Judgment begun at the house of God: and the righteous scarcely saved. Blessed Peter's prophecy of a dreadful time of visitation, considered; with his alarm to the godly advertizing them of their danger, & inciting their precaution, and necessary armament: and his praemonition concerning the ensuing catastrophie of the carnal and ungodly. : Truths not unsuitable for the present generations to think on, considering what times are now in view. / By John Danforth, A.M. Pastor of the Church at Dorchester.

Judgment Begun at the House of GOD.

1 PETER IV. 17, 18, 19.

For the Time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of GOD; and if it first Begin at us, what shall the End be of them that. Obey not the Gospel of GOD! And if the Righteous be scarce|ly Saved, Where shall the Ʋngodly and Sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the Will of GOD, Commit the keeping of their Souls to HIM, in Well-Doing, as unto a Faith|ful Creator.

THE Great Immanuel, GOD the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is GOD and Man, is, by Delegation from

GOD the Father, the Supream Magi|strate, the Lord of Providence, and Absolute Paramount, Sovereign of the Church and World, Visible and Invi|sible. In His Government, His Per|fections of Sovereignty and Power, Wisdom and Goodness, Grace and Holiness, Mercy and Faithfulness, Ju|stice and Equity, are gloriously Re|splendent. To strict Justice appertain His Commanding, Rewarding & Pu|nishing, as a Judge Vindictive: To Grace and Mercy belong His Com|manding, Rewarding, Punishing, For|bearing, and Pardoning as a Father; His Dispensations Refer either to the whole World, or to Particular Nati|ons, Provinces, and Societies, and Fa|milies, or to Individual Persons. And forasmuch as the Infliction of Punish|ment upon Multitudes of Sinners of all sorts, at one and the same time or sea|son; has a Tendency to strike the greater Terrour, and to prevent the more Transgression, & to demonstrate the Lord's most impartial hatred of

Sin; therefore, after seasons of Long-suffering, and general Clemency and Beneficence, the LORD has His Re|markable Times of Judgment, or of Judicial Dispensation, wherein whole Nations, and all sorts of Persons in them, suffer Tribulation and Calami|ty; some for their Saving Amend|ment, and others for their Utter De|struction. 'Twas such a Time with the Jewish Nation, and with many Gentiles also, in the Days of the Em|perour Vespasian, when their Iniquity was full; whereof our Blessed SAVI|OUR, and His Apostles premonished Them; And in our Text, the Apostle Peter, gives 'em most solemn Adver|tisement,

1. Of the near Approach of that Time of Judgment: [For the Time is Come:]

2. Of the Objects of its Influence, which are of two sorts [called, some of them, The House of GOD, or His Houshold, and the Righteous, and Ʋs, that is Peter and his Fellow Christi|ans;

and Others of them, The Ʋngod|ly and Sinners, and such as Obey not the Gospel of GOD: The Paenal Dispen|sations of those Days, should Affect both sorts.

3. Of the Order of Dispensation; wherein the Priority is Assigned to the Godly; [Judgment must begin at the House of God.]

4. Of the Measure and Degrees of the Dispensation of Judgment, and of its Issues and Events to the Godly, and to the Wicked; and he leaves it to their own Sanctified Reason, and in|lightned Understandings to judge, how vastly different they would be: [If Judgment first begin at Ʋs, What shall the End be of them that Obey not the Gospel of GOD? As if He should have said, your Reason will tell you it will be superlatively mi|serable and dreadful; The Wicked shall be in a much worse Condition than the Godly, when the Great Judge takes them in Hand: If He is so im|partially severe to His Children, in

His Correcting of 'em as their Father; How terrible and ruinous unto 'em will the incurably Wicked find it to be, to be made to drink off the Dregs of the Lethal Cup of His fierce Wrath and Hatred, as their Almighty and E|verlasting Vindictive Judge and Ene|my: [And Where shall the Ʋngodly and Sinner appear?] What will become of them? They shall be cut off from the Earth, and they shall have no Salvati|on, and Mansion in Heaven, (as the Learned Piscator shews, and the course of the Apostles Argument strongly im|ports it;] and therefore in Hell will they lift up their Eyes, being in Tor|ments, as Dives, Luk. 16. They will appear there.

5 Of its being the Occasion at least, of extraordinary Temptations, and of extremity of Difficulty and Hazard to some of the Godly: So that they shall find it next to impossible, to avoid E|verlasting Destruction; and that they must strain every Nerve to steer clear of Hell; and that they'l have a very

narrow Escape to Heaven; and will be beholden to very Superiour Acts both of Grace and Omnipotency for that too. [Thus the Righteous are scarcely saved;] or (as the Original Word [Molis] may be also rendred) with huge Difficulty; Implying, that tho, the Elect's, passing thro' the strait Gate, and their running in the narrow Way, and their daily Warfare with their Internal, External, and Infernal Enemies, and their Fitting for Hea|ven, and Getting to Heaven, are al|ways, even in Times of most Gracious Dispensation, attended with no small Danger and Difficulty; yet that in those Times of Gracious Dispensation, its much EASIER in divers regards, to Prosecute an Escape from the Infer|nal Pit, & to Pursue the Race to Hea|ven, than in Times of Judicial Executi|on. However, tho' the Righteous, (that is, the Upright) be scarcely Sa|ved; They shall be surely Saved not|withstanding; & so shall not the wick|ed Reprobates be.

6. Of the Duty and Relief of the Godly, when in extream difficulty and hazzard in such Judicial and Calami|tous Days, viz.

1. To Eye and Consider the Will and Providence of GOD, that brings them into Sufferings, and to yield and submit thereto. [To Consider them|selves as suffering by the Will of GOD.]

2. To maintain a constant Practice, and a Good Conscience of Well-Doing; in a Way of Obedience to the Gospel of GOD.

3. Also their Souls being Created, (not Generated like their Bodies,) and the LORD having Promised to Receive them, & make them blessed, when they depart from their Bodies; And He being a most Faithful GOD to perform all that He has Promised; 'Twould be their Duty and Relief to Commit their Souls unto GOD, when their Bodies are to suffer Death, to repose & secure their Departing Spirits into the sweet and unfailing Arms of their Re|conciled Creator's Love and Faithfulness.

[Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their Souls unto HIM in Well-doing, as unto a Faithful Creator.]

The First Doctrine from this Text that I propose to speak to at this time as God shall help, is this, viz.

¶ 1. That at the Coming of Times of Destroying Judgment upon very wicked Nations, Judgment is wont first to Begin in a Corrective Way, at the House of GOD; and then sometimes, there are such Hours of violent Temptation, and intolerable Oppression and Distress permitted to pass over the best Christians in those Nations, as wherein their Souls are indangered, and their Faith and Holiness put into extream Hazzard, so as very narrowly to Escape an utter Overthrow; and the Difficul|ty of keeping in the Way to Hea|ven is made wonderfully great and extraordinary.

Prop. 1. Judgment usually First Be|gins in a Corrective Way at the House

of GOD. As good Figs are first pluck|ed, and welted, and press'd down hard into a Cask, and then the refuse and corrupt Figs are given over to be trampled, devoured, and utterly de|stroyed. So the Best in Judah were first carried Captive into Caldea for their Good, and then the incorrigibly Wicked were delivered to the Sword, Famine and Pestilence, to be consu|med: Jer. 24.1,—10. The Cup of Fury is first given to Jerusalem, and then to Egypt, and other wicked Nati|ons: Jer. 25.15,—25. & 49.12. GOD's Sanctuary has the first handsel of Judgment: Ezek. 9.6. The Lord saith to the Land of Israel, I will cut off from thee, the Righteous & the VVicked, Ezek. 21, 3, 4. And first the Righteous are to be cut off, and sent to Heaven, be|fore the most Ruinous Evil is Inflicted on the Wicked: Isai. 57.1. Our LORD Praedicted that the Days of Vengeance and Wrath should come upon the Jewish Nation, to their dread|ful and horrendous Overthrow; But

that first His Disciples must be hated of all men, and Persecuted. Luke 21.10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 24.

