The Sinners Hope, Sermon · Chapter 7
CAP. VII.
The truth improved againſt the impenitency of wicked men, to perſwade them to come in.
3. LEt this then be improved againſt your impenitency;Motives. Since there might be Hopes if you repent, be perſwaded to repent and turne from the ſinfull wretched courſe, that you are in, Oh! leave your ſins. Turne ye, turne ye, why will yee dye?
1. Conſider what an hopefull condition yours might be, if you would turne.
1. How hopefull in reſpect of your reconciliation.
2. Of the conſequences of it.
— Hopes of Reconciliation
— Hopes from Reconciliation
Hopes of your reconciliation. In that —
1. Chriſt ſtands ready to receive you, if you will but come in,Iſa. 38.18. Ezek. 33.11. he waiteth to be gratious; he will glorifie himſelfe to ſhew mercy: how ſolemnly he proteſts! he deſires not your death, perſwades you to turne, he ſtretches out his hand all the day long unto you: his heart is not to be wrought to an inclitation to be friends with you, it is wrought already; he hath been uſed to deſperate cures, ſuch feſtred ſores, to ſuch worthleſs adventures; he is gratious and ready to forgive, this is a great advantage, He ſtands ready for your comming, there needs no preparing of him, he is alwaies ready, the change is only reſting at thee, if thou wouldeſt be drawne to come.
2. All your former waies may be forgiven unto you; he will not remember againſt you your former iniquities, you have gone on in rebellion thus long, lay down your armes now, all that is paſt ſhall be forgotten, he will remember ogainſt you your ſins no more. Iſa. 43.25. Ezek. 33.12. to the 17.If you will come in, your former waies ſhall not be remembred, the Lord will make no difference between thee and the reſt of his ſubjects, thou ſhalt not be oppreſt with ſuſpitions and jealouſies, nor upon every occaſion be attached; but ſhalt have the freedom of another ſubject Micah. 7, 18, 19.He 1.8.12. I will be mercifull to their unrighteouſneſſe and their ſins and their iniquities will I remember no more, Oh! what a mercy would this be to you, to have all theſe fearfull ſcores, cancelled, all theſe debts payd; which if you come to reckon for your ſelves, would prove your undoings: It is ſuch an opportunity of freedome, as you may not meet with againe. The Lord is as ready to forget the ſins of a convert, as the righteouſneſs of an apoſtate you ſhall not be admitted, to have your old ſervices all revived upon every new tranſgreſſion, but the Lord will pardon all. What a rare thing would this be!Pſal. 32.1.2. they that feele the weight of their ſins know, how bleſſed he is, whoſe iniquities are pardoned, whoſe ſins are covered; that, bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not his ſin, and this ſtate if thou wilt come in, may be thine.
3.2 Cor. 5.20. This matter is committed to the miniſters to deale in, the office is on purpoſe to make tenders of mercy and reconciliation by Jeſus Chriſt unto you. We are ambaſſadors for God, and we are to entreat you in Chriſts ſtead, as though God did beſeech you by us, to be reconciled unto God: they are ſent on purpoſe, to drive on the match between Chriſt and your ſoules, they have full letters of evidence, what they bind on Earth ſhall be bound in Heaven, and what they looſe on Earth ſhall be looſed in Heaven: Jo. 20.23.They are men of your own ſelves, ſubject to like paſſions, as your ſelves are, that are to miniſter between God and you; who are kept by Chriſt on purpoſe in every place, where his Church is, and it is to looke to your ſoules, to hear and gather the lambs in their armes, to invite you to come in, and to helpe you in your Chriſtian courſe this is the Miniſters, very buſineſs: and by that you may perceive, that God is in earneſt in the work he ſets them on, and that you might be received if you came in, for otherwiſe this officer was needleſs, and our preaching were in vaine. It would do well if ſome would thinke wel at it, that if their lives can be right, it were to ſmall purpoſe for God to keepe up his Miniſters, as he doth, for ſuch lives are beſides the councell and deſigne of the Miniſtry altogether. But come in to theſe officers, appoynted on purpoſe to invite and entertaine you: the cities of refuge were all amongſt the Levites ſtill, ſo Chriſt is to be found amongſt the Miniſters, and happy is that poore ſoule, that hath been purſued by the avenger of bloud, that is gotten among the Levites, but as long as the Levites have a City,Num. 35. there will not be a place of refuge wanting for humbled guilty ſoules: this for the Hopes of reconciliation,
2 For the conſequents of this reconciliation, or hopes from it. Oh! turne, you little thinke what will follow upon it.
Firſt, In reſpect of others, or the Latitude of this reconciliation. Turne and —
1.2 Cor. 6.17.18. The Father will be reconciled unto you Come out of her, touch no uncleane thing, and I will receive you, you ſhall not want a place if you leave that, nor want a Father if you leave your Fathers houſe for goodneſſe ſake. But I will be your Father and you ſhall be my Sons and Daughters, ſaith the Lord the Almighty; of Rebells you ſhal be made the Kings Sons, God will be at peace with you, a friend, nay, a Father to you.
