The first subject of Consideration, The misery of the unregenerate, matchless, endless.

FIrst, Consider the misery which thou liest under, or art liable to, whilst thou art unre­generate.

And were I but able to charge and dis­charge this great gun fully, it might proba­bly fire thee out of all thy sinful holds, and force thee to seek unto Christ for help. But as the Roman said of his fellow-Citizen, That he was beyond all expressions wicked; so may I say of thee, that thou art beyond not only all expressions, but all conceptions wretched. No ink is black enough to describe those dismal clouds of fury under which thou livest in this world! But O, what tongue can tell the thousandth part of those fiery torments, to which thou art liable in the other world!

While thou livest thou art a cursed sinner, and when thou diest, thou shalt be a damned creature.

While thou livest thou art a cursed sianer; that roll of curses twenty cubits long, and ten cubits broad, is thy right, Zach 5.4. Thou art a breaker of the Law, and out of Christ, and therefore an heir of the curse and wrath of the Lord.

The curse of God hangs every moment over thine head; like a Blood-hound it fol­loweth thee where ever thou goest; as thy shadow it accompanieth thee whatever thou dost; thou art continually under the drop­ings and spouts of the Almighty Gods in­dignation, and canst as soon slye from thy self as from it, till thou art regenera­ted.

Thou art cursed in all thou hast; whether [Page 215]they are natural, civil, or spiritual enjoyments, they are all cursed to thee.

For thy natural parts, thy wit, memory, knowledge, head, heart, are all cursed to thee. They are employed in the service of Satan, and with them thou fightest against God and thy soul. As Jehu against his Master, so thou marchest furiously against thy Maker with his own Soldiers. Thy Memory is Sa­tans treasury, thy Will an agent for hell, thy carnal mind enmity against God; the Handmaids of thy affections, like Hagar crow over their Mistris, and make even thy Rea­son a slave and Lacquey to thy sensual lusts; all thy natural endowments are Satans orna­ments; and as the more sharp and keen the weapon is, the more mischief the murderer doth with it; so the more witty thou art, the more wicked thou art, thy wisdom being from below, earthly, sensual, devilish, Jam. 3.15.

For thy civil advantages, Thy wealth, credit, house-delights, friends are all cursed to thee. Thy riches make thee the greater rebel, and thereby further thine eternal ruine: Thy fulness breeds forgetfulness. Where the richest Mines are, the earth is most barren: Thy wealth is like fuel to feed thy wanton­ness.

Thine Honor like wind puffeth up the blad­der of thine empty heart with pride: The more God lifteth thee up, the more thou casteth him down; the respectful breath of thy neighbours, doth but blow the ves­sel [Page 216]of thy soul towards Hell.

Thy pleasures are prejudicial to thy pre­cious soul; like the wasp thou drownest thy self in those pots of honey; and as the silly fish swimmest merily down the silver streams of Jordan, till thou fallest into the dead sea and perishest.

Thy Relations and friends if wicked are cursed to thee; they breathe on thee; and thou takest the infection, wanting this pre­servative of regeneration: They are actu­ally what Michal was to David (intenti­onally in regard of Saul) snares unto thee.

Thy house is cursed. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, Prov. 3.33. what ever cost be there, there can be no true cheer, for there is Gods curse which mars all; this will either rot the timber, and pull it down, or undermine the foundation and blow it up. Possibly there may be in thine house a loving wife, lovely children, many ser­vants, stately rooms, costly furniture, dain­ty fare, great earthly delights: But man, The curse of God is there; A spoonful of this like Copris will turn all thy wine into ink; thy sea of honey into gall and wormwood: How can thy sweetest dish be savoury, when the curse of God is thy sauce? Or thy most sugared cup be pleasant, when the curse of God lieth like a toad swel'd at the bottom? or thy finest rayment delight thee, when in every suit there is the curse of God, like a [Page 217]plague sore? or how can thy most beautiful building content thee, when this curse of God on thee for thy wickedness turns it into a prison to keep thee (who art in the bond of iniquity) till the hour of death, the time of thine execution?

There is a place which some speak of in the West-Indies, where there is extraordina­ry luscious fruit growing, but the inhabi­tants are so scorched with the heat of the Sun by day, and multitude of gnats stinging them by night, that they cannot either eat or digest their sweet meats with any com­fort; for which cause the Spaniards call the place, Comfits in hell: Reader, what delight canst thou take in thy table though it be spread with various earthly enjoyments when every dish is served in with the scorch­ing wrath of God, and stingings of a guil­ty conscience. As a feast to him that sate under a naked sword, as wine to a condem­ned malefactor, as Dives dishes followed with the unquenchable fire, so are all the comforts of this inferiour creation to an un­regenerate person.

Thou art a curse to thy children; its ill to have relation to thee, who art under the in­dignation of God. The seed of evil doers shall never be renowned. Isa. 14.20. so Job 5.3, 4. If thy children are good, thou art their grief; if wicked, thou wilt make them worse. The best of them may smart temporally for thine iniquities. When the body of the tree fal­eth, [Page 218]the branches fall with it, Exod. 20.5. and O how much more is it to be feared, that thou wilt draw them after thee both to sin and Hell!

It is not safe to be thy neighbour; if it be ill to dwell near him whose house is on fire; surely 'tis not good to be nigh him who is under Gods fury. When an over­flowing storm sweepeth away the wicked, the tayle of it may dash at their best neighbours: Though they shall not perish with thee, yet they may smart for thee.

Thy name is cursed; The name of the the wicked shall rot, Prov. 10.7. Thou mayst be honorable in the esteem of thy graceless neighbours, but thou art contemptible in the account of Christ and his members; and when ever thou diest, thou wilt go out like a candle, leaving behinde thee a stinking savour in the nostrils of the Saints.

Thy calling, what ever it be, is cursed! thine eathly imployment proves an heavenly impediment. Thou art cursed in the City, and cursed in the field; cursed in thy basket, and cursed in thy store; cursed in the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and increase of thy kine, and flocks of thy sheep; cursed when thou comest in, and cursed when thou goest out: The Lord will send upon thee cursing, vexation and re­buke in all that thou settest thine hand unto, until thou be destroyed and perish quickly, be­cause of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken the Lord, Deut. 28. init. & per tot.

As thy natural parts and civil advan­tages, so also thy spiritual priviledges are cursed to thee, till thou turnest from sin.

[...]hou enjoyest Sermons, Sacraments, Sab­baths, seasons of Grace, and like the Spider, suckest poison out of those sweet flowers: Roses, some say, kill horse-flies. Is it not sad, that those precious mercies should ha­sten and increase thy misery! Thine unrege­neracy, like some desperate disease, turneth those medicines which are administred to cure it, into the nourishment and confirma­tion of the sickness it self; the word of God is the savour of death unto death unto thee, [...] Cor. 2.18. Thou surfeitest of that bread of life, then which no surfeit is more dange­rous; thou growest black and wanzy in the sunshine of the Gospel; the table of the Lord is to thee the table of devils; the leaven of thy unregeneracy turneth that passo­ver into pollution; Christ himself is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, 1 Peter. 2.8. This Sun of Righteousness, which the sound eye of the regenerate beholds with much pleasure, is not beheld by thy sore eyes with­out much pain. The Red-sea of his blood, through which the true Israelites pass safely into the celestial Canaan, is destruction to thee, being an uncircumcised Egyptian. The very Grace of God is turned by thee into wan­tonness, Jude vers. 4.

Thou makest sowre vinegar of that sweet wine, and makest use of those gales to help [Page 220]thee to Hell, which were sent to help thee to Heaven Ʋnto thee who art unbelieving and defiled is nothing pure, Tit. 1.15. As the Earth hath the greatest cold in the bottom of it, when the Sun shineth on it with the greatest heat to qualifie it; So is thine heart dead and cold under all the warm influences of ordinances.

What a dreadful condition art thou in, that those priviledges which are choice bles­sings to others, should be cursed to thee, and greaten both thy sin and suffering. The fruit of those trees which stand in the Sun, groweth greater, then of those which grow in the shade; so do thy sins under the Go­spel of Christ, wax greater, then of those which want it, Matth. 11.21, 22, 23. Hebr. 10.28, 29. And as these sacred advantages increase thy corruption, so also thy destructi­on: When the physick which should remove the distemper cooperates with it, it brings death with the more speed and pain. No creature more terrible then fire, and no fire so terrible as that which is taken from the Altar: Take fire from the Altar and scatter it over the City, Ezek. 10.2. they thought the fire of the Altar had been onely for the ex­piation of sin, Calv. in loc. but God makes them know, that twas for the desolation of their City.

But thou art not onely cursed in what thou hast, but also in what thou doest.

All thine actions whether inward or out­ward, [Page 221]whether worldly or religious, are all sinful and cursed; Like the Leper under the Law, thou taintest what ever thou touchest, and makest it unclean. Thy thoughts, the first-born of thy soul, and thy purest off­spring are all vain; thine heart is a sink of sin, an ocean of corruption; and therefore is ever sending forth, and bubbling up mire and dirt; The imaginations and thoughts of thy heart are evil, only evil, and that continually, Gen. 6.9. Thy words are wicked, the inward wheels of thy spirit being disordered, the clock of thy tongue cannot strike true. The inward dunghil reaketh, and sendeth forth its stench much this way, Rom. 3.13, 14. Thy mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; The poison of Asps is under thy lips; thy throat is an open Sepulcre, like a grave, when opened, sending forth noisom and stinking exhalati­ons.

Thy calling is not without its corrupti­on; The ploughing of the wicked is sin. Prov. 21.4. Thy very eating, drinking, sleeping, buying, selling, what ever thou dost is evil; though such actions are indifferent in them­selves, (for all indifferency lieth in generals) yet, as done by thee from wicked principles, and for wicked ends, they are stark naught: Nay, thy very religious actions are sinful and unacceptable to God: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15.8. Thine incense stinks of the hand that offereth it; therefore the heart of God [Page 222] cannot away with it, Isa. 1.13, 14, 15. & 66.3. The vessel of thine heart is not clean, and God will not taste of the liquor which com­eth out of it; because thy person is not ac­cepted, thy performances are all rejected; Thou art in the flesh, and therefore canst not please God, Rom. 8.8. Thy duties are done without heart or heat, and being dead car­cases, without spiritual life, must needs be un­savory.

Thus, man, art thou miserable, who art in a state of nature; thine unregenerate heart being like some filthy fen (or as some write of the Lake of Sodom) which continu­ally sendeth up poysonous vapors. O, into what dangerous Dilemmas doth thine un­regeneracy bring thee! If thou enjoyest the means of Grace, by abusing them thou in­creasest thy misery, Hebr. 10.28. If thou neglectest them, thou leavest thy self without remedy, and perishest unavoidably, Prov. 29.18. Rom. 10.15. If thou art in prospe­rity, the sunshine thereof doth but ripen thee for ruine, (as the Sun the grape) for the wine-press of the Lords wrath, Prov. 1.31. Psal. 69.22. If thou art in adversity, the fire thereof doth but harden thine heart of clay, 2 Chron 28.22. Thy misery (as Plutarch writes of drums to Tygers) maketh thee mad; Plutarch. lib. de uper sat. thou frettest like one in a frenzy, 2 Kings 6.33. against the Lord; If thou rejoycest, thy laughter is from the teeth outward; Is not thine heart [Page 223]many a time heavy when thy looks are lively! Prov. 14.13. Doth not conscience, when thou like Belshazar, art carousing in thy cups, spread forth an hand-writing before thee, a black List of thy sins, and Gods wrath, which turneth all thy mirth into mourning? at best thy laughter is but like the crackling of thorns under a pot, which maketh a short blaze and busling noise, and then vanisheth into smoak and ashes, Dan. 5.5, 6. Isa. 57.21. If thou weepest, thy tears are puddle-water, and so thy worldly sor­row here, but a pledge and earnest of thy sufferings hereafter: If thou livest long, thou heatest Hell the hotter; every day treasuring up wrath upon thine head against the day of wrath, Rom. 2.5. If thou diest soon, thou makest the more haste to Hell, taking a short cut to thy long and doleful home.

If thou lookest upward, thou maist see God frowning, and his wrath revealed from Heaven against thee, Rom. 1.18. thou mayst behold (as it were) the Heavens and their Host ready every moment, to discharge Gods curse like a thunderbolt upon thee; if thou lookest downward, thou mayst see hell ga­ping, (as the earth did to Corah) and open­ing its mouth wide, to swallow thee up quick; if thou lookest within thee, thou mayst see conscience, (which thou hast abu­sed (as the Philistines did Samson) by put­ting out its eyes, causing it to grind at the [Page 224]divels mill, and making sport with it) re­solving when it shall recover its strength, to be avenged on thee, and to make thee perish though it perish with thee. If thou lookest without thee, there is no sight but what may call thee to sighs and sobs. If thou lookest upon the creatures, are not they armed with stings and murdering Instruments, on the be­half of their Creatour, and alwayes ready to let fly at thee, who art a Rebel against his Majesty? If thou lookest into Scriptures, there is a table richly spread (which they that are born of God sit at) with Adoption, re­mission, peace, love, the purchase of Christ, the comforts of the Spirit, which thou as the unbelieving Lord mayst see, but shall not so much as taste of. Thou mayst see a Cheru­bim there with a flaming sword, to guard that tree of life, and keep thee out of that plea­sant Paradise. Nay, thou mayest behold there the plagues and judgements, the pain and punishments which the righteous God threatneth against and will execute upon thee, and all in thy condition; In a word thou mayst, as it were, find thy very self men­tioned in the forlorn hope for Hell, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Rev. 21.6, 7.

