Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times.: Delivered in several sermons by James Janeway, Minister of the Gospel.

I. DIRECTION.

If you would be acquainted with God, labour to get a through sense of your great estrangment from him, and of the danger of such an estrange∣ment. This is that which makes people so well contented with their condition, because they see no great evil nor danger in it. Men are ready to

think very well of their condition, although they be enemies to God, and no Friends to Christ. Ex∣nemies to God! they scorn your words, though all this while they express the greatest contempt of him conceivable; though they regard neither his Commands, Threatnings, nor Promises, though they value the company of a drunkard, a whore, before the company of God; though they do all that they can against God, Love nothing that he loves, though they side with Gods greatest enemies, yet they abhor to be thought to be any others then well wishers to Christ, and the Friends and Servants of God; though they ne∣ver come near God, yet they take it very ill if they be not reckoned amongst his acquaintance, and speciall Friends. Where is the professor al∣most living, that doth not count it a high piece of uncharitableness, if one do not Canonize them among the Saints, though they live more like bruites! How hainously do they take it, if any one do but question their state? They ignorant of God! They enemies to the Cross of Christ, they blind! they unconverted! Who is that man which dare question their condition? They hope to fare as well as any precise Puritan of them all, they will hope to be saved, say what you will then, you shall never beat then out of their trust in God. And though in Faithfulness to their Souls, we beg of them to make a more diligent inquiry into the state of their Souls, because we know that the heart is so deceitful, and we have very great cause to suspect that they know not God; yet they will go on very cheerfully with this confidence, untill Christ himself shew them their mistake, and tell them plainly that he

knows them not, and that he never accounted them any of his Friends. But now did men but throughly understand their natural estrange∣ment from God, were they but indeed sensible of the vileness of their hearts, did they but take no∣tice of the Rebellions and Treasons that are with∣in, the case would be far otherwise with them then it is. O this, this is the reason why so ma∣ny millions of professors miscarry everlastingly, and never come to desire the friendship of God, because they never believed that they were any otherwise then friends, they do not suspect them∣selves at all, but think that they are rich, and en∣creased in goods, and have need of nothing, whereas the Lord knows, and Christians know too, that they are poor, and blind, and naked. But now, when men begin to be thorowly sensi∣ble of his enmity that is in their natures against God; when they see what mutinies and rebelli∣ons there are in them against their most gracious Lord and King; and when they are made to un∣derstand the consequences of this War, then how sensibly do they cry out, what shall they do? was there ever any poor wretched creatures in worse condition then themselves? was ever any ones heart worse then theirs? are there any out of hell that are such Monsters of sin as they are? O what shall they do? they see the Fire kindled, and themselves hanging over everlasting burnings: now all the world for a Christ; they believe now that God and Man are not equals; that there is no contending with the Almighty: who can stand before his indignation? and when they see Gods Sword drawn, and the poynt of it set against their heart, when they behold the terrours of the

Lord setting themselves in array against them, and themselves like to lose all, then how welcome would the news of a Parly be? How glad would they be then to hear of a Pardon? Then down go their weapons; they will sooner come before God with a Halter about their Necks, than a Sword by their sides; they will fight now with no other weapons but Tears and Prayers: As for their Armour, they break it in pieces, and lay it at the feet of their offended Prince; and O if they might but have any hopes of pardon, it would re∣vive their hearts; if they might have but a look of kindness from God, it would be a greater com∣fort to them than all the whole World besides could afford them. To whom can a skilful Phy∣sitian be more welcome, than to the sick? Christ came to seek the lost, and such as these we are sent to encourage: But till the soul comes to this pass, a Christ is not valued at all by it: If sinners be not made thus to understand themselves, why, though we should plead with never so much ear∣nestness with them, we do but beat the air; all that we can say signifies very little. The man thinks his great work is done, though his hands have been all this while in his bosome; he is far onwards in his Journey to Heaven, though he never set one step out of his own doors; he hath an interest in God, and is very well acquainted with him, and hath an assured confidence of his condition, that he shall be happy, though he have not one drachm of grace. He is a good Church∣man, he hath sat at the Lords Table, and the like: But O how many are there which shall see, and know that it is more than possible, to come oft before God, and to complement him much,

and to sit oft at his Table, and yet not to be any of his peculiar Friends, and special Acquaintance; now it ever you would make any thing of Reli∣gion, and be made highly to praise Gods favour, & to be really acquainted with him; you must la∣bour to understand your distance from him, and the unconceivable hazard that you run, while you are in a state of Separation from God; that there is but one step between you, and the state of the Damned; for what would become of you, if God should say to you, this night thy Soul shall be re∣quired of you. How easily can God in a moment stop your breath, and send your Soul and Body into that lake that burns for ever & ever? & is it not then time for you to look about you? O this ignorance of our selves, how doth it expose us? (Ar. Epict. l. i. c. 26.) He was not a whit mistaken, who said, That the not knowing of our selves, was one of the chiefest causes of our sin and misery, and that the consideration of the state of the Soul, and the through understanding it's depravedness, was the beginning of Wisdom; for it's weakness being well known, a man will not afterwards trust it in the determination of the greatest things; but man will be desirous to consult that great Oracle, the will of his Maker; and finding his old guide is blind, and hath oft misled him, thereupon he is the readier to be acquainted with such a one, who may direct him in the way to true happiness. If you would therefore be acquainted with God, you must get well acquainted with your selves; you will upon the knowledg of your self be afraid of your self. He was none of the weakest men who said, That a true sense of folly is no small sign of some proficiency in wisdom, Look into thy self, O man, search every

