THE NECESSITY OF Receiving the Truth in LOVE, &c.

AS Good both Moral and Physical is the proper Object of the Will or rational Apetite, so Truth is the proper Object and Food of the Mind. But it is mournful to behold the awful Infatuation and Disorder, which have now seized all the noble Powers of rational, once [Page 9]innocent, but now degenerate Creatures! A­las, how imperiously do their Wills tyran­nize over their enslaved Minds! How eager­ly do they court real Evil under the Guise of Good, and greedily embrace temporary and perishing for durable and eternal Gain! And thus like the Dog in the Fable, while they grasp at fleeting Shadows, they lose the enduring Substance! But the fatal Original of this Folly and Disorder, is owing to the Defects, Darkness and Infatuation of the Mind; which not only through the corrupt Byass of the Will, but also because of its own native Weakness and Ignorance, is easily im­posed upon by the sophistical Arts of Satan and his Emisaries, to assent to Error and Fals­hood, under the Pretext of Truth. Dreadful Instances of this we have in our Text and Context, in which is contained a Description of the Properties and Characters of Anti-Christ, and his deceived Followers; as also of their deserved Ruin and final Overthrow. Some of which I shall mention. And

1. He is called v. 3. That Man of Sin; which seems to signify, that he is not only notoriously wicked himself, but commands and commends Impiety in others. And do not the Popes of Rome command the Wor­ship of Saints and Angels? Have they not contrived, enjoyned and praised the barba­rous [Page 10]Murder of Protestants of all Orders? And do they not connive at the most execrable Uncleanness to advance their worldly In­terest?

2. Another Character is this, That he op­poseth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped. v. 4. Have not Popes had the Impudence not only to in­sult, with the greatest Degrees of Disdain Kings and Emperors, who are called Gods, because they are his Vicegerents, in Respect of civil Power and Authority, and thereby are dark Shadows and faint Representatives of his Glorious Sovereignty, but even to con­front the Authority of God himself, coun­termanding and cashiering his positive Laws and Institutions, and even tearing one of the Commandments out of the Decalogue?

3. The third Character is, That he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. v. 4. As God is worshiped in the Assemblies of his People, is not the Pope so worshiped in the Papist's Churches? Do they not stile him our Lord God the Pope, in their blasphemous Missals?

4. The fourth Character is, That he is con­cerned in a Mystery of Iniquity. v. 7. i. e. Wickedness cloaked with a fair Pretext of Piety. And will not the Pope and his bloody blind Votaries pretend a great Deal of Zeal & [Page 11]and Devotion, when they are going to cut your Throats, or pick your Pockets.

5. The fifth Character is, That his coming is after the Working of Satan, with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders, and with all Deceiveableness of Unrighteousness in them that perish. v. 10. It is too notorious to be de­nyed, that Popes and their Adherents have almost in every Age, since their Antichristian Kingdom has been erected, pretended a Pow­er to work Wonders and Miracles; but their Wonders are lying Ones, mostly wretched Untruths, or jugling Tricks, and fraudulent Impositions upon the poor ignorant and de­luded People; or if there was any Reality in any of them, it was through the Working of Satan. Others may call them pious Frauds (says Henry) but the Apostle called them Un­righteous and Wicked Frauds; and indeed all Fraud which is contrary to Truth, is an impi­ous Thing; as the same Author observes.

After the Apostle had spoken thus much, concerning the Characters of Antichrist, he comes to describe the Properties of his Sub­jects; one of which is mentioned in the Words I am now to insist upon, and it is this, That they receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved. This, in order to vindicate God's Justice and Holiness, in his penal Process against them, is represented to [Page 12]be the meritorious Cause of the dreadful Judgments threatned in the following Verses, as the causal Particle [because] sufficiently intim [...]tes, which is twice repeated in this and the following Verses, [ because and for this Cause] perhaps for a twofold Reason. (1.) To shew how heinous this Sin of not receiv­ing the Love of the Truth is in it self, and how offensive to God, as well as destructive to us. And (2.) to signify the Stupidity of Sinners who need such repeated Warnings, in order to fix necessary Impressions of their Guilt and Danger because of Sin upon them.

Two Words only of the Text under our present Consideration, viz. Truth and saved, need Explication, in order to form a doctri­nal Proposition from them; and (1). let me enquire what may be intended by the Word Truth in our Text. To this End consider,

I. More generally, that Truth is threefold, metaphisical, logical, ethical.

1. Metaphisical Truth is, when the Form or Appearance of a Thing answers what it represents.

2. Logical Truth consists in our Apprehen­sion of a Thing according to its Nature.

3. Ethical Truth consists in the Conformity of our outward Expessions to our inward Sen­timents, or in the Harmony and Agreement of the Speeches of our Lips with the Dictates [Page 13]of our Minds; the first is opposed to Paint, the second to Error, and the third to Lying, which as some observe consists (at least in part) in crossing the Dictates of the Mind. But when our Speech is concerned in Pro­mises, then the Truth consists not only in expressing what is agreeable to our Intenti­ons, but in a seasonable and punctual accom­plishment of what we express, in the Time and Manner specified, unless some unavoid­able Hindrance prevent. It is the second of these Kinds of Truth mentioned, that comes nearest to the Design of our Text. But

II. More particularly.

1. By the Word Truth in Scripture is some­times understood the Grace of Truth, viz. Sincerity, a precious Grace of the Gospel, Eph. VI. 14. And

2. Sometimes the Doctrine of Truth or Gospel of Grace, 2 Pet. I. 12. 2 Joh. v. 1. 1 Tim. II. 4. This is called Truth by Way of Eminence in three Respects, viz. in Re­gard of its Author, Nature and Effects.

1. Its Author is the God of Truth, an un­changeable simple Being, punctual in the Performances of his Promises and Threats, Deut. XXXII. 4. He is the Rock, his Work is perfect, for all his Ways are Judgment, a God of Truth, and without Iniquity, just and right is he. And

[Page 14] 2. The Gospel is called Truth, because of the Simplicity and Candour of its Doctrines, which give a just Representation of Things, according to their different Natures and final Issues. Sin is there represented in its native Horrors, and Holiness in its proper Charms and alluring Attractives, and the Fruits of both set in a true Light. Its Histories are an honest and true Relation of Matters of Fact, as the Simplicity of the Style, and conspir­ing Harmony of its different Narratives wit­ness.

Its Precepts are a just and true Repre­sentation of the Claims of Right, which God and our Neighbour have to our Obedi­ence and Service: A transcript of the Na­ture, and agreeable to the moral Perfections, of that Glorious Being to whom they owe their Original.

Its Promises are not like the fabulous Eli­siums of the Pagan Poets, (tho' natural Men treat them as if they were no better) but True and Faithful. Deut. VII. 9.10. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth Govenant and Mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandments to a Thousand Generations; and repayeth them that hate him to their Face to destroy them, he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his Face.

[Page 15] Its Threats are no Romances or Bugbears, but such deserved Penaltys, suited to the Na­ture and Aggravations of Crimes, (whatever secure Sinners dream to the contrary) as that God who is Justice and Truth it self will surely inflict, the Heavens and Earth may pass away, but not one Word that ever God has spoken, shall pass away without its just Accom­plishment, one Jot or Tittle of his Truths shall never fail, Mat. V. 18.

Its Terms are no flattering Impositions up­on his Disciples credulity, like the Turkish Tales, but a genuine and true Relation of the worst they must suffer for his Sake.

When the Arabian Impostor Mahomet, first divulged his religious Hypothesis at Mecha, he suited his Principles to corrupt nature's Dictates, and sinister Inclinations, and made these Things the great incentive to a Com­pliance with them; which were most soo­thing to human Passions, and most subser­vient to Temporal Interests: He promised a carnal Paradise after Death and Honours Profits, and Preferments in Life, as the grand Motives to engage the rude Populace to ad­here to his erroneous Opinions, he indulged the carnal and cruel Appetites, with the unreasonable liberty of abhorred Polygamy, and the most Savage Barbarity: By which art full Device, attended with the Terror of [Page 16]the civil Sword; he allur'd some and scar'd others into his Sentiments. The great Gran­dees with their pompous Retinues, quickly listen'd to the Sense pleasing Sounds, and danc'd after the inchanting Pipe of that fatal Orpheus: And no wonder, for Nature needs not many Perswasives to enduce a Compliance with what it has the strongest innate Proneness to, and Tendency after. But our Glorious JESUS not intending a Kingdom in this World took not such Mea­sures to erect it, as were hatched in the Womb of carnal Wisdom. Nay, on the contrary the Terms our Lord proposed were so oppo­site to the corrupt Inclinations of Nature, so cross to Men's Honour and Interests, that they seem'd to have a Natural and strong Tendency to drive the whole World away from him, instead of gaining any to him, our Lord propos'd no temporal Paradise to his Disciples here, nor a carnal One here­after; but on the contrary informed them that they must expect a continu'd Scene of Affliction and Sorrow in this World. Joh. XVI 33. Acts XIV. 22. Joh. XVI. 20, As also, that they must deny their Lusts, Wills, Honours and temporary Interests, and that on the Account of a Spiritual and (at present) invisible Glory and Happiness, to be enjoy'd in the next State. Luke. IX. 23. [Page 17]This duly considered, together with the speedy and vast Progress, the Gospel made in the early Ages of Christianity among the politest Nations, and that without the Helps of civil Power, or human Literature, yea, against the utmost Force, of both, shews with meridi­an Brightness the divine Birth of that Gospel we prosess, whose holy Laws and equal Terms are so contrary to the corrupt Lusts and natural Inclinations of Mankind, that unless they had been accompanied with Di­vine Energy, none would (in the Face of such Danger as the primitive Christians were exposed to) have complied with them, and so the Christian Name would have been long ago extinct, and therefore none now in being to profess the Lord Jesus. What! to give up and entirely abandon all these Lusts and Interests, which we naturally love above our Lives, yea, our Souls, and expose our selves to a Series of Shame, Pain and Suffering, and all for the Promises of a future and unseen World! How difficult is this? Utterly tran­scending the Power of mere Nature, till ef­ficaciously renewed by Divine Grace.

3. The Gospel is called Truth, in regard of its Effects; it makes those who receive it in Love, conformed to God the Fountain of Truth, in Disposition, Speech and Action. [Page 18]Those like Nathaniel of old are Israelites indeed, in whom there is no Guile. Joh. I. 47. Rev. XIV. 5. 1 Pet. II. 1. While they con­temn the ceremonious Flatteries of fawning selfish Sycophants, they carry themselves through the Course of their Conversations with an inncoent and primitive Simplicity, void of disguised Design.

It is the Doctrines of the glorious Gospel which I believe are mainly intended by the Word Truth in our Text, not only for the Reasons already Mentioned, but also because those are of absolute Necessity to be received in Love, in order to obtain Salvation, as will be afterwards made evident; which leads me to enquire, what may be intended by that Word in our Text saved. And,

1. The Word Salvation or Saved, some­times signifies a Deliverance from temporal Danger, by the Agency of Divine Providence, Ex. XIV. 13. And Moses said unto the Peo­ple, fear ye not, stand still and see the Salva­tion of the Lord. — And,

2. Sometimes it signifies an imperfect De­liverance from spiritual Dangers and Mise­ries, by the Operation of special Grace; 1 Cor. I. 18. For the Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the Power of God.

[Page 19] Those who receive the Truth in Love taste the first Fruits of the Heavenly Harvest in this World; for they are brought from a State of Sin, Misery and Death, into a State of Grace, Blessedness and Life. Rev. III. 17. Eph. I. 3 Rom. V. 5. Eph. II. 1. Preserved in this gracious State by the Almighty Pow­er of God, 1 Pet. I. 5. Strengthned to over­come the World, resist Temptations and sub­due the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts, 1 Joh. V. 4. Eph. VI. 12. Rom. VI. 5, 6. Gal. V. 24. Scaled to the Day of Redemp­tion, by the Holy Spirit of Promise: Which is the Earnest of their Inheritance. Eph. I. 13.14. enriched with a fullness of divine Bles­sings. Whereby they are prepared for per­fect and perpetual Happiness in a State of Glory. 2 Pet. I. 2, 3. Col. II. 2, 7. 2 Pet. I. 10, 11. — Which is the

3d. Thing signified by the Word Saved, Rom. X. 1. 1 Tim. II. 4. intending a perfect Deliverance from all Evil; perfect, I say, in Kind, Degree and Duration, and a perfect Communication of all Good; the two latter Significations mentioned, but the last especi­ally, is intended by the Word saved in our Text, which not only the Drift of the Con­text, but the Antithesis or Opposition of this to the Word damned in the 12 v. sufficiently confirm.

[Page 20] From the Words thus explained I would observe the following doctrinal Proposition, viz.

That receiving the Truth in Love is abso­lutely necessary in order to obtain eternal Sal­vation.

To prepare this Observation by Explicati­on for Improvement, I design

I. To speak something of the Nature of that Salvation, which receiving the Truth in Love is necessary to obtain.

II. Shew what it is to receive the Truth in Love.

III. Discover and expose the principal Ob­structions which hinder Men's receiving the Truth in Love.

IV. Prove the Necessity of receiving the Truth in Love.

V. And lastly, endeavour to improve the whole.

I return therefore to consider the

I. Proposed, which was, To speak some­thing of the Nature of that Salvation, which receiving the Truth in Love is necessary to ob­tain.

This I think is excellently represented in that [...]ble and comprehensive Character the [Page 21]Apostle Paul gives of it in his Epistle to the Hebrews II. 3. viz. That it is a great Salva­tion; and that most certainly it is in three Respects, namely, in its Contrivance, Nature and Continuance.

1. The deepest Wisdom, the greatest Pow­er, and the richest Love have been conspi­cuous, in devising and accomplishing the Work of Man's Redemption and Salvation by Christ Jesus, hence he is justly called The Wisdom of God, and The Power of God. 1 Cor. XXIII. 24. Memorable to this Pur­pose is that Passage of the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians III. 10. [he polu­poikilos sophia tou Theou] the manifold Wis­dom of God; hence the Angels are said to desire to look into these Things [eis a' epithu­musin angeloi paracupsai.] 1 Pet. I. 12. The Word [ paracupsai] signifies to bend down­wards, and is usually applied to Bodies when they stoop: But when it is applied to Spi­rits destitute of Bodies, it must needs import great intenseness of Mind; hence also are these Sayings of the same inspired Writer to the Romans, I. 3, 4. — And declared to be the Son of God with Power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection of the Dead. And Eph. I. 6, 7, 8. To the praise of the Glory of his Grace, wherein he hath made us accepted, in the Beloved. See Eph. V. 2. and 1 Joh. IV. 10.

[Page 22] 2. It is a great Salvation in Regard of its Nature, if we either consider The Miseries Saints are by it delivered from, or The Bles­sings they are instated in.

1. The Miseries which glorified Saints are delivered from, are couch'd in these two Ge­nerals, viz. Sin, and all Incentives to it, and Sorrow the fatal Fruit of Sin, in all its various Degrees and Forms, Rev. XXI. 4, 27. which comprehend many Particulars, some of which I shall mention.

1. The Miseries and Afflictions which God's People are in this Life distressed with, and in the next State perfectly delivered from, are of two kinds, external or internal, tem­poral or spiritual; their temporal Troubles may be distinguished, for Order's Sake, into these three Kinds, namely, into such as re­spect the Name, Body or Estate.

1. As to the Name, who are apt to suffer more this Way than those who least deserve it? Witness the Prophets, Apostles and primitive Christians, yea, even Christ him­self. Those ancient Worthies could not e­scape the World's Calumnies; who tho' the most excellent of the Earth, were counted the Off-scourings of it, 1 Cor. IV 13. A good Name and Character is naturally dear to us, Eccl. VII. 1. Therefore it must needs be somewhat afflictive to be unjustly bereaved [Page 23]of it: Yet this is the common Lot of gra­cious Persons, more especially of such who are zealously active for, and successful in the Promotion of Christ's Kingdom. If any will go beyond the Line of carnal Wisdom, and Lukewarmness in the Cause of God, and precious Souls; they are presently esteemed Monsters and Mad-men, and set up as Marks for the Devil and his envious Brood, to shoot at with their envenom'd Arrows, Act. XXVI. 25. Rev. XII. 15. Such is the Enmity of Sa­tan and his Favourites against them, that if they will gain Souls, they shall lose their Reputation. 2 Tim. III. 12. The most unsul­lied Innocence shall not screen them from in­vidious Reflections; as I hinted before: How was Christ himself reproached, called a Glutton, a Wine-bibber, a seditious Person? Mat. XI. 19. Luke XXIII. 2. If they did these Things in a green Tree, what shall be done in the dry, Luke XXIII. 31. The Lord Jesus foreknowing that this would be the Lot of his People, who in this World are as Sheep in the midst of Wolves. Mat. X. 16. has given them sufficient Warning of it, lest they be surprized, Mat. X. 22. And ye shall be hated of all Men for my Names sake; and does give them sufficient Support under it, lest they should be discouraged, Rev. II. 1, 3. Is. XLVIII. 10. with the encouraging [Page 24]Promise of a perfect Deliverance from it, and a greater Reward for it in the higher House. Mat. V. 11, 12. Blessed are ye when Men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all Manner of Evil against you falsly for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: For great is your Reward in Heaven. —

2. Another Kind of temporal Troubles which in this Life afflict the Just, is concern­ing their Bodies. — What a melancholly Train of numerous and painful Diseases in­fest the whole Progeny of apostate Adam? The just Penalty of the broken Covenant. Gen. II. 17. In the Day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely dye; not only Death it self, the King of Terrors, and Terror of Kings, but all Kinds of Pain and Sickness, the aw­ful Ushers and Antecedents of it, are the best of Men exposed to here. Man in his inno­cent Estate enjoyed a just Temperature of Humours, which served to preserve his ex­cellent Constitution, which being by Sin broken, tend to beget and enflame those Dis­eases, which pain and put a Period to hu­man Life; every of which the dearest of Gods Servants are liable to in this Wilder­ness of Sorrows and Vale of Misery; but it is their Covenant Mercy to have them sanc­tified and often sweetned in this World by God's Spirit and his Love, Is. XXVII. 9. [Page 25] Rom. V. 3, 5. and it will be their Priviledge to be perfectly saved from them in the next, when all the Seeds of Death and Sources of Pain, shall be far removed from their im­mortal Nature and happy State, Rev. XXI. 4. And shall wipe all Tears from their Eyes; and there shall be no more Death, neither Sor­row, nor Crying, neither shall there be any more Pain, for the former Things are passed away. See 1 Cor. XV. 53, 54.

3. Another Kind of Miseries which afflicts pious People, respects their Worldly Estates. It is the common Lot of the best of Men, not to have much of this World's Goods, Ps. LXXIV. 19. 1 Cor. I. 26. — 29. Now Po­verty through the Corruption of Nature, and Weakness or want of the Exercise of Grace, is apt to beget anxious Fears, and distrustful Cares, which prey upon the small Comforts of Life. This with the Defeat of blooming Projects, and the Bites of covetous knavish Misers, is no inconsiderable Affliction. — From these Afflictions also there is a Rest for the People of God, in that great Salvation they are entituled to, He [...] IV. 9.

Besides these personal Afflictions mentioned, there are sympathetick Sorrows, occasioned by the Reproaches, Pains, and Deaths of such as be near and dear to us, by the Bonds of Nature, Grace and Gratitude, which wound [Page 26]our Spirits and distress our Hearts. Oh what a Scene of Sorrow and Vale of Mourning is the Life of Man! But from all these and every other Misery, shall the Redeemed of God be saved in their future happy State; Rev. XXI. 4. In that joyful perfect Para­dise, they shall never behold any miserable Object, to call forth their mourning Passions. Is. LI. 11. Therefore the Redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting Joy shall be upon their Head: They shall obtain Gladness and Joy, and Sorrow and Mourning shall flee away. — But I proceed to consider the

2. Kind of Trouble before mentioned, viz. Spiritual and internal, which this great Sal­vation includes a Freedom from; these may be again distinguished into two Sorts, namely, personal and relative.

1. Personal, these Troubles which respect our selves are,

1. Orginal Corruption, that Spawn of Sin and Fountain of Pollution, the very Parent of all the Evils that stain our Lives and per­plex our Hearts. O what an intolerable Bur­den is this to a gracious Person! Ps. LI. 5. Behold I was shapen in Iniquity; and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. Rom. VII. 24. O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death!

[Page 27] 2. Actual Sin, this disturbs their Peace, blots their Evidences for Heaven, of­fends their gracious God, causes much Heart Sorrow, and many mournful Complaints: But from both these grievous Maladies last mentioned, which are indeed the meritorious Causes of all others, shall the People of God be perfectly free'd by the great Salvation. Heb. X. 22, 23. But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumera­ble Company of Angels, to the general As­sembly and the Church of the first born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect.

3. The Defects of their Graces and Imper­fections of their Duties cost them many a sorrowful Hour. 1 Thes. III. 10. Rom. VII. 21. Their Duties are in this Wilderness like Pil­lars of Smoke, blackned with Sin as they flow from them, although they be perfumed with the Myrrh and Frankincense of Christ's Righteousness, and for that be graciously ac­cepted by God. Cant. III. 6. Rev. VIII. 3. Hypocrites look only to the Matter or Husk of Duties, and if that be done they are easy: But it is the Property of every gracious Heart to look well to the Form and Manner of them; the Principles from which, the [Page 28]Scope to which, and the Frame with which they act. Phil. III. 3. Hence are their Com­plaints, Wo is [...]ne, how cold and dead am I? My wretched Heart is like a Piece of the nei­ther Millstone! What a dead Dog am I? 2 Sam. III. 8 Wo is me, I have no Faith at all, or very little! Mark III. 24. Quicken me, quicken me, enlarge my Heart, O God! And then will I run in the Way of thy Com­mands. Ps. CXIX 25.37.88. Ps. CXIX 32. But assuredly the great Salvation they are interested in, will perfect both their Graces and Duties Ephes. 5.27.

4. Other Afflictions which distress the Peo­ple of God (many of them) exceedingly, are doubts about their State; and the vio­lent Temptations of the Enemy: Who goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour. With what Fear and Trembling will God's People weigh themselves in the Scales of the Sanctuary, and often think they find themselves too Light? Alas! says the poor humble Soul, I have never been humbled enough for Sin! Wo is me I fear, I make no Progress in Holiness! Some make light Work of Examination, they easily imagine without Scripture Foundation, that their State is good. Ay, but conscientious Persons who know the worth of their Souls, and the de­ [...]itfulness of their Hearts, will not take [Page 29]Things of such Moment and Consequence upon Trust; without the most solemn and impartial Tryal. Those Doubts about the goodness of their State, and the fiery Darts, of Satan, are often the Effects of God's hiding his Face from the Soul upon the Account of Sin. As when the natural Sun retires from our Horison, Darkness immediately ensues, and then do the Vermine of the Forrest which were asham'd to see the Light, come out of their lurking Places for their Prey: Thus it is in a spiritual Sense, when the Lord with­draws the influences of his Love, then Satan that Bird of Prey, knowing his Opportuni­ty, bends his hellish Bow, and shoots [...]s fiery Arrows into the distressed and deser­ted Heart; from these Afflictions also shall they be everlastingly delivered by the great Salvation. Rom. XVI 20. 1 Cor. XII. 12. Having spoken something concerning the spiritual Troubles of God's People, in respect of themselves: I proceed to consider.

2. The relative Afflictions they Labour un­der in respect of other; the Lord best knows what breakings and rendings of Heart, what deep Sobs and overwhelming Sorrows they have for their unconverted Relations! Abraham's request for Ishmael is often on their Hearts, and in their Lips. Gen. 17.18. And Abraham said unto God, [Page 30]O that Ishmael might live before thee! Also they cannot but be grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph, in the following Instances.

1. The little Success of the glorious Gos­pel troubles them, when the Word and Or­dinances are like a miscarrying Womb and dry Breasts; when Ichabod, or the Glory is departed, may be written upon them 1 Sam. IV. 21. Micah VII. 1.

2. The paucity or sewness of the truly god­ly who are like two or three Berries in the top of the uppermost Bough. Is. XVII. 6. Like a few Jewels, among an Infinite Number of P [...]bbles and Rubbish. Mal. III. 17. Like a few gleannings, after the Vintage in Com­parison of the Wicked. Mic. VII. 1. A little Flock. Luke XII. 32. A small Rem­nant. Is. I. 9. Except the Lord of Hosts had left unto us a very small Remnant, we should have been as Sodom.— Rom. IX 27. Tho the Number of the Children of Israel be as the Sand of the Sea, a Remnant shall be saved. Jer. III 14. And I will take you one of a City, and two of a Family, and I will bring you to Zion. It was the Complaint of the Prophet. Amos VII 5. That Jacob was small.

