenſe, and ſo ſhould your converſion be; if you do not turn timely, you will hardly turn truly. It is one of Satan's policies to make you drive off this work, which in effect is no other then to drive away the worker, viz. the Holy Ghoſt; and one of his fallacies to ſuggeſt to you, that ſo the work be done, all is well; and that it may be as well done hereafter as for the preſent; whereas the Scripture ſaith the contrary, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, Heb. 3. 7, 8.

4. Worldly proſecutions: They have ſo S. 25 much to do to follow the pleaſures and profits of this life, that they forget the path to a better; they have ſo many irons in the fire, that they neglect their ſouls; their game and their gain ſo take them up, that there is no room for the babe of grace in the Inn of their hearts; the voice of the world ſo ſounds in their ears, that they cannot hear the voice of the word; they are ſo bowed down with terreſtrial converſations, that they cannot look Diſcit… in hoc mundo ſupra m…ndum eſſe.upward with heavenly contemplations; theſe flowers they will have, though they venture their ſouls in the gathering of them; the choiſe p. 226of their affections, that chief of their time is ſo laid out this way, that there is nothing left to be ſpent in induſtrious endeavours after converſion, and effectual calling. It may be ſaid of moſt, as Chriſt ſaid to Martha, they Luke 11. 41, 42.Luke 11:41Luke 11:42are careful and troubled about many things, that they forget that one thing that is needful. They are like Duke D' Alva, who when the King his Maſter asked him, if he had ſeen the Eclipſe, anſwered, he had ſo much to do on earth, that he had no leiſure to look up to heaven; ſo much do they converſe with the creature, that they know not how to convert to the Creator: And ſo they can but furniſh the body, it matters not with them, though they forget their ſouls; they ſtoop to take up theſe golden apples, and in the mean time loſe the prize of grace; they are loth to come out of the warm Sun-ſhine into God's bleſſing; there is ſuch a croud of worldly thoughts and intentions about the heart, that grace canot get neer the door with its motions; they followtheſe things with ſuch ſpeed, that when they ſhould look after grace, alas! their ſpirits are ſpent. It is juſt that they ſhould go away without the pearl, who ſpend their time in getting pebbles; and that they ſhould be deprived of the directing ſpirit, who devote themſelves to the Fallax est hic mundus.deceiving world; for when your out-ſide thrives upon its treacherous bounty, you will but ſtarve at heart for want of grace: yet this is the courſe and cuſtome of people, to loſe treaſures for looking after trifles, and to put Luke 14. 18, 19.Luke 14:18Luke 14:19off Chriſt's call with their oxen and their p. 227farms; Chriſt calleth them in the Miniſtry of the word to grace, to ſanctity, to an upright walking, to the renovation of their ſouls; they deſire to be excuſed however a while, they would fain have a little more delight, fain reach to ſuch an eſtate, fain diſpatch ſuch a buſineſſe, they cannot yet tend to ſuch things; people are ſo buried in ſenſual things, that they know not how to look after a ſpiritual life: Theſe things ſo ſwallow up their affections, that better things can find no acceptance with them: Theſe do ſo monopolize and ingroſſe their time and thoughts, that the Spirit's motions can find no entertainment with them. Ah, vain man, are pleaſure and profit ſuch darlings, that your ſoul and grace are the leſſe dear to you? Will not you repent it when it is too late? Lyſimachus yielded up his Army, and whole power into the enemies hands, for a little water to quench his and their thirſt; and when he had ſo done, then cried out, What have I loſt for a little drink? It will be ſad, when thou ſhalt be forced to complain another day, and ſay, What have I loſt, my God for gold? my ſoul for ſin? piety for profit? grace for gain? wiſedom for wealth? goodneſſe for greatneſſe? Do but remember what Chriſt ſaith, What will it profit a man if Mat. 16. 26Matt 16:26he gain the whole world and loſe his own ſoul? Haſt not thou been ſo taken up with hunting and hawking, ſo ingaged to ſports and recreations, In voluptatis regno non potest virtus conſiſtere.ſo addicted to carnal delights, that thou haſt not been free to the Spirit's tenders? Thou haſt followed after theſe things ſo far p. 228and ſo faſt, that thou art got out of the Spirit's call. It is ſtrange that the world ſhould be ſuch a Jewel in your eyes, that it muſt be had, though with the loſſe of a Jeſus? It is much that you ſhould run an eternal adventure for a temporal advantage. God, I am ſure, made you not for this end, that you ſhould be a ſervant and vaſſal to theſe things; yet thou art all for treaſuring up goods, but careſt not for treaſuring up grace: ſuch as reſolve and endeavour to be rich in body, will hardly be rich in ſoul; ſo long as thou art wedded to the world, thou wilt hardly be willing to repent; We cannot ſerve two maſters; we cannot Matth. 6. 24.Matt 6:24ſerve God and Mammon. And if the love of the world be within, the love of God and grace 1 Joh. 2. 15.1 John 2:15muſt needs be without. If upon theſe things you beſtow your time, you will hardly to better bend your mind. Two works, eſpecially of divers and contrary natures, cannot be followed to purpoſe; and if calling be not effectual, it is not of proof.