While thou livest, thou art fed like a beast by a common providence, and art a meer stranger to all the saving promises. If at any time thou fingerest the unsearchable riches in Christ, like the riches which Solomon speaks of, they make themselves wings and flye away [Page 225]from thee; thou goest every day without thy guard, being turned naked into the wide world amongst legions of Devils, and soul-damning lusts, to be rent and torn in pieces (like a silly Hare amongst a pack of Hounds) and none to shelter thee, or call thee off: Many dangers attend thee every day, many miseries every moment; when thou goest out or comest in, liest down or risest up, still are those frightful hel-hounds watching for thee, and waiting only for leave from God (O that his long-suffering might be unto thee salvation!) to drag thy soul into the lake of fire. There is but an hairs breadth (as it were) between thee and hell.

And O when thou diest, man, what wilt thou then do? as soon as that Captain death strikes the first stroak, whole Armies of woes will fall upon thee.

Reader, I have told thee somewhat of thy lamentable portion in this life; though none can give thee a full Inventory of thy perso­nal wretched estate. One would think that every line under this head, should be as a dagger stabbing thee at the heart, and that if there were nothing else but these small guns (I call them so comparatively) of miseries in this world, the fear of them should cause thee to flie, as the distressed dove to the clifts of the rock, the wounds of a crucified Christ. But this is not all, the mur­dering-piece, the great Ordnance is yet be­hind: [Page 226]I must hasten to write of thy misery in the other world, which thou poor wretch (though now without fear, yet) art hastning to feel.

As while thou livest thou art a cursed sin­ner, so when thou diest thou art a damned creature. Here I confess I shall fail much more then before; for no pen can describe, no pencil can delineate, though both did it in blood, to the utmost of humane wit and Art, the thousand thousandth part of that pain which thou shalt there undergo. I have read of a Court, where it was made death to mention death. Surely the word Death must needs sound dreadfully in thine ears, because when it comes it will strike and that home; 'twill both kill thee and damn thee, 'twill part thy body and soul for a time, and God and the soul to eter­nity; 'twill send thy body to the grave, and thy soul to hell: Thy condition now is la­mentable and dangerous, but then, O then 'twill be irrecoverable and desperate: Thy deaths-day will be thy dooms-day, wherein the guilty prisoner of the soul shall be fetched out of the noisom goal of the body, and appear before the Judge of the whole earth, and from him receive a sentence of eternal death, and then be hurried by fright­ful Devils to execution. It is storied of Charls King of Sweden, a great enemy of the Jesuites, that when he took any of their Colledges, he would put the younger sort [Page 227]of them into his Mines, saying, That since they had wrought hard above ground, he would now make trial how well they could work under ground: Truly thus Satan will serve thee, when thou hast wrought hard for him on earth, he will pay thee thy wages in the dark vaults of hell, and make trial how well thou canst work there: Ah, who would serve such a Master! Look to it and remem­ber that thou wast warned of it: For if thou diest naturally, before thou livest spiritu­ally, thou diest eternally.

Austins prayer was, Hack me, hew me, burn me HERE, but spare me HEREAF­TER, Spare me hereafter. Alas, what will thy condition be? Thou art in hell up­on earth, for thou livest without God, whose gracious presence is heaven; and in hell after death; thou shalt never be spared here nor hereafter; now thou art a cursed sinner, and then thou shalt be a damned creature; thy best is past, and thy worst to come, though thy best portion is a poor pittance, a few brutish pleasures.

The second subject of Consideration, The felicity of the Regenerate.

SEcondly, Consider the unspeakable felicity which thou mighst enjoy, if thou wert one re­generated. Thy happiness would be far greater then my tongue can declare, or thine heart desire. Blessedness is so full a word, that it comprehends all the good which the rational creature can wish; and truly thou shouldst have it in its full weight. As before thou wast above all expressions Cursed, so now thou shouldst be beyond all comparison Blessed. Thy gleanings should be better then the most prosperous worldlings Vintage, the worst estate that thou shouldst ever be in, would be far more leligible then the best estate of the greatest Emperour on earth that were unregenerate.

Every blessing written in the book of God would be thy birthright if thou wert born of God; thou shouldst be blessed with the bles­sings of the throne and of the footstool, with all things that belong to life and godliness, 2 Pet. 1.3. No evil should come to thee, there shall no evil happen to the just, Prov. 12.21. No good should be kept from thee, The Lord shall give grace and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk up­rightly, Psal. 84.11. If earth can make thee blessed, thou shouldst be blessed; Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, Matth. [Page 244]5.5. If heaven can make thee blessed, thou shouldst be blessed; Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 5.3. If all things could make thee blessed, thou shouldst be blessed; Whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods, 1 Cor. 3. two last verses.

Reader, I shall do my utmost so to set forth the felicity of the regenerate (which no pen can fully) that thou mayst admire it; How goodly are thy tents, O. Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! Numb. 24.5. and not only, as Balaam, desire their deaths, Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his, Numb. 23, 10. but also endea­vour to live their lives, and to have thy conversation like theirs.

While thou continuest in this world thou shouldst be a blessed soul; and when thou entrest into the other world thou shouldst be a glorions Saint.

In this world thou shouldst be a blessed soul in every condition into which thou couldst come, in every relation in which thou dost stand, at all times, and in all places what­soever.

All the Providences of God should be profi­table to thee.

If Gods hand were enlarged in mercy, thy heart should be enlarged in duty: If God should prosper thee in temporals, the streams [Page 245]of his bounty should lead thee (as the wa­ter course, either upward to the spring, or downward to the ocean) to the source and fountain of all thy happiness. Thy heart would still be in heaven, where thy best things were, even then when thy body were busied among earthly good things, 1 Cor. 7, 29, 30, Phil. 3.19.

Some observe of the seed called Henbane, that it killeth all birds save sparrows, and to them it is nourishing food; and they give this reason, because their veines are so nar­row, that the fumes of the seed cannot passe through them, to their hearts: truly thus twould be with thee, though thou sands of others are poisond with their worldly porti­ons, because the fumes thereof penetrate in­to their vitals; but if riches increase, thou shouldst not set thine heart upon them, nay thou shouldst get nourishment from them. As Jehosaphat, the more honour and wealth thou hadst, the more thy heart would be lift­ed up in the ways of God. 2 Chro. 17.5, 6.

If thine estate were but little, yet twould be perfumed with love, and that lump of su­gar in thy cup, would make the liquor sweet, be it never so small. As the waters which flow from the hils of some of the Islands of Molacca, taste of the Cinamon and Cloves which grow there, so should thy guift though it were but water, taste of the good will and special grace of the giver. Thy little with the fear of the Lord, would be better then the riches [Page 246]of many wicked men, Psal. 37 15. As a little ring with a very costly Diamond in it, is far more worth then many great ones without it; so thy estate though it were but a penny, should be joyned with the pretious jewel of that love which is better then life, and en­joyed by special promise, and thereby be in­finitely more worth then the thousands and millions of others, bestowed meerly from common bounty, and enjoyed onely by a generall providence.

If the black frost of adversity overtake thee, thou shouldst as Conies thrive the bet­ter; thy soul being hail, thou wouldst become thereby the more healthy. By affliction thou shouldst be partaker of Gods holiness. Heb. 12.10.

The waters of affliction should wash out the diri of thy corruption, and the more they increased they would raise thee, (as the flood the Arke) higher above the earth, and mount thee nearer to heaven. Torches burn the better for beating, Spices smell the sweeter for pounding, Vines bear the more for bleed­ing; and the more thy soul were kept down by those weights (like the Palm-tree) the more thou shouldst grow. That scouring and rubbing which fretteth others, should make thee shine the brighter, Psal. 94.12. Divine corrections should make thee learn thy sacred lessons.

It is said of the Lacedemonians, that when all other people were undone by war, they onely grew rich; Truly thus when ungodly [Page 247]ones are the worse for outward miseryes, and wants, like Ahaz in their distress, they sin more against the Lord; thou shouldst thrive the better, grow the richer in grace and good works; The diminution of thy temporal, should be an addition to thy spiritual estate. Job 36.9, 10. As spring-water smoaketh, when other waters are dried up, because that is living, and these are dead; nay tis obser­ved, waters arising from deep springs, are hotter in winter then in summer, the out­ward cold keeping in and doul [...]g the in­ward heat. So the waters of thy graces should not onely continue (having a living principle) when the Sun of calamity scorch­eth and drieth up the dead ponds of unrege­nerate professors, Mat. 13.21. but also in­crease in spiritual heat, Job 17.8, 9. Philip. 1.14.

If the Devil assaulted thee with tempta­tions, they should never be for thy perditi­on but probation, Rev. 2.10. The Captain of thy Salvation would so strengthen thy soul with the Shield of Faith, and Sword of the Spi­rit, that thou shouldst not onely defend thy soul from all deadly wounds, but offend thine Enemy, and be more then a Conqueror over Principali­ties and Powers through him that loveth thee. It would possibly be grievous and terrible to thee to be tempted; but if God did not see it needful, he would not suffer it; nay, if he could not make it useful, he would not send it: by those thorns of the flesh he [Page 248]would prick the vein, and let out the ranck blood of thy spirit. It is said of Telephus, that he had his impostume opened by the dart of an Enemy which intended his hurt. Truly, so God would make to thee the fiery darts of the Devil, though they were intentionally mortal, to be eventually medi­cinal, 1 John 5.18. The evil one should not touch thee, that is, with a mortal or deadly touch. As a sound tree shaken with the winde, thou shouldest not fall, but root thy self the [...]ter; thou shouldest like Sampson fetch meat out of the Eater, and out of the Strong sweetness; thou shouldst get honey even out of this roaring Lion; thy Regeneration, like Pollium, would be a spe­cial preservative against the poyson of that croocked Serpent.

Nay, when thou shouldest fall into the evil of sin, even that should turn to thy good. God (no thanks to thee) like the skilful Apothecary, would make wholsom treacle of such poisonus drugs. If thy cor­ruption should at any time get the mastery, and break out in thy life, thou shouldst be so well purged by the Physician of souls, with the bitter Aloes of Repentance, that as those who have had ill humors of their bodies, getting head, and breaking out in the small-pox, and do well, thou shouldst be the healthier in thy soul while thou livest; As a burnt child, thou shouldest ever dread that fire: thy broken hone being once well [Page 249]set, would be stronger then before; Compare 2 Sam. 11.4. and 15. with 1 C [...]ron. 11.18, 19. Mark 14.29. with Iohn 21.15, 16, 17. thou shouldst after thy falls, walk more de­pendingly on Christ, more compassionately towards others, and more watchfully over thine own heart.

What ever thy condition were, it should tend to thine eternal consolation: Every wind that blew, whether the nipping North­winde of adversity, or the cherishing South­winde of prosperity, should neither of them wrong thee; for Christ would give them a charge concerning thee (as Da­vid his Captains concerning Absolom) Do this young Convert no harm, no discourtesie, but deal gently with him for my sake: yea, they should both blow a blessing to thy soul: though the providences of God might be sometimes painful to thine outward, yet they should be alwayes profitable to thine inward man. Infinite love would send all, infinite wisdom would temper all, and infi­nite power would dispose all for thy benefit: the rod would ever be in the hand of a lo­ving Father, and therefore never used to ruine or harm thee, but ever to reform and heal thee.

As in the revolution of the Heavens, every Planet moveth in its proper orb; their motions are various, nay opposite; yet by the wheeling round of the primum mobile, they are all brought about to one determi­nate point: And as the wheels of a watch, though they move contrary wayes, yet all [Page 250]serve to carry on the end of the workman, to tell us the time of the day: So though the providences and dealings of God be never so cross seemingly, yet they should all tend to thine advantage really and finally, and to carry on Gods design, which is thy spiritu­al and eternal felicity.

In a word, if afflictions did wait upon thee, if temptations watch against thee, if mercies did flow in, or by iniquity thou didst fall down, whether the dayes of thy pilgri­mage were cloudy or clear, shining or showring, whatever weather thou travellest in towards thy Father House, All things should work together for thy good, if thou didst once love God, and wert called according to his purpose, Rom. 8.28.

As all Gods providences should be pro­fitable to thee, so also in all thy performances thou shouldst be acceptable to God.

When thou shouldst approach the Lord of Glory, he would give thee a meeting in the means of Grace; he would bid thee welcom into his presence, and warm thine heart with his spiritual influences; thou mightest hear him speaking to the solace and wonder of thy soul; O my Dove, shew me thy face, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely, Cant. 2.14.

The Spirit of God would assist thee in all thy performances, enabling thee to offer up to God what came first from God; [Page 251]and O how exceedingly would the Father be taken with, and delight in his own childe! The fruits of his Spirit would be pleasant fruits indeed, Rom. 8.26. Cant. 4. ult. Thou shouldst in every sacrifice give God thine heart, which he could not but take kindly at thy hands; Thy prayer would be his delight, Sozomen said of Apollonius, [...] at he [...]ever as [...]ed that thing of God which was denied. Prov. 15.8. Thy sweet breath would abun­dantly please him; no musick could be so melodious to thee, as thy prayers to him; thou shouldst never ask any thing, but he would grant it, either in specie or pondere, in money or money-worth: The King of Hea­ven is not he that could do any thing against thee, as that earthly King said, Jer. 38.5. Thy prayer should come before him like incense, and the lifting up of thine hands as morning and evening sacrifices, which his soul would smell a sweet savour in: His eyes would be alwayes open upon thy person with acceptance; and therefore his ears would be open to thy prayers with audience, Gen. 4.4.

Thou like Esther shouldst be arrayed in thy best raiment, the robes of thy Saviours righteousness, and so appearing in the pre­sence of the King, shouldst finde such fa­vour in his eyes, that thy Petition should be granted, and thy request performed, though it were to the half, to the whole of his King­dom.

