IF we take this whole Booke of the Revelations, and looke up­on it in a more generall view, it seemes to me to consist of these grand parts: First, Of severall Exhortations, full of life, which S ^t John received from Christ the author of them. Secondly, Of certaine high and heavenly predictions, which represented to S ^t John the state of the Church till the end of the world. The Exhortations are set down in the 2 ^d and 3 ^d Chapters: The predictions from thence to the end. Which he concludes so sweetly, as if he knew not whether he were out of the body or in the body; witnesse those words of ravishment, Rev. ult. ver. 18. And the [Page 2]spirit and the bride say come, and let him that hear­eth say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take of the water of life free­ly. And those other gracious words ver. 20. He which testifieth of these things saith, surely I come quickly, Amen: even so come Lord Jesus.

As for the first Chapter, I looke upon it as containing principally three things:

First, The Title of the whole Booke in the three first verses.

Secondly, The Preface or Dedication of the whole Booke in the three next verses.

Thirdly, A solemne and majestical descrip­tion of Jesus Christ the Author of the whole Booke, which I finde something scattered in divers parts of the Chapter.

This description seems to be in 4. fragments.

One is set forth by S ^t John in his Pre­face.

A second is aimed at in the terriblenesse of his coming to judgement, ver. 7 ^th.

And the third comes to us in the words of Christ himselfe, ver 8, 11, 10.

A fourth is presented to S ^t John in a vi­sion, and in that vision to us; if we have eyes eyes to see and eares to heare: from v. 13. to v. 17.

This vision was so full of amazing majesty, that when S ^t John saw it, he fell at Christs feet, but Christ soone layes his right hand upon him, and revives him, saying unto him, I am the first and the last, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, and have the keyes of hell and of death.

This vision being over, and S ^t John having got to himselfe againe, Christ gives him dire­ctions to write:

• 1. The things which he had seene.
• 2. The things which are.
• 3. The things which must be hereafter.

That is, as Pareus in effects observes,

First, Transactions which S ^t John himselfe had been witnesse of from the first preaching of the Gospel after Christs ascenfion, till the time of Domitian.

Secondly, Things, which at the time of S ^t Johns writing were then on foot.

Thirdly, Things which from thence for­wards should come to passe till the end of the world.

But whether some other transactions touch­ing the condition of the Church before Christ, were not withall aimed at in some of those vi­sions, which were represented to S. John, and are mentioned in this Booke of the Revelations, I must confesse I am yet to learne.

But to close as fast as I can. You see the maine body of the Revelations, branched by me into Exhortations and Predictions, or rather Representations.

My Text you see falls out to be part of the Exhortations, being part of the third Chapter, which concludes them.

These Exhortations are inscribed to the se­verall Angels of severall Churches. Touching which let me give you one note of Pareus, Cae­terum non ad solos Episcopes, saith he, sed ad ipsas quo (que) Ecclesias spect are Epistolas, ex Epilog is intel­ligitur.

But from the Conclusions its evident, that these Epistles (I have called them Exhorta­tions) doe not onely belong to the Bishops, but also to the very Churches themselves: for each Epistle ends thus, He that hath an care to heare, let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches.

But what are the names or distinctions of these Churches, to whose Angels or Bishops these Exhortations are inscribed? I will barely name them and haste to my Text.

The first is the Church in Ephesus, Ch. 2. v. 1.

The second the Church in Smyrna, Ch 2 v. 8.

The third the Church in Pergamus, Ch. 2. v. 12.

The fourth the Church in Thyatira, Ch. 2. v. 18.

The fifth the Church in Sardis, Ch. 3. v. 1.

The fixth the Church of Philadelphia, Ch. 3. v. 7.

The seventh and last the Church of Laodi­ceans; or as the margin of the great Bible hath it, in Laodieca, Ch. 3. v. 14.

I might give you a note here, that the Churches are called Churches in Ephesus, in Smyrna, in Pergamus, in Tbyatira, in Sardis, in Philadelphia; nor would any objection crosse me in the tendency of my note, that the last Church is called the Church of Laodiceans, or in Laodicea, but I promised you the naming of the Churches onely, and therefore I presse not my note, but haste according to my promise.

At length you see plainely and methodically, that my Text is part of those Exhortations or Epistles which were directed by Jesus Christ to the Church of the Laodiceans. Which if M ^r Brightman observe aright, in making it a type of our Church here in England, it must be granted that we are the more concerned to hear what the Spirit of Christ saith unto this Church; let me cite his note, which having lately seen in his Latine edition onely, I think I may give you the sense of them in english thus: ‘But why doth he say that he stands at the doore and knocks? Why doth not him­selfe open the doore? Why doth he not di­rectly enter in? especially seeing he hath the key of David, by which he openeth nor doth any shut, as v. 7.’ And then he adds: ‘These things, saith he, are most significantly spoken, pro ratione Laodicensis nostraeque Ecclesiae, with a sutablenesse to the Laodiceans and our Church in which Christ stands before the doores, but our hearing (saith he) is in a manner quite stopped or intercluded.’

I will not dispute here whether the Spirit of Jesus Christ intended the Church of the Laodi­ceans to be a type of the Church in England or not; But be it as it will, this both you and I and all of us in England must yeeld him, that the reproofs and accusations fastened upon this Church, are as fit to be spoken and charged upon us as upon any Church this day in the world.

Let us take the words as they lie in our way, what more true then that Jesus Christ [Page 6]knows our works? that we are neither hot nor cold? and so because we are lukewarm, how justly may we fear, yea, fear and tremble that Jesus Christ will spue us out of his mouth, if ever we were in it? for we are generally so wic­ked that it may be questioned. How justly may Christ charge us as the Laodiceans, that we say, We are rich, and encreased with goods, and have need of nothing, and know not that we are wretched and miscrable, and poor, and blinde, and naked.

How fit are we in some sense, viz. in respect of our condition, for that heavenly and spiritu­all counsell of Christ, v. 18? I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou maist be rich, and white raiment, that thou maist be cloathed, and that the shame of thy nakednesse doc not appeare, and annoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou maist see.

Being such sinners, such lukewarme profes­sors, how suitable is it, that we should be put in minde of afflictions, and of the chastenings of the Lord, especially if he shall be pleased to rebuke and chasten us in love.

