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and thy hair stand on an end? And how wilt generate, methinks thou shouldst be as fearful to thou endure to live for ever, where thou shalt hear of heaven as of hell, except the bare name have no other company but devils, and the of heaven or salvation be sufficient. Preaching damned, and shalt not only see them, but be tor- heaven and mercy to thee, is entreating thee to mented with them and by them? Let me once seek them, and not reject them; and preaching more ask, if the wrath of God be so light, why hell is but to persuade thee to avoid it. If thou did the Son of God himself make so great a mat- wert quite past hope of escaping it, then it were ter of it? It made him sweat as it were, great in vain to tell thee of hell; but as long as thou drops of blood falling down to the ground.' The art alive, there is hope of thy recovery, and, thereLord of life cried, 'My soul is exceeding sorrow-fore, all means must be used to awake thee from ful, even unto death;' and on the cross, My thy lethargy. Alas! what heart can now possibly God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' conceive, or what tongue express, the pains of Surely if any one could have borne these suffer- those souls, that are under the wrath of God! ings easily, it would have been Jesus Christ. He Then, sinners, you will be crying to Jesus had another measure of strength to bear it than Christ, O mercy! O pity, pity on a poor soul!' thou hast. Woe to thee, sinner, for thy mad se- Why, I do now, in the name of the Lord Jesus, curity! Dost thou think to find that tolerable to cry to thee, O have mercy, have pity, man, upon thee, which was so heavy to Christ? Nay, the thy own soul! Shall God pity thee, who will the Son of God is cast into a bitter agony, and not be entreated to pity thyself? If thy horse bloody sweat, only under the curse of the law; see but a pit before him, thou can scarcely force and yet thou, feeble, foolish creature, makest him in; and wilt thou so obstinately cast thyself nothing to bear also the curse of the gospel, into hell when the danger is foretold thee? which requires a much sorer punishment. The Who can stand before the indignation of the good Lord bring thee to thy right mind by re- Lord? and who can abide the fierceness of his pentance, lest thou buy thy wit at too dear a rate! anger?' Methinks thou shouldst need no more 18. And now, reader, I demand thy reso- words, but presently cast away thy soul-damning lution, what use wilt thou make of all this? sins, and wholly deliver up thyself to Christ. Shall it be lost to thee? or wilt thou consider it Resolve on it immediately, and let it be done, in good earnest? Thou hast cast away many a that I may see thy face in the rest among the warning of God, wilt thou do so by this also? saints. May the Lord persuade thy heart to Take heed: God will not always stand warning strike this covenant without any longer delay! and threatening. The hand of revenge is lifted But if thou be hardened unto death, and there up, the blow is coming, and woe to him on whom be no remedy, yet say not another day, but that it lighteth! Dost thou throw away the book, thou wast faithfully warned, and hadst a friend, and say, it speaks of nothing but hell and dam- that would fain have prevented thy damnation. nation? Thus thou usest also to complain of the preacher. But wouldst thou not have us tell thee of these things? Should we be guilty of the blood of thy soul, by keeping silent that which God hath charged us to make known? Wouldst thou perish in ease and silence, and have us to perish with thee, rather than displease Sect. 1. The saints' rest surprisingly neglected; particularly, 2. By

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thee, by speaking the truth? If thou wilt be guilty of such inhuman cruelty, God forbid we should be guilty of such sottish folly. This kind of preaching or writing, is the ready way to be and the desire of applause is so natural, that few delight in such a displeasing way. But consider, are these things true, or are they not? If they were not true, I would heartily join with thee against any that fright people without a But if these threatenings be the word of God, what a wretch art thou, that wilt not hear it, and consider it! If thou art one of the people of God, this doctrine will be a comfort to thee, and not a terror. If thou art yet unre

cause.

CHAPTER VII.