2. The Son will be reconciled, ſo as to undertake your patronage to be your advocate with the Father: Oh! this is the Jonathan, when the father calls thee in, will love thee (Like David) as his own ſoule, he will be thy advocate, put his robe on thee; thy pretious ſaviour ſurety and brother, and ſpeake a word for thee when thou art away.
3. The ſpirit will be reconciled, to be thy comforter: Let men keepe Chriſts commandements, and God will manifeſt himſelfe unto them, nay, Chriſt and the father will by the ſpirit come into that man,Joh. 14.21.23. & 26. and make their abode with him. A ſacred place ſhall that polluted heart of thine be even a Temple for the Holy Ghoſt to dwell in.
4.1. Cor. 6.19. The Angells will be reconciled, ſo as to be friends with you. Some interpret that of reconciling things in Heaven and things on earth, Cameron. Col. 1.19.to be thus, that the Angells are againſt men while they are ſinners, not that ſin reacheth them, but becauſe of their perfect conjuction with Chriſt; and as all that are for the King in a City, are againſt all that are againſt him, ſo the Angells are againſt all the Enemies of Chriſt: but when a ſoule is converted, then there is joy in Heaven, then they are reconciled: before they ſtood ready, if God but ſpeake the word, to deſtroy any notorious ſinner, but now they are friends with them: The Angells are miniſtring Spirits to all that are Heirs of ſalvation; Heb. 1. ult.all that are for Heaven, though never ſo poore, ſo young ones in this way, the Angells of God care not what ſervice they do for them, and unto them: their Angells called ſo, becauſe ready to attend on them upon occaſion,Mat. 18.11 even on the very littles one; the ſame Angells, that behold the face of the Father in Heaven, are ready to come forth, and atend on any of theſe little ones. If you turne, you little thinke, what joy there will be in Heaven about it, and what a Guard of Angels, of the heavenly hoaſt ſhal be mmediately ſetabout you, or frequently be imployed from, and to Heaven, on diſpatches for you: Oh! a rare alliance this is.
5. Good Miniſters will be reconciled unto you. Alas! while you live as you do, be it known we cannot be friends to our Maſter and to you too; and therefore know it, that while you live as you do we are not ſatisfied in you, our hearts cannot be towards you, we are not friends with you, we dare not but ſave our Maſters quarrell, however you oblige us, or we carry fairly towards you, you are not the men that we can repoſe in, or go away from you at any time without regret and ſorrow: but if you will turne you will find us your joyfull friends, ready to embrace you, councell you, pray for you, and more hearty towards you, then any relations can be. When Saul was converted, though they were terrified to hear but of his name;Act. 9.17. yet when Ananias underſtood that he was coming in, it was brother Saul at firſt word; lay down the enmity of your hearts againſt Chriſt and our ſcruple towards you falls therewith; but otherwiſe (we care not who knows it) we cannot be towards you as towards other men, while we live. But if you take to Chriſt, we ſhall ſoon take to you, and with bowels of love embrace you, you may ſoone have our warm hearts, if we can ſee you but once breathing after Jeſus Chriſt, and it is no ſmall matter to have thy Miniſter one with thee.Gal. 1.23.24.
