A Christian Library

A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

O Most glorious LORD GOD, and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father; in whom we live, and move, and have our being; in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee, from whom all good things do proceed; who knowest our necessities befo • e we ask, and our ignorance in asking. It is true, O Lord, if we should consider only our own unworthiness, and how we have heretofore abused thy goodness and longsuffering towards us; we might rather despair with Judas, and like Adam run from thee, then dare to approach thy glorious presence. For we confess, O Lord, to the shame and confusion of our own faces, that—

—as we brought a world of sin into the World with us, and deserved to die so soon as we began to live; so ever since that thou hast spared us, we have done nothing but add sin unto sin, as thou hast added mercy to mercy: For we have been no less rebellious unto thee, then thou hast been beneficial unto us. We do daily and hourly break all thy commandments, adding unto that our original corruption which we were conceived and borne in, all manner of actual transgressions, by sins of Omission, sins of Commission, sins of Ignorance, sins of Knowledge, sins against conscience; yea, sins of Presumption and Willfulness, and that in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned against thy Law, and against thy Gospel, against thy mercies, and against thy judgments, against the many warnings, and the abundance of means, afforded by thee to reclaim us, against the spirit of grace cotinually knocking at the doors of our hearts, with infinite checks and holy motions, Our ears have been always open to the Tempter, shut unto thee; we have abused our eyes to wantonness, our mouths to filthiness, and our feet have been swift to all evil, slow to ought that is good.

And as we have committed one sin on the neck of another, so we have multiplied, and many times repeated them, by filling often into the same wickedness, whereby our sins are become for number, as the sands of the Sea, and as the Stars of Heaven.

Yet 〈…〉

Yet most most merciful Father, being that thou hast given thy Son, and thy Son himself for the ransom of so many as shall truly repent, and unfeignedly believe in him, who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness; yea, suffered on the Cross, and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect.

And seeing thou hast appointed Prayer, as one special means for the obtaining of thy grace, unto which thou hast annexed this comfortable promise, that where two or three be gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt be in the midst of them, and grant their requests; and since our Redeemer hath assured us, that whatsoever we shall ask thee in his name, thou wilt give it us:

We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace, that we may be able to repent and believe.

Wherefore for thy promise sake, for thy Sons sake, and for thy great Names sake, we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls, regenerate our hearts, change and purify our natures, subdue our reason, rectify our judgments, strengthen our wills, renew our affections, put a stop to our madding and straying fancies, beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ; and enable us in some measure, both to withstand that which is evil, and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight.

Yea give us repentance never to be repented of, and possess our souls with such a dreadful awe of thy Majesty, that we may fear as well to commit small sins as great ones considering that the least sin is mortal without our repentance, & thy mercy: as well fear to sin-in secret as openly, since there is nothing hid from thee: as well condemn ourselves for evil thoughts as evil deeds, considering that the Law is spiritual, binding the heart no less then the hands; as well abstain from the occasions of sin, as sin itself; and consider that it is not enough, to abstain from evil, unless we hate it also, and do the contrary good.

And now O Lord, since thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, we beseech the to defend, and dierct us in the same: and as thou hast blest us in our lying down, and in our rising up, so protect & prosper us in our going forth, & in our coming home: shield and deliver us from the snares of the Hunter, who lieth in wait for our souls; and is continually laboring our everlasting destruction. And no less arm us against the allurements of the world, wherein we shall meet with many provocations, and temptations: and that we may not lead our selves, nor be led into temptation; give us wisdom to beware of men, even of associating ourselves with the vicious, like Joseph: lest otherwise with David, we be drawn to dissemble: or with Peter, to deny thee: for sin is of a catching, and infectious quality: and our corrupt hearts are like tinder, which will kindle with the least spark: especially O Lord, keep us from yielding to their solicitations, or following their customs, of drink • ing, swearing, slandering, and making the worst construction of things: of mocking, and scoffing at religion, or the religious: let not custom and example any whit prevail with us, without, or against thy written Word; lest we miss of the narrow way, which alone leadeth unto life: only give us wisdom, and grace, to look upon thy Sons whole life: & see how he would speak, and do, before we speak or do anything, & then having thy word for our warrant, and thy glory for our aim; let no censures, nor flowts of any discourage us.

Finally, good Father we beseech thee, enable us so to walk in thy fear; that in mirth we be not vain, in knowledge we be not proud, in zeal we be not bitter; instruct us by thy Word direct us by thy Spirit, mollify us by thy grace, humble us by thy, corrections, win us by thy benefits, reconcile our nature to thy will; & teach us so to make profit of everything, that we may see thee in all things, & all things in thee.

And in these our prayers we are not mindful of ourselves alone, but forasmuch as thou hast commanded us to pray one for another; as being the members of one and the same mystical body: we beseech thee to bless thy whole Church Universal, wheresoever dispersed, and howsoever distressed, or despised, far and wide over the face of the whole earth: and vouchsafe unto thy Gospel such a free and effectual passage, that it may sound throughout all Nations. Yea, we humbly pray thee, let it convert and reclaim the Turks, Jews, Infidels, Indians, Atheists, Epicures, Heretics, and Schismatics. Prevent all plots, and projects against the Kingdom of thy Christ: let thy Word and Spirit alone, bear rule in all places. Extend thy tender mercy O Lord, to all Protestants beyond the Seas; to all Christians under the Turks, or other Infidels: strengthen all such as suffer for thy cause, and let thy presence with them counterpoyse whatsoever is laid upon them, and enable them to continue constant in thy faith and truth to the end. More particularly, be good unto that part of thy Church planted here amongst us, in this sinful Land, and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings; that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us▪ be propitious to the Nobility, Gentry, and Communalty. Bless the Tribe of Levi, all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments; let their lips, O God, preserve knolewdg, and their lives righteousness; and forever bless thou their labors: increase the number of those that are faithful and painful; and reform, or remove such as are either scandalous, or idle: and for a constant and continual supply of their mortality, bless all Schools of learning, and good literature; especially the Universities. Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted, whether in body, or in mind, of in both; whether in conscience, groaning under sin; or for a good conscience, because they will not sin: and as thou makest them examples to us, so teach us to take example by them, and learn wisdom by thy hand upon them.

These, and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of, we humbly crave at thy merciful hands, and that for the alone worthiness, and satisfaction of thy son▪ and the honor of our only Redeemer, and Advocate Jesus Christ: to whom with thee O Father, and thy blessed Spirit, be given as is most due, all praise, glory, and dominion, the residue of this day, and for evermore. Amen.

A PRAYER for the Morning. O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray.

O Most glorious LORD GOD, and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father; in whom we live, and move, and have our being; in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee, from whom all good things do proceed; who knowest our necessities befo • e we ask, and our ignorance in asking. It is true, O Lord, if we should consider only our own unworthiness, and how we have heretofore abused thy goodness and longsuffering towards us; we might rather despair with Judas, and like Adam run from thee, then dare to approach thy glorious presence. For we confess, O Lord, to the shame and confusion of our own faces, that—

—as our first Parents left us a large stock of sin, so we have improved the same beyond measure▪ O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which we have received from thee! But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion, we suddenly lost it. We were created indeed by thee, after thine own image, in righteousness, & holiness, & in knowledge of the Truth: But alas! now our understandings are so darkened and dulled, our judgmēts so blinded, our wills so perverted, our affections so corrupted, our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised, our desires so entrapped, and all the faculties and sunctions of our souls so disordered, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think, much less to speak, least of all to do ought that is good. And yet usually like Bladders, we are not more empty of grace, than we are blown up with pride: whereby with Laodicea, we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakedness; but think we are rich and good enough, as wanting nothing; when as scarce any spark of grace yet appears in us. Yea, so far have we been from loving and serving thee, that we have hated those that do it, and that for their so doing. And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ in our Baptism, when we took his pressemony to be his Soldiers, and serve him in the field of this world, against his and our enemies; that we have renounced our vow made to him, and fled from his standard; yea, fought for Satan and the World, seeking to win all we could from Christ, by tempting to sin, and by persecuting such as were better then ourselves; so that all our recompense of thy love unto us, hath been to do that which thou hatest, and to hate those whom thou lovest. Yea, we cannot deny but we have persecuted thee with Paul, denied thee with Peter, betrayed thee with Judas, and crucified thee with those cruel Jews.

Now Lord it being thus with us, how can we expect that thou shouldest hear our prayers, & grant our requests? yea, how can we look for other at thine hands, then great and grievous, yea, then double damnation? as most justly we have deserved.

Yet most most merciful Father, being that thou hast given thy Son, and thy Son himself for the ransom of so many as shall truly repent, and unfeignedly believe in him, who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness; yea, suffered on the Cross, and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect.

And likewise knowing, that mercy pleaseath thee, and that the sole perfection of a Christian, is the imputation of Christ's righteousness, and the not-imputation of his own unrighteousness.

We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace, that we may be able to repent and believe.

Wherefore for thy promise sake, for thy Sons sake, and for thy great Names sake, we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls, regenerate our hearts, change and purify our natures, subdue our reason, rectify our judgments, strengthen our wills, renew our affections, put a stop to our madding and straying fancies, beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ; and enable us in some measure, both to withstand that which is evil, and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight.

And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning, will increase it; and that by procrastinating, we shall but heap unto ourselves wrath against the day of wrath: Good Lord, suffer us not, we beseech thee, to defer our repentance, lest the custom of evil makes it altogether unalterable in us: or lest we die before we begin to live: or lest thou refusest to hear us another day, calling upon thee for mercy: because we refuse to hear thee now, calling to us for repentance.

Wherefore if we be not yet converted, let this be the happy hour of our conversion; that as our bodies are risen by thy power, and providence from sleep, so our souls may daily be raised from the sleep of sin, and the darkness of this world; that so we may enjoy that everlasting light, which thou hast prepared for thine; and purchased with the blood of thy dear Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Give unto us, we beseech thee, a true, lively, and justifying faith, whereby we may lay hold upon those gracious promises, which thou hast made unto us in him; and wherewith we may vanquish all our spiritual adversaries. Seal up unto us the assurance of our salvation, by the te • stimony of thy blessed Spirit. Give to us thy servants, that wisdom which descendeth from above, that we may be wise unto our eternal salvation: so shall our hearts (instead of a Commentary) help us to understand the Scriptures, and our lives be an Exposition of the inward man. Give us grace, to account all things in this world even as dross, and dung, that we may win Christ Jesus; and Heaven and happiness by means of him. Give us single hearts, and spirits without guile, that we may love goodness for itself, and more seek the power of godliness, then the show of it; and love the godly for thy sake: and because they are godly. Grant that in the whole course of our lives, we may do unto all others, as we would that they should do unto us: considering, that whether we do good or evil, unto any one of thy members, thou takest it as done unto thyself. Discover unto us all our own sins, that we may not be so forward to censure others, as we have been heretofore. Give us patience to bear thy Fatherly chastisements, which through thy grace sanctifying them to us, become both Medicines to cure us, and Antidotes to preserve us from the sickness of sin: considering, that all the afflictions of this life, are not worthy those joys which shall be revealed unto us.

And as we are suitors unto thy Majesty, for these thy blessings spiritual: so likewise we humbly beg at thy merciful hands, all necessaries appertaining to our temporal welfare: beseeching thee to bless us in our persons, with health, strength, and liberty: in our estates, with sufficiency, and the right use of it; considering that if we spend what we have upon our own lusts, we may ask, but we shall not receive: in our good names, with an unreprovable report: and so bless and sanctify unto us all the things of this life, that they may be furtherances of us in the way to a better.

And seeing that it is in vain for us to labor, except thy blessing go along with it: neither can our endeavors succeed well except thou prosper them: bless everyone of us in our several places and callings, and so direct us in all we shall take in hand, that whatsoever we do, may tend to thy glory, the good of others, and the comfort of our own souls: when we shall come to make our final account unto thee for them.

These, and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of, we humbly crave at thy merciful hands, and that for the alone worthiness, and satisfaction of thy son▪ and the honor of our only Redeemer, and Advocate Jesus Christ: to whom with thee O Father, and thy blessed Spirit, be given as is most due, all praise, glory, and dominion, the residue of this day, and for evermore. Amen.

A Prayer for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleep, then to pray.

O Eternal, Almighty, and incomprehensible Lord God; who art great and terrible, of most glorious Ma • esty, and infinite purity: Creator, and Preserver of all things, and Guider▪ and Governor of them being created: who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence, and art everywhere at hand to receive, and hear the prayers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ.