Quest. Why is it meet that Judgment should begin Correctively at the House of GOD, and that Regenerate Righteous Men should not be exempted from it?

Answ. Tho' 'tis not for finite and clouded Understandings, (such as ours are,) to presume over-curiously to search into Heavens Mysteries of Go|vernment, and Reasons of State; and who can by searching find 'em out unto Perfection? Yet enough being Reveal|ed, not only to silence Objectors, but to satisfy and ravish the most inquisi|tive Minds. We shall with Reverence and Humility suggest a few Particu|lars, by way of Answer to that Enqui|ry, as to what we scantly apprehend of that Mystery, which in its full lati|tude, is to us Incomprehensible. We ac|knowledge, that Mercy is GOD's At|tribute and Delight, & that the God|ly are His Favourites; and that He doth His Work, his strange Work, and

brings to pass His Act, His Strange Act, when He Crushes them with the Wheel of Judgment; Isai 〈…〉〈…〉. But as to the Sufferers of Judg••••••••

1. They must blame themselves for Provoking it, and that they need such dreadful Severity: They first commit sin before they smart for't; and were they not wofully prone to it, Providence would not plant the Thorn-Hedge, nor draw the Flaming Sword to prevent 'em: Vile Rust first defiles 'em, before GOD's sharp File comes to take it off: The Gold sullies, before 'tis scour'd: The poi|sonous swelling of the dangerous Tumour, necessitates its painful and bloody Launcing: Bitter Potions must be given to prevent a dangerous Re|lapse: The Persons of the Godly are freed by JESUS CHRIST, from the Hostile Hatred of GOD; Their guilty Obligation unto Everlasting Punishment and Vengeance, and to all that Evil Temporal and Spiritu|al that absolutely assures it, is Can|cell'd

by their Great Pardon in their Justification upon their First Union with CHRIST, by the Spirit and Faith; But by their subsequent sin|ful Excursions, they multiply their guilty Exposedness to suffer Corrective Punishments that may be inflicted on 'em to their smart; not to make any sa|tisfaction at all to the Absolutely Vin|dictive Justice of GOD for their Sins, for that's already fully done by the Blood of their Redeemer; but to shew forth His Holiness, and that His Impartial Hatred of Sin, where|ever He sees it, may shine forth, & that, to the Everlasting Glory of His Grace, Wisdom, and Power, He may wonderfully work, unto the ut|ter quashing, and subduing of their re|maining Corruptions, and may pre|vent their breaking forth, even by the Oppressions and Distresses, that natu|rally tend to inflame, irritate, and strengthen 'em. Are there two Di|vine Courts, one of Eternally Vindic|tive Justice, another of Fatherly Dis|cipline,

and merciful Government? 'Tis to the latter of 'em that the Saints must Cry for new Pardons for their daily Transgressions, & which before those Pardons are granted, inflicts the Punishments, when Judgment begins at the House of GOD. As after they are obtained, Fatherly Sovereignty yet proves their Patience and other Gra|ces, with Trials of the first magnitude, sometimes not Paenal, but of Free Grace, to be Recompensed with far more ex|ceeding and eternal weights of Glory.

2. Yea even proper Corrective Pu|nishments tho' not Joyous but Grie|vous, yet serve to prepare 'em for the more Joy. Often where the Lord in|tends the most Comfort, He ushers it in with the more Sorrow, to prevent surfeiting, and to secure their greater Humility and Thankfulness. The Sorrows of the true Church, are but Travailing Pains to bring forth Tri|umphs. Joh. 16.20, 21. Black Roots bear beautiful Flowers; The prodigi|ous Fish that swallow'd Jonah, brought

him to the Shore: Dark Colours pre|pare for an Overlaying of Gold: Ja|cob was first Lamed unto Halting, and then Blessed by the ANGEL of the Covenant. The Cross in the Covenant makes way for the Crown. The Plea|sures that attend and follow our En|during of Affliction with the People of GOD, are far more Eligible, than the Pleasures of Sin. The Physician's love to the Patient, gives the Griping Medicines that produce a long & joy|ful Health. Whom the LORD loveth, He Chasteneth for their profit, that they may be partakers of His Holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD, Heb. 12.6, 9, 10, 14. Precious Spice is tho|rowly pounded, to yield forth its most refreshing Fragrancy & Virtue. Paint|ers Grind with vile Pebblestones their richest Colours for their most glorious Pictures. Which leads to a Third Consideration.

3. Wicked men the viler they are, are the fitter Instruments, being shar|pened with Spite and Rage, to cut

deep gashes in the Godly. The Assy|rian, who was the Rod of GOD's An|ger, must not be cast into the Fire of destroying Judgment, till the LORD had perform'd his whole work of Cor|rective Judgment on Zion, first of all by his cruel Hand. Isa. 10.5.12. There|fore Judgment first begins at the House of GOD; and the Wicked that often Execute it, are reserved to suffer last, and ripen themselves for suffering by their doing it; their Outrages a|gainst the Godly, filling up the mea|sure of their Iniquity, that so Judg|ment may come upon 'em to the ut|termost; the Righteousness whereof appears most unexceptionable in that being Warn'd and Advertiz'd of the Impartial Justice of GOD, and His terrible Hatred of Sin, by His Severi|ty on His People, they yet Sin with the more desperateness; so that to wait any longer for their hopeless Re|covery were vain. Thus are the Wicked left without Excuse in Sinning, and cut off from all Hope of Escaping;

and when they are Destroyed, this clears up the Glory of GOD's Justice, that has put an End to His Patience; They hereby appearing to have been Incorrigible. And if the Exuberances of green Trees must feel the sharp pruning Knife, What shall be done to the dry? The Lord does not spare His own dear Children when they sin, much less will He spare His Enemies. Cannot all the Graces & Good Works of Saints exempt them from sharp Strokes, How then can the Wicked escape? Prov. 11.31. Well, 'tis meet that the Wicked do their Work be|fore they receive their Wages, & that they fulfil GOD's Designs, tho' be|sides their own Intention. Isai. 10.7. And that they have the Warning, tho' they will not take it, and that their mouths be stop'd, but not their Exe|cution▪ therefore Judgment first be|gins at the House of GOD, though it ends in their Ruine only.

Prop. 2. Such Hours of violent Temptation and Distress sometimes

come upon the Godly, in Judicial Times, as fence up their Way to Hea|ven, with terrible Difficulties & Dan|gers; so that they are scarcely saved. Verily, the way of Christianity, which is the only way that leads to Eternal Life, even in the times that are not Judicial, is strait and difficult, and li|ned with dangers. Mat. 7.13, 14. Luk. 13.24. and few there be that find it; and they who find it, find it very hard to keep it. It lyes in a Mystery. 1 Tim. 3.16. The Right Eye must be Pluckt out, and Hand and Foot Cut off, if ever men enter into Life. Mat. 18.8, 9. It's an hard thing to be Saved; Yea, with man it is impossible, and only possible with God. Mat. 19.23.—26. Ye cannot serve the Lord, saith Joshua. Josh. 24.19. It is not of him that Willeth or Runneth. Ro. 9.16. The Way to Life is not unfitly compared to the Way of the Chil|dren of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, which was thro' the Sea, and thro' a vast and howling Wilderness, a Land of fiery flying Serpents, Rocks, Sands,

Pits, Drought, and of the shadow of Death, a Land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt; a most tedious, difficult and dangerous Way. The Journey to Heaven is likened to a Race; the Saint in Run|ning it, will find himself put to it, to strive hard, and to stretch and strain every Limb and Nerve, to win the Prize. Heb. 12.1. 1 Cor. 9.24, 25. Yea, 'tis a Warfare, and continual Bat|tel, in which there's difficulty, hard|ship and danger enough. Eph. 6.12. 2 Tim. 4.7. 1 Cor. 9.26, 27

BUT when will the way of Life cease to be Difficult and Dangerous? I answer, When 'twill be easy for an huge Camel to be spun into so fine a thread, as to pass through the Eye of a Needle, (a thing as hard and pain|ful, as dangerous!) Mat. 19.24. When there shall be no more flesh or corrup|tion in a Saint, to make its violent & virulent Oppositions and Oppressions; Rom. 8.7. When Worldly Lusts, Ob|jects, Delights, and Inchantments have left off to war against the Soul; Mat.