Thy duties should be performed with su­table graces: At a Sacrament, or in a Prayer thou shouldst draw nigh to him by faith, [Page 252]Hebr. 10.22. Know thy distance from him by godly fear, Hebr. 12.28. be made one with him by love, John 17.23. which would en­large thy heart in desires after him, and ra­vish thy soul with delight in him, Psal. 73.25. Job 22.26. and thou shouldst walk with him throughout the duty, with one foot of hope, and the other of humility.

Thus graciously shouldst thou look up to him, and he would graciously look down up­on thee: little dost thou think what power­ful loadstones these Graces would be to draw forth his love. Observe and admire; Thou hast Taken away my heart or behearted me. Hebr. ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck; How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love then wine, and the smell of thine oinments then all spices, Cantic. 4.9, 10, 11. to the end.

Besides all thy performances would be perfumed by the Mediator: There would in­deed still be imperfection in thy graces (which are poured by the Spirit into thy soul, as pure liquor into a foul vessel: Spring waters as they pass thorow the veins of the earth will taste of the minerals which they there salute; so would thy gracious actions have their faults and defects, because thou wouldst have stil an unregenerate part; there­fore duties, as they came from thee, would not have a good savour) but Christ the An­gel would stand at the Altar with sweet in­cense, [Page 253]intercepting thy sacrifices and prayers in their passage to heaven, purge away the iniquities of thy holy things with his own blood, perfume thy duties with his infinite merits, and so present them to his Father in his own name without the least defilement; and then, O then, how pleasing and accep­table must they needs be to him! Revel. 8.3, 4.

As when a Servant is with a Master upon liking, he doth his business so coldly and carelesly, and is so indifferent about it, that his Master takes little notice either of him or his work, and all that time is lost: But when he is once bound, and the Indentures sealed, and his father engaged for his faith­fulness, the Apprentice falls to his work with another manner of spirit, and the Master now esteems it as service, carrieth himself towards him as a Master, resolves to teach him his trade, and his time every day goes on. So whilst a man is unregenerate, he serveth God so coldly, hypocritically and carnally, that God accepts it not, nay loaths it; his performances they are as the cutting off of a dogs neck, or the offering up of swines flesh, it is lost service; but when In dentures are sealed in Regeneration, that the man is bound to God by an hearty de­dication of himself to his service, and Christ hath given a considerable sum with him, and undertaken for his faithfulness, then the foul fals to Gods business with hand and [Page 254]heart, and God esteems it as service, and resolves to teach him the trade of pleasing God on earth, that he may be fit to do it in heaven.

All the Ordinances of God should be for thy good; If thou wert but born again and alive spiritually, thou shouldst find the Word, Prayer, Singing, Sacraments, Sabbaths, com­munion of Saints, to be both refreshing and nourishing food to thy soul, though now thou canst relish them no more then the white of an egg, and receive no more good from them then from a dry chip; then they would be as pipes to convey the water of life, to chear and satisfie thy thirsty spirit. If thou wert a child weak in grace, Ordinances would be milk to thee; if a strong man, they would be strong meat; though thy spiri­tual strength were never so small, thou shouldest find they would increase it. The father of eternity would take care so to nurse and feed thee that thou shouldst thrive, 1 Pet. 2.2.

As the head doth by the organs of sinews or nerves convey the animal spirits into the whole body, and with them both sence and motion: so thy head Christ Jesus, would by those organs of Ordinances, convey spi­ritual life, sense and motion to thee his mem­ber.

Thou mightest hear the Word with much spiritual hunger, and that being thy sauce would make thee both fall to and relish thy [Page 255]food. When thou shouldst hear Christ speaking to thee, and opening the Scriptures, thine heart would burn within thee, and as mettal melted be ready for any mould which God would cast thee into.

The Precepts of the word would be a light to thy feet, and a lanthorn to thy paths, thou wouldst love them for their purity, find them to be exceeding pleasant, and turn thy feet into those ways of peace: Thine heart would in part answer Gods holy Law, as the Counterpain the original Deed; and thou shouldst so behold the face of the Lord in the glass of his Word, that thou shouldst be changed into his image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3.18.

The threatnings of the word, though they portend and speak dreadful thing (as Nebu­chadnezzars dream) yet those fearful & faith­ful dreams would belong to thine enemies, and the interpretation of them to them that hate thee. Those doleful threatnings of Gods wrath, the delivering up of souls to go on in sin, and the eternal torments of Hell, like drones would buz about thine ears to keep thee wakeful, but could not sting thee to make thee woful; wert thou but alive in Christ, thou shouldst be dead to the Law and all its curses, Rom. 7.4.

The promises would be precious also to thee, if thou wert converted; thou wouldst have the mouth of Faith, with which thou shouldst suck much warm heart-cheering [Page 256]milk from those brests of consolation, Isa. 66.11. To thee the Promises would be encou­ragements to service; the threatnings, af­frightments from sin; the precepts, directi­ons to sanctity; if thy heart were sorrow­ful, the promises would enliven it; if secure, the threatnings would awaken it; if full of doubts, the precepts would counsel and ad­vise it. Of the Promises more in the next Head.

At a Sacrament Christ would sweetly feast thy soul, bring thee into his Banquet­ing house, and cause his Banner over thee to be love: when others feed onely upon Ele­ments, thou shouldest feed on the Sacra­ment, and finde his flesh to be meat indeed, and his blood to be drink indeed: when others stood at the door, and are put off with some poor scraps (as much as they came for) thou shouldst be called in, sit at his own table, feasted with the fat things of his house, drink of the rivers of his own pleasures, continue under his shadow with great delight, and know his fruit sweet unto thy taste: when thou sawest with the eye of faith the board spred, and richly furnished with variety of dainties, all the Cordials and sweet-meats of the Gos­pel; among the rest, with that love which is better then wine, thou shouldst hear a voice from the Spirit within thee, Eat, O Freind, drink abundantly, O Beloved; which, how ravishing it would be to thine ears, and how refreshing to thine heart, no tongue can tell. [Page 257]O Reader, hadst thou ever found at a Sacra­ment what it is to sup with Christ, and Christ with thee, thou wouldst scorn the life of an Emperor for the life of a new Crea­ture.

In Prayer, God and thy soul would sweet­ly converse together. Thy petitions would ascend up to him, and his righthand-kind­nesses would descend on thee. In this duty thou wouldst call, turning his precepts into prayers, and he would answer by turning his promises into performances. Many many a blessing shouldst thou obtain kneeling. This vessel would never return (though somtimes it might seem to tarry long) but richly laden. The crop of Gods answer, would be far greater then the seed of thy prayer, out of which it grew. The Prodigal desired but the liberty of a servant, but the Father bestowed on him the dignity of a son; the King asked life, and thou gavest it him, yea a length of days for ever and ever, his glory is great in thy Salvation, honour and majesty, hast thou put up­on him. Ps. 21.4, 5. As a merchant in a morn­ing, will get Five hundred or a Thousand pound by a bargain, truly thou shouldst by a duty in a morning, or evening, get thou­sands, nay millions at a clap, increase of grace, a supply of thy spiritual wants, the subduing of thy secret wickedness, peace of conscience, communion with God, joy in the spirit, which are more worth then the whole earth.

In brief, Christ would be thy Shepherd, feed thee in green pastures, lead thee by the still waters, and take care that thou be fat and flourishing. As the root sendeth up its sap through the bark to all its living branch­es, whereby they continue living, and bring forth fruit; so if thou wert but regenerated and a living branch, thou shouldst derive the sap of grace through ordinances from Christ thy root, whereby thou shouldst per­severe in spiritual life, and glorify God by bringing forth much fruit.

All the promises of God should be thy porti­on.

Reader, thou art not able to conceive the unsearchable riches, which are laid up in the promises. Well may the Apostle call them exceeding great and precious promises. 2 Pet. 1.4. The promises are the great Charter, con­taining all the priviledges which were pur­chased by Christ; like an apothecaries. shop, they are full of various salves for every sore, of precious remedies for every malady, of choice cordials to enliven thee with, spiritu­al consolation in the saddest condition. One promise is of unspeakable worth. As every precious stone, so every individual promise hath its vertue and value. It is the saying of one, Mallemus carere sale, coe [...]o, &c Selveccer. in Paedag. Christian. We had better want meat, drink, air, light, all the elements; then that one sweet sen­tence of our Saviour, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Mat. 11.28. Mr. Burroughs saith [Page 259]that there is more of God in that one verse, John 3.16. then in heaven and earth beside, God so loved the world, that he gave his onely be­gotten son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. And Mr. Baxter, I remember, In his E­verlasting [...]est. hath an expression to this purpose, That he would not for all the world, that that verse John 17.24. had been left out of the bible, Father, I will also that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glo­ry.

One promise hath revived the saints, when they have been almost dead with sor­row, and held their heads up, that they have not sunk in deep waters. Melib. A­damus in vit. Beza was refresh­ed by that, John 10.27, 28, 29. Mr. Bil­ney that blessed Martyr, by that 1 Tim. 1.15. Father Latimer at the stake by that 1 Cor. 10.13. Mr. Robert Bolten, that famous preacher and eminent saint, was comforted under a sad affliction by that Isa. 26.3. Now if one promise be so pretious, how happy shouldst thou be (wert thou but regenerated) to have an interest in all the promises! That whole book should be thine, wherein every leafe drops myrrhe and mercy, love, and life: Thou mightst walk in the garden, where those choice flowers, pleasant fruits, and sweet spices grow, and abundantly delight thy soul with their fragrant smell, and luscious taste, The promise is to you, and to your children, and to then that are a far off, and to as many as the Lord [Page 260]our God shall call. Acts 2.39. Observe the sil­ver thread upon which all the jewels of the promises hang, To as many as the Lord our God shall call. When thou art called and born of him, all the promises would be thy portion As all the rivers meet in the Ocean, so all the promises meet in regeneration. I will name two or three promises, that thou mayst see how well twould be with thee, wert thou once in Christ. All thy sins should be pardoned, though they were never so great, and grei­vous, yet the blood of Jesus Christ would cleanse thee from them. Didst thou but know, what a great price was laid down to procure a pardon, Heb. 9.22, 14. what dreadful punishments sinners undergo in hel, for want of pardon, Jude 7. what sorrows and sighs, broken bones, and waterd couch­es the Saints suffer, when they are but doubtful of their pardon. Psa. 38.1, 2, 3, 4. thou wouldst say, O blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven, and whose sin is covered; blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not sin. Psal. 32.1, 2. Now thou shouldst obtain this blessedness, God would esteem thee perfectly righteous. Solinus reports of a river in Boetia, which maketh black sheep (if washed there­in) white; truly wert thou never so black a sinner, yet thou shouldst be made white by the blood of the lamb, Rev. 7.14.

As all thy sins should be remitted, so thy person should be adopted. Thou shouldst of a child of wrath, become the child of God. Joh. 1.12. [Page 261] David reckoned it a great honour to be the Son in Law of King Saul; Seemeth it (saith he to Sauls servant) A light thing to you, to be a Kings son in Law, seeing that I am vile and lightly esteemed! 1 Sam. 18.23. O what is it then to be the Son of God, of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Behold, what manner of love hath the father loved us with that we should be called his children! 1 John 3.1. The greatest admiration is too little for such infinite condescention; yet this priviledge should be thine. The boundless God, who hath millions of glorious Angels for his ser­vants, would own, feed, cloath, protect, main­tain and portion thee as his son.

Thou shouldst be sure to persevere in grace. Being once in Christ, thou shouldst be ever in Christ; though the wind should blow and the waves beat against thee, yet thou shouldst not fall, being built upon the true rock; The very gates of Hell should not prevail against thee: Though thou mighst fall foully, yet thou shouldst never fall finally, because the seed of God would remain within thee, 1 John 3.9. Phil. 1.6. 1 Thes. 5.23, 24. Thy life would be hid in Christ, as the sap in the root, and therefore though thou mightst have thine Autumne, yet thou shouldst spring again. Thy stock of grace would not be in thine own, but in Christs hands, and for this cause thou couldst not possibly prove (as Adam) a bankrupt. Though the flame of a zealous [Page 262]profession might be abated, yet there would be fire on the hearth under the ashes; true grace in thine heart; the love of God to thy soul would be everlasting love, Jer. 33.3. The kindness of thy Redeemer to thee ever­lasting kindness, Isa. 54.8. The Spirit of Grace would abide in thee for ever, Joh. 14.16. The Covenant into which thou shouldst enter with God, would be an everlasting Covenant, Hebr. 13.20. And in that very Covenant thy Saviour would undertake for thee, that thou shouldst never depart away from him, but abide in him for ever, Jer 31.33.34. and 32.40. Christ himself would be ever in thee; and Christ (saith one) may as soon die in Heaven at his Fathers right hand, as in the heart of a Believer.

To sum up all the promises in one; God would be thy God: And how much wealth is in this golden mine, would nonplus the tongues of all the men in the world to ex­press, and the understandings of all the An­gels in Heaven to conceive. This is the great new-Covenant Promise, Hebr. 8.8, 9, 10. I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. The Author of all Promises is the matter of this Promise: Surely, tis the Main, the Ocean, a large Promise indeed, when it contains him whom the heavens and Heaven of heavens can never contain. The Book of Promises is as a glorious Crown, but this is the most sparkling Diamond in it.

Friend, dost thou consider what it is to have God for thy God? All that God is would be thine; the Father thine, to adopt thee for his own Son; the Son thine, to pu­risie and present thee acceptable to the Fa­ther; the Spirit thine, to dwell in thee as a witness, seal, and earnest of thine everlasting inheritance. All that is in God should be thine; all his attributes and perfections should be laid out for thy profit: His wisdom would be thine to direct thee, his power thine to protect thee, his grace thine to pardon thee, his mercy thine to pitty thee, his goodness thine to comfort thee, and his glory thine to crown thee. Thou canst not imagine what a full good this one God is in himself, and would be to thee. He would be to thee health in sickness, strength in weakness, light in darkness, joy in sadness, riches in po­very, honor in ignominy, freedom in slave­ry, ease in pain, safety in dangers, and life in death. This one God would supply all thy need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, Phil. 4.19.