To conclude: How exactly seasonable and agreeable is the exhortation to repentance im­mediately before my Text, be zealous therefore and repent? How doth the fire of Gods judge­ments, and his late judgements of fire, conspire as it were to set on this Exhortation to repen­tance? but if Jesus Christ doe not set it on too by his own powerfull spirit, all is to no purpose. But for this end, I hope we shall finde Jesus Christ knocking at the doores of our soules, as heretofore he did at the hearts of the Laodice­ans; [Page 7]and happy are we if we heare him knock­ing and open our doore; for if any man heare his voice and open his doore, Christ will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Christ. Behold I stand at the doore and knock, this is my Text, and you see how I am come to it, be pleased to observe in it:

First, A note of preparation, Behold.

Secondly, A declaration of an action which Christ did to this Church of the Laodiceans, he stood at their doores and knocked.

The note of preparation fixeth us upon two Considerations:

First, That the thing which followes after it, is worth the marking, and therefore Mr. Per­kons calls it a note of Attention. Pareus to the like purpose saith thus; Ecce ex: itantis particula, pulsat aures & corda ut dict is attendant; This behold, saith he, is a particle of stirring up, it forcibly strikes upon the eares and heart, that they should attend to those things that are spo­ken: both agree in one, that the words of Christ here spoken, werr diligently to be head­ed by the Laodiceans, for they were written to them: and that they are diligently to be heed­ed by us likewise, for I suppose we take it for granted, that they are written for our instru­ction.

Oh then let's heare him, let's heare him; pity it is we should turne the deafe care upon him for ever: we have refused him enough al­ready, have we not? aske your owne conscien­ces, commune with your owne hearts upon the point and be still, and I am confident they [Page 8]must say, they will say, we have, we have refu­sed him enough, but shall we refuse him still? is that fit? is it reasonable? What? shall we keepe Jesus Christ out of doores, though per­haps his head be fi [...]led with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night; shall we let him knock till his heels ake, as we say? nay till his heart ake? rill his provocations arise to such a height that he will be gone and leave us; hath Christ deserved this of our soules? or doe our soules stand in no more need of Christ, then thus to serve him, thus to set him packing, with a construction of unkindenesse, that we would not so much as open doores to him? Doth this sound well, or will it sound well in our eares, to be charged with this at the day of judgement? Is it well for Christ, or well for us, or well for any, but particularly is it well for our Children, that we should be so disobe­dient, so gainsaying, so mad? not well for Christ sure; for what friend can but take it unkindly to be so dealt with? Not well for us neither, for being so dealt with, what can we expect, but that Christ being thus denied, thus refused, thus driven away, as I may say, he should resolve to doe with us, since the times of the Gospel, as God did in the old Testament, before the times of the Law, My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man? In a word, what can we looke for, but that he should call no more, knock no more, waite no more? and then may we not justly say unto our souls? Woe unto us for we have exceedingly sinned.