6. All good men will be reconciled unto you you ſhall have their love and friendſhip: they heard, That he which had perſecuted the way, was now a preacher of it; what? did they not take him down? did they not indeavour to be revenged on him; now he was come into their power, for the injuries he had done them? no, but they glorified God in him, they rejoyced exceedingly that he was thus brought in;Pſal. 129.74. if thou turne, The righteous will be glad at heart, when they ſee thee, thou wilt find more true love amongſt the ſerious profeſſors of religion, then can be found elſewhere. Mr. Dod ſaid he loſt one naturall brother for Chriſt, and he had 200 Goſpell brethren and ſiſters inſtead of him, and ſo thou wilt find them ready to receive thee into the heart of them, they will helpe thee with harty councell, their lips will feed thee, Pro. 27.9. & 10.21.thou ſhalt find thy heart made better and not worſe by converſe here. When a ſinner is converted the loſt groat found, the Miniſters call in Chriſtians to rejoyce here, as Chriſt doth the Angells to rejoyce in Heaven: Oh the mercy to be admitted into the affection and ſociety of Gods children! they are men that can helpe you with a prayer, they have intereſt in Chriſt, they can ſpeak to the King of Heaven for you, and theſe ſtand all ready to entertaine you, if you would come in; turn your own heart towards the Lord, and you turn at once all the hearts of Gods people towards you as the heart of one man: the hopes of your being converted will ſatisfie all the ſcruples that can be againſt you in the hearts of any, and they are forthwith ready to receave you.
7. All the Creatures will be reconciled, at preſent there is enmity between you and them; they grudge to ſerve you, while you ſerve not Chriſt, they groan under your bondage, and take themſelves ſubject to vanity, while ſubject to you,Ro. 8.20.21. and you out of Chriſt: they are willing any one of them to enterraine the Office of diſpatching you, and to bring you to hell, would venture to attach you, but they would have you in; how willingly would the beere choake the drunkard, and the aire poyſon the ſwearer, &c. but now if you come in,Hoa. 2.18. Job. 5.23. they will all be in covenant and league with you. You ſhall be at agreement with the ſtones, and Beats and foule of the Aire, all ready to ſerve thee, and if any of them kill thee, yet they will not bring thee to Hell, if thou be in Chriſt. This for the latitude of your reconciliation or the conſequents of it with reſpect unto others.
But then Secondly, in reſpect of your ſelves, if you but come in, great advantages will follow upon this reconciliation. Firſt, here. Secondly, Hereafter. Here, 1. You ſhall have ſweetneſs in ordinances, which you never had before, by which theſe ſolemn duties will be made eaſie and delightfull to you, as alſo you ſhall receive that true and ſolid ſatisfaction, which hither to you had been eſtranged from: The next to the comfort of Heaven is the joy of Gods houſe and ordinances. Oh how ſweet can God make his word to a ſoul! Oh!Pſal. 65.4. The man is bleſſed whom God chooſeth and cauſeth to approach near to God, that he may dwell in Gods houſe, he ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the goodneſs of his Houſe, even of his holy Temple; there is the goodneſſe of Gods houſe to delight mens ſouls in, wherein ſo much comfort is to be had; and this you ſhall upon your converſion be admitted unto, you ſhall now know what it is to be made glad in the Houſe of Prayer, Iſa. 56 7. Pſal. 4.7.8.and to have that comfort, that paſſes that Comfort of Corne and Wine and Oyle.
2. You ſhall have covenant mercies; that is, that which you have, ſhall come in the tenure of a promiſe, and not of providence only; your outward good things are like if not to be more, yet to be better then heretofore, of a better kind: theſe things when they come in love, when they come as tokens of what God will do more for us; when they come as part of the inheritance as having this Motto on them; This till thou commeſt to Heaven, and Heaven it ſelf annexed, as the upſhot of that Mercy, which brings in this unto you; why, this makes outward mercies far more high then before. Iſa. 65, 21, 22, 23. Hoſ. 2, 21. to the end.
3. You ſhall have ready ſupport under all difficulties, be reconciled and you ſhall be prayer free, the moſt admirall conveniency for our wilderneſs travell, that can be thought of: Alas! as you are, you may make much of proſperity, but if ever you be in trouble you know not which way to turn, you are oft in Gods hand, but you know not how to deal with him, to claim the leaſt mercy from him.Jo 9.31. God heareth not the Prayers of ſinners: but now the reconciled,Iſa. 65.24. They are made forthwith free at the throne of Grace. To the Godly, God ſaith, call on me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee: but to the Wicked,Pſal. 50.15.16. God ſaith, What haſt thou to do to take my Covenant into thy Mouth, &c. Oh what a conveniency is it! that ſtill when any trouble or affliction comes, one may turn aſide and find that help in our own cloſet, that all the world cannot afford the like to us: wicked men muſt abroad and ſeek their help at ſecond hand, and at many hands, and at laſt go without it too; when as if thou be reconciled, there is no croſſe can befall thee, but thou maiſt have free recourſe to him, that hath the ordering of all matters, and maiſt have help from him in every buſineſſe, and needeſt no more.