Thou hast of thy goodness bestowed so many, and so great mercies upon us, • ha • we know not how to express thy bounty herein. Yea, we can scarce think of anything more to pray for, but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already: yet we cover still, as though we had nothing, and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence.

Thy blessings are without number, yet our sins strive with them which shall be more: if we could count the numberless number of thy Creatures, they would not be answerable to the number of thy gifts; yet the number of our offenses which we return in lieu of them, are not much inferior thereunto. Well may we confess with Judas, we have sinned, and there stop; but we cannot reckon their number, nor set forth their nature. We are bound to praise thee above any Nation whatsoever: for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light, or so many blessings as we? above any Crea • u • e, for all the Creatures were ordained for our sakes: and yet Heaven, Earth, and Sea, all the Elements, all thy Creatures obey thy Word, and serve thee as they did at first: yea, call upon us to serve thee: only men for whom they were all made, ingratefully rebel against thee.

Thou mightest have said before we were formed; let them be Toads, Monsters, Infidels, Beggers, Cripples, or Bondslaves so long as they live, and after that, Cast-awaies forever and ever: but thou hast made us to the best likeness, and nursed us in the best Religion, and placed us in the best Land, and appointed us to the best and only Inheritance, even to remain in bliss with thee forever: so that thousands would think themselves happy, if they had but a piece of our happiness.

Why shouldest thou give us thy Son for a ransom, thy holy Spirit for a pledge, thy Word for a guide, thy Angels for our guard; and reserve a Kingdom for our perpetual inheritance? Why shouldest thou bestow health, wealth, rest, liberty, limbs, senses, food, raiment, friends, and the means of salvation upon us, more then upon others, whom thou hast denied these things unto? We can give no reason for it, but that thou art merciful; and if thou shouldest draw all back again, we had nothing to say but that thou wert just: which being considered, why should any serve thee more then we, who want nothing but thankfulness? Why should we not hate the Way to Hell, as much as Hell itself? and why should we not make every cogitation, speech, and action of ours, as so many steps to Heaven? yet if thou shouldst now ask us what lust is asswaged, what affection qualified, what passion expelled, what sin re • pented of, what good performed, since we began to receive thy blessings to this day? we must needs confess against our selves, that all our thoughts, words, and works, have been the service of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil: yea, it hath been the course of ou • whole life, to leave that which thou commandest, and to do that which thou forbiddest: yet, miserable wretches that we are, if we could give thee our bodies and souls, they should be saved by it; but thou wert never the richer for them.

Thus while we look upon our selves, we are ashamed to li • t up our e • es unto thee; yea, we are ready to despair with Cain: yet when we think upon thy Son, and the rich promises of the Gospel, our fear is in some measure turned into joy: while we consider that his righteousness for us, is more then our wickedness against our selves; only give us faith we beseech thee, and set • le it in thy beloved, that we may draw virtue from his death and resurrection, whereby we may be enabled • o die unto sin, and live unto righteousness; and it sufficeth for all our iniquities, necessities, and infirmities.

It is true, O Lord, as we were made after thine own Image; so by sin we have turned that Image of thine, into the Image of Satan: but turn thou us again, and we shall be turned into the Image and likeness of thy Son: And what though our sins be great, yet thy mercy is far greater then our sins either are, or can be: we cannot be so bad, as thou art good; nor so infinite in sinning, as thou art in pardoning, if we repent. O that we could repent! O that thou wouldest give us repentance! for we are weak, O Lord, and can no more turn our selves, then we could at first make our selves: yea, we are altogether dead in sin, so that we cannot stir the least joint, no not so much as feel our deadness, nor desire life, except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin, and grave of long custom, to the life of grace: Apt we are to all evil, but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodness; yea, to all the means thereof. We are altogether of our selves unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries, but do thou f • ee our wills, and set to thy helping hand, in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts: and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections, and we shall henceforth as much honor thee, as by your wickedness we have formerly dishonored thee.

Wherefore of thy goodness, and for thy great Names sake, we beseech thee take away our stony hearts, and give us hearts of flesh: enable us to repent what we have done, and never more to do what we have once repented, not fostering any one sin in our souls.

Reform and change our minds, wills, and affections, which we have corrupted; remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thee, and direct all our thoughts, speeches, and actions to thy glory, as thou hast directed our eternal salvation thereunto. Let not Satan any longer prevail, in causing us to defer our repentance; since we know, that late repentance is seldom sincere, and that sickness is no fit time for so great a work; as many have found that are now in Hell: Neither is it reasonable, thou shouldest accept of our feeble and decrepit old age, when we have spent all the flower, and strength of our youth, in serving of Satan, not once minding to leave sin, until sin left us.

Yea, O Lord, give us firmly to resolve, speedily to begin, and continually to persevere, in doing and suffering thine holy will: Inform and reform us so, that we may neither mis-believe, not mis • live: subdue our lusts to our wills, submit our wills to reason, our reason to faith; our faith, our reason, our wills, our selves, to thy blessed Word and Will. Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sins, which corrupt our souls, and darken our understandings; separate them from us, which would separate us from thee: Yea, remove them out of thy sight also, we most humbly beseech thee, as far as the East is from the West; and in the merits of thy Son, pardon and forgive us all those evils, which either in thought, word, or deed, we have this day, or any time hereto • ore committed against thee: whether they be the sins of our youth, or of our age; of omission, or commission; whether committed of • gnorance, of knowledge, or against conscience, and the many checks and motions of thy holy • pirit.

And now, O Lord, seeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest; and because we can neither wake nor sleep without thee, who hast made the day and night, and rulest both: therefore into thy hands we commend our souls and bodies, beseeching thee to watch over us this night, and preserve us from all our spiritual, and bodily enemies; from thievs, fire, and from all other dangers.

These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands, and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdom to be needful and necessary for our souls, or bodies, or estates, or names, or friends, or the whole Church, better then we our selves can either ask or think: and that for thy Names sake, for thy promise sake, for thy mercies sake, for thy Sons sake, who suffered for sin, and sinned not; and whose righteousness pleadeth for our unrighteousness: in him it is that we come unto thee, in him we call upon thee, who is our Redeemer, our Preserver, and our Savior; to whom with Thee, and thy blessed Spirit, be ascribed as is most due, all honor, glory, praise, power, might, majesty, dominion, and hearty thanksgiving, the rest of this night following, and for evermore, Amen.

A Prayer for the Evening, which would be performed before Supper, and not when we are more prone to sleep, then to pray.

O Eternal, Almighty, and incomprehensible Lord God; who art great and terrible, of most glorious Ma • esty, and infinite purity: Creator, and Preserver of all things, and Guider▪ and Governor of them being created: who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence, and art everywhere at hand to receive, and hear the prayers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ.

Thou hast of thy goodness bestowed so many, and so great mercies upon us, • ha • we know not how to express thy bounty herein. Yea, we can scarce think of anything more to pray for, but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already: yet we cover still, as though we had nothing, and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence.

We no sooner lived, then we de • served to die; neither need we anymore to condemn us, then what we brought into the world with us: but thou hast spared us to this hour, to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance, as our first Parents, and we have turned from thee by sin: yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain, and thy longsuffering to no end: For whereas many have been won by thy Word, we would not suffer it to change us; many have been reformed by the Cross, but we would not suffer it to purge us; many have been moved by thy benefits, but we would not suffer them to persuade us: yea, as if we had contracted with the Devil, that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come: • hy blessings make us proud, thy riches covetous, thy peace wanton, thy meats intemperate, thy mercy secure; and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebel against thee. We have profaned thy days, contemned thy ordinances, resisted thy Word, grieved thy Spirit, misused thy Messengers, hated our Reprovers, slandered and persecuted thy people, seduced our friends, given ill example to our Neighbors, opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries, to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named, and the truth we profess: whereas meaner mercies, and far weaker means, have provoked others no less to honor thee, and the Gospel; who may justly rise up in judgment against us. Besides, (which makes ou • case far more miserable) we can scarce resolve to amend; or if we do, we put off our conversion to hereafter: when we were children, we deferred to repent till we were men: now we are men, we defer until we be old men: and when we be old men we shall defer it until death, if thou prevent us not: and yet we look for as much at thine hands, as they which serve thee all their lives.

Perhaps we have a form of godliness, but thou who search st •• he heart, and triest the reins, knowest that too often we deny the power of it: and that ou • Religion is much of it hypocrisy, our zeal envy, our wisdom policy, our peace security, our life rebellion, our devotion deadness; and that we live so securely, as if we had no souls to save.

Indeed, thy Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire, and purposes of better obedience; but we are constant in nothing, but in perpetual offending, only therein we cease not: for when we are waking, our flesh tempts us to wickedness; if we are sleeping, it solicits us to filthiness; or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day, at night we pray unto thee: but what is the issue of our praying? First we sin, and then we pray thee to forgive it; and then return to our sins again; as if we came to thee for no other end, but to crave leave to offend thee: Or, of thy granting our requests, we even dishonor thee, and blaspheme thy name, while thou doest support and relieve us; run from thee, while thou doest call us; and forget thee, while thou art feeding us: so thou sparest us, we sleep; and tomorrow we sin again. O how justly mightest thou forsake us, as we forsake thee; and condemn u • , whose consciences cannot but condemn our selves! But who can measure thy goodness, who givest all, and forgivest all? Though we be sinful, yet thou lovest us; though we be miserably ingrateful, yet thou most plentifully blessest us: What should we have, if we did serve thee, who hast done all these things for thine enemies? O that thou who hast so endeared us to serve thee, wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts.

Wherefore of thy goodness, and for thy great Names sake, we beseech thee take away our stony hearts, and give us hearts of flesh: enable us to repent what we have done, and never more to do what we have once repented, not fostering any one sin in our souls.

And because infidelity is the bitter root of all wickedness, and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodness: nor are we Christians indeed, except we imitate Christ, and square our lives according to the rule of thy Word: Give us that faith which manifesteth itself by a godly life; which purifieth the heart, worketh by love, and sanctifieth the whole man throughout. Yea since, if our faith be true and sa • ing, it can no more be severed from unfeigned repentance, and sanctification, then life can be without motion, or the sun without light: give us spiritual wisdom, to try and examine our selves, whether we be in the faith or not: that so we may not be deluded with opinion only, as thousands are.

Discover unto us the emptiness, vanity and insufficiency of the things here below, to do our poor souls the least good; that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ, who is the life of our lives, and the soul of our souls: considering, that if we have him, we want nothing; if we want him, we have nothing.

Finally, O Lord, give unto us, and increase in us all spiritual graces: enlighten our minds with the knowledge of thy truth, and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good; that we may esteem it our meat and drink to do thy blessed will. Give us religious thoughts, godly desires, zealous affections, holy endeavors, assured persuasions of faith, steadfast waiting through hope, constancy in suffering through patience, and hearty rejoicing from love: regenerate our minds, purify our natures, turn all our joys into the joy of the Holy Ghost; and all our peace into the peace of conscience; and all our fears into the fear of sin, that we may love righteousness, with as great good will, as ever we loved wickedness; and go before others in thankfulness towards thee, as far as thou goest in mercy towards us before them.

Give us victory in temptation, patience in sickness, contentment in poverty, joy in distress, hope in troubles, confidence in the hour of death: give us always to think and meditate of the hour of death, the day of judgment, the joys of heaven, and the pains of hell; together with the ransom which thy Son paid, to redeem us from the one, and to purchase for us the other: so shall neither thy benefits, nor thy chastisements, nor thy Word return ineffectual: but accomplish that for which they were sent, until we be wholly renewed to the image of thy Son.

These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands, and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdom to be needful and necessary for our souls, or bodies, or estates, or names, or friends, or the whole Church, better then we our selves can either ask or think: and that for thy Names sake, for thy promise sake, for thy mercies sake, for thy Sons sake, who suffered for sin, and sinned not; and whose righteousness pleadeth for our unrighteousness: in him it is that we come unto thee, in him we call upon thee, who is our Redeemer, our Preserver, and our Savior; to whom with Thee, and thy blessed Spirit, be ascribed as is most due, all honor, glory, praise, power, might, majesty, dominion, and hearty thanksgiving, the rest of this night following, and for evermore, Amen.

A Prayer to be used at any time.