3. The Reproaches that are cast upon them by wicked People, are afflictive to those that fear God; thus it was Jeremiah's La­mentation, [Page 31] that the precious Sons of Zion were disesteem'd and undervalued. Lam. IV 2.

4. The encreasing Number of the Churches enemies. Ps. III. 1. Lord how are they in­creased that trouble me? many are they that rise up against me? And their growing Pow­er. Pro. XXIX 2. When the Righteous are in Authority, the People rejoyce: But when the wicked beareth Rule the People mourn.

5. The Removal of her faithfull Friends, Is. I. 57. The Righteous perisheth and no Man layeth it to Heart.

Now from these relative as well as from all personal Afflictions, do the People of God find rest; in that Salvation Christ has purcha­sed for them.

2. Thes. I. 6.7. Seeing it is a righteous Thing with God, to recompense Tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are trou­bled rest. — Is. LXIII. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us.—

Having spoken thus much of the Miseries, God's People are delivered from by the great Salvation. I come now in the

2. Place according to the Order proposed to speak of the Blessings they are instated in, which are Desirable in their Nature, and Du­rable in their Continuance; for

[Page 32] 1. They are introduced into, and made Possessors of a stately Palace. Luke XXIII. 43. Which has these three notable Qualities, viz. Vast extent, inimitable Beauty, and eter­nal Duratiou.

1. This Palace of the King is of vast ex­tent, hence it's call'd by the Apostle John, the great City. Rev. XXI. 10. Which the Angel having measured with a golden Reed, found to extend each Way Twelve Thousand Furlongs, which amounts to Forty eight Thousand Furlongs in the whole Compass; or Fifteen hundred German Miles, ver. 15.16. As Mr. Henry Observ's. Here is yet Room for all true Penitents. Luke XIV 22. Here are Mansions suitable in Nature, (or Quality) and sufficient in Number, for all returning Prodigals. John XIV. 2.

2. It is of inimitable and unconceivable Beauty, and Splendor, hence its call'd Light; Col. I. 12. And we are further inform'd con­cerning this City, that it has no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it, for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. Rev. XXI. 23. It's call'd the Heaven of Heavens because of it's Height, Extent, Excellency. 1. King. VIII. 27. The Throne of God, because of his majestick Presence there. Is. LXVI. 1. The Heaven­ly Jerusalem, because of its spotless Sancti­ty, [Page 33]Heb. XII. 22. Paradise, because of the inexpressible Beauty of the Place, and the transcendent Pleasures there enjoyed, Luke XXIII. 43.

3. It is of Eternal Duration; hence it is called a House not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. V. 1. A City that hath Foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God, Heb. XI. 10.

2. The Blessed are made to enjoy a glori­ous God, Mat. V. 8. From whose Bosom springs Rivers of Pleasures, a Fountain of Life, and Fullness of everlasting Consolation, Ps. XXXVI, 7, 8, 9. Ps. XVI. 11. Some­thing suitable and sufficient to satisfy all the Powers of the Soul.

The Understanding is infinitely pleased with beholding the surprizing Beauties of his Nature, the Charms and Wonders of his Love, the Wisdom and Symmetry of his Works. In his Light it beholds Light and Truth, which is its proper and suitable Good.

The Will is as much ravished with em­bracing him for its full and final Portion, who is as full of Glory and Excellency, as the Sea of Water, or the Sun of Light.

3. They are made to behold a beautiful Re­deemer, Rev. V. 6. which will certainly make the Tide of their Joys swell in his [Page 34]Presence, in Proportion to the Degrees of their Desire, and Sorrow in his Absence; if Believers are ravished with the Love of Christ in this World, when they have but a small Glimpse of his Beauty through the Lattesse. Cant. II. 9. Cant. V. 4. How unconceivably great will their Satisfaction be, when they shall see him shining in his full Glory, and be blessed with his Embraces? Especially when they remember the Labours of his Love, and Depth of his Sufferings on their Account.

4. They shall undoubtedly receive additional Satisfaction and Solace from their agreeable Fellowship and social Worship with Saints and Angels. Here, tho' much Pleasure at some Times may be had with the Saints, in a mu­tual and united Performance of the sweet Du­ties of Religion; yet their different Opini­ons in Matters of lesser Importance, different Frames, and Jealousies arising from the De­fects they perceive in each other, sometimes mar the Harmony of their Worship, shut and seal the Springs of their mutual Solace: For when one is mourning, the other is rejoicing, with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory; while one trembles, the other triumphs; while one feels his Heart straitned, the other is enlarged; while one thinks himself for­saken, another can say with the Spouse, My [Page 35]Beloved is mine, and I am his, Cant. II. 16. feels his Affections burning and flaming within him, and roaming after Christ and the heavenly Eden; like the Chariots of A­minadab, Cant. VI. 12.

Again, there are such Defects in the Gra­ces of God's People, and such Weakness in their Mortal Frame, as give no small inter­ruption to the Thread of their Devotion; but these Imperfections will be forever done a­way in Heaven, that Seat of transcendent Glory, perfect Purity, and perpetual Plea­sure. Heb. XII. 23. Their Bodies being made spiritual, will of Consequence be indefatiga­ble. 1 Cor. XV. 53.

Once more, that solemn Dread we are struck with at the Appearance of an Angel, in this State of Imperfection, which springs principally from our Guilt and Sin, shall then be perfectly removed; and consequent­ly they will become agreeable and pleasant Companions in that triumphant State. Now from these Things mentioned there cannot but flow.

5. Continual Joy and Delight. In order to convey some Idea of the Greatness of this Joy to us, it is compared, as Doctor Bates observes, To the Joy of the Harvest. — Ps. CXXVI. 5, 6. They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy; he that goeth forth and weep­eth, [Page 36]bearing precious Seed, shall doubtless come again with Rejoicing bringing his Sheaves with him. And to the Joy of a Vic­tory, Rom. VIII. 37. Nay in all Things we are more than Conquerors, through him that loved us. Mat. XII. 20. A bruised Reed shall be not break, and smoaking Flax shall be not quench until he bring forth Judgment unto Victory; which must needs be great, because of the Dangerous Enemies that are overcome, and the Prize that is hereby secured.

If God's People sometimes rejoice, with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory, when they have but transient Tastes and small Drops of Comfort communicated to them, to what De­gree shall their Delight encrease, when they shall enter into their Master's Joy, and swim in the boundless Ocean of divine Goodness and Love, Ps. XXXVI. 9.

3. This Salvation is great in regard of its Continuance and Duration, which (as Divines say) is semper & ad semper, continual with­out Intermission, and eternal without End. Mat. XXV. 46. The least Doubt of any In­termission of, or Period put to their present happy Scene, would set the whole Heavens a mourning; for the greater Delight we have in the Enjoyment of any Good, the greater proportionably are our Sorrows when bereav­ed of it. — Well might the Apostle John [Page 37]observe concerning the happy State of per­fected Spirits, that it is to us in our present Condition incomprehensible, 1 John III. 2. Beloved, now are we the Sons of God,' and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. — And thus I come to consider the

II. General Head proposed, [...]ch was to shew, What it is to receive the Truth in Love, and this is,

1. To hear the Doctrines of the Gospel of Truth frequently, as often as Opportunity presents, Heb. X. 25. Not forsaking the As­sembling of your selves together, as the Man­ner of some is.

2. Attentively, Acts XVI. 14. And a certain Woman named Lydia, a Seller of Purple, of the City of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us; whose Heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the Things which were spoken of Paul.

3. Reverently, Is. LXVI. 2. — But to this Man will I look ( i. e. with Compassion and Complacency) even to him that is poor, and of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my Word. 1 Thes. II. 13. For this Cause also thank we God without ceasing; because when ye receiv­ed the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the Word of Men, but (as it is in Truth) the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. —

[Page 38] This leads me to consider the

4. Particular included in receiving the Truth in Love, which is Faith, a necessary Antecedent of the Former; for Faith works by Love. Those who receive the Truth in Love hear it believingly, i. e. not only give a firm Credit to what is spoken agreeable to the Scriptures of Truth, as the Word of God in general, but also make a close Applica­tion of their Portion of that Word they hear in particular, Heb. IV. 2. For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well unto them: But the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it. — See Acts II. 37. Again,

5. Receiving the Truth in Love, implys high Esteem, Job. XXII 12. I have esteemed the Words of his Mouth (says Job) more than my necessary Food. The Psalmist speaking of God's Commands, in Ps. XIX 10. says that They are more to be desired than Gold, yea than much fine Gold.

6. Eager Desire, 1 Pet. II. 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby. Agreeable to this precious Precept was the Psalmist's pious Disposition and Practice, Ps. XX. 4. One Thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the Days of my Life, to behold [Page 39]the Beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple.

7. Great Delight, Ps. LXXXIV. 10. For a Day in thy Courts (said the Psalmist) is better than a Thousand (i. e. elsewhere) I had ra­ther be a Door-keeper in the House of my God, than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness. I suppose he meant in the most pompous Manner; for there seems to be a Meiosis in these Words, i. e. more intended than ex­pressed. And Ps. XIX. 10. he tells us, that the Word of God is sweeter than Honey and the Hony-comb. And Ps CXIX. 103. he says, How sweet are thy Words unto my Taste, yea sweeter than Honey to my Mouth.

8. Unfeigned Obedience, Jam. I. 22. But be ye Doers of the Word and not Hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Here the A­postle instructs us, that if we depend upon bare Hearing of the Word, without acting answerable to what we hear, we do but de­ceive our selves. See Joh. XIII. 17. If ye know these Things, happy are ye if ye do them. And miserable if ye do them not; this is doubtless intended in the Expression, in which there seems to be an Elipsis. — But I proceed to consider, the

III. Proposed, which was to discover and expose the Obstructions which hinder Men's receiving the Truth in Love; and they are such as these following, viz:

[Page 40] 1. Ignorance of the Foundation-Truths and precious Principles of Christianity Prov. XIX. 2. That the Soul be without Knowledge it is not good; — The blessed God com­plains by the Prophet Hosea IV. 6. That his People were destroyed for lack of Knowledge: And, alass, there is too great Reason for the same Complaint at this Day over a great Part of this miserable Land! who not being by Catechising instructed in the first Truths of the Christian Religion in their early Years, are suffered to wander endlessly in the wild Mazes of those smoth deceitful Doctrines their Corrupt Natures dictates, and so are ignorant of, and averse to, the plain fundamental Truths of that Religion they profess, and therefore pass a Judgment upon what they hear, rather according to the cor­rupt Byass of their Fancy and Caprice, than the Rules of Scripture and Reason. And thus truly the Praise or Dispraise of the most are equally insignificant and trifling; for they can give as little Reason for the one as the other: But because it is the Fashion, they must pass their Verdict forsooth, and that is but a random Shot directed rather by their Palate than their Judgment or Reason. This lamentable Ignorance is the great Cause why so many get so little Good by what they hear, as our Lord informs us in his Explication of [Page 41]the Parable of the Sower, Mat. XIII. 19. When one heareth the Word of the Kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the Wicked One and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart.

2. Enmity is another great Obstruction a­gainst receiving the Truth in Love; for this gives the Minds of Men a strong Prejudice against it, so that they will not hear patient­ly, or weigh impartially, the Reasons which are offered to confirm and illustrate it; and thus they oftentimes reject the Truth un­heard. What Men do not like should be true, they'll be easily induced to believe is false; the Shadow of Reason will gain their inconsiderate Dissent. Thus do they square their Faith by their Fancy, and sport them­selves in their destructive Deceivings. 2 Pet. II. 12, 13. But these, as natural brute Beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the Things they know not, and shall utterly perish in their own Corruption. But this Dis­position indulged, is foolish as destructive: For can it be with Reason imagined, that a false Faith will alter the Nature of Things?

Now natural Men are possessed of a four­fold Enmity.

1. Against God himself, the Fountain of Truth, because of his absolute Sovereignty, strict Justice, and unspotted Holiness. Rom [Page 42]VIII. 7. Rom. I. 30. They can't bear the Thoughts of God's absolute Power to govern over them, and dispose of them as he pleases, as the Potter over the Clay; no, this crosses the horrible Pride of their Natures, by which like their Father the Devil, they seek to be above God, would have Jehovah bound to their Belt, and truckle to their Nod; while they themselves are absolutely free forsooth, and at their own Dispose, capable (as they imagine) to purchase in part, a Right to the Heavenly Paradise, with the filthy Truck of their stinking Prayers, and other graceless Performances. Rom. X. 3. Rom. III. 13. Zech. XI. 8. Tit. I. 15. Hag. II. 14. Now when these haughty Conceits and hireling Prin­ciples are opposed, they presently shew their Spite against the blessed God, by offering car­nal Cavils against his holy and eternal Pur­poses. Rom. IX. 20. They would rather trust themselves in their own Hands than in the Hands of God: This proves plainly (not­withstanding their false Pretences to the con­trary) the sorry Opinion they have of God, and the high Conceit they have of them­selves.

And thus do they hate the Justice and Ho­liness of God, they'll praise God's Mercy sometimes with open Mouth, through Self­love; but as to his Holiness and Justice, not [Page 43]a Word of them; as there are some Laws of God which do not suit well their darling Lusts, which they could secretly wish were to [...] out of the Bible or Decalogue; so there are Attributes which they would have torn from the Being of God. — To conclude this, let it be noted, that those who do not love God for his Holiness, Sovereignty, Justice, hate him, and are therefore in the Gall of Bitterness, and Bond of Iniquity. Such who love not all God's Attributes, love none of them in Truth, for they are all equally ami­able.

2. Against the Ministers of God, the Mes­sengers of Truth, for their Faithfulness and Plainess. 2 Chron XVIII. 7. — There is yet one Man, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: But I hate him; for he never prophe­sieth good unto me, but always evil: The same is Micaiah the Son of Imla.

3. Against the People of God, the Lovers of Truth, because of their Piety and Strict­ness. 1 Joh. III. 12. Not as Cain, who was of that Wicked one, and slew his Brother: And wherefore slew he him? Because his own Works were evil, and his Brother's righ­teous.

4. Against the Truth it self, because of its Simplicity and Sanctity. The Word of God, tho' it bears the Characters of Divine Maje­sty, [Page 44]which justly command the Attention and excite the Esteem, of all who are not aban­doned to stupid obstinate Infidelity: Yet be­ing void of meretricious Beauty, its useful Plainess is treated with Contempt, by a Generation of Mortals who are willingly ignorant of true Worth. 1 Cor. I. 21. 2. Pet. III. 5. 1 Cor. II. 14.

Its spotless holiness which deserves the Ve­neration of all inteligent Creatures, who have any Remains of the Divine Image, does but excite the Indignation of willful Impenitents; because it crosses and condemns the Corrup­tions they Love and caress, Joh. III. 19, 20. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost, 2 Cor. IV. 3. Shall we think the worse of the natural Sun, because the whole Congregation of Bats dislike and shun its dis­covering Light?

3. Another Obstruction is Obduracy, or Hardness of Heart. Heb. III. 7, 8. To Day if ye will hear his Voice, harden not your Hearts. Pharaoh heard not Moses because his Heart was hardned. — Unhappy Sinners harden their Hearts by Sinning against Light, by neglecting that which they know to be Duty, and doing that which they know to be Sin; by this woful Course the Heart is gradually hardned, the Conscience seared, and God of­ten provoked to inflict a penal Hardness Is. VI. 10.

[Page 45] 4. Obstruction is Pride, 2 Cor. X 4, 5. — Casting down Imaginations, and every high Thing that exalteth it self against the Know­ledge of God, and bringing into Captivity e­very Thought to the Obedience of Christ. The horrible Pride that governs natural Men so stiffens their Hearts, that they scorn to stoop to the Simplicity of the Truth as it is in Christ: But hear and remember ye stout hearted, that are far from Righteousness, Is. XLVI. 12. you shall be humbled; either graciously to your Conviction and Conver­sion, or judicially to your Confusion and Damnation. Is. II. 12. Tim. III. 6. Joh XXVI. 11, 12. The Pillars of Heaven tremble, and are astonished at his Reproof. He divideth the Sea with his Power, and by his Under­standing he smiteth through the Proud.

5. Obstruction is Presumption. Many have got tho' without a scriptural Foundation, a good Opinion of their present State, and therefore like not these close awakning Truths, which tend to discover the Badness and Danger of it. Rev. III. 17. Joh. III. 20, 21. The

6. And last Obstruction I shall mention, is that of bad Tutors and Examples. Prov. XIII. 20. He that walketh with the Wise, shall be wise: But a Companion of Fools (i. e. wicked Men, who have frequently that [Page 46]ignominious but just Epithet given them in Scripture) shall be destroyed. Too many un­godly People are like the Pharisees of old, who will neither enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves, nor suffer those that are entring to enter, if they can hinder them, either by their crafty Sophisms, and envidious Re­proaches against vital Religion and its Pro­fessors; or by their disdainful Taunts and filthy Practices. Mat. XXIII. 13. But wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees; for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men: For ye nei­ther go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring, to enter. Li [...]e Elimas the Sorcerer, too many are endeavouring to turn away Peo­ple from the Truth, whom we may address in Paul's Language, Act. XIII. 10. O full of all Subtilty and all Mischief, ye Children of the Devil, will ye not cease to pervert the right Ways of the Lord?

I proceed to consider the

IV. Proposed, which was to prove The Ne­cessity of receiving the Truth in Love.

1. It is necessary by God's positive Com­mand, Luk. VIII. 19. Take heed therefore how ye hear.

2. It is necessary as an appointed Means; (1.) To obtain Faith in God through Christ. If we hear not the Word without Prejudice, we are never like to obtain the necessary [Page 47]Grace. Rom. X. 14, 17. — (2.) to obtain Freedom from the Guilt of Sin. Joh. VIII. 32. And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. (3.) Sanctification from its Power. Joh. XVII. 17. Sanctify them through thy Truth, thy Word is Truth. And (4) Salvation from its penal Effects. 1 Cor. I. 18. For after that in the Wisdom of God, the World by Wisdom knew not God, It pleas­ed God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe. But we preach Christ Cru­cified, unto the Jews a Stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks Foolishness; but unto them which are called (i. e. effectually) both Jews and Greeks, the Power of God and the Wis­dom of God.

3. The Truth as it is heard becomes ei­ther a great Blessing or a great Curse, a Mean of Salvation or an Augmentation of our Damnation, a Savour of Life unto Life, or of Death unto Death; a Mean of enlightning People graciously, or of blinding them ju­dicially. Mat. X. 14, 15. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor receive your Words. — Verily I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomo­rah in the Day of Judgment than for that City. — Joh XV. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had Sin: But now they have no Cloak for their Sin. — [Page 48]2 Cor. II. 15, 16. For we are unto God a sweet Savour in Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the Savour of Death unto Death; and to the o­ther the Savour of Life unto Life. — Rom. XI. 7, 8. — But the Election hath obtained it, and the Rest were blinded. According as it is written, God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber, Eyes that they should not see, and Ears that they should not bear unto this Day. The Truth of Christ's Gospel is like the Waters of Jealousy, such as receive it not in Love are like the Adulteress, to whom it was poisonous and bitter, causing a Curse, Tu­mors, Rottenness: But to such as receive it with sincere affection, it is like the Waters of Life, the Dew of Hermon causing Fruitful­ness. Num. V. 27, 28.

But I proceed to the Application or Im­provement. And

1. Is Salvation so great and glorious as has been hinted? Then how lamentable is it, that the Understandings of most are so con­fined and immured within the narrow Sphere of Time and Sense, that they rarely pierce the obscure Vail which intercepts between that and Eternity? Seldom pass over these narrow Boundaries to contemplate the ra­vishing Beauties, substantial pleasures, solid and durable Glories of the coelestial State! [Page 49]That great Center in which all the Lines of Beauty and Perfection meet.

And also that their Judgments should be so much byassed and corrupted, as to value and esteem the Shadows and Phantasms of earthly Grandeur, Wealth, and Pleasure, before the real permanent and satisfactory Sweets of the Divine Love and Favour, which is better than Life it self. Is. V. 20.

What Pity is it that the Desires and Affec­tions of reasonable Creatures, should so foo­lishly wander from the Snow of Lebanon, the Fountain of living Waters, and in the mean Time passionatly court and eagerly pursue the muddy broken Cisterns, the delusive de­structive Dreams of sensitive Delights! Jer. II. 13. Ps. IV. 6. Alass that Men have thus forgot the Dignity of their Nature, in neg­lecting both to act worthy of it, and to seek a Happiness suitable to it!

2. Is receiving the Truth in Love so ne­cessary to Salvation, as has been hinted in the doctrinal Part of this Discourse? Then how great is the Sin and Danger of such who neglect this Practice? — But who are these? — And wherein appears their Sin and Dan­ger?

The Contraries of the II. Proposed offer an easy Answer to the first Question, which you may consider in the following Instances, and

[Page 50] 1. You who hear the Word of God seldom, when you have Opportunity, receive not the Truth in Love: For most certainly, true Love would make you seek and improve all Opportunities of enjoying the Object of your Esteem and Affection.

2. You who instead of hearing reverently, hear with indifferent light Airs, rather out of Custom than Conscience.

3. You who hear with a wandring Eye and [...]oving Heart, like Ezekiel's Hearers, Ezek. XXXIII. 31. who while you sit before God as his People, perhaps your Hearts are going after your Covetousness as theirs did.

4. You who believe not what you hear according to the Scriptures, to be the very Word of God; and alass how many such miserable Souls are under the Gospel, if we may judge of their Faith by their Fruits?

5. You who hear the Words of God, but do them not, receive not the Truth in Love. Ezek. XXXIII. 32. And lo! thou art unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant Voice, and can play well on an In­strument. For they hear thy Words but do them not. Ye who remain as worldly and carnal as ever, one Year after another, not­withstanding all the Threats of God you hear denounced against such Practices; miserable Sinners! how dreadful will your Damnation [Page 51]be except ye repent! It will be more tolera­ble for Tyre and Sidon, yea, for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the Day of the Lord than for you! Mat. XI. 21, 22. Luk. X. 14.

6. You who instead of hearing with high Esteem, slight the Gospel of Christ, ye luke­warm Souls, remember that your dreadful Doom so continuing, is to be rejected with Abhorrence. Rev. III. 15, 16.

7. You who instead of desiring to dwell in the House of God, and of hearing the Word dispensed with Delight, grow quickly (and that commonly) tired of divine Worship, and vehemently long for the last Word, that ye may get out of the House of God, which is to you a Place of Confinement, and get into your own Element the World again.

8. You who instead of esteeming with the Psalmist, one Day spent in God's Courts worth a Thousand elsewhere, begrudge that Time more than any other, and would rather spend a Thousand in your Shops, Fields, Work­houses, than one in the House of God, and had rather be a Doorkeeper in an Alehouse or Whorehouse, than occupy the best Seat in the Church.

2. The Sinfulness of this Practice, viz. of neglecting to receive the Truth in Love, ap­pears from the dreadful Ingredients it con­tains in it, namely the greatest Ingratitude, [Page 52]unaccountable Madness, and most horrible Murder, in slighting the dearest Love, and rejecting the necessary Means of Life.

1. I say it grasps the greatest Ingratitude, because it slights the richest and the dearest Love; which you may more particularly consider in the following Order or Series of Instances.

1. It pleased the Divine Majesty to make Man at first upright, to invest him with no­ble Powers and Priviledges, suitable to the Dignity of his innocent Nature, and the Ex­tent of his vast Desires.

His Understanding the leading Power of the Soul, was filled with pure Beams of di­vine Light, sufficient to direct him in the Way to Happiness, being perfectly freed from that Obscurity and Darkness, with which it has been since in our lapsed State clouded and eclipsed.

The Will was perfectly void of malignant Obstinacy, with which it has been since wo­fully depraved.

The inferior Passions followed the Gui­dance of the Mind, without Confusion or Resistance, were fixed upon suitable Objects, and regular in the Degrees of their Motion: Thus amiable and harmonious, was the pri­mitive State of Man.

[Page 53] 2. When Man had sought out many In­vent ons, foolishly and perversly broke his Creators Laws, and thereby come short of the Glory of God; and exposed himself to his avenging Severity: Did not the offended Deity make the first Motion to reconcile his sinning Creatures, when there was no hopes of Help from Men or Angels, by for­ming a gracious Covenant, every way suited to the Perfections of his own Nature, and his Creatures Wants and Miseries? And by sending his beloved Son out of his Bosom, as the Mediator of it, to undergo a Scene of the most grievous Sufferings, that the most envenom'd Malice could project, or the most arbitrary Tyranny inflict? And what was in­finitely a greater Punishment to tread the Wine press of his Fathers Indignation, to to suffer a weight of Wrath proportioned to all the sins of the elect World! well might the beloved Apostle John, speak with a peculiar emphasis of this. 1. John IV. 10. Herein is Love.—

3. That this rich Largess of dearest Love might prove effectual, does not the blessed God use all rational perswasives, to induce us to accept his Son our Saviour, by comply­ing with the reasonable Terms upon which he is offered? as particularly.

