A call to the weary & heavy laden to come unto Christ for rest. A sermon preached at Connecticcut Farms in Elizabeth-Town, Dec. 23. 1739. : Published at the desire of the hearers. / By Jonathan Dickinson, A.M. Minister of the Gospel at Elizabeth-Town in New-Jersey. ; [Six lines from Isaiah]

A Call to the Weary & heavy Laden to come unto CHRIST.

Matth. xi.v.28.

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you Rest.

THe Apostacy of our first Parents has plunged all their miserable Off-spring into a gulph of Wo; and brought upon them a dreadful Weight of Distress and Misery. By this are we universally polluted and defiled, all the Members of our Bodies, and all the Facul|ties of our Souls are Wounds and Bruises▪ and putrifying Sores, that we are loathsome and abo|minable in the Sight of that God with whom we have to do: By this, we are brought under the Power and Dominion of our Lusts, Sin reigns in our mortal Bodies; and we obey it in the Lusts thereof: and what an astonishing Prospect have we of the terrible Effects of a Life of Sin and Guilt. By this we are brought under the Empire of Satan, and led Captive by him at his Pleasure; and how awful is the Thought of being for ever the Slaves and Companions of the Devil. We are by this Means also become Enemies to God, and the Children of his Wrath; and how terrible must ou•• State be, while we have Omnipotent Vengeance engaged against us: This being our

dreadful Condition, wh••••h ••r sh••ll we flee for Help? If we call all creat••d Pow••r to our Re|lief, we shall yet pine away in our Iniquities; and how shall we then live? If we resolve upon a new Li••e, th••reby to recommend our selves to the divine Favour, we cannot bring a clean Thing out of an unclean: we can as soon create a new World as a new Heart. If we go to God by Prayers, Tears, Reformations, o•• any Thing else with|in our Power, he is a consuming Fire to all un|sanctified Sinner. We h••ve therefore n••thing before u•• while in our natural State, bu•• Death and eternal Destruction. This View of our Case must needs fill the Soul of every convinced Sinner with Perplexity and Confusion; and m••ke him groan being burthened, for how can Sinners in Zion help being afraid surprized with Fearful|ness, to think of dwelling with devouring Fire, and everlasting Burnings▪ This View of our Case may also well fill us with admiring and adoring Ap|prehensions of the unspeakable Love of God, in giving his Son to save us, of the unspeakable Love of our glorious Redeemer, who in due Time, when we were yet without Strength, died for the ungod••y; and who is graciously proclaim|ing ••o poor distressed Sinners the glad Tid••ngs now read to you. Come unto me, all ye that labour and ar•• heavy laden; and I wi••l give you rest. In speaking to these Words, I shall endeavour to consider,

1. Who are these Weary and heavy Laden, that are the meet Subjects of the Rest here prom••••••d.

2. What is implyed in Coming to Christ, that we may have Rest▪

3. What is that Rest which the Lord Jesus Christ will bestow upon those Weary and heavy Laden, that come unto him for it. And then conclude with some Improvement.

I am first to shew, Who are those Weary and heavy Laden, that are the meet Subjects of the Rest here promised.

1. Those who are thus weary and heavy laden, must be throughly convinced of their Sin and Guil••, Misery and Danger. The most of the World of Mankind are asleep in carnal Security, ignorant of their guilt, insensible of their mi|serable undone Estate. Hence it is, that they can so boldly rush upon the thick Bosses of God's Buckler, and venture upon Damnation, without Care or Fear These feel no Burthen from their Sins, have no Sense of the Weight of Gods Displeasure, no affecting Prosp••ct of the Horrours of etern••l Perdi••••on; and there|fore no Solicitude to flee from the Wrath to come.

These conten•• them••elves with a general Hope, and with being in as good a St••••e as o|thers: or if they have any Checks of Consci|ence and slight Apprehensions of ••a••ger, they can st••ll the Tumult in their Breasts, and quiet their Minds, with their good Purposes o•• Per|formances

These can see no Necessity of Christ, they cannot be in earnest seeking an Interest in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nor can they place all their D••p••n••a••ce upon him, as the Author of their eternal Salvation; for the whole ••eed not the Physitian: but they that are

sick. From whence it is apparent, that such as these are not qualified to receive Rest from Christ, who are at re••t without him; and see no Form nor Comeliness in him, that they should desire him.