5. Want of attention: People ſet not themſelves S 26 to mind what is ſpoken, and without heart-minding, there is little likelihood of heart-mending. They do not hide that ſeed in the furrows of their heart, which is ſown by the Miniſters hand: The not heeding the word, is a great cauſe of not having the work: The word not pondered in the mind, is unlike to be a means of purifying the man; many think Verba Dei quae aure percipitis, mente retinete.it enough to give it the hearing, though they refuſe it entertainment: Hearing without heeding, will bring little good to the ſoul. p. 229People many times give as little regard to the truth as to a tale: The word is the means of effectual calling, & if that be not minded, it is like to have little effect upon a man or woman. The word is to be heard with both ears; when people hear, they do not hear as if it were for their life; they conſider not the reality of what is ſpoken, nor the ſpecial reference it hath to them. They are not careful that nothing fall to the ground of that which falleth from heaven. It is ſaid of Lydia, that ſhe heard, Act. 16. 14.Acts 16:14and attended to the things which were ſpoken of Paul. The way to acquaintance with the Spirit's work, is attendance to the Spirit's word. But people when they hear things of concernment, look upon them as cuſtomary; many things of weight and worth are propounded to them, which they ſlightly run over and do not ruminate; this is the great cauſe of their ſpiritual uncleanneſſe, becauſe they chew not the cud. There muſt be attention without avocation; conſcionable, careful hearers reach to ſomething, when others, ſive-like, let out as much, and as oft as let in. People are told of their condition, which did they conſider, they would look after a reſtitution: They hear the nature of ſin, the news of a Saviour; of the quality of grace, the neceſſity of Chriſt; which were they more often in their ſerious meditation, there were ſome more hopes of their ſpiritual mutation. We ſee Chriſt ſo intent upon his work, that the had not liberty to eat bread; and every Chriſtian Mark 3. 20, 21.Mark 3:20Mark 3:21ſhould be a follower of Chriſt. I have p. 230read of one Nicias a Painter, who was ſo earneſt Plutarch.in his work of painting, that he forgat his meals, and would ask his ſervants whether he had dined or no. But alas! in things of an higher, yea, an incomparable nature, people have only their bodies preſent, while their ſouls are abſent. They do not gather up, nor call in their ſpirits and affections, and center Hoc age.them upon the buſineſs in hand: and to this purpoſe doth the Lord complain of his people under Ezekiel's Miniſtry, that they did afford Ezek. 33. 31.Ezek 33:31a perſonal appearance, but did not accord to a ſpiritual attendance; that they did hear the word, but did not heart it; for their heart was truanting abroad after their covetouſneſs, while they tasked their bodies to an outward correſpondency. People give no diligent heed, and hence it is that they have no dutiful hearts: Quid vobis plus eſſe videtur verbum Dei, aut corpus Chriſti? Non minus est reus, qui verbū Dei negligenter audiverit, quam ille qui corpus Chriſti, in terrā negligentia ſua cadere permiſit.They hear only for faſhion, and not to be faſhioned by the word; otherwiſe they would hear, not only with their heads, but alſo with their hearts. The words of the Lord are no common words, no ordinary ſayings, that they ſhould be ſo much ſlighted: It is a great offence to God, and a great obſtacle to our ſouls good, not carefully to mind what is propounded; for it is delivered to us and to our uſe, and by this means it becomes uſeleſſe. This hath been the marring of many an ones ſoul, becauſe they have minded the word no more, hearing more for complement, than for converſion; for cuſtome, than for conſcience: If thou go on in this negligent careleſſe way of hearing wherein thou art, thou art not like to be converted; p. 231without attention and intention of mind, there is like to be no retention of memory, and without both no likelihood of contrition for thy ſins. The word not heeded will little help thee; it argueth a fatal darkneſſe of peoples ſpirits, that they ſhould fancy health from the hearing of the word, when they are not watchful in waiting upon it: It ſheweth that deluſions prevail far upon them, that they can think to be ſaved by that which they do not ſavour; to be ſavingly converted by that which they do not ſeriouſly conſider. If ever you would have ſin let out, you muſt ſee that the word be let in.