When Christ was dealt unkindely with by [Page 9]the Spouse, Cant. 5. (Consider the passage and you will see how nearly it concerneth us) you will finde what pains it cost the Spouse before she and her Beloved met again. At the 2 ^d verse we finde she sleepeth but my heart awaketh; saith she, that's well, her awaking heart heard the voice of her Beloved, It is the voice of my Belo­ved that knocks, saying, Open to me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my Ʋndefiled; Oh how sweet are these words! how heavenly these transa­ctions! how ravishing are these passages to such as understand them and the loving kinde­nesse of Jesus Christ in them; Well, Christ doth not only knock and call, and it may be these or such like were the words which Jesus Christ used to the Church of the Laodiceans, notwithstanding their wickednesse, (and indeed I am apt to think so by an inclination of my spirit, which seems rationally to leade me this way, and that is the reason, that whensoever I shall have ended my Sermons upon this Text, I shall follow them with these words of Christ in this 5 ^th of Cant. v. 2. and the middle part on­ly, and then return to this 3 ^• of Revelations, and the residue of this 20 ^th verse) But this by the way. To return where I was, Jesus Christ doth not only knock and call as I said, for he would fain come in, but he reasons the case, and pleads for entrance, Open, open, my Beloved, for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night, as much as if Jesus Christ should have spoken in other words thus, Pray thee my Spouse, my Love, my Sister, my Unde­filed, my Dove, my Delight, my any thing, my [Page 10]every thing that is delectable and sweet to me, Pray thee open door, thou little thinkest what pains I have taken to come to thee to night; Alas, I am wet, I do not say all over, but my head is filled with dew, and my locks are full likewise of the drops of the night, thou know­est not, but I may catch cold with thy staying; Open quickly, my dear sweet friend, my Sister, my Love, if thou lovest me that am thy hus­band, open and let me stay no longer: Well, you see the plea, but doth it prevail, a man would think it should, 'tis strange it should not, but it doth not; The Spouse reasons Christ away, and in reasoning him away reasons her self in­to sorrow, as you may see by what follows: Jesus Christ being dealt unkindely with with­draws himself, and it gone, the Spouse then gets up when 'twas too late, it seems that he had pleaded so long that she was just rising as I may say, when he was going; It seems likewise that directly at parting he spake a word for a farewell that pierced her to the very heart and soul, it may be 'twas no more then in one word, Farewell, or I am gone, I will stay no longer, you use me coursly, unkindely, as if you loved me not: What ere the words were 'tis sure they stung, for she saith expresly, her soul failed when he spake; Well, but what follows, sad work, Christ knows and your souls know too, if you have any acquaintance with Christ, I sought him but I could not finde him, I called him but he gave me no answer, No! what? Christ give no answer when a poor afflicted soul cals, that's sad, my brethren, but thank [Page 11]your selves for it, he cals oft, and you will not answer him, and therefore it is but just with him, that when ye call he likewise should not answer you; 'twas so with the Spouse and ha [...]h been so with us, if we have any experimentall knowledge of Christ as a Beloved. The Spouse under this transaction findes things go sadly with her, afflictions come tumbling on her like waves one upon the neck of another, and tru­ly no wonder seeing Christ is gone, Woe unto you when I depart from you. But see how she is put to it, she hunts after her Beloved when he was gone, she now seeth 'twas better rising be­fore; as she hunts and seeks about, she lights upon the watch and the watch upon her, she was catched abroad at unseasonable hours, after midnight belike, it may be about four of the Clock in the morning, but how did the Watch serve her? they smote her, and the blows were no small ones, we use not to strike children so; 'tis said they wounded her, nay, it should seem they left her dead, else 'tis like they would have carried her to prison, but by them she is left belike, and then she fals into worse hands, at least not better, for the Keepers of the Walls light upon her, and they take away her Veil; Beaten, Wounded, Rob'd, you see she is, this was great affliction, hard usage, but all this is nothing to the losse of her Beloved; 't was he, 'twas he that was gone that had withdrawn himself, her soul failed when she spake, for him she is sick, sick at heart, sick of love; and I tell you my Brethren and Sisters, love-sicknesse is heavy sicknesse, What sicknesse like it? 'Tis [Page 12]an affliction greater then beating, wounding, robbing, especially if spiritual, the Spouse tels you that plainly, for though beaten, wounded, rob'd, and [...]ob'd by those that should have comforted her, yet all her complaint seems to be, that her Beloved was gone, that he had withdrawn him­self that she could not finde him, and therefore being wearied with searching, she seems to sit her down, panting under her affliction, and as if she were able to do no more, she cries out to the Daughters of Jerusalem, (by which I think you may understand such afflicted souls as are beginning to look after Christ, and being young do groan like little young children after him) To these I say she cries out, (as being most pro­bably likely to tell her some news of Christ, because of his tendernesse to such souls, as be­ing perpetually ready to succour them) And how doth she cry out to them? truly she speaks as if she were now fainting, and could do no more for her self; I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem, that if she finde my Belo­ved, ye tell him I am sick of Love; And what think ye now (my sweet Friends) is it good slieghting of Christ? Is it good refusing of him? Doth the Sppuse think so? No. And What can you think so that have heard this ex­periment? Take need, Take heed, my Brethren, what ye do; You see what it cost her, you know not what it may cost you, if you deal unkinde­ly with him; If ye refuse to hearken and to yeeld up your affections as well as your ears to the words which he speaks, what know you whether he will speak again for ever? You can­not [Page 13]say absolutely, but that the spirit of Jesus Christ may be speaking to you in me now, at this very time, season, and moment, I say no­thing whose I am, God in due time will bear me witnesse, and bear witnesse with me, if I am his; Fly not like the moth too busily about the Candle of your own Consciences; If you slieght the burning light of that Candle, yet consider betime, that 'tis too great a boldness, to play and dally with the Spirit of God, who is a consuming fire: Oh kisse the Soune lest he be angry, if he be angry, yea but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him. For Gods sake, for Christs sake, for the Conversion of Souls sake, for your Childrens sake, methinks these concernments should have some prevalen­cy with you; By all these, and all the mercies of God, if ever Christ knocks, deal but as civil­ly with him as generally we do with strangers, ask him, Who's at doore? he will answer you doubtlesse, 'Tis I, 'Tis I, Pray you open and let me come in, for this he knocks, calls, cries. But what will he do when he comes in? He will do any thing that is good for us, he will sweep the house, clense our hearts, wash away our sins, wash our garments, or clothe us at least with clean white linnen; These things done, he will make ready a Feast for us, a Feast of fat things, and when all is ready he will sit down with us, he will sup with us, nay, his Fa­ther will sup with us too, he with him, both with us, we with them; Come, Come, my hearts, I am again your Petitioner, for Christs sake, for your Souls sake, for your Childrens [Page 14]sakes, little do you think how much they are concerned in the account of your yeelding; yeeld, yeeld, great hearts, throw down the bars, away with your oppositions, your lusts, your sins; Let me break open doors at this time with those words of the Psalmist, Psa. 24.7, 8, 9, 10. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battell. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of Hosts he is this King of glory.

I have done with the word Behold, as 'tis a note of Attention, but I told you it sixeth us upon two Considerations; and the second Consideration is point of Admiration, I must say something of that too.

The word Behold is often used in such a ten­dency of signification; Behold a virgin shall conceive with childe. I need not quote Texts for that which is so obvious; it is a note of Won­der, and let it be granted so to be here, for surely 'tis matter of admiration, that Jesus Christ should stand at the doores of such a wicked people, such ungodly, hypocriticall pro­fessors as this Church of the Laodiceans was, we are: but behold he doth it, though it be a strange thing for us to patterne such a patience, yet 'tis not a strange thing for Christ to set us such a copy: this is the Lords doing, and 'tis mar­vellous in our eyes, that he is so good, so gra­cious, so patient, so that we must needs looke a [Page 15]little upon this word Behold in this sense of wonder; and truely wonderfull it is, if either you consider,

1. Who it is that declares himselfe, 'tis I, saith Christ.

2. What he declares himselfe to doe, he stands, Non dicit venio, sed sto, saith an honest Expositor, He doth not say, I come, and I sit, but I stand.

3. But where stands he; looke and wonder I beseech you, he stands at the doore, Cur non aperit, saith Mr. Brightman, Why doth he not open the doores? nay, Cur non effringat fores? Why doth he not breake open doores? say I, he can if he will, but he doth not, but there he stands.

But is the doore open? no: the more wic­ked they, we, all, 'tis shut, yet he will not be gone, for my Text saith, he seeks for entrance fairely, he knocks.

He knocks saith my [...]ext: but if you looke into the following words in this very same verse, you shall finde he calls too; for 'tis said. If any man heare my voice, and open the doore, &c. Surely a voice, a call, could not be heard, nor supposed to be heard, unlesse there were a call, unlesse there were a voice, both then must be yeelded; he knockt, he calld, he did so to them, it may be he doth so to us: Let me onely put you in minde, before I come to closer exami­nation, that it may be we shall finde this true, that pulsando vocat, & vocando pulsat, imo de­mum effringit fores: that by knocking he calls, and by calling he knocks, nay at length breakes [Page 16]open the doores. You know what Christ saith to this purpose, if we rightly understand it, The houre is come, and now is, when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man, and those that heare shall live.

The first point of Admiration, lyes in the Consideration of the party who declares him­selfe, 'tis I, Behold I stand at the doore and knock. I, Who is that? ver. 14. tells us,

Ver. 14. These things saith the Amen, the saith­full and true witnesse, the beginning of the creation of God.