THE NECESSITY OF DILIGENTLY SEEKING THE
SAINTS' REST.

the worldly-minded; 3. The profane multitude; 4. Formal professors; 5-8. And by the godly themselves, whether magistrates, ministers, or people. 9. The author mourns the neglect, and excites the reader to diligence, by considering, 10. The ends we aim at, the works we have to do, the shortness and uncertainty of our time, and the diligence of our enemies; 11. Our talents, mercies, relations to God, and our afflictions. 12. What assistances we have, what principles we profess, and our certainty never to do enough. 13. That every grace tends to diligence, and to trifle is lost labour; that much time is misspent, and that our recompense and labour will be proportionable. 14. That striving is the divine appointment, all men do or will approve it, the best Christians at death lament their want of it, heaven is often lost for want of it, but never obtained without it. 15. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are in earnest: God is so in hearing and answering prayer: ministers in their instructions and exhortations: all the creatures in serving us; sinners in serving the devil, as we were once, and now are, in worldly things, and in heaven and hell are all in earnest. 16. The chapter concludes with proposing some awakening questions to the ungodly, and, 17. also to the godly.

1. If there be so certain and glorious a rest for the saints, why is there no more industrious seek

ing after it? One would think, if a man did but | lamity? At the hour of your death, will they once hear of such unspeakable glory to be obtained, and believed what he heard to be true, he should be transported with the vehemency of his desire after it, and should almost forget to eat and drink, and should care for nothing else, and speak of and inquire after nothing else, but how to get this treasure. And yet people who hear of it daily, and profess to believe it as a fundamental article of their faith, do as little mind it, or labour for it, as if they had never heard of any such thing, or did not believe one word they hear. This reproof is more particularly applicable to the worldly-minded; the profane multitude; the formal professors, and even to the godly themselves.

either answer or relieve you? Will they go along with you to the other world, and bribe the judge, and bring you off clear, or purchase you a place among the blessed? Why, then, did the rich man want a drop of water to cool his tongue? Or, are the sweet morsels of present delight and honour of more worth than eternal rest? And will they recompense the loss of that enduring treasure? Can there be the least hope of any of these? Ah, vile, deceitful world! how oft have we heard thy most faithful servants at last complaining- O the world hath deceived me, and undone me! It flattered me in my prosperity, but now it turns me off in my necessity. If I had as faithfully served Christ, as I have served it, he would not have left me thus comfortless and hopeless.' Thus they complain; and yet succeeding sinners will take no warning.

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2. The worldly-minded are so taken up in seeking the things below, that they have neither heart nor time to seek this rest. O foolish sinners, who hath bewitched you? The world be- 3. As for the profane multitude, they will not witches men into brute beasts, and draws them be persuaded to be at so much pains for salvasome degrees beyond madness. See what riding tion, as to perform the common outward duties and running, what scrambling and catching for of religion. If they have the gospel preached in a thing of nought, while eternal rest lies ne- the town where they dwell, it may be they will glected! What contriving and caring to get a give the hearing to it one part of the day, and step higher in the world than their brethren, stay at home the other; or if the master come to while they neglect the kingly dignity of the the congregation, yet part of his family must saints! What insatiable pursuit of fleshly plea- stay at home. If they want the plain and powersures, while they look on the praises of God, the ful preaching of the gospel, how few are there joy of angels, as a tiresome burden! What un- in a whole town, who will travel a mile or two wearied diligence in raising their posterity, en- to hear abroad; though they will go many miles larging their possessions, (perhaps for a poor to the market for provision for their bodies! living from hand to mouth) while judgment is They know the scripture is the law of God, by drawing near; but, how it shall go with them which they must be acquitted or condemned in then, never puts them to one hour's considera-judgment; and that the man is blessed who detion! What rising early, and sitting up late, and lights in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth labouring from year to year, to maintain them- meditate day and night;' yet will they not be at selves and children in credit till they die; but, pains to read a chapter once a day. If they what shall follow after, they never think on! carry a bible to church, and neglect it all the Yet these men cry, May we not be saved with- week, this is the most use they make of it. out so much ado? How early do they rouse up Though they are commanded to pray without their servants to their labour; but how seldom do ceasing, and to pray always; yet they will neithey call them to prayer, or reading the scrip- ther pray constantly in their families, nor in setures! What hath this world done for its lovers cret. Though Daniel would rather be cast to and friends, that it is so eagerly followed, and the lions, than forbear praying three times a day painfully sought after, while Christ and heaven in his house, where his enemies might hear him; stand by, and few regard them? or what will the yet these men will rather venture to be an eterworld do for them for the time to come? The nal prey to Satan, the roaring lion, than thus seek common entrance into it, is through anguish and their own safety. Or their cold and heartless sorrow. The passage through it, is with contin- prayers invite God to a denial: for among men ual care and labour. The passage out of it, is it is taken for granted, that he who asks but the sharpest of all. O unreasonable, bewitched slightly and seldom, cares not much for what he men! Will mirth and pleasure stick close to asks. They judge themselves unworthy of you? Will gold and worldly glory prove fast heaven, who think it is not worth their mcre friends to you in the time of your greatest need? constant and earnest requests. If every door Will they hear your cries in the day of your ca- was marked, where families do not, morning and