6. Others converſation: This is a great S. 27 hinderance to the work of effectual calling. People ſee others neglect it, and not look after it, and they do ſo too; it is too uſual to follow the examples of the moſt, and not the beſt. Preſidents are uſually prevalent; we are more Plus valent exempla, quam praecepta. Perkins. Rev. 3. 4.Rev 3:4ready to follow the ways of man, than the word of God. It is a foul ſin, ſaith one, that keeps many from Religion, and brings them to deſtruction, when they will live after the manner of the world. They ſee their ſuperiours confident though they be not converted: They ſee them footing it in the fair way of formal profeſſion, and they judge it preſumption for themſelves, which are as inferiours, to ſtep before them, and get into the ſtrict path of fervent piety. It is judged of the world a piece of incivility and want of breeding, to deſire or endeavour to be better then our betters; our rich and wiſe neighbours, ſay p. 232people, have not this work upon them which Miniſters ſo ſpeak of, and yet they are men and women of ſome worth. They have underſtanding and know what they do, and we hope we ſhall not do amiſſe if we tread in their ſteps: This is a great block in the way, at which many ſo ſtumble, that they tumble into hell; Children follow their Parents; Servants their Maſters; the Cottager the Courtier; the Tenant his Landlord; the Peaſant the Prince; and moſt do write after the Copies Vivitur exemplo.that their ſuperiours ſet them. Many are ready to ſay, as the Samaritan woman, Art thou greater then our father Jacob? And did not Joh. 4. 12.John 4:12the Phariſees object this to the officers that ſeemed to have ſome good inclination to Chriſt? Have any of the rulers, or the Phariſees Joh. 7. 48.John 7:48believed on him? But it is not ſafe to ſail by their compaſſe, which is not right ſet, nor to follow them, who know not the way to heaven. If with your will you be carried down the ſtream, againſt your will you ſhall at length fall down into the bottomleſſe lake; one precept from heaven ſhould be of more force with us than all the patterns we meet with on earth. If others damn themſelves, that is no ſufficient warrant for us to do ſo too. Thoſe that are moſt wiſe for temporals, are many times moſt fools for ſpirituals; and though one would be willing to take their counſel for the one, yet loath to follow their courſe for the other. If we would ſet our watch, let us take the direction of a true Sundial, and not of others ill-paced watches: p. 233If all the world ſhould turn their backs on God, yet it were thy duty, though thou hadſt no partner, to ſet thy face toward the new Jeruſalem: It will be no diminution of ſin, or mitigation of ſorrow, that we have partners and confederates; if you do as others do, you muſt expect to fare as others fare; others Exempla bonae vitae a Chriſto, & ab ejus actibus aſſumere debemus.manners muſt not be our model, unleſſe they follow Chriſt and Chriſt's rule; our hearts and lives muſt be printed, not according to the copy of others works, but according to the original of the word: we muſt draw the picture of goodneſſe, not according to the rough draught of other mens ways, but according to the exact plat-form of God's will. Thoſe that will ſwim with the world, muſt accuſe themſelves if they ſink with the world. To pin our faith upon other mens ſleeves, is to pinion our wings, and hinder us in our flight to heaven. Whatever ye do, ſaith Joſhua, Joſh. 24. 15.Josh 24:15Yet I and mine houſe will ſerve the Lord. Though others be looſe in their converſation, yet we ſhould be fixed in our reſolutions. Though others forſake God, yet let not us forget our ſouls. Other mens practiſes are too weak a bottom for us to venture our lives in, in our voyage through the ſea of this world to the holy land. It is ill following of others, unleſs we ſee they be in the way to grace and glory: Though we ſee not others panting after the grace of God in Chriſt, yet let us be preſſing forward toward the mark, for the price of the Phil. 3. 14.Phil 3:14high calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus. Let their wiſedom be what it will in other things, yet p. 234here their policy uſually fails. Though they be never ſo much above us, yet let it be no motive to make us contented without grace: Though they ſatisfie themſelves with external, yet let us ſeek for effectual calling: Though they fancy all will be well, yet dear friend, do thou fear all will be a woe without a work of grace.