13. 1 Pet. 2.11. And when the bloo|dy Dragons of Hell, and their instru|ments, shall never more Oppose this Way, nor obstruct and depress those that walk in it, with their utmost fraud and force, and spite and rage; then will this Way to Life Eternal, be free of difficulty and hazard. But Oh! how hard till then! Yet it leads to the best Ease and Rest, Spiritual and Eternal; yet 'tis to the New Creature, a Way of Pleasantness, and all its Paths are Peace. (Mat. 11.29. Prov. 3.17.) May we but keep there|in, tho' with the greatest Difficulty! But the Famous Mr. Shepard, in his Sincere Convert, has sufficiently prov'd, that the Few that are Saved, are Saved with great Difficulty: And certainly they pass through great Danger too, else why should they be Commanded to Work out their Salvation with fear & trembling? Phil. 2.12.

Quest. BUT, What are the Saints in such extream danger of, in Judicial Times, and Hours of violent Temptation

and Distress, they being in a State of Grace, and safe for Eternal Life? which is inseparable from Regeneration and Justification.

Answ. HAVING Provoked GOD by their former Sins in Times of Pros|perity. By their Neglects of HIM, and of His Great Salvation; by their waxing lukewarm in Religion, and Practical Godliness, and losing much of the POWER of it; by their Sym|bolizing with the Men of the World, and suffering themselves to be Over|charged intemperately with Meats, Drinks, and Cares of this Life; by their Mutual Contentions, and want of Brotherly Kindness; by their Se|curity, Laxness, Licentiousness, and Prostituting of GOD's Holy Table to the Profane, &c. They in Judicial Times, when the LORD lays Judg|ment to the Line, and Righteousness to the Plummet, and is raised up in His Holy Habitation unto Wrath, be|cause of the Provokings of His Sons and of His Daughters, and is Resolved

to Plead out His Controversy with them.

1. THEY'L be in danger of very Great and Awful Withdrawments of the Gracious Presence and Influences of GOD: The LORD perhaps will never more in this World, be so Inti|mate with their Souls, as formerly He vouchsafed to be; They'll be forced to Cry out, as sometimes David did, LORD! Take not Thy Holy Spirit from us! and to Complain, O LORD, when we Cry out, Thou hearest not, but shuttest out our Prayers: and that when they seek Him in His House and Ordinances, they find Him not: & when they wait on Him, that there are no Answers from GOD, no Influ|ences from GOD; & that the LORD has, tho' not totally and utterly, yet in a great degree Forsaken them.

2. THEY'll be in danger of Great and Dismal Impairments of their Gifts and Graces: They'll find that their Light increases not, but decays; and that they grow Children in Under|standing,

wavering in the Truth, and tossed to and fro with various winds of Doctrine, & are filled with Doubts and Darkness, and some of 'em near drown'd, sometimes in the Flood of Error and Heresy: They'll find also their Faith in GOD, and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, lamentably failing of its former Activity; and a doleful decay of their first Love and Zeal, and Heavenly-mindedness, and Patience, and Charity, and Purity growing up|on them; so that they'll sometimes sigh, and say, O we can't Repent, we can't Believe, we can't Pray, we can't Love GOD; Alas! What shall we do?

3. THEY'll be in danger of being very much, for a time, given over to the Power of Satan; and to have Spi|ritual Plagues inflicted upon them; & then will they grow Useless, as broken Vessels, as to all good Purposes; and do become for the time, the wretched tools and instruments of the Devil; and will find also, that because by their Evil Deeds, they have made the

Enemies of the LORD to Blaspheme, therefore the Sword shall not depart from their House, and that perhaps they themselves may fall in the Com|mon Calamity, and that Their GOD is a Consuming Fire, so as that tho' He'l forgive 'em, and give 'em Re|pentance, yet He'l take Vengeance on their Inventions: So fearful is it to fall into the hands of the Living GOD. Ah Lord God! Who knoweth the Power of thine Anger? and all the Terrors of the LORD, & of His Fatherly Wrath, which sometimes is like the Wrath or an Enemy, Who can bear them? This is GOD's Strange Act; & 'tis dread|ful work indeed: And He doth it, that so His Children may be greatly Afraid of GOD, (as David, when Ʋz|za was smitten,) and may Tremble at Sinning, with an holy Horror and Ab|horrence of it. But let us Consider these things more particularly.

1. They're in danger of being smit|ten by the Divine Judgment, with a Spiritual Lethargy and Stupidity; un|under

which their Hearts will be Har|dened from GOD's Fear, and they'll Err from His Ways; & they'll grow Cold, Dry, Insipid, as to Spiritual Things; Negligent of Religion; Un|savoury, Atheistical, Proud, Vain, Earth|ly-minded; Having their Consciences feared as with a red hot Iron; & tho' ready to be Press'd to Death with in|tolerable Loads of Guilt, they'll not feel it, but make it their daily work to lay on more Weight; But they'll have no Sacrifices of Broken and Con|trite Spirits for GOD's Altar. Thus 'tis with many Thousands in the Day of GOD's Anger (who as Job speaks) have yet the Root of the Matter in them, and the Seed of GOD, altho' sadly buried under the Clods: And many Wise Virgins (as in the Para|ble) are so overwhelm'd with their Sick Sleep, as to Lie for Dead, for a Season, and but Few Waking Noahs and Daniels left in a Nation.

2. They are in danger of being Ju|dicially Given over to make Affinity

with False Worshippers, to Marry the Daughters of a Strange GOD, which will prove snares to their Souls, and they'll grow easy in the seeing and hearing of, and in tampering (against their Light and Conviction) with Su|perstition, and Idolatry, and Abomi|nable Worship, which GOD's Soul hates; and when GOD's Zealous Mi|nisters do lift up their Voice, like a Trumpet, they'll be very Angry, and fall out with 'em (as once King Asa was wroth with the Seer,) and then the most of their faithful Prophets be|ing taken to Heaven, or Banished from 'em by Persecution, they'll be fitted with a Sett of Men, in their stead, of a Vile Spirit; Like People, like Priests; Blind Leaders of the Blind; Teachers that will cause them to Err, and Daub with Ʋntempered Mortar, and Prophesy Peace to the Wicked, to prevent their turning from their Evil Ways.

3. THEY will moreover in such a Dreadful Day of Visitation, be (ma|ny of 'em) Judicially Left to fall into

Gross Scandals; such as Drunkenness, Vain Company-keeping, Fornication, Unrighteous-Dealing, Profane Swearing and Cursing, Bitter Contention, Scof|fing, Disobedience to Superiours, Hea|diness, Mutiny, and Murder, to the Disgrace of their Holy Profession, the Opening of the Mouths of Adversa|ries, and the putting of a Sword into their hands, to Destroy themselves & their Brethren with, and to the High Provocation of Heaven, & deep woun|ding of their own Souls, and the ma|king of sad work for a long and bitter Repentance.

4. THEY'll be in Danger, that then the LORD will send on them Vexation and Rebuke and Astonishment, ma|king their Heavens to be Brass, and their Earth Iron, and the Rain of their Land, Powder and Dust; Delivering their Fruits and Increase to Devour|ers, Blasting 'em in all their Labours and Interests, and Delivering them in|to the hands of their Oppressours, and causing Them that Hate 'em to Rule over Them, who will subtilly and cru|elly

Oppress 'em, and barbarously Ex|act upon 'em, Crush 'em, Impoverish 'em, and Pluck from 'em their Estates and Livelihoods, and their Children out of their Bosoms, to be made Sa|crifices to Moloch, and Vassals of Ido|latry; Hurry their Ministers, if not out of the World, yet out of the Land; Forbid their Holy Worship, under severest Penalties; Demolish the Synagogues of GOD among 'em; Put a Yoke of Iron upon their Necks, and make 'em to know the Difference between the Service of the LORD, and the Service of Shishak.