Sinners will never come to Christ; nor Ob|ta••n any ••aving Advantage from him, until they are first brough•• to an awakening Sense of their Sin and Guilt, and of their undone pershing Condition, while Enemies to God and Heirs of Hell. They must see their Danger before they'll fly from it.

Whatever Hope any may entertain of Salva|tion, while continuing in an Estate of carnal Security, their Hopes will be cut off; and their Expectations perish. They must be convinced of their present m••serable Estate, either by the gracious Influences of the Spirit of God, or by a dreadful Experience of his eternal Wrath.

Conviction of Sin is the first Operation of the Spirit of God, in Order to a Sinners ••aving Con|version to him. Accordingly our blessed Lord promises to send the Comforter, to convince the World of Sin, Joh. xvi.8. and this is exemplified to us, in all the Conversions we have a particular Account of in the New Testament. Thus St. Peters Hearers, from an awakening Sense of their Danger, are prick'd in their Heart, and cry'd out to the Apostles, Men and Brethren, what shall we do? Acts. ii.37. Thus the Jaylor from like Distress an•• Terror▪ came trembling, and fell down before Pau•• and Silas, saying, Sirs, What shall I do to be saved▪ And thus Saul trembling and astonished, said, Lord What wilt thou have me to do? Acts. ix.6— Suc••

Convictions are sometimes begun in the Soul by the Means of some awakening Providence, some|times by Christian Conferences▪ sometimes by publick, and sometimes by private Ordinances; and even sometimes by the immediate Influences of the Spirit of God, without any known Means or outward Occasion whatsoever: But the Means which God, is most usually pleased to bless unto this End, is the Ministry of the Gospel. It has pleased God, by the Foolishness of Preaching to save those that believe, 1 Cor. 1.21.

These Convictions of which I speak, are or|dinarily begun in the Soul, from a view of some more gross Pollutions and more aggravated Im|pieties and Enormities, that the guilty Sinner sees himself chargeable with. These stare him in the Face, lay iust hold on his Conscience; and set before him, a fearful Prospect of that fiery Indignation, that is like to consume him. These lye down and rise with him, and follow him wherever he goes, and whatever he does, till his Soul is filled with Terror and Amazement. But then, if these Conviction•• have any good Ef|fect upon the Soul, they won't stop here, until the Sinner is brought to see, that in••umerable Evils have compassed him about, that his Iniquities have taken hold upon him, that he cannot look up; that they are more than the Hairs of his Head; and therefore, hi•• Heart faileth him▪ according to that in in Psal. xl.12. He must be brou••ht to see, that his Sins are vastly numerous and greatly ag|gravated, that every Station, every Relation, Circumstance and Capacity of his Life, are fil|led

up with Sin, ti••l he is even b••ought to ad|mire the Patience and long-suffering of God; that such a Guilty Wretch as he should be out of Hell. From this dreadful view of his Case will he be brought to look to the Sin of his Nature, the Cursed Source and Fountain of all these Swarms of Lust that have thus acted th••n Part in his Heart and Life, until he cry out with the Psalmist, Behold I was shapen in Ini|quity, and in Sin did my Mother Conceive me. Psal. L••.8. And with the Apostle, I am Carnal, sold under Sin, Rom. vii.14. O what a hard Heart, what vile Aff••ctions, what Enmity to God and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that is Good, will a Sinner discover in him|s••lf, when once his Conscience is throughly awakened, and he is brought to see his C••se as it is — Thus if the Poor Guilty Soul re|••••••ct▪ upon his Past-Life, he sees nothing but ••ultiplied and aggarva••ed Sins that fill him with ••••n••usion; if he looks into himself, he finds nothing but a Fountain of Pollution and De|••••••ment; if he looks forward, he has nothing in View but Destruction and Death. No Wonder, therefore; if we see such as these Meditating no••h••ing but Terror, afraid of the shaking of every Leaf, and even afraid to lye down to sleep, lest they awake in Hell. No Wonder, if the•••• have some Times Occasion to exclaim with the Psalmist, While I suffer thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉, I am Distracted.