He is called the Amen; in the Greeke 'tis [...], ille Amen, that Amen: and who is that Amen? the next words tell us, 'tis the faithfull and true witnesse. And who is this fairhfull and true witnesse? let the Scripture tell you plain­ly, Rev. 1.6. Grace be unto you, and peace from him who is, and was, and is to come, and from the seven spirits whih are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithfull witnesse, described after to be him that loved us, and hath washed us from our sinnes by his owne bloud. Anselme hath a very usefull note upon this very word, quia dicturus erat (scilicet Christus) rem mirabilem. quod tepidi excommunicandi & de ore suo projici­endi essent, qui ab hominibus boni credebantur (sub­audi nec tamen essent) ideo promittit se veracem esse, & ut in his fibi credendum esse videatur, ideo dicitur ille Amen, or to this purpose, and very neere these words, Because, saith he, Jesus Christ was to speake of a wonderfull thing, viz. that lukewarme persons were to be excommunicated by Christ, and that these were to spued out of [Page 17]his mouth, who were of men beleeved to be good, and yet were not so, he premiseth there­fore that he is a teller of truth; and that in these things it might appear that he ought to be beleeved, therefore he cals himself the Amen, or that Amen, as much as to say, My words shall be found to be true, I warrant you, Heaven and Earth shall passe away, but one jot of my words shall not passe away; When therefore you hear Jesus Christ by his Spirit, in his Servants and Ministers, threatning to spue you out of his mouth for your lukewarmnesse, (for do not your consciences tell you to your faces, that you are neither hot nor cold, nay, are many of you of any Religion at all) do not think that when your consciences are told of these things Christ dallies with you, or that he will suffer himself to be dallied with for ever, or that it is nothing to be spued out of Christs mouth, or to take his Candlestick from you, in case you think you have it; Beleeve it, eleeve it Gentlemen, If Christ finde you in such a condition and course of sinfulnesse as to do this to you, Evemere ex ere, to spue you out of his mouth, I must be bold to tell you, that it were better for you, that you had never been born, or that so soon as you had been born, you had every one of you a milstone tied about his neck, and that you had been cast into the midst of the Sea; You will finde these things true at the length, for he that testifies these things which I have spoken of, is the Amenille Amen, that Amen, not only in whom omnes promissiones, as one observeth upon the place, All the Promises are yea, and Amen, but [Page 18]from whom you will finde likewise Omnes com­minationes all the threatnings of Christ will be yea and Amen, to those that are out of him, to those that have no part nor portion in him, or whom he shall spue out of his mouth.

You see then who it is that stood at the doors in my Text, 'tis Christ, and truly this consi­deration might be improved a little, the better to fix upon our affections if we remember

1. The greatnesse and Majesty of Christ.

2. That he is the party offended.

3. The great concernment of souls, that Je­sus Christ is pleased to stand at the doore of any of us.

1. If we consider the greatnesse and majesty of Christ, In that place of the Psalmes which I quoted to you before, he is termed the King of glory. In the Vision which was presented to S ^t John, Rev 1. you finde amongst ma­ny other majesticall expressions, that he is de­scribed having eyes as a flaming fite, his feet were said to be like fine brasse, as if they burned in a furnace, in his right hand, he is said to have the seven Stars, the Churches, implying, he could protect them or do with them what he would, he could throw them away if he pleased, Out of his mouth it is said there went a sharp two edged Sword, that could cut as fast as it spoke, nay, Heb. 4.12. Christ who is there called the Word of God, is said to be quick and powerfull, and sharper then any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughter and intents of the hearts; My Masters [Page 19]do you think to deceive him? you will deceive your own souls if you think so, but to come to S ^t Johns Vision again. His Countenance is said to be as the Sun shineth in his strength: In a word his Majesty was so great, so amazing, and so full of astonishment, that when S ^t John. saw him he fell at his feet as dead. His friend, his servant, fell down dead at the sight of his Majesty, what shall his enemies do? If the green tree be thus shaken, how shall the dry tree stand, when Jesus Christ shall appear in his glorious and terrible Majesty to judge the world in righteousnesse? If the righteous, if a Saint be thus terrified, What shall lukewarm Hypo­crites and ungodly sinners do, when he cometh with clouds? as v. 7. tels you he will: If we go on with that verse we shall fee what they will do, Behold he cometh with clouds, and what then? Then every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, as you do spiritually, when you desperately stand out against his workings of loving kindenesse unto your souls, even ye which shut him out of doors, shall see him or feel him some way or other to your shame, to your sorrow, for it is said in the next words, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him; All ye then that are the kindreds of the earth, whose hearts are set upon earth and earthly things, for as for the godly they are more properly the kindreds of heaven, for a like reason in the contrary; See what will come on you if you go on in your rebellions against the Lord Christ and his Kingdom that is now coming towards you, you will not sea; [Page 20]him; you will not take notice of him now, but when he cometh with clouds, shall ye not see him then, how can ye avoid him? Ye shall not then only see him, or feel him, or both, but ye shall waile because of him, nay and your wailing shall be for ever; To conclude this, If ye refuse his mercies now, if whilest he stands at your doors and knocks, ye will bid him be gone, and shall say to him as those des­perate wicked ones in Job, Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies: What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? If we serve him thus, or not serve him at all, or bid him be gone, as I said, Christ will pay us with a Lex talionis, he will have a Be gone for us as broad and as long as ours to him; Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels: nay, your own personal miseries and Judgements will not be all, God will lay up your iniquities for your Children, be will reward you and ye shall know it, Job 21.19. he will reward you, nay, he will reward your children, your sweet babes (do not your bowels earn at this?) for your wickednesse; What else can the meaning of that threarning be, He will visit the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children.

I have done with the first Consideration which makes it wonderful that Christ should thus stand and knock.

The second thing in him which improves the wonder is this, that he is the party offended, My Brethren, my Brethren, we have wounded him by our transgressions, we have broken him by [Page 21]our sins, and yet he is so willing to be friends, he longs so much to be reconciled, to be at one with us, that he stands at our doors and knocks, cals, cries, and he seeks entrance and reconcili­ation though he be the party offended; What a Christ is this? what sinners are we? and yet it may be we think we do not sin against Christ at all, but doubtlesse we do; when we sinne against the motions of Gods Spirit, pressing the riches of Gods goodnesse upon us, and stri­ving by it to leade us to repentance, do we not sin against Christ? indeed some of us know we doe, but should we do so still? Shall we sin against him, offend him for ever? What? so good a Christ so ill entreated? [...], God forbid, my Brethren, saith S ^t James in an­other case, These things ought not so to be.