O Almighty, Eternal, most Glorious, and only wise God; giver to them which want, comforter of them which suffer, and forgiver of them that repent; whom truly to know, is everlasting life: We they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee, who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts: that—

—of our selves, we are not worthy to list up our eyes to heaven, much less to present ourselves before thy Majesty with the least confidence, that thou shouldest hear our prayers, or accept of our services: but rather that thou shouldest take these our confessions, and accordingly condemn us to the lowest place in Hell: for our continually abusing thy mercy, and those many means of grace, which in thy long suffering thou hast affoarded for our reclaiming. We are the cursed seed of rebellious Parents, we were conceived in sin, and born the children of wrath: And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us, so soon as thou gavest us being; and so prevented our further dishonoring thee: we have instead of humbling ourselves before thee our God, and seeking reconciliation with thy Majesty: done nothing from our infancy, but added sin unto sin, in breaking everyone of thine holy Laws, which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walk by, and to keep us from sinning. Yea, there is not one of thy righteous precepts, which we have not broken more times, and ways, then we can express: so far have we been from a privative holiness, in reforming that which is evil: and a positive holiness in performing that which is good: which thou mayest justly require of us, being we had once ability so to do, if we had not willfully lost it: for thou didst form us righteous and holy, had not we deformed ourselves; whereas now like Satan, we can do nothing else but sin, and make others sin too, who would not so sin, but for us: for we have an army of unclean desires, that perpetually sight against our souls: whereby we are continually tempted, drawn away, and enticed through our own concupiscence. Yea, thou knowest, that the heart of man is deceitful above all things; and that the imaginations thereof, are only, and continually evil. O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark Labyrin • hs of man's heart! who finds not in himself an indisposition of mind to all good, and an inclination to all evil?

And according to this our inclination, hath been our practice: we have yielded our hearts as cages to entertain all manner of unclean spirits, when on the contrary we have refused to yield them as. Temples for thine holy Spirit to dwell in.

Yet, miserable wretches as we are, we like our own condition so well, that we are not willing to go out of ourselves unto thee; who wouldest new make us, according to the Image of thy Son: for by long custom, we have so turned delight into necessity, that we can as willingly leave to live, as leave our lusts: yea, we love our sins so well, and so much above our souls, that (except thou change our hearts) we shall choose to go to Hell, rather then part with them. Thou hast used all manner of means to reclaim us, but nothing will serve; neither the menaces and terrors of thy Law, nor the precepts and sweet promises of thy Gospel can do it: We are neither softened with benefits, nor broken with punishments; thy severity will not terri • ie us, nor thy kindness mollify us. No, shouldest thou send an Angel from the dead to warn us, all persuasions would be in vain, since we hear Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles daily, and are never the better.

True, O Lord, there is a main reason of it, which we cannot now help; for naturally we have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, hearts and understand not. Yea, we are quite dead in sin, until thou doest boar our ears, so • ten our hearts, and break in upon our consciences by the irresistible power of thy Spirit, and by going along with thy Word, shall quicken our souls, and regenerate the whole man anew: In the mean time we are ready to receive all, and return nothing but sin and disobedience; wherein we more then abound: for we have done more against thee this week, then we have done • or thee ever since we were born. And whereas the least of thy mercies, is greater then all the curtesies of men, we are not so thankful to thee for them all, as we are to a friend for someone good turn.

Neither do we alone lay the fault upon our inability, or want of supply from thee; but upon our own perverseness, and want of endeavor, and putting forth that strength and ability, which thou hast given us: for how long hast thou (O most gracious God) stood at the doors of our hearts; and how often hast thou knocked, when we have refused to open, and let thee in; And if at any time we have been over-ruled by the good motions of thy holy Spirit, yet have we still returned (with the Dog) to our vomit, and (with the Sow) refused the clear streams of thy Commandments, to wallow in the mire of our filthy sins: whereby we have justly deserved, that thou shouldest have called us to an account in the dead of our sleep, and have judged us to eternal destruction; and never have suffered us again to have seen the light of the Sun: the remembrance of which, together with our other rebellions, when we rightly consider them, makes us even speechless like him in the Gospel: as neither expecting mercy, nor daring to ask it.

Howbeit, when we call to mind thy manifold mercies, shown to Manasseh, Paul, Mary Magdalene, the Thief, and the Prodigal Son, with many others; who were no less vile then we, and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear, then they were to ask; and to give above what they durst presume to beg: we stay ourselves, and receive some encouragement from the application of the me • ts of Christ Jesus; which thou hast promised, shall be a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins: and the rather, for that thou ca • est all that are weary and heavy laden, with the burden of their sins unto thee; with promise that thou wilt ease them: and hast promised, that though our sins be as red as scarlet, thou wilt make them white as snow, and that thou will not the death of a sinner, but that he turn from his wickedness and live: and that if a sinner • doth repent him of his sins, from the bottom of his heart, thou • il • blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance▪ An • •• st we should yet be discouraged, thou who didst no less accept th • 〈◊〉 D •• i • , then the act of Solomon, hast further promised, that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou will • accept of us according to that which we have, and not according to that which we • ave not.

But forasmuch O Lord, as thou knowest, that is not in man to turn his own heart, unless thou dost first give him grace to convert; for thou O Lord, must work in us both the will and the deed: and being that it is as easy with thee to make u • righteous and holy, as to bid us be such, O our God, give us ability, and willingness to do what thou commandest, and then command what t • o wilt; and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will. Wherefore give to us, and increase in us all Christian graces, that we may know, and believe, and repent, and amend, and persevere in well doing. Create in us O Lord, a new • ea • t, and renew a right spirit within us: take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin, and enable us by the powe • full assistance of thy grace, more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandments their ever we have the contrary.

Be favorable to thy people everywhere; look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church, and every several member thereof: bless it in all places 〈◊〉 peace and truth, hedge it about with thy providence, defend it from the misc • ievous designs, and attempts of •• ine, and her malicious enemy: let thy Gospel go on and con • ue • , maugre all opposition; that Religion and uprightness of heart may be highly set by with all, and all profaneness may be trod underfoot. More particularly, be merciful to this sinful Land; the civil • agistrates, the painful Ministers, the two Universities; those people that sit yet in darkness; all the afflicted members of thy Son. Lord, comfort the comfortless, strengthen the weak, bind up the broken hearted, make the bed of the sick, be a father to the fatherless, and an husband to the widow; clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, relieve the oppressed, sanctify unto them all their afflictions, and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee.

Prosper the Armies that fight thy battles, and show a difference between thy servants, and thine enemies, as thou didst between the Israelites and the Egyptians; that the one may be confirmed, and the other reclaimed.

These, and all other good things, which for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants, not for our sakes, but for thy mercies sake; and for thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ sake, in whom thou art well-pleased; and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Cross for our sins: who with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end.

Let thy mighty hand, and out-stretched arm, O Lord, be still our defense; thy mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ thy dear Son, our salvation; thy true and holy Word our instruction; thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort, consolation, illumination, and sanctification, now and forever, Amen.

A Prayer to be used at any time.

O Almighty, Eternal, most Glorious, and only wise God; giver to them which want, comforter of them which suffer, and forgiver of them that repent; whom truly to know, is everlasting life: We they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee, who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts: that—

—we have used all our wisdom, to commit the foolishness of sin: our whole conversation hath been to serv Satan, and fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We even suck in iniquity like water, and draw on sin as it were, with cartropes.

Neither is there any part, power, function, or faculty, either of our souls or bodies, which is not become a ready instrument to dishonor thee: for as our heart is a root of all corruption, a seed-plot of all sin; so our eyes, are eyes of vanity; our ears, ears of folly; our mouths, mouths of deceit; our hands, hands of iniquity: and every part doth dishonor thee, which yet would be glorified of thee. The understanding which was given us to learn virtue, is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin; the will which was given us to affect righteousness, is apt now to love nothing but wickedness; the memory which was given us to remember good things, is apt now to keep nothing but evil things: for sin (like a spreading leprosy) is so grown over us, that from the crown of our heads, to the soal of our • eet, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of corruption. Yea, our souls and bodies are even a very sink of sin; for like the common shore, we have not refused to welcome any, the most loathsome pollutions, that either the world, our own corruption, or the Devil at any time hath offered unto us.

Or, admit we are exempt from some evils, we may thank thee, and not ourselves for it: for we are ready without thy restraining grace, to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever: we are swift to all evil, but to 〈◊〉 good immovable: when we do evil, we do it cheerfully, and quickly, and easily; but if we do any good, we do it faintly, and rawly, and slackly. When did we talk without vanity? when did we give without hypocrisy? when did we bargain without deceit? when did we reprove without anger, or envy? when did we hear without wearysomness? when did we pray without tediousness? such is our corruption, as if we were made to sin, in deed, in word, or in thought. O the pride, passion, lust, envy, ignorance, awkwardnesse, hypocrisy, infidelity, vain thoughts, unprofitableness, and the like; which cleaves to our very best actions! and how full of infirmity are our primest performances! for we have not done any one action legally justifyable all our days▪ neither can ought we do, abide the examinatirn of thy strict justice, until it he covered with thy Sons righteousness; and the corruption thereof washed away in his most precious blood. Yea, if thou shouldest behold these our prayers, as they be in themselves, without having respect unto us in Christ Jesus; they would appear no better in thy sight, then a menstruous cloth.

Howbeit, when we call to mind thy manifold mercies, shown to Manasseh, Paul, Mary Magdalene, the Thief, and the Prodigal Son, with many others; who were no less vile then we, and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear, then they were to ask; and to give above what they durst presume to beg: we stay ourselves, and receive some encouragement from the application of the me • ts of Christ Jesus; which thou hast promised, shall be a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins: and the rather, for that thou ca • est all that are weary and heavy laden, with the burden of their sins unto thee; with promise that thou wilt ease them: and hast promised, that though our sins be as red as scarlet, thou wilt make them white as snow, and that thou will not the death of a sinner, but that he turn from his wickedness and live: and that if a sinner • doth repent him of his sins, from the bottom of his heart, thou • il • blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance▪ An • •• st we should yet be discouraged, thou who didst no less accept th • 〈◊〉 D •• i • , then the act of Solomon, hast further promised, that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou will • accept of us according to that which we have, and not according to that which we • ave not.

But forasmuch O Lord, as thou knowest, that is not in man to turn his own heart, unless thou dost first give him grace to convert; for thou O Lord, must work in us both the will and the deed: and being that it is as easy with thee to make u • righteous and holy, as to bid us be such, O our God, give us ability, and willingness to do what thou commandest, and then command what t • o wilt; and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will. Wherefore give to us, and increase in us all Christian graces, that we may know, and believe, and repent, and amend, and persevere in well doing. Create in us O Lord, a new • ea • t, and renew a right spirit within us: take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin, and enable us by the powe • full assistance of thy grace, more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandments their ever we have the contrary.

Y • a, let thy Spirit bear such rule in everyone of our hearts, that neither Satan that foreign enemy, and roaring Lyon, which seeketh to devour us, may invade us; nor our own concupiscence, that home-bred traitor, may by conspiring with the world, work the ruin and overthrow of our poor souls: but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious, our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits, & our affections which are altogether carnal; may be whole • y framed according to thy holy & heavenly will. and that we may the better know how to avoid the evil, and do the good, let thy Word as a light, discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spiritual adversaries: yea, make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ; and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise; and thy Cross like the Messenger, that compelled guests unto the Banquet.

Give us, O Lord, to consider, that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us, yet in the end it will prove the bane, and ruin both of body and soul: and so assist us with thy grace, that we may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure, and our right hands of profit, rather then sin against thee, and wrong our own consciences: considering that it would be an hard bargain, • or us to win the whole world, and lose our own souls.

Bless, preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan, the world, and our wicked hearts: from pride, that Lucifer-like sin, which is the fore-runner of destruction; considering that thou resistest the proud, and givest grace to the humble: from covetousness, which is the root of all evil; being taught out of thy word, that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations, and snares, which drown them in perdition and destruction; from cruelty, that infernal evil, of which thou hast said, that there shall be judgment merciless, to him that showeth not mercy: from hypocrisy, that sin with two faces, whose reward is double damnation; and the rather, because wickedness doth most rankle the heart, when it is kept in, and dissembled; and for that in all the Scriptures, we read not of an hypocrites repentance: from whoredom, which is a sin against a man's own body, and the most inexcusable: considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it: for the punishment whereof, the Law ordained death, and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven: from profanation of thy day, considering thou hast said, that whosoever sanctifieth it not, shall be cut off from thy people; and didst command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a • ew sticks on that day: from swearing, which is the language of hell; considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn, and thou hast threatened that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer: from drunkenness, that monster with many heads, and worse than beast like sin, which in thy Word hath many fearful woes denounced against it: and the rather, for that it is a sin (like the pit of Hell) out of which there is small hope of redemption.

Finally, O Lord, give us strength to resist temptation, patience to endure affliction, and constancy to persevere unto the end in thy truth: that so having passed our pilgrim • ge here, according to thy will, we may be at rest with thee hereafter, both in the night of death, when our bodies shall sleep in the grave, and in the day of our resurrection, when they shall awake to judgment, and both bodies and souls enjoy everlasting bliss.