[Page 54] 1. Is not the holy Word of God, replenish­ed with a copious Variety of all Arguments, that are suited to every Power and Pa [...]ion of the human Soul? Are not the most preg­nant Arguments there offered, to convince our Understandings, and perswade our Wills, from the Equity, Excellency, Necessity and Advantages of the Laws of Christianity? Do not every of them serve to exalt enoble and perfect our Natures? Are they not agreeable to the divine Excellencies and invariable Laws of Reason and Equity, and conducive if observed to our present Tranquility, and future Glory? Are not the most bold and dreadful Images of Terror there opened, no less then the infinite vengeance of an incen­sed Deity, continually impending over the impenitent, as a gloomy Cloud charged with Thunder and Lightning, and all the dread­full engines magazines and bolts of Death; ready every Moment at the Creators beck to Arrest them, in order to Alarm their Fear? As also the inexpressible and transcendent Charms of the Person of Christ, arrayed in all his mediatorial Glory, the vast importance of his purchased Benefits, the beautiful Land­skip of the celestial Canaan, the immortal Life ravishing transports and everblooming Glories, there [...]nvailed, to allure our Desire and Love? Again are not the melting Com­passions [Page 55]of a gracious God, the sounding of his Bowels the yearning of his Pity, his willingness after many Aftronts and Delays, to be reconciled to, and accept of, all return­ing Prodigals in the Arms of his Mercy; and to Pardon their most Crimson guilt, and make them white as Snow, there displayed with great frequency force and energy of Language, sufficient motives to excite our Hope, that great spring of Motion, and a­wake our ingenuity, if there be any remains of that generous Passion in our iron Bosoms? Once more may not the passionate Com­plaints and Lamentations of a Deity mourn­ing over us, and his affectionate condescend­ing Addresses to, and piercing Expostulati­ons with us, expressed in his Word open the Springs of our bitterest Griefs, that we have been so long slighters of such Kindness and Love, continued to us after so long and vile Abuse?

2. To enforce his Word upon our Conscien­ces, in order to reclaim us from sin and ruin, and invite us to accept his Love; has not the good God appointed an Order of Men, to publish the Truths therein contained? Ephes. IV. 11. When our Lord Redeemer had conquered Death and Devils, he ascend­ed up on high and gave Gifts to Men, in order to quality them for the ministeral Work; [Page 56]which is to inculcate the Truths and Argu­ments but now mentioned, with the utmost Vehemency, Solemnity, and Frequency, to ery aloud and spare not, — to beseech and entreat with the strongest ardours and the softest Passions, poor Sinners to be reconciled to God 2. Cor. V. 20. Again,

3. To make the former Effectual has not the gracious God appointed continual Moni­tors in our Bosoms, I mean our Consciences, who being conscious to the most retired Scene of our Actions, have thereby a Capacity, and are also obliged by Office as God's Vice-Gerents or Deputies, to correct our most concealed impieties, to Guard against sin and goad to Duty — Not to mention

4. The great pains Jehovah takes with Mankind, in the Course of his Holy and Sovereign Providence for the same end; (be­fore expressed) sometimes alluring them with a Series of forfeited Mercies, sometimes scare­ing them with a Train and thick Succession of painfull Afflictions. And now Brethren, I leave it to your Consciences to determine, whither slighting the Love of God in all the aforesaid Instances, does not contain the grea­test Ingratitude? A Sin condemned by the light of Nature, and yet this all such are guil­ty of, who receive not the Truth which Love has proclaim'd in Love.

[Page 57] 2. Neglecting to receive the Truth in Love contains in it the most unaccountable Mad­ness, which appears in the following Instan­ces.

1. Is not it the height of folly and mad­ness, needlessly to provoke a powerful Ad­versary, whose angry Resentments we are neither able to resist, endure or escape, by Power Policy or Flight? Is not this the very Practice of such who neglect or refuse to receive the Truth in Love? do you not needlessly and disingeniously provoke, an infinite God to Arms, as if you were stronger than he? Have you an Arm like God, or can you Thunder with a Voice like him? Who if he but touch the Mountains they smoake, and the Hills tremble at his Presence! Are ye able to vanquish, bear, or escape his Al­mighty and terrible Vengeance? Can Briers and Thorns contend, in Battle with the fla­ming Fire? If ye take the Morning Wings and hasten to the utmost ends of the Earth, or dig into the Heart of the Earth, or descend into the Depths of Hell, or ascend to the Top of Carmel, or into the heights of Hea­ven, Gods Hand will find you out, and drag you before the Tribunal. He is wise in Heart, and mighty in strength, who hath ever hardened himself against him, and pro­spered.

[Page 58] 2. is not it a Prodigy, of the most ama­zing Madness and folly? For rational Crea­tures to barter away a deathless Soul, an immortal God, and an eternal Paradise; for some brutish transient Gratifications, or a few maskt and disguised Trifles, of no Im­portance or Duration? And yet, be astonish­ed, Ye Heavens, and amazed, O Earth! This is the woful Practice of those infatuated Mor­tals, who neglect to receive the Love of the Truth, that they may be saved! But seeing Words fail of sufficient energy, to give a complea [...] Discription of this unaccountable unparaleled Folly; I must chiefly leave it to your Thoughts to paint suitable Ideas of it, [...] the Addition of a few Queries.

[...]ie, 1. Can you say your Souls are [...] worth? No surely the contrary will [...] to the first Glance of an impartial [...] with the brightest Blaze of Light.— [...] the Soul is a Spirit, appears with meridi­ [...] Lustre, from its sublime Ideas, exalted [...]esires, distant Fears, nervous Reasonings, [...] pregnant Hopes. It's a common Maxim [...] Philosophy, and justly Applicable here, [...]at Effects demonstrate the Nature of the [...]se, which produces them. Those noble [...] mentioned, necessarily suppose [...] and immaterial Cause; they cannot [...]bly be the Effects of crass Matter. how­ever [Page 59]modified, and put in Motion; for the Effects cannot exceed the vertue of its pro­ducing Cause. If then the Soul is a Spiritu­al Substance, it's by consequence of a nobler Nature then the Body, and of a longer yea perpetual Duration, capable of more refined Pleasures and intense Pains, how can ye then indure to have this immortal Spirit, torn from the smiles and embraces of an infinite God, and exposed to his Frowns and Reven­ges, and the dreadful Gripes of cruel Devils, throughout Eternity? Had not the Soul been exceeding precious, the Lord Jesus would never have ransomed it, at so dear and immense a Price; viz. the unvaluable Trea­sures of his Blood, and the inexpres [...]ble Agonies of his Soul, which was exceeding sorrowful even unto Death! If the Soul were not beyond Imagination and Expression valu­able the damned Angels would not make such vigorous and unwaried attempts to ar­rest it; and frequent Solicitations to ensnare it? if it were of no Moment, why should all the Power and Policy, of Hell and Earth be exerted to ruin it?

Querie, 2. Or can you say in your own Vindication, that tho' your Souls be valuable, you get a sufficient Compensation for them in the Delights of Sin? Is this possible? Then was our Lord mistaken, when he in­forms [Page 60]us to the very contrary! Mat. XVI. 26. For what is a Man profited, if he shall gain the whole World, and loose his own Soul? Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? Of the like import is that me­morable Passage mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah, V. 2.3. For thus saith the Lord, ye have sold your selves for nought: The whole Earth and all its Enjoyments, is but a single Cypher, an insignificant no­thing when compared with the precious im­mortal Soul of Man. Miserable Sinners, Esau's foolish Bargain in selling his Birth­right for a mess of Pottage, was infinitely preferable to yours, who traiterously sell your deathless Souls, into the Hands of damned Spirits, by neglecting to receive the Truth in Love: For the insipid transient Trash of perishing Honour, brutish Plea­sure, and ensnaring gain. Are these Things my Brethren, a sufficient Compensation, for the confounding irreparable Loss, of an immortal Soul, an eternal God, and an en­during Paradise? Are the false foolish and fleeting sweets of Sin here, sufficient to counterballance, the continual revilings, and sharp scourges of a guilty Mind; the dread­ful Rebukes, of an enraged God; as well as the amazing horrors of endless Grief, Indig­nation, and Death in Hell for them here­after.

[Page 61] Querie, 3. Can you pretend in your own excuse, that you have not heard the Danger of this Sin of neglecting to receive the Truth in Love, represented to you? No surely, the malignant Nature and damning Issue, of this and other Soul destroying evils, have been repeatedly and solemnly inculcated in your hearing; and you earnestly again and again entreated, to flee from the wrath to come, and accept the Life and Salvation set before you. How then can you answer for your wilfull Wickedness, and cruel Obstina­cy, in Sinning against Light and Instruction; before the great Judge of Heaven and of Earth?

Now Brethren, do not these particulars mentioned under this Head, plainly prove the sin of neglecting to receive the Truth in Love, to be a piece of the most unaccounta­ble and inexcusable Madness? but I hasten to the Consideration of the

3. Ingredient grasped in the Heart of this Sin of neglecting to receive the Truth in Love, which is horrible Murder; appearing in their slighting and rejecting a necessary mean of Life. Rom. X. 14. Is it not con­trary to the Law of Nature, of Nations, and of God; for a Person to imbrue his Hands in his own Blood? Are not Self-murderers justly deemed to be the most dreadful Mon­sters [Page 62]in Nature? especially such of them who perpetrate this bloody Villany willfully, after many Attempts have been used by others to prevent it! Now is not the Mur­der of the Soul, as much more heinous then the Murder of the Body, as it exceeds it in dignity and Duration, in Worth and Con­tinuance? And is not the guilt still increased, by a willfull Commission of this execrable Fact? O Sinners is not this your wretched Case! Who Neglect to receive the Truth in Love? How will you be able to answer before the dreadful Bar of Christ? For your blood Guiltiness, your Murder! Self-Murder! Soul-murder! Willful Soul-murder! In preventing your own Life and Happiness by rejecting the means of it?

Having spoken somewhat concerning the sinfulness of neglecting to receive the Truth in Love, I come now to consider.

2. The Danger of it, which is no less then lying Delusion, in order to eternal Damna­tion; as is expressed in the strongest Terms, in the Verses immediately following our Text, which will be opened in the next Discourse. And now Sinners will ye be guilty of such complicated wickedness, and incurr such pregnant Anger, and endless Misery; meerly to secure very Trifles and winged Vanities? What Infatuation poor [Page 63]happy Souls has seized your Understandings, will you renounce the Dictates of your Rea­son, the natural Inclinations, and propensi­ties of your self-love, that strong Passion which beats warmly in every Breast? Will you cease to act with that Discretion and Regard for your Souls Safety, and Happiness which you use in Temporal concerns? Can it be so? Shall it be so? O strange! O sur­prizing Madness! Has the great God graci­ously Written to you the great and good Things of his righteous Law, and his rich Love? And will ye count them a vain Thing? And refuse to be allured by the Bowels of divine Pity? If the goodness of God does not effect you! Where then is your Reason and Ingenuity? Are you not lost to a Sense of both? And will you not unhappy Sinners, be drawn to your Duty and Interest, by the soft cords of God's tender Mercy and Affecti­on? Then must you expect to be bound with the Iron cords of God's curse, to the Altar of his Justice, and there made a burnt Sacri­fice to his fierce Vengeance. I say you must expect to be fettered with the massy Chains of your own Lusts, and Gods direful Con­demnation for them, to suffer inutterable Burnings and eternal Torments, among damned Men and Devils in the Prison of Hell; as is before proved. Is not self-mur­der [Page 64]an unnatural as well as damning wick­edness, abhorrent to the Laws of Nature of Reason and of God? Does it not cross the strongest propensities in Nature? As appears even in Beasts, who eagerly seek their own Preservation, by carefully shunning apparent Danger. Shall Men then who are of a nobler Mould, and higher Order then they, abandon the Directions of their Reason and Sense, fall beneath the Bruit-Creation and embrace Death and Ruin with open Arms, and that against the Dictates of the clearest Light and charms of the dearest Love? O stupendious madness! But is not self-murder as Destruc­tive as unnatural, does it not lead directly to the gloomy Chambers of eternal Death? For no murderer hath eternal Life abiding in him. 1 John. III. 15. Why are ye guil­ty of this abhorred Barbarity then Sinners, in rejecting an absolutely necessary mean of Life? Awake miserable Souls, and seriously bethink your selves what will be the Issue of your present impenitent Impiety; in slighting God's holy Word, by which you shall be judged in that Day, when God-man shall descend from the third Heaven, clo­thed with Majesty and terrible Glory, at­tended with a shining Retinue of innumera­ble Saints and Seraphims, in order to acquit his People, and condemn his and their ene­mies. [Page 65]Pray consider whither ye are fast hastening, your present fleeting Scene will soon expire, and ye be brought before the dreadful Tribunal of the Living God, to give an Account for your Actions: And what Account can ye give if ye thus persist? What miserable Sinners! Will you stab a Dagger into your own Hearts? What are ye in love with Death, and will ye court Destruc­tion? Is everlasting Misery so amiable? Who among us shall dwell with the devouring Fire? Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings? Is. XXXIII 14. Are ye quite infatuated, lost to Sense and Reason; and abandoned by God? Ah is there no Hope! Or Help? And are ye resolved to be Deaf, to the calls and Warnings of Reason, of Con­science, of Man, and of God? What mean you by such desperate Madness? Stop poor Sinner, and consider thy Folly and Danger. Awake out of thy enchanted Sleep before it be too late. Alass, for the woful obstina­cy of the poor World! Well Sinners if you will not hear, (the Truth) my Soul shall Weep in Secret Places for your Pride. Jer. XIII. 17.

You People of God, how can you restrain your deepest Sorrows, upon so mournful an Occasion? See how desperate Sinners break loose from the restraints of Reason and [Page 66]Conscience! Which bind them to their Duty and Interest, and with unparallel'd Madness, confront the infinite Majesty of Heaven! Run upon the thick Bosses of his Buckler! The pointed Sword of his burn­ning Vengeance! Is it not the saddest sight that ever the Sun saw! To behold ration­al Creatures lying in their Blood and Gore? And yet when Life and Healing is offered, by a provoked God, they will not accept it! But obstinately exaggerate and widen their Wounds as if they were afraid they should escape Damnation, or not get so quick to Hell as they desire! Is it not mournful to behold, such multitudes sinking into Death, just by the Door of Life and Happiness! Especially after so much Pains as the blessed God has taken to induce them to accept it! after that Life and Immortality is brought to Light by the Gospel; and that the Day spring from on high hath visited us! And the Sun of Righte­ousness shone upon us!

If any should ask for Directions in order to perform this great and important Duty, which I have been explaining and urging, viz. Re­ceiving the Truth in Love, to such I would offer these following, viz.

1. Beware of indulging Sinful Lusts; for they naturally prejudice the Mind against those Truths which condemn them.

[Page 67] 2. Beware of Pride and Self-conceit in particular; for as this unfits the Mind for re­ceiving the Simplicity of the Truth as it is in Christ, so it is offensive to God, and may provoke him to leave such as are govern'd by it to Delusions. 1 Pet. V. 5. Jam. IV. 6. Hence we are informed, that such as would become Wise must become Fools ( i. e. in their own Imagination) in order to it; they must see the insufficiency of their own Un­derstanding, to direct them before they learn Wisdom of Christ 1 Cor. III. 18.

3. Beware of needless associating with bad Company, for they much encrease and confirm our natural Aversion against Truth and Holiness, by their subtile Sophisms, and carnal Arguings; as well as by treating things sacred with prophane Banter and Bur­lesque; and traducing pious People with unjust Invectives and Calumnies.

4. Beware of entertaining Prejudice, against the faithful Messengers of Truth; because of the slanderous Reports of erroni­us ungodly Men; for as their Father the De­vil was a lyar and a murder from the Begin­ning, and abode not in the Truth, and is the continual Accuser of the Brethren; so his Children (because of their natural Spite against God, Truth, and Holiness) incline t [...] imitate his Example, and follow his Step Joh. VIII. 44.

[Page 68] 5. Endeavour to be well acquainted with the first Principles, of the Oracles of God, Heb. VI. 1. The Foundation must be first laid, before the Superstructure can be erected, the want of this Catechetical Knowledge, opens a Door for Error or Delusion; think it not too mean an Entertainment to read Cate­chisms, in which the great Truths of Christi­anity are sumarily proposed, indeed your reading much in larger Composures, before you labour to understand these first Princi­ples; is like a Bird attempting to flie before it is fledged, it is said of Dr. Hamond, a very learned Man, that he spent much of his Time, in reading Catechisms.

6. Read diligently the Scriptures of Truth, and attend frequently and reverently upon a preached Gospel; examine what you hear, by the written Word impartially, like the noble Bereans, and Labour conscientiously to comply with the Directions you hear a­greeably thereto, in Heart and Practise; with speed and sincerity.

7. Be much and earnest in humble Sup­plication to God, for the Guidance and Instruc­tion of the Spirit of Truth, Jam. I. 5. For that anointing which teacheth all Things ab­solutely necessary. 1. John II. 27.

8. Associate with the People of Truth as your chosen Companions, how poor soever [Page 69]they be in worldly Respects, and despised by a wicked World. Let honest hearted Nathaniels be the Men of your Council, and objects of your Esteem, for he that walks with the Wise shall be Wise. Prov. 13.20. I conclude with the Words of the Apostle James, I. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthi­ness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and re­ceive with Meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your Souls. Amen.

‘Veracity if he had no Threats or Promises to fullfil?’ ^(b) ‘the very end and Per­fections of these Attributes consists in their exercise; the end of Power is Action.’

Another Argument confirming the rea­lity of a divine Providence, may be drawn from the Order and Harmony, which is con­tinually preserved, both in the natural and moral Creation.

It's surprizing to behold, how all the nu­merous Creatures in the spacious Universe, are exactly fitted in their Form and Texture, to answer the various Uses for which they are design'd! And that notwithstanding the contrary qualities of which they are com­posed; they should conspire to maintain a general and steady Concord! It's worthy of Notice, that amidst such Seeds of Dis­cord and Confusion, the Laws of Union and mutual Dependance should be preserved: And the general Good of the whole pro­moted, notwithstanding the numberless (seemingly) jarring Motions in this vast Machine! And so necessary is the Preserva­tion of the aforesaid Union; that without it the Frame of universal Nature would im­mediately disolve, and crumble into it's pri­mitive Chaos and Confusion. He that duly [Page 76]considers those Things, will be obliged to confess, that non caeco impetu volvuntur Rotae. i. e. That the Wheels of Providence are not rowl'd by blind Chance. For that the trans­verse or cross Motions of unthinking Crea­tures, should conduce to attain one uniform end and that worthy of the wisest Agent; must needs be ascribed to an infinite Mind, who sits at the Helm of Government, fixes the Springs, and guides the Wheels of Motion.

And if we consider Mankind, either in their private, civil, or religious Capacities; the reality and Necessity of a superintending Providence, will appear conspicuous.

For, are they not protected by an invisi­ble Power, amidst the various Deaths, and Dangers which environ and pursue human Life, in all it's winding Labrinths, (as the Shadow the Body) and that sometimes by a surprizing Train of unexpected Occurrences?

What else can restrain the Wrath of savage selfish Men, from boyling over its just Boun­daries, to the utter Destruction of human Society? Without this the World wou'd quickly disband, and turn into the wildest Disorder. The most dreadful Scene, of Bar­barity, and Blood, wou'd open, to inundate the Earth with a second Deluge! It's whole Theatre wou'd speedily become an Acelde­ma!

[Page 77] And what reason can be assigned for many Duties of Religion, if we believe not, that God has the supream disposal of all Events. How can we rationally trust in him in the midst of Danger for Protection, Pray to him in want for supply, or Praise him for Mercies already vouchsafed? — But not to insist,

As Man in his Creation, was the Crown of all the visible Works of God. So in his Preservation and Government, he is the special Object of God's providential Care. But when these once favourite Creatures continue to violate their Creators Laws; and obstinately to reject the repeated offers of his Love; it pleases the just Jehovah by his righteous Providence, to make them (some­times) terrible Instances of his awful seve­rity; in leaving them to a judicial Blindness and obduration here, as a preparative for e­ternal Damnation hereafter. This we have represented in the strongest Terms, and most dreadful Colours, in the Text, which is the subject of our present Meditations. In which we may note two Things, viz.

1. A Description of grievous Evils.

2. And a Denunciation of dreadful Judg­ments, thereby occasioned. And

1. The Evils here described are two.

The First Negative, viz. Not believing the Truth.

[Page 78] The second positive, namely having Plea­sure in unrighteousness.

The former imports a neglect of the Du­ties of the first Table of the Law, which we owe to God, with a Rejection of his Love in the Gospel. (as I have proved in the preceeding Discourse) for the eternal God, is undoubtedly the formal Object of divine Faith. Heb. XI 6. And,

The latter a Violation of the Duties of the second Table, which we owe to Man. Rom. I. 18. For the wrath of God is reveal­ed from Heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of Men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness.

2. The Judgments denounced, viz. Sen­ding of strong Delusion, that they should be­lieve a Lie, that they all might be damned.

Concerning which these four Things are observable namely their Kind, Quality, De­sign, Issue. And,

1. The Kind of the Judgment to be inflic­ted is Delusion, the original Word ^(c) signifies Error, Deceit, either of others or our selves, for thus it is interpreted in many Places of Scripture. 1 John IV. 6. 2 John VII. 1 Tim. IV. 5. 1. John I. 8.

2. The degree thereof is terrible to consi­der, strong Delusion, the original Words [Page 79] ^(d) signifie, the energy, or efficacy of Error, as some interpret. ^(e) i. e. as I conceive such objective and active Delusion, viz. dark Providences, and Deceivers, namely the De­vil and his emissaries, as will be effectual through their Corruption, to deceive and seduce them. And this,

3. Is the awful Design of such stumbling Providences, as our Text expresly declares. Delusions are sent that they should believe a Lie; by which Word I conceive false Doctrine is principally here intended, which considered either singly or complexly may justly be called a Lie, in two respects, (1) in regard of the Source from which they spring, viz. Satan the Father of Lies and Falshood. John VIII 44. Or the deceitful Heart of Man. Jer. XVII. 9. And (2) in respect of the Scope to which they tend, which is to deceive and destroy wicked Men, by flattering their Hopes, with the Expecta­tion of what so continuing they shall never enjoy, Prov. XIV 12. And by tempting their Ambition, to think otherwise of them­selves then in Truth they are. Gal. VI. 3. For if any Man thinketh himself to be som­thing, when he is nothing, he deceiveth him­self. It is but just that those who will not [Page 80]see, should be made blind: That such who shun the Light, should be punished with darkness; and that as a judicial preparative for eternal Damnation. Which is,

4. The natural Issue, and fearful Intenti­on of the former Providences, as our Text expresses in the clearest Manner, that they all might be damned.— Here the univer­sality, certainty, and judicial design of their Damnation is mentioned. By their neglec­ting to believe the Truth, delighting in Wickedness, and Abuse of dark Providences; they are fitted as Vessels of Wrath for De­struction. Which every of them of what de­gree or order soever may expect to possess.

But to make this awful Truth more plain, I shall further endeavour to shew what is supposed by God's sending strong Delusion; and what is implyed in it. And,

1. It supposes God's utter Desertion of those People he so punishes, for their Wick­edness; either in respect of outward means, or his Blessing upon them. Prov. V. 22, 23. His own Iniquities shall take the Wicked himself; and he shall be holden with the Cords of his sins. He shall die without Instruction, and in the greatness of his Folly he shall go astray. Or if he continues outward means, it is in Judgment; for their greater hardening and Damnation. Is. VI. 10. Gen. VI 3.

[Page 81] 2. It implys (1) Gods bringing to pass such dark Providences, as ignorant and wicked People are apt to have wrong Apprehensions of, and stumble over into Hell. Hos. VIII. 11. Because Ephraim hath made many Al­tars unto Sin, Altars shall be to Ephraim to Sin. Upon which some learned Interpreters justly Gloss, ^(f) as followeth, viz. ‘That here is denounced a Punishment most wor­thy of Sin, namely Desertion in Sin, and the Permission of the Occasions of sinning, because they will sin and perish, let them sin and perish, I shall not hinder it. Rev. XXII. 11. Because they have multiply'd Altars to Sin, they shall have Altars to Sin, let there be Altars to them to Sin; seeing they so will let them have and act what they will.’ Such as seek Occasion of Offence, at Gods Ways, and People, shall have Occasion given them, in just Judgment to their Delusion, and Damnation; as our Text witnesseth if Ephraim after repeated Warnings, will still obstinately cleave to Idols, he will be let alone. Hos. IV. 17. For­saken of God, and left to Error, Wrath and Ruin.