4 Thou maieſt have ſatisfaction to thy hart, whatever comes, godly men have all contracted into one, whatever outward thing they want, they are ſure to be ſatisfied about it, for they are nearer to the thing then any one elſe, their God hath the diſpoſing of it, and if they ask it of him if it be good for them he will ſooner give it them then any others. Or elſe 2. they can make ſhift without it, the fire may as well be put out by withdrawing fuell, as throwing on water, God can withdraw the deſire, and it is all one: as if he fulfilled the deſire of his people. If God either give him the thing, or give him ſomething more of himſelf,Pſal. 4 6.7 Jer. 16.5. to 9. either will ſerve his turn. Alas! you, that are at a diſtance from God, you patch up a content and ſatisfaction from the creatures, one contributes one part, and another another, but now if one thing be away, one ſtring out of tune, there is then no muſick, all the reſt can not joyne together to make up the place of that one thing, that is away: Alas! one ſick child puts you all into hurries, and imbitters all the other things which you enjoy, and ſo it will be with you as long as you live as you do. I cannot ſee how a carnall man can be ſure of any content at al, for he muſt have it out of ſo many things, and a thouſand to one ſome one thing or other is ſtill away: Now turn to God and you may have content, you may be able to part with many things, for your treaſure is not in them, though the ſhip be loſt yet your adventure is not in that bottome, you wil leſſe matter; your hart will be fixed, Pſal. 112.7.truſting in the Lord, & ſo you will not be afraid of evill tidings: if many caſualties befall thee yet ſtill thou haſt God to delight in, and he can ſoon give thee (either in another thing, or in himſelf in the light of his countenance) much more than this is.2 Chro. 25.9.
Secondly, for advantages for the future, if you would but come in.
1. You ſhould have joy in death, and this, when we come to dye indeed, were worth creeping on our hands and knees all the days of our lives, to have attained rather than to be without it, in the time of need, in the hour of trouble. Wicked men, Alas! death feeds on them like ſheep the firſt born of death will ſeize upon them; but now they that are reconciled ſhall come famouſly off,Pſal. 49.10. they are by Chriſt delivered from death, and him that hath the power of death, who is the Devill; Heb. 2.14 15.and from that bondage which all their lifetime they were ſubject unto through the fear of death; turn to God and death ſhall comfort you.
2. You ſhall have Heaven for your ſoul; to them that believe eternall life; the other ſame body is in Heaven already,Joh. 3.15. you come at your converſion to an innumerable company of Angels, Heb. 12.and ſpirits of juſt men made perfect; theſe you are aſſociated to already, and you ſhall ſhortly be brought to be with them, for ever to be with the Lord; many turned proſelites of the gate among the Jews, Luke. 14.15.becauſe of the excellency of their religion above all other religions in the world for their religions promiſed nothing for eternity as this did, ſure the recompence of reward ſhould fetch you in, many that muſt never come there would yet count him bleſſed that might eat bread in the kingdom of God; I am confident you count it happy to be in Heaven, and will you not labour to get thither? To them that by patient waiting and continuance in well doing ſeek for immortality honour and glory,Mat. 19.19. Ro. 2.7. eternall life, they that look for immortality and glory, and ſeek it in ſuch a way as by patient continuance in welldoing, they ſhall have eternall life. Now ſeriouſly think of theſe things which are offered, and think what a deal it is you loſe for want of turning, what a world you muſt part from if you keep your bad heart, Your condition ſo hopeful, and all fruſtrated by a baſe heart is very ſad. This for the firſt conſideration at large, in reſpect of the hopes of and from reconciliation, which might induce you to come in.