corner, behold what abundance of Armour, there is in such and such a dark Celler; but is this Ar∣mour strong enough to encounter a God withal? Can'st thou with these Fig-leaves defend thy self against the arrowes of the Almighty? behold what a condition thou art in, if thou stirrest a step fur∣ther. Yield speedily, and throw down thine Arms, or you are a dead man. Do you know this? do you really believe this? Is it possible? what be∣lieve that your Treason is found out, and that you are within a little of Execution, and yet not tremble, & yet not seek nor desire pardon. When a man throughly understands how things stand between him & God, and how unable he is to car∣ry on a War against him, he will speedily cast a bout, how he may conclude a Peace upon any terms. As soon as Benhadad knew what a conditi∣on his Army was in, when he saw the Crowns of his thirty Kings shaken, and his warlike Captains cut in pieces, or to tremble, & be like women, when instead of a mighty Army of gallant Warriors in martial order, behaving themselves bravely in the field, he saw their karkases upon heaps, their gar∣ments rouled in blood, the Shields of his mighty Ones cast away, and himself wosully deserted, how speedily doth he send away his Servants, with Ropes about their Necks, to beg Peace upon any Terms? When the Gibeonites heard what dan∣gerous fighting it was against Joshuah, they were not long before they made means to make a Co∣venant with him. So the Soul, when it doth se∣riously consider what a sad Condition it is in, while it continues in Rebellion against God; it's impossibility to stand it out long, and utter ina∣bility to conquer him: When it perceives the de∣signs

of Satan, who first caused this difference be∣tween the Soul and God, and hath still instigated and stirred it up to persecute with all the violence that might be; I say, when the Soul sees this be∣fore it is quite too late! O how doth it bewail it's condition, how doth it cry out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? O what will become of me, if I make War still against God? And as for flying, whether shall I fly from his presence, and where shall I Hide my self out of his sight? And how shall I look him in the face, whom I have thus desperately and ungrate∣fully opposed? Can such a Traytor as I possibly expect any mercy; if the Lord should look upon me, and not immediately cast me into Hell, it would be a miracle of Patience. And thus the man that begins a little to understand himself. speaks to himself; and after that, he with Ephra∣im, sinites upon his thigh, and bemoans his con∣dition exceedingly! O that he should ever take up Arms against his gracious Prince? O what shall become of him? Well, I have heard that the God of Heaven is a merciful King, I will go and cast my self at his feet, if I perish, I perish. If I continue in this rebellion, there is no hopes; if I fly there is no escaping; and if I yield, I can but perish! O sad, sad is my condition, Woe and alas, what shall I do in these dreadful perplexi∣ties: But, why do I stay here? The avenger of blood followes after me apace; well, I will go to my God, through Christ, and I have heard that this is the only way, and that there is not the least hope in the world, any other way to get a pardon, to escape the Wrath to come! O that the precious and merciful Jesus would pitty me,

and stand my Frind now if ever! O that he would speak a good word for me, Have mercy up∣on me, Jesus thou Son of David have mercy me! O make peace for me, by thy blood; if thou wilt, thou canst do more with a word speaking, then all the Saints and Angels in the world; if ever any poor Creature in the world had need of mer∣cy, then have I. O mercy, mercy, mercy for thy bloods sake! But because I shall speak to this under another Direction, I shall be the briefer. Now when a man is at this pass, he is in a fair way for peace; but now as long as a man is ignorant of all this, he is quite in another note, he will never buckle, and therefore he shall be broken. Therefore consider well your condi∣tion, observe the actings of your own Soul; if you be one of the Friends and Acquaintance of God, what means your breaking and hating of his Spiritual Laws? What's the reason, if you love God, that you can take no delight at all in his company, no pleasure in his Sabbaths? If you are a Friend of God, how hap you come no oft∣ner to his house, when he dwells so near you? Why do you knock no oftner at his door? Why are you so rare in your visits? Is this your kind∣ness? Is this like a Friend? How comes it to pass that there are so many Arms found hid in your house? What are they all for? What is the mean∣ing of all those Meetings that you give to Gods Enemies? What do all those whisperings, plots, and projects signifie? Is this friendship? Can you mean any good by all this? What do you say of your condition? Do you ever complain, and that feelingly of your enemy against God? Did you ever observe what a desperate wicked spirit you

have against your Maker; and were you ever made sensible of the danger of such a state, and ashamed and grieved to the very soul that you should ever engage against so good a God? why then I am confident you can't but cry out with all the strength and earnestness of your soul for a peace, you can't but desire to meet with your ad∣versary quickly, while he is in the way. But if you see nothing at all of the Treachery and Baseness that is in your heart, search, and search again, it's your Ignorance and Blindness, and not the goodness of your state, that makes you to know nothing by your self. What, are you better than David? he was so jealous of his own heart, that he dared not to trust to his own Examination of it, but he desires the great Heart-searcher to help him in this work. Are you more excellent than Paul after his Conversion? Had he more reason to complain of himself than you have? O be at leisure to look within, and get Davids Candle and Lanthorn to go into those dark corners of your soul with it, and it may be you may see that within which may make your heart to ake, and your joynts to quiver, and your spirits to faint within you. Paul was sometime as confident as you, he took no notice of the Enmity that was within against God, though he was as full of it as an Asp is of Poyson; yet before he came ac∣quainted with God, the case was altered with him, he was of another mind when that light shined about him, & he cried out, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? he now thinks it is hard kick∣ing against the Pricks, dangerous opposing of God, and persecuting of Christ in any of his Members; and he desires nothing in the

world so much as to be reconciled to God, and to have him for his friend, whom before he fought against as an Enemy.