God would subdue thy corruptions, en­able thee to overcome temptations, to be a gainer by afflictions, to hold out under deser­tions, to improve providences, to be the bet­ter for ordinances, to be filled with holiness, and fitted for happiness: He would do more for thee then thou couldst ask or think, Ephes. 3.20. Well might the Psalmist wonder at the riches of his portion, who had a propriety [Page 264]in God. Psal. 144. ult. Happy is the people that is in such a case; YEA, HAPPY IS THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD. Ainsworth reads those words by way of admiration; O happy is the people whose God is the Lord! As if the Psalmist, Beatus ergo populus cujus Ieho­va est Deus. Tremel. considering what he had said be­fore, that it was an happiness to enjoy children, cattel, and outward comforts, did from those streams ascend to the fountain, and gathered by rational arguing; If they are happy that have their sons growing as plants, and their daughters as polished stones, their barns swelling, and their flocks thriving; O how happy are they whose God is the Lord! If they are so blessed who have the Stars, how happy are they that have the Sun? For in the presence of this Sun all those Stars must vanish and disappear. Praedic [...] populum beatum o [...] haec bona [...] Deo conti g [...]rint sed add [...]t mox correcti [...] ­nem, ne q [...]i [...] in h [...]s rebus terrenis fubsistat, & summan beatitudi n [...] pon [...] Mollerus in loc. Mollerus takes the words by way of cor­rection, Yea rather, Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. As if David had recalled himself, and with his pen given a dash to all that he had said: Did I say that they were happy which abounded with relations, possessions, and outward comforts? I recal my self, Alas, they are not happy, in comparison of their hap­piness who have the Lord for their God: yea rather hapyy is the people whose God is the Lord. By this latter he cuts off the neck of his for­mer expression. Some take the words con­junctively, as if David had proclaimed them happy indeed, for whom the Lord as their [Page 265]God doth so liberally provide. The children must needs be happy that have a Father that takes such care of them, and bestow­eth so many outward good things on them. Austin takes the words dis-junctively, as if the former part of the verse, Happy is the people that is in such a case, were the voice of the world; and the latter part of it, Yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord, were the choice of the Saints. And that Father explains himself to this purpose. O vain and foolish speakers, O strange children: They have called the people happy that are in such a case. — But what sayest thou David? What sayest thou O Body of Christ? What say ye O Members of Christ? What say ye O Children of God? Because those vain Speakers, and strange Children have called them happy that are in such a case: What say ye? And then he answereth for them, as the voice of all: O vanilo­qu [...], O silii alieni Beatum dixerunt populum eui haec sunt — Quid tu David? Quid tu cor­ [...]us Christi? Qu [...] vos membra Christi? Quid vos non filii alieni, sed Dei, Quoniam vaniloqui fili alieni, Beatum dixerunt populu [...], Cui haec sunt. Vos [...]id dicitis? Beatus populus cujus Dominus deus ipsius. Aug. in Psal. 143. Tom. 8. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord.

Thus happy, Reader, shouldst thou be, if thou wert once regenerated. That God in comparison of whom the whole Crea­tion is as nothing, would be thy God. O how eminently, how infinitely, wouldst thou be blessed, in having so rich, so [Page 266]vast, so boundless a good for thy God.

Thou shouldst be blessed in thy body, that should be the temple of the Holy Ghost, and part of the mystical body of the Son of God, and so nearly and closely united to him, that neither death, grave, nor dust, should ever be able to separate it from him, 1 Cor. 6.19. 1 Thes. 4.14, 16.

Thou shouldst be blessed in thy soul, that should be ever fat and flourishing, Psal. 92.13, 14. like a watered Garden abounding in fruit; the smell of thy soul would be as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed.

Thou shouldest be blessed in thy estate; that blessing which can turn a Prison into a Palace, a Cottage into a Court, poverty in­to plenty, would be thy portion; thou shouldst be sure of necessaries, of enough to bear thy charges till thou comest to thy Fathers house, Psal. 37.25, 26. and 34.11. Having faith, thou should not fear a famine, but wouldst be assured that he who feeds the birds of the air, fodders the beasts of the fields, filleth the bellies of his Enemies with hidden treasures, would never forget his friends, or starve his children: The Lord would be thy Shepherd, and therefore thou couldst not want, Psal. 23.1. As they that are well lined within, and have much good blood and spirits can endure to go in cold weather with less clothes then o­thers: So thou being inwardly strengthened [Page 267]with the grace and love of God, shouldst be able to walk in the world comfortably with a less estate then others; If thou shouldst be thine own carver, thou wouldst cut thy fingers.

If thy means were small, thy stomach should not be great. As the sheep can live upon bare Commons, and thrive there where the fat Ox would be starved, so in the midst of thy straights, thy contentedness would give thee a sufficiency: when others who are strang­ers to grace in the midst of their sufficiency are in straights, Job 20.22. True piety hath true plenty, and is never without a well-con­tenting sufficiency, for twill give him who hath nothing the possession of all things, 1 Tim. 6.6. Hab. 3.16.17. 2 Cor. 6.11. Thy dinner of herbs, with the love and favour of God, would be better then a stalled Ox with his anger and frowns. Prov. 15.15.16.

Thou shouldst be blessed in thy children. The just man walketh in his integrity, and his children are blessed after him. Prov. 20.7. John's Children fared the better for their fathers godlyness, thoug it were but coun­terfeit, 2 Kings 10.30. Surely then, The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Psal. 112.2. When thou didst leave them. God would find them, and require thy children (for thy love to him.) much more faithfully then David did Mephibosheth for Jonathans good will. Gen. 17.8. Act. 2.39.

Thy whole house would be the happier [Page 268]for thee, God blesseth the habitation of the righteous, Prov 3.33. Nothing can possi­bly be wanting, but it may be made up by this blessing. If thou dost hearken unto the voyce of the Lord thy God, blessed shalt thou be in the city, and in the field, blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattel. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store, blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out, and blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in. Deut. 28.1, to 14. verse.

Thou wouldst be a blessing to thy neigh­bours, as a conduite yield clear water for others comfort. If they were prophane, they might be brought to mind piety by thy pre­cepts and pattern. If they were good, they would rejoyce at thy conversion to God, and like Abraham make a feast at the weaning of thee a child of the promise from the breasts of the creatures.

Thou shouldst be blessed in thy name. The memory of the just is blessed, Prov. 10.7. Thy name would be heir to thy life, as soon as ever thy nature were religious, thy name would be reverend, and when thou diest thou wouldst go out (of this world) like some sweet perfume, leaving a fragrant sa­vour behind thee.

O Reader, how many sheets might I write, in relating thy felicity! How ho­nourable shouldst thou be, having blood royal running in thy veins, and being heir apparent to a Kingdom of glory! How rich, [Page 269]having a key to Gods treasury, and being interested in the covenant of grace, which hath more wealth in it then heaven and earth! How comfortable, having the pro­mises for thy cordials, and being garrisond within with that peace of God, which passeth all understanding! How beautiful having the robes of the righteousness of God to adorn thee, which is infinitely more comly then the unspotted innocency, either of Adam or Angels! The infinite God would be thy God, blessed Angels thy guardians, beau­tiful Saints thy companions, durable riches thy portion, the flesh of Christ thy food, his own robes thy raiment, and his own mansion house thine everlasting home.

Thou couldst not cast an eye, but it would see matter of mirth; nor send forth a thought, but it would return with a re­port of mercy. Whether thou lookest up to thy father in heaven, and his glorious attendants there, or lookest down to his creatures on earth, and the signs of his ma­nifold wisdom, and mighty power here, or whether thou lookest into conscience or Scriptures, every thing, all things would yeild thee cause of comfort, and give thee occasion of inward exaltation.

In all conditions, be they never so sad, thy soul would be safe, and thine everlast­ing estate secure. The vails are incertain, but the standing wages are certain. What ballast is to a ship, that regeneration would [Page 270]be to thy spirit: If the vessel be sound and well ballasted, though it may be tossed and rocked with windes and waves, yet it shall not be ruined: So if thine heart were sta­blished with grace, thou shouldst be steady in the greatest storm; nay, though thou wert naked in deep waters, in the mighty Sea, yet Christ thine head being ever above wa­ter, thou couldst not possibly sink.

When thou shouldst come to die, and to throw thy last cast for Eternity, thou mightest walk in the valley of the shadow of death and fear none ill, for God would be with thee, Psal. 23. When pale-faced death knocks at the door of thine house of clay, by the hand of some mortal sickness, thou needst not be daunted at his grim looks, but mightest boldly open to him, and bid that Messenger heartily welcom, as knowing that he comes from a God in Covenant, to give thee a passage into fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures.

Its reported of Godfry Duke of Bul­loign in his expedition to the Holy-Land, that when his Army came within view of Jerusalem, beholding the high Turrets and fair Fronts (which were the skelitons of far more glorious bodies) they were so trans­ported with joy, that they gave such a shout, that the very earth was said to ring again. How might thine heart leap with joy, when thou upon thy death-bed shouldst with the eye of faith behold the stately [Page 271]Turrets, and pearly gates of the New and Eternal Jerusalem!

Thou mightest contentedly leave thine earthly habitation for the Fathers house, and joyfully bid adieu to thy corruptible sil­ver and airy honors, for an enduring sub­stance, and an eternal weight of glory. How cheerfully mightest thou forsake thy meat and drink, and all thy carnal comforts, to eat bread in the Kingdom of Heaven, and to bathe thy soul in angelical delights! With what courage mightest thou bid farewel to thy stately dwelling, dearest wife, most lovely children, all thy kindred and ac­quaintance, to go to mount Sion, and to the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa­lem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the general Assembly and Church of the first­born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant! Hebr. 12.22, 23, 24.

Thou shouldst comfortably think of thy bodies being laid in the grave, to sleep there till the morning of the Resurrection; for that bed would be sweet to thee, being per­fumed with the precious body of thy Savi­our for thee. And with what joy mightest thou think of the day of Judgement, when thy body should be awaken out of its sleep, united to thy soul, fashioned like unto the glo­rious body of Christ, and both soul and body made perfectly blessed, in the full enjoy­ment [Page 272]of God to all eternity. O the felicity of the regenerate! How blessed are they whom God chooseth, and causeth by Rege­neration to approach unto him! Friend, Friend, Can the world do half this for thee? Why then dost thou spend thy strength for what is not bread, and thy labour for what will not satisfie?

Will not God do all this and much much more for thee! Why then dost thou forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew unto thy self broken cisterns that can hold no waters! Ah, didst thou but know the gift of God, and who it is that offereth these things to thee, thou wouldest ask of him, and he would give thee living waters, John 4.10. Reader, what sayest thou to these things? Is there not infinite reason why thou shouldst speedily give a Bill of divorce to thy most beloved lusts, and strike an hearty Co­venant with the Lord Jesus? Art not thou fully convinced of the matchless gain of godliness? Let conscience speak; one would think such powerful arguments could not be denied; that so many, and such costly Load­stones should draw thee towards Heaven, though thine heart were as hard as iron or steel. If thou art for profit, man, here is profit indeed, and to purpose. Thus whilst thou continuest in this world, thou shouldst be a blessed soul.

The third Subject of Consideration, The Excellency of Regeneration.

THirdly, Consider the excellency of that which the Lord requireth of thee, for the avoiding of that easeless, endless misery of the damned, and the attaining the unspeakable and unchangeable felicity of the saved.

Reader, I pray thee speak to God in thine heart, and tell him what is the reason thou art so willing to go to Hell, and so un­willing to go to Heaven: Sure I am, as thou art a living creature (much more as a rational man) thou hast a natural inclination and propensity towards thine own good and felicity, and therefore thou canst not love Hell directly, as it is torturing and wracking of thy soul and body, though thou dost love it eventually, as 'tis the end of thy fleshly, ungodly life. Well, Ile un­dertake for once to dive into thine heart, and tell thee the reason of thy backward­ness towards heaven, and thy forwardness for hell: The reason is this, thou lookest on the power of godliness as distasteful to thy flesh, or disgraceful to thy name; the yoke of Christ is too strict; tis not the end that displeaseth thee (thou couldst conten­tedly be happy) but tis the narrowness of the way, and the straitness of the gate with which thou art dis-satisfied, 'twill not afford thee room enough for thy beloved lusts; is [Page 301]it not so? let conscience speak; Well, I hope by the help of God to make thee of another minde, when thou hast throughly read this Head, which I am now writing of.

It is the saying of Plato, That if moral Phi­losphy could be seen with moral eyes, it would draw all mens hearts after it. Sure, sure I am that if Regeneration, or the Divine nature were seen with divine eyes, 'twould draw mens hearts, and heads, and hands, and all after it: All that ever struck at it, did it in the dark, They spake evil of things which they knew not.

Reader, what is that which God requi­reth of thee? Is it not to leave thy slavery to Satan, thy bondage to sin, and to accept and enjoy the glorious liberty of the Sons of God? Is it not that thou shouldst be divor­ced from sin that mishapen monster, and spawn of the Devil, whose person is defor­med, whose company is defiling, and whose portion is damnation; and that thou shouldst be married to Jesus Christ, the fair­est of ten thousands, the heir of all things, who would adorn thee with the jewels of his graces, beautifie thee with the Imbroyde­ry of his Spirit, wash thee with his own blood, array thee with his own righteous­ness, and present thee to his father without spot, to be blessed in his full immediate en­joyment for ever? Is it not that thou shouldst cease thy drudgery to Hells-Jaylor, [Page 302]live above the perishing profits, bruitish pleasures, empty honors of the world and flesh, and that thou shouldst walk after the Spirit, walk with God, warm thine heart at the flame of his love, bathe thy soul in angelical delights, have thy conversation in Heaven here, and thy habitation there hereafter. Is not this, Man, the sum and substance of what the Lord requireth of thee? and art thou not shroudly hurt? would not these things exceedingly injure thee? Is not God a hard Master to desire such things of thee? Ah, didst thou but know the worth of them, hadst thou ever beheld their excellency, or tasted the comforts which is in them, thou wouldst scorn this lower world, with all its pomp, and pride, and pleasures, for them, and befool thy self to purpose for ever re­fusing or neglecting them.