3. There is yet one Consideration more which raiseth the wonder, and that is the con­cernment of this rich mercy, if Jesus Christ will be pleased to stand at the doores of our souls and knock, My Friends, do ye rightly consider what Christ is doing when he is knocking at your doors? I doubt ye do not; But I will tell you, he is striving to make us Kings, and Priests, and Prophets to our God, that with him we may reign for evermore, he is striving to come in, that he may shew us that the Father hath forgiven us our sins; he is stri­ving to come in, that he may reign over our cor­ruptions, and subdue our sins to us, that he may tread Satan under our feet shortly, and are these concernments of no value with us? Be­leeve it, beleeve it, the Lord Jesus Christ it [Page 22]may be will never knock at your doores, if you make no estimation of these things, but if you prize these things he will knock, he will call, yea, he will wait to be gracious, dut I beseech you put him not to wait too long, es­pecially when he comes to you in the night, I mean in the night of your soul afflictions: Alas, when he comes, then remember, his head is full of dew, and his locks are filled with the drops of the night; What? shall we keep him out in the cold? far be it, you see how it concerns you to open and make him welcome, Open, Open ye poor souls, let him come in, he will do you no harm, yea, he will do you all good, and he will ease you of that burthen that troubles you most, that is, your sins, why else doth he call you so eagerly so affectionately, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you: Will Christ say it, and will he not do it? What will not the Amen say Amen to his own promises? ye wrong him; yea, ye do him one of the worst of injuries to think it, to beleeve it.

I have done with these 3 Considerations that render it wonderful, that Christ should stand at any mans doors and knock, but I have not yet wholly done with his transaction of knocking.

I have a little application behinde, and if I on the behalf of Jesus Christ, can make any knocking work upon your souls, I shall blesse my God that ever I was born, that have long been afraid that Christ had knockt me off for ever, because being a Minister I have been so long silent, and held my peace, but God hath heard my praiers, and he hath had mercy on [Page 23]me, even because he had a favour unto me: And now I hope I shall speak, God willing, and God I hope will help me to speak to his glory and the good of your souls.

From the Person then declaring himself, (for you see who 'tis,) 'tis I, 'tis I, saith Christ. Here is 1. Comfort to the drooping soul. 2. Terrour to the rebellious.

I begin first with Comfort to the drooping soul, and indeed 'tis pity but these should first be comforted, before the other be terrified, 'tis for these mourners sakes amongst others, and those others that shall be brought to this condition, that the world stands, for if once the number of Gods Jewels shall be compleated, God will then go to gathering up of his Jewels, Jews and Gentiles together, and they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in the day when I make up my Jew­els. To you then let me first speak, you see who stands at the door, and from whom those mo­tions of Gods Spirit come, whereby your hearts are at any time wrought upon, whether terri­fyingly in the work of conviction upon your souls for sin; by the right preaching and ap­plication of the Law, or comfortably by the sweet strivings and wooings of the Preparati­ons to the Gospel, whether at this or at other times; from whom come all these things? My Text tels you in effect, that they come from Christ, and is not Christ your friend think ye, why are ye afraid? O ye of little faith, yea perhaps I may as yet say, O ye of no faith.

In the 14 ^th of St. Matthewes Gospel, we finde that Jesus had constrained his Disciples [Page 24]to get into a Ship, and to goe on the other side of the sea there mentioned, whilest he sent the multitude away: the Disciples no doubt ho­ped that Christ would not be long after them, nor was he; for we finde that when the Ship was tossed with waves in the midst of the sea, (for the wind was contrary) about the fourth watch of the night, Iesus went to them walking on the sea: The Disciples seeing this were troubled, they thought they had seen a spirit, and they cried out for feare; but Christ quickly comforts them, Be not afraid, saith he, be of good checre, 'tis I. How fitly is this applicable to your soules, ye sonnes and daughters of affli­ction: Jesus Christ hath constrained you to get into a Ship, a Ship of soul-affliction, let that be supposed to be the Ship: in this Ship ye are tossed and tumbled with waves, for the windes are contrary, and ye think poor soules ye shall never come to your haven: stay, stay a little my sweet daughters of Hierusalem, doe not droope too much, loose not your Anchor hold so easily; looke about you a little, and perhaps you will discern Christ walking in this sea of your troubles. Perhaps not knowing him, when ye see him, nor being well acquainted with him, ye will mistake him, and be troubled, and think 'tis a spirit that will destroy you, and that he is your enemy; 'twas thus with the Disci­ples, why may it not be so with you? But see ver. 27. Jesus straightway spake unto them saying, be of good checre, it is I, be not afraid. If ye can hear Christ saying it is I, it is I, be of good chear, be not afraid, will your afflictions trou­ble [Page 25]you then? Waire then upon the Lord pa­tiently, you know not how soone Christ will shew himselfe to you; I can assure you 'tis now towards the fourth watch of the night, and 'tis not long till the morning; waite comfortably under your storme, your afflictions cannot last long, the day-starre will arise, and if Jesus Christ give you the morning-starre, will it not be worth all your afflictions, all your sorrowes, all your tossing in these waters? all the troubles you have undergone in your fears? Be of good chear, 'tis I, 'tis I. Would you have more? when you hear him and see him, catch him in your armes, and cry out with old Simeon, The Lord now lets his Servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen his salvation: or as Philip which spake to Nathanael, I have found him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Sonne of Joseph, Ioh. 3.45. I have done with you at this time.