2. Conſider, theſe hopes all have them not,2. Motive you have the hopes that many have not, and if you be not the better for them, your condition wil prove worſe then theirs that never had them, or are not in your preſent capacity: As
1. The Divels never had any hopes afforded them, they were proceeded againſt at their fall, clapt under chains of darkneſs, reſerved in preſent to further torment: when God expoſtulates the buſineſs with man for his fall, and reaſons it with him, to draw him to repentance, in token of a deſign of mercy towards him, he proceeds to curſe the ſerpent without any parley with him, and in his abſolute ſentence and concluſion of judgment againſt him, lets fall a promiſe of the ſeed of the woman for mans recovery: but delivers this in an abſolute doom againſt him. Chriſt took not on him the nature of Angels, Heb. 2, 16 Dr. Ham mond.he took not hold of that nature, to ſave it from ſinking, never tryed them with a conditional tender of mercy, as he hath done the ſons of men, no doubt, they would not ſtick to ſay if they had but the probability of reception to mercy, which you have, if they had but a ſaviour given amongſt them as you have, they would have been glad of him, and many of them have cloſed with him with all their hearts on the worſt terms immaginable, much more on ſuch as he is offered to you. As ſome of the fathers have told us, that the Devill on a time when this ſcripture was read et carro factus eſt, the word was made fleſh, that he ſhould ſmite ſome Chriſtians, ſaying, why do ye not worſhip at this word? for if he had taken on him our nature, we would have worſhiped. The moral of it holds, and certainly for you that have this hope, to get beſides it, to be in the ſame condition, that the damned Angels are in, that never had any, is very ſad: It is called the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Mat. 25.41it was primarily ordained for them. It is not fire prepared ſo properly for man, for they had a mediator provided, and upon fair terms might have eſcaped; but for you to pertake of the Devils fire, it is but good enough for you, when you wilfully put your ſelves beſides your better capacity, and neglect your hopes, which they never had.
2. Many of the Heathens never had theſe hopes made known to them; Ephe. 2.12the heathen while ſuch, before the goſpell came among them they were without Hope, and ſo are they ſtil, that ſit in darkneſs and in the ſhadow of death: what hope there is of a Gentiles ſalvation, that never heard of the goſpell, I ſhall not here diſcourſe of, and I would be loath ours were no otherwiſe then theirs is, yet muſt hold they ſhall not be proceeded with, in the ſame manner as Chriſtians ſhall, Viz. 1. for the contempt and neglect of the goſpel which they never had. But certainly, if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, in Sodom and Gomorrah, in India and China and Tartary, &c. which have been done in England; London, Lancaſhire, and Mancheſter they would have repented long ago, they would embraced Chriſt and cloſed with him; verily if you ſtand out, and are never the better for the Goſpel, but lead lives for all this light, which good heathens would be aſhamed of, it will be more tolerable for thoſe places at the day of judgment then for you. Oh! they will ſay, if we had had but one of the days of the ſons of men, which you have had, it might have been in our way the ſalvation of many of our ſoules; and will you be never the better for this priviledge?
3. The damned in Hell are paſt their hopes, Alas? their day is now over, as Chriſt ſays, the time will come when you ſhall deſire to ſee one of the daies of the ſon of man, Luke. 17.22.and you ſhall not ſee it; they would give all the world, if they had it, that they might but have one ſabaths liberty more one day which they have had here; they would hope to put fair for it, that they might prevent thereby their eternal miſery, and it can not now be granted them. Dives would have been glad to have brought his own meſſage if he might as well as to have ſent another to his five brethren, to have had ſo much reſpite out of torment, but alas! he never moves it as a thing impoſſible, reſpite is is paſt; there is a gulf fixed, and there is now no paſſing to the hoping ſide. Oh, Sirs; think at it! will you wilfully make void ſuch a ſpecial priviledg, fruſtrate this capacity you are in, and make your ſelves, who now have hopes in as bad, nay, a worſe condition then they are in, that either never had, or never the knowledg of, or are now paſt theſe hopes which you at preſent have? Oh! look well at it and in the fear of God conſider it. This may ſery for the ſecond conſideration.
3.3. Motive. Pſal. 22.20. Conſider the concernment of theſe hopes of yours, the matter is of the weightieſt conſideration, it is the affairs of the ſoul, deliver my darling my only one, from the power of the Dog, Oh! it is the caſe of your darling, your only one.Pro. 19.2. If thou be wiſe thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelf, the profit of thy repentance will be thine own, of thy neareſt concernment within theſe few dayes, when a fit of ſickneſs will leave thee all in a ſoul,Mat. 16.26. and if thou ſcorneſt, thou alone ſhalt bear it: this ſoul of thine muſt thou go out with will be ſure to ſmart for it; and what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and looſe his own ſoul? or what will you give in exchange for your ſoul? the matter is of ſuch concernment, that if men would regard any thing they ſhould not neglect this; Alas! it is not any other thing cared for by thee, can repair thy neglect or loſſe in this: It is not what you ſecure; if your immortall ſoul go for it in the end, I wiſh you may never know the preciouſneſſe of a ſoul in the loſs of one for any of your own parts.