I shall endeavour, in some few particu­lars, to shew thee the worth and excellency of that to which thou art so unwilling, and possibly thou mayest thereby be convinced of thy madness and folly, in sticking at that which would be thine honour and feli­city. Pliny saith, that an exact face can ne­ver be drawn but with much disadvantage. Without doubt, Regeneration, or the new Creation, can neither be admired, nor decla­red by any, no, nor by all the Saints on earth, according to its worth: It is the beauty, glory, and wonder of Saints and Angels in Heaven.

First, Regeneration is the image of God, who is an infinite and most perfect good. Vide p. 36, 37. Here, friend, at first flight I soar high. One would think, if I should speak no more in commendation of it, here is enough to ravish thine heart with admiring it for ever; it is the picture of Gods own perfections. Put on the new man which after God is created in righte­ousness and true holiness, Eph 4.24. As it is the same light that shineth forth in the morning, which shineth in the body of the Sun in its Meridian, so its the same holiness that shineth in its degrees in the Christian, which shineth in perfection in God. Regeneration would make thee pure, as God is pure, Gods will is the rule, and his nature the pattern of the Saints holi­ness. Heb. 1.3. Rom. 8. The coin hath the image and im­pressions of the King. Christ is the express image of his fathers person, and the Saints are conformable to the image of his Son. The Church is Christ unfolded, Christ is not a monster, Mr Ball of faith, p. 285. the head and members are homo­geneal, like to each other.

By Reason man excelleth beasts, by holiness he excelleth himself, inferiour onely to the Angels in degree, and made like unto the Lord, as far as a creature may be to his cre­atour.

Now how excellent is the image of God! the picture of a King is esteemed, and valued at an high rate; but what is the picture of a God! Some say that the naked body of [Page 304]man was so glorious in his estate of inno­cency, that all the beasts of the field admi­red it, and thereupon did homage to him. O how beautiful and glorious is his soul be­come by Regeneration, the image of God, that both Saints, Angels and Jesus Christ, are taken with it, and wonder at it. He that would not hear, when the disciples were speaking and wondring at the buildings of the material temple, but contemned it, did both hear, see, and admire, at one piece of this spiritual temple; when Jesus heard the Centurions words, he marvelled and said to them that followed him, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel, Mat. 8.10, 15, and 28. Nay Christ is so taken with it, that his heart is ravished and lost with it, he he is behearted with it, Cant. 4.9, 10.

It is observable that the blessed God after every days work in the creation of the world, Gen. 1. takes a view of what he had made, he saw it was good; but when he had made man the sixth day, after his own image, and then took a review of his works, and saw every thing that he had made, behold it was very good, or extream good. So good that it caused delight and complacency in God, and called for wonder and contemplation from man; Behold it was very good; no doubt but the making of man so noble and holy, did above all the visible creatures, so affect the heart of God, that he liked the house much the better, because of so rare [Page 305]an inhabitant which he had made to dwell in it. Therefore when he had made man, he made no more, man being so fair a peice, such curious workmanship, that the infinite God resolved to rest and delight in him. So when he createth a soul in Christ Jesus unto good works, Eph. 2.10. he rejoyceth over his new workmanship with exceeding joy, and resteth in his love, Eph. 3.17. But when he shall finish his new creation (for he will print mans holiness in the second edition in a larger letter, and fairer character, then it was at first) and bring it forth in the other world, twill infinitely surpass the stately fa­brick of heaven and earth. And O how, how will it take, not onely perfect spirits, but even the God of the spirits of all flesh! Friend, can that be less then eminently ex­cellent, which doth thus ravish the heart of God himself, with admiration at it, and affection to it! Would this tend to thy dishonour or disadvantage, to be made like unto him, who is the foundation and ocean of all excellencies and perfections?

Secondly, Contraria [...]uxta se p [...]sita ma­gis cluces. cunt. Regeneration is the destructi­on of sin the greatest evil; therefore it must needs be excellent; Contraries put toge­ther will illustrate one another; the baseness and loathsomness of sin, will be a good foil to set off the beauty and loveliness of Grace. For which cause I shall speak the more to the filthiness of sin: For as the better any good is, the more excellent it is to be full of it: [Page 306]So the worse any evil is, the more excellent it is to be free from it. Besides, dying to sin, being one essential part of Regeneration, I shall not at all digress.

Now, Sin is the greatest evil in the world; there was none like it before it, nor ever shall be after it. This Brat of the Devil is so vile and abominable, that it is very hard to finde out a name futable to its ugly na­ture. Those terms by which it is called, of leprofie, spot, plague, vomit, mire, scum, ulcers, issues, dead carkass, exhalation from a grave, the vessel into which nature empti­eth it self, filthiness, superfluity of naughti­ness, the pollution of a new born Infant, and many more; these all come far short of shewing the poysonous evil which is in sin: Therefore the Apostle, when he christens this child of disobedience calls it by its sir­name, That sin by the commandment might ap­pear exceeding sinful, Rom. 7.13. The Apo­stle there doth discharge the Law, and charge all upon his own lust, which by the com­mandment takes occasion (as water at a bridge that stops and hinders it) to rage the more; or possibly as a foul face by a glass, so sin by the commandment appeared to be exceeding sinful. Mark, the Apostle doth not say, that sin by the glass of the Law appear­ed to be exceeding foul and filthy, or ex­ceeding deformed and ugly, or exceeding hellish or devilish, but exceeding sinful, this includes all them and much more: Had he [Page 307]studied a thousand years for a name, he could not have called it by a worse name then its own, sinful sin.

Luther saith, that could a man but see perfectly the evil of his sins on earth, it would be an hell to him; such a frightful ugly monster is sin.

Look on sin which way thou wilt, and it is exceeding sinful, the evil of evils.

Take it in its nature, it is a deviation from Gods Law, a wandring from his word, a casting his Law behinde the back; the Law is strait, sin is crookedness, Psal. 125.5. The Law is holy, sin is defilement, Rom. 7.12. 2 Cor. 7.1. The Law is just, sin is unrighte­ousness, 1 John 1.7. The Law is liberty, sin is bondage, Jam. 2.8, 12. 2 Tim. 2.26. Sin is a defacing of Gods image, it blots and blurs that fair and beautiful writing; not onely meritoriously, as it provokes God to withdraw his Grace, but physically, Numb. 15.30. Rom. 2.23, 24. 2 Sam. 12.12. as one contrary expels another: Hereby it disho­nours Gods name, and reproacheth his Ma­jesty; for what greater disgrace can be done to a Prince then to tread his orders under foot, and tear, and scratch, and deface his picture!

Nay, Lev. 22.26. Zec. 11.8. Rom. 8.7. Rom. 1.30. 1 Sa. 15.23. Isa. 1.2. Rom. 6, 16. Psal. 14.1. its a defying and fighting against God, a walking contrary to him, a daring of him; it is enmity against him, loathing him, hatred of him, contrariety to him; it is against his Soveraignity, and so is rebellion; against his mercy, and so is unkindness; [Page 308]against his justice, and so is unrighteousness; against his wisdom, and so is folly; against his will, Omne sec­catu est deicidium. and so is stubbornness. Were it strong enough, it would ungod him; were the sinners power according to his corrupt heart, he would pluck God out of Heaven. I would I were above God, saith Spira. When the body of sin is nailed as a thief on the Cross, yet even then it will rage (as he) and spit out poison against Heaven.

Reader, Canst thou finde in thine heart to hug and embrace such a Traytor against the gracious and blessed God! To stretch out thine hand against God (as every sinner doth) and strengthen thy self against the Almighty! Vid. Car. in loc. 10 this pur­pose. Job 15.25. Stretch out thine hand against God! No man should lift up a word against God; our mouthes should shew forth his praise. Stretch out thine hand against God! no man should lift up a thought against God; our meditations of him, should be for him. Stretch out thine hand against God; every man should bow down and worship before God, and be satisfied in what ever he saith and doth. Stretch out thine hand against God! thou art bound to stretch out thine heart, and hand, and tongue, to think, and speak, and act, and all for God, and all little enough.

Take sin in its effect, and what evil is like it? Eccl. 1.3. it is the cause of all other evils. Dost thou consider the emptiness, vanity and vex­ation in the creatures? the heavens fight­ing [Page 309]against man, the earth bearing thorns and briars; the diseases in mens bodies, the burning Feavor, watery Dropsie, aking teeth, running Gout, wracking Stone, rent­ing Collick, the quivering lips, trembling loins, gastly looks of dying men; The hor­rors of conscience, flashes of the infernal fire, curses of the Law, wrath of God, tor­ments of Hell, all these are the fruits of sin. All misery calleth sin mother; this is the root of bitterness upon which they grow; the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6.21, ult. and 5.12. that big-bellied word Death hath all these woful brats in its belly, and Sin is the father that begat them: Sin turned Adam out of Paradise, Angels into Devils, Sodom and Go­morah into ashes, flourishing Families, Cities, Kingdoms into ruinous heaps: Sin shuts heaven against man, laid the foundation of that dark vault of hell; Sin kindled the fire of hell; Sin feeds it with fuel, and will keep it burning for ever: Oh what an evil is sin! who would not hate it more then hell!

Is it good to play with such fire as sin is? didst thou believe sin to be the cause of all this, thou wouldst never open thy heart or mouth more for it. Dost thou know that as where the effect is good, the cause is better; so where the effect is bad, the cause is worse? Can there be worse effects then eternal sepa­ration from God, and suffering the venge­ance of eternal fire? how bad is sin then which is the cause of them!

Take sin as a punishment, and 'tis the evil, the only evil; there is no suffering like to this, to be given up to a course of sin­ing. Reader, take heed of continuing an hour longer in thine ungodly practices; it may be thou hast been ready to think it a great happiness to sin without controle, to run in the road of the flesh, and to meet with no rubs, to prosper though thou art wicked; I tell thee (and think of it the longest day thou livest, for it highly concerneth thee) that the infinite God never claps a more dreadful curse on any man or woman on this side hell, then to give them up to sin: If God should give thee up to the sword, famine, most painful diseases, to thy most cruel, potent, and malicious ene­mies, to be wrackt by them at pleasure, these were nothing to this, to be given up to one sin. When God hath used his rods, scourging men, and they will not reform, then he takes this ax, and presently executi­on followeth; to be delivered up to the power of men, may be the lot of Gods sons, but to be delivered up to the power of sin, is the portion of Rebels, of Repro­bates.

This is the stinging whip with which God punisheth Ephrahim; 2 Tim. 3.13. 2 [...]hess. 2.10, 11. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, there is his impiety; but what grie­vous punishment shall he have for his God­provoking Idolatry? Let him alone, Hos. 4.17. It is not I will send the raging pestilence, or [Page 311]cruel famine, or bloody sword, but he is joyned to idols, let him alone; I will not have him disturbed or molested, but he shall have his will, though it prove his everlasting woe, Rom. 1.21, 22. Psal. 81.11, 12. Hos. 8.11.

It is a woe with a witness, 1 Cor 5. comp. with 2 Cor. 7. for God to let thy lusts, like so many ravenous Lions loose upon thee, and to lay the reins of thy sins upon thy own neck. We read of one delivered up to Satan, yet he was saved; but never of any delivered up to their sins, but they were damned.

It was a sad sight which Abraham saw when he beheld flakes of fire rained from heaven upon the Sodomites; but it was a sadder which Lot beheld when he saw the fire of hell burning in their hearts, and breaking out in their lives, and his righteous soul was vexed therewith.

Reader, have a care that thou never in thy heart plead more for sin; who would open his mouth for such a monster, when there is no evil like it! Doth God offer thee any thing to thy hurt, when he would make a separation between thy soul and thy sins? doth he desire any thing to thy disadvantage when he desireth thee to give a bill of di­vorce to sin, which is the sourse of all sor­rows, the onely enemy of thy best friend the ever-blessed God, and to be given up to which is the greatest plague, and punish­ment on this side hell: Tell me, is not re­generation [Page 312]excellent, which killeth such ve­nemous serpents, which executeth such tray­tours, which mortifyeth these earthly mem­bers, and dasheth these brats of Babylon a­gainst the wall.

Thirdly, the price paid for this pearle doth loudly speak its excellency. Reader, little dost thou think what regeneration cost. I tell thee (and thou mayst well wonder at it) The son of God came from heaven, suffered the boundless rage of Divels, and infinite wrath of God, in mans nature, up­on this very errand, to purchase regenera­tion, and sanctification, for poor sinners. Read and admire, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. See the worth of this ware, by that which it cost. The precious blood of Christ; surely it was a jewel of inestimable value, which the Son of God thought worth his precious blood.

As lightly as thou thinkest of the death of sin, and the life of righteousness, the Lord Jesus underwent more then any one in hell feels, to buy them of his father for the sons of men. Ah none knoweth but God and Christ, what it cost to buy off mans debts, and guilt, and to procure a new stock of holiness, for his poor ban­krupt creature to set up with again. Who [Page 313]his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, might live unto righteousness. 1 Pet. 2.24. Had man kept his original purity, the Lord Jesus might have spared all his pains. Tit 2.14. Ioh 10.10. The second Adam came to restore that jewel to man, of which the first Adam robd him. This rare jewel, this choice mercy, was regeneration and holiness, and this Christ looks upon as the full reward of his sufferings. He shall see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. Isa. 53.11. The truth is, Christ had exceeding hard labour (the Greek Fathers call it un­known sufferings) he had many a bitter pang, many a sharp throw; but for joy that chil­dren are born of God, that those throws bring forth a numerous issue of new crea­tures, he forgets his sorrows; He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied.