2. It implys God's removing the restraints of his Providence, and giving up Men to [Page 82]their Hearts Lusts; to eat of the Fruit of their own Way, and to be filled with their own Devices. Pro. I. 31. And Ps. LXXXI. 11.12. But my People would not hearken to my Voice. And Israel would none of me. So I gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts, and they walked in their own Councils. Prov. XIV. 14.

3. It implys God's leaving People to the influence of a lying Spirit, as he did Ahab who in concurrence with their corrupt Lusts, and the Assistance of false or unfaith­ful Teachers, will quickly infuse wrong No­tions of God's Providence, his People, and their own States; and so blind and harden them like Pharoh, in Order to their eter­nal Damnation 2 Chron. XVIII 22. 2 Cor. IV 4. 1 Tim. IV 1. Giving heed to seducing Spirits,— 2 Joh. VII. For many deceivers are are entered into the World, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, this is a deceiver and an Antichrist.

4. God's sending strong Delusion implys his sentencing such People to Ruin and De­struction. This indeed is expressed in the Words; when Sinners will not be reclaim'd by all the gracious Measures divine Wisdom and Goodness used with them to that end; but harden their Hearts more and more. Pharoh like, both under God's Word, and [Page 83]Rod, they provoke the Lord to swear in his Wrath that they shall never enter into his Rest. Heb. III. 18. When they spend the Day of their gracious Visitation in grieving the Author of it, by taking Pleasure in un­righteousness, disbelieving his Word, and entertaining unreasonable prejudices against it, then doth the righteous God utterly aban­don them, and doom them to that Damna­tion they both justly demerit, and foolishly court. Ezek. 24.13. Pro. 29 1.

Neither can the Sovereign Providence of God, be justly charged with any thing in­consistent with the Perfections of his Na­ture because of the judicial Process now mentioned. But on the contrary hereby.

1. His Justice is glorified upon some, in Proportioning Judgments to their Crimes. Rev. XVI. 5.6. Thou art Righteous O Lord because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the Blood of Saints and thou hast given them Blood to Drink for they are wor­thy. Grievous sins call loudly to Heaven for Vengeance; Gen. XIII. 13. And 18.20. And ripen Sinners for the Stroaks of it. Mat. XXIII 32.—37. Joel III 13. Put ye in the sickle for the Harvest is ripe, come get you down, for the Press is full, the Fats overflow, for their wickedness is Great.

[Page 84] 2. His Mercy and Goodness upon others, in thereby subduing their Corruptions, and strengthning their Graces, as will be after­wards more largely opened. not to men­tion.

3. That Jehovah is an absolute Lord, who may do with his own what he pleases. Mat. XX 15. He is not bound to offer Mer­cy to any, otherwise it would be no more Grace but Debt. Rom. XI. 6. Ephes. II 8. Rom. IV. 4. But when he freely offers his Grace, and it is long rejected, may he not with Honour to his Justice, utterly and eternally withdraw the Offers of it? Deut. XXVIII. 15.28, 29. And it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken to the Voice of the Lord thy God— the Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and asto­nishment of Heart, and thou shalt grope at noon Days, as the Blind gropeth in Darkness, Neither do the objective Delusions and Temptations, which God sends in Judgment, any whit Lesson the Creatures offence. I mean by objective Delusions, and Tempta­tions, such objects and occasions offered or presented to Men by divine Providence, as are apt to inflame their corrupt Lusts. For God infuses no wickedness into his Creatures, neither do's he perswade or incline them to Sin: Far less compell them. Jam. I. 13. For [Page 85]every of these are contrary to the infinite Pu­rity of his Nature. But he may in justice by the Course of his Providence present tempting Objects, and that as a Punishment of former Crimes. Ps. XVIII. 26.27. With the Froward, thou wilt shew thy self Froward. See 2. Sam. XII. 12. Jud. IX. 23.24. compar'd with the 20. vers. also, Rom. I. 21. — 28. And the Devil may tempt Men, to Error, and Vice; he cannot force them. Nei­ther the Understanding, or the will, can suf­fer a Rape, in these respects. Therefore are Sinners without Excuse, whatever protexts they may feign: Who of some Things that shew their Duty or their Danger are willing­ly ignorant, and willfully delight themselves in known wickedness.

From the Words thus explained, I observe the following Doctrine, viz.

That such who believe not the Truth of the Gospel, but have pleasure in unrighteousness; may expect to be given up to the Power of spi­ritual Delusion, in order to be made Possessors, of eternal Damnation.

In explaining of which I would pursue the following order. viz.

1. I shall Labour to shew who those are that believe not the Truths of the Gospel.

2. Who those are that have pleasure in un­righteousness.

[Page 86] 3. What delusions God sends in Judgment.

4. Point out the general Reasons o [...] Causes, why the great God sends such Delusions.

5. Endeavour to shew what is included in that Damnation, which deluded Persons may expect.

And lastly conclude with some Improve­ment. I return to consider the,

[...]st. Proposed, which was to shew who those are, that believe not the Truths of the Gospel.

I [...] leave to express the Word Truth in [...] [...]pl [...]ral Number, that I may be the more [...]alily understood; for which I have sufficient Foundation in the Text, as I think; for tho' the Word therein be in the singular Number, yet it is a comprehensive and indefinite Ex­pression, often times including the whole Gospel, as the Places of Scripture I adduced in order to explain this Word, in the preced­ing Discourse, sufficiently confirm. It seems probable to me that the Word is sin­gularly expressed in our Text, with design to signify to us the amiable Harmony, that there is among all the various Parts of the Gospel, whither Historical or Doctrinal: As well as their united tendency to attain one uniform End; Supream, and Subordinate, viz. The Glory of God, and his Peoples hap­piness. But who are these that believe not the Truths of the Gospel? Answer.

[Page 87] 1st. Ignorant Persons believe them not, Js. XXVII. 11.2. Thes. I. 7.8. Either such understand not the great Truths of the Gospel doctrinally, or want the experimen­tal and influential Knowledge of them, as they are in Jesus; Ephes. IV. 21. Both which are necessarily supposed by that Faith which is unto Salvation. Joh. XVII. 3. Act. XXVI. 18. 2. Cor. IV. 6. Hence Faith is called Knowledge, Is. LIII. 11. By his Know­ledge, shall my righteous Servant justify many. (i. e.) by the Knowledge of him, and Faith in him, many shall be justified, we cannot give an assent to what we know not; the implicit blind Belief of the Papists, is a re­proach to the Christian Name, and unworthy of the human Nature.

2. Obstinate Persons, who either give not their assent to the Doctrines of the Gospel; or their consent to the Terms of it, Tit. I. 9.10. Joh. V. 40. Rom. X. 21. Both which saving Faith includes. Act. XXIV. 14. Joh. I. 12. Every true believer gives not only a general assent, to the whole Scriptures of Truth; but a particular and firm Assent to the Foundation Doctrines of Christianity, to these following in a special Manner, viz.

(1) That there is an absolute necessity of a Messias, to atone for the Creatures offences; which is evident, (1.) From the infinite [Page 88] Guilt of Sin, considered objectively, (2.) From the inflexible Justice, and inviolable Truth of God, as well as from his infinite Wisdom, in securing the Ends of Goverment, viz. The Glory of his Soveraignity, the Honour of his Law, and the Obedience of his People; by every of which Properties of his Nature, and Considerations mention'd, he is inclined, yea, obliged to punish Sin and demand Satisfaction, proportioned to the Guilt of it. And this (3.) Every Creature is ut­terly uncapable to perform, being both finite and imperfect. That there should be an ex­act Proportion [...]in degree, between the Of­fence committed, and the Satisfaction paid; is so evident from the Principles of natural Reason, and distributive Justice? that no­thing need be said in Confirmation of it, to such as are not willfully blind. Now Sin being committed against an infinite Majesty, necessarily contracts an infinite guilt; which how is it Possible for any finite Creature to make full Satisfaction for? Surely, ultra posse, non datur esse; the effect can not exceed its cause. Again let it be considered that every Creature is imperfect, which their practise but too evidently proves: And therefore cannot for the Reason aforesaid, perfectly obey a righteous Law; which is notwith­standing required on pain of Death. Gal. III. [Page 89]10. Jam. II. 10, Is. LXIV. 6. James III. 2. Ps. CXXX. 3. Dan. III. 18. Hab. I. 13. Not to add; that all rational Creatures are in the deepest Debt to God, inasmuch as they receive their Beings, Powers, and Privile­ges from him, are they not in this respect oblidged by the strongest Claims of Right, and Bonds of Gratitude, to obey him accor­ding to the Dignity of his Nature, and the Depth of his Love to them? Thus our fu­ture obedience being due to God, as our Cre­ator, Preserver, and Benefactor, cannot be a Compensation for our past disobedience: For the Payment of one Debt, which is Natural, will make no Satisfaction for another which is contracted. But then. (2.) Another foun­damental Truth is this That the Lord Jesus is the Promised Messias, suitably qualified by his active and passive Obedience, to ans­wer the Demands of the Law, and divine Justice; and thereby to bring in an everlast­ing Righteousness, and that Salvation is in no other. Dan. IX. 24. Heb. V. 9. Joh. XI. 25. Act. IV, 12. 1. Joh. II. 22. 1 Joh. IV. 2.3. Joh. III. 16.36. Rom. X, 14.

Again as every true Believer gives his as­sent to those Truths mentioned, and such as are dependant on them: So he consents to the Terms of the Gospel; without compulsion, [Page 90]or Limitation. Ps CX. 3. Philip. III. 8, Act. 20.24. And

3. Unrenewed Persons, believe not the Truths of the Gospel, for faith purifies the Heart, and works by love. Act. XV. 9. Gal. V. 6. Hence we are informed that if any man be in Christ, he is a new Creature: Old Things are past away, and all Things become new. And that they that are Christ's, have crucified the Flesh, with its Affections and Lusts. Gal. V. 24. Now Faith is the Bond of our Union to Christ; Joh. I. 12. So that those may undoubtedly conclude themselves to be unbelievers, whose Under­standings are not enlightned to behold with suitable Affection, the dismal Dangers of an unconverted State; the horrible hidden Cor­ruptions, of their filthy Hearts; the inex­pressible Evil and Malignity of Sin; the absolute Necessity, and transcendent Glory of Christ; the incomprehensible Excellency, and unfading Beauty of heavenly Things; as well as the emptiness and extreme Va­nity, of all earthly Enjoyments. Act. XXVI. 18, Ephes. IV. 18. Ephes. V. 8. But the Faith which many depend upon, has never had so much influence upon them, as the Faith of Devils; for they believe and trem­ble. Jam. II. 19. In like manner may those conclude themselves to be unbelievers whose [Page 91] Consciences are not, nor have not been a­wakned out of their carnal Sleep, and deep­ly distressed for Sin; viz. So as to reform from it, and close with Christ. Act. II. 37. Is. II. 20.21. But still retain their old car­nal Security, false Hope, habitual and gover­ning Love to Sin. Deut. XXIX. 19.20. Mat. VI. 24. Such also the general Byass of whose Wills and Affections, is not turned to­ward Christ, and heavenly Things, with an easie unconstrain'd & general proness; may conclude that they have not one grain of saving Faith. Ps. CX. 3. Joh. IV. 14. 1 Joh. V. 4. For whatsoever is Born of God, over­cometh the World, even our Faith. You see then Brethren, that covetous worldings are strangers to the Power of Faith; for that would certainly overcome their Affections to this World; by giving them an affecting View of the Next: ( Heb. XI. 2. Faith is the Substance of Things not seen, the Evi­dence of Things hoped for.) And by uniting them to Christ, the Head of Influence, and consequently drawing their supreme Love to him who best deserves it.

4. Unreformed Persons believe not the Truths of the Gospel, Tit. I. 16. They pro­fess that they know God; but in Works they deny him, being abominable and disobedi­ent, and to every good Work reprobate. 1 Joh. [Page 92]I. 6. If we say that we have Fellowship with him, (which true Faith is the Instrument of, Joh. 1.12.) And walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the Truth. Jam. II. 14.17.18, What doth it profit my Brethren, tho' a Man say he hath Faith, and have not Works? Can Faith save him? (i. e.) can that Fa [...]h which is not operative and Effectual to p [...] ­duce good Fruits save him, or justify him? The Interogation, or query, implys a vehe­ment Negation, or denyal. No, most cer­tainly it cannot, it will not. For kn [...]w ye not that to whom ye yield your s [...]lves Ser­vants to obey, his Servants ye are whom [...]e obey; whither of Sin unto death, or of obe­dience unto Righteousness. Pretend what ye will you Hypocrites, concerning Faith; your Practice proves you to be Children of the Devil. Joh. VIII. 44. If ye believed the Truth, the Truth would set you free. Joh. VIII. 22. Again,

5. Such believe not the Truth, who hear with prejudice against it; or the Instruments who deliver it, because of their Simplicity, Plainess, Sanctiry. Christ himself was to the Jews a Stumbling Block, and to the Greeks foolishness, the Apostle Paul was but a Babler to the Men of Athens. But if our Gosp [...] be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the God of this World hath blin­ded [Page 93]the Minds of them which believe not, least the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine unto them. 2. Cor. IV. 3.4. True Faith breaks the Power of Prejudice, against the Truth it self, or the faithful Instruments, and unfeign­ed Lovers of it: By representing the Excel­lency of the one, and the Amiableness of the other, in a just Light. Ps. XIX. 10. Js. LII. 7. Ps. XVI. 3. And,

6. Such believe not the Truths of the Gos­pel, who hear them with habitual prevai­ling Pride. For true Faith by giving a Sight of the Holiness, and Majesty of God, the pre­tiosness and Value of his Word, as well as of our own meaness and vileness, must needs humble us; and crush our native Ar­rogance. Gen, XXVIII, 17. Gen, XVIII, 27. Is, VI, 2. — 5. Hence we are informed, that it is the Property and Character of such, upon, whom God will look with an Eye of indulgence and complacency, to be poor (i e) humble) in Spirit, and to tremble at God's Word. Is. LXVI. 2.5. And how earnestly are such dehorted from the contrary Evil? Jer. XIII, 15. Hear ye, and give Ear, be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken. And exhorted to seek a humbling Sense of Gods Greatness, and their own vileness. Is. II. 10. Enter into the Rock, and hide thee in the [Page 94]Dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the Glo­ry of his Majesty. Hear how the blessed God complains over the Pride of Israel, by the Prophet Malachi, 3, 13. Your Words have been stout against me, saith the Lord: Yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee? And how awfully dos' he threaten for the same evil. Chap. 4.1. For For behold the Day cometh that shall burn as an Oven, and all the Proud, yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the Day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither Root nor Branch. And,

7. Such as hear the Truth with Scorn, be­lieve it not, for Faith workes by Love, Gal. V. 9. And by Uniting them to a humble Sa­viour, they learn of him to be meek and low­ly; Mat, XI. 29. So that the same (humble) Mind is in them, which was also in Christ Jesus, Philip. II. 5.6. The Danger of Hea­ring the Truth with Scorn, you may find re­presented, in the 2. Chron. XV. 16. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers, rising up betimes, and sen­ding; because he had Compassion on his Peo­ple, and on his dwelling Place. But they mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his Words, and misused his Prophets, [...]til the Wrath of the Lord arose against his Peo­ple, [Page 95]till there was no Remedy.

In these Verses three Things deserve Re­mark, (1) Gods great Goodness to and Com­passion over his People, in giving them so fair and frequent Warning; by his faithful Servants. (2) Their great Ingratitude and fol­ly, in deriding the one, and contemning the other. and (3) The dreadful Consequence of this ungrateful wickedness; issuing in their utter ruin. For wrath arose against them, till there was no Remedy. — But I proceed to consider, the,

2. Proposed, which was to shew who those are that have Pleasure in unrighteousness.

1. They are such who contrive Sin, Micah. II. 1. Wo to them that devise Iniquity. Job. XV, 34, 35. For the Congregation of Hypo­crites shall be desolate, and Fire shall consume the Tubernacles of Bribery: they conceive mis­chief, and bring forth Vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. see, Pro. XIV. 22. Pro. XIV. 29, 30.

2. Such who Act it knowingly and habitu­aly, 1 Joh, III. 8. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil, (i e) A Child of the Devil by Imitation, and Possession. If Men did not take Pleasure in unrighteousness, (what­ever they may hypocriticaly pretend to the contrary,) they would not contrive it so ear­nestly, or practise it so frequently.

[Page 96] 3. Such who either hide and conceal it secretly, as a sweet Morsel; or glory in it openly, as a Badge of Honour. Consider se­riously the following Places of Scripture, Pro XXVIII. 13. He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper, — Job, XX. 12, 13, 14. tho wickedness be sweet in his Mouth, tho' he hide it under his Tongue; tho' he spare it, and for sake it not, but keep it still within his Mouth: Yet his Meat in his Bowells is tur­ned, it is the Gall of Aspes within him, and vers, 16. He shall suck the Poison of Aspes, the Vipers Tongue shall slay him, and verses, 23, 24, 25, 27. God will Rain the Fury of his Wrath upon him, — the Bow of Steel shall strike him through, — the glistring Sword shall peirce his Gall, and the Terrors of God be upon him, — a Fire not blown shall con­sume him; (i. e. he shall be either blasted with secret Judgments here, or burnt in the Flames of the Damned hereafter; which is a Fire not blown by Man, but kindled by the Almighty's Breath, like a River of Brim­stone. Is. XXX. 33) all darkness shall be hid in his [...]ecret Places. (i. e. his Understanding will be infatuated, his Conscience perplexed, and all his Councels for Security broken and confounded, Joh, V. 13. 1 Cor, III. 19.) The Heaven will reveal his Iniquity and the Earth rise up against him. I beseech you [Page 97]to consider that Solemn and excellent Ex­preshon of the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians, III. v. 19. Whose end is De­struction, whose God is their belly; and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly Things, alass that human Nature should so far degenerate that the Remains of Humanity, Modesty, and Reason should be so far extinguished, that hardy Mortals should entirely abandon all its notices and restraints; and glory in that which is their greatest Shame and Reproach!

4. Such who take pleasure in those who do such Things, as I have mentioned, with other impietys. see Rom. I. 23, — 32. — Who knowing the Judgment of God (that they who commit such Things are worthy of death) do not only do the same but have Pleasure in them that do them. Whatever Form of Religion Men may have in their outward Conversation, yet if they generally and un­necessarily affociate with wicked and pro­phane Sinners, and are secretly pleased with their wickedness, (tho' they will not do the like themselves, least they should lose their Reputation) they are but base Hypocrites, whited sepulchres, and shall except they re­pent and reform, posess the Damnation of Hell. Ps. LXVI. 18. Pro. XIII, 27, 28. Wo [Page 98]unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited Sepul [...]res, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead Mens Bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so also ye appear righte­ous unto Men, but within ye are full of Hypo­crisie and Iniquity.

5. Such who deride awakning Discourses and eminent vital Holiness. 2 Pet. III, 3.4. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last Days, scoffers, walking, after their own lusts; and saying where is the Promise of his coming? — Pray take Notice of the Char­acter, the just Brand of Infamy, which the Apostle gives those fleering foul-mouthed Blaids, why what is it? Answer, it is this, that they walk after their own Lusts (i. e.) am­bitious, sensual, worldly Lusts. By this Mark you may easily ken that execrable Herd of abandond Mortals, where ever they are, for tho' they talk so much of Reason, even to the Exclusion of Revelation, in swelling Words of Vanity; giving you to understand privatly that they are the only Masters of it, the Wonders of the human Species; yet in the general Course of their Practice, they bid defiance to its Dictates, and act beneath the Beasts; wallowing worse then Swine in the Puddle of Sensuality. And as a learned [Page 99]Writer ^(g) justly observes, ‘the Character before mentioned was not peculiar to that Age, but is the constant Character of them who deride Religion, and flows from the very Temper and Disposition of those who are Guilty of this Impiety, it is both the usual Preparation to it, and the natural Con­sequent of it, (meaning Sensuality) to deride God and Religion is the highest Kind of Im­piety, and Men do not usually arrive to this degree of wickedness at first, but they come to it by several steps. The Psalmist very elegantly expresseth to us the several Gra­dations by which Men come to this horrid Degree of Impiety, Ps. I. 1. Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the Way of Sinners, nor sitteth in the Seat of the Scornful. Men are usualy first corrupted by bad Council and company, which is called, walking in the Council of the Ungodly! Next they ha­bituate themselves to their vicious Practices which is standing in the Way of Sinners; and then at last they take up and settle in a contempt of all Religion.’ Mens filthy Lusts have a natural and strong tendency, to debauch and deprave their Minds, with a corrupt Byass, against believing any Thing [Page 100]that gives the least check to their vicious pur­suits, false easy or imaginary interest.

And thus they are as willingly as foolishly and fatally lead the downward Road; even to the horrible and often inextricable Gulph of Deism, and even Atheism it self.

But I proceed to consider the.

III. Proposed, which was to point out the Delusions, which the jealous God somtimes sends in Judgment.

1. He permits false and unfaithfull Teach­ers to intrude into his Church, and deceive many; according to the Prophesy of Christ himself. Mat. 24.11. either.

1. By their false Doctrine, asserting the Sufficiency of a certain Light, to attain eternal happiness; which they say all Man­kind have. This Light some term Christ and some more justly Reason, this Notion of a universal saving Light (whatever charita­ble Face it may seem to have to unthinking carnal People) not only contradicts the Cur­rent of holy Scripture, but saps the very Foundations of revealed Religion; by ren­dring such a Revelation unnecessary. And so by consequence making the Condition of those who enjoy it, worse then the Pagans, because of the additional Precepts it contains to what Nature teaches, which make our Dutys the more numerous and dificult, and [Page 101]our guilt and danger the greater, in Case of Neglect. And thus the Gospel according to this Notion would be so far from answering its Name or Title glad Tydings, that it would being sorrowful Tydings, of an unnecessary Yoke of Duties, and Publication of Doctrines which we could have done well enough without. How contrary the aforesaid Opi­nion is to the holy Scriptures you may see in the following Places▪ Act. XXVI. 18. Ephes. V. 8.2. Thes. III. 2. Rev. III. 17. Prov. XXIX. 18. Act. IV. 12. Rom. X. 14.15. 1. Cor. III. 11. Neither will that Expression, Joh. I. 9. justify the aforesaid Notion, if its intent and scope be rightly under stood; for the utmost that these Expressions (as ju­dicious Mr. Bo se observes) ‘can be reasonably supposed to mean is, that Christ is the Author of all that intelectual Light and Knowledge that Mankind enjoys; partly as we derive our intelectual Powers themselves from him, by whom (the Apostle tells us) all Things were created whither [...]sible or in­visible, see Col. I. 16, partly because its through the Interposal of his Mediation, that any Notices of good and evil are Pre­served in our lapsed Nature; and chiefly because he is the Author of supernatural Knowledge to all that enjoy it, even to Jews and Gentiles without Destinction!’

[Page 102] While some in mystical Terms with a demure Shew of devotion, preach up a false Christ; a Christ which is nothing else but their defiled Conscience, or corrupt Reason; others with brisker Airs, and less Appearan­ces of Religion, but with plainer Language, deny the Necessity of the True; and thus the blessed Jesus is Crucified a second Time between two.

There be many other false Doctrines pro­pogated and diffused by such deceivers, such as Freewill, Justification in part by the Righ­teousness of Works, the Apostacy of the Saints, universal Redemption, &c. — All which as they flatter the carnal Security, and tempt the Ambition of vain Men, and rob Christ of the entire Glory of his Mediation, by fixing the Justification of Sinners (in the Sight of God) upon another Foundation then his Righteousness; so they contradict the holy Scriptures; as you may see in the fol­lowing Instances, to which many might be added. Rom. VIII. 7, 8. Joh. XV. 5. Ephes. II. 1.2. 2 Cor III. 5. Ephes. II. 8. Rom III. 28. Rom. IV. 4.5. Rom. XI. 6. Joh. X. 28. Joh. X. 15. Joh. XVII. 9.