These, and all other good things, which for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants, not for our sakes, but for thy mercies sake; and for thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ sake, in whom thou art well-pleased; and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Cross for our sins: who with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end.

Let thy mighty hand, and out-stretched arm, O Lord, be still our defense; thy mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ thy dear Son, our salvation; thy true and holy Word our instruction; thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort, consolation, illumination, and sanctification, now and forever, Amen.

A Thanksgiving to be brought in to any, or everyone of them, next before the Conclusion, where the hand is placed.

ANd as we pray unto thee, so we desire also to praise thee: rendering unto thy Majesty upon the bended knees of our hearts, all possible laud, and thanksgiving, for all thy mercies and favors, spiritual and corporal, temporal and eternal: For that thou hast freely elected us to salvation from all eternity; when thou hast passed by many millions of others, both Men and Angels, whereas we deserved to perish no less then they; and thou mightest justly have chosen them, and left us: for that thou hast created us Men, and not Beasts; in England, not in Ethiopia, or any other savage Nation: in this clear and bright time of the Gospel, not 〈◊〉 the darkness of Paganism, or Popery. For thine inexpressible love, in redeeming us out of Hell, and from those unsufferable and endless torments, by the precious blood of thy dear Son: who spared not himself▪ that thou mightest spare us. For calling us home to thee by the Ministry of thy Word, and the work of thy good Spirit. For the long continuance of thy Gospel with us, (the best of blessings). For sparing us so long, and giving us so large a time of repentance. For justifying, and in some measure sanctifying us, and giving us ground for assured hope of being glorified in thy heavenly Kingdom. For preserving us from so infinite many perils and dangers, which might easily have befallen us every day, to the taking away of either our estates, our limbs, or our lives. For so plentifully and graciously blessing us all our life long, with many and manifold good things; both for necessity and delight. For peace of conscience, and content of mind. For our health, wealth, limbs, senses, food, raiment, liberty, prosperity. For thy great mercy in correcting us, and turning thy corrections to our good. For preserving us in the night past from all dangers of body and soul; and for infinite more mercies, of which we could not well want any one: and which are all greatened, by being bestowed upon us, who were so unworthy; and have been so ungrateful for the same. O that we could answer thee in our thankfulness, and obedient walking, one for a thousand!

Neither are we unmindful of those national blessings, which thou hast vouchsafed unto our Land in general: as namely, that deliverance from the Spanish Invasion in 88, and from that devilish design of the Gunpowder-Treason: for preserving us from the noisome, and devouring Plague and Pest • lence. Lord grant, that our great unthankfulness for these thy mercies, may not cause thee to deliver us into the hands of our enemies: and although we have justly thereby deserved the same, yet we beseech thee, give us not up unto their wills, neither suffer Popery ever to bear rule over us; nor thy blessed Word and Sacraments to be taken away from us; but continue them unto us, and to our posterity after us, if it be thy good pleasure; until the coming of thy Christ.

Imprimatur

Sect. I.

A S when God created the World, the first thing he made was Light, Gen. 1.3. so when he makes us new creatures, he first creates light in the understanding, whereby the▪ poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchedness; which before (by reason of that veil or curtain which is drawn ever every natural man's heart, 2 Cor, 3.14, 15, 16.) he is so far from discerning, that with Laodicea he thinks himself rich, and to want nothing; when yet he is wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and 〈◊〉 of all spiritual endowments, Rev. 3 17. 1 Tim, 6.4. As for instance, it is to be observed, (can never be enough bewailed) that generally throughout the Land people of all sorts ( young and old, rich and poor ) especially the poor, are so invincibly ignorant, that (remaining so) it is impossible (so far as I am able to judge by the Word of God ;) that ever they should be saved.

As ask them these questions, How do you hope to be saved? They will answer, By my prayers and good endeavors. Have you never broke this or that Commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods but the Lord. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery? No, never they thank God▪ are you proud? No, not they; What should they be proud of? and many the like. As for Original sin, they know not what it means. Nor is there any convincing them, that they were born sinners into the world. Yea, let a Minister come to them upon their death-bed, and question with them about their estates, or ask them how their souls fare, and what peace they have? What will be their manner of answering? (especially if they have not been notorious offenders) Are they a whit troubled for Sin, either Original or actual ? Or will they acknowledge themselves in a lost condition without Christ? No, their consciences are at quiet, and they are at peace with themselves and all the world; and they thank God, no sin troubles them nor ever did. They have been no Mu • therers, no Adulterers, no common Drunkards; neither have they been Oppressors. (For they are so blind and ignorant, that they think the Commandment is not broken, if the outward gross sin be forborne.) Yea, will they say, I do not know that I have wronged man, woman, or child. I have been a Protestant, and gone to Church all my days.

Sect. II.

Sect. 2. Yea so far are they from being sensible of their wants, that you shall hear them brag of their faith, works, and good meaning; of their just and upright dealing: the goodness of their hearts, the strength of their faith, hope; and that they never doubted in all their lives. Yea, that it were pity they should live, if they did not believe in Christ, and hope to be saved by him. The usual expressions of formal Christians, and Protestants at large : who know not what faith, hope, or a good heart means, no more then Nicodemus knew what it was to be born again.

All which answers and brags of theirs do imply, that they are as righteous as Christ himself, or Adam in the State of innocence : for he that can clear himself from pride, or the breach of any one Commandment, or from Original sin ; may clear himself from all sin whatsoever; and if so, what need of Christ ? Yea, what possibility is there that ever such a soul should have any benefit by Christ? Who came not to call the righteous, ( viz. such as think themselves so) but weary and heavy-laden sin • rs to repentance, Matth. 10.6. & 15.24. & 18.11, 9.12, 13. 1 Tim. 1.1 • , Luke 1.53.

Sect. III.

Again, this is an infallible truth, that without repentance there is no being saved; and what hope of their serious and unfeigned repentance? For sin must be seen, before it can be sorrowed for. A man must know himself sick, before he will seek to the Physician. Yea where is no discovery of the disease, the recovery of the health is in vain hoped for. Which makes Cyprian say, that it is as mere lost labor, to preach unto a man the things of God, before he is humbled with the sight of his wants: as to offer light to a blind man, to speak to a deaf man, or to labor to make a brute beast wise.

Besides, if we look to be saved by anything that we can do; Christ can profit us nothing. For the Son of man is come • o seek, and to save only that which was lost: the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matth. 18.11. Luke 19.10. 1 Tim. 115. even such as utterly despair in regard of all other helps. Nor is he any way fit for absolution, who finds not himself worthy of condemnation. We shall find no sweetness in Christ's blood, till we feel the smart of our own sins. Yea, no men under Heaven are in so hopeless a condition as they, who think to be saved by their performances, or any other thing or means, then by the righteousness of Christ alone. It faring with them as it doth with unskillful swimmers : who when they begin to sink, if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom, the faster they hold, the surer they are to be drowned.

Sect. IV.

Fourthly and lastly, there needs no more to condemn these men, then their ignorance of such saving truths: especially, in such glorious times of light and grace as these are; wherein they may hear the Word preached every day in the week, if they did not sl • ght and disregard it, which aggravates their sin exceedingly: For though it be enough, that God hath set down his will in his Word most plainly, and we may read, or hear it read, (were it at any rate) and that the Epitomy of the whole Law is writ in every man's heart; whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye unto them, Matth. 7.12. (As it serves not a Malefact • rs turn, to plead ignorantiam juris, he knew not the Law of his Prin •• which he hath broken : for if the King have once proclaimed anything, 〈◊〉 the subject after sufficient time of notifying his will, be ignorant of 〈◊〉 at his own peril be it.) Yet to be affectedly ignorant, and to shut 〈◊〉 eyes against the light of the Gospel, is by far more damnable: this is a sin. with a witness. As what says our Savior? John 3.19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather then light, because their deeds were evil. And so on the contrary, This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, Joh. 17.3. Besides, without knowledge, the mind cannot be good, as wise Solomon affirms, Prov. 19. 2, A man may know, the will of God, and yet not do it; but he cannot do it, except he know it. Neither can he be born of God, that knoweth him not. 1 John. 4.7. not • an he love God 〈…〉 out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, Psal. 79.6. And that other more terrible, 2 Thes. 1.7, 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God. Whence the Prophet Isaiah is peremptory, It is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercy upon them; and he that formed them, will show them no favor, Isa. 27.11.

Observe these Scriptures you ignorant souls, that think your ignorance will excuse you: and let not Satan, nor your deceitful hearts so delude you, as to think that God is in jest, where he saith, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; and because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee. Hosea 4.6. Or if you do, you shall one day find him in earnest. For as you know not Christ here, so when you shall look for entrance into his Kingdom hereafter, he shall say unto you, Depart from me, I know you not, Matth. 25.12, 41. which will be but a sad saying; And far better were it, that you were ignorant of all other things: which makes St Paul say, I desire to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him Crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2.

Sect. V.

Now this being the case of millions in this City, and so all the Land over : what can we other then conclude, That few (even amongst us) shall be saved, as our Savior affirms, Matth 7.13, 14. & 20.16. And that the whole world lieth in wickedness, as St John speaks, 1 John. 5.19. And that the number of those whom Satan shall deceive, is as the sand of the Sea, Rev. 20.8. & 13.15, 16, 17. Isa. 10.22. Rom. 9.27.

Which being so, I hold myself bound to acquaint them, what everyone must of neccessity know, or they cannot be saved: the which I will do in a few lines, that all (who will) may have the benefit thereof Wherefore let all such (if they have ears) hear what I shall say unto them out of God 's Word, in laying open those three Fundamental principles before mentioned.

Sect. VI.

Touching the bounty and goodness of GOD in Man's Creation, these things would be known.

• 1. That God in the beginning made man in Paradise, after all his other works; that he might come as to a sumptuous palace ready furnished.
• 2. That he was made a compendium, and abridgment of all the other creatures: as being a little world of himself; for whereas Planets have being, not life; Plants have life, not sense; beasts have sense, not reason; Angels have being, life, reason, not sense; Man hath all, and contains in him more generality then the Angels; viz. being, life, sense, reason.
• 3. That as he was made Lord of, and had dominion over all; so he did excel all other visible creatures.
  • 1. In that he had a reasonable soul,
  • 2. In that he hath a speaking tongue,
  • 3. In that he was made upright, with his face lifted up to heavenward,
  • 4. In that all things were made subject to him, 〈…〉

More especially we are to know, that as God made all things else for man's use and service: so he created man (male and female) more immediately for his own honor, and service; and did accordingly adorn him with gifts, and abilities above all other visible creatures. For God made us (had not we unmade ourselves ) after his own Image, endowing us (as with reasonable, and immortal souls, so) with perfection of all true wisdom, holiness, and righteousness; writing his Law in our hearts and giving us ability to obey, and fulfil the same in every point; and withal a power to stand, and forever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition, free from all misery, and to enjoy a sweet, and blessed Communion with his Creator. So that man was created very good, did clearly and perfectly know the whole will, and works of his Maker▪ was able out of the integrity of his soul, and fitness of all the powers fully, willingly and cheerfully to love, observe, and obey his Maker, in every tittle and circumstance he required, and to love his neighbor as himself : so that neither the mind did conceive, not the heart desire, nor the body put in execution anything, but that which was acceptable, and well pleasing unto God, as these ensuing Scriptures do plainly prove. Gen. 1.26, 27, 30. Eccles. 7.29. Rom. 2.14, 15.

Sect. VII.

Which being so, how should it humble us, and make us ashamed of our present condition; and withal set us on fire with a holy zeal, to out-strip and go before all the rest of the Creatures in obeying our Creator; as far as he did make us out-strip them all in spiritual and divine excellencies? whereas hitherto, they have out-stripped and gone before us in a high degree: as for Instance. Though we are bound to praise and serve God above any creature whatsoever, in that all the creatures were ordained for our sakes; yet heaven, earth, and sea ; all the elements, all the creatures, obey the Word of God, and serve him as they did at first; yea, call upon us to serve him ; only men for whom they were all made, most ingratefully rebel against him. As if you consider it rightly, the obedience of insensible and brute creatures unto the will of God, is a great check and reproof unto the disobedience of man. Man is the chiefest of creatures, and they the lowest ; yet do they as far exceed him in obedience, as he doth them in natural eminency. The Stork and the Swallow know their appointed times; The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his masters crib ; the Sea moveth in a settled and unmoving course; the Stars fits their many changes, to a steady rule answerable to the will of him that never changeth. The Lord by Moses but spake to the rock, and it gave water to the thirsty Israelites ; he but commanded the clouds to rain down Manna, and the wind to bring them in Quails, for the satisfying of their hunger, and they did so. Yea, he but bade the Ravens bring bread and flesh to Elijah, and they did it. In like manner did the wind and sea▪ Matth. 〈…〉 2 Kings 2.24. the Fire, Dan. 3.27. the Earth, Numb. 16.19, to 27. obey they voice of the Lord, and many the like spoken of in Scripture. But man is wholly gone astray from his rule; and not only runneth from it but against it: so that he is far worse, then things worse then himself.