4. Conſider the reaſonableneſſe of the condition, on which your hopes are offered,4. Motive you may be happy if you do but repent, the Lord will have mercy,Jer. 3.12.13. only acknowledge thine iniquity, only repent and turn to God, the Lord is ready to forgive, will not caſt off, only fear the Lord and ſerve him, 1 Sa. 12.23.only be willing to come over to Chriſt in his ways to be regenerated, to be ruled by Chriſt, to leave your vain converſation to ſet into a way of holineſs. If you cloſe with this you may be ſaved, now it is as ſad to looſe ſuch hopes, and as ſad to looſe them upon ſuch terms, the thing is not more deſirable, then the condition reaſonable. For
1. It is the way which the Lord likes, he Loveth the righteous,Pſal. 11.7. and the righteous Lord loveth righteouſneſſe, you think, if you leave off ſin, and turn ſerious, there are ſuch men, your companions heretofore in ſin, you muſt never look them in the face. Alas! think at it, and how can you look God in the face in the way you are in? come, ſtand not on what the rulers do, or great men do, or moſt men do, not on what is done, but what ſhould be done: whether is better to obey, ſo to pleaſe, God or man, Acts. 4.19.judge yee.
2.Pſal. 119.74. & 158 This is the way good men love, the righteous will be glad, when they ſee you, and they care not for ſeeing you till you are ſuch. Alas! when they behold the tranſgreſſor they are grieved, wo to you for your ſelves when a good man cannot ſee you without ſorrow, but now if you turn, this way they love, they that have tried both ways they ſit down here, and would not for a world live as they have done,Pſa. 119.173. and as you do, I have choſen thy Precepts, ſaies David.
3. Wicked men confeſs to this way, the very Devils confeſs Chriſt. Alas! there is not one wicked man of many, that dares own his own courſe in ſober ſadneſs; and for religion, what have they to ſay againſt it, but that they are all hypocrites; Alas! by this they witneſſe that true religion is not to be blamed, they ahve nothing to charge us with in our way, but that we are not ſerious and through in it: they will it may be, ſay, ſuch profeſſors are drunk ſometimes, &c. All the fault they can find with religious men, is that wherein ſometimes any of them are like themſelves; and though wo to thoſe by whom theſe offences come, yet theſe very quarrels will riſe up in judgment againſt them that make them, a ſcandalous profeſſor is a ſad creature, yet we wil not allow him ſo in the mouth of a man that is ſcandalous and no profeſſ our at all.
4. It is a way may be owned before any man: you heed not be aſhamed of Godlineſs or any good duty, whoever ſtands by.Rom. 1.16 I am not aſhamed of the goſpel of Chriſt, as if there were any thing amis in it, you may better do that good duty then they ſin,Plutarch whoever they be that look on: as the Philoſopher ſaid, that reproved one, whom he ſound hiding himſelf from one that ſought him, to have born falſe witneſs for him, ſaies he, dares he aſke you to do it, and dare not you deny him? ſo ſurely you may ſet a better face of your way, than they have cauſe to ſet on theirs. It is ſin that brings ſhame and theſe are waies will bring to ſhame, and ſo will repentance never.
5. All dying men are for this way, Ro. 6.21.when men are moſt themſelves, then they are ſeriouſly preferring the way of holineſs, you ſee the ſtatues of our gallants, they are not ſet up with the inſtruments of their pleaſure about them, but with hands lifted up praying, oft with their book before them, or their Bible in their hands, and theſe are things of likelyeſt requeſts at ſuch a time, never man repented on his death bed that he had made too much ado and never any (if ſenſible) but did ſadly repent of their waies of ſin, this that is required of thee, is that which at death all men deſire, and can only with comfort die in, though with many it is then too late to ſeek for it.
6. It is the work of Heaven, holineſs is glory begun, there is no ſin in Heaven, and the the happineſs of Heaven is,Rev. 22.3. Pſal. 1. ult. that there they never ſin againſt God: there his ſervants alwaies ſerve him, Alas! for wickedneſs, it is a worke that will not alwaies laſt; The way of the ungodly ſhall periſh: Pſal. 139. ult.It is work that ſhall have an end; but for the Godly mans courſe it is the way everlaſting, it is the way that indures for ever, that is begun here and gone on with in Heaven, you all count heaven the happy place, and there is no ſin there, Godlineſs is work of the ſame kind, though not in the ſame degree, as the work of Heaven is, this is work you need not break off when you die.