2. By their irregular and general Way of Preaching Doctrines that are True, insisting in the first Place and for the most Part upon the Duties of Morality; while in the mean [Page 103]time they neglect to inculcate the absolute Ne­cessity of Regeneration, Faithand Love. This is as if a Man would gravely desire Masons to build without laying the Foundation, or pre­tend to do so himself, it is as if a Man would attempt to clear a Field, by girdling the up­ermost Limbs of the Trees, or as if one would seek eagerly for Streams of Water, without a Fountain, or expect Fruit, before he plants the Tree. The Duties of Morality are un­doubtedly Excellent, not only as they are commanded by God, but as they are Neces­sary to preserve human Society, and to pre­pare us for the divine Mercy; but their chief Excellency is when they spring from a living Faith in, and transcendent Love to God. Without these they are not pleasing to God, whatever specious Appearance they have to Man, Rom. XIV. 23,

And the general smooth undistinguishing Method of Preaching which some use, is also of Fatal tendency; who labour to heal where is no wound, and thereby Rock the Wretched World, faster a Sleep in a carnal presumptious Security, if possible then they are, by their Misapplication of Promises, in their publick Preaching, and private Con­versation; as also by their blind and bloody Charity, (believing that People are in a good State when they have no sufficient Reason) [Page 104]if they happen to have an awakening sen­tance or two against the Prophane in their publick Discourses, (as for the Discovery of close Hypocrites they don ot like to strike that String often, for fear it should shock perhaps the Foundations of there own false Hope.) Then presently there is a Plaister of Comfort promiscuosly offered, in Order to heal the Wound before it be half opened and searched, thus do they daub with untempered mortar, also in their private Conversation, they heal the Wounds of the Daughter of Zion slightly.

And as to their unconscionable unscriptu­ral Charity, tho' it has a fair Face and goes sweetly down with a carnal blinded World, (who love to hear Peace, Peace, sounded in their Ears, and to live at ease and Dream of fine Thing's after death: Who therefore praise them for their Charity, call them fine Men, and give them a Penny the more upon the Account.) Yet it is but a poor sorry rotten Thing at the Core; springing from gross ignorance of God and themselves, and self Love; the Truth is formalists thank them for nothing, for they have Charity for them because they cannot help it, if they had not a good Opinion of them, they could not of themselves, who are in the very same Condition with them. But how much soever [Page 105]ignorant graceless Sinners cry up these Plaiste­rers on Earth, they will curse them in Hell except they Repent.

But tho' these Men are full of groundless Charity, to wicked People, yet they have none or but very little for those who do de­serve a favourable Opinion of them; their Speeches are filled with bitter and satirical Reflections against godly Ministers, and pi­ous People, as Imprudent, Erronious, En­thusiastical, and what not, some prete [...]t they will have to hide their Malice, some Fig leaf to cover their shame. They pre­tend to Pray very gravely for the Conver­sion of Sinners, and when any are converted, not by their Preaching, but are awakned by the meer Providence of God, (which is often the Case of such as are renewed in such Places where there is a dead ministry) And brought to Christ by his blessing upon others Labours; if he does not affect them, as in truth he has not much Reason, they do not like him, this is not the Man they want, he has this and that and the other fault; no, no, the Persons they want are either jolly Com­panions, or dead Formalists like themselves; these are sweet Christians moderate prudent Men indeed, (i. e.) luke-warm Time-servers. So the carnal Jews seemed to desire and pray for the coming of the Messias, but when he [Page 106]came they did not like him, he did not suit their Humour. The whole World scarcely affords more inveterate spiteful Enemies a­gainst pious People, and powerful Religion, then carnal unfaithful Ministers, if they are but once a little vexed; who were such im­bittered Enemies against Christ and his Apostles, as the old Scribes and Pharisees?

3. False and faithless Teachers deceive and harden many by their lax and worldly Lives they are very solicitous in seeking their gain from their quarter, which if they can secure, they are easie, whither ever they can hear of one converted by their Ministry or not. Indeed the Salvation of Souls is not their main Mark, whatever they pretend, but Honour, and Money. (For how can those earnestly seek the Happiness of other Souls who neglect their own?) Tho' the Truth is in many Places they are like to meet with a Dis­appointment in the latter, after all the Pains they can take to humour and please a carnal People; and for my own Part I cannot but wonder that carnal Men who are well in their witts, should thrust themselves into the Ministry when there is no Prospect of Gain by it, either in this or the next World? And yet do it they will, over the Belly of Reason and Conscience, and in the Face of the grea­test [Page 107]Dangers, both to themselves and others? Who have the Misfortune to be hardned but too often by their frothy Speeches, and filthy practices, if ungodly People only hear something that is heavenly and serious, from their Ministers once or twice a Week upon a Sunday; and find him like themselves all the Week after, as worldly, jocose and vain, they can dispense with it well enough; his cold lifeless talk about Piety on Sabbath Days, does not touch them, if they find that he does not matter it himself, but lives in a direct Opposition to it through the Course of his Practice. They cannot think the Man is in earnest, they think he must say something for his Money once or twice a Week; it is his Trade, and when his Task is over he is glad of it, has done with it, and why should not they? While Ministers have Esau's hands, they will do little good with Jacob's Voice. Such do small damadge to the King­dom of Darkness, with all their Prudence and Moderation; the Devil does not value a Thousand of them one rush, for they are Friends to him in their Hearts, and under his check and controul; it is true they will pretend zeal against his interest, and seem to shoot at his Subjects, but it is only with [Page 108]Powder, as a pious Writer ^(h) justly ob­serves, which tho' it makes a noise does little or no Execution; if it does (which is but rarely) it is more then they intend, some of them. Unconverted Ministers are like a sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbal, they make a report with their preaching, but it is but a lifeless empty ineffectual Sound, that does little good to the Kingdom of Christ. Jer. XXIII. 32. If any such should read this Discourse they would be apt through Pride because of their Learning, to smile with dis­dain; or else to gnash their Teeth with rage. But to proceed a

II. Delusion, that God sends in Judgment is this, he lets loose that damned Angel the Devil, the God of this World, who blinds the Eyes of these that believe not, least the Light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them, and they should be saved. 2. [...]. IV. 4. This deceiver when permitted becomes a lying Spirit in the Mouth of the Prophets, 2 Chron. XVIII. 19. — 22. by his deep Devices deludes many; Rev. XX. 2, 3, — 8. 2, Cor. II. 11. And that sometimes by transforming himself into an Angel of Light, assuming pretexts of good, and Masks of Friendship. 2. Cor. XI. 14. Gen. III. 5. By [Page 109]those Arts, he but too easily betrays many unwary Sinners, into a groundless Opinion of the Goodness and safety of their present State. Because when Gods Servants tell them this Necessary and Solemn Truth, viz. That they are at present in a wretched and damnable Condition, and they believe it not, receive it not in Love, but on the contrary are filled with Indignation against them for their Faithfullness; therefore God in just Judgment gives them up to be deluded by Satan, to believe a Lie; namely that they are in a good State, when they are far from it, that they all may be damned and [...] with a Lie in their right Hand. If X [...]V. 20. Rev. XXII. and 3.9. Mat. XXV. [...] — 12, Luke. XIII. 25. — 28.

III. D [...]lusion, which the righteous God sometimes sends in Judgment is this, he gives up willsully impenitent Sinners to their hearts Lusts, to be by them blinded and hardned. Rom. I. 28 — 30. It is said of the Gentiles who abused and contradicted the Light of Nature, that even as they did not like to retain God in their Knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate Mind, to do these Things which are not convenient, he removed the restraints of his Providence, and abandoned them to the Tyranny of their corrupt Desires and Affections. And thus [Page 110]did the jealous Jehovah deal with impe­nitent Israel, Ezek. XXIV. 13. in thy sel­thiness is lewdness, because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. (i. e.) be­cause thou wouldest not comply with Means used for thy Reformation, I will bereave thee of my Grace, and consume thee with my Wrath. The same dreadful Sentence is passed upon obstinate Ephraim, Hos. IV. 17 Ephraim is joyned to idols: Let him alone. (i. e.) They cleave resolutly to their Lusts, not with standing of all the Instructions and Warnings given them to the Contrary; there­fore let them alone to my Curse, and Ven­geance. I will strive no more with them to reclaim them. Let him that is filthy, be filthy still: And him that is unrighteous, be unrighteous, still.

IV. Delusion is, that the just God lets some high Professors fall out of the Orb of the Church, like blazing Comets to the Earth. 2 Tim. IV. 10. for Demas hath for­saken me, having loved this present World. Many towring Professors, having with Ba­laam the Son of Bofor, loved the Wages of Un­righteousness, have thereby been excited to for sake the right Way. 2 Pet. II. 15. Joshua that could stop the Sun in his Circuit, could [Page 111]not keep Achan from fingring the Golden Wedge. Gehazi's will run after Changes of Raiment; and Ananias's and Saphiras's pre­varicate, and false hearted Judas's will sell their Master and his Truths for Silver. This is very stumbling to the ungodly World, who are apt to conclude upon such Occasions (tho' unreasonably because of their spite a­gainst God and his People) that the whole Body of Professors would do so if they had the like Opportunity; but this is a most un­fair Way of Arguing, from one, yea, many particulars, to inferr a universal Conclusion; because there was one Judas in Christs Fa­milie, must they therefore be all Judas's, the wicked would not like this Way of Argu­ing retorted upon themselves; as a reverend Author ⁽ⁱ⁾ well observes. ‘Should we tell them that many of their Company are Theives and Murderers, therefore they are all such, they would think they were un­justly and rudely Treated, and be apt to spit in our Faces;’ Why will they then be guilty of the same Fault they condemn in others? Turpe est Doctori, cum culpa re­darguit ipsum.

V. Delusion is, when the all wise God brings to pass dark and dreadful Providences even [Page 112]upon his People; in one or other of the fol­lowing Instances.

1. He lets some of them fall into dange­rous Errors in Opinion, the Galatians were corrupted quickly, by the artful Sophisms of their [...]lse Teachers; even in that important article of Justification by faith alone, which o [...]e ^(k) who was no small Instrument of the Reformation from Popery justly termes 'the Article of a standing or falling Church.' The Defection of the Galatians from or their Corruption in this grand and momentuous Article, struck an Apostle into a Fit of Ad­miration; Gal. I. 6. I marvel (said he) that ye are so soon removed, from him that called you into the Grace of Christ, unto another Gos­pel. The falfe Teachers did strenuously con­tend (as it were pro aris & focis) for the Observation of the Jewish antiquated Cere­monies; with legal Views and mercenary Principles, to maintain Justification to be at least in Part by the Works of the Law, ce­remonial and moral; to whom the Apostle opposes himself through the whole Series of this Epistle, by a Strong Chain of Reaso­ning; proving by numerous and solid Ar­guments Justification to be by Faith only, Origen and Tertullian, tho' Men of great [Page 113]Parts and Piety, where strangely corrupted in Opinion, the first was the unhappy In­ventor of Purgatory, or something like it, a Figment which the Papists have since so artfully improved, or rather shamefully a­bused to the Dishonour of God and Religi­on; but to the great Advancement of their temporal Interest. In short Origen was so erroneous ^* that the following epithet be­came a common Proverb among the Anti­ents concerning him, that ( in bonis nemo melius et in malis nemo pejus) in good Things there was none better, and in bad none worse; and Tertullian fell into the errors of the Montanists a sect of enthusiasts and wrote a­gainst the Catholick Church under the sarc astical Title of natural or carnal Men. ^(b)

2. The Almighty suffers Satan to lift some up on a Pinacle of Pride, from which they have dangerous dounfalls; so it was with poor Peter, who could be more bold and self­confident then he, if all shall be offended yet shall not I; big Words indeed, and yet when the Time of Tryal came, none sooner or more Shamefully scared, yea, frighted even out of his witts, into cursing and swearing by the Words of a silly Girle. Mat. XXVI. [Page 114]69, — 75. Alass what is Man, what are the best of Men, when left to themselves! Which they are like to be when most con­ceited and self confident? Prov. XI. 2. when Pride cometh, then cometh Shame. But with the lowly is Wisdom. Prov. XVI, 18. Pride goeth before Destruction, and a haughty Spi­rit before a fall. To prevent this perillous Exaltation in the Apostle Paul, a Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him. 2. Cor. XII. 7.

3. The Lord suffers Satan to fix others on the Bed of Sloth, and carnal Security, and that in a Time when they Should be most awake. When Israel were Labouring in the high Places of the Field for their mutual Safety and Honour, David their General­lissimo who should have been in the Van of the Army, guiding their martial Motions, was loitering on the House Top, to his shame and reproach; as the issue proved. 2, Sam. XI. Jonah was asleep between the Hatches, when Pagans were awake and at Work for life; asleep I say, when the Winds blew high, and the angry Ocean swelled and roar'd ready every Moment to devour the reeling Vessel in its watry Jaws. Jonab. I. 5. In the Parable of the Virgins related, Mat. XXV. 5.6. We are informed, that while the Bride­groom tarried they all slumbered and slept, [Page 115](the Wise as well as the Foolish) and at mid­night there was a Cry made, behold the Bride­groom cometh, go [...]e out to meet him. Here you see they kept in a sleeping Posture till their Lords approach, O Strange! Only note by the Way that there is this Difference be­tween the Sleep of gracious Persons, and the spiritual Death of those that are grace­less, viz. That the former while they Sleep, have a waking Heart, (generally) a Dissa­tisfaction with, and sorrow for, their present Stupidity. Cant. V. 2. I sleep, but my Heart waketh. Yea, and they do labour to obtain the comforting Presence of Christ again: Cant. III. While the other go on contented­ly, slothfully, and merrily, in their secure Course. Luk. VI. 25. wo unto you that laugh now: For you shall mourn and weep.

4. The allwise God suffers his People to fall into imprudencies in Speech, or Action; such was that of the Disciples, James and John, in desiring that Fire might come down from Heaven, to consume the Samaritans. Luk. IX. 54. and of Peter, in cutting of the Ear of Malchus, with his Sword. Joh. XVIII. 10. When such Things happen (and it must be confessed that young Christians are apt to be Guilty of the former, haveing more Zeal then Knowledge to direct it) they open a Door for Blasphemy and Reproach among [Page 116]the Enemies of Religion; who are glad to find any Room to vent their Gall against such as are (however imprudent) far better than them­selves! I say Christless Persons (many of them) are glad to find any Occasion or um­brage to spit their Heart rancour out, a­gainst Gods People, in a way that's consist­ent with their own Credit.

5. Sometimes the Lord suffers his own dear People to fall into gross and grievous Sins; Noah, David, Solomon, and Peter are dreadful Instances of this sad Truth, whose Sins are kept on Record (as Beacons on sand Banks to keep Vessels from being split upon them) to excite us to watchfullness, against the same evils, and all incentives that lead to them; and for the support of distressed Souls, to keep them from sinking into the dreadful Gulf of Despair. But if any will abuse those Instances to encourage Licentiousness, or to strengthen their false Hopes, (as some Hypocrites do, who make up their State by them at least in Part) let them know, that they are Guilty of a most wretched and ungrateful wresting of the Scriptures, to their own Damnation. 2. Pet. III. 16. Now when a Christian falls through unwatchfulness, floth, or the violent Temp­tations of the Enemy; he suffers not alone, but the whole Body of Profess [...]s with him. [Page 117]These Things ( viz. falling into gross evils) make them stink among the Inhabitants of the Land, like Jacob for his Sons deceitful Treatment of the Shechemites, Gen. XXXIV. 30. For such evils are epidemical plagues, and publick nuisances. Pro. XXV, 26. a righteous Mans falling down before the wick­ed, is as a troubled Fountain, and a corrupt Spring. This is quickly told in Gath, and published with large Additions in the Streets of Askelon; at this the Sons of Belial and Sheva sniker, at this the Daughters of the Philistines rejoyce, and think the Day is their own; they are all alike, (say they) did not I tell you so, that they are but a Pack of Hypocrites? You see what one of their Saints has done; thus these evils (says a pious Writer) ^(m) ‘ Troubles the Fountain; by grieving some, and corrupts the Springs by infecting others; and emboldning them to do likewise.’ But while those unhappy Sinners are thus filling up the Measure of their Iniquities, and ripening fast for the final Stroak of Gods wrathful Sickle. Joel. III. 13. Gods People are Sighing and Groa­ning in secret Places, to their Father upon these mournfull Accounts, or Occasions; Evck. IX. 4. And silling the Bottle with [Page 118]Tears. Ps. LVI. 8. Their Faces are covered with Blushing, and their Hearts oppressed with Fear and Sorrow; when they think of the ungenerous Sentiments of the Wicked, and the stumbling, hardning fatal issues, that such dark Providences are like to have towards them. Therefore all that fear God and love Zions Prosperity, are under the utmost Necessity of petitioning the Almighty, in the Psalmists Language; the Ps. LXIX 6. Let not them that wait on the, O Lord God of Hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee, be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

6. Sometimes; pious People are suffered to fall into uncommon Calamities, and distres­ses of Body and Estate; Joh tho' the most excellent Man in the Earth, ( Joh. 1.8.) must be set up as a Magor-missabib, a terror to himself and others, Jer. XX. 4, 5. a Com­plication of sudden and dreadful Disasters must beset him round; Loss of Goods, the Bereavement of dear Relations, the acute Pains of a loathsome spreading illness, the unjust Censures of Friends, labouring by all the Arts of Rethorick and Reason to run him down, and reduce him to the black Roll of Hypocrites; as if he were the Man above all others wicked whom the jealous Jehovah, had delighted to destroy, and [Page 119]therefore had set up as a Mark for all the Arrows of his Quiver to peirce; this Exam­ple (tho' censured by God himself, Joh. XLII. 7.) Ignorant and foolish Men are apt to follow at this Day; and to conclude with the Barbarians of Melita, that such uncom­mon Disasters are the penal Fruits of some extraordinary Wickedness. Acts. XXVIII. 4. And when the Barbarians saw the venemous Beast hang on his Hand, they said among themselves no doubt this Man (meaning Paul the Apostle) is a Murderer, whom tho' he hath escaped the Sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. I would beg of such People that they would seriously think upon these Words of the Lord Jesus mentioned, Luk. XIII. 4.5. Or those eighteen upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell, think ye that they were Sinners above all Men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay; But except you repent ye shall all likewise perish. That the Devil may have some power for a Time over the Bodies of such as are truly Gracious, we are further certified by the following In­stances, Luk. XIII. 16. And ought not this Woman being a Daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound, lo these eighteen Years, he loosed from this Bond on the Sabbath Day? it is said v. 11. that She had a Spirit of In­firmity [Page 120] ⁽ⁿ⁾ eighteen Years, (i. e.) ‘a Spirit causing the Infirmity, or Sickness,’ 'as some learned Men interpret the Phrase ^(o) it was the antient Opinion of the Jews, as Josephus testifies, that without natural Causes, some Diseases were inflicted, by Devils; and this indeed not only the instances now Mentioned, but also many Narratives of the Evangelists confirm. It is surprizing to consider, that the Devil should have such Power for a Time over the Blessed Body of Jesus himself, the Lord of Life, as to carry it from the Wil­derness through the Air to the Temple, and set it upon a Pinacle thereof! As several learned Interpreters ^(p) gather from Mat. IV. 1.5. ‘This was not done, say they, visio­nasly, (1.) Because then it would not have been a Temptation, and (2) Because im­ediately after the Temptation, we find Christ beyond Jordan; but bodily and locally as was done to Philip. Acts. VIII. 39. For the strength of Spirits governs over corporal Matters, in which we have a Specimen of Gods preserving Providence over us, that we are not carried away by Satan every mo­ment. This Action of Satans carrying Christ (say they) was not violent, but Voluntary, [Page 121]neither was it unworthy of Christ to suffer it, who suffered his own Crucifixion, and who is tempted in all points as we are. Heb. IV. 15.’

7. Pious People are sometimes suffered to fall into great Distress of Mind, occasioned either.

1. By long Desertion, Ps. VI. 3. My Soul is sore vexed. But thou O Lord how long? see Ps. XLII. 5, 11. Why art thou cast down O my Soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? — Also Is. L. 10. who is there among you that feareth the Lord, that obey­eth the Voice of his Servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? (i. e.) conti­nueth a considerable Time under the dole­full hidings of Gods Face,) Let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God.

When the natural Sun draws nigh to the withered Earth in the Spring Season, uni­versal Nature smiles, the little Hills rejoyce on every side, the spacious Fields, and (once) Marble Meads put on a Verdant Livery, the Gums bleed forth their aromatick Liquids, the Spices yield a delicious Fragrancy; the naked Woods put on their Honours and Gai­ctys, and in short to Crown the Scene; the feather'd Tribe fill the airy Regions with their harmonious warbling Accents. But on [Page 122]the contrary when it retires, and suspends its blushing warmth, every Thing seems to mourn in a gloomy Silence and Solitude, the Widow'd Earth turns into Iron, and the sporting Rivulets into Glass, and the winged Choristers droop their heavy Wings, and forget their charming Notes. Thus dear Brethren as it is in Nature so in Grace. While the gracious God (who is the Sun of Righ­teousness, Mal. IV. 2.) Blesses his People with the balmmy Beams of his divine Favour, their Hearts beat with gratitude, their Lips move in praise, and their Aspect wears a modest joyous Smile, the Index of their in­ward Serenity, but when he is pleased to suspend his gracious Influence, their former pleasing comforts are quickly turned into the saddest Sorrows; their Hearts tremble for Fear, and are oppressed with Pain, their Hands hang down through Discouragement, their feeble Knees smite each other, (being weakned through fasting) their Faces are Vail'd with solemn sadness their witness of their inward Grief. Then do they flee the jovial Croud, for their carnal Mirth is grating to them as Vinegar upon nitre, and deem'd madness by them; then do they betake themselves to Places of lonely Retirement, and put their Mouths in the Dust to see if there may be Hope. see Ps. CXVI. 12. [Page 123] Rom. LII. 30. Ps VII, 1 Sam. XXVII. 1. Is. XXXV. 3.4. Ps. CIX. 24. Ecles. VII. 3. Pro. XXV. 20. Ecles. II. 2. Hos. II. 14. Lamen. III. 28, 29. But the mental Distres­ses of Gods People, are sometimes occasio­ned.

2. By violent Temptations, Ephes. VI. 12. For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities, against Powers, against the Rulers of the Darkness of (i. e. by a metonimy the darkned People of the World) this World, against spiritual Wicked­ness in high Places, the Temptations of Sa­tan are justly termed Fiery Darts, Ephes. VI. 16. Because of their sudden Injection and painfull Effects. A Dart Cast by the Hand of a skillful Artist, has a very swift Motion; And Fire upon a living Body, cau­ses the acutest Pain; so the unworthy Thoughts of God and divine Things, which the Enemy of Mankind insinuates into the Best of Men, must needs cause a painful abhorrence, proportioned in degree, to the Esteem and Veneration they have of and for them. But it may Occasion some allay of the Pain which issues from such Tempta­tions, to consider that we are not accessory to their guilt; except we consent to them. As also that the blessed Saviour of Sinners was in all Points tempted as we are yet [Page 124]without Sin, Heb. IV. 15. That he might be able to succour them that are tempted, Heb. II. 18. Had not the impudent Enemy the Face to tempt our Redeemer, even to commit self Murder, and Blasphemy? Mat. IV. 6.9. And what Crimes are more horri­ble then these? If he tempted our Lord thus what can we expect? — But perhaps some may propose this Querie, viz. how shall we distinguish the Temptations of the Enemy from the corrupt Propensities of our own Nature? I answer in some Cases it is excee­ding difficult, especially when Satan trans­forms himself into an Angel of Light, slyly and gradually insinuates himself into our Nature, and Courts us to Evil under the Co­lour of Good, to error under the Mask of Truth; as he did our first Parents and wo­fully succeeded in his Stratagem, to their and our (by them) dishonour, and immense Loss. Gen. III. 5. Lam. V. 16. Rom. V. 19. Thus did he successfully assail the Apostle Peter, when he would disswade the Redeemer from suffering, and thought in the mean Time no doubt that he was doing Good. He little dreamed that the Devil was at his El­bow, (or rather nearer) Dictating his foolish Rebuke. Mat. XVI. 22.23. 2 Cor. XI. 14. but in the General we may conclude that those Temptations come from Satan, which [Page 125]are sudden, painful, violent: Ephes. VI. 16. For Nature acts gradually and has pleasure in its Pursuits. — And sometimes the afore­said Distresses of Gods People, are occasi­oned.

3. By the dreadful Terrors of the Almigh­ties wrath; see Ps. XXXII. 3, 4. When I kept silence, my Bones waxed old; through my roaring all the Day long. For Day and Night thy Hand was heavy upon me. And Joh. VI. 1.4. For the Arrows of the Al­mighty are within me the Poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit: The Terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. These three Things before mentioned conspiring do sometimes drive some of Gods People, either.

1. Into a burning Feavour, the Ps. XXXII, 4. My moisture is turned into the Drought of Summer, the Union between the Soul and Body is so intimate that the Anguish of the one cannot but affect the other. It is said of Luther, that he was so wasted by Soul distress that neither Voice nor Colour nor Blood seemed to remain in him.