I come next to the rebellious: and forgive me, if professing my selfe a true Minister of Jesus Christ, I come to you, like Christ, with clouds, with the clouds of Gods indignation, with clouds of darknesse and trouble upon your souls for your sinnes, in suffering Christ to knock so oft, to call so long, to cry so loud, so that it may be truly said of him, as Christs mo­ther, and brethren and sisters said touching themselves, in seeking Christ, he hath sought you sorrowing; and you have beene the cause of it, for ye have many a time suffered him to strive, knock, call, cry, cry aloud, and yet ye have given him no entrance; he is out of doors still, the [Page 26]door is locked still; nay ye have set strong barres of opposition to keep him out, nay to keep him out purposely. You think perhaps you have not, but I can make it apparent ye have, nay and God willing I shall make it appear in a spirituall enquiry after some soule transactions, before I have ended all my endeavours upon this Text. And what will ye say then touching your wickednesse? must ye not, will ye not say then, 'tis of the Lords mercy we are not consumed? how ye should say lesse I know not: But to prepare you herein (for this Sermon will be but the shell, the outside, the kernell is to come) be pleased to remember from that which I have already spoken, that when ye sinne against the motions of Gods Spirit (which I am confident hath been long strugling with you,) that in so doing, ye sinne likewise against Christ; against that Christ, that it may be hath washed us from our transgressions by his own bloud, and we not know it. This consideration of sinning against Christ, was a tender thing once with the Apostle S ^t Paul, 1 Cor. 8.12. where reproving the Corinthians for offending the consciences of the Brethren, in eating things offered to Idols, (a thing too usuall in a spirituall sense in these daies) he reproves them, and terrifies them in so doing, by fastening this upon them, that they sinned against Christ; But when ye sinne so against the Brethren and wound their weak Consciences, ye sinne against Christ; as much as to say: and what, will ye do that? will ye do so indeed? What, we Christians sinne against Christ, that hath made us so, that hath [Page 27]washed us from our sinnes by his own bloud? what we doe it! Tell it not in Gath. Let others doe it if they will, doe ye doe it if ye will, but I tell you plainely, I Paul will never doe it, God willing: wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh whilest the world stand­eth, lest I make my brother to offend. His words by plaine and ready arguing, with halfe an eye, you may see to come to thus much; that ra­ther then I will sinne against Christ (which I must doe if I make my brother to offend) I will not eat a bit of flesh as long as the world lasts. Beloved, we use to say, when we are averse to a thing, Before I will doe such a thing, I will never eat bit of bread: such a kinde of zeale, and such a kinde of expression may you imagin S ^t Pauls to have been, in his resolution of not sinning against Christ, and yet how many are there that make no bones of this? but let them take heed, that God make not their bones and their hearts into the bargain ake for it. Sure I am, the new converts in the second of the Acts, were pricked to the very heart at this very con­sideration: see the place, Acts 2.37. You may observe S ^t Peter, ver. 14. beginning to preach his first Sermon after the ascension, his first work is to take off a mistake, a misapprehension from the people, touching themselves, These men are not drunken, as ye suppose. At ver. 22. his Sermon begins to pinch close, for he speakes plainely, Ye men of Israel, heare these words, Je­sus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye your selves know. [Page 28]Ver. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slaine. He followes this argument close all along, height­ning the sinne, by the consideration of Gods exalting of Christ: and in ver. 36. he puts Gods goodnesse to Christ, and their wickednesse against Christ both together, and with this, as with a great and irresistible hammer, God pricks their hearts in Peters Ministry: yea he breaks them all to pieces; for see ver. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren what shall we doe? When they heard this, that the same Jesus whom they had crucified, was exalted by God to be Lord and Christ; when they heard this, and that they had thus sinned against their Lord, their Christ, their King; this, oh this pricked them to the quick, this shivered them all to pieces, this di­vided betwixt the joynts and marrow, it broke downe all opposition, Men and brethren what shall we doe? such wretches, such vile creatures as we are never were in the world. What! is that Jesus that we have crucified, is he our Christ, our Lord, have we thus wronged him, thus dealt with him? Woe umo us that we have sinned. Thus you see how farre this conside­ration strikes terror here: it did strike terror into their hearts, may it not strike terrour into yours? for know assuredly, that that same Jesus, the motions of whose spirit, or of Gods Spirit, you have stood out against (I suppose you look upon it, as all one, for he and the [Page 29]Father are one,) is that very Jesus, whom God hath exalted-heretofore, yea and will exalt him again, and he will make him actually both Lord and King in all the souls of his people, and over all the world; and this is he whom ye sinne against, whom in a spirituall sense ye crucifie againe as it were, even the Lord of glory: nay let me go further with you, and drive you up closer; I must tell you, that whilest ye rebell against the workings of the Spirit of God, ye do at once sinne against Father, Sonne and ho­ly Ghost, all at one stroake (as I may say:) A time bath been, and that in my dayes, when a mans naming the sinne against the holy Ghost in the Pulpit, would have made many a heart to tremble; I am sure it made mine tremble when I was a boy, and minded nothing but pastime and pleasure: but though I tell you (and I shall make it appear) that in resisting the motions of Gods Spirit, ye have sinned against Father, Sonne and holy Ghost, and that your actions especially in some, have entrenched and bor­dered much upon the chanell of such actions as do leade directly to the grand sinne, the unpar­donable sinne, even the sinne against the holy Ghost, which you know Christ saith shall ne­ver be pardoned in this world, nor in the world to come, yet who trembles, whose heart quakes? nay do we not mock at fear? and have not some sucked in such principles that doe ut­terly overturne all shaking, all trembling, ei­ther at the apprehension of their sinnes, or of Gods judgements due to them for their sinne? My friends (for as yet I am no mans declared [Page 30]enemy in the world, do not I tell you the truth? Do not your hearts and consciences bear me witnesse and witnesse for me? If so, though you are so hardened that ye cannot cry out, What shall we do? Yet God hath so softned my heart towards you, that I cannot but ask What ye will do? Will ye go on? I trust in God your hearts will not let you say, We will go on, and we will do what seemeth good in our own eyes, and as for these words which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hear thee; No? will ye not? Are ye resolved thus? if you are, I will break your resolutions if I can, and rather then suffer you to runne on thus headlong into your destruction, I will kindle a fire in your very bones, I will vex your very souls, and bring you with David to cry out as he Psa. 6. My bones are vexed O Lord yea, my soul is vexed, but thou O Lord how long? Consider then in the fear of God what I assert, what I insist upon, viz.

That he that sinnes against the strivings of Gods good Spirit, sinnes against Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost.