There is indeed a great▪ Difference in the manner, Degree, and Duration of these Con|vi••••ions, even in those upon whom they have

a saving Effect, Some are more suddenly sur|prized with a Sight of their undone Estate▪ others more gradually brought to a Sense of it. Some are more sorely broken with distressing and distracting Terrors from an afrighting View of the Weight of their Guilt, of the Wrath of an incensed God; and of the dreadful Damnation they have in Prospect; others in their greatest Distresses, have stronger Hopes to Support them from Sinking under such unut|terable Anguish. Some for a long Time a|gonize under these Horrors of Conscience; and are for Years together kept under a Spirit of Bondage; others are quickly brought to the Foot-Stool of God's Mercy, to Rest with Com|fort in an absolute Dependance upon Christ alone for Justification and Life. But how dif|ferent soever these Convictions may be, none will ever be brought to Christ, till they are convinced that they are undone, helpless, and hopeless in themselves, and until they are brought to an utter Despair of Salvation, from any Thing they do or can do for their own Relief.

Thus I have set in your View one Thing Necessarily imply'd in ••••ing Weary and Heavy Laden; and I have no hope that any of you will ever come to Christ for Rest; until you have had some Experience of this in your own Souls.

I would more••ver put you in Mind, that though this be necessary, it is not a sufficient Preparation for your coming to Christ for Rest.

You may pass through the greatest degrees of Conviction; and yet return like a Dog to his Vomit; and the Sow that is Washed to her Wallowing in the Mire. I therefore add, 2dly They who are Weary and Heavy Laden in the Sense of our Text, are so greatly burthen'd with the Weight of their Sin and Guilt; as to earnestly groan after Freedom and Deliverance from it. When Convictions Work to Purpose, they Represent our Sins as an intollerable Burthen; and our State most dreadfully Miserable, by no Means to be continued in. This Effect they had upon the Psalmist: There is (says he) no Soundness in my Flesh, because of thine Anger; neither is there any Rest in my Bones, because of my Sin. For mine Ini|quities are gone over mine Head as an Heavy Burthen, they are too Heavy for me. Psal. xxxviii.3, 4. This d••scovery puts the Distressed Soul upon most Anxious Sollicitude after some Methods of R••lief; and some Means of Deliverance from this Insupportable Burthen: This is exemplified in the Instances before propos'd to you. When St. Peter's Hearers were Prick'd in their Hearts, they Cry out with Amaz••ment, MEN and BRETHREN, what shall we do? The Trembling Iaylor immediately meditates some Way of Escape from ••he Wrath to come; and exclaims with Agony of Soul, Sirs, What shall I do to be sav'd? In like Manner St. Paul with Trembling and Astonishment Crys out, LORD, What wilt thou have me to do? These we see were willing to do any Thing, be any Thing, bear any Thing, so they might but obtain the Fa|vour

of God, and an Interest in his Salvation. This Effect must Convictions have upon all of us, in Order to our being prepared by them to come to Christ for Rest. Those of us that could before commit Sin with Greediness, and roll the sweet Morsel under our Tongues, must now be brought to tremble at the Apprehension of Sinning against God. Those of us that could before quietly live in the Neglect of known Duty; and slothfully turn our Backs upon the Publick or private Ordinances of God, shall not now dare to neglect any Occasion of Divine Worship; but shall be Constant at Publick Ordinances, at Family Worship, and Closet Duties, Constant in our reading the Word of God, and other good Books; in Meditatin•• upon, and conversing about the Great Things of our Eternal Peace. Those of us that be|fore could content ourselves with a formal and slothful Performance of Religious Duties, with dead lifeless▪ and perfunctory Devotions, shall now be awakened to most Serious, Affecti|onate, and solemn Application in our Approach|es to God, and bear upon our Hearts the Dead|ness of our Affections, and Wandring of our Thoughts in God's Worship, as our continual Burthen.

If we have once a due Impression upon our Hearts, of our Miserable Perishing Circumstan|ces, we shall no longer dispute the Terms of our Deliverance; no longer retain any Reserves in our Obedience; nor desire to hide any 〈◊〉〈◊〉

with. We shall no longer ridicule the Power of Godliness, as unnecessary Preciseness; nor be Perjudiced against a Life of Vital Piety, as too strict to be complyed with. Our Com|plaints will not be against the strictness of Re|ligion, but against the Hardness of our own Hearts; and our own deadness and deficiency in a Religious Life. — In a Word, we shall be born down with the Burthen of our Sin and Guilt. We shall earnestly desire, seriously enquire after, and dilligently pursue, ••ome M••thod of Deliverance from those Di|stresses which we both Feel and Fear.