2. Into Desperation, the Terrors of God may so environ distress and overwhelm even a pious Person, that he may be ready to ex­pire in Swoons and Syncopes, thus it was with devout Heman. Ps. LXXXVIII. 3.5. [Page 126] For my Soul is full of troubles: And my Life draweth nigh unto the Grave, I am counted with them that go down into the Pit: I am as a Man that hath no strength. — Here you see his bodily strength was much wasted by the Exercise and anguish of his oppressed Mind, so that he looked upon himself as a dying, yea, as a dead Man, because he ap­prehended that he made such hasty advances to Death, and had such sure presages of it in his broken Constitution, Ps. LXXXVIII. 6, 7, 8. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness in the deeps: Thou hast afflic­ted me with all thy Waves. I am shut up and I cannot come forth. Here you may note that the Objects of Gods Love, may for a Time look upon themselves as the Objects of his Wrath. This Man of God mourns, that the Almighty had afflicted him with all his Waves; his troubles were numerous and permanent, they crouded upon his anxious Soul in a thick and unwearied Succession, with formidable noise and resistless Violence; till he sunk beneath the Pressure, and became hopeless of escape. This is further confir­med in the 14, and 16 Verses of the same Psalm. Why castest thou off my Soul? Thy Terrors have cut me off. see also Ps. XXXI. 22. For I said in my hast, I am cut off from before thine Eyes.

[Page 127] Again the Terrors of God in concurrence with the aforesaid Causes, and ignorance of the Nature of the Gospel of Gods Grace, hurries and precipitates some.

3. Into Distraction, see Ps. LXXXVIII. 15. While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. The Words of Mr. Henry, upon this Place are remarkable, viz. ‘that sad Effect the Terrors of the Lord have had upon many, and some good Men, who have thereby been put quite out of the Possession of their own Souls; a most piteous Case and which ought to be looked upon with great Com­passion.’

8. God removes sometimes, some of his own People by a Sudden, or as we term it Immature or untimely Death, and that in two Cases.

1. When Attending upon (but unworthily) the Ordinances of his Worship, 1 Cor. XI. 30. For this Cause many are weak, and sickly among you; and many sleep. (i. e.) Many are afflicted with Sickness, and removed by Death, for their unworthy Participation of the Lords Supper, of which he had been spea­king in the Verse immediately preceeding, this is the Gloss which all interpreters ever I have seen, put upon the Words, and this a­grees well with the context, and with that Description which the holy Scriptures give [Page 128]of the Death of the righteous; wherein it is frequently (because of its pleasantness the Sting of Death being removed) compared to Sleep, Thes. IV. 14. 1 Cor. XV. 20, 51. You may note three Things worthy of Re­mark, in that forecited Place of Scripture, 1 Cor. XI. 30, viz. (1) That not a few but many of the Corinthians, were sickly after their unworthy Participation of the Lords Supper. and (2,) That not a few but many were actually removed by Death, upon the aforesaid Account. and (3) That those very Persons, so punished, were truly Pious, see v. 32. But when we are judged, we are Chastned of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the World. Thus you see it is no new Thing (Whatever ignorant Peo­ple imagine) for not only one but many Persons to be suddenly removed by Death, after Sacramental Occasions.

That is an awful Instance of Nadab, and Abihu, the Sons of Aaron, who were slain by Fire in the very Act of Worship; for offe­ring strange Fire, which the Lord comman­ded them not. Levit, X. 1, 2. ‘And tho' this was not expressly forbidden, it was enough that it was not commanded,’ ^(q) it is an Excellent observation of a pious Writer upon [Page 129]this Passage ^(r) viz. ‘That it is a dangerour Thing in the Service of God to decline from his own Institutions; we have to do with a God who is wise to prescribe his own Wor­ship, just to require what he has prescribed, and powerful to revenge what he has not prescribed.’

Memorable likewise is that Instance of Uzziah a religious Prince, who for invading the Priests Office in burning incense, (which sprung from his Pride whatever pious Pre­tences he might have to palliate it) was struck in the very Act of his Worship with Lepro­sie, which continued with him to his Death, 2. Chron. XXVI. 4, 5, 16, 19, 21. The same judgment in kind, tho' not Duration was inflicted upon Miriam a good Woman, for labouring to rival Moses. Num. XII, 1, 2, 9, 10.

2. When under zealous Impressions for his Glory, even in this Case the Lord Sometimes removes pious Persons by death; Eli and Uzzah, are solemn Instances of this Truth, of the first Mention is made, 1 Sam. IV. His pious fears least the Ark, the Honour of Isra­el should be taken are related v. 13. And when he came, lo Eli sat by the Way side watching, for his Heart trembled for the Ark, [Page 130]of God, and his deep overwhelming con­cern when he heared the Tydings of it, Vers 18. And it came to pass when he made Men­tion of the Ark of God, that he sell from of the Seat backward by the Side of the Gate, and his Neck brake and he died: It seems he could bear up under defeat of the Army, and the Loss of his two Sons, but when the taking of the Ark was Mentioned it broke his Heart; swallowed up his animal Spirits with an excess of Grief, and sunk him in Death it self. ‘Fear and grief may Occasion sudden Death as many Examples have pro­ved ^(s) thus did this pious Man's Sun set under a Cloud; thus was the folly and wickedness of those Sons of his, whom he had indulged his Ruin at last. Thus doth God sometimes set Marks of his displea­sure upon good Men in this Life, who have miscarried themselves, that others may hear and fear, and take Warning; a Man may die miserably, and yet not die eter­nally; may come to an untimely End and yet the End be peace,’ as Mr. Henry, justly observes.

The other Instance I mentioned was that of Uzzab, of which we have an Account, 2. Sam. VI, 6, 7. Uzzah put forth his Hand [Page 131]to the Ark of God, and took hold of it, for the Oxen shook it, and the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his Error, (or as some inter­pret rashness) and there he died by the Ark of God, this was a very dark and dreadful Providence, which quickly obscured the Beauty of that gallant Cavalcade; (which consisted of no less then Thirty Thousand of the Chosen of Israel, and an infinite Num­ber of the common People) and sent them home in a fearful Consternation and wild disorder. The crime seem'd to be but in­considerable, Uzzah perceiving the Carr shake its probable was afraid of the Fall of the Ark, and with a good Intention (it is likely) put forth his Hand to prevent it, and yet for this is Slain immediately; which shows us that a good Intention, is not sufficient to justify a bad Action; and that it is dangerous to meddle with Things too high for us: And also exceeding necessary to treat Things sacred with the deepest Reverence, Ps. CXXXI. Ecles. V. 1.

Querie, but wherein consisted the Sinful­ness of Uzza's Action?

Answer, (1) It was Rash and Presump­tious contrary to the express Letter of the Law for the Levites to touch the naked Ark, which Prohibition is armed with a Threat­ning of Death. see Num. IV. 15.

[Page 132] 2. Diffident, it would seem as if Uzzah im­agined that the shaking Ark could not have been preserved without his disorderly As­sistance.

3. Irregular, the Ark should have been carried upon the Levites shoulders, which they then earried upon a Cart, this Council, it is probable, Uzzah was accessary to 1. Chron. XV. 2.21. — 15.2. Sam VI. 7.

If any should imagine that the Punish­ment inflicted was too severe, considering Uzza's good Intention. Let them consider, that that Intention cannot be good which is against the express Law of a Righteous holy God, had not Saul a good Intention in spa­ring the Sheep and Oxen of the Amalekites, 1. Sam. XV. 21. And the Jews in slaying Christ and his Apostles? 1. Cor. II. 8. and Joh. XVI. 2.

9. The Lord sometimes removes by sud­den Death false Professors, Act. V. 5. And Ananias hearing these Words, fell down and gave up the Ghost: And great fear came on all them that heard these Things. This scares People from joyning where they see such danger, v. 13. And of the rest durst no Man joyn himself to them.

10. Sometimes he suffers People to fall a­way from his faithful Ministers in great Num­bers, it was so with himself, and how much [Page 133]more may it happen to them? see John. VI. 65, 66, 67. And he said therefore said I un­to you, that no Man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that Time many of his Disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus to the Twelve will ye also go away? Here you see crouds leaving the Lord Jesus himself, the Prince of Preachers, the won­derful Councellor, the Wisdom of the Fa­ther; and that on the Account of his harsh Preaching. vers 60 — This is a hard Say­ing who can bear it? When the Son of the Fathers Love began to declare the Impoten­cy of Man, and the Decrees of God; this gave the finishing Stroak to their Dissatisfac­tion, off they went in shoals, their Pride and Enmity could bear no longer such humbling Doctrines; yea so great and general was the Defection that even the Disciples themselves (as it would seem by Christ's Question) had almost forsaken him, and gone with the Mul­titude! v. 65.67.

11. Oftentimes the Wise and Sovereign God, suffers his Ministers and People to be Accounted the vilest on Earth, and his Truths and Ways to be every where opposed, 1. Cor. IV. 13. We are made as the Filth of the World, and are the off-scourings of all Things unto this Day. (i. e.) we Apostles and [Page 134]Christians are represented to be the vilest Scoundrels, Ruffians, and Caitiffs that the Earth contains, the Dregs Refuse and Rub­bish of the whole rational Creation; this the original Words ^(t) do import, see also Act. XXVIII. 22. For as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. Persecution of one Kind or other, either of Heart, Countenance, Tongue, or Hand, is the ordinary Lot of true Christians. 2 Tim. III. 12.2. Sam. VI. 16. Heb. XI. 36. Ps. LII. 2. — This flows as freely and natu­raly from the Devils malice, and the Worlds Enmity against them; as heat from Fire, or Poison from a Snake. Rev. XII. 12. For the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knoweth that his Time is but short. See also Gen. III 15. And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed. the De­vil who is a subtle Spirit perceives what in­jury faithful Men are like to do to his King­dom, unless they be stopped in their Zealous career; he therefore stirrs up his Votaries his most trusty Friends, to devise devises against them, in order to blacken their Re­putation with the Scourge of Reproach. That thereby the Minds of Strangers being pre­judiced [Page 135]against them as the most horrible monsters in Nature, the good Influence of their Instructions and Rebukes may be pre­vented and herein alass, he too often succeeds, through the ignorance Inconsideration and Enmity of unhappy Sinners! How unac­countably was the blessed Lord himself tra­duced and contemned? Luk. XXIII. 2. We found this fellow (said they) Perverting the Nation, — If the Master was thus treated what may the servants expect? But as for dead Formalists, smooth Trimmers, and two faced double tongu'd Trucklers, he does not fear any hurt they can do to his King­dom; he knows by long Experience that they are but like a Chip in Porridge, for all their Grimace, Moderation and Prudence. He therefore often suffers them to enjoy an unsullied Character, and the wicked World because they are of the same stamp, Father and Family with themselves, only a little better Polish'd, like them very well; and cry them up for fine Men, very fine Men to be sure; while in the mean Time they are nothing but bloody Cut-throats, and sneaking hirelings: see 2. Chron. XVIII. 5, 7. — Joh. XV. 19.

12. In the mean Time while true Christi­ans are reproached and oppressed as I have before hinted, the Allwise God suffers often [Page 136]Times false professors and wicked People to enjoy Honour, Peace and flowing Wealth; so did the Pharisees in Christs Time. Philip. XXXIV, 5. And those ungodly Men the Psal­mist describes in Ps. LXXIV, 3. — 9. For I was envious at the foolish, (said he) when I saw the Prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their Death: But their strength is firm; they are not in trouble as other Men: Neither are they plagued like other Men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a Chain: Violence covereth them as a Garment. Their Eyes stand out with fat­ness they have more then Heart could wish.— Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God, saith the same inspired Writer. Ps. LV. 19.

Now Brethren is not this a dark gloomy and stumbling Providence? To see on the one Hand the pretious Sons of Zion compara­ble to fine Gold, esteemed as earthen Pitch­ers the Work of the Hands of the Potter. Their Names blackned with Reproach, their Estates devoured by Beasts of Prey, their Bodies wasted by consuming Sickness, their Minds perplexed and even overwhelmed by inward pressures; some drove into Melancho­ly, Despair, Distraction, and some sunk into sudden Deaths; as if they were the only Objects of God's hate and vengeance, and [Page 137]were to be made the peculiar Monu­ments of his Wrath; as if from them especially his stern Justice was about to reap a terrible Glory and Triumph!

And on the contrary to see the Sons of Shame and Death, advanced to the Pinacle of Renown and Honour; caressed by the unthinking Croud enjoying a continued series of Health, Prosperity and Peace, as if they were the only Favourites of Heaven; the Ob­jects of God's peculiar Love, the Persons he delighted to honour! What may be the Rea­sons of such Dark and dreadful Dispensati­ons? The Answer of this important Questi­on leads me to the.

IV. Proposed, which was to point out the general Reasons or Causes why the blessed God sends such dark Dispensations of Providence, through which many ignorant unthinking and wicked People are miserably deluded?

And tho' it is freely Confessed, that no mortal (much less one of the Meanest) can sufficiently discover the dark Depths of di­vine Providence, and point out all the secret Springs which causes and direct the Uniform and Harmonious (tho sometimes seemingly i [...]regular Motions) of that Wheel, yet with awful fear and humble diffi [...]ence we may offer some what concerning the general De­signs of such dark Providences, both as to [Page 138]the good and bad; so far as the sacred Scrip­tures give light, and our Duty, danger, or Comfort is concerned. Mica. VI. 9.

More generally the Design of such dark Pro­vidences is to vindicate the divine Soveraig­nity over all, to magnify the Riches of his pure Grace upon some, and his strict Justice towards others, according to his invariable and eternal Purposes; of which Providence is but the Executor. 1. Pet. II. 8. Mat. X. 29. Ephes. I. 3, 4, 5, 9, 11.

More particularly as to good People the Intentions of the aforesaid Providences, seem to be these following, namly

1. To excite their fear, because of God's Holiness and their own meanness, that they may enter into the Rock, and hide them in the Dust, for sear of the Lord, and for the Glory of his Majesty. It is in this Respect the Psalmist crys out, Ps. CXIX. 120▪ My Flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Judgments. As also that they may be made awfully Sensible of the Solemnity of his sacred Ordinances, and di­vine Worship, and so inclin'd to speak in Abra­ham's and Jacob's Language; mentioned, Gen. XVIII. 27.30. and Gen. XXVIII. 17. It was doubtless to vindicate the divine Wor­ship from a sordid Contempt, and prophane irreverence, that the thousands of Israel were [Page 139]struck with a solemn dread, by the Death of Uzzah. And no doubt this was the Cause why so many of the Corinthian Church were sei­zed with sickness and swallow'd up of Death, immediately after the Sacramental Solem­nity.

2. To excite their Faith, dark Providen­ces give room for the Exercise of that noble Grace, which it is our Honour, our Duty, and our Interest to live by. Heb. X. 38. This inclines a gracious Person with Abraham not to stagger at the promise, but to Hope against Hope, (i. e. against human probability or the present Aspect or Course of Things) upon that stable and faithful Foundation the Word of God. Rom. IV. 18, 20. Heb. X. 23.

Also with Moses in the midst of danger, when no Way opens for escape, to wait patiently for the Salvation of God. Ex. XIV. 13.

And with Habakkuk, in the midst of want and Penury when all the Cisterns of earthly Succour fail, to rejoyce in the God of his Sal­vation. Mal. III. 17, 18. The Exercise of this noble Grace of Faith was no doubt the great design of that trying Providence to­wards Abraham, respecting his son, viz. That he should slay him who was the Son of the Promise, his only Son, the Son of his eager Desires and blooming Hopes, the Staff of his [Page 140]aged Years, and thereby at once break the Laws of Nature and of God, expose Religi­on to the Reproach of Heathens, and him­self to the continual revilings and abhorrence of the Wife of his Bosom. And yet not­withstanding these surprizing Difficulties, he disputed not the divine Precept, questio­ned not the divine Promise, but obey's! See dear Brethren how conspicuously divine Wisdom shines in bringing to pass this dark and trying Providence, the issue of which tends so much to illustrate the Honours of the divine Goodness and faithfullness, and to render perpetually apparent the astonish­ing Strength, and transcendent Beauty of his Servants Faith, and Obedience; which so well deserves our highest Admiration, and so justly demands our laborious Imitation.

3. Another Design of those dark Dispen­sations, is to try the Love of Gods People, the Lord Jesus speaks to his People, by them, as he did to Peter, Joh. XXI. 15. Simon Son of Jonas, lovest thou me more then these, (i. e.) do you Love me more then all your Friends and dear Relations? More then all your worldly Occupations and delectable Enjoyments? More then your Honour, your Ease your Life? Without which you can have no real Interest in my Person, or Be­nefit by my suffering; (that is special and [Page 241]durable) then bear my Cross, endure Re­proach, and Shame for my sake. You profess Love by your Lips, shew it by your Practise; Love not in word and in Tongue, (i. e. only) but in deed and in truth, 1 Joh. III. 18.

4. Another end of those stumbling Provi­dences, is to excite desire in God's People after Heaven, if they enjoyed a continued Scene of Honour, Ease and Prosperity in this World, it is probable they would be too thoughtless of the next; too little affec­ted with the Glories of it, either in longing af­ter them, or in a delightsome expectation of en­joying them But when those Lillies find them­selves perpetually environ'd with piercing Thorns, attended with a Train of successive Disasters, that oftentimes like Noa's Dove upon the watry World, they cannot find a resting Place; for without are fightings, and within are fears. 2. Cor. VII. 5. This makes the Thoughts of a rest above sweet to their oppressed Hearts, as the Expectation of Ca­naan was to the Israelites, wearied in the De­sarts Labrinths; or as the Hopes of a calm Harbour is pleasant to the perplexed Mariner, where he may find a safe Sanctuary from the blustring Winds, a secure retreat from the enraged Deeps.

This makes them groan within themselves waiting for the Redemption of their Bodies Rom. VIII. 23.

[Page 142] 5. Another Design of such dark Provi­dences is doubtless to excite the People of God to earnest Labour in order to know so much of the Mind of God in them, as is necessary to direct them how to behave un­der them; and to perform the Duties of the present Time and Day; which is best attai­ned by comparing the Rod with the Word. Mic. VI. 9. The Lords Voice cryeth unto the City, the Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name. Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it.

Sloth is an Evil of very distructive tenden­cy, not only very heinous in its Nature, but very fatal in its Effects; it exposes the Persons that is Guilty of it, as an easy Prey to be vanquished by Satan and their Lusts, witness David in the woful Case of Bathseba before mentioned. Ignorance is an Evil no less prejudicial then the former, both which are alass, but too common and flagrant at this Time, which open a dreadful Occasion of shoking Providences, to alarm us out of the one, and excite us to avoid [...] the other. Another End of the a foresaid providences is.

6. To excite Gods People to, and streng­then them in, the Grace of Patience, Rom. V. 3, 4. And not only so, but we glory in Tribulations also, knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience: — see James, V. 10. Take my Brethren the Prophets, — For an [Page 143]Example of suffering Affliction and of Patience. From such dark Providences the wicked will take Occasion to reproach pious People, there­fore this Way they give the Honour and Opportunity, of exercising patience; in bea­ring Christs pretious Cross, Phil. I. 29 Even when inflicted on others, and much more need have we of this Grace in exercise, when calamities come upon our selves. The great Design of that Complication of Miseries, Joh was exposed to, was the Exercise of his patience, as the Apostle James instructs us, James. V. 11. Behold we count them happy that endure, ye have heard of the Patience of Job, and seen the End of the Lord.

7. Purity is a principal End of afflictive Providences, they are sent to purify the Hearts and reform the Lives of Gods People, Js. XXVII. 9. By this therefore shall the Ini­quity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the Fruit to take away his Sin. Hence they are justly compar'd to a Fan, Fire, a Furnace, the Use of which is to seperate the Chaff, and purify the Gold. Mat. III. 12. Is. IV. 4. Is. XLVIII. 10. The Reformation of Gods People is intended in all their Afflic­tions, whi [...]her they be Chastnings for Sin, Rev. 3.19. Or Tryals of their Graces, Zech. XIII. 8, 9. Or persecution for Righteousness, tho' wicked Men persecute them for their [Page 144]goodness, the Lord as a Father permits this hard Treatment as a Correction for Sin, and a Mean of Reformation from it Heb. V. 6, 7.

8. Such afflictive Dispensations of Provi­dence are designed to excite Gods People to Prayer; Hos. V. 15. I will go and return to my Place, till they acknowledge their offence and seek my Face: In their Affliction they will seek me early. When Things go on easily with pious Men f [...]r a long Tract of Time if they don't restrain prayer, alass, they are apt to be too cold and formal in it. Can. III. 1. The Moon never suffers an Eclipse but at the Full, but the Rod of God upon themselves, or his Judgment upon others, will bring them to their Knees and make them Pray to some purpose. How vast a Dif­ference is there in the Prayers of the same Christian at different Times? viz. Under prosperous Security, and chastning Adversity. He that before had hardly any Words to ex­press his Mind with, or if he had Words there was no suitable concern; nay, per­haps he was so much hurried by worldly Business, that he could hardly find Time for Prayer, especially to be importunate in it; now his Tongue is as the Pen of a ready Wri­ter, a Field of Arguments opens to his anxious Soul, and he insists upon them with the [Page 145]utmost Importunity; where ever he goes his Heart sends secret sighs to God, Places of Re­tirement can witness his earnest wrastlings, Floods of Tears and heavy Groans, not only for himself, but for poor Zyon, see Ps. CXXX. 1. Out of the Depths, have I cryed unto thee O Lord! Said the blessed Psal­mist. also Ps. CXXXVII. 5, 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right Hand forget her cunning, — let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth. If I preferr not Jern­salem to my chief Joy.

9. The allwise God brings to pass dreadful Providences for the Humiliation of his People, when we see the Fathers Rod in his Hand chastning his Children, or slaying his Ene­mies; then doth the blessed God speak to us thereby in this Language, be not high min­ded but fear, Rom. XI. 20. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor. X. 12. Humble your selves in the Sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Jam. IV. 10. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers, and shut thy Doors about thee, hide thy self as it were for a little Moment, untill the Indignation be over­past.

10. To excite his Peoples Admiration, and level the pride of human Understanding, Gods Way is in the Sea, his Path in the [Page 146]great Waters and his footsteps are not known. see Ps. LXXVII. 19. He makes darkness his secret Place: And his Pavilon round about him is dark Waters, and thick Clouds of the Skies. When he bows the Heavens and comes down, darkness is under his Feet. Ps. XVIII. 9.11. As the Heavens are high above the Earth, so are his Ways and Thoughts above ours. Is. LV. 8, 9. We may descry such depths in his Providence, as no mortal can fathom.

It seems sometimes as if he were plucking up the Stakes of his Tabernacle, and take­ing his farewell of the World; sometimes the Ark the Honour of Israel is taken by Philistine Hosts, the Daughters of the uncir­cumcise Triumph, while Zions Daughters weep and mourn; sometimes Jerusalems Walls must be broken and her Inhabitants carried into the Babilonish Borders, and hang their silent Harps upon the mournful Wil­lows; while in the mean Time her jovial prosperous Enemies have all the Symptoms of Joy and Gladness! In regard of these and other dark Providences already mentioned, we must use the Apostles Exclamation, O the Depth of the Riches, both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments, and his Ways past finding out! see also Ps. LXXIII. 16.

[Page 147] Having hinted something of the Design of those dark Providences before mentioned in respect of good People. I proceed,

2. To shew what their Design is in Regard of the Bad; such of them particularly as are given up of God whose Day of gracious Visitation has expired; it is such our text principly intends, hence some may be incli­ned to propose the following Questions.

Quest. 1. Have all that are under the Gos­pel a Day of Grace?

Answ. All that are under the Gospel have the Offers of divine Life, and the common strivings of the Spirit, exciting them to embrace or accept it. Gen. LXIII. Is. LV. v. 6.

Quest. 2. Does this Time of gracious Visi­tation last during the Term of every Man's natural Life?

Answ. No, the contrary is very evident from the sacred Scriptures. see Luk. XIX. 41, 42. And when he was come near, he be­held the City and wept over it: saying if thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy Day, the Things which belong unto thy Peace! But now they are bid from thine Eyes. There were many in that great City of younger Years, many undoubtedly in the Bloom of Life; and yet you see the Body of them were abandoned by God. see also Mat. XXIII. [Page 148]37, 38, This Time of gracious Visitation is of uncertain Continuance, sometimes of a longer, and sometimes of a shorter Duration, just according to Gods good Pleasure. The Time of the old Worlds Visitation was, One Hundred and Twenty Years, Gen. VI. 3, Which was but a short Space, considering the vast Time they then usually Lived, three Years are allow'd them who are intended by the Fig-Tree, and one Year more obtained by the importunity of the Vine-dresser. Luk. XIII. 6.9. It was about the same space of Time, that Jerusalems Day lasted.