5. THEY'll be in Danger of Re|maining Incorrigible under all these Things, and of still Pining away in their Iniquities, and Waxing Worse rather than Better. Until, that thro' the fierce Wrath of the LORD of Hosts, their Land be Darkned, & such a Time Come on them as may be Cal|led, The Hour and Power of Darkness; and so violent the Persecution be, that they'll be glad to Escape (with their

Lives) into Foreign Lands, whose Languages they understand not, and to get their Bread by hard Labour, and the Benignity of Strangers: But vast Multitudes of 'em may be Debar'd the Priviledge of such an Escape; and be Dragoon'd with utmost and most barbarous Cruelty, to the danger of an horrendous Abjuration, (against their Consciences,) of the Holy and Saving Truths, Ways, and Religion of the Glorious LORD JESUS CHRIST; and far less Temptation and Torment having vanquish'd Ho|ly Peter, and Cranmer, before them, 'tis the less wonder if they (being forsaken of GOD, and under a Judi|cial Dispensation) Sink under the Danger, and fall into that Enormous Transgression. And what of this Kind has fallen out among some of the most Renowned Witnesses of CHRIST, in the Illustrious Nation of France, is enough to strike us all with Dread, and to awaken us to Walk Humbly and Watchfully, and

Prayerfully before GOD, as long as we Live; May it be Sanctified to us.

6. THEY'll be in Danger not on|ly of Deserting their Brethren that have, by the Grace of GOD, remain|ed stedfast in the Truth, but also of Turning against 'em; Sins very hei|nous in the sight of GOD, and very perilous to the Souls of Men; which yet some Godly Persons in the stress of Temptation have fallen into.

Yea, They'll be in danger of being so scandalized & offended at CHRIST Himself, because He Delivers them not, when They Cry unto Him, as to be Ready to Blaspheme HIM in their Hearts, and think Him, either Unable to Help 'em, or Unkind, Unjust, Un|faithful, and False to His Promises (while He is True to His Threat|nings;) and thereupon to fling away from Him, in a Rage, & to Conceive Malice in their Hearts against Him; And such near Approaches will they make to the Unpardonable Sin, and will be under such violent Tempta|tions

thereunto, as that nothing less than Infinite Almighty Power and Mercy will be Able to keep them from Committing it, to their Eternal Ruine. For as some of the Repro|bates are almost Persuaded to be Chri|stians, and are near to the Kingdom of GOD; so some of the Elect are al|most in all Transgression, almost in the Unpardonable Sin against the HOLY SPIRIT, and near to the Internal Burning Lake.

7. WHEN at the Last, the Infinite Mercy of GOD shall Revive His Work in them, Awakening and Reco|vering 'em; They having Gone so Far from GOD, will find it excessive|ly Hard, and an huge Work to Re|turn again: and that the Work of Conviction, Humiliation, Compuncti|on, Contrition, must be acted over a|gain, (as Dr. Ames shews, as also the English Divines at the Synod of Dart;) and they must be (as it were) Con|verted again; and Oh how intolera|bly will their Consciences Rage and

Sting! How will GOD also smite 'em with the Terrors of His Wrath; and the Arrows of the Almighty that are shot within 'em, Drink up their Spirits! How will their Bones wax old thro' their Roaring all the Day! for a wounded Spirit who can bear? And Oh what Danger are They in, that GOD should Deliver 'em to Satan to Buffet and Terrify 'em, that they may Learn not to Blaspheme! And tho' GOD shall help 'em to Recant their Abjurations, and Renew their Profes|sions; Yet what an Almanack will they feel in their Bones? What Heart-A|ches, and Darting Pains may they car|ry with 'em to their Graves? What Fears and Anguishes? Oh! how long at the very Brink of Despair, and in the very Suburbs of Hell! and per|haps Sav'd at last, by the Faith of De|pendance, without the Faith of Assu|rance; Trembling to take the Sleep of Death, lest they should Awake in Hell Torments: This is their Danger; and Thus they are scarcely Saved.

AND thus deals the Prudent Mas|ter with His Immorigerous and Tru|antly Scholar; He Slashes him till the blood runs about his Heels; and then saith to him, How do you like this? This is for your Disobedience to your Ma|ster, and your neglect of your Book: See what an Evil and Bitter Thing it is for you to provoke Me. Thus Earthly Judges count it fit to do unto Capital Malefactors, whom they are resolved not to Destroy; but have Interceeded for them, and Procured 'em the Royal Pardon; Long must they Ly in the Dungeon, under the Sentence of Death, and at last be drag'd in Chains to the Place of Execution, fastened to the Gallows, and call'd upon to make their Confessions, and to say their last Pray|ers, and the Cloth be Pulled over their Eyes, they having no Assurance of a Pardon, till after all this, 'tis to their Surprize, Produced and Read under the Gallows: Thus they are made to feel and know the Terrors of the Law, while (unknown to themselves) they

were really safe from the fatal Stroke, by the Grace of the Royal Preroga|tive. Yea, this Judicial Dispensation of Heaven to some True Believers that have Joined in Rebellion against the LORD, is like as if a Prince, the Heir Apparent of the Crown, should be in Arms with a Company of Rebels a|gainst his Father; and thereupon his Father should send his Army against him, and they having Vanquished and Taken him, he should put him into Chains, Torture his Dearest Compani|ons, and Fellow Conspirators before his Eyes; strip him of his Ornaments, Banish him his Presence, Lock him up Prisoner in the Tower, set strong Guards upon him, and keep him in suspense of his Life, and of his Suc|cession to the Crown, for many years; that so he may Learn the Wisdom, no more to presume because of his Title of Succession to the Crown, his Rela|tion to the King, and his Hopes of his Fathers Love and Pardon; to in|dulge his Folly in Committing such

Faults as in their own Nature are Ca|pitally Heinous, but may Return to his Allegiance to his Father; and at last obtain the Inheritance of the Kingdom, notwithstanding all his wic|ked Forfeitures thereof.

USE I. Is the LORD so SEVERE in His Corrective Judgment, and do the Sins of His Saints then procure 'em such Terrible Dangers and Distresses? Let us then Labour after a Due & A|biding Sense of the Majesty & Glory of that Glorious GOD and Sovereign, With whom we have to do; and an ho|ly Abasement in the sense of our infi|nite Distance from Him, and Vileness before Him; together with a Religi|ous awful Fear on our Souls in holy Duties, and in our whole Course, from the Consideration of the Great Dan|ger there is of Sinful Miscarriages, & of His Severity against 'em. O may we so know the Terrors of the LORD, even of our Covenant-GOD, our FA|THER, our REDEEMER, our COM|FORTER,

as may effectually move and excite our Souls unto Constant, Spiritual, Filial Care and Diligence, not to Provoke so Great, so Holy, so Jealous a GOD; And since of our selves, without Special Divine Aid and Assistance, notwithstanding Grace Inherent, we cannot Keep to Walk in the Strait Path, or Preserve our selves from Great Transgressions; Let us daily Cry to Heav'n for those Gracious Influences, whereby impres|sed, We may serve GOD acceptably, with Reverence and Godly Fear; seeing that our GOD is a CONSƲMING FIRE, Hebr. 12.28, 29. Oh! How many Elect Believers in a Great Na|tion of late years, have been Saved, yet as thro' Fire, and have had their Works Burnt, & themselves so Scald|ed and Burnt to the very Bone, as to make 'em Roar out, as if they had been in Hell, till the Divine Compassions vouchsafed at last, to Pluck em, as Brands near Consu|med, out of the Burnings, and apply