This is to be WEARY and Heavy LADEN; and this is what my Hearers must all Ex|••erience, if ever they are Qualified for the Rest ••ere Promised.

You may perhaps think this is a hard saying, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 you cannot bear. But I am in Faithfulness ••••lig'd to propose what is still harder to you, ••hich is, if that you have Experienced all this, you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not yet be Prepared to come to Christ. ••ou may be but a Self-Righteous Hypocrite; ••••••ugh you could boast with the Apostle in his ••nconverted State, that you are as touching the ••••••hteousness which is in the Law Blameless. •• ••••••refore further add, 3dly, They who are Wear•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Heavy Laden, are deeply sensible of their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and utter Inability to help themselves▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 once a Sinner is throughly awakened 〈…〉〈…〉 his Carnal Security, he cannot help but 〈…〉〈…〉 enquire, What he shall do to be sav'd? 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••bserv'd to you before. But how common

si it for such as these to seek Peace to their Souls from their own Performances; and to rest in what they do, or Propose to do, as what will make up the Breach between God and them; and entitle them to his Favour. They see the Greatness and Agravation of their Sins, and especially of some of them which threaten them with Ruin and Perdition. This brings them to Resolve upon a Reformation. They won't indulge their Lusts as they have done, they will be more Careful and Watchful, they will keep out of the Way of Temptation; and En|deavour a new Life.— They see the Dread|ful Defects of their Duties, which they have either wholly omitted or most carelesly perform|ed. This fills 'em with Awful Apprehensions; and awakens in 'em most Solemn Resolutions to greater Diligence in a Religious Life. They will be more Constant in their Closets, more careful of their Family Worship, more de|vout in their Attendance upon Publick Ordi|nances. and more watchful over their ••••art•• and Affections in all their Approaches to God. Thus perhaps their Consciences will be quieted, and they settled upon their Lee•• in a graceless Christless State. They have now Ballanc'd their Accounts with GOD; and like the Iews in Jer. vii.10. come and stand before him, and say, We are delivered to do all those Abominations. They now Hope from the Mercies of GOD, and the Merits of CHRIST; that they who are so much reformed, and who lead such a Religious Life, shall be accepted and saved. Thus they compass themselves about with

Receive at the Hands of God shall be, to lye down in Sorrow.

This being the sad Case of too many, who think themselves Something, when they are Nothing; and Deceive themselves, it concerns me to shew you, That all your own Righteousness is Filthy R••gs, That all you do, or can do, is so far from an|swering the Demands of Justice, that the Ini|qui••y of your Holy Things might justly damn you. Inde••d, My Brethren; if God have sa|ving Me••cy upon your Souls, He will make you deeply sensible, that you cannot change your own Hearts and Affections, that you can|not per••orm the Duties of Religion in any suit|able a••d acceptable M••nner, that you cannot perfo••m your Purposes and Resolutions; nor believe in Christ, and depend upon him for Salvation. There's none of you will ever come to Christ for Salvation, till you are ••••rst sensibly convinced, that you are utterly unable to help yourselves or to believe in him that you might have Life.—This has been the Ex|perience of all those that have had a saving Change wrought in their Souls. They have found, that it was in vain to depend upon their good Purposes, Promises, Reformations or Du|ties. They have found, that they were lost and undon••, and could not help themselves. They have found, that it was in vain to fly from Mountain to Hill; that the more they pretend••d to strive in their own Strength, the more Imperf••ction they discover'd in their Du|ties, and the more Corrup••ions in their Hear••s▪

free Grace; and the Merits of the Great Re|deemer, and they have therefore committed their Souls to him, to do all in them, all with them, and all for them.

This Experience we must every one of us attain to, or we are undone for ever. We must be thus humbled, and brought off from all Confidence in ourselves, and from all attainments of our own that we either have, or hope for, before we can have any Interest in the Gra|cious Promise before us. To this I will add once more.