Which were it rightly considered, would be enough to melt an heart of Adamant: For was this the principal end, for which men were created in such a glorious condition? That we might honor, love, and serve our Creator, and enjoy, communion and happiness with him forever; and are we so far from excelling the rest of the creatures, that we are become more disobedient, and rebellious to God, then any one of them, except Satan himself? One would think it should make all, (that thirst not after their own damnation) not only to hate, and dislike themselves for it: but force us with all possible speed and industry, to seek out the cause, and how to recover ourselves out of this wretched and damnable condition.

Sect. VIII.

But it will be demanded how this comes to be so? and what was the cause;

To which I answer; God at first, entered into Covenant with our first, Parents as public persons ; both in behalf of themselves, and all that should proceed out of their loins; and so that whatsoever gifts, privileges and endowments they had bestowed upon them, should be continued to them and theirs; only upon condition of their loyalty, and personal obedience (of which the tree of li • e was a pledge:) and they should have and enjoy them, or lose and be deprived of them, as well for their offspring, as for themselves, as they should keep or transgress his royal Law.

But see how unworthily they demeaned themselves, towards this their bountiful Maker and Benefactor ! For whereas God placed them in Paradise, and gave them free liberty to eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden ; save only of the tree of knowledge of good and evil ; prohibiting them that alone, even upon pain of eternal death to them and theirs; they most perfidiously contemned, and brake this Law; which (as sundry circumstances that do aggravate it show) was a most execrable and damnable sin. As observe the several circumstances set down by Moses, to amplify the foulness of their Fall: as,

• First, that they despised, and made light of the promise of God ; whereby they were commanded to hope for everlasting life, so long as they continued their loyalty and obedience.
• 2. There was in it an unsufferable pride and ambition, in that he could not content himself with being Lord of the whole Universe: but he must be equal unto God ; and every way like his Maker.
• 3. What greater unbelief could there be? when he gave more credit to the Serpent, in saying he should not die ; then to God, who immediately before tells them, that if he did sin in eating the forbidden fruit, he should die.
• 4. In this sin was not only unkindness not to be paralleled: but willful murder of himself, and all his posterity, whom he knew were to stand of fall with him.
• 5. Herein was foul apostasy from God to the devil: to whom (charging God with lying, envy, malice, &c,) he revolted, and adhered, rather then stick to his Maker.

And to the might be added many the like circumstances. which grievously aggravate the sin of our first Parents, and make it so deadly in effect. For hereby it is, we not only lost our blessed communion with God ; that the Image of God after which they were created, was forthwith abolished, and blotted out: but that many grievous miseries and punishments, came in the room of it: so that in the place of wisdom, power, holiness, truth righteousness, and the like ornaments, wherewith we had been clothed, there hath succeeded these and the like:

• 1. This their sin hath filled our whole man with corruption.
• 2. It hath made us become vassals unto sin and Satan.
• 3. It hath disabled us from understanding the will, and observing the Commandments of the Lord.
• 4. It caused us to lose our right unto, and sovereignty over the creatures.
• 5. It makes our persons and actions unacceptable to God.
• 6. It hath cast us out of God's favor, and made us liable, and subject to all the plagues and miseries of this life; and to endless, easless, and remediless torments in the life to come.

Sect. IX.

And the reason is, Our First Parents being the root of all mankind ; and instead of all their posterity before they had issue: and the Covenant being made with them as public persons, not for themselves only, but for their Posterity; who were to stand or fall with them: they being left to the freedom of their own wills, in transgressing the commandment of God by eating the forbidden fruit, through the temptation of Satan : have made us, and all mankind descending from them by ordinary generation, as guilty of their sin, as any heir is liable to his fathers debt. Their act being ours; as the act of a Knight, or Burgess in the Parliament House, is the act of the whole County. in whose name, and room they sit, and whom they represent: by which means our Nature is so corrupted, that we are utterly indisposed and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually; and have also lost our communion with God, incurred his displeasure and curse; so as we are justly liable to all punishments both in this life, and in the life to come.

Now for the fuller confirming and amplifying of what hath been said, touching Original sin ; take only these ensuing Scriptures, and Auhorisms, without any needless connection; that I may be so much the briefer.

Sect. X.

Amongst many others, the most pregnant Scriptures for the confirming of this point. I hold to be these.

The fath • rs have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge, Jer. 31.29. was a true proverb, though by them abused, By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned, Rom. 5.12, to 21. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one, Job. 14.4. See Chap. 15.14, 15, 16. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa. 64, 6. By the works of the Law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, Rom. 3.20. There is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, Rom. 3.21, 22, 23. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man, Gen. 6 5, 6. Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin: As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God; They are all gone ont of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher, the poison of Asps is under their lips, there is no fear of God before their eyes, Rom. 3.9, to 20. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, Mat. 15.19. See Gal. 5.19. 20, 21. Whence come wars, and sightings amongst you? come they not hence? even of your lusts that war in your members, James 4.1. Unto them that are unbelieving is nothing pure: but even their mind and conscience is defiled, Tit. 1.15. I see another Law in my members, warring against the Law of my mind; and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, &c? Rom. 7.14, to 25. where the Apostle speaks all this, and a great deal more of himself; see Ephes. 2.2, 3. Gal. 3.10.

Yet how many that grieve for their other sins, which are never troubled for their Original corruption ! which should above all be bewailed, even as the mother and nurse of all the rest; and thought worthy not of our sighs alone, but of our tears. For this is the great wheel of the Clock, that sets all the other wheels a moving, while it seems to move slowest. And never did any truly and orderly repent, that began not here: esteeming it the most foul and hateful of all, as David, Psal. 51.5. And Paul, crying out of it as the most secret, deceitful, and powerful evil, Rom. 7.23, 24. And indeed, if we but clearly saw the foulness and deceitfulness of it; we would not suffer our eyes to sleep, nor our eye-lids to slumber, until a happy change had wrought these hearts of ours (which by nature are no better then so many styes of unclean Devils ) to become habitations for the God of Jacob.

Sect. XI.

We are the cursed seed of rebellious parents; neither need we anymore to condemn us, then what we brought into the world with us. In Adam the root of all, we all so sinned; that if we had no inherent sin of our own, this imputed sin of his, were enough to damn us.

〈…〉 Utter, the branches cannot be better. They were the fountain, we the springs: if the fountain be filthy, so must the springs. Whence it is, that holy David cries out; Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me, Psal. 51.5.

Tantillus pure, tantus peccator, saith St Austin : when a little child, I was a great sinner. As in the little and tender bud, is infolded the leaf, the blossom, and the fruit ; so even in the heart of a young child, there is a bundle and pack of folly laid up, as Solomon affirms, Pro. 22.15. And as Moses Speaks, The thoughts of man's heart are evil, even from his childhood, Gen. 6.5. & 8.21.

We brought a world of sin into the world with us; and were condemned, so soon as conceived : we were adjudged to eternal death, before we lived a temporal life. As admit thou hadst never offended, in the least thought, word, or deed all thy life: yea, admit thou couldest now keep all the commandments, actually and spiritually; yet all this were nothing, it could not keep thee out of Hell: since that Original sin which we drew from the loins of our first Parents, is enough to damn us.

Sin and corruption are the riches that we bequeath to our children; rebellion the inheritance that we have purchased for them, death the wages that we have procured them. God made us after his own image; but by sin we have turned the image of God into the image of Satan: Yea, like Satan we can do nothing else but sin, and make others sin too, who would not so sin but for us.

As a furnace continually sparkles, as the raging Sea foams, and casts up mire and dirt, and as a filthy dunghill does continually reak forth, and evaporate odious odors : so do our hearts naturally stream forth unsavory eructations, unholy lusts and motions, even continually.

As, O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark labyrinths of man's heart! who finds not in himself, an indisposition of mind to all good, and an inclination to all evil ? O the strange monsters, the ugly, odious, hideous fiends; the swarms, litters, legions of noisome lusts that are co • ched in the stinking styes of everyone of our deceitful hearts! insomuch, that if all our thoughts did but break forth into action we should not come far short of the Devils themselves.

Sect. XII.

And as the healthiest body is subject to the mortallest disease ; so there is no sin so odious, unto which of ourselves we are not sufficiently inclinable. For Original sin, in which we are all born and bred, containeth in itself the seed of all sins ; that fearful sin against the Holy Gost itself not excepted.

Such venomous natures we have; that never was there any villainy committed by any forlorn miscreant, whereunto we have not a disposition in ourselves. Insomuch, that we ought to be humbled, even for those very sins, from which we are in a manner exempt • For that Cain 's 〈…〉 blasphemy, Doeg's murder, Pharaohs cruelty, Sodom's lust, Judas his treason, Julian's apostasy, &c. are not our sins, and as much predominant in us, as they were in each of them; it is only God's free grace and goodness. For all of them should have been thine and my sins, if God had left us to ourselves. Lord, saith St Austin, thou hast forgiven me those sins which I have done, and those sins which only by thy grace I have not done: they were done in our inclination to them, and even that inclination needs God's mercy. If we escape temptation, it is his mercy; if we stand in temptation, it is his mercy; if our wills consent not, it is his mercy; if we consent, and the act be hindered, it is his mercy; if we fall, and rise again by repentance, all is his mercy.

We cry out of Cain, Judas, Julian, the Sodomites : alas, they are but glasses to see our own faces in: For as in water, face answereth to face; so doth the heart of man to man, says Solomon, Prov. 27.19. Even hating of God, is by the Holy Ghost charged upon all men. Rom. 1.30. John 15.23, 24, 25. We are all cut out of the same piece; and as there is the same nature of all Lions, so of all men.

There is no part, power, function, or faculty, either of our souls or bodies, which is not become a ready instrument to dishonor God : our heart is a root of all corruption, a seed plot of all sin; our eyes are eyes of vanity, our ears are ears of folly, our mouths mouths of deceit, our hands hands of iniquity; and every part does dishonor God ; which yet would be glorified of him. The understanding which was given us to learn virtue, is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin; the will which was given us to affect righteousness, is apt now to love nothing but wickedness; the memory which was given us to remember good things, is apt now to keep nothing but evil things &c. For sin like a spreading leprosy, is so grown over us, that from the crown of out heads, to the sole of our feet, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of corruption. To be short, we are as Traitors, condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell fire, being only reprieved for a time.

Sect. XIII.

And so much of Original sin, which is the pravity, naughtiness, and corruption of our Nature, Psal. 51.5. Now of actual sin, which is the transgression of God's Law, 1 John. 3.4. when evil thoughts are consented unto, and performed in outward deeds, James 1.15. Touching which we are to know, and take notice; that

The Law of God is spiritual, and therefore requireth, not only outward obedience in word and deed ; but also inward in mind and heart, and that chiefly: neither doth it forbid only the committing of outward sins in word and deed; but also all the secret corruptions of the mind and heart. Rom. 7.13, 14, 15. Mat. 5.21, 22, 27, 28. 1 John 3.15.

Again, where any duty is commanded, there the means which tend thereto are enjoined ; and where any vice is forbidden, there the occasions, provocations, and Allurements tending thereto are also forbidden. Again, 〈…〉 it well also in regard of circumstances ; as namely, that it flows from a pious and good heart, sanctified by the holy Ghost; and be done in faith, obedience to the word, humility, saving knowledge and sincere love to God, zeal of his glory, and a desire to edify and win others: of which I might give you many examples; as of the Jews fasting, Isa. 58, 3, to 8. of those reprobates preaching in Christ's name, and casting out devils, Matth. 7.21, 22, 23. of Cain 's sacrificing, 1 John 3, 12. He offered, and God abhorred; because he cared not for the manner, to do it well, God cared not for his offering, though the act was good. Simon Magus believed, Herod listened, Felix feared, Saul obeyed, Jezebel fasted, the Pharisees prayed : but because they did not believe so, hear so, fear so, obey so, fast so, and pray so as God required, and as is before related, they were never the more regarded for what they did. For love is the fountain of obedience ; and all external obedience to God without inward love, is hypocrisy: whereas Christ commends to his disciples, the care of keeping his commandments aright, as the utmost testimony of their love unto him, John. 15.10.