Healing Ointments to them. Let us then Learn to Fear the Great and Dreadful Name of the Lord our God, and not Presume, because of our Inte|rest in Him, to indulge our selves in any Negligences, Sloth, Security, World|liness, Pride, Strife, Unrighteousness, or Licenciousness: Nor let us be Drunken or Unchast, or Vain Compa|ny-keepers, or leud Talkers, as o|thers; but let us Watch and be Sober; The blessed Lord JESUS will not Save us in our Sins, but from our Sins. To turn the Grace of GOD into Wan|tonness, will greatly abuse and affront the Mercy, and provoke the Displea|sure and Wrath of the Redeemer, who has his Eyes as a Flame of Fire, and his Feet as fine Brass, and has a Rod of Iron to Punish with, as well as Golden Robes, and Crowns of Glory to Reward with; and as He has Pity and Patience, so He has Severity al|so: Who shall not Fear Thee, O Lord, Thou King of Saints? Thou only art Ho|ly, & Thy Judgments are made manifest,

Rev. 15, 3, 4. Then being moved with Fear, Let us Remove our Trust, Hopes and Love from our Idols, and Flee to the Saving Ark, and keep close in it by Faith, as Noah. Heb. 11. Being moved with Fear, let us Strive to Enter in at the strait Gate, and to Walk in the nar|row Way, and to Run the Race that is set before us, and Carefully to avoid the Paths of the Destroyers. Let us Labour to be so happy, as to Fear always; To pass the Time of our sojourning here in fear, and to keep working out our Salva|tion with Fear and Trembling; the Lord Working in us both to will and to do of His own good Pleasure. Let us be Giv|ing of all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure: Faith in the LORD, and Fear of GOD, are blessed Com|panions and Guardians one to ano|ther; if we lose them, we lose all our Religion; In the Divine Precept and Promise GOD has join'd them to|gether, and let no man put them a|sunder.

USE II. SINCE Times of Judg|ment are so Dismal to the Godly, Let us Humbly and Earnestly Wait on GOD to be Preserved from them, in the Use of Appointed Means. The Times Come not wherein Judgment begins at the House of God to Pu|nish the Saints, till the LORD is mo|ved to Jealousie, by the Provokings of His Sons and of His Daughters, and until the Sins of the Times have Ge|nerally Prevailed, and the Godly are Defiled: Moreover some Churches of Saints having kept the Word of Christ's Patience, shall be kept by Him from the Hour of Temptation, which shall Come upon all the World besides: Rev. 3.10. And taking heed to themselves, that at no time their hearts be overcharged with Sur|feiting and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life; and Watching and Praying always, they may be favoured and digni|fy'd so far, as to Escape the Terrible Things of the Evil Days that shall Come, &c. Luk. 21.34.—36. Furthermore, where, in the Divine Decree & Pro|mise,

the Means and End are insepa|rable, and GOD enables us duly to Use the Appointed Means, we may most certainly Conclude, that He has infallibly Decreed the End. Dread we then all Gradual Departures from the LORD, all Fallings away, and A|postacy, all Provoking Evils: Be we the LORD's Witnesses in the World; Keep up both the Form & the Pow|er of Godliness; Do Justly, and Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with our GOD; Daily Lay the Sacrifices of Broken Hearts upon His Altar; Live, Holding to our Glorious Head, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and Deri|ving Favour, Righteousness, Virtue and Strength, and Acceptance from Him; Enter we into His Chambers, & Hide we our selves with Him, until the Indignation be Over-past: Cry mightily to GOD (with greatest sense of our Unworthiness of it) for His Sovereign Distinguishing Mercy; That we may be His Favourite-Noahs, and safe in the Ark, from the Overwhelm|ing

Deluge. The LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy House into the Ark; For thee have I seen Righteous before Me in this Generation: Gen. 7.1. As He said also to King Josiah, Because thine Heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thy self before the LORD, &c. Thine Eyes shall not see all the Evil which I will bring upon this Place, 2 Kings 22.19, 20.

USE III. LET us be very Thank|ful to GOD, that we have not yet felt the Scorching Heat, & Terrible Dan|gers of the Fiery Times of Judgment, as Thousands of others have done, e|ven in our Days; some of whom have found Refuge among us. The same Years that have been Times of Judg|ment to some, have been Times of Grace, Mercy, and Long-suffering to us. Tho' the LORD has not Left us altogether Unpunished, yet our Mi|nisters are not Banished, nor our Chil|dren (excepting a few in Captivity) for|ced from us, and brought up in Soul-Destroying Popery; Nor our Holy As|semblies

broken up, nor Dragoons let in upon us, to Torture us a thousand ways, and Compel us to Blaspheme & Abjure our Holy Religion, thereby to Oppress us with Guilt, to set our Con|sciences on the Rack, and overwhelm us with the Divine Terrors. Are we better than others, and less Sinful and Vile? Do we Escape the Woful Day, because of our Godliness and Righte|ousness, that is greater than theirs? No verily. Why are they made our Examples and Warnings, and not we theirs? 'Tis from the LORD's Sove|reign Grace and Good Pleasure; which therefore we should Adore and Cele|brate with all Thankfulness; and often should think with our selves, what grateful Returns of Fruitfulness we should make & render to the LORD, for all His Benefits, dispensed unto Us. Psal. 116.12.

USE IV. LET us Pray fervently to GOD for those who now do, or shortly must feel the Tempest of the Times of Judgment. God hath said,

Because I will do thus unto thee, Pre|pare to meet thy GOD, O Israel! A|mos 4.12. Let us Pray then, that they and we may be prepared: and our Blessed Saviour hath said, Ex|cept the Lord had shortned those days, no flesh should be saved; But for the Elect's sake whom He has Chosen, He hath shortned the Days; Mark. 13.19, 20. Wherefore with submission to, and in Prosecution of that Decree, Let us make our humble Addresses, that the LORD will not suffer the Rod of the Wicked to lie very long on the Lot of the Righteous, to compel them to put forth their Hands to Iniquity. Psal. 125.3. Nor will Himself be sorely An|gry with 'em from Generation to Genera|tion. Psal. 85.4, 15. But that He'l vouchsafe to Deliver and Recover 'em speedily. Psal. 31.2. The Recovery of such as fall (and many Fall fearful|ly in Judicial Times, Dan. 11.35.) is to be obtain'd by earnest Prayer. Jam. 5.15. And the Vengeance that is to be Poured out on the Great An|tichrist;

and on others, before or at the Time of the Calling of the Jews, and of lost Israel, will make Judicial Times in these latter Days. Rev. 18.4. Dan. 12.1. Times, wherein, if the Just would Live, they must Live by Faith, in Prayer. Hab. 3. Wherein the Unbelieving and Prayerless will come to a Miserable End; but they that Call on the Name of the LORD, shall be Saved.

So much for the First Doctrine.

The Second Doctrine is this, Viz.

¶ 2. When Times of Destroying Judgment are Come upon very Wick|ed Nations, & the Best Christians then in the House of GOD among 'em, do meet with very terrible Corrective Dis|pensations: The Impenitently wicked Reprobates in those Nations, living in Disobedience to the Gospel, will act very irrationally, if they promise themselves an Escape from Destructi|on; they having no just pretences,

whereon they may Ground their Hope thereof.

What else remains for them, but a fearful Expectation of Fiery Indigna|tion to devour 'em. Heb. 10.27. If such cannot Escape as neglect the Great Salvation, Heb. 2.3. How can such hope to Escape as Reject it, with De|fiance of the Glorious Saviour? That Sentence from the Mouth of the Great Judge is Unalterable, Luk. 13.3.5. Ex|cept ye Repent, ye shall Perish. The Wicked shall be Turned into Hell, & the Nations that forget GOD. Psal. 9.17. On the Wicked, GOD will Rain Fire, Brimstone, and an horrible Tem|pest. They that finally will not be Saved from their Sins, shall be Damn|ed. In the Day of sore Visitation, the LORD will hurl 'em from off the Earth by His Tempest, and in Hell shall they open their Eyes, being in Torments. Job 27.21. Luke 16.23. What Evangelical Preachers were the Holy Prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah? And what fearful Perdition was the

Portion of Disobedient Reprobates in their Days? Jer. 42.22. And how ma|ny Thousands of the Gospel-Despising Jews afterwards were dispatch'd into an horrendous Eternity, in a Time of Judgment, in the Reign of the Empe|rour Vespasian? When GOD lays Judgment to the Line, and Righteous|ness to the Plummet, and His own People Escape not fore Punishment; all the most flourishing Pretences of the Wicked to Hope of Escape, are Vain.