4ly, They who are Weary and Heavy Laden, are brought to a lively Sense of their utter Un|worthiness that God should shew them any Mercy. What I have said already gives us some View of the great Distress of an awakened humbled Sinner; they have found all their Refuges fail, all their Cisterns drawn dry; and all their Props knock'd from under them. And whither shall they flee for help? Could they with the careless World, flatter themselves from the Riches of God's Mercy and the Merits of Christ, without an Interest in either of them, that would ease them of their Burthen; and lull 'em asleep in Security. But alas! they are pressed down with a Weight of Guilt, which challenges the Justice of a provoked God. They see that they deserve nothing but Wrath, that they have no Claim to Mercy; and that they can do nothing which will enti|tle 'em to it. They see that God may justly take the Forfeiture at their Hands, and glorify

himself in their Eternal Ruin; and thence are ready to Wonder at the Patience and Long-Suffering of God towards such henious, hard hearted Sinners as they are.

There is indeed a great Difference in the humbling Views of their own Unworthiness, which these Weary and Heavy Laden Sinners en|tertain. Some of them have such a Sense of their Guilt and just exposedness to the Divine Wrath, that they are Troubled, they are bow's down greatly, and go Mourning all the Day long. They see that God may justly reject them; and they don't know but he will, and how dreadful does their Case appear, while they see but a meer Possibility of escaping his eter|nal Vengeance! Some of them find such Pow|erful Corruptions, such deadness in Duty; and such hardness of Heart, that they are ready to fear that they are given up of God, that they have Sinned away their Day of Grace, and that the Things of their Peace are hidden from their Eyes. These from such a distres|sing Prospect of their State, and from the Powerful Temptations of Satan setting in with it, are some Times ready to give up the Case, and to conclude that God's Mercies are clean gone forever; and that he hath in Anger shut up his tender Mercies. Others will be more comforta|bly Supported in their greatest Darkness and Fears, with some Hopes of undeserved Mercy, they will still hope (how dark soever their Case appears) that the Rich and free Grace of God, which has been so often Glo|rified

in the Salvation of the greatest Sinners, may extend even to them also, and that ever they may be made Partakers of the Redempti|on of Christ, which has been so dearly pur|chased, and is so freely offered. And how glo|ri••us and astonishing will this free Grace and Love of God in Christ appear to them, when they can entertain, any satifying Prospect of it.

I can't pretend at Present to set before you all the various Operations of the Spirit of Grace in a humbled heavy laden Soul. But this is their united Character; and what is always found in every one that is prepared to come to Christ for Rest, that they absolutely despair of all their own Strength or Ability to help them|seves, that they altogether give up all Hope, from any Thing else but the free, forfeited▪ and undeserved Grace, and Mercy of God▪ and the infinite Merit, and inexhaustible Fulness and Sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus I have briefly, tho' but imperfectly de|scribed to you the Weary and Heavy Laden Soul. I have shewn you what Convictions of Sin, what a Burthen under the Weight of it, what solicitous enquiries after the Way of Salvation, and what a deep Impression of our own Im|potency and Unworthiness of Mercy, are ne|••essary Preparations for our coming to Christ. And don't (I beseech you) imagine that these ••re peculiar and extraordinary Qualifications, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Fruits of Darkness, Melancholly, or 〈…〉〈…〉

Temptations, that you are not concern'd in but consider them as of last necessi••y to ev••ry Soul of you, that would stand on the Right Hand of your Judge, at his Appearing and Kingdom. These are Eternal Truths, that they are the Poor in Spirit, who are entitled to the Kingdom of Heaven; that they are those that Mourn, who shall be comforted▪ that when the Hungry are filled with good Things, the Rich shall be sent empty away; that when God gives, a new Heart and a new Spirit, he ca••••••es the Sinner to Remember his own evil Waies and Doings, and to loath himself in his own sight for his Iniquities and Abominations, that we must esteem allour own At|tainments to be Loss and Dung for Christ, if ever we are found in him, and that it must be to the Praise of the Glory of God's Grace, if ever we are accepted in the Beloved.

If any of you are prejudiced against these Doctrines, and think I have carried the Point too far; the Power of Divine Grace, if you are so happy as to obtain it, will remove your Prejudices, and give you an experimental Con|viction of their Truths.

If any of you are surprized at what you have heard, as being Strangers to all these Things; the Lord set home the Surprize to Purpose, till you have attain'd to the happy Experience, that you mayn't perish for ever with Unconverted Sinners.