Sect. XIV,

Which being so, how oft and how many ways do we all offend? For if we but narrowly look into our hearts and lives : we shall easily perceive, that there is not one of those righteous precepts, set down, Exod. 20. which we have not broken, ten thousand times, and ten thousand ways. Yea, O God, (may the best of us say) there is no vein in me, that is not full of the blood of thy Son, whom I have crucified and crucified again by multiplying many, and often repeating the same sins; there is no artery in me, that hath not the spirit of error, the spirit, of pride, of passion, of lust, the spirit of giddiness in it; no bone in me, that is not hardened with the custom of sin, nourished and suppled with the marrow of sin; no sinews, no ligaments, which do not tie and chain sin and sin together. Yea, If we but watch over our own hearts narrowly one day: we shall find an army of unclean thoughts and desires there, perpetually fighting against our souls. Whereby we are continually tempted, drawn away and enticed through our own concupiscence. As how many temptations come in by those Cinque ports the senses? how many more by Satan's injections? presenting to the affections things absent from the senses? but most of all by lust itself, (a thing not created yet as quick as thought) tumbling over a thousand desires in one hour: For, the devil and our flesh meet together every day, and hour; to ingender new sins, which is the reason our sins are counted among those things which are infinite: as the hairs of our head, the sands of the Sea, the stars of Heaven.

We are swift to all evil, but to all good immovable; when we do evil, we do it cheerfully, and quickly, and easily; but if we do any good, we do it faintly, and rawly, and slackly. We have used all our wisdom, to commit the foolishness of sin; our whole conversation hath been to serve Satan, and fulfil the lusts of the flesh. We even suck in iniquity like water 〈…〉 It hath been the course of our whole life, to leave that which God commands, and to do that which he forbids. The Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience: but we are constant in nothing, but in perpetual offending; only therein we cease not: for when we are waking, our flesh tempts us to wickedness; if we are sleeping, it sollicits us to filthiness.

Whatever God commands, we do the contrary: We profane his Days, contemn his Ordinances, resist his Word, grieve his Spirit, misuse his Messengers, hate our reprovers, slander and persecute his people, seduce our friends, give ill example to our neighbors, open the mouths of God's and our enemies, to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are called, and the truth we profess. Yea, we have done more against God in one week, then we have done for him ever since we were born; and whereas the least of God's mercies is greater then all the courtesies of men: we are not so thankful to him for them all, as we are to a friend for someone good turn.

Sect. XV.

Neither are we sufficient of ourselves to think, much less to speak, least of all to do ought that is good, 2 Cor. 3.5. John 15.4, 5. There is so much wearisomeness, pride, passion, lust, envy, ignorance, awkwardness, hypocrisy, infidelity, vain thoughts, unprofitableness, and the like; cleaving to our best actions, to defile them: that even our praying, and fasting, and repenting; our hearing, believing, and giving ; our holiest communication, our most brotherly admonition, &c. are in themselves as filthy rags, Isa. 64.6. were they not accepted in Christ, covered with his righteousness, and washed white in his most precious blood.

Our very righteousness is as a menstruous cloth, Isa. 64.6. What then is our sinfulness? As bring we our lives to the rule; Look how many sins are cherished, so many false gods there are chosen. Look how many creatures thou inordinately lovest, fearest, trustest, rejoicest in; so many new gods hast thou coined: and wilt thou not then plead guilty, when the first and second Commandment arraigneth thee?

Thou canst not away with swearing ; but dost thou reprove others for their swearing? Didst thou never hear Sermons unpreparedly, irreverently, &c ? Does thy heart upon a Sabbath rest from worldly thoughts? much more thy tongue from worldly speeches? There is murder of the heart, hatred : Hast not thou murdered thy neighbors soul, by thy negligence, persuasion, evil example, &c. Thou hast not stolen, but hast thou not coveted? Hast thou been liberal to those that are owners of a part of thy goods? hast thou not robbed thy brother of his good name ? which is above silver and gold. Hast not thou robbed God of his worship? of his Sabbaths ? of his Tythes, &c. Lying, flattering, detracting, listening to ta •• s, yea not defending thy brothers good name, is to bear false witness.

〈…〉 very first motions of sins, springing out of our hearts, though presently rejected; and a thousand the like: and yet for every drop of wickedness that is in the life, there is a sea in the heart that feeds it.

Sect. XVI.

True, if thou lookest on thy sins in Satan's false glass, that will make them seem light, and contemptible ; but behold them in the clear and perfect g • ass of God's law, and they will appear abominable. Which makes our Savior call hatred, murder; a wanton eye, adultery; &c. Yea, consider thy sins rightly, and they will appear as the Judases that betrayed, the Soldiers that apprehended, bound smote, and wounded thy Savior, as the gall and vinegar in his mouth, spittle on his face, thorns on his head, nails in his hands, spear in his side, &c.

This is the way to know thyself sinful: and as thus to know thyself, is the best Divinity, as Demonax said of Philosophy: so thus to aggravate thy sins in thine own sight, is the only way to have them extenuated in the sight of God. Whence the more holy a child of God is, the more sensible he is of his own unholiness ; thinking none so vile as himself: as it fared with holy Job, Job 40.4. and 42.6. and with Isaiah, chap. 6.5. and 64.6. and with Saint Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15. Rom. 7.14. to 25. and with holy David, who almost in every Psalm so much bewails his sins, original and actual ; of omission and commission.

Carnal men are only troubled for those sins that appear to the world; but those in whom Christ's is formed anew, think they cannot be humbled enough for their evil thoughts, vain and unprofitable words, for the evil which cleaves even to their best actions; for sins of omission, as the want of faith, and love, and repentance, want of the true fear of God, the neglect of preparation, and unprofitable hearing, of praying, and reading, in their families, of instructing their children and servants, of sanctifying the Sabbath, and seeing that all under them do the same; their unfruitfulness, under the means of grace, their not growing in grace, and the like. And thus do all experimental Christians, all that have spiritual eyes. The want whereof I take to be the cause of all desperate wickedness; as what else but invincible ignorance is the cause, why wickedness so abounds in every corner o • the Land? Sin indeed at first was the cause of ignorance ; but now ignorance is the cause of Sin, swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring abound (saith the Prophet) because there is no knowledge of God in the land, Hosea 4.1, 2. It is a people that do err in their hearts, says God; Why? Because they have not known my ways ; Psal. 95.10. Ye are deceived, (saith our Savior) because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God, Matth. 22.29. When Christ wept over Jerusalem, what was the cause? Even their blindness. If thou hadst known (saith he) at the least in this thy day, those things which now are hid from thine eyes, Luke 19.42. Because men know not the wages of evil, therefore they do it : and because they would securely do it, therefore they refuse to know it. O that men knew how good it is to obey ; to disobey. how evil ! for this would soon disperse and dispel all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment. If they were wise (saith St. Bernard ) they would fore-see the torments of Hell, and prevent them; but they that wander in by-paths, declare themselves ignorant of the rightway of salvation, Rom. 3.17. I grant, many that are wicked have a show of wisdom: but let them seem to know never so much; yet it is through ignorance that they do so ill.

Sect. XVII.

And so having given you a short survey of our wretchedness, by reason of Original sin, and actual transgressions ; by which we must confess to have deserved double damnation: I come now to declare the means which God of his infinite goodness hath found out, both for the satisfying of his justice, and also freeing us from the guilt, and punishment of either. And that with as much brevity, as may stand with perspicuity.

First in general we must undoubtedly know, that the sole perfection of a Christian, is • he imputation of Christ's righteousness ; and the not imputation of his own unrighteousness ; as appears by the whole current of Scripture, of which a few.

Even the Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many. Mark, 10.45. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive, 1 Cor. 15.21, 22. As by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous, &c. Rom. 5.18, 19. As by the offense of one, the fault came on all men to condemnation: so by the justifying of one, the benefit abounded towards all men to the justification of life, Rom. 5.18. Unto Jesus Christ that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Rev. 1.5. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all our sins, 1 Joh. 1.7. he is the reconciliation for our sins, &c. 1 Joh. 2 1, 2. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5.21. He was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification, Rom. 4.25. Who his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree; by whose stripes we were healed, 1 Pet. 2.24. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we were healed, Isa. 53.5. Neither is there salvation in any other; for among men there is given none other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved, Acts 4.12. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 6.23. I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, although he were dead, yet shall he live, John 11.25. You hath he quickened, that were dead in trespasses and sins, Ephes. 2.1. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved, Joh. 4.16. to 20.

God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: much more then being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, Rom. 5, 6. to 11, read to the end of the Chapter. See more John 1.29. Acts 13.39. Rom. 6.4. to 23. and 8.2, 3. and 10. 3,4. 1 Cor. 15.56. Col. 1.14. Gal, 3.22. Heb. 9.28. 1 Pet. 1.18, 19, 20. 1 Joh. 3.8.

Sect. XVIII.

As Christ was a sinner only by the imputation of our sins: so we are just, only by the imputation of his righteousness. Our good works (were they never so many and rare) cannot justify us, or deserve anything at God's hands: it is only in Christ that they are accepted, and only for Christ that they are rewarded. Yea the opinion of thine own righteousness, makes thy condition far worse then the wickedest man's alive. For Christ that came to save all weary and heavy laden sinners ; (be they never so wicked) neither came to save, or once to call thee that hast no sin, but art righteous enough without him. As hear his own words to the proud Pharisees, who had the same thoughts of themselves as thou hast; They that be whole need not a Physician, but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 9.13. and 10.6. and 15.24. and 18.11. Nor can any soul be so dangerously sick ; as thou, who art least sensible of thy being sick.

Briefly, until with Saint Paul, thou renounceth thine own righteousness, seest thyself the greatest of sinners, art able to discern sin in everything thou canst think, speak, or do, and that thy very righteousness is no better then a menstruous cloth, Isai. 64.6. thou canst have no part in Christ. And until Christ shall become thine by Regeneration, and a lively faith : Thou art bound to keep the whole Law, actually and spiritually with thy whole man, thy whole life ; or else suffer eternal death and destruction of body and soul in Hell for thy not keeping it. So that thou hast yet to answer (and I pray mind it seriously) for all the sins, that ever thou hast committed, who art not able to answer for one of the least of them. For the wages of sin, (any sin be it never so small) is eternal death, Rom. 6.23. Gal. 2.16, 19, 20, 21.

Neither let Satan, nor thy own deceitful heart delude thee; in thinking that thou hast faith, when thine own words declare the contrary. Nor would I ask anymore evidence against thee in this, then thine own mouth; in saying, that thou never doubtedst in all thy life: for this makes it plain that thou never hadst faith, nor ever knewest what saith means. For he who never doubted, never believed : and Satan hath none so sure, as those whom he never yet assaulted.

Sect. XIX

But this being a main fundamental point, which every man is bound to know: I will more particularly and fully explain it, as thus:

Man being in a most miserable, and undone condition; by reason of Original and actual sin, and of the curse due to both, being liable to all miseries in this life, and adjudged to suffer eternal torments in hell-fire after death, having no possibility to escape the fierce wrath of Almighty God ; who had already pronounced sentence upon him; When neither Heaven, Earth, nor Hell, could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ ; that could have satisfied God's justice, and merited Heaven for us: then, O then! God of his infinite wisdom and goodness, did not only find out a way to satisfy his justice, and the Law : but even gave us his own Son, out of his bosom, and his Son gave himself to die, even the most shameful, painful and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life; John 3.16. A mercy bestowed, and a way found out; that may astonish all the sons of men on earth, and Angels in Heaven. Wherefore wonder at this, you that wonder at nothing ! that the eternal God would die, to redeem our worse then lost souls; that we might not die eternally? O the deepness of God's love: O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty! O Son of God who can sufficiently admire thy love, or commend thy pity, or extol thy praise ! It was a wonder that thou madest us for thyself ; more that thou madest thyself man for us, but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thyself, that thou shouldest die to save us.

Which salvation stands, in two things. First, in freeing and delivering us from Hell ; Secondly, In the possession of Heaven, and eternal life. Christ by his death, merits the first for us : and by his obedience, fulfilling the law, merits the second. The parts of our justification are likewise two: the remission of our sins, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness ; whereby we have freedom from all evil here, and the perfection of all good and happiness in heaven. Insomuch that all those Millions of mercies that we have received, from, before, and since, we were born, either for soul or body ; (even to the least bit of bread we eat ) or shall enjoy to eternity: Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us, with the price of his own precious blood. For which see Psal. 68.19. and 145.15, 16. and 75.6, 7.