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evening, earnestly seek the Lord in prayer, that and seldom talking with seriousness and humilihis wrath might be poured out upon such prayer-ty of the great things of Christ, he shows his reless families, our towns would be as places over-ligion dwells in the brain, and not in his heart. thrown by the plague, the people being dead within, and the mark of judgment without. I fear where one house would escape, ten would be marked out for death; and then they might teach their doors to pray, Lord, have mercy upon us,' because the people would not pray themselves. But especially, if we could see what men do in their secret chambers, how few would you find in a whole town that spend one quarter of an hour, morning and night, in earnest supplication to God for their souls! O how little do these men set by eternal rest! Thus do they slothfully neglect all endeavours for their own welfare, except some public duty in the congregation, which custom or credit engages them to. Persuade them to read good books, learn the grounds of religion in their catechism, and sanctify the Lord's-day in prayer, and meditation, and hearing the word, and forbearing all worldly thoughts and speeches; and what a tedious life do they take this to be! As if they thought heaven were not worth doing so much

for.

4. Another sort are formal professors, who will be brought to an outward duty, but to the inward work of religion they will never be persuaded. They will preach, or hear, or read, or talk of heaven, or pray in their families, and take part with the persons or causes that are good, and desire to be esteemed among the godly; but you can never bring them to the more spiritual duties as, to be constant and fervent in secret prayer and meditation; conscientious in self-examination; heavenly-minded; to watch over their hearts, words, and ways; to mortify the flesh, and not make provision to fulfill its lusts; to love, and heartily forgive an enemy, and prefer their brethren before themselves; to lay all they have, or do, at the feet of Christ, and prize his service and favour before all; to prepare to die, and willingly leave all to go to Christ. Hypocrites will never be persuaded to any of these. If any hypocrite entertains the gospel with joy, it is only in the surface of his soul; he never gives the seed any depth of earth: it changes his opinion but never melts and new-moulds his heart, nor sets up Christ there in full power and authority. As his religion lies most in opinion, so does his chief business and conversation. He is usually an ignorant, bold, conceited dealer in controversies, rather than an humble embracer of known truth, with love and obedience. By his slighting the judgments and persons of others,

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The wind of temptation carries him away as a feather, because his heart is not established with Christ and grace. He never, in private conversation, humbly bewails his soul's imperfections, or tenderly acknowledges his unkindness to Christ; but gathers his greatest comforts from his being of such a judgment or party. The like may be said of the worldly hypocrite, who chokes the gospel with the thorns of worldly cares and desires. He is convinced that he must be religious, or he cannot be saved; and therefore he reads, and hears, and prays, and forsakes his former company and courses; but he resolves to keep his hold of present things. His judgment may say, God is the chief good; but his heart and affections never said so. The world hath more of his affections than God, and therefore it is his god. Though he does not run after opinions and novelties, like the former, yet he will be of that opinion which will best serve his worldly advantage. And as one whose spirits are enfeebled by some pestilential disease; so this man's spirits being possessed by the plague of a worldly disposition, how feeble is he in secret prayer! how superficial in examination and meditation! how poor in heart-watchings! how nothing at all in loving and walking with God, rejoicing in him, or desiring him!--So that both these, and many other sorts of hypocrites, though they will go with you in the easy outside of religion, yet will never be at the pains of inward and spiritual duties.

