The whole duty of a Christian, or, The character of a true beleever, that walks in some measure answerable to the Gospel, his Christian profession, and the millions of mercies he hath received ... by R.Y. of Roxwell in Essex.

CHAP. 30. (Book 30)

1. §. Now to winde up all with a word of exhortation, if thou beest con∣vinc't, and resolvest upon a new course, let thy resolution be peremptory

and constant, and take heed thou harden not again, as Pharaoh, the Phili∣stines, the young man in the Gospel, Pilate and Iudas did. Resemble not the Iron which is no longer soft then it is in the fire: be not like those that are Sea-sick, who are much troubled while they are on Ship-board, but present∣ly well again when they are come to shore; for that good (saith Gregory) will do us no good which is not made good by perseverance. If with these premonitions the Spirit shall vouchsafe to stir up in thine heart, any good motions and holy purposes to obey God, in letting thy sins go, quench not, grieve not the Spirit, 1 Thess. 5. 19. return not with the Dog to thy vomit, lest thy latter end prove seven-fold worse then thy beginning, Matth. 12. 43, 45. As it fared with Iulian the Apostate, and Iuda•• the traitor. O it is a fearfull thing to receive the grace of God in vain; & a desperate thing be∣ing warned of a Rock, wilfully to cast our selves upon it! Neither let Satan perswade you to deferre your repentance, no not an hour, lest your resolu∣tion proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing; for as ill Debtors put off their Creditors, first one week, then another, till at last they are able to pay nothing, so deal delayers with God. Besides, death may be sudden, even the least of a thousand things can kill thee, and give thee no leasure to be sick.

2. §. Secondly, or if death be not sudden, repentance is no such easie work as to be put off to sicknesse; and though true repentance be never too late, yet late repentance is seldome true; and indeed there is small hope of repentance at the hour of death, where there was no regard of honesty in the time of life, and Millions are now in Hell who thought they would repent hereafter; not being wise enough to consider that it is with sin in the heart as with a tree planted in the ground, which the longer it groweth, the harder it is to be pluckt up; or a nail in a post, which is made faster by every stroke of the Hammer: As what saith the Holy Ghost, Can the Black Moor change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? then may ye al∣so do good that are accustomed to do evill, Jer. 13. 23.

3. §. Thirdly, or suppose after many years spent in the service of sin and Satan thou art willing to relinquish thy lusts, and offer to God thy ser∣vice and best devotions at the last gaspe, will he accept of them? No, he hath expresly told us the contrary, Prov. 1. 24▪ to 32. yea, is it likely that God will accept of thy dry bones when Satan hath suckt out all the marrow? That he will give his heavenly and spirituall graces at the hour of death, to those who have contemned them all their life? Yea, is it not most just and e∣quall if God will not be found of those that were content to lose him? If he shut his ear against their prayers calling to him for pardon, that stopt their ears against hi•• Voice calling upon them for repentance? The Lord hath made a promise to late repentance, not of late repentance; if thou convertest to morrow thou art sure of grace, but thou art not sure of to morrows con∣version; if in any reasonable time we pray he wil hear us, if we repent he wil pardon us, if we amend our lives he will save us; but for want of this timely

consideration Dives prayed, but was not heard; Esau wept, but was not pi∣tied; the foolish Virgins knockt, but wore denied: and so thousands have cried unto God at the hour of death, and found no repen••ance, but they di∣ed as they lived, and went from despair unto destruction. Wherefore, as you tender the good of your own soul, set upon the work presently; provide with Ioseph for the dea••th to come; and with Naob in the dayes of thine health build the Ark of a good Conscionce against the floods of sicknesse; imitate the Ant, who provides her meat in Summer for the Winter follow∣ing; yea, do it while the yerning bowels, the bleeding wounds, and com∣passionate arms of Iesus Christ lie open to receive you; whiles ye have health, and life, and means, and time to repent; and make your peace with God. As you tender (I say) the everlasting happinesse and welfare of your almost lost and drowned soul, as you expect or hope for grace or mer∣cy, for joy and comfort, for Heaven and salvation, for endlesse blisse and glory at the last; as you would escape the direfull Wrath of God, the bitter Sentence and Doome of Christ, the never dying sting and worm of Conscience, the tormenting and soul-scorching flames of Hell, and ever∣lasting separation from Gods bli••full presence, abjure, and utterly renounce all wilfull and affected evill. To which end;

4. §. In the next place, be diligent to hear Gods Word powerfully preached, which is the sword of the Spirit, that killeth our corruptions, and that unresistable Cannon-shot, which beateth and battereth down all the strong holds of ūn and Satan.

5. §. Thirdly▪ ponder and meditate seriously on Gods inestimable love towards us, who hath not spared to give his onely beloved Son out of his bosome to die for us, and to purchase thereby every good thing we do in∣joy either for soul or body, even to the least bit of bread we eat; and this will make thee (if thou hast any ingenuity) to direct all thy thoughts, speeches and actions to his glory, as he hath directed thy eternall salvation thereunto, and often force thee to break out into this or the like expressi∣on, What shall I render unto thee, O Lord for all thy benefits? but love thee my Creator, and become a new creature.

6. §. Fourthly, consider that the Lord beholdeth thee in all places, and in every thing thou dost; even as the eyes of a well-drawn Picture are fastened on thee which way soever thou turnest; yea, consider him as a just judge, who will not let sin go unpunished, and this will make thee keep a narrower watch over thy very thoughts then any other can do over thine actions.

7. §. Fifthly, if thou wilc be safe from evill works, avoid the occasions at least if thou wilc keep thy self from iniquity, have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity, for it is not more hard to finde vertue in evil com∣pany then to misse vice; They were mingled among the Heathen (faith the Psalmist) and what followes, they learned their workes, Psal. 106. 35. yea, how soon was peter changed, with but comning into the High Priests

Hall; and the like with David and Solomon, which made David to say so soon as he had considered it, Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for I will keep the Commandements of my God, Psal. 119. 115. knowing that he could not do the one without the other. And indeed, the choice of a mans company is one of the most weighty actions of our lives, for our fu∣ture well or ill-being depends on that election, and many a man had been good that is not, if he had but kept good company.

8. §. Sixthly and lastly, but chieftly & principally, omit not to pray for the assistance of Gods Spirit, otherwise thy strength is small; yea, except God give thee repentance, and remove all impediments that may kinder, thou canst no more turn the self then thou couldest at first make thy self; We are not sufficient of our selves to think, much lesse to speak, least of all to do that which is good, 2 Cor. 3. 5. John 15. 4, 5. we are swift to all evill, but to any good immoveable; wherefore beg of God that he will give you a new heart, and when the heart is changed, all the members will follow after it, as the rest of the Creatures after the Sun when it ariseth; impor∣tune him for grace, that thou maiest firmly resolve; speedily begin, and continually persevere in doing, and suffering his holy Will; desire him to informe and reforme thee so, that thou maiest neither mis-believe nor mis∣live; to regenerate thy heart, change and purifie thy nature, subdue thy reason, rectifie thy judgement, ••e••orm and strengthen thy will, ••enue thy affections, and beat down in thee whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Iesus Christ; no•• forgetting that prayer is the key of Heaven, as Ambrose calls it.

And now for conclusion, if thou receivest any power against thy corru∣ptions, forget not to be thankfull, and when God hath the fruit of his mer∣cies, he will not spare to sowe much where he reaps much. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding to strive after those graces, wherewith a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Believer is qualified; and whereof I have given you a Copy in the fore-going Character.

FINIS.