That there is a set Time of Gods gracious Visitation, after the expiration of which, the Jealous God utterly forsakes Men, and will never have mercy upon them any more, is abundantly confirmed from the very Text I am treating upon, wherein God threatens to give up such who receive not the Truth in Love; to delusions to believe a lie, that they all might be damned; see also Is. LV. 6. Pro. 1.24, — 31. Ezek. XXIV. 13.14, Hos. IV. 17. Rev. XXII. 11.

Quest. 3. What are the probable Signs of Persons being wholy given up by God? What are the Characters of an expired Day of Grace.

Ans. It is highly probable that these Per­sons following are everlastingly forsaken by [Page 149]abandoned of the just and terrible God.

1. Who contrive Iniquity, knowingly and customarily. Mic. II. 13.

2. Who go on in a long Course of it against Light, for this exceedingly provokes God, hardens the Heart, and sears the Conscience; for this the Heathens were given up of God, to the Tyranny of their unnatural Lusts, Rom. I. 28, 29. And from this, Men are difficultly reclaimed. Jer. XIII. Can the Ethiopian change his Skin, or the Leopard his Spots? Then may ye also do good, who are accusto­med to do evil. see Jer. V. 9.

3. Who glory in Sin. Phil. III. 19. Jer. III. 3. And thou hast a Whores Forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. see Jer. VI. 15. Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination? Nay, they were not at all asha­med, neither could they blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall. Jer. VIII. 12, 13. — I will surely consume them saith the Lord.

4. Who are rendred insensible by Sin, Ephes. IV. 19. Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto laciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. If Conscience which used formerly to check and gripe them for their impieties, becomes now a silent Spectator of their Wickedness; it is a most dreadful Sign that God's restraints are [Page 150]remooved, and they totally abandoned. Ac­cording to that fearful Sentence. Rev. XXII. 11. Let him that is unjust be unjust still. And he that is filthy, let him be filthy still.

5. Who are habitually Impatient of Reproof for Sin, Pro. XV. 10. Correction is griveous to him that forsaketh the Way, and he that hatch reproof shall die. Pro. XXIX. 1. He that being often reprooved hardeneth his Neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without Remedy.

6. Who Apostatize After they are inlight­ned, from a Profession of strict Holiness, from good Motions, Inclinations, desires, Resolu­tions, into prophane Practices, or pagan Principles; and that for a considerable Space of Time: The Case of such is exceeding dreadful and perilous; as you may see by the following Places of Scripture. 2. Pet. II. 20. The latter end is worse with such, then the beginning, it had been better for such; they had not known the Way of Righ­teousness — Heb. VI. 4.5.6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlight­ned, and have tasted the heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God, — If they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance. Heb. X. 26. For if we Sin, will­fully after we [...] received the Knowledge of [Page 251]the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin. But if any Man draw back, my Soul shall have no pleasure in him, but we are not of them who draw back to perdition, Vers 28, — 39.

7. Who Sin the more under Afflictions like wicked Ahaz, 2. Chron. XXVIII. 22. This is a deadly Token that the disease is desperate, when proper Remedies instead of healing inrage it. Js. I. 5. Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more.

8. Who prosper in Sin, and Sin the more in prosperity. Is. VI. 10. Make the Heart of this People fat, and make their Ears heavy, and shut thei Eyes: Least they see with their Eyes, and hear with their Ears, and under­stand with their Heart, and convert and be healed. Make their Heart fat; this is a metaphor taken from Beasts designed for the Shambles, which for some space before killing Time comes, are put into rich rank Pastures, in order to get Fat fit for the Knife. Thus the prosperity of many of the Jewish People, and even the Prophets, Instructions through their abuse of both, became means of hardning them judicially in Sin; and thereby of preparing them for the Slaughter of Damnation, it is to be feared that, that awful threatning Mentioned by Solomon, [Page 152]Prov. I. 32. viz. That the Prosperity of Fools shall destroy them. Is accomplished in ma­ny of the present Generation. For do not many act Jeshurun like in their Prosperity, when they wax fat, do they not kick against the Pricks of close rebukes, and awakning Instructions concerning their Duty and Dan­ger? Deut. XXXII. 15. Act. IX. 5. Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, are not therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men, fully set in them to do evil: Fales. VIII. 11.

Is it not a Sign of death's being near, when a skillful Phisician after having tryed all Sorts of Means, leaves of using any more Medi­cines, or giving any more directions, & suffers the forsaken Patient, to follow the Guidance of his feavourish Humour and diseased Ap­petite? And thus is it not infinitely more then equidly perrilous and dreadful (how­ever agreable it may seem to corrupt Nature) when the blessed God after having used many Means and Measures, by his Word and Rod to reclaim the Sinner, but in vain, forsakes him in respect of his gracious Influences, and gives him up to the Power of his corrupt Lusts and [...] imaginations? And con­ [...]r's Pros [...] in Judgment as fuel to in­flame them; [...] to afflictt them any [Page 153]more for their recovery? Hence we have that threatning, Hos IV. 14. I will not pu­nish your Daughters when they commit Whore­dom, — Therefore the People that doth not understand shall fall.

9. It is probable that such have sinned a away their Day of Mercy, who are long un­profitable under a Soul searching Ministry. Heb. VI. 8. But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cur­sing whose end is to be burnt.

10. Who maliciously contend against, de­ride and contemn such a Ministry, because of their plain powerfull, close and awakening Methods; the unhappy Jews were on the Brink of Ruin when they opposed faithful Dealing with malicious bitterness. Act. VII. 51. — 54. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your Fathers did so do you. When they heard these Things, they were cut to the Heart, and they gnashed upon him with their teeth. see 2. Chron. XXXVI. 16. Some in Jeremiah's Time, instead of being awakned out of their carnal Security, by the threats he denounced in his Masters Name, treated them with prophane Banter and Burlesque; used all the Arts of Satyr and Airs of Jest and ridicule, to make them appear ludicrous and contemptible. And one Word (no doubt [Page 154]among others) which they made themselves merry with, was that of the Bnrden of the Lord, a Word which the good Prophets of­ten used to signify the vast Importance of their divine Messages, and with what seri­ousness they should be received, how much the great God was offended with this Prac­tice you may see, Jer. XXII, 23, 34, 39. And when this People or the Prophet, or Priest shall ask the saying, what is the Burden of the Lord? Thou wilt then say unto them what Burden? I will even forsake you saith the Lord. — I will even punish that Man and his House. And are there not some pro­phane Scoffers now a Days of the very same Stamp? Who endeavour to Lampoon and and ridicule all plain and pungent Discourses of that Damnation they deserve, and are hastning to. Such lustful Scoffers are arrived to that degree of hardness that they are sel­dom if ever; reclaim'd for this impudent and Heaven daring Practice makes their Bands strong. Is. XXVIII. 22. Jud. 18.

11. Who in contempt or fixed Disgust withdraw generally from such a Ministry, because they discover their wretched States, and open their wounds. Joh. III. 19, 20. This is the Condemnation, that Light is come into the World, and Men love darkness rather then Light, becouse their deeds are evil. For [Page 155]every one that doth evil, hateth the Light, nei­ther cometh to the Light, least his Deeds should be reproved.

12. Such from whom a faithful Ministry is removed in Judgment, Act. XIII. 45, 46. Or if continued the Blessing suspended, when Gods holy Spirit ceases striving, Gen. VI. 3. Then the Word becomes a Savour of Death unto Death. When a Minister of State who was sent to negotiate a Peace with a forreign Kingdom, is called home in haste; it is an awfull Sign of approaching War, and that the Treaty of Peace is ended. — So when the King of Heaven calls home his faithful Ambassadors, or sends them to other Places; it is a sad presage to those from which they are removed of ensuing Judgments. Rev. VI. 2, 4, 5.8.

Having endeavoured to Answer those im­portant Questions, which are preparatory to what is to be further offered; I come to consider the Design of the Dark and dread­ful Providences before mentioned in respect of the wicked and that I beleve is fourfold, viz. To discover them, blind them, harden them, and damn them.

1. They are sent to discover them, 1. Cor. XI. 19. For there must be also heresies amongst you, that they which are approved may be made manifest. Before the Storm comes the [Page 156]Wheat and Chaff lye together upon one Floor in a friendly Maner, but when the Wind blows there is a quick Seperation, the light Chaff soon moves it's Quarters and Wings away according as the variable Blasts direct its wandring Motion. — But the solid grain keeps its Place, and stands the Shock. so some Hypocrites who associate themselves with pious People in Peaceful Times, as if they were of the same Familie, when the heavens gather blackness, and the Al [...]nighty Sovereign of the Universe sends the Winds of Affliction and Distress out of his Fists, covers the Beauty of his People with a Cloud, Lam. II. 1. Suffers Satan and the Guilt of Sin to hurry some of them into Desperation, Distraction, or Death it self; (as was before hinted) then away they troop to their own Company, and quickly discover what they are, by their malignant and unjust Reflecti­ous against Gods Faithful Servants. Now you see Neighbours what comes of their preach­ing Terror, Terror, ay, this is the Fruit of it, they are never contented those Troublers of Israel, till they bring People to Madness, Despair and Death, well I'll take care of such Men, they shall not get me into despair, I warrant you, Neighbour, they are dangerous Fellows, keep clear of them, else they will do you a mischief before you are aware of it.

[Page 157] Thus these men prove themselves to be Hypocrites in their Hearts, what ever reli­gious cloke they might carry before, and inveterate Enemies against God and Religion, by this Manner of Arguing or rather slande­ring, for in it they discover two Things which are neither much for their Credit or Interest, ziz. Gross Ignorance, and great Malice.

1. Gross Ignorance, either in supposing what is false, or inferring what is unreaso­nable.

1. They suppose what is false in one or all of the following particulars, viz. either (1) That Ministers can by speaking Terror put men into Dispair or Distraction, which is both false and foolish. or (2) That preach­ing much terror to the proper Objects of it, has a natural tendency to, or inseperable Con­nection with Despair or Distraction, which is false, otherwise Christ and his Apostles would be brought in as Criminals at these Mens Bar. For they preached much Terror to whom it belonged, the Speeches of Christ to the Pharisees were big with Terror, and even the Scriptures themselves must be re­jected for this Reason; for they are full of Terror against wicked People. Terror scrip­turaly and distinctly Spoken is so far from having a tondency to, or Connection with [Page 158]Despair and Distraction; that it is a necessary Mean to prevent the one, by bringing besot­ted Sinners to a just sense of their Danger and Misery, in order to prepare them as Ob­jects for pardoning mercy, the best Bul-wark against Despair; and to cure the other, by opening Sinners Understandings and alar­ming their secure Consciences, (through the concurrence of the Spirit) to behold the ama­zing evils both moral and penal that are in the Nature and Issues of Sin; and thus the Terrors of God excite them to make peni­tent reflections upon their guilt and danger because of both, and so to flee from Sin, which is the meritorious Cause, both of their present madness and misery. Knowing the Terror of the Lord we perswade Men, says the Apostle, 2 Cor. V. 11. The Prodigal never come to the right Exercise of his Rea­son (neither will you) until he felt himself perishing. Luk. XV. 17.

A 3d. Particular supposed by the former Cavil, is that they have power to keep them­selves from Despair by shunning faithful Ministers and putting the evil Day far off. But how false and unreasonable is this? Can you contend with the infinite God and prevail? Whose Word makes even the De­vils tremble, and from whose Face the Earth and Heavens flee away. Rev. XX. 11. Un­happy [Page 259]Sinners the Method you take to prevent Despair is the readiest Road to it, for by avoiding the most awakning Means, and putting off your Soul concerns, you heigh­ten your Sin and Guilt, which is the proper Cause of Despair; now when your Consci­ences are once rouzed, whose stinging rebukes you cannot avoid, the greater Degrees of Guilt lie upon them, the more likely you are to fall into Despair; for what do's Con­science scourge so severly for, as sinning a­gainst its Light? Not to add that by your delays Satan has the greater Opportunity to tempt you that your Day is past, and that it is too late now to repent.

2. What is inferr'd by the former Cavil is unreasonable, viz. That because some Per­son or other perhaps one in an Age, has through ignorance, the Temptations of Sa­tan, and the Misapplication or abuse of the Terrors of God's Word, been overwhelmed by Despair, Distraction, or excessive Grief, therefore no Terror should be preached; therefore we should carefully avoid sorrow for Sin and Conviction of its guilt and dan­ger.

Alass, what Reasoning is this? for (1) Does the Abuse of any Thing render unnecessary or unlawful the regular Use of it? If so, then you must never Eat or Drink more; for [Page 160]those Creature, have been more abused to Gluttony and Drunkness, then ever the Terrors of God have been to despair. (2) Do you Argue so when you hear of Persons getting into despair about the World, and so cutting their Throats and Hanging them­selves for fear they should not get enough of it, as many have done? Do you say upon such Occasions, well I'll never take any care about the World more? Or when you Hear of Persons going Mad about natural Love, do you resolve that you will never love any Body more upon the Account? Or when you have heard of one that has been hurt by Eating too much, did ye purpose that ye would never eat more, but would faithfully endeavour forever hereafter to live without? — (3) Although some Vessels are lost at Sea now and then, do the Merchants therefore leave Trading, or is it reasonable they should? (4) Cannot you be Damned by Presumption as surely as by Despair? Joh. XVIII. 15. Amos. VI. 1. Wherefore then is all this Heat about the one Extream, and the other not mentioned, which is more then equally dangerous because more pleasing? Is it not Love to your carnal Ease, more then to God's Glory, (for which you pretend a great Regard) that makes you so Zealous and Partial in this Matter? (5) Can [Page 161]you be saved without repentance, and is not sorrow for Sin a necessary ingredient of it? Luk. XIII. 3. Joel. II. 12.13. and (6) What is the Reason you make such an out­cry about any Person that has been over­whelmed with Soul distress, and none about the others before mentioned? Doth not this flow from your Heart Hatred against holiness and the Practisers of it?

2. You discover great malice by the fore­said Cavil, and that in two particulars.

1. In ascribing the Desperation, &c. Be­fore Mentioned to a wrong Cause.

To bring Men to despair is the Work of the Devil; when he finds People thoroughly awakned, so that he cannot bring them back by all his comforting Arts, to their former carnal and presumptious Security; then he labours to drive them forward into the Gulph of Despair, which he could not effect with­out the Guilt of Sin; the truth is that is the Matter he workes upon in order to accom­plish his hellish Design. But pray by the Way observe that he doth not endeavour to bring all People into Despair, no, no, that would tend to scare secure Sinners out of his Clutches, Satan knows better how to ad­vance his Kingdom then so, he is easie if they be damned any way whither by Pre­sumption or Despair, he therefore lets carnal [Page 162]secure People, (such as I fear the Objector is) alone to please themselves with their false Hopes of Happiness till they are past remedy: He knows that this is the surest and com­monest, because the easiest Way to Hell. It is the distressed Sinner, he besetts and tempts to Despair; now what belongs to Satan and Sin the Meretorious and efficient Causes of De­spair, you ascribe to Ministers awakning preaching or to Peoples sorrowing too much for their Sins, doth not this discover the most malignant Malice against Christ whose Ser­vants they are, Luk. 10.16. And against repentance and holiness which cannot be at­tained without labour and sorrow? Mat. XI. 12. 1 Pet. IV. 18. And in the mean Time great respect to your Father and your Favo­rites I mean the Devil and your Lusts? Joh. VIII. 44. seasonable and regular sorrow is so far from being a mean of despair that it is, indispensably necessary to prevent it in Time and Eternity. Luk. VI. 25.

2. You shew your Malice in rejoicing at any Shadow of Reproach ye can get against Gods People, it there was the least Spark of Grace or divine Life in you ye would mourn for the Afflictions of Joseph, Amos. VI. 6. 2 Cor. XI. 29. And be distressed for the Dis­honour that is cast upon the holy Name of God by his Enemies upon such Occasions. [Page 163] Jos. VII. 9. Nehe. V. 9. Ps. LXIX. 9. But instead of this, you are glad of any pretext whereby you can save your own credit, and yet vent your disguised Venom against pious People; and probably you have been wish­ing and waiting a great while for this before you got it. O poor unhappy Sinners! You hereby discover your Heart hatred against God and his Children, and prove your selves to be in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity, the true subjects of Satan's King­dom. For Christ, and the Devil have devi­ded empires, which contain the whole Uni­verse; so that those who are not with Christ are against him, and he that gathereth not with him scattereth abroad, Mat. XII. 30. And thus poor Sinners while you think to expose others, you declare your own Shame; and are discovered by those dark Providences you endeavour to pervert, to be Enemies to God and Religion.

2. Another Design of those dark dispensa­tions of Providence I have before mentioned, is to blind and infatuate obstinate Sinners, whose Day of Grace is expired, Rom. XI. 7, 8. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the Election hath obtained it, and the Rest were blinded: Ac­cording as it is written, God hath given them them the Spirit of Slumber, Eyes that they [Page 164]should not see, and Ears that they should not hear, unto this Day. Is. VI. 10. Make the heart of this People fat, and make their Ears heavy, and shut their Eyes, lest they see with their Eyes, and hear with their Ears, and understand with their Hearts, and convert and be healed. Remarkable is that saying of Christ, Joh. IX. 39. — For Judgment I am come into this World, that they which see not, might see, and that they which see, might be made blind. i. e. that those who have an humbling Sense of their Ignorance, might be enlightned graciously, and that such who are proud, obstinate, and selfconfident, may be blinded judicially. Mat. V. — It is but just that such who will not see should be made blind (as was before observed) and to this End have dark Providences sent in their Way, and the Devil that grand Sophister and their own corrupt Natures let loose to deceive and infatuate them thereby, as our Text instructs us.

Satan is a Spirit of such vast Penetration, Subtilty and Experience in the Arts of Fal­lacy, that if permitted, he can easily impose upon unthinking obstinate Sinners Evil under the Appearance of Good, Error and Falshood under the Pretext of Truth, and that even in Fundamentals, which a grave Writer takes to be the Meaning of the Word Delusion in [Page 165]our Text, ^(u) for his Working is with all de­ceiveableness in them that perish. — How justly was wicked Ahab deceived by Falshood to his final Overthrow, who would not re­ceive the Truth in Love from faithful Mica­jah? 1 Kings XXII. 8.20. Men that are to be executed, have their Faces covered before the Hangman does his Office, so obstinate Sinners, who will not receive the Truth in Love, but take Pleasure in unrighteousness, and are therefore doomed to Damnation, are first blinded judicially, in order to it.

3. Another Design of the aforesaid Provi­dences, is to harden and stumble ungodly Peo­ple, that they may fall and never rise again. See Jer. XXV. 27. — Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, drink ye and be drunken, and spew and fall, and rise no more. What God threatens against Babylon may be applied to such obstinate Sinners as do not receive the Truth in Love, Jer. L. 31, 32, behold I am against thee O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of Hosts: For thy Day is come, the Time that I will Visit thee, and the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: Such as want and [Page 166]wait for stumbling Blocks, shall have them with a witness; and be made to break their Necks over them. Hos. VIII. 11, Mark. IV. 11, 12. Pharoh instead of being reformed by the Succession of terrible Judgments inflic­ted on his Land, was but the more hardned by abusing them. Ex IX. 35. This judicial hardness is a Fore-runner of Destruction so it was with Pharoh, the miserable Jews, and many others Josh. XI. 20 This obstinate impudent hardness is like putting the Rope about the Neck of a Thief, or Murderer, before he is led to the Place of Execution. Wherefore then Sinners harden ye your Hearts as the Egyptians and Pharoh, hardened their Hearts. 1. Sam. VI. 6. Know that it will be terrible in the issue against such God will swear in his wrath, that they shall not enter into his Rest. Heb. III. 3.18. Ps. XCVI. 11.

4. Design of such dark Dispensations of divine Providence in Respect of obstinate Sin­ne [...]s whose Day of Mercy is spent and gone, is to [...] as Vessels of Wrath for De­st [...]uction, to prepare them for Eternal Dam­nation as our Text asserts which leads me to [...] the.

[...] Proposed, which was to shew what is [...] in that Damnation, which such delu­ [...] may expect to posess.

[Page 167] But here you need not expect a particular Description of the damned State for that (in full) the miserable Subjects of it can only give, from their own wofull Experience.

The beginning or first Fruits of Damna­tion, which impenitent Sinners feel in this Life, are awfull; for all of them are in a State of Sin, Death, Wrath, Ignominy, En­mity, Extreme Misery. Rom VII. 5. Ephes. II. 1. Joh. III. 36. Ps. XIV. 3. Rom. VIII. 7.5, 10.1.3. Ephes. II. 12. But some in a dreadful Degree are rack'd with the just Horrors of a guilty Mind, the bodeing fears and awful Presages, of their future miseries; the Consciences of some filthy Wretches, are like the troubled Sea, whose restless Waters cast up Mire and Dirt, for there is no Peace, (that is true Peace) saith my God to the wick­ed. Is. LVII. 21.

But they have many carnal comforts and contrivances, by which they allay and divert these Terrors and pains in Life; such as these, viz. Their false Hopes, false Friends, worldly Labours and Enjoyments, all which will be removed at Death or quickly after; this will make their woful Case much more terrible. At the dreadful Moment of their Dissolution, all their contemptible Honours, sordid Pleasures, and temporary Profits will flee away, see Ps. LXXIII. 18.19. Surely [Page 168]thou didst set them in slipery Places, thou castedst them down into Destruction. How are they brought into Desolation, as in a Moment! They are utterly consumed with Terrors. see Luk. XVI. 25. And which is still worse their wicked Works shall follow them to Judg­ment, to confound and condemn them there. 2. Cor. V. 10. After which they shall be thrusted into the Prison of Hell, that Center of inexpressible Pain and Torture, to be re­served for the Judgment of the great Day. 1. Pet. III, 19, 20. Luk. XVI. 24, 28. 2. Pet. II. 4. In which the Damned shall be exposed to the utmost shame and contempt, Dan. XII. 2. Because of the Detection or discovery of their concealed Impieties, which will then be exposed before the grand Tri­bunal of the living God, before the great and general Assembly of the whole Rational Creation. What Confusion will cover the Faces, and Horror possess the Hearts of the Damned, when they hear that dreadful Sen­tance pronounced by the great Judge of Hea­ven and Earth from his burning Th [...]one? viz. Go ye accursed into everlasting Fire pre­pared for the Devil and his Angels. Mat. XXV. 41. While in the mean Time the Frame of Nature will be shaken and torn in Pieces, turned as it were into its original Chaos; the visible heavens sending forth [Page 169]horrible claps of Thunder and sudden Flashes of Lightning, till it be turned into a dread­ful Sheet of Fire; the Earth ready to shake in pieces, because of the terrible Earth­quakes tearing its inmost bowells; which being kindled will rend its Surface and run in burning Rivulets, so that its great Globe will be (its probable) like a Sparkling Ball of Fire; the vast Ocean roaring forth the most hideous complaints. O how will the Damned cry then for the Hills and Moun­tains to cover them, from the Face of the Lanth that sits [...]yon the Throne? O the doleful State of those damned Wretches! Who will have no shelter to hide them from the dreadful rebukes of a revenging God! No Friend to pity or help them, either in Heaven or Earth, in the Season of their sore Distress! But instead of pity be exposed to the Derision and contempt of God, Angels, and good Men; and to the Insults of Devils! After the Soleninity of the judicial Process is over, and the final Sentence passed; away the wicked Must pack to their cursed Tophet, to feel the Completion of it. In this gloomy Vault of Perdition and wo, the damneds Tor­ments will be fully consumated and per­fected. Which I come now to give some brief Account of in respect of their Nature, Degree, and Duration.

[Page 170] 1. The Nature of the damned's Torments, appears in two Things, viz. Their privative and possitive Miseries, or in the evils of loss and Sense they are exposed to, thus the Pu­nishments of the damned are generally, and I think justly destinguished.

The privative miseries of the Damned are principaly these following, namely they shall be perfectly and eternally seperated from all Union to, Communion with, and Enjoy­ment of the blessed God; who is most cer­tainly the first Truth and Supreme Good, the great source and Spring of Happiness; whose Favour is better then Life, and whose Frowns are worse then Death. And by con­sequence bereaved of those holy Qualities, and delightful Enjoyments which are the proper and natural Issues of his gracious Pre­sence; as well as perpetually Banished from the Seat of his glorious Residence, where those are exerted and possessed in the Perfec­tion of Beauty and Delight; and finaly se­perated from that Blissful Fellowship and social Worship, with Saints and Angels, which are equally the Ornament and Entertainment of the Courts above.

In this Lise the wicked for the most Part, are not sensible how vast the Loss of a God is; their Minds are so miserably darkned by Sin, that they have no suitable Appre­hensions [Page 171]of his Glory and greatness; infinite Excellency and transcendent allsufficiency. 1. Cor. II. 14.