5. And even the godly themselves are too lazy seekers of their everlasting rest. Alas! what a disproportion is there between our light and heat! our profession and prosecution! Who makes that haste as if it were for heaven? How still we stand! How idly we work! How we talk, and jest, and trifle away our time! How deceitfully we perform the work of God! How we hear, as if we heard not; and pray, as if we prayed not; and examine, and meditate, and reprove sin, as if we did it not; and enjoy Christ, as if we enjoyed him not; as if we had learned to use the things of heaven, as the apostle teacheth us to use the things of the world! What a frozen stupidity has benumbed us! we are dying, and we know it, and yet we stir not; we are at the door of eternal happiness, or misery, and yet we perceive it not; death knocks, and we hear it not; God and Christ call and cry to us, To-day, if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts; work while it is day, for the night cometh when 6 R

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none can work. Now ply your business, labour | our want of seriousness about the things of for your lives, lay out all your strength and time; heaven, charms the souls of men into formality, now or never;' and yet we stir no more than if and brings them to this customary careless hearif we were half asleep. What haste do deathing, which undoes them. May the Lord pardon and judgment make! how fast do they come on! the great sin of the ministry in this thing; and, they are almost at us, and yet what little haste in particular, my own! we make! Lord, what a senseless, earthly, hellish thing is a hard heart! Where is the man that is in earnest a Christian? Methinks men every where make but a trifle of their eternal state. They look after it but a little by the by; they do not make it the business of their lives. If I were not sick myself of the same disease, with what tears should I mix this ink; with what groans should I express these complaints! and with what heart-grief should I mourn over this universal deadness!

8. And are the people more serious than magistrates or ministers? How can it be expected! Reader, look but to thyself, and resolve the question. Ask conscience, and suffer it to tell thee truly. Hast thou set thy eternal rest before thine eyes, as the great business thou hast to do in this world? Hast thou watched and laboured, with all thy might, 'that no man take thy crown?' Hast thou made haste, lest thou shouldst come too late, and die before thy work be done? Hast thou pressed on through crowds 6. Do magistrates among us seriously perform of opposition, towards the mark, for the prize their work? Are they zealous for God? Do of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,' still they build up his house? Are they tender of 'reaching forth unto those things which are behis honour? Do they second the word? and fly fore? Can conscience witness your secret cries, in the face of sin and sinners, as the disturbers and groans, and tears? Can your family witof our peace, and the only cause of all our mise-ness, that you taught them the fear of the Lord, ries? Do they improve all their power, wealth, and warned them not to go to that place of torand honour, and all their influence, for the great-ment? Can your minister witness, that he has est advantage to the kingdom of Christ, as men that must shortly give an account of their stewardship?

heard you cry out What shall I do to be saved?' and that you have followed him with complaints against your corruptions, and with earnest inquiries after the Lord? Can your neighbours about you witness, that you reprove the ungodly, and take pains to save the souls of your brethren? Let all these witnesses judge this day between God and you, whether you are in earnest about eternal rest. You can tell by his work, whether your servant has loitered, though you did not see him; so you may by looking at your own work. Is your love to Christ, your faith, your zeal, and other graces, strong or weak? What are your joys? What is your assurance? Is all in order with you? Are you ready to die, if this should be the day? Do the souls, among whom you have conversed, bless you? Judge by this, and it will quickly appear whether you have been labourers or loiterers.

7. How thin are those ministers that are serious in their work! Nay, how mightily do the very best fail in this? Do we cry out of men's disobedience to the gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit, and deal with sin as the destroying fire in our towns, and by force pull men out of it? Do we persuade people, as those should, that know the terrors of the Lord? Do we press Christ, regeneration, and faith, and holiness, believing that, without these, men can never have life? Do our bowels yearn over the ignorant, careless, and obstinate multitude? When we look them in the face, do our hearts melt over them, lest we should never see their faces in rest? Do we, as Paul, tell them, weeping, of their fleshly and earthly disposition? 'And teach them publicly, and from house to house, at all seasons, and with many tears?' And do we entreat them, as for their soul's salvation? Or rather, do we not study to gain the approbation of critical hearers; as if a minister's business were of no more weight but to tell a smooth tale for an hour, and look no more after the people till the next sermon? Does not car-nal rest; and how deeply thou hast been guilty of nal prudence control our fervour, and make our discourses lifeless, on subjects the most piercing? How gently do we handle those sins, which will so cruelly handle our people's souls! In a word,