Hear this all you that care to be saved! God will pardon all your sins, he will give you an eternal crown of glory in heaven, if you unfeignedly repent, and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation by a lively faith ; and that because he is just: for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished; (for the wages of sin is eternal death, Rom. 6.23. death in the person, if not in the surety. ) Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful, and paid their dept even to the utmost farthing; as is evident by Isai. 53.4, 5. 2 Cor. 5.21. Heb. 9.26. 1 Pet. 2.24. Rom. 3.25, 26. 1 John. 1.7, 9. and sundry other places. As, are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law? Christ performed it for us. Wet • we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation, the curse of the Law, and death of body and soul? He was condemned for us and bore the curse of the Law; he died in our stead an ignominious 〈◊〉 . Did we deserve the anger of God ? he endured his Fathers wrathful displeasure, that so he might reconcile us to his Father, and set us at liberty. He that deserved no sorrow, felt much ; that we who deserved much, might feel none. And by his wounds we are healed, Isai. 53.5. Adam eat the apple, Christ paid the price. In a word, whatsoever we owed, Christ discharged ; whatsoever we deserved, he suffered, if not in the self-same punishments (for he being God, could not suffer the eternal torments of Hell) yet in proportion, the dignity of his Person, (he being God and Man) giving value unto his temporary punishments; and making them of more value and worth, then if all the world should have suffered the eternal torments of Hell. For it is more for one that is eternal to die: then for others to die eternally. Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man : that the Sons of men might be made the Sons of God : and therefore was he both God and man : lest being in every respect God, he had been too great to suffer for man; or being in every respect man, he had been too weak to satisfy God. And so much for explication of the Third Principle, mentioned in the beginning.

Sect. XX.

But now comes the hardest part of my work to be performed. For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental Principles never so clearly: yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses, that he will be never the better, for what hath been told him, yea he will decoct all (even the mercy, and goodness of God ) into poison. For what will such a one suggest to himself (the Devil helping forward) Let it be granted, will he say, that I were every way wretched and miserable; a great sinner, both originally, and actually ; and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life, and of that to come : yet I thank God, I am well enough, so long as Christ hath paid my ransom; and freed me from all by a new Covenant; the tenure whereof is, Believe and Live : whereas at first it was, do this and live: to which I answer.

In Covenants and Indentures between party and party, there are always articles, and conditions to be performed on the one side, as well as promises to be fulfilled on the other, as saith Pareus. Now as God hath covenanted and bound himself by his word and Seal; to remit thee thy sins, adopt thee his child by regeneration, and give thee the Kingdom of Heaven, and eve • lasting life by and for his sons sake; so Christ hath for, and on thy behalf undertaken; yea, thou thyself didst for thy part, bind thyself by covenant, promise and vow in thy baptism, that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works, constantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his Commandments; the better thereby to express thy thankfulness towards him, for so great a benefit, 1 Pet. 3.21. Psal. 116.12, 13, 14. And we know that in Covenants and Indentures, if the Conditions be not kept, the Obligation is not in force. Whereby millions ( Magus like) after the water of baptism, (which is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace ) go to the fire of Hell. Yea, except we repent and believe the Gospel, ( threats, and precepts; as well as promises ) that holy Sacrament ▪ together with the 〈…〉 to us our salvation; will be an obligation under our own hand and seal against us; and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation. Therefore the main question is, Whether thou art a believer ? For although Christ in the Gospel, hath made many large, and precious promises: there are none so general: which are not limited, with the condition of faith, and the fruit thereof unfeigned repentance ; and each of them are so tied and entailed, that none can lay claim to them, but true believers, which repent and turn from all their sins, to serve him in holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, Heb. 12.14. Isa. 59.20. As for instance, Our Savior hath made public Proclamation, Mark 16.16. That whosoever shall believe, and be baptized, shall be saved. but mark what withal is added; he that will not believe, shall be damned. Again, God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, John 3.15, 16. And that none may deceive themselves, he addeth; He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already: because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather then light, John 3.19, 20. And again, As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God: even to them that believe on his name, Joh. 1.12.

Again, Heb. 5.9. He is said to be the Author of eternal salvation, unto all that obey him: not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickedness, and never submit themselves to be ruled by the scepter of his Word. Christ's blood (saith Zanchi ) was shed as well for ablution, as for absolution: as well to cleanse from the soil and filth of sin, as to clear and assoil from guilt of sin, Rom. 6.5, 6. God hath chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the world; that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love, Ephes. 1.4. They therefore that never come to be holy, were never chosen. He is said to have given himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of good works, Tit. 2.14. Luke 1.74, 75. Yea, the Lord binds it with an oath, that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, they shall worship him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life, Luke 1.73, 74, 75. 1. Pet. 2.24. and Tit. 2. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, teacheth us, that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, verse. 12.

By all which it is plain, that as Christ's blood is a Charter of pardon ; so withal it is a Covenant of direction ; and he that refuseth to live as that covenant prescribes, may perish as a malefactor that is hanged with his pardon about his neck.

Sect. XXI.

But alas, say what can be said, carnal men (who love their sins, better then their souls) will answer all, yea, confute whatsoever can be all 〈…〉 , with, God is merciful▪ Or in case that will not serve, yet they have another shift ; or rather the enemy of mankind will furnish them with an evasion, telling them that they have a strong faith, good hearts, and mean well ; they repent of their sins, have as good wishes and desires as can be, are elected, hope to go to heaven as well as the best, &c. But to every of these, I answer,

First, true faith purifieth the heart, and worketh by love, consumeth our corruptions, and sanctifieth the whole man throughout, so that our faith to God, is seen in our faithfulness to men; our invisible belief, by our visible life.

Faith and holiness are as inseparable, as life and motion, the Sun and light, fire and heat, ice and coldness, the spring and greenness, the rose and sweetness, steel and hardness, crystal and clearness, pitch and foulness, honey and sweetness. Again, faith believeth the threats of the Word; together with the promises. Now thou who pretendest belief in the promises, show me thy belief in the threatenings. For didst thou believe the truth of those menaces, which God hath denounced against unclean, covetous, ambitious, unjust, envious, malicious persons, and such like sinners: how durst thou then so wallow in these sins, that if God instead of Hell, had promised Heaven as a reward unto them, thou couldest not do more then thou doest? Why shouldest thou deceive thyself with an opinion of faith? when indeed thou believest not so much as the Devil does ; for he believes [namely the threatenings of the Word] and trembles for horror, I am. 2. but thou goest on in sin, even mocking at the menaces, and in the infidelity of thy heart, givest them the lie, saying, no such thing shall befall thee. But Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam; when they shall say peace and safety, then comes on them sudden destruction, 1 Thes. 5.3.

Though those Persecutors of Christ, and murderers of the Lord of life, were the Devils children ; as they were plainly told by truth itself, John. 8.44. yet they most confidently believed, and stiffly maintained, that God was their father, verse 41. And so will the worst of men in these days, such as do nothing but sin, and make others sin, such as glory in, and maintain their sins.

Again, as faith is wrought by God's spirit ; so where it is wrought, it brings forth the fruits of the Spirit, mentioned, Gal. 5.22, 23. whereas presumption, as it is of the flesh, so it brings forth the fruits of the flesh, verse 19.20, 21.

But it is very easy to believe, thinks the sensualist; yes, but why? Satan troubles not such, for then he who begot this presumptuous faith in him, should be divided against himself. Nay, Satan confirms him in this his deceit. Besides, this is a sure rule, that that persuasion only, which follows sound humiliation, is faith; that which goes before it is presumption. And as Ambrose speaks, no man can repent of sin, but he that believes the pardon of sin : nor none can believe his sins are pardoned, except he hath repented. Besides, how easy a matter soever thou thinkest it is to believe: he that goes about it, shall find it as hard a work to believe the Gospel, as to keep the Law ; and only God must enable to both, and yet so far as we come short of either, so far forth we have just cause to be humbled▪ if we consider how God at first made us, and how woefully we have unmade ourselves. But

Sect. XXII.

Secondly, as for their good hearts and meanings, they may think what they will, but every wise man knows, that the outward actions declare the inward intentions. A good conversion is proved by a good conversation.

There is no heart made of flesh, which at some time or other relents not; even flint and marble will in some weather stand on drops. Men may flatter God with their mouths, and with their tongues dissemble with him; when their hearts are not upright with him, Psal. 78.36, 37. and indeed they whose words and deeds are faulty and evil; and yet plead the gooodness of their hearts toward God ; are like malefactors, who being convicted of theft, or the like naughtiness, by plain evidence to their faces, do appeal to the testimony of such persons for their purgation, as they know cannot be found. And in case the hearts of such men could be seen of others, as their works and words are, their hearts would appear worst of all, as they do to God, who seeth them. Nor is any evil in the mouth or hand, which was not in the heart first of all, as the stream in the fountain. And let a vicious man boast never so much of his good heart; I will as soon believe him that saith he hath the Philosophers stone, and yet lives like a beggar, which two hang together like a sick man's dream.

We have good hearts, and mean well; alas poor ignorant souls! for every drop of wickedness that appears in the life, there is an ocean in the heart. The heart of man is deceitful above all things: and while he thinks there is no deceit in it, even in that he is most of all deceived. Sinners are like that peremtory Sex • on, that said, howsoever the day goes, I am sure the clock goes right. So that the Spanish Proverb does every way please me; defienda me dios de mio, God defend me from myself.

Carnal men are apt to boast of the goodness of their hearts: but a man's heart is as arch a Traitor, as any he shall meet withal. We trust it too much, and know it too little, as it fared with Leah, Gen. 30.18. and Hazael, 2 Kings 8.12, 13. and Peter, Mat. 26.33. Luke 22.32. Mark 14.29. And those Jews, Acts 2.36. And all this they will acknowledge in the end; yea, prove by experience, that Heaven is full of good works, Hell of good wishes, and that the fetters which sin makes it must wear.

Sect. XXIII.

Thirdly, touching their repentance my answer is; True repentance for sin, is a turning from every sin to the contrary good. In all true repentance is a change, both in the judgment from error to truth, and in the will from evil to good, and in the affections from loving evil, and hating good; to love good and hate evil, in the whole man from darkness, to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Without which change, no repentance, no being saved: The two main and essential parts of repentance are contrition or humiliation, and conversion or reformation. It is not true repentance, except humiliation and reformation go both together : for either of these single make but a half, or halting repentance. An unreformed sorrow, is but deformed: and a sorrowless reformation, is but a very sorry one. Humiliation without reformation, is a foundation without a building; and reformation without humiliation, is a building without a foundation. Judas was grieved for murthering Christ, yet no change followed: he fell to murthering of himself. It is not possible a man should truly grieve, and be displeased for his sins; and yet continue in them without a change.

Sect. XXIV.

Fourthly, as for their assurance of salvation, it is upon as good ground as all the rest: for they slumber, and suppose themselves good Christians; their faith is but a dream, their hope but a dream, their charity but a dream, their obedience but a dream, their whole religion but a dream ; and so their assurance of salvation is but a dream ; they have regeneration in conceit, repentance and righteousness in conceit, they serve God well in conceit, do the works of justice and piety in conceit, and they shall go to heaven only in conceit, or in a dream, and never awake until they feel themselves in the flames of hell. Every drunken beast and blasphemer thinks to go to heaven ; though none shall come there, nor once see God without holiness : which they abhor. One minds nothing but his cups, another nothing but his coin, a third only his Curtizan ; yet all these point to meet in heaven, but this is not the way thither. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 1. John. 2.16. is a broad way, but not to heaven. Micah when he had a Levite in his house, thought that God loved him, Judge. 17.13. It is usual with formalists, when they have the Sacrament in their belly, to think that all is well, as the Jews thought, we may put away our wives, we may swear, we may hate our enemies, we may kill the Prophets, subject the Word of God to our traditions, and follow our own ways. Why, Abraham is our father, John. 8.39. But by their leave, Christ calls them bastards, and finds out another father for them, ver. 44. Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. Profane Libertines, such as account not themselves well, but when they are doing ill : yea, the most covetous oppressors, who may say as Pope Leo did, I can have no place in heaven, because I have so often sold it upon earth ; every man of them hopes (I confess, with more confidence, then judgment) to have benefit by the Gospel ; when they will not be tied to the least tittle of the Law. But if Christ be not our King to govern us, he will neither be our Prophet to fore-warn, nor our Priest to expiate ▪ Except we forsake our sins, God will never forgive them, yea, he hath sworn by an oath, that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, shall serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives. Neither can it consist with his justice, to pardon such as continue in an evil course of life.