Their Usual Pretences are,

1. The Infinite Mercy of GOD. But GOD may be (and is) of an Infinitely Merciful Nature, and yet not be Merciful to Wicked Transgressors: Psal. 59.5. He that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them, will shew them no favour; Isai. 27.11. Almighty GOD is as Infinite in Justice, as in Mercy: and Incorrigible Sinners are fit Objects for His Justice to be Glorify'd upon, and no longer for His Mercy & Patience to be abused

by 'em: To what Purpose is it to waste any more Time upon them, who are already as Stubble fully dry, fit fewel for Unquenchable Fire? They obsti|nately persevere in their Rejection of CHRIST, and of the Mercy of GOD in HIM, freely offered to 'em, so that they can lay no Claim to the Di|vine Mercy, on CHRIST's account; and it's impossible they should have it otherwise: Now if those who are in CHRIST JESUS, and lay Claim to the Mercy of GOD by Faith, & have a good Title to it, yet Escape not sore Temporal Punishments for their Sins, much less can Christless Sinners ex|pect to Escape. Surely GOD will Re|ject their Plea for Mercy, who obsti|nately & incorrigibly Reject CHRIST and Mercy. Prov. 1.24.31.

2. Another of their usual Preten|ces is, that they will Repent of their Sins, and Believe in CHRIST JESUS afterwards: But,

1. That of their own Free-will they will ever Savingly Repent and Be|lieve,

it is utterly to be despaired of; the Malignity of their Wills appear|ing to be Insuperable and Incurable by all Means: After so many years Wi|thering and Hardning, it's impossible that of Themselves they should Reco|ver to Life and Fruitfulness.

2. From the Lord they have no hope: For when the Time of Destroying Judgment is Come, it's too late for such as have out-stood their whole Day of Grace, to expect His Salvati|on. GOD is weary of Waiting, and HIS SPIRIT will no longer strive with them. Gen. 6.3. Their Iniquity is full? The Set Time for Offers of Mercy is Ended: The LORD being Angry, is risen up, and has shut the Door, they being without: Luk. 13.25. Mercy has had its long Days, and now Justice and Fury must have Theirs; The Days that are now Come upon 'em, are not Days of Patience, but Days of Vengeance; they have no Pro|mise, no Ground to flatter themselves with Expectation that GOD will give

'em the Faith and Repentance which they hate, and are continually doing all they can to harden themselves a|gainst. They therefore will act ve|ry Irrationally, if they Promise them|selves an Escape from Destruction.

USE. Have the Wicked no Just Pretences to Hope for Escape from Destruction, and horrendous Ruine, when the Day of God's Patience is Ended? And shall it be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Judgment, than for the Rejecters of the Gos|pel, and for Rebels against the Light? And will it be e're long too late to seek for Peace with God? I say too late, when the Day of Grace is Ended! Let them then be Convinced, that 'tis most Reasonable, and account it their wisdom, duty, and interest, that they take the Present Time, to seek Reco|very from their Wicked and Damna|ble Estate; Not Delaying a Day lon|ger; Not daring to put off this most Important Work, till afterwards. GOD

calls for it to Day, Psal. 95.7. Heb. 4.7. And against GOD's Will, to Defer it, is highly Criminal: Sin Grows and Multiplies by Continuance, which aug|ments the fierce Wrath of the Almigh|ty; Psal. 95.10, 11. By Continuance also the Mind is more Blinded, & the Heart more Hardned, and set the fur|ther off from Repentance; Eph. 4.18. Heb. 4.7. Sin Roots the Deeper, and is the harder to be Rooted out: Jer. 13.23. A Purpose of Deferring of Repen|tance, and a Sincere Purpose to Re|pent, Consist not together. 1 Pet. 4.3. Sinners, They are uncertain of the Continuance of their Lives, Jam. 4.13, 14. and of having a further Day for to Repent in; and as uncertain that God will bestow His Saving Influences on 'em, afterwards, (if they Reject His Present Calls,) without which they can|not Repent. The Man is a Fool or Mad, who when His House is on fire, delays but one Hour, His Endeavours to Quench it; Or when He dange|rously falls a bleeding, neglects to

Stanch the Blood; Or when Timber is falling on His Head, will not in an Instant, spring away; or when Can|nons are Levell'd, and firing at a Par|ticular Place where He stands, will not forthwith make an Escape from it. In a State of Wickedness and Im|penitence the Danger is far Greater, and to Linger (as Lot in Sodom) and to delay to Get out of that Estate, & Danger, is a greater Folly and Mad|ness. Menace and Peril of Everlast|ing Vengeance and Torments Weigh very Heavy, when put into the Scales of Thought and Consultation; and they are far from Wise, that make light of them. Consider then, that Mens State since the Fall of Adam, & of Mankind in Him, is either a State of Sin, or a State of Grace: Consider also, that in a State of Sin, which is a Christless, Graceless Estate, He that Lives and Dies in it, will be cast into Hell Fire: For the Person that is not before he Dies, Saved by the LORD JESUS, from his Sins, shall be Dam|ned

for ever: Do Sins of Heart, Lip' and Life Reign over a Man all his Days, all his Pretences to hope of Es|cape are Vain; for he has not the Spirit of Christ; and if a Man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; and if he be none of Christ's, then Christ has not satisfied Infinite Justice for his Sins, and then the Divine Jus|tice will Seiz him, and Punish him in the Burning Lake to all Eternity: For the Criminalness and Heinousness of Sin, is not to be Measured by the Time in which, so much as by the Ob|ject against whom it is Committed▪ Psal. 51.4. Is the Object, the Infinite God? then is Sin Infinitely Heinous! and if Punishment must lie on the Sin|ner, till adequate Satisfaction is taken of the finite Creature, for his Infinite Guilt, then it must Continue on him for ever. Let Sinners then be Awa|kened to Consider this; Let them Hear it and Know it for their Good: before it's too late for 'em possibly to Obtain an Escape: If the Pain of an

aking Tooth for one day, is sometimes intolerable; Think then, how intole|rable will be the Pains and Torments of Soul and Body in Hell, Millions of Millions of Days, Years, Ages, for E|ver! No Tongue indeed can suffici|ently Express all the most dreadful Tortures of the Damned: And yet (believe it Sirs!) If unto the End of your Days, you remain grosly Ignorant of those Fundamental Truths that per|tain to Spiritual Life, you will be Dam|ned. Eph. 4.18. Woe to them that Reject Knowledge; and Wo to them that are without Vision: Without Know|ledge the Heart is not Good, and without Vision the People Perish: And are you stupidly, willingly ignorant of Funda|mentals Truths of Religion in a Land of Light? O how deep and dreadful will your Damnation be! Again, Are you Fundamentally Erroneous as long as you Live? Know of a Certainty, that you shall be Damned! Acts 15.24. Gal. 5.19,—21. 2 Pet. 2.1. & 3.16: Again, If you do not acknowledge

your selves to be destitute of all Righ|teousness in & of your selves; if you do not plainly go out of your selves, denying your own Righteousness; If you do not see your selves utterly Un|done, should you not Present your selves before GOD, with a Perfect and Infinitely Valuable Sacrifice & Righte|ousness? and if you do not Apprehend that the LORD JESUS CHRIST, His Sacrifice and Righteousness are in|finitely sufficient in this Case, (which will be Imputed to you, and become Available for you, upon your being United to CHRIST, by the Spirit & Faith;) And if you don't Esteem CHRIST JESUS, and prefer an Inte|rest in Him, above all the World, its Riches, Honours, Pleasures; If upon the Gracious Invitation, Call, & Com|mand of GOD in the Gospel, you do not heartily Come to CHRIST JE|SUS, Give up your selves to Him, in|tirely subject your Souls and Lives to HIM, as your Prophet, Priest & King; If you do not Trust in Him, & Rest

on Him, for Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption, as the only and All-sufficient Mediator and Redeemer: And if you Obtain not the Grace of Faith, thus to believe on the SON OF GOD, while you are in this World, You will certainly be Damned. John 3.18.