7. That which you are required to leave for Heaven, is that, which if you go on with, the day will come, when you ſhall not have one friend left to ſtand by you in that way in all the world, you are adviſed to leave that for Heaven, which if you ſtick to it, you will be left deſolate with it one day. For
1. God will not look at you. Pſal. 1.5 6.ſinners cannot ſtand in the judgement, the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, (he aſſerts the godly mans way) but wicked mens waies ſhal periſh from the Lord utterly.
2. Chriſt will not indure you, he bids ſuch depart from him,Mat. 7.23. he knows them not, they are workers of iniquity; if ſuch, whatever they pretend, away with them, he wil not indure the ſight of them; you dare never look God nor Chriſt in the face in this way, you are in.
3. Angels and good men cannot pity you, they ſhal triumph in gods juſtice in your righteous ruine, they cannot afford one drop of water out of Heaven to cool Dives his tongue; when miſerably tormented in the flame.
4. The Devils wil be againſt you, they that have been your tempters, will be your tormentors, as much ado as they have made to get you to ſin, as forward will they be to hale you to execution for ſin, and rather then you ſhould be uncondemned, Satan would witneſs againſt you for the very ſins which he tempted you to: The man that ſaid to Joab, 2 Sa. 18.12.that if he had tranſgreſſed the Kings command in the matter of Abſolom, even thou thy ſelf would have ſet thy ſelf againſt me: ſo the Devil, that only preſſes thee to ſin now, Alas! he will ſet himſelf againſt thee in that time of reckoning, and it will vex thee to thy heart, to ſee him ſo perſecuting thee, for the very waies, he enticed thee unto: the very Devils ſhortly wil be againſt thee, and it will torment thee to ſee how thou haſt been betrayed by them; the Devil like the hangman, that conſents or entices to ſtealing.
5. Wickedmen thy companions will be againſt them. Alas! you have taken ſweet council together, you have ſtrengthened one anothers hands in the way that was evil, you have turned off from Chriſt, to ſit downe in the boſomes one of another: but the day will come, when ye ſhall be forſaken one of another. Dives had no mind that his brethren ſhould come to him, when he was in Hel, not as if there was any charitie there; but he knew it would aggravate his torment, to have them come together, both to help his remembrance in the ſin they had committed together as alſo of the miſchief he had done, by being acceſſorie to their ruine. And ſo your intimacie, and love, and ſworn brotherhood ſhall end in this, that you ſhall curſe the time that eever you knew one another, and wiſh you had never ſeen each others faces. In this eternall fend and hatred will all this love of yours end;Mat. 26.1. you may with Judas think they that ſet you on work, ſhould bear part of your puniſhment for it, but they will turn you off; and bid you look to that your ſelf, others may help you to ſin, but for the torment, you may look to it your ſelves, they will be as if you had never known them, when you are in the depth of your adverſity (unleſs it be to torment you with the remembrance of them,) by your ſins which lie upon you.
6. Your own hearts will be againſt you, conſcience will then be unmuzled and let looſe upon you,Mar. 9 41.46.48. and your heart ſhall condemn you, and you ſhall be forſaken on all hands, this is the worm which your ſin hath bred, that ſhall never dye in that fire that can never be quenched.
Seriouſly think at it, and that it is for this, you will ruine your hopes; if you would leave this, you might be ſaved, you may be eternally happy if you will but repent, and leave that which never did you good nor never will do, this is all that is required of you, and you may be happy for ever. Let this fourth conſideration have its force with you.
5. It will aggravate your miſery another day, when you ſhall be paſt hopes, to conſider that once there was hopes, and you have thus outſtood them: the day will come when you ſhall be under abſolute deſpair, the door altogether ſhut upon you, you finallie ſhut in, and then think how ſad it will be, that you ſhall remember, that once the door was open, and you ſtood out,Pro. 1.24. as you did. God now calls and you will not; you ſhall then call and he will not; he will laugh at your calamitie, and mock when your fear comes, when alas! you ſhall call on the rocks to cover you from the wrath of the Lamb. Oh that you might take warning,Rev. 6.15.16.17. that none of you may in hell lament your deſperate condition, when you ſhall there be paſt hopes, and ſhall remember, that this hath been preached to you, that there is hope yet for you, if you would repent; nay, that there you ſhould remember that we this day foretold you, what would befall you, if you ſtill ſtood out.