That he sins against the Father is evident,

1. From those words which Christ useth, Joh. 15.23, 24. He that hateth me hateth my Fa­ther also, If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sinne, but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father also Would you have a clearer Text? He that hates the Son hates the Father, by the same argument. He that sins against the Sonne sins against the Father, and indeed he and the [Page 31]Father are one, or else Union with Christ would not be enough to make Christs poor ones one with the Father, but that this is sufficient you may most remarkably see from that heavenly piece of Scripture, Joh. 14. from v. 7. to the middle of the 11. verse. If (saith Christ) ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also, and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him; The Disciples stumbled at this, but Philip particularly saith to him, Lord, shew us the Father and it sufficeth us; Christ seems to stumble at them, as much as they at him; for he speaks to Philip as in their stead, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how saist thou then, Shew us the Father? Would ye have things clearer yet? viz. that Union with Christ is sufficient to make up Union with the Father, and con­sequently he that sinnes against Christ must needs sinne against the Father; Would you I say have it clearer, then go on to the 10 ^th verse, Beleevest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of my self; as if he should say, The Father speaks them as well as I, nay, The Fa­ther that dwelleth in me he doth the works too, and then he proceeds, Beleeve me (Philip) that I am in the Father and the Father in me; Plainet words then these surely cannot be used to assert the Point in hand, That sins against Christ are sins against the Father: My next work must be to prove that they are sins against the holy Ghost likewise, and then I have done in point of proof.

To evidence this clearly and plainly, I sup­pose we take it for granted, that the holy Ghost and the holy Spirit are all one, that being granted me as a Suppositum not so much as dis­puted by your selves; Let me put you in minde of some Texts of Scripture, wherein the same actions being spoken of, you shall finde are in one place implied or expressed plainly to be sins against God, by which I understand to be meant the Father, in another place they are termed sins against Christ, by which name we understand the Sonne, and in a third place sins against Gods holy Spirit, by which 'tis al­ready supposed we mean and understand the holy Ghost. These Scriptures being produced, and asserting the thing in hand, I suppose I have gained the Cause. Compare then these three Scriptures together, Numb. 21.5. 1 Cor. 10.9. Isa. 63.10. Let us look first upon Num. 21.5. The people of Israel it should seem were in great affliction, they wanted bread and wa­ter, and their soul lothed the Manna, they call it this light bread; Being in this distresse and affliction, it is said expresly, They spake against God and against Moses, saying, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Aegypt to die in the Wilder­nesse? for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread; here you see plainly the Israclites sinne of murmu­ring under this affliction, is said expresly to be against God, They murmured against God and against Moses, by which word God (I hope) you will give me leave to understand the Fa­ther, and never trouble your selves with much [Page 33]scruple or dissatisfaction in the businesse: Let us now go to the next Scripture which ye shall finde, 1 Cor. 10.9. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroied of Serpents; The Question will be, how it ap­pears, that the same sin is spoken of in both places; To make this sure, I must turn you back to Numb. 21.6. again, which tels us that God for their sin of murmuring immediatly before, sent fiery Serpents among the people, and they died; Now reade the verse I have quoted out of the Corinthians, Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted, and were destroied of Serpents, Do you desire I should argue now? Is it not plain that that which was called murmuring against God in the Book of Numbers is called tempting of Christ in the Epistle to the Corinthians? For what did the Lord send fiery Serpents among the people? for murmuring against God: For what were they destroied of Serpents? for tempting of Christ: These then were both one, unlesse you understand any other destruction of Serpents to be intended by S ^t Paul, then this which was by the biting of the fiery Serpents, mentioned in the Book of Numbers.

My proofs touching Father and Sonne I have done with, My next labour must be touching the holy Spirit or holy Ghost as we call him; For this view my third Text, Isa. 63.10. where the Prophet having in the verse before mentioned the gracious and generall loving kindenesse of the Lord toward his people in the daies of old, sets down in the [Page 34]next words in the beginning of the 10 ^th verse, the general demeanour and carriage of the Israelites his people toward God; And what was their carriage? 'Twas sad I confesse, I fear ours is so too, They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit; Their general posture of actions against God is termed here you see a rebelling and vexing his holy Spirit, certainly if all their wicked actions come under this ex­pression; then this action likewise of mur­muring against God, or tempting of Christ being one of their actions, must needs do so too. And now I think I have gained my cause.

Having done with my proof, let me now treat with you a little, you that have sin'd so often against the motions of Gods Spirit, and therein in some sense troden under foot the Son of God, for Gods sake, What do ye think of your selves? have ye done well, think ye, thus at one blow (as it were) to strike Father, Son, and holy Ghost in the face? Is this re­compence for his mercies in sending Jesus Christ to shed his bloud for your sins, a fair recompence to the Father? Is it equal that such a Lex Talionis should be returned to the Son, that we should thus grieve and vex the holy Spirit? Certainly if there be any fear of God before out eyes, the doing of these things cannot rightly please our hearts: But because ye are so hardened in your wickednesse and re­bellions against him, who will either glorifie you, if ye willingly submit to him, or torment you for ever, if still ye persist, be ye under what [Page 35]Form or Administrations ye will; For I love not to flatter you in your imaginary shadow [...] taken up of your own heads, nor do I place godlinesse or wickednesse in externall Forms, but rather in submitting or walking contrary to Christ.