9. O blessed rest, how unworthily art thou neglected! O glorious kingdom, how art thou undervalued! Little know the careless sons of men, what a state they set so lightly by. If they once knew it, they would surely be of another mind. I hope thou, reader, art sensible what a desperate thing it is to trifle about eter

this thyself. And I hope also, thou wilt not now suffer this conviction to die. Should the physician tell thee, If you will observe but one thing, I doubt not to cure your disease;' wouldst thou

not observe it? So I tell thee, if thou wilt observe but this one thing for thy soul, I make no doubt of thy salvation-shake off thy sloth, and put to all thy strength, and be a Christian indeed I know not then what can hinder thy happiness. As far as thou art gone from God, seek him with all thy heart, and no doubt thou shalt find him. As unkind as thou hast been to Jesus Christ, seek him heartily, obey him unreservedly, and thy salvation is as sure as if thou hadst it already. But full as Christ's satisfaction is, free as the promise is, large as the mercy of God is, if thou only talk of these, when thou shouldst eagerly entertain them, thou wilt be never the better for them; and if thou loiter, when thou shouldst labour, thou wilt lose the crown. Fall to work, then, speedily and seriously, and bless God that thou hast yet time to do it. And to show that I urge thee not without cause, I will here add a variety of animating considerations. Rouse up thy spirit, and, as Moses said to Israel, 'Set thy heart unto all the words which I testify unto thee this day; for it is not a vain thing, because it is your life.' May the Lord open thy heart, and fasten his counsel effectually upon thee!

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to; every person we deal with; every change of our condition, still require the renewing of our labour: wives, children, servants, neighbours, friends, enemies, all of them call for duty from us. Judge, then, whether men that have so much business lying upon their hands, should not exert themselves; and whether it be their wisdom either to delay or loiter. Time passeth Yet a few days, and we shall be here no more. Many diseases are ready to assault us. We that are now preaching, and hearing, and talking, and walking, must very shortly be carried, and laid in the dust, and there left to the worms in darkness and corruption: we are almost there already; we know not whether we shall have another sermon, or sabbath, or hour. How active should they be who know they have so short a space for so great a work! And we have enemies that are always plotting and labouring for our destruction. How diligent is Satan in all kind of temptations! Therefore, 'be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, steadfast in the faith.' How diligent are all the ministers of Satan! False teachers, scoffers, persecutors, and our inbred corruptions, the most busy and diligent of all! Will a feeble resistance serve our turn! Should not we be more active for our own preservation, than our enemies are for our ruin?

10. Consider how reasonable it is, that our diligence should be answerable to the ends we aim at, to the work we have to do, to the shortness and uncertainty of our time, and to the contrary diligence of our enemies. The ends of a Christian's desires and endeavours are so great, that no human understanding on earth can comprehend them. What is so excellent, so important, or so necessary, as the glorifying of God, the salvation of our own and other men's souls, by escaping the torments of hell, and possessing the glory of heaven? And can a man be too much affected with things of such moment? Can he desire them too earnestly, or love them too strongly, or labour for them too diligently? Do not we know, that if our prayers prevail not, and our labour succeeds not, we are undone for ever? -The work of a Christian here is very great and various. The soul must be renewed; corruptions must be mortified; custom, temptations, and worldly interests, must be conquered; flesh must be subdued; life, friends, and credit must be slighted; conscience on good grounds be quieted; and assurance of pardon and salvation attained. Though God must give us these without our merit, yet he will not give them without our earnest seeking and labour. Besides, there is much knowledge to be got, many ordi-out upon us the riches of sea and land, of heaven nances to be used, and duties to be performed: and earth. We are fed and clothed with mercy. every age, year, and day; every place we come We have mercies within and without. To num

11. It should excite us to diligence, when we consider our talents, and our mercies, our relation to God, and the afflictions he lays upon us. The talents which we have received are many and great. What people breathing on earth have had plainer instructions, or more forcible persuasions, or more constant admonitions, in season and out of season? Sermons, till we have been weary of them; and sabbaths, till we have profaned them; excellent books, in such plenty that we know not which to read. What people have had God so near them? or have seen so much of Christ crucified before their eyes? or have had heaven and hell so open unto them? What speed should such a people make for heaven? How should they fly that are thus winged? And how swiftly should they sail that have wind and tide to help them! A small measure of grace beseems not such a people, nor will an ordinary diligence in the work of God excuse them. All our lives have been filled with mercies. God hath mercifully poured

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