7. Wilful ignoration: This is the laſt cauſe S. 28 in order that I ſhall ſpeak to, of peoples neglecting, and not looking after this work; and I can term it no other then wilful ignorance: becauſe they have the means, though not a due meaſure of knowledge. People are unacquainted with the grounds of Religion, which keeps them from the knowledge of their own condition: Though the Sun be up, yet it is night with many Towns, Families, and Perſons. In this light age, how many are there that ſee but little? Many are like the Jonah 4. 11.Jonah 4:11Ninevites, that cannot diſcern between their right hand and their left. Catechiſtical principles are good helps to piety; they ſhew the fall of man, and the favour of God; the curſe by the firſt Adam, the cure by the ſecond; How ſin came in, and how it muſt be got out. They are maps of heaven, of earth; they portray God and us; ſhew what we are by nature, & what we muſt be by grace, if ever we would come to glory; without the knowledge of our ſelves, as well as of God, we ſhall never come to good; which made thoſe that had no other but the Moon-light of nature to direct them, foreign.to magnifie that ſentence, Know thy ſelf. Ignorance p. 235of our loſt ſtate, maketh us proud in De ignorantia tui ſuperbia venit.ſpirit, and pride doth barricado the ſoul againſt grace. Thoſe that know not the quality and penalty of ſin, that know not how all came to be overwhelmed with the deluge of ſin, and to have the weeds of natural pollution wrapt about their heads and hearts; that all are heirs to Adam's ſin as well as ſorrow; thoſe that know not the manner nor means of grace; that know not the nature of faith and repentance, and their own need of them, all which are taught in fundamental principles of Chriſtianity, are not like to meet with a change. Thoſe that have not learned exactly theſe elements, will hardly be able to ſpell out a work of ſaving grace. How many are there who have need to be taught the firſt principles of the Oracles of God, and yet ſcorn ſo low a work as this? but let them know, that if they be not well verſed in their A, B, C, they will Heb. 5. 12.Heb 5:12hardly prove good Schollers in Vertue's School; and if they be not well ſuckled with pure milk at firſt, they are not like to prove thrifty babes of grace. If the foundation be not laid, the building is like to prove but a ſorry one; it were well therefore if catechiſing, private and publike, were more in uſe; little knowledge of God and our ſelves, unleſſe we get this Horn-book by heart, and into our hearts; without ſound principles no ſaving proficiency; be not too haſty to flie, before thou haſt got the uſe of thy feet; future works have great dependency upon firſt works: Many ſoar to the clouds with notional conceptions, p. 236who never yet caſt off the clouts of their natural condition, and all for want of being principled. But deſpiſe not thou the day of ſmall things: Grace is a practical knowledge of the nature of faith, and not ſpeculative of notions in the fancy. Were people better learned in theſe things, it would make them more able to make a right conſtruction of their own eſtate. They are as a glaſſe to ſhew us our deformity, which if we did ſee, we would more long for conformity to God. Pretences to Chriſtianity are little worth, where ignorance of fundamentals beareth the ſway.