Let me presse you a little eagerly to consider what ye are doing, when ye are sinning against the motions, workings, and pleadings of Gods good Spirit, striving within you, as doubtlesse sometimes he doth, or else things go very sad­ly with you; Be as merry as ye will; Shall I minde you in one word what ye do? ye sinne against Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost all at once, ye do in a sense (as I told you) tread under foot the bloud of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for this treading things under foot what is it? 'tis an expression, whereby we sig­nifie our scorning and lothing of a thing, as when we say, If I could, I would tread thee under my foot, My Brethren, my brethren, what do ye lesse when ye do so resist the moti­ons of Gods good Spirit, that ye cannot endure to hear him speak to you? Nay, how many are there, who when the Spirit of God would pleade with them, and reason them into god­linesse, or into the omission of this, or that, or the other particular sin, as of whoredom, jeer­ing at good things, drunkennesse, cove­tousness, or the like, presently they take the first occasion they can of setting themselves against their own mercies, they cannot endure the Lord to speak as it were one word more: And therefore choaking him as [Page 36]soon as they can, they run presently into a Re­fuge of lies, good fellowship, drinking, musick, some pastime or other to stop the mouth of conscience which would be convincing them of sinne, of righteousnesse, of judgement to come, and by arguments drawn from thence would stagger them at their sinful courses, but none of that I thank you, their sins and they cannot part company so easily, and therefore the Spirit of God is looked upon by them as their enemy, because it tels them the truth, and will not flat­ter them, nor suffer them to run so quietly to their own destruction; With some perhaps he gets a little faiter quarter, they will hear the re­proofs, consider the terrors of Gods judgements which are threatned spiritually to their inward man, to reclaim them from their sins, but when they have heard all, they think to make up all with a little humiliation, a few tears, a lit­tle rugging and striving to cry to God for mer­cy, and if upon a duty of praier or humiliation they finde a little peace and quietnesse, though Gods intention in giving it, be but barely to bear up their hearts under soul affliction, untill the times of a more full and more gracious dis­pensation comes, then up they get upon their tiptoes presently, their afflictions are all vanish­ed or banished in a moment; God is their God now sure, for (say they) he hath heard our supplica­tions, he hath forgiven our sinnes; herein miserably mistaking a little arbitrary consolation, which God grants in a designe of supporting the soul, till it be fit for a more gracious dispensation, for a sure signification of forgivenesse of sins; the [Page 37]groslenesse of which mistake, I shall clear upon some occasion or other, in Gods good time, and it may be before I have ended my meditations upon this Text.

Some the Spirit of God prevails so farre with, that

1. They are willing to be reproved and chid­den for their sins, but from thence are too apt to conclude a sure estate of soul.

2 The work of conviction being strong upon their souls, they are apt to make many fair pro­mises, many strong engagements, that they will do so no more.

3. But then thirdly, when Gods back is but turned (as I may say,) or that they think him but out of sight, they start aside like a broken bow, and neither promises, Covenants, or any other obligations prevail with them at all, but they turn with the dog to their own vomit, and with the sow to the wallowing in the mire; and if the mo­tions of Gods Spirit presse them to consider their breach of vowes and Covenants, and their promises of better obedience, they either heal their hurt slightly, with a few prayers and teares, and then they think all is well, as I observed be­fore: or secondly by a long practise of such un­godly eourses they come at length to such a de­sperate hardnesse of heart, that they conclude there is no hope, and so conceive it to no pur­pose to strive any more, to pray any more, to be humbled any more, to hearken to the motions of Gods Spirit any more: the finall conclusion is, as they throw off all hope, so they throw off all duty, and let Christ by his Spirit say what he [Page 38]will, they think all is to no purpose, to hear him or obey him; and this last and worst part of this character, hath been my own case for almost this nine years or thereabouts, till within this year and a half; about which time, apprehending some abatement of those judgements, which my apprehensions had been long terrified with, for my grievous sins, especially for hiding my little Talent, which I looked upon as given me by God, not to hide, but to publish: I was about a year and half since, resolved to submit my self to be at Gods disposing, and to serve God as well as I could, though I looked for nothing but hell as my portion for ever, only I hoped it would be hell mitigated, and me thought I had strange kinde of hopes, that in hell I should finde a little comfort, and a little strength to endure it, and to dwell with everlasting burnings, because I was willing to submit; but these strange hopes soon vanished and became nothing: for about a quar­ter or half a year after, I was thrown down again into the dreadfullest apprehensions of Gods eternall judgements, that ever were presented to any mortall man upon Gods earth, since the creation of God, or that the world began: with this heavy load of apprehensions I walked for above half a year together, viz. all this last sum­mer, and some little part of the beginning of winter; but at length the spring is come, and the chirping of Birds hath been heard by me, there was never such mercy shewed, such compassion manifested to any soul in the world; I am alive, and the loving kindnesse of God hath appeared to me: But I tell you, my brethren and friends, [Page 39]my rebellion against Jesus Christ, my standing out against the motions of Gods good Spirit, hath cost me dear, and so dear, I would not for a hundred thousand worlds endure the like hor­rors again: It would amaze you all, nay almost affright you out of your wits, to tell you what I have seen, but God in Jesus Christ I trust hath delivered me for ever; and God strengthning me, I will praise him for it, yea I will magnifie him as long as I have my being.

And now my dear friends, I am set forth to you as an example of Gods terrors and judge­ments, if ye shall rebell against Christ, and per­petually resist the motions of Gods gracious Spirit striving with you as I have done: I am withall a mirrour of Gods infinite rich mercies, in the pardoning of iniquities, and an example of heartning to you, if God shall be pleased to give you repentance from your sins and from all your ungodly courses, as to me I hope in God he hath done in some measure: but if having such a warning given, in such grievous judge­ments, if the riches of Christs mercies in finding a way to pardon such a sinner as I am, if nei­ther of these, nor both together prevaile with you, nor be a means to hearten you, and to cause you to live in some hope, at least, that it may be the Lord will have some mercy, some compassi­on for you as well as for me: If I say, thesethings will be no means to reclaim you, then I must be bold to tell you, that I cannot say so much as a Judge to a condemned person, Lord have mer­cy upon your souls, I must leave you to God; only at present let me put you in minde of these things which follow,

1. That it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10.31. for our God is a con­suming fire, Heb. 12.29.

2. That certainly you have sucked in some desperate principles touching the decree and election of God, which do so poison your souls with hopelesnesse, that, if ye come to hear a Ser­mon, 'tis for very shame of the world, lest men should account you of no religion, accounting it in all other respects vain and unprofitable, either to hear a Sermon or to serve God at all; and the truth is, I much suspect this latter, it having had a strong influence into my own troublesome and dreadfull apprehensions for so long together.

3. That you will finde it dangerous indeed, to dally with Jesus Christ a little longer; he is now coming in a solemne manner, to treat a­bout the businesse of leaving of our sinnes and turning to God, and this I hope to evidence clearly, as occasion shall offer it self, if I can have the liberty of a publike Pulpit as I desire; but if I cannot, I trust Jesus Christ who is now nigh at hand in his spiritual coming, will vindi­cate me from the charge of being guilty of other mens transgressions, which (God willing) I will endeavour to my utmost to prevent (if I may be suffered,) but if I alone must be hindred, I hope God will regard my innocency, and men will at length know my integrity and affection to their souls.