Consider friend, did Christ esteem rege­neration worth [...] his blood, to merit it, and is it not worth thy prayers, and teares, and utmost indeavours to obtain it? Did Christ come to destroy the works of the Divel which is sin, 1 John 3.8. and wilt thou build them up? did the Lord Jesus come to build up the temple of holiness, and wilt thou pull it down? did Christ think it worth the while to be reproached, condemned, crucified, and all to make thee holy, and wilt thou be such an enemy to the cross of Christ, as by continuing in sin, to deprive him of that which he earnd so dearly? [Page 314]Why wilt thou bind thy self to be a slave to Satan, when he redeemed thee with such a vast sum?

Did the mercifull God send his son in­to the world to bless thee, in turning thee from thine iniquity, and canst thou look upon that great blessing, as thy bondage? Acts 3. ult. Believe it, God had servants enough (even Angels that are ever ready to do his will) to send ordinary gifts by; sure­ly then twas some extrordinary present that he thought none worthy to carry, and would trust none with, but his onely Son. God sent him to blesse you, in turning every one of you from your iniquities. I hope reader thou wilt have higher thoughts of holiness, and worse thoughts of sin all thy dayes; surely the son of God was not so prodigal of his most precious blood, as to poure it out for any thing that was not superlatively excel­lent.

Fourthly, Regeneration and the renew­ing of man will appear to be excellent, in that it is the great end of God in his works The more noble any being is, the more ex­cellent ends it propounds to it self in its working; thence it is that a man hath higher ends then a beast; the ends of a beast are onely to please sence, but the ends of a man are to satisfie his understanding. Hence also the ends of a Christian are more excel­lent then the ends of other men; his being is more noble, and so are his ends, To please, [Page 315]glorifie, and enjoy God. How excellent then is that which the infinitely perfect God makes his end! Surely, the Most High can­not propound any low ends in his operati­ons; he that is the onely wise God must have eminent designs and ends.

Now unclasp the secret book of Gods decree, and look into it as far as the word will warrant thee, and thou shalt finde that in that internal work of Election, God had the renewing of man after his image in his eye, and to be his end; According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love, Ephes. 1.4. As an Artificer or Statuary, that hath many pieces of stone all alike (hewn out of the same Quarry) in his yard, sets some apart from the rest in his own thoughts, intending to make some choice Statue, some special piece of them.

So when all mankinde was before God, he did in his eternal thoughts set some apart to be choice pieces, to be holy and without blame.

Go from Gods decree to its execution, from his inward to his outward actions, and thou shalt finde thy renewing after his image to be still in his eye. In thy creation he thought of thy regeneration [...]; Prov. 16.4. Psal. 100.4, 5. Rev. 4. ult. he made thee that he might new make th [...]: Thou art a man, that thou mightst become a Christian; God made thee a rational creature, that [Page 316]thou mightst be made a new creature; He gave thee the matter, in giving thee a body and a rational soul, that thereby thou mightst be capable of the form, which is the impression of his image on both. There must be a tree before it can be hewed and squared for some curious building. God did not make thee to eat, and drink, and sleep, and toil in thy calling, but to honor him, and to live to him, which are the actions of the new creature.

Trace God further, from creation to providence, and therein also thou mayst ob­serve this to be his end. Why doth he send the warm Summer of prosperity, and re­fresh thee with his clearing beams and influ­ences, but to cause thee to blossom, and bud, and ripen in the fruits of holiness? There is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared, Psal. 130.4. Why doth he send the nipping winter of adversity, but to kill the hurtful weeds of thy lusts? This is his end in afflicting, even the taking avay of sin, Isa. 27.9. He useth the flail, that the huskes may flie off; when one key will not open the door of thy heart, he will try another. Why doth he interweave mercy and afflicti­on, that his providences towards the chil­dren of men are chequer-work, white and black, black and white; mercy and affliction, affliction and mercy, but because his infinite wisdom seeth that this mixture will suit best with his ends, the purifying and renewing [Page 317]his creature? If all the year were summer, the sap of the trees would be quite exhaust­ed; if all were winter, it would be quite buried; If thou hadst nothing in thy body but natural heat, it would burn thee up; if nothing but moisture, it would drown thee; therefore thy radical moisture allayeth thy natural heat, and thy natural heat giveth bounds to thy radical moisture; and each well tempered, make an excellent constituti­on of body. If thou hadst nothing but mercy, thou wouldst be wanton and con­ceited; if nothing but misery, thou wouldst be too much dejected; therefore God sendeth mercy to make thee cheerful, and misery to keep thee awful. The good Phy­sician tempers his drugs wisely, and weigh­eth them exactly, and so prescribes and gives them as they may best conduce to the carry­ing on of his own end, the spiritual health of his Patients.

Fifthly, Regeneration will appear to be excellent, in that it is the special work of God himself.

Grace is the immediate creatue of God; man can ruine, but not renew himself; Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, John 1.13. Man may lay some claim (though there also God is the principal) to the fatherhood of our fleshly beings; but God onely can lay claim to the fatherhood of our spiritual beings. Holiness is a beam of [Page 318]light, darted forth from none but the Sun of righteousness; We are his workmanship, Ephes. 2.10. His workmanship both by way of effi­ciency and excellency.

How beautiful is that structure which hath such a Builder? what a rare work must that be, which hath such a workman! Sure­ly, that is a choice plant which is of Gods own planting. O who would not be in love with so fair a child for the fathers sake!

The creation of our outward beings, as we are men, Iob 10.8, 1.10. is the work of God, Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me, Psal. 119.77. God makes every man as well as the first man; Nature and natural causes are no­thing but the order in which, and the tools with which he is pleased to work.

Now this work of God is excellent; it is the Master-piece of the visible Creation; Man is the fair workmanship of a wise Arti­ficer, saith one Heathen: The bold attempt of daring nature, saith another. One of the Ancients calleth man The Miracle of miracles; Another, The measure of all things, A third, The worlds Epitome, The world in a small volume.

The body which is the worst half of man, Psal. 1 [...]9 14.15. is curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth, and made in secret; (as curious workmen, when they have some choice piece in hand, they perfect it in private, and then bring it forth to the light for men [Page 319]to gaze on) In thy book were all my members written, Psal. 139.14, 15.

A skilful Architect who is to set up some stately building, will draw a model of it in his book, or upon a table, before he will adventure to set it up, to be sure that it shall be done exactly. So to shew what an exact piece the body of man is, God is said to work it by the book. But the soul, which is Gods work too, is a more exquisite piece; the body is as it were the sheath, Dan. 7.15. the soul is the glittering sword; the body is but the cabinet, this is the jewel; 'tis by this that man claims kindred with the Angels in Heaven, and surpasseth all creatures on Earth.

Consider then, if this work of Gods hands, this visible Creation be so excellent, how excellent is the invisible Creation, the creating man in Christ unto good works! Sure­ly that is curious work, workmanship in­deed.

The Tables of stone, hewed immediate­ly by the hand of God, and on which he had with his own fingers written the Law, was such a piece, that mortal eyes could not behold it without astonishment and admira­tion: What a rare Manuscript was that, where the book, the matter, the writing were all of Gods own making and doing! But the writing of the Law in the fleshly tables of the heart, by the Spirit of God, is much more glorious.

I am very willing, Friend, to convince thee of the excellency of Regeneration, and therefore would speak more to this head. Think of what thou pleasest, which thin eun­derstanding can judge excellent, and thou shalt finde the image of God far more ex­cellent.

Is wealth excellent? Luk. 16.11 1 Tim. 6, 7. Mat 6.19, [...]0. Prov. 8.18. this is the true riches; others are but the shadow, this is the sub­stance; other riches are but for a short time, these are for ever, durable riches and righte­ousness: Other riches will go only (as brass farthings in some particular places) in this beggarly low world of earth; but these (like gold and silver go in all countries) are cur­rant coyn even in the higher world of Heaven.

Is wisdom excellent? this is wisdom, the fear of the Lord is the beginning (the word fignifieth the apex, the top, the perfection) of wisdom, Prov. 1.7 Job 28.2. The pious man is the prudent man: He alone can judge rightly of things, set a due price up­on things, propound to himself the noblest ends, and use the best means; therefore he is called by way of eminency, A man of wisdom, Mic. 6.9. The knowing subtle Pha­risees for want of this, were but learned fools, Matth. 23.17. Sinner and Fool are Sy­nonima's in Scripture: The English word Fool is thought to come from the Greek [...], which signifieth wicked.

Is beauty excellent? Grace is the great­est [Page 321]beauty; the beauty of holiness, Psal. 110.5. O how comely is the new creature! never any saw it but fell in love with it. The Spouse of Christ is the fairest among women: Thou art all fair, my love, thou art all fair. Cant. 4.1. Godliness is such a beauty, that as I have said before, God himself is taken with it. Sin is a spot, a defilement; this beauty is in­ward, it sits upon the face of the most noble part of man, the Soul, and thereby is the more comely; its lasting, not liable to the rage of a disease, or wrinckles of old age, but always increasing (whilst here) to a greater perfection.

Is pleasure excellent? Godliness is plea­sant; [...]rov. 3.17 Regeneration brings the soul to its centre in which it must needs rest. The very work of serving God is a reward in it self; in the keeping of them (meaning Gods com­mandments) there is great reward: Observe, P [...] 9 1 [...]. in keeping of them: The service of God af­fords such satisfaction that Gods servants would not leave it for all this world, though they were to receive no recompence in the other world. The Precepts of God are swee­ter then the honey; how sweet then are his Promises?

Is life excellent? This is the true life. ( Eternal life, saith Augustine, is the true life. This is the seed, the beginning of eter­nal life, Joh. 17.3.) All unregenerate men are dead, are but walking ghosts, or moving carcasses; their souls are but like salt to keep [Page 322]their bodies from putrifaction for a season. The Heathen said of a vicious man that lived to be old, Multum jactatus est, no [...]mul­tum n [...]vi gavit. S [...]n ad Panlin. alluding to Mariners, He was much tossed [...]p and down, but sailed not at all. All the time of thy natural life, till thou art converted, is lost: Paul dates his life from his regeneration. We count not a tree living for standing in a garden, if it bring not forth fruit.

Is honor excellent? Holiness is honor­able; Holiness becometh thy house, O Lord of Hosts, Psal. 93.5. It's more honor to be a Member of Christ, then to be Monarch of Christendom. Godliness is the honorable li­very which Christ purchased for, and be­stowed on the society of Christians: He gave himself for his Church, that he might present it to himself a GLORIOƲS CHƲRCH without spot or wrinkle, Ephes. 5.25, 27.

In a word, holiness is the honor and ex­cellency of God himself, Exod. 15.11. He is said to be glorious in holiness; he is called rich in mercy, Ephes. 2.3. but glorious in ho­liness; his Mercy is his treasure, but his Ho­liness is his honor. He sweareth by his ho­liness, Psal. 89.35. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. Great persons (though sinfully) will swear by their titles, by their honors, by that which they glory most; inthese are their oathes that are most binding with them. The great God (in whom is no iniquity) sweareth by his [Page 323]holiness, as his crown glory, his great excel­lency. He is above thirty times called The Holy one of Israel. This is the excellency which Angels, and perfect spirits in heaven, and Saints on earth do so much admire him for, Is. 6.3. Rev. 4.8.

Nay, as gold, Exod 24. & [...]0. [...]5. [...]v. 6. [...] [...] 16 23. Ps. 105.42. Isz. 5 [...].10. Pr. 1 [...]5 17 because 'tis the most ex­cellent mettal, is laid not only over p [...]uter and brass, but also over silver it self; so be­cause holiness is the excellency, the perfection of God, its laid not onely over his Servants, his Sanctuary, his Services, his Word, his Works, his Sabbath, his Temple, and every thing that belongs to him, but also over all his other choyce Attributes; his Power is holy power, his Mercy is holy mercy, his Wisdom is holy wisdom; Holiness is the perfection of all his excellent Attributes. For were it possible (which is high blasphe­my for any to imagine) for those Attributes to be separated from his holiness, they would degenerate, his Wisdom into craft, Gurn. Ar. par. 2. p. 2.9. his Ju­stice into cruelty, his Mercy into foolish pity, and his Soveraignty into tyranny; tis the Holiness of God which poiseth every one. O the excellency, the excellency of ho­liness, who knoweth its worth!

Reader, what dost thou think of this third subject of consideration! The excel­lency of regeneration, and holiness, which God requireth of thee, for the avoiding of hell, and attaining of heaven! Tell me, doth God require any thing to thy wrong? [Page 324]If God required of thee to live a thousand years on earth, and to spend all that time in hunger, cold, nakedness, disgrace, paines, and imprisonment, or otherwise thou shouldst not escape unquenchable bur­nings, and enjoy eternal life, thou wert worse then mad if thou didst not accept of, and obey such a command. How hearty and thankful then should thy acceptance be of Jesus Christ to be thy Lord and Savionr, of dying to sin, and living to, and delighting thy self in his blessed Majesty, which is all he desireth of thee! O do not refuse when thou art so well offered. Is it possible that thou canst read so much of the excellency of regeneration, how tis the image of the glo­rious God, the destruction of the evil of evils, the fruit of the death of Jesus Christ, the end which infinite wisdome propounds in his workings, the special workmanship of Gods own hands, the high honour and perfection of the mighty possessour of heaven and earth, and thy soul not be in love with it, nor breath after it, O that I were rege­nerated! O that my soul had those true treasures, those spiritual pleasures, that wisdom, that life, that honour, that beauty, that excellency, which no tongue can commend sufficiently! O that the pure image of God were imprinted on me! O that Christ might see the travail of his soul upon me, and be satisfied!