And thus I have laid before you ſeveral cauſes that keep people in their natural condition, and keep them off from effectual calling; let us pray, Lord, by the hand of thy powerful Spirit, roll theſe ſtones from the mouth of the grave, that thy poor creatures may riſe to grace. I come in the next place to the third general propounded.

3. Aſtoniſhing conſequences: There are S. 29 ſuch ſad things that do and may follow upon the neglect and want of effectual calling, which may ſtartle an heart of ſtone; which if you take down and ſweat upon, they may through the concurrence of the Spirit, conduce to the expelling and working out your great careleſſeneſſe and neglect in ſo great a work; and they are theſe four following,

p. 237The

1. Haſtineſſe of death.

2. Horrour of forſaking.

3. Hardneſſe of your heart.

4. Hazard of your ſoul.

The Lord work theſe pills into form with his own hand, and bleſſe them to a powerful and profitable operation.

1. The haſtineſſe of death: You know not S. 30 how ſoon you may die, and your Sun may ſet; you have no leaſe of your life; nor with Joſhua, are you like to prevail that your Sun may ſtand ſtill in its firmament at your pleaſure. If God with the ſword of his juſtice cut the thread of your life aſunder, you fall ſo low that no lift can help you; you are ruin'd beyond recovery. What if you had that meſſage which Hezekiah had, 2 Kings 20. beginning; ſuch a meſſage will come you know Tuus ultimus dies abeſſe non potest longe, adhuc te praepara: qualis enim exieris de hac vita, talis redderis illi vitae.not how ſoon; and your houſe is not ſet in order; your accounts not caſt up; you are not in an eſtate of grace; what then will become of you? When nature's life is done, you can never have a ſpiritual life, if you had it not before; what though you be well at preſent? yet you may ſoon be ſick, nay, you may die without ſickneſſe. Death may lay an ambuſhment, and ſurpriſe you before you are aware: Though it be fair weather for the preſent, yet you know not how ſoon it may overcaſt. Death is an eclipſe that hapneth in a cloudy as well as in a clear day; and when death hath done his work, though you ſhould ſeek your own repentance with tears, as Eſau did his fathers, yet it were in vain. It had p. 238Heb. 12. 17.Heb 12:17been better you had never lived, than to die in a dead ſinful condition: If your grave-change come before your grace-change, woe be to thee, ſoul; what if this night your ſoul ſhould be required of you? what would be your doom, when you had never throughly inquired after the Lord? If you die in your ſins, you are damned for your ſins; if you loſe your life, you loſe your ſoul too: if your ſoul and body part without a part in Chriſt and in grace, God and you muſt part to all eternity: and many have died ſuddenly, and why not you? many betimes, and why not you? ſome die young, and melt as ſnow before the mid-day-Sun; & God hath no where told you that you ſhall live till you are old; when your time is once gone, it ſhall never return. Is there ſuch uncertainty of the time of death, and no certainty of the truth of grace? you may die this week, this day, this hour, and if not effectually called, the miſery of your condition is inexpreſſible: The Lord pull your feet out of this ſnare. Oh, my dear friends, if you die not effectually called, there is no help nor hope for you: All the balm in Gilead will not cure your wound. It may be death is at your door, ready to fieze on you; He hath his commiſſion and warrant it may be, and is Cito pede praeterit aetas.coming towards you as faſt as he can; oh! if you be not changed. Haſt thou not looked after this work? Haſt thou forgotten to ſeek for a new heart? then deſtruction fiezeth upon you like an armed man. Death ſtays for none; when he comes, you muſt away, though never p. 239ſuch a ſinner, though never ſo unfit.