Again they are strangely diverted, from contemplating upon the divine Perfections, by the Amusements of worldly Business and sensitive Pleasure; to which they have a strong Byass, and Inclination of will and af­fections. Rom. VIII. 5. For they that are af­ter the Flesh, do mind the Things of the Flesh: Natural Men are so fleshly, so far de­generated into Beasts; that they pursue prin­cipally as their chief good (notwithstanding their false Pretenses to the contrary) those Gratifications that are common to them; thay have so far extinguished the small Re­mains of the divine Image, and forgot the Dignity of the human Nature, that they eager­ly pursue the same Design of Life with Brutes, and the chief Difference between them (in this respect) is that they are more artful and mischievous then they, in the prosecution of it. They greedily endeavour to glut their fleshly Souls with carnal De­lights, and when disappointed in one Object they run to another with impatient haste, and thus they spend their wretched Lives in fruitless Labours and Disappoint­ments; Rom. VI. 27. And by this hurrie are kept from the necessary Knowledge of; [Page 172]and suitable Meditation upon the supreme Being.

But the Damned will have a confounding Sense of the Loss of a God in Eternity, when their Minds being freed from their present Diversions, Amusements, and mis­takes, shall be experimentally and judicially enlarged, to Frame a juster Estimate of the divine Goodness, and Excellency both Essen­tial and communicative; and consequently inclined to dwell for ever upon the mourn­ful Thoughts of their being seperated eter­naly from them. The blessed God being the fountain of all desirable Good both Moral and Phisical, the Soul that is seperated from him can have no more solid Delight and Sa­tisfaction, suited to its noble Nature and wor­thy of its exalted Desires; then the Body of animal Life when seperated from the Soul.

And are not natural Men in general as stupidly and insensible of the other Bereave­ments before hinted? They have no Pisga's prospect (by faith) of the celestial Canaan nor any taste or relish (being carnal) of those pious pleasures which are the natural Result of the divine Life. And do they not secretly dislike the Conversation of the Saints, because of their strict Holiness, pious and discover­ing Discourses, which sometimes gripe their guilty Consciences; and therefore they care­fully [Page 173]shun them when most Zealous, least their carnal ease should be broken and their false Hopes unhinged? And are not their Houses instead of Being Bethels wherein Gods Name is worshipped, rather Bethavens wherein it is prophan'd? But in Eternity the Tables will be turned, they shall see such Dawnings of Glory and joyous Triumph, in the shining Appearance of the Saints and Angels; as will much heighten their Esteem of the Beauty, Splendor, and Delights of that Paradise, which is made the Seat of their perpetual Residence; and from which them selves are forever Excluded; this will strike their softest Passions, and extort their never ending Lamentations! see Luk. XIII. 28. There shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth (says the blessed Jesus) When ye shall see Abraham, and Jsaac and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you your selves thrust out.

And tho' their Love to the Saints, will be much the same then that it is now, viz. The Perfection of that hatred; yet for the sake of their own safey they will be desirous to croud in among them whom they now so much disdain, but to no purpose, the Door is shut, the Gulph is fix'd, they shall not find access, Luk. XIII. 25. — 27. Luk. XVI. 26. And to conclude this Head, is it not just that those [Page 174]who would not worship God here should be be deprived of the Opportunity of it here­after? You filthy Sinners, who are not afraid or ashamed to out do both Pagans and Devils, in rending the venerable Name of God by your horrid Oaths, and Blasphemy's, know to your Terror, that you will have enough of this wretched Work to do in Hell, which you have accustomed your selves too much to on Earth, among the damned Ghosts and Damned Angels throughout Eternity.

I come now to speak of the

Possitive Miseries of the Damned, which contain the following terrible ingredients, namely the Wrath of an angry God, the Bu­rnings of material Fire, the Reflections of their guilty consciences, and the Rage of their exasperated Lust and Passions.

1. They are exposed to the Wrath of an angry God, Rom. IX. 22. Which appears to be exceeding dreadful, not only by the Af­fecting Representations the holy Scriptures give of it, in a Variety of the strongest Me­taphors; terming the enduring of it, a drow­ning of Men in Destruction and Perdition. 1. Tim. VI. 9. Casting of them bound Hand and Foot into utter darkness? into a Furnace, a Lake of Fire; a Tophet, whose Fuel is kin­dled by the Breath of God, like a Stream of Brimstone. Mat. XXII. 13. Mat. XIII. 50. [Page 175]Rev. XX. 15. Is. 30. la [...]t. But also by con­sidering its Author, Extent, Subject, Design, instruments, and Place of Inflictiou.

1. The Author of this Wrath is Eternal, Heb. X. 30. A Being of infinite Wisdom, Almighty Power, and inflexible Justice; who knows how to reward the Wicked and will by no Means clear the Guilty, who is able to execute the just and deep Designs of his un­ering Wisdom, against the most politick and powerful Combinations of his Creatures. Joh. IX. 4. Nay the righteous God is not only the Author but the principle Efficient of the dam­ned's Pains, by the Presence of his Justice, the immediate Lashes of his unbar'd and eternal Arm. 2. Thes. I. 9. Which is infi­nitely more formidable then the combined force of Angels, Men, and Devils. Heb. X. 31. In Hell says an eminent Writer, ^(r) ‘The Sources of his wrath are laid open, and there his Looks flame with vengeance, and his an­ryg Presence scatters about furious Storms of Death and misery, which are to tear the Sinner, with the most dreadful convulsi­ons.’

2. The extent of this wrath is unsearcha­ble, exceeding the utmost Verge of the most fearful Imagination. Ps. XC. 11. Who know­eth [Page 176]the Power of thine Anger? Even accor­ding to thy fear so is thy Wrath.

3. The chief Subject of this Wrath is immortal, viz, The Soul of Man; this adds to the Terror of it, because being a spiritual and noble Substance, the source of Life and Sensation, it is consequently liable to pains as much more intense and acute then the Body; as it surpasses it in the Sublimity of its Nature, and extent of its Duration. That the anguish of the Mind much exceeds the Pains of the Body, both Scripture and expe­rience confirm. see Prov. XVIII. 14: The Spirit of a Man will sustain his Infirmity, but a wounded Spirit who can bear: Job could endure with some composure the Bereave­ment of his Goods, Friends, Health; but when he came to get a wound in his Spirit, he broke forth into the most hasty and passio­nate Complaints. Joh. VI. 4. — 3.1. How intolerable says a worthy Author, ^(s) ‘May we conceive these Pains and Tortures to be? To shoot poisoned Darts into a Mans Marrow, to rip up his Bowells with a Sword red hot or to let scalding Oyl, or melted Lead fall, into the Apple of your Eyes, making them Boyl and Burn till they fall out of your Heads, is insinitely less then to have the [Page 177]Wrath of God fall upon the Soul. That God who as the Prophet Nahum speaks can melt the Mountains and make the Hills flow at his presence, can melt the Souls of the Dam­ned like Lumps of Wax. Ps. XXII. 14. — You would rather chuse to suffer to Eterni­ty as a recreation, the sharpest fits of the Stone or Gout, to be stretched upon a Rack or lie broken upon the Wheel, to have your Flesh plucked off by fiery Pinchers. —’

4. The Design of the Aforesaid Wrath is revengeful, viz. To punish the Affronts offe­red to the divine Majesty, by the Creatures offences; and to get Satisfaction proportioned to their guilt and heinousness. Is. I. 24. Heb. 10.30. Now consider poor Sinner the vast Number of your Transgressions, and their peculiar Agravations, and see how dreadfull that wrath must be which is proportioned to them.

Also ponder upon the Sufferings of an inno­cent Saviour for the Sins of Mankind, see how the Burden of Divine Wrath he endured, pressed the Blood out of his Body from his oppressed Heart, in numberless crimson Ri­vulets; and hear the doleful outcry extorted by the same Cause, Eli, Eli, Lammasabach­thani! How will you be able guilty Sinners to bear this pressure alone, which had such Influence on the innocent and eternal Son of God?

[Page 178] 5. The Instruments of this Wrath are im­placable, this increases our Apprehensions of its Terror; the malicious Devils will then fully repay Sinners, for their faithful drud­gery to them in this World; and undoubted­ly the damned's associates in misery will add Fuel to their burnings, and widen their wounds, by bringing to their unwelcome remembrance past impieties.

6. The Place is horrible, in which the Ven­geance of God is inflicted, which will add to its amazing Dread. This the sacred Scriptures represent to be a Dungeon of the closest Con­finement, and greatest obscurity. 1. Pet. III. 19. 2. Pet. II. 4. Jud. VI. 13. A terrible Theatre prepared by divine Vengeance, to erect its eternal Triumph in, upon the dam­ned World. Is. XXX. last,

Having spoken something respecting the first Ingrediant grasped in the possitive Mi­series of the Damned, viz. The Wrath of God. I come to consider the

2. Namely the Burnings of material Fire, with which their Bodies after the Resurection will be eternaly Scorched all over, as if wrap­ped in a Sheet of flaming Sulphur, in that Glowing Oven of God's enraged Jealousie before mentioned; ‘So that they will become throughout like a burning Coal, every limb [Page 179]dropping, whole Flakes of Fire and Brim­stone.’ ^(t) Luke. XVI. That the damned wil be tortur'd with material Fire, appears from our Saviours Explication of the Para­ble; Mat. XIII. 24, — 42. Which com­mon Sense teaches us should be in plain Language, otherwise it would not tend to instruct but to perplex and ensnare Mankind.

Again its very improbable, that, that final decisive Sentence of the great Judge, men­tioned by the Evangelist, Mat. XXV. 41. Should be expressed in the dark Figures of Metaphor, because it suits not its Design, which is to be easily understood by all. Not to add, that if the same Thing be intended in the Diversity of Expressions, used by Christ concerning the Torments of Hell; Mark. IX. 44. It will be no casie Task to clear the Text from the Charge of a needless Repetition.

It is indeed difficult for us to apprehend, how crass Matter should work upon a Spirit, but notwithstanding Experience teaches us, that our Souls which are as really Spirits as the Angels, are capable of painful Sensations, from our bodily Maladies.

But to proceed,

3. Ingredient in the damneds poss [...]tive mise­ries is the Reslections of their guilty Conscien­ces, [Page 180]which probably are intended by that metaphorical Expression of Christ, Mark. IX. 44. Of a never dying Worm; Conscience undoubtedly gnaws the damned Soul, stretches it on the Rack of inexpressible Anguish, sinks it in the Gulff of Pain, and gripes it with Unutterable and eternal Agonies; by reflecting upon the Greatness of the Hap­piness once and again offered them, and that in the most humble strains of importunate and endearing condescension, and their will­ful madness in the Rejection of it, and choo­sing Sin and Death before it. The whole Series of their past Impieties being repre­sented by Conscience, will minister sufficient Matter for the most Passionate and perpetual Lamentations, bitter reflections, and self­revenging upbraiding. Mat. VIII. 12. But the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth.

What ever Way the Damned turn their Thoughts, is will add Fuel to their Flames, if they Look back upon their Lives spent in this World, a gloomy Scene of unpardoned Iniquities will open to their View, like so many hideous Monsters ready to fright them into convulsive Agonies; if they look up­ward there is a glorious Paradise foolishly and sorever forfeited, for the Enhanceing of [Page 181]insignificant Trifles, for the Gratification of brutish Appetites, of which nothing now remains, but a stinging Remembrance; if they look forward there is a certain Prospect of the continual Duration of their present Torments, then which nothing can be more Afflictive and terrible, if they look about them there is nothing to behold but Flames mingled with smoke, devils their Tormen­tors, and damned Wretches their woful Com­panions, yelling, roaring, and blaspheming after the most hideous Manner, and gnawing their scorched Tongues for pain. Rev. XVI. 9, 10. If they look within them there they behold and fell numberless guilts preying upon them like Vultures, biting them like Serpents, and stinging like Adders.

4. Another Ingredient in the Damneds Misery, will be the Rage and Fury of unsa­tisfied Lusts, and exasperated Passions. The present inordinate cravings of wicked People, will then be heightned to an awful Pitch, and their former restraints utterly removed. Mat. XXV. 29. And being there entirely be­reaved of suitable Objects to gratify them with, or the least Hopes of ever attaining any; this will put the Damned upon an eternal Rack, and make them foam and rage like wild Bulls in a net. ‘In a word [Page 182] ^(u) All their Affections will become Vessels of Wrath; and the Passions will be en­raged into black despair, and redned into the most confounding shameful Blushes,’

Having hinted somewhat privatively and and possitively, concerning the Nature of the damneds Torments, I come now in the.

2. Place, to offer a word or two concer­ning the Degrees of them; which most cer­tainly are various, adapted to the Number and agravations of Crimes committed in this Life. Mat. XXIII. 14, Rom. II. 5. Heb. X. 29. But above all others, such as have fin­ned against the Light and Love of Christ in the Glorious Gospel will be punished. Mat. X. 15. Mat. XI. 22, 24. Mark. VI. 11. Luk. X. 12, 14. Joh. III. 19. I beseech you for your Souls sake, that you would consider seriously the Places of Scripture now Men­tioned.

3. The Duration of the damneds Torments will be both continual, and eternal. Rev. XIV. 11. Mat. XXV. 46. How unspeakably dreadful is this Consideration! An acute Pain but in one Part of our Body makes life a Burden, and it is onely the Hopes of its speedy Expiration, which makes it tolerable; otherwise if one were assured that they must [Page 183]bear the Pains even of the Tooth-ake in their intensness, during their whole life, they would be apt to run raving distracted with the very Thoughts of it; O then what un­utterable Torments must it be? To have all the Parts of the Body, and all the Powers of the Soul, torn with the most exquisite Tor­tures! Without one moments Intermission, or the least Hopes of it through a never en­ding Eternity.

I come now to the Improvement of what has been said, in a few Inferences, in which, because of the Prolixity of the Doctrinal Part of the Discourse, I am obliged (contrary to my Inclination) to be very brief.

1. If not believing the Truth, and having pleasure in unrighteousness, be evils of such dangerous Consequence, as has been hinted; then it exceedingly concerns us to enquire narrowly into our present practice, and to examine our selves strictly by the Charracters given of such Persons from the 87 — to the 100. Page — Whither we be Guilty or not, if upon an impartial Tryal, you find your selves at present not Guilty, then Bless God for his pardoning renewing or preventing Grace; and persevere in your just Esteem of an unfeigned Belief in the [...]lessed Gospel of Grace and Truth, in the Face of all Opposition from wicked Men [Page 184]and Devils, and you will never have reason to be ashamed of your Hope: But on the contrary ye shall assuredly posess the Sea­sonable fullfillment of the faithful Promises here, be owned by, and Crowned of, the de­scending Jesus hereafter, and findly obtain the End of your Faith, the Salvation of your Souls. 1. Pet. I. 9. Mat. XXV. 34. Mat. XVI. 27.

But if upon Examination you find your selves Guilty of not receiving the Truth, and having pleasure in unrighteousness; then the aforesaid Doctrine, serves to discharge Thun­der in your Faces. I beseech you Sinners who hold the truth in unrighteousness, in the Name of the eternal God to reform speedily as you will answer it at your peril before the Barr of Christ, to excite you to which I entreat you to consider the dreadful dan­gers of persisting in the aforesaid Course which are no less than your spiritual Delu­sion, and Eternal Damnation; now in order to get some affecting View of these terrible punishments, think upon solemnly, and ap­ply closely, what has been said upon them, from the 155. to the 183. Page.

2. May People's Day of Grace expire be­fore their natural Death? — And after this, will God be gracious no more? — Then for Christ's sake be entreated to try your selves, by those Signs of an expired Season of [Page 185]Grace, mentioned from the 149 to the 155. Page. If you find any of those black Marks upon you, and are yet in a carnal security, you have Cause of trembling & distress, your faces may justly gather paleness, and your knees smite each other, for your Case is exceeding perrilous! Yet despair not of Gods Mercy, but labour to humble your selves before the Sov­ereign Jehovah, seek his Favour earnestly and speedily; who knoweth if he will returnand re­pent, (i. e. Alter the course of his Providence) and leave a blessing behind him. Joel. II. 14 Peradventure God will pity you, those Signs I have proposed are not certain and infalible ones but probable only. Act. VIII. 22. 2 Tim. II. 25.

But if any poor Creature be exceedingly distressed with fear that his Day is past, and mourns that he did not turn to God sooner, and is willing to come to any terms in order to obtain an Interest in Christ; poor Soul it was not with a View to increase thy distress to an excessive Depth, I wrote those Signs, no, but to awake the secure if it were the good Pleasure of God to concurr with them for that End; Sinner thy distressing fear that thy Day is past, proves that it is so far from being past, that now is the very Time of thy gracious Visitation, now the holy Spirit is working with thee, and convincing of the, [Page 186]of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment; there­fore comply with his gracious Motions, and embrace the Offers of Mercy and thou shalt be saved; there is yet room for thee poor Prisoner of Hope, Christ has come from the Bosom of his father to seek and save such lost Sheep as thou art. Thy Case poor Sin­ner is not singular, as Satan would perswade thee to believe, no, there be Millions of others, some of them in Heaven and some on Earth, who have been put to their wits end with the same fears, viz. that their Day was spent and gone. Do not say your Sins are too great to be forgiven, this is an unwor­thy and dishonourable Reflection upon the infinite Goodness of God, and the boundless fullness and immense Merit of the Redeemers Satisfaction; whose Blood cleanseth from all Sin. Read deliberately, and ponder upon the following Places of Scripture. 2. Chron. XXXIII. 13. Ps. XXV. 11. Is. I. 18, the 42.3. and 55.12. Mat. XI. 28.12, 31. the 18.11. Luk. XV. 20. Joh. VI. 37.7. 37. Heb. VII. 25. Rev. XXII. 17.1. Joh. I. 7.

3. Are dark Providences sent with such gracious Designs in respect of Gods People? As has been hinted, from the 138 to the 146 Page. Then let them be advised.

[Page 187] 1. Not to be Surprized with them or sin­fully dejected by them, they should indeed have an awful but childlike Fear of Gods Judgments, however dark the Face of Things may look for a Time, the End will surely be Peace to such who love God, Rom. VIII. 28. In the Evening Time it will be Light, Zach. XIV. 7. For certainly Light is sown for the Righteous, and joy for the upright in Heart. Ps. XCVII. 11. To this end they should Labour.

2. To comply with the aforesaid Designs.

3. To beware of Impatience under the Scoffs of wicked Men, or of begrudging their Prosperity, for it is Necessary that there should be always some of Cain's and Ismael's Brood, to exercise the Graces of God's Abels and Isaacks. And what is their Prosperity, but a snare and a Trap to their Souls? A mean to ripen them for Destruction, and to increase the Viols of divine Indignation. ‘What is their Pleasures? But like the deceit ful Salute of Joab with Amasa? What is their Honour, but like Absalom's Mule, it mounts and Carries them to their Gallows? What is their Riches but like Jaels Present to Sisera, in a Lordly Dish it only makes way for the fatal Nail, for their sad Account at the Day of Judgment,’ Poor Creatures, they are the greatest Objects of Pity under [Page 188]the Canopy of Heaven, for all their Pride, Pomp, Grandure and Gaiety! Gracious Souls, from the humble Vale of Bochim, ascend the Heights of Zion: While prosperous Impenitents fall headlong from the Top of Ebal, to the Depths of Tophet. The one swims in Tears to the Country of Emanuel, while the other rides in Triumph to Dam­nation.

4. Are the Designs of the aforesaid Provi­dences, so terrible towards many wicked People, as has been in some sort represen­ted? Then truly they have little cause for that Joy and Satisfaction they usually (some of them) express upon such Occasions? and as little Reason have they for their malici­ous Reflections, against the whole Body of Professors, for the falls of some, or divine Judgments inflicted upon others, seeing their Sins are often the meritorious Causes of the former. Joshua. XXII. 20.2. Chron. XX. 35.37. And the Issue of both oftentimes no less then their Infatuation, and Damnation; as our Text asserts.

But there is a Generation of Men who while they honour dead and distant Saints, (nam-mortuus non mordet) persecute the living that are near them like the old Pharisees their antient Predicessors. [Page 189]If wicked Men did but consult their own In­terest, they would certainly restrain their unreasonable invectives, against such who are the Object of Gods peculiar Love and Care. Zec. II. 8. Did they but exercise their Reason, they might easily perceive that divine Providence is an Abyss, too deep to be sounded by the Line of their carnal Rea­son. see Ps. LXXIII. 19. And that the fur­ther progress they make in unreasonable Re­flections, the more awful items they will add to their own Score, in the final Reckoning. The greater Measures of Wrath; treasure up for themselves against the Day of Wrath.

5. Does the Righteous God threaten to send Delusion, that such who believe not the Truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness, may believe a Lie; and be all Damned? Then why should we wonder to see this Threatning of the faithful God executed upon the proper Subjects of it, and fullfilled in an Age of such Impiety as ours is, wherein eve­ry Thing that is worthy of Esteem, is treated with Contempt. Is it any wonder to see Men of filthy Practices, professing such cor­rupt Principles, as favour their Lusts, and flatter their Arogance? None need be sur­prized to see Men growing weary of the Gospel, whose precepts are so strict, and whose Doctrines are so sublime, and eagerly [Page 190]hunting after new Religions, or rather new vaumping old Heresies; so long as they see pride and all manner of wickedness prevai­ling, as alas it does at present! And so long as they Read this Text, I have been treat­ing upon.

To prevent the aforesaid Delusion, and the Dam­nation which follows it, I shall conclude this Dis­course with the following Councils.

1. Be not contented with the bare Speculative Knowledge of Divine Truths but seek to get them impressed on your Hearts, and labour to improve them into Practice, which is their great Design. Eph. IV. 21.

2. Endeavour to be well acquainted with the Prin­ciples of Christianity, with their Grounds and Con­nection; as also with your own State and Condition towards God, that ye may be able to render a Rea­son of your Hope, 1 Pet. III. 15.

To this End ye should,

1. Read the holy Scriptures reverently and fre­quently, with a Disposition to learn lastruction from them, Joh. V. 39.

2. Be earnest in supplicating the blessed God, the Source of Truth, that he would lead you into all Truth by his Holy Spirit, and keep you from being turned aside by every Wind of Doctrine, and the Craft of those who lie in wait to deceive. Eph. IV. 14.

3. Labour against the Pride of your own Under­standing, which inclines you to discredit those Things you cannot comprehend, or grasp in your shallow Capacities. 1 Cor. III. 18.

[Page 191] 4. Once more, beware of curious Enquiries into, hasty Censures upon God's Councils, Providences, or afflicted People, lest ye feel the Bethshemites Fate, or something worse, if worse can be. 1 Sam. VI. 19. When you see the Hand of God upon some Professors of Religion, afflicting them with Dispair, Madness, or Death it self, then let your Flesh tremble for fear of GOD, and be afraid of his Judgements, and won­der that the righteous God hath not hitherto blasted your rational Powers, and utterly bereaved you of that Reason, which you have so long abused, to the Dishonour of its kind Author, and the unspeakable Disadvantage of its indolent Possessor. You may also admire, unhappy Sinners, the sparing Mercies of a provoked yet patient God, that he has not sunk you with Cain, Judas and Spira in the Gulf of De­speration, who have for so long a Tract of Time been laying up so much Fuel for it, by sinning against a gracious God. Admire, Sinner, that the Breath of that Life which has been so long employed in con­tradicting the great Design of it, has not been blown out long agoe in obscure Darkness. — Might not the just God have caused the Earth to open beneath thy Feet, and swallow thee in Death, in the Midst of thy Lusts, as he did to Coran and his Companions? Has the Devil had such Power over the Bedies of pious People for a Time, as has been proved? Then admire, wicked Sinner, that he has not hitherto torn thee in Pieces, or that he doth not even this Moment Sieze thee, and drag thee quick to Hell! — What Fence hast thou to guard thee from his cruel Gripe? None at all, unhappy Creature! but thy false Hope! and that is not worth a Rush! You'll say, that God is stronger than the Devil; that is true indeed; but so much the more terrible is your Case, who have him for your Enemy O, but you trust in him for Protection; answer, it is False! it is false! if you had true Faith in God the Temper of your Hearts [Page 192]and Course of your Practice would be holy and hea­venly; your Faith is but a historical Credit, a Fic­tion of your own Brain, or a Delusion of the Devil. But Sinner beware you persist no longer in those Paths of Death you have so long trod, otherwise ex­pect terrible Judgments such as our Text mentions, which may be justly to you as the Hand writing on the Wall was to Belshazer. — I conclude with that memorable and solemn Saying of the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. IV. 17. For the Time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the End be of them, who obey not the Gospel of GOD.