Again, If before you leave this World, it be not your inward Disposi|tion, Frame and Course, seriously to Oppose and Resist, and to Endeavour to Suppress and Mortifie your sinful Thoughts, Inclinations and Lusts, but you do give up your selves unto 'em, then you are not Regenerated, you are not United to Christ, but you shall be Damned: Rom. 6.12, 13, 16. And if upon Deliberation, it be your fixed frame and disposition to Chuse & Pre|fer Profit, Honour & Pleasure, before Piety and Honesty; If you have com|monly more Pleasure in, than Grief for, & Loathing of your sinful Words, Thoughts, and Deeds, and continue heartily to Love, & to Solace your

selves in the Company and Fellowship of the Ungodly, then it's Evident, you are not in a State of Grace, and infal|libly (so Dying,) You shall be Damned. Phil. 3.19. Prov. 2.14. Psal. 50.18. 2 Cor. 6.14, &c. If you desire not the Know|ledge of GOD's Ways, Job 21.14. If you hate to be Reformed, Psal. 59.17. and if you slight the Threatnings and Judg|ments of GOD, Deut. 29.19. the fixed Disposition of your Wills being con|trary to the Holy Will of GOD, Rom. 8.7. You so Dying, shall be Damned.

Again, If you Bridle not your Tongues, your Religion is vain, Jam. 1.16. By your Words in the Great Judgment, you shall be Condemned, and Doomed to Hell-Fire, upon their Evidence and Guilt, Mat. 12.37. If 'tis your Unrepented, Unreformed Prac|tice to the End, to speak Words A|theistical or Blasphemous, Profane, or Sacriligious, Cursing, or Vain-Swear|ing, Lying, or Perjurious, Defamatory, or Injurious, Reviling, or Irreverend; Bloody or Quarrelsome, Proud or En|vious,

Unchast and Wanton, Hereti|cal and Diabolical, or any other way Vicious, You will be Damned; Jude ver. 14, 15. Psal. 50.19, 20. And in Hell, you shall not have a Drop of Water to cool your Tongues: Vain Words, and Base Language, in a Course, shew a vile heart, even the Heart of an Ish|maelite: As light as you make of your ill Words, they will be like a Milstone to sink you down into Irrecoverable Destruction: Again, as to your Acti|ons and Omissions, if until you lie down in your Graves, you do, in your Course, Neglect, Secret daily Prayer, You shall be Damned, Mat. 6.6. and if you profanely and wickedly Neglect Family Prayer, Col. 4.1, 2, 3. Jer. 10.25. And if you so Neglect Publick Prayers, and the Word and Ordinan|ces of GOD, publickly Dispensed, You shall be Damned; Heb. 10.25. Rom. 10.14. Or if you wilfully and wicked|ly Live in the Omission of other Com|manded Duties towards GOD, or to|wards Men, You shall be Damned; Mat.

25.26, 42. & 5.19. Joh. 5.29. Luk. 13.3, 5.

If you impenitently while you live, do carry it wickedly towards your Pa|rents, Children, or other Relatives, or towards your Rulers, or Teachers, or Neighbours, or Strangers, or Enemies, You shall be Damned; whether you car|ry your selves Proudly, or Enviously, or Cruelly, or Unjustly, or Unchastly, or Intemperately, or Implacably, or Trea|cherously, or Partially, or Corruptingly, or otherwise Scandalously, contrary to the Commands of GOD; or if you live in Secret Wickedness, when the Ax of Vengeance cuts you down; you shall be cast into Everlasting Burnings, Rev. 21.8. But the Fearful and the Ʋnbeliev|ing, and the Abominable, and Murderers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and I|dolaters, and all Liars, shall have their Part in the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone; 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. The Ʋn|righteous shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God, nor Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Effeminate, nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind, nor Thieves,

nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revi|lers, nor Extortioners, &c. Mat. 3.10. The Ax is Laid to the Root of the Trees: Therefore every Tree which bringeth not forth Good Fruit, is hewn down and cast into the Fire. Where shall the Ʋngodly and Sinners Appear? When the Besome of Destruction has swept 'em out of this World, they shall appear in Chains, and be Dispatch'd from the Divine Presence, into Everlasting Torments. All that are not Saved from their Sins, shall be Damned: The Holy LORD JESUS Saves His People from their Sins, (as we said before) But He Saves none in their Sins. Carnality, Security, Pro|faneness, Pride, Drunkenness, Whore|dom, Strife, and Gross Worldliness, and a Rebellious Spirit, and a Spirit of Scoffing and Derision at the Godly, and Godliness, Do so Dreadfully and Eternally Indanger many that Come in among us, and many more who are Born in the Land, that I am Con|strained, in Compassion unto Souls; Knowing the Terrors of the Lord, to

Use great Plainness of Speech, and to make severe Inculcations of Eternal Damnation, and to Warn Men to Flee from the Wrath to Come: I Beseech you to Bear with Me: I must Warn the Wicked, and Woe unto Me, as well as to them, if I Do it not; I have the Word of the LORD, and must speak it faithfully; and it's no season for Silence or Flattery, when near Judgment and Eternity; and Oh that these Words may sink down into your Ears and Hearts! that you may Tremble to think of Continuing one Day longer in a Carnal, Ungodly, Christless State, wherein if you die, all your most flourishing pretences un|to Hope of Escape of Utter Destruc|tion are Vain.

But the Third Doctrine is, That

¶ Doct. III. The Grand Reme|dies which Christians should use a|gainst the Pannick Fear and Dread of Bodily Miseries, and Death, that

GOD may suffer them to be Expo|sed unto, and Afflicted with, are a stedfast Perseverance in the Way of Well-doing, together with a strong Faith in the Faithfulness of GOD, the Creator of their Souls; unto whom They being well Committed, and put in Safety, Afflictions and Bodily Death may be born, with the Greater Courage.

The Constituent Parts of Man, are Soul and Body; And our Text and Doctrine refer unto Both: And tho' the Soul is Created (as our Divines prove by Reason, and by Scriptures, such as our Text, and Isai. 42.5. and 57.16. Ezek. 37.5. Zech. 12.1. Heb. 12.9. Numb. 16.22. & 27.16. Eccles. 3.21. & 12.7.) yet being United with a Body of Humane Seed, it comes un|der Obligation to, and Danger of Pu|nishment; as the Husband is by Law, Exposed to Demands and Distraints for his Wifes Debts. GOD, as the

GOD of Nature, Creates Souls. But as the GOD of Justice, He in Creating them, Creates them, without Impres|sing His Image on them. Adam blew out that Candle, and left his Posterity (descended from him by Ordinary Generation) in Darkness. Rom. 5.14.19. And tho' the whole Person, con|sisting of Soul and Body United, is the Subject of Guilt and Punishment, if Christless, & (if United to CHRIST) of Justification & Salvation; yet Prin|cipally is the Soul so; which is the Nobler and Guiltier Part; (without which the Body is but a dead, senseless Lump; Jam. 2.26. 1 Pet. 1.9.) yet Bodily Death is Terrible; and our LORD JESUS CHRIST came to de|liver them who thro' fear of Death, were all their life-time subject to Bon|dage; Heb. 2.14, 15. But the Death of the Body in this World, is not to be feared, in Comparison of the Destruc|tion of the Soul, together with the Raised Body in the Eternal World; Mat. 10.28. Therefore CHRIST