2. The Horror of forſaking: Conſider in S. 31 the next place what a dreadful thing it is to be forſaken of God; and to have the Almighty depart from our ſouls. What if your day of grace ſhould be over and gone? it is more then you know but it may be ſo: Though your Tranſivit dies ſalutis, & nemo recogitat.natural Sun be not ſet, yet if the Sun of righteouſneſſe be gone down in thine Horizon, woe be unto thee: Though God in his common dealings be neer thee, yet if in his ſpiritual diſpenſations he be at a diſtance, I may ſay with the Prophet, Woe unto thee when God ſhall thus depart from thee. Spiritual derelictions Hoſ. 9. 12.Hos 9:12can have no other end then ſore deſtruction; ſuch as are left of the Lord, muſt needs be loſt in themſelves; when the day of grace is at an end, a man or woman is never like to ſee good day more; God's departures are doleful and dreadful; our times, as in natural, ſo in ſpiritual things, are in the Lord's hands. Divines ſay, there is a time ſet for the converſion of ſouls, which when it is once gone and paſt, their condition is deſperate: and ſuch words have their warrant from the Word; for the Spirit counſelleth to ſeek the Lord while he may be found, and to call upon Iſa. 55. 6.Isa 55:6him while he is neer. There is a time of God's appropinquation, and after that nothing but alienation; there is a time of God's preſence, and after that he abſents himſelf: And to this purpoſe ſpeaks truth it ſelf, Jeſus Chriſt to Jeruſalem, If thou hadſt known, at leſt in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace, but p. 240now they are hid from thine eyes: And they Luke 19. 42, 44.Luke 19:42Luke 19:44ſhall not leave in thee one ſtone upon another, becauſe thou kneweſt not the time of thy viſitation. There was a nick of time, wherein all might have been ſalved and made whole, but that being paſt there was no remedy. And thus did the Lord threaten his people of old, Becauſe I have purged thee, and thou waſt not Ezek. 24. 13.Ezek 24:13purged, thou ſhalt not be purged from thy filthineſs any more, till I have cauſed my fury to reſt upon thee. I have purged thee, that is, I have called upon thee to be purged, and have Verbo praecepi te mundari. Jun. in loc.afforded means thereto, which you refuſed, and therefore are rejected. If your day of grace be done, you are undone, though you ſhould live never ſo many years more in this world; for graces day and natures day, are not always of an equal length. What if God ſhould ſay of you as he did of the old world, my ſpirit ſhall not always, nay, it ſhall no longer Gen. 6. 3.Gen 6:3ſtrive with this man, this woman. When God gives his ſpirit a commiſſion to viſit with its motions a man or woman, he limits a time, and ſaith, if by ſuch a time they come not in, let them alone; if by ſuch a time they come not over to me, give them over to themſelves: when the glaſſe is out, and the laſt ſands are run, ſpeak no more to them, ſtrive no more with them. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands, but much more fearful thus to fall out of the hands of the living God. If God ſhould paſſe that doom upon you which we find, Rev. 22. 11. He that is unjuſt, let him be unjuſt ſtill; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill, p. 241it would be very ſad. And if the glory of Ezek. 9. 3.Ezek 9:3the Lord be gone to the threſhold, ready to depart, there is like to be but a ſolitary Temple left behind.