I have read that when Zeuxis the fa­mous painter had drawn his masterpeece, [Page 325]the picture of Helena, Nicostratus the Athe­mian painter beholding it, stood amazed at its rareness, and admired the exquisiteness of it: There stands by a rich ignorant wretch, who would needs know what Nicostratus discovered in it worthy of so much won­der, O Friend (saith he) hadst thou my eyes, thou wouldst not ask such a question, but rather admire it, as I do. It may be Reader when thou seest the Saints admiring the beauty of holiness, ravished with the excellency of Gods image, so extreamly taken with it, that they read, hear, watch, fast, pray, mourn, weep, suffer any thing, all things to enjoy more of it, thou art rea­dy to wonder what they see in holiness worthy of such admiration, and such dili­gent endeavours; but I tell thee, Hadst thou their eyes, instead of wondring at them, thou wouldst wonder with them, I, and work with them too, and that hard, for holiness.

The fourth Subject of consideration, The ne­cessity of Regeneration.

FOurthly, Consider the absolute necessi­ty of Regeneration; if it were not so excellent, yet it is a thing of absolute necessi­ty, and therefore must not be neglected. It is not a work of indifferency, which may be done or may not be done, but a worke of [Page 326]indispensable necessity, which must be done or thou art undone for ever. Reader here is an argument, which neither the flesh nor world nor devil can answer, and therefore it must not be denied. It is indeed so fruit­ful a blessing, that if thou hast this thou needst no more; every thing that is worth ought, is in the womb of it; but it is so needful that if thou hast not this, thou hast nothing; the whole world cannot make up the want of this.

There are many things, about which (possibly) thou spendest much time, and takest much pains, which are nothing at all necessary in comparison of this.

Riches are not necessary; the want of temporal, may be supplied by the fruition of spiritual riches: Thou mayst be poor in the world, and yet rich in faith, and heir of a Kingdom, Jam. 2.5. Nay, riches are so far from being absolutely needful, that they may be hurtful to thee. Thou mightst, as the Reube­nites, shouldst thou have good land here, take up short of the Land of Promise. Christ calleth riches thorns, Matth. 13.22. and surely 'tis hard to touch them and not to prick thy fingers; How hardly shall arich man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!

Pleasures are not necessary; He that hath little but misery here, may finde mercy hereafter. Though Job had his sores and pains, yet he had a right to the pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore: He that endu­red [Page 327]hunger, cold, thirst, nakedness, watch­ing, fasting, weariness, painfulness; that was scourged, imprisoned, stoned, yet was a chosen vessel unto God, and heir to a crown of righteousness, 2 Cor. 11.23. to 29. Acts 9.15. 2 Tim. 4.6. Besides, pleasures may be hurtful to thee; those bees have their stings as well as their honey; and many feed so plentifully on such luscious food, that they surfeit themselves. Aristotle speaks of a piece a ground in Sicily, which sendeth forth such a strong smell of fragrant flowers, to all the fields thereabout, that dogs cannot hunt there, the scent is so confounded with the smell of those flowers. Earthly pleasures do not seldom hinder our scent and sense of spiritual delights.

Honors are not necessary: A man may be condemned and lightly esteemed by men, and yet be commended and highly esteemed by God. Disgrace may be the way to glory; Joseph went through a prison into a palace; and Jesus from a shameful cross to a glorious crown. Honors also may be hurtful to thee. Some climb so high, that they break their necks: Those that are in high places are apt to have their heads giddy, and thereby are in great danger of falling. Hamans height and glory brought him to be high at last on the gallows.

Friends and relations are not necessary: He that is friendless on Earth, may be a favo­rite of Heaven; when no man stood by Paul, [Page 328]the Lord was with him, and strengthned him; when David's father and mother forsook him, God took the care of him. When those Stars vanished, the Sun arose. These also may be hurtful to thee, thou mayst catch their diseases; Ammon was the worse for Jonadab, and Ahab the more wicked for Jezebel.

Health is not necessary: A distemper'd body may have an healthy soul: When the outward man decayeth, the inward man may be renewed day by day. No disease, so it be not spiritual, can keep the Physician of souls from visiting his Patients; sanctified sick­ness is far better then unsanctified sound­ness.

Nay, life it self (which is far more worth then all the foresaid particulars) is not ne­cessary, but in order to this spiritual life of Regeneration; If that work be done, a man by losing his life may be a gainer. Some by yeilding up their Leases, which were but for term of years, have got the Fee­simple, the inheritance for ever; by part­ing with their natural lives, they have got possession of eternal life. But Friend, Regeneration is absolutely necessary. The Emperor told the Mariner (when he would have disswaded him from going to Sea, Necess [...] est u [...] eam, ne­ut vivan. be­cause the waters were rough, and it might indanger his life) 'Tis more necessary that I go then that I live. I tell thee, 'tis more ne­cessary that thou live spiritually, then that [Page 329]thou live naturally; thy riches, honors, pleasures, health, friends, are but toyes and trifles to Regeneration; and truely, life it self is little or nothing worth, but as it makes thee capable of getting and enjoying this. O what a poor empty shadow is the life of the greatest Prince, that is a stranger to fellowship with God, which Regenerati­on bringeth the soul to?

The reason why these fore-mentioned things are not necessary, is partly, because the want of all these things may be made up in the enjoyment of God; Verily, I say unto you, that ye who have followed me in the Rege­neration, Matth. 19.28. when the Son of man shall sit upon his throne, shall also sit upon twelve thrones judg­ing the twelve tribes of Israel: There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, Mark 10.29, 30. or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the Gospels; but he shall receive an hundred fold in time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land with persecution, and in the world to come life everlasting. The regenerate, though never so poor, naked, disgraced, sickly, yet in the Sun they have all those beams, and much much more. As Alexander told Parmenio (when in the beginning of a battel, he was earnest with him to send some forces to regain their weapons and baggage then newly lost) Let ussecure the main bat­tel; for if the field be won, we shall recover all our baggage with advantage. So if the soul [Page 330]be safe, being by Regeneration grafted in­to Christ, if thou winest the main battel against sin and Satan, thou wilt recover those with advantage. Those things are not necessary, partly, because the want of them will not undo a man for ever; a mans eter­nal estate may be secured, though those things be removed; but Regeneration is in­dispensably necessary, because nothing can make up the want of it; not all the golden Mines in India, not the sweetest Paradise of earthly pleasures, not the highest chair of state, nor friends, nor kindred, nor health, nor strength, nor life, can make up the want of this: If this be wanting, thy God is wanting, thy Christ is wanting, thy heaven, thy happi­ness, thy All is wanting. The want of this will undo thee for ever; 'twill make thee miscarry in the Ocean, this leak will sink thee eter­nally: It is a standing Law of Heaven, That except a man be converted, he cannot enter in­to the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 18.3.

There is in regard of the ordination of God, as great a necessity of Regeneration, as of Jesus Christ; for what advantage canst thou have by all the riches and reve­nues of the Son of God, till by Regenera­tion thou art married to him, and made one with him? Observe, Reader, this fourfold necessity of Regeneration.

It is See the necessity of it far­ther in the reasons of the do­ctrine, and the first use of In­formation necessary in regard of Gods pre­cept, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Ezek. 33.11, 31, 32. Isa. 1.16, 17. Jer. 3.1 [Page 331] Hosea 14.1. James 4.9. There is a necessi­ty, either of hearing Gods voice, or feeling Gods hands; either the commandments of God must be obeyed by thee, or the judge­ments of God must be inflicted on thee: It is a Gospel-precept, Ephes. 4.23, 24. now Gospel-precepts must be minded by all that would partake of Gospel-priviledges.

It is necessary in regard of the purpose of God; Elect according to the fore knowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1.2. Though God did not choose men because they were holy, yet he chose men to be holy; though he appointed not men to be saved, because they were Saints, yet he appointed men to be Saints, and then to be saved.

It is necessary in regard of the passion of Christ; he died for sin, that men might die to sin; he laid down his life, that men might lay down their lusts; his passion is a City of Refuge to the Penitent, not a sactu­ary to the presumptuous; God intended it to help men out of, not to hold them in the mire of sin; He is the Author of eternal salvation to them that obey him, Hebr. 5.9. He died because men were sinners, but he died that men might be Saints; He suf­fered, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3.18. Now man and God can never be brought together, till the emnity which is in the heart of man against God be removed. [Page 332]If ever thou have Christ for thy Priest, to satisfie Gods Justice for thy sins, it is absolutely necessary, that thou accept him for thy Prince, to subdue thee to his service. Had Christ come to procure man a pardon, Gur. Arm. [...]par, [...]17. and not to restore his lost holiness, he had been a mi­nister of sin, and instead of bringing glory to God, he had set sin in the throne, and onely ob­tained a liberty for the creature to dishonour God without controle. Again saith the same accurate writer, In vain do men think to shroud themselves under Christs wings, from the hue and cry of their accusing consciences, while wickedness finds a sanctuary in them. Christ was sent from God, not to secure men in, but to save men from their sins.

It is necessary in regard of the promises of God. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, turn to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts, Zach. 1.3. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Jam. 4.8. If ever God draw nigh to thee in mercy, thou must draw nigh to him in duty. He that shall have the reward must do the work. The precepts of God must be written on the heart, otherwise the promises of God shall never fall down on thine head. Isa 1.16, 17, and 55.7. 1 King. 8.35. Prov. 28.13.

Blessed are the pure in spirit, for they shall see God, Matth. 5.8. 'Tis the pure heart alone that hath the assurance of the pure hea­ven.

Thou seest now I hope clearly the abso­lute necessity of Regeneration; what there­fore canst thou think to do without it? O ponder this again and again, that there is no escape, no evasion; God will not vary from his Law.

Thy dying to sin is necessary; sin must die, or thy soul cannot live; If ye live after the the flesh ye shall die; but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live, Rom. 8.13, 6. Gal. 6.6, 7. Surely thou canst not think that Heaven will be a stye for swine, or a kennel for dogs that feed on filth and carrion. Believe it, if any iniquity be let go, thy life must go for its life. The Jaylors paid dear for letting Peter escape, Act. 12. Herod commanded them to be put to death. Truly so dear must thou pay for the escape of sin; 'twil bring the second death, even eternal death upon thee: be thy sin as near and as dear as Isaac it must be sacrifi­ced; be it never so small, it must not be spa­red. Cesar was stab'd with bodkins. I have somewhere read that a man and a Croco­dile never meet, but one dieth: 'Tis certain, sin and the soul never meet but one dieth; if sin live, the soul; dieth; if sin die, the soul liveth; there is no parting stakes, or retreat­ing upon equal terms. Maurice of Newport told his Souldiers, when he had sent away his boates, that there was no flying, the Spaniards being before them, and the Sea behinde them, Either ye must eat up and [Page 334]destroy those Spaniards, or drink up this ocean. Friend, such is thy case, either thou must destroy thy sins, or drink up the bottomless ocean of the Lords wrath.

Answer me seriously; thou wilt say thou dost not love such a man, so well as to be hangd for him. Dost thou love sin so well as to be damned for it? Dost thou love thy Drunkenness, and Swear­ing, and Uncleanness, and scoffing at God­liness, so well as to burn eternally in hell for them? Dost thou love thy pride, and worldliness, and lustful thoughts, and Atheisme, and carnall mindedness, so well as to be tormented day and night, for ever and ever for them? A very Coward will fight, when he must either kill or be killed. Willt not thou fight manfully, when sin will kill thee, if it be not killed by thee? Ahab out of foolish pitie, gave Benhadad his life, when he ought to have slain him: but the requital which Benhadad made, was to kill Ahab, 1 King. cap. ult. v. 31, 34. such a requital sin will make thee if thou fa­vour it. [...] the ma­sculine ar­ticle shew­e [...]h that its to be referred to [...] Mr. Man­ton on [...]ude p. 38.

Follow after peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, Heb. 12.14. Observe how peremptory, God is in that place, that without holiness no man shall see God. It is not said that without peace, no man shall see God, but without holiness no man shall see God. Peace may be broken in the quarrel of truth and holiness, and yet [Page 335]for all that a man may see God. Jeremi­ah was a man of contention, and yet a man for the beatifical vision; but they that are not holy cannot see God. A pure eye one­ly can see a pure God. As the eye which hath dust in it without, or thick vapours stop­ping the nerves within, cannot see, except it be cleansed from the one, and purged from the other: So a man, the eye of whose mind is clouded with the mist of sin, cannot be­hold God, till he be cleansed. The Christi­ans happiness in heaven, consisteth in such a vision of God, as shall make him like God, 1 John 3.2. but a dusky glass cannot repre­sent an image. When the Sun of righteous­ness shall shine upon a pure Christal glass, a clean unspotted soul, twill cause a glorious reflection indeed.

To wind up this fourth subject of consi­deration. Reader, Affaires of absolute in­dispensable necessity, should, like weighty things, make a deep impression upon thy spirit. Urge thy soul often with this; that of all things in the world, regeneration is the one thing necessary; Let conscience press it on thee, I must be converted, or condemned; here is the word of the living God for it, and such a word as cannot possibly go unfulfilled. O my soul, what sayst thou to it? Except thou art born again, thou canst not see the Kingdom of God. There is a necessity of thy turning in time, or burning eternally. How wilt thou answer this text and many more, in [Page 336]the other world? Canst thou think to make the infinite God a liar, and in despight of him and his word to escape hell? O do not deceive thy self; God will be true, though every man be a liar: therefore set about this work, that is thus absolutely needful, before thou art irrecovera­bly woful.