If Christ hath freed us from the damnation of sin, he hath also freed us from the dominion of sin. If with his blood he hath quenched the fire of hell for us, he hath also quenched the fire of lust in us. Christ's justifying blood, is given us by his sanctifying Spirit. He being consecrated, was made the author of eternal salvation, unto all them (and them only) that obey him, Heb. 5.9. Of whomsoever a man is overcome, even unto the same he is in bondage, 2 Pet. 2.19. Have ye then no government of your passions, no conscience of your actions, no care of your lives ? false hypocrites, ye do but abuse and profane that name, which ye unjustly arrogate.

Sect. XXV.

But yet more to convince you, you go to heaven, when in sundry particulars, you fall short of many wicked reprobates recorded in Scripture; as do but deal impartially with thyself, and tell me thou civil Iusticiary whether thou ever hadst the heart upon hearing the threatenings of the Word to relent and humble thyself with Ahab ? to confess thy sins, and desire the people of God to pray for thee with Pharaoh ? to be affected with joy in hearing the Word, and practice many things, with Herod? to be zealous against sin, with Jehu? willingly to part with a good part of thy goods, with Ananias ? to forsake the world and all thy hopes in it; to follow poor Christ, as Demas and others? to venture thy life with Alexander the Copper-smith, in cleaving to the truth? yea, it is said of Judas himself that he repented, there is contrition ; he saith I have sinned, there is confession, and he restored the money again, there is satisfaction; which is all the Papists repentance : and yet he is Judas the son of perdition still. Now tell me? doest thou not come short of these, many such as these be wicked reprobates, and yet wilt thou please thyself in a false conceit, of thine own happiness, who comest further behind them, then they do behind true Christians? If some that have journeyed in the wilderness to Kadesh-barnea, shall yet never enter into God's rest ; shall those that never left Egypt ? Is the stony ground reprobate? and can the highway ground be good? There are three sorts of ground mentioned, Mark 4.4, 5, 6, 7. and the very worst of them receives the seed, yet all damned, whither then shall the tempest of God's wrath drive them, that would never yet give the Gospel a religious ear?

But vicious men, think God is all mercy (as foggy air useth to represent every object far bigger than it is) when the Word tells us, that he is a consuming fire, and a jealous God, Deut. 4.24. Heb. 12.29. and when we shall find in Deut. 28. thrice as many curses as blessings. Doest thou expect to have him merciful to thee, that art unmerciful, cruel, and bloody to him, to his, and thine own soul? none that have eyes in their heads and open, can be so sottish. But Sin is like the juice of poppie, called Opium ; which if the quantity exceed, bringeth the patient into a deep sleep, that he never awaketh. Sinners dream they are awake, but indeed they are fast asleep ; yea, with Sardis they are dead, while they think they are alive.

And indeed this misprision or mistake, this very opinion of being in ease good enough, keeps a man out of all possibility of being bettered; for what we presume to have attained, we seek not after. Yea, this conceited righteousness, is the only cause of all unrighteousness ; and many a man had been good, if he had not at present so thought himself. Until Paul was humbled to the very ground; trembling and astonished, he never asked Jesus, what wilt thou have me to do. And the like of those Converts that were pricked in their hearts at Peters searching Sermon, upon their being convinced, that they were the murderers of the Lord of Life, Acts 2.36.37, 38.

Sect. XXVI.

In the last place, touching their Election, this is an infallible truth; Whomsoever God hath appointed to salvation, to them he hath appointed the means also, which is holiness. Indeed a man may be so bold of his Predestination, as to forget his conversation ; so he may dream himself in Heaven, and waken from that dream in Hell. God's purpose touching the end, includes the means. Though God had promised Paul that his company should not be drowned, yet he told the Mariners, that unless they kept in the ship, they should be drowned, Acts 27.22, 23, 31. as if their safety should not be without means: Rebekah had God's Oracle for Jacob's life, yet she sent him away out of Esau's reach. It was impossible for Herod to hurt the child Jesus, yet he must fly into Egypt.

And so I have shown in the last place, what are the conditions of the new Covenant, and to whom the promises belong ; which is all that I undertook. Now if men will yet go on, and perish in their impenitency; their blood be on their own heads, and not on mine, I have discharged my duty.

Nevertheless, least the single evidence that I bring from the Word of Truth, should not prove sufficient to gain your credence to what hath been spoken; And because examples give a quicker impression then arguments, I have one thing more to crave of thee, which is, that thou wilt also hear the confession of two parties (in the ensuing or second part of this Discourse) that were lately in thy very condition; though now by the Infinite goodness of God they have their eyes opened, and their hearts changed, to see and know, both what it is to be in the state of nature, and what to be brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God ; that so by a threefold cord, you may be drawn to accept of salvation upon God's own terms ; whereas otherwise you can no way escape his eternal wrath.

The ensuing, or second part, which I would request you to read and mind, is; A happy Conference, between a Formalist converted, and a loose Libertine, entitled, An experimental Index of the Heart.

And so much of the first Part; the second followeth.

Sect. XXVII.

A Loose Libertine, meeting with his Friend that had lately been a Formal Christian ; he greets him as followeth:

SIR, methinks I have observed in you a strange alteration, since our last meeting at Middleburrough: not only in your behavior, company, and converse; but even in your countenance: What is the matter, if I may be so bold?

Convert. Truly Sir, you are not at all mistaken, nor am I unwilling to acquaint you with the cause; if you can afford to hear it.

Soon after my return into England, I was carried by a Friend to hear a Sermon : where the Minister so represented the very thoughts, secrets, and deceitfulness of my heart unto my conscience ; that I could not but say of him, as the woman of Samaria once spake of our Savior: He hath told me all things that ever I did. Which made me conclude with that Vnbeliever, 1 Cor. 14 24, 25. That God was in him of a truth: nor could he ever have so done, if he were not of God. As the young man in the Gospel reasoned with the Pharisees, touching Jesus when he had opened his eyes, that had been blind from his birth, Joh. 9.32, 33. Whereupon I could have no peace nor r • st, until I had further communed with him about my estate; for I found myself in a lost condition touching Eternity : It faring with me as it did wi • h those Jews, Act. 2. when Peter by his searching Sermon, had convinced them, that Christ, whom they had by wicked hands crucified and slain, was the only Son of God, and Lord of glory, ver. 36, 37. And having had the happiness to enjoy the benefit of his sage advice as I stood in need thereof; ( God having given him the tongue of the learned, to administer a word in season to them that are weary, Isa 50.4.) I bless God, his Word and Spirit hath wrought in me such a change and strange alteration, that it hath opened mine eyes that were blind before, inclined my will to obedience, which before was rebellious, softened my heart, sanctified and quite changed my affections: so that I now love that good which before I hated, and hate that evil which before I loved ; and am delighted with those holy exercises ▪ which heretofore did most displease me ; and am displeased with those vain pleasures and filthy sins which in times past did most delight me. Which is such a mercy, that no tongue is able to express! For till that hour I went on in the broad way, and worlds road to destruction, without any mistrust ; whereas now God hath been pleased to take me into his Kingdom of grace here, and will never leave me, until he hath brought me to his Kingdom of glory hereafter.

Loose Libertine. What you speak makes me wonder: for I ever held you the completest man of my acquaintance; just in all your dealings, temperate and civil in your deportment; yea, I have never seen you exceed in the least, or heard you swear an Oath, except faith and troth, and that very rarely. Besides, you have been a good Protestant, and gone to Church all your days.

Convert. What you speak, none that know me, can contradict; nor could they ever accuse me of any scandalous crime, or unjust act. Yea, I had the same thoughts of myself; and should any one have told me formerly, that I was such a great sinner, such a Devil Incarnate as I was! I should have replied as Hazael did to the Prophet, (telling him of the abominable wickedness he would e're long commit) What am I a dog, &c. 2 Kings 8.12, 13. And no wonder, for as every man in his natural condition, is stark blind to spiritual objects, 1 Cor. 2.14. so the heart of man is deceitful above all things: even so deceitful, that none but God alone can know it, as the Prophet shows, Ier. 17.10. But because this is a truth that transcends your belief, and because it may be of singular use to you also, to know the same: I will give you a short character of my former condition; the which done, I doubt not but you will assent unto what I have hitherto said, or shall further relate.

Sect. XXVIII.

First, Touching my knowledge, (I mean saving knowledge, withou • which the soul cannot be good, as wise Solomon witnesseth, Prov. 19.2. •• it was such, (though I thought myself wiser than to make scruple of, o • perplex myself about matters of Religion, as do the Religious: even as th • King of Tyrus thought himself wiser than Daniel, Ezek. 28.3.) that spiri • tual things were mostly represented to my understanding false, and clea • contrary to what they are indeed. Like corporal things in a Looking-glass wherein those that are on the right hand seem to be on the left, and thos • that are on the left hand seem to be on the right. As it fared with Sain • Paul, while he was in his natural condition, Act. 26.9. which made m • think and call evil, good ; and good, evil; bitter, sweet, and sweet bitter ; t • justify the wicked, & condemn the just, as the Prophet complains, Isa. 5.20, 23 •

As for instance, I most sottishly thought, that I both loved, and serve • God as I ought; yea, I should have taken it in foul scorn, if any one ha •• questioned the same: when indeed I was a Traitor to God, and took 〈◊〉 arms against all that worshipped him in Spirit and in truth. I was so far fro • loving and serving him, that I hated those that did it; and that for thei • so doing; I could also hear him blasphemed, reproached, and dishonored without being once stirred, or moved at it. I loved him dearly, but could never afford to speak a word for him; and likewise his Childre • entirely, but instead of justifiing them, or speaking in their defense, when heard them scoffed, scorned and abused by wicked and ungodly men; all m • delight was to jeer at, slight and slander them where ever I came. I mor • feared the Magistrate, than I feared God ; and more regarded the blasts o • men's breath, than the fire of God's wrath. I chose rather to disobey God, tha • to displease great ones ; and feared more the worlds scorns, then his anger.

And the like of Christ that died for me; a strong argument that I love • Christ, when I hated all that resembled him in holiness. Yea, I so hated holiness, that I most bitterly hated men for being holy: insomuch that my blood would rise at the sight of a good man, as some stomachs will rise a • the sight of sweet-meats. I was a Christian in name, but I could scoff at Christian indeed ; I could honor the dead Saints in a formal pro • ession • while I worried the living Saints in a cruel persecution. I condemned all for Roundheads, that had more Religion than a Heathen, or knowledge o • heavenly things, than a child in the womb hath of the things of this life ; o • conscience than an Atheist ; or care of his soul, than a Beast. I had always the basest thoughts of the best men: making ill constructions of whatsoever they did or spake: as the Scribes and Pharisees dealt by our Savior ▪

Sect. XXIX.

As, O what a poor slave did I hold the man of a tender conscience to be • yea, how did I applaud myself for being zeallesse, and fearless ; togethe • with my great discretion, and moderation: when I saw this man vexed for his zeal, that other hated for his knowledge, a third persecuted for the profession of his Faith, &c. For (being like Cain, Ishmael, Elijah, Mich • l, Pharaoh, and Festus ) I thought their Religion Puritanism, their conscienc • of sin, hypocrisy ; their profession, dissimulation ; their prudence, 〈◊〉 their faith and confidence, presumption ; their zeal of God's glory, to be pride and malice ; their obedience to God's Laws, rebellion to Princes ; their execution of justice, cruelty, &c. If they were anything devout or forward to admonish others, that so they might pluck them out of the fire ; conceived them to be besides themselves: as our Savior was thought to be by his Kinsfolk, and Saint Paul by Festus, Mark. 3.21. John 10.20. Acts 26.24. 1 Cor. 1.18. My religion was to oppose the power of Religion ; and my knowledge of the truth, to know how to argue against the truth. • never affected Christ's Ambassadors, that preached the glad tidings of salvation, but had a spleen against them; yea, I hated a Minister, for being a Minister ; especially, if a godly and zealous one, that spake home to my conscience, and told me of my sins ; much more if he would not admit me to the Lord's Table without trial and examination: yea, then like Ahab to Micah, I became his enemy, and hated him ever after; would impeach his credit, and detain from him his dues. And are not all these strong evidences, that I loved and served God, and my Redeemer as I ought? But to make it more manifest, what a rare Christian I was:

I thought myself a Believer ; yea, I could boast of a strong faith, when yet I fell short of the very Devils in believing: for they believe the threats and judgments contained in the Word, and tremble thereat, James 2.19. Whereas I thought them but scar-crows to fright the simple withal: yea, I held Hell itself but a fancy,