saith, Fear not Them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the Soul; But ra|ther Fear HIM, who is able to Destroy both Soul and Body in Hell. If then Men's Souls are in safety, the Afflic|tions and Death of their Bodies may be born with the greater Courage; The Body feels no Pain, while the Soul is in Paradise: And as there are no Miseries to the Godly, after Death; So none in this Life, but what the LORD Permits, and Mitigates so far, & so wonderfully supports under them, that they may be able to Bear them; 1 Cor. 10.13. And He makes them al|so to work together for their Good. Rom. 8.28. Now such Regenerate Per|sons as do with a Good Confidence of Faith, Commit their Souls to the Faith|ful GOD▪ and Intrust them in the safe Arms of His Goodness, and Love, They take the Right Course to obtain Deliverance from the most Oppressive and Distressing Fears of Bodily Mise|ries and Death: A Strong and Lively Faith in GOD thro' CHRIST, doth

wonderfully overcome Worldly Fear; (1 Job. 5.4.) and Prevent pusillanimous Fainting; 2 Cor. 4.14, 18. We believe, saith the Apostle, & for that Cause we faint not, while we look at the things which are Eternal; for our light Af|fliction which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory; 2 Tim. 1.12. I suffer, (saith he) Nevertheless I am not ashamed, For I know whom I have Believed, and I am persuaded that HE is able to Keep that which I have Committed unto Him, against that Day: Thus Da|vid's and Simeon's exalted Faith gave 'em Peace from the Fear of Death: Psal. 23.1, 3, 4, 5. The LORD is my She|pherd; He Restores my Soul; Tho' I walk thro' the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I'll fear no Evil, &c. So Luk. 2.28, 29. Lord! Now lettest Thou Thy Servant De|part in Peace, &c. They that can with a full assurance of Faith, trust GOD, with their Souls, and Eternity, may with a great deal of quietness, satis|faction & rest, Trust GOD with their

Bodies, and the Importances of Time, and Acquiesce in the Love, Care and Sufficiency of the Divine Providence; for He that Deserves the Greater Trust, doth surely Deserve the Less. By Faith also the Saints Obtain the most Strengthning & Comforting Pre|sence & Influences of the ETERNAL SPIRIT, to Enable 'em to Vanquish their inordinate and excessive Fears of Death. Now that the Saint who has the Faith of Dependance, may also have the Faith of Assurance, together with all Courage and Joyfulness in Suf|ferings; he must Pray to GOD for a Stedfast Perseverance in the Way and Course of Well-doing, according to the Gospel, & strongly Endeavour it. The Apostle Paul, a Great Believer, and a Great Sufferer, proved this Experiment with great success: Herein exercising himself to have always a Conscience, void of Offence, toward GOD, & toward man: Acts 15.16. And he found that his Up|rightness gave him Boldness; and that Retaining himself in the Way of Well-Doing,

he Received no great Impressi|ons of Perturbations from the Appre|hension of Approaching Tribulations; and that he could Die upon the Cross, with Assurance and Courage; see Acts 20.24. 2 Tim. 4.8. So then to Fortify the Faith and Courage of the Believer on the SON OF GOD, (the Lord, our Righteousness and Strength,) Well-Doing is a Good Means, and what it wants of Merit, it makes up in Evi|dence: Whereas Ill-Doing has Merit and Evidence enough to knock down the stoutest Courage. Jam. 2.17 18. 'Twas well for King Hezekiah, that (when he had received the Sentence of Death,) He was able to say, LORD, I have Walked before Thee in Truth, and with a Perfect Heart; Isa. 38.3. and his Safety for Eternity prevented not his being a longer Tenant of Time; he was fit, & might dare to Die, tho' 'twas not fit, that at that Time he should Die. He that said, Be of good Courage, GOD shall strengthen your Heart, all ye that Hope in the LORD; He himself was of Good

Courage in the Way of Believing and Well-Doing, when he said, Into Thy Hand I Commit my Spirit; Thou hast Re|deemed me, O LORD GOD of Truth. Ps. 31.1, 5, 6, 24. So also was that Heroick Martyr, who Expiring, said, LORD JESUS, Receive my Spirit Acts. 7.59.

USE 1. Of Reprehension to such Christians as Securely Neglect to be Provided of these two great Remedies against a Cowardly & Distracting Fear of Bodily Miseries and Death, and Live without Strength of Faith, and Constancy of Well-Doing. How many are there, who if a Rich and Honest Neighbour should Promise to give 'em, but a Shil|ling, for every Day that they abstained from Taverns, and Vain Company, & as much for every Morning and Night that they Prayed to GOD with their Families, and Read the Word of God unto 'em, and as much for every Time they Partook of the LORD's Supper, and as much for every day that they abstained from bad Language, they would readily give Credit to such a

Promise of a Mortal Man, and to gain the Reward Promised, would be very Mindful of those things, & they would break thro' all Excuses, Pretences, Dif|ficulties and Opposing Temptations, & would not fail most Exactly & Punctu|ally to Perform 'em: But tho' Almigh|ty GOD doth ev'ry day give e'm their Lives and Senses and Reason, (worth more than many hundred Shillings,) and Promises them the future Needful Good Things of this Life, and an Infi|nite Reward in the Other World, They dare not Trust Him, as they will trust a Neighbour; and they account all to be an Uncertainty, tho' it be the greatest Certainty of all; & are not so powerfully moved to Care, Diligence, Heedfulness, and Exactness by GOD's Proffers and Promises as by Mans: for let the Infinite GOD promise never so much, & give his Oath for it also, they'l suspect the matter, and doubt that they shall never have it, and you'l find 'em careless of attending the Worship of GOD in Publick, and in their Families,

and Lavish of their Tongues, and In|temperate in their Cups, and sordidly Penurious to Works of Piety and Cha|rity; as if GOD's Promises were not worth a Rush. O ye of little Faith, and of little Holiness! If you don't mend your Hand in Believing & Well-Doing, I'll not be your Voucher that you shall not Faint nor be Terrifyed, when Afflictions & Death shall Arrest you; Or that you shall have an Open Entrance into the Kingdom, and Bold|ness in your Appearance before the Majesty of GOD: I'm sure you take the Course to the contrary.

USE 2. Of Exhortation to a Sted|fast Perseverance in the Way of Well-Doing, and a strong Faith in the Faith|fulness of GOD, and to a Committing of our Souls unto His Love, & into the Blessed Arms of His All-sufficient Good|ness. Our Souls will Fly out of the Arms of our Bodies e're long; Provide we then, that with the Wings of Assu|rance, they may fly up, upon Jacob's Ladder, into the LORD's Everlasting

Arms. Death is not simply and abso|lutely to be Contemned; forasmuch as 'tis a grievous Punishment for the First Sin, and GOD's Rectoral & Fatherly Anger is manifested therein, when it seizes upon the Children of His Love: Yet a Pannick Dread of Death is a Great Enemy to the Holiness and Comfort of the Saints; it sometimes hurries them on, unto the Denial of their SAVIOƲR, & into other Great Transgressions; & at other Times, Clips the Wings of their Liberty and Chearfulness, in the Service and Communion of GOD: It's our Interest therefore to have Delive|rance from it, by the LORD JESUS CHRIST; and His Spirit, and Grace, and Blood are sufficient in this Case: Heb. 2.15. 2 Cor. 12.9. Eph. 3.16, 20. His Spirit strengthening our Faith, it will vanquish our inordinate Fear, & Purify our Lives; and our Well-doing, thro' His Grace & Blood, being Well-plea|sing to GOD, as well as Evidential & Quieting to our own Consciences, will not a little Help to Advance our Hope

unto Courage and Joy, (when we are about to receive the Stroke of Death,) in our Committing of our dear, depart|ing Souls, unto our Supream and Re|conciled Father, and most Faithful Confederate in Heaven.

Let us then Clear up our Union to CHRIST, and Interest in the Promises, and Give all Diligence to make our Cal|ling, and thereby our Election sure, and Labour to be Strong in Faith, Giving Glory to GOD, as Abraham, and to be Watchfully in the Fear of GOD, and in a Way of Well-doing, Perfecting of that Holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD: So shall we Cry, and the LORD will Answer, and the Comforter that should delight our Souls, will not be far from us, when Trou|ble is near us; Light also shall arise to us in Darkness; and we shall have Remedy not only against Evil, but al|so against the Fear of Evil.

THE END.