Friend, I would advise thee to do as the Patriaches did; Joseph had told them that Except your yonger brother come with you, ye shall not see my face. Jacob their father would have them (notwithstanding this express assertion) to venture into Jo­sephs presence, without their brother. But what said Judah? Gen. 43.2, [...]. The man did solemnly pro­test unto us saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down, but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you. So, do thou consider, and lay it home to thy soul, that the great God of heaven and earth hath said, that except regeneration be with thee, be in thee, thou shalt not see his face with comfort; and though thy deceitful heart and the divel may wish thee to venture into his presence, in the other world without it; yet do thou reply, the almighty and faithful God hath solemnly protested unto me, that except regeneration be with me, I shall not see him face to face, and enjoy the beatifical vi­sion. Therefore if I be regenerated, I will [Page 337]go and look death, judgment, God and Christ in the face, with courage and com­fort; but if I be not regenerated, I may [...] go, lest I die, lest I be damned eter­ [...]y. For God hath said unto me, Follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

The fifth subject of Consideration, The Equity of Regeneration or living to God.

FIfthly, Consider the Equity and reason­ableness of that which God requireth of thee. I shall now appeal to thine own con­science whether there be not all the reason in the world, that thy main work night and day should be to please and glorifie the Lord; if all come from him, should not the honor of all be given to him? if he be infinite in wisdom, should he not in all his providences be adored? if he be infinite­ly faithful, should he not in all his promises be beleived? if he be the first cause, should he not in all his precepts be obeyed? if he be infinitely holy, should he not in all our approaches to him be reverenced? if he be infinitely just and powerful, should he not in all his threatnings be feared? if he be in­finitely gracious and perfect, should he not be heartily loved?

Religion is the highest reason, therefore [Page 383]conversion is called conviction, Joh. 16.10. When a mans mouth is stopped, and his mind fully satisfied of the reason of living to God, that he hath nothing to object against [...] then he is convinced. Rom 12.1 The offering up [...] thy soul and body unto God as a living sacrifice, is called rational or reasonable ser­vice.

I shall offer thee three or four Questi­ons, and I do verily beleive that if thou se­riously consider them, thou canst not but be convinced, that there is all the reason in the world that thou shouldst presently turn from sin unto God.

First, Is there not all the reason in the world, that the work should be for the service and honor of the workman? that he who planted the vineyard, should eat of the fruit of it? that he who made thee, should be served by thee? he who oweth the ground and buil­deth an house, may rationally expect the be­nefit and use of it; may not God thy Land­lord who hath reared and set up thine earth­ly Tabernacle, appoint what conditions he pleaseth in the Lease which he granteth thee, how his own house should be imployed, not to such and such sordid sinful uses, but to the service and glory of his Majesty? is it rati­onal that Gods house should be imployed to the Devils use?

Thy creation is such a tie to subjection that thou canst never answer it; Ps. 100.22. Serve the Lord with gladness; he hath made us, and not [Page 339]we ourselves; Davids prayer is to this pur­pose, Thine hands have made me and fashioned me, O give me understanding that I may keep thy commandments, Psa. 119.77. and 95.6. Isa. 43.7. Let thy conscience be judge, wouldst not thou esteem it injustice for an­other to have the honor and use of thy works, or of thine house? the Law which is built upon reason, gives thee the service of thine own goods, houses and lands; and why shall not God have thy service? with what face canst thou deny him that sowed, liberty to reap?

Secondly, Is there not all the reason in the world, that he who lives wholly at an­others cost and charge, that is fed, cloathed, preserved night and day, protected at home and abroad, supplied with all necessaries, re­lieved in all his exigencies, delivered in all his extremities by another, should live wholly to him and do him service?

Dost thou not know that thy being, and all thy comforts depend on God every mo­ment? that every bit of bread, every breath of air, every hours sleep, nay every minutes abode on this side hell is altogether from his bounty and mercy; that thou canst not speak a word, nor think a thought, nor lift an hand, nor stir a foot, nor open thine eyes to see, or thy mouth to eat or drink without him? Tis his visitation that preserveth thy spirit. Job 10.12. In him thou livest, movest, and hast thy being; He is thy shield to defend [Page 340]thee from evil, many mischiefs would daily befal thee; men would kill thee, devils would drag thee to hell (O how they long for thee, and how ready they are to seise thee!) did not the Lord curb and restrain them. A­lexander told his Souldiers, I wake that ye may sleep; Sure I am, he that preserveth thee never stumbereth nor sleepeth; The Lord is the Captain of thy Life-guard, to protect thee, and thy Sun to refresh thee, and therefore dost thou not owe him the glory of those mercies, which his free grace be­stoweth on thee! Thou dost a little under God, for the feeding and cloathing of thy children and servants, and therefore think­est that no duty, no service, is great enough for thee. O how infinitely art thou bound to God for all thy time, health, strength, food, raiment, house, friend, and eve­ry good thing that thou enjoyest! and yet may not God look that thou shouldst make it thy business, to serve, please and glorifie him! Twas a good vow of holy Jacob, If the Lord will be with me, and keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. Gen. 28.20, 21. Truly do thou say as he did, Since the Lord is the God, that keepeth me in all my wayes, that gives me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, he shall be my God. O do not give him ever cause to complain, [Page 341] Hear O heaven, and give ear O earth, I have nourished, and brought up a child, and he hath rebelled against me, Deut. 32.15.

Thirdly, Is there not all the reason in the world, that wares, or houses, or any other thing should be for the use, and ser­vice of him that paid a dear price for them! If thou shouldst buy a beast at an high rate, thou wouldst think thou couldst never have service enough of him. Friend, Thou didst cost the blood of the Son God, Jesus Christ bought thy service at a dear rate. Thou art not thine own, thou art bought with a price; therefore glorifie God in thy body and spirit, for they are his, 1 Cor. 6.20. Thou needst not grudge the Lord Jesus thy time, and talents, thy thoughts, and words, and estate, and the utmost which thou art able to do. Alas he paid dearly for it, He died that he might be Lord of dead and living, that whether we live we should live unto the Lord, or die, we should die unto him. Rom. 14 [...], 8. O how little is thy service worth, that Christ should purchase it with such an infinite sum!

We say of some children, they had need to be dutiful children, they cost their mo­thers dear; many sharp throws, and great danger of death. O how dutiful hadst thou need to be, who didst cost Christ such hard labour, such throws from God, and men, death and divels! thou art never able [Page 342]to conceive what a price thy Redeemer paid, what pain he suffered to procure thy service, and wilt thou deny the Lord that bought thee? Plinie saith that blood will quench fire; should not the blood of Jesus Christ quench the fire of thy lusts? In all countries, the ransomer of a bondman is to be his Lord; no slavery so great as thine was, no price ever paid so great for liberty; therefore no service so great as that which thou owest. If thou hadst done all that he commandeth thee, thou hadst done but thy duty, and mightst say thou wert an un­profitable servant; what art thou then that never didst any thing? O think of it seri­ously; Redemption by the blood of the Sa­viour, is a bloody obligation to service, and if thou continuest a rebel, twill be a bloody aggravation of thy sin. What evil hath Christ done to thee, that thou walkest con­trary to him? Ah friend, to render good for evil, is divine; but to render evil for good, is divelish.

Fourthly, Is there not all the reason in the world, that he who hath bound himself Ap­prentice to a Master, promised solemnly to be his faithful servant, sealed Indentures be­fore witness, engaged himself by vows, co­venants, protestations and oaths, should perform his promises, and walk in every thing answerable to his bonds and obligati­ons? Wast not thou in Baptism solemnly dedicated to the service of God? Did not [Page 343]thy parents seal the Indenture on thy part before the Lord, Angels, and Men, that thou shouldst live according to the Laws, and for the glory of the Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost? Hast not thou listed thy self under the colours of Christ the Captain of thy Salvation, and sacredly tied thy self to obey his commands, and to fight under his ban­ner against the devil, world, and flesh? and wilt thou run from thy colours, and turn to thine enemies, and conspire and fight against Jesus Christ? It was a custom in the Primi­tive times, that such as were baptized, did wear a white Stole (a ceremony signifying the purity of life which the baptized were to lead) Now there was one Elpidophorus, Fulgentes animas ve­st [...]s quoque candida sig­nat. who after his baptism turned a persecutor; Muritta the Minister who baptized him, brought forth in publick the white Stole which Elpidophorus had worn at his baptism, and cried unto him, O Elpidophorus! This Stole do I keep against thy comming to Judge­ment, to testifie thy apostacy from Christ. So be thou assured, the water with which, the Minister by whom, the people before whom thou wast baptized, will rise up against thee in Judgement, if thou dost not walk in new­ness of life. Luther speak of one, that when tempted by the devil to sin, answered, that she was baptized, and could not yield to him. Remember that thou hast received thy Saviours press-money, and therefore mayst not fight Satans battels. Wast thou never [Page 344]partaker of the Lords Supper? Didst thou not then with John stand by the cross of Jesus Christ, and behold his blessed body bleeding under the knife of his Fathers wrath? how 'twas wounded for thy transgressions, bruis­ed for thine iniquities, when thou didst take a sacred oath to be the death of those sins, which were the death of thy Saviour, and to live to him that died for thee; when thou didst espouse Christ and his quarrel to thy self, and engage to live and die with him; and canst thou like a dishonest wife, run a whoring after thy heart-idols, and forget the Covenant of thy God?

Was there not a time when thou didst lie upon a sick bed, and in thine own appre­hension wast nigh the gate of death? when thy sinful fleshly life began to flie in thy face; and O the thoughts which thou hadst concer­ning thine appearance before God in the other world, and thine endless estate there when thou didst pray hard, O spare me a little, Lord, spare me a little, that I may get some grace, some spiritual strength before I go hence and be no more seen: when thou didst promise, O if God would then hear thee, and try thee a lit­tle longer in this world, thou wouldst turn over a new leafe, lead a new life, forbear thy former corruptions & evil companions, mind the service and glory of the infinite God, and thine own eternal good? And is all this no­thing, now God hath heard thee, and deli­vered thee, shouldst not thou now hear him, [Page 345]and obey him? Did thy sik-bed promises die when thou didst recover? Psal. 66 13, 14. & 116. 3, 4, 9. O follow Davids practice, I will go into thy house with burnt­offerings: I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken when I was in distress.

Theodoricus Archbishop of Colen, Aen [...]d. Sylv lib 2. com. de reb. Alphon. when the Emperor Sigismund demanded of him the most compendious way to happiness, made answer, in brief, thus, Perform when thou art well, what thou didst promise when thou wast sick. Friend, look back upon the time when the guilt of thy sins perplexed thee, the fear of death surprised thee, and the horror of Hell began to lay hold on thee, and remem­ber the promises which then thou didst make; and as ever thou wouldst have God trust thee again, be true to thy word; be not as the marble, watry and moist in such stormy weather, and yet still retain thine hardness.

These are I suppose, rational questions; and surely thou canst not but be satisfied of the equity in them. Well, art thou resolved to the obey the counsel of God, and to live like a rational creature? Surely, here is a threefold, nay, a fourfold cord, which is not easily broken. Canst thou slip those oaths as easily as Monkies do their col­lars and break these bands in sunder, as Sampson did his cords? O consider that man was possessed with a devil, whom no cords could hold; and without questi­on [Page 350]thou art also, if such bonds, oaths, obli­gations as these are, cannot hold thee, do not draw thee to the Lord, and binde thee to his commandments.

To end this first help to holiness, which is serious consideration, I must request thee to read it again, and weigh the parti­culars which I have offered to thee. If thou wilt ever be taken, I should think that one of these baits should catch thee; either that the necessity of Regeneration should drive thee, or the felicity of the regenerate draw thee, or the misery of the unregenerate af­fright thee, or the equity of regeneration perswade thee unto holiness. Here are all sorts of arguments imaginable; if thou art ingenuous, here is love and mercy to melt thee; if thou art stubborn, here is endless and easeless misery to move thee; if thou art for the best things, here is excellency for to allure thee; if thou art rational, here is equity to prevail with thee.

Friend, what shall I say to thee? or wherewith shall I overcome thee? Hath not the world conquered thee with arguments which had not the thousandth part of that weight which the least of these hath? and shall not thy Maker, Preserver, Redeemer, prevail with thee by setting before thee, the horror of hell, the happiness of heaven, the beauty of his image, the reasonableness of his service, and the indispensable necessi­ty of thy being his servant? Is it possible [Page 351]that thy soul, so closely besieged round about, with fear, and fury, and fire on the one side; with favour, and love, and life on the other side, should not sur­render unto Christ? What objection canst thou have which here is not answered? What good canst thou desire, which here is not offered? and why wilt thou not yield?

It is thy priviledge that thou art a subject capable of Gods image: It was mans primi­tive purity, Gen. 1.26. oh. 3.6. Gen 6.9. Col. 3.10. Psa. 17. ult. that he was adorned with the image of his Maker; (Ah, what a glorious shining piece was he when he came newly out of Gods Mint!) it is mans unspeakable misery that he hath lost Gods image; his recovery here consisteth in having Gods image imprinted on him in part; and his fe­licity and pefection hereafter, in having this image stamped on him fully and compleatly. And canst thou then be unwilling to be made like unto the blessed God? Surely, sin hath bound thee strongly, and Satan pos­sessed thee strangely, if none of these things overcome thee. Friend, Art thou not desi­rous to fare well in the other world? then ponder these Subjects of consideration se­riously and frequently, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up; when thou goest out, and when thou comest in; thou little thinkest what such serious fre­quent thoughts may produce. Whilst Da­vid was musing, a fire was kindled with­in [Page 348]in him, Psal. 39. Consider what I have said, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.