3. The hardneſſe of your heart: Thine S. 32 heart, by ſtanding out againſt the calls of God, grows more and more hardned; multiplied oppoſitions procure much obduration; and the more people ſtand out againſt the Spirit, the faſter they ſtand in their ſins: The oftner the Divel, with the hammer of reſiſtance, ſtrikes upon this anvil, the harder it grows; and the more ſinfully hard, the more uncapable of ſpiritual impreſſions; ſo many degrees as the heart is hard, ſo many degrees is it diſtant from grace. An hard heart is the worſt evil under the Sun, and the cure of it is very difficult: Therefore the Holy Ghoſt counſelleth to exhort one another dayly, while it is Heb. 3. 13.Heb 3:13called to day, left any of you be hardned through the deceitfulneſſe of ſin. You ſlight the work of grace for the preſent, in hope of reaching it for the future; when, alas, thereby thou becomeſt more unfit every day than other. Haſt thou Expertentia optima magiſtra.not learned ſo much from experience yet, which is a good School-dame for fools and ſinners? Art thou not more averſe to good this week than the laſt; this month, this year than the laſt? They ſay, the Loadſtone will not draw iron when rubbed with garlick; when ſouls are much beſmeared with ſin, God many times gives them over to themſelves; and ſaith, as of his people formerly, Ephraim Hoſ. 4. 17.Hos 4:17is joyned to Idols, let him alone. Every ſinner p. 242hath his back upon the Lord, and the further he goeth on in ſin, the further he goeth from God, and therefore his return is rendred more difficult and doubtful. An hard heart Rom. 2. 5.Rom 2:5and a penitent heart differ like fire and water, light and darkneſſe; formerly you melted when you ſat under perſwaſions to piety, now you are not moved at all; formerly a little blow would make your heart yield, a ſmall prick would make the blood come, now nothing affects, or takes effect with you; your heart is now become like the nether mil-ſtone; formerly the warm Sun-beams would melt you, and now an hot fire will not diſſolve you: The longer you live in your natural condition, the more ſtout and ſtubborn do you grow.

4. The hazard of your ſoul: While you S. 33 are not effectually called, you go in danger every day, as the chicken that is from under the wing of the hen: you have no rampiers of God's grace to ſhrowd you, no canopy of his love to ſhelter you: For God is angry with the wicked every day, Pſal. 7. 11. There is no running from God's anger, unleſſe you flee Non est quo fugias, a Deo irato, niſi ad Deum placatum.into his boſome; to get into the arms of Chriſt's love by effectual calling, is the only ſanctuary of ſafety. Whilſt you are in your ſins, you are neither ſub coelo, under heaven by gracious protection, nor ſhall you be in coelo, in heaven by glorious tranſlation. The Heathens Divinity taught them thus much, that only good men ſhould be happy hereafter. Woe to thee that art filthy and poliuted. Thou p. 243Zeph. 3. 1, 2.Zeph 3:1Zeph 3:2haſt not obeyed the voice; thou haſt not received correction; thou haſt not truſted in the Lord; nor drawn neer to the great God. If thou look into the divine Almanack, thou canſt find nothing but certain progoſtications of ſad things to thy ſoul. An Orion of miſery is ready to fall down in overwhelming ſhowres upon thine head. Thy nakedneſſe is diſcovered by reaſon of thy ſins, and thou art a fair mark for the arrows of vengeance to be levelled at. There is but an hand, nay, but an hairs-bredth between thee and deſtruction; every ſtep thou takeſt, thou art in danger to ſtep into hell: Thou goeſt every day without thy guard, and being without grace haſt no mark, whereby thou mayſt be notified to the deſtroying Angel, to be an Iſraelite that is to be paſſed over; your houſe is undoored, unroofed, and miſery may come in and pluck out your throat. Thoſe that are not guided by God's Law, are not guarded by his love; and where there is no faith of converſion, there can be no favour for tuition; while you are unconverted, you lie under eminent, and imminent danger continually; deſtruction ſtands by your ſide, ready to trip up your heels; and ruine like a rock is ready to fall upon you, and grinde you to powder. It is moſt true that the wiſe man ſaith in this caſe, In the tranſgreſſion of an evil man, there is a Prov. 29. 6Prov 29:6ſnare. There is no peace to you when you go out, or when you come in; when you lie down or riſe up; whilſt you are unchanged, you are expoſed to danger every day, to miſery every moment.