If any of you have found these Characters of the Weary and Heavy Laden, in your own Souls, you are the Subjects of the Gracious Invitati|on

in the Text. Come unto Christ and he will give you Rest. And for your Assistance in so do|ing I shall Endeavour to point out the Way by shewing you.

I· What is imply'd in coming to Christ, that we may have Rest.

Upon this I shall observe in general, that coming to Christ implies the same Thing, with believing on him. Thus it is explained Ioh. vi.35. He that cometh to me shall never Hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never Thirst. To come to Christ is therefore to give such a hearty Assent to the Truths of the Gospel, as to be fully confirm'd in them, and to have them Powerfully impressed on our Minds. It is readily to consent with our whole Hearts to the Proposals of the Gospel, and to Receive the Lord Jesus Christ upon his own Terms. It is to Place all our Confidence upon him as the Lord our Righteousness, and as the Fountain of Grace and Life, that he may be all in all to us. Or in other Words, it is to choose him for our Portion, to give up ourselves wholly to him, and to trust in him alone as the Author of our E|ternal Salvation. This is to come to Christ; and this the only Terms by which we can be en|titled to the Rest here promised.

Sinners are ready to flatter themselves with safety, and to quiet their Consciences in a State of Sin and Impenitence, from such Gracious Encouragement as this in our Text. It is but c••ming to Christ, and they shall obtain Salvati|o•• As though this were in their own Power;

and as though they could by this Means at their Pleasure obtain a Deliverance from Sin and Guilt, and a Title to Heaven. But what do they understand by coming to Christ? No more perhaps, than Praying to him, and at|tending some of the Ordinances of the Gos|pel, as if this were sufficient to make up the Breach between God and their Souls. But I beseech you, my Brethren, to receive this for an established truth, that you are never to hope for an Interest in Christ and his Salvation, until you are brought to receive a whole Christ with your whole Hearts, and to be united to him by a vital Faith. There is no Rest to be obtain'd from Christ, until you place all your Rest in him; and have all your Dependance upon him. Without Faith its impossible to please God, Heb. xi▪6 He that believes not shall be damned, Mark xvi.16, Some of you may perhaps, be startled at this Doctrine, as what robs you of all the Comfort you had taken from the Text. For if this be coming to Christ, you are no more able to come to him by your own Power, than to create a New World. Faith is the Gift of God, and what Flesh and Blood cannot reveal, you are therefore plunged into Distress; and what can you do?

That I may obviate this Difficulty, I would further observe to you, that if you would come to Christ, you must repair to him, and rely upon him for Grace to receive him. He is the Au|thoo and Finisher of our Faith, Heb. xii.2. It is of his Fulness that we all receive, and even Grace for Grace, Joh. i.16. We cannot indeed come

to Christ and believe in him, without the Supernatural Assistances of Divine Grace. But cannot we endeavour to lye at his Foot-stool, in Order to obtain those Gracious Influences, whereby we may receive him, and have Power to become the Children of Go••? We cannot, it's true; ever do this, so 〈…〉〈…〉 g••ve us a Claim to those Divine Assistances, as being any Way due to the best of our defective Performances or Endeavours; yet we can Endeavour to do it as well as we can. It is more than possible for such humbled Souls as have been described, to Endeavour to cast themselves at the Foot-stool of the Lord Jesus Christ; to have the Work of Faith with Power, wrought in theiro Suls And in that Way they have all possible En|couragement, that if they thus seek they shall find.

We must therefore Endeavour a most serious and solemn Attendance upon all the Ordinan|ces of Divine Wors••••••, and especially to Pray with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit; and in that Way, seek for the Blessing promised to those th•• Watch at his Gate; and wait at the Posts of his Doors.

We must be Constant and diligent in our Attendance upon all the Means of Grace; and be not slothful in Business; but fervent in Spirit, ser|ving the Lord.

We must be importunate in our Suits for Mercy, and with Iacob wrestle with him for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saving Influences of his Spirit and Grace, ••esolving not to let him go until he bless us.

We must persevere in thi•• Course of most active Diligence, whether we see any present Returns or not. If we are forced to walk in the Dark, we must yet follow on to seek the Lord, and resolve if he slay us, we will yet trust in him. If the comfortable Effects of our Endeavours seem to tarry, we must wait for them, for they will come and will not tarry.

We must after all, prostrate both our Per|sons and Services at his Foot, deeply sensible that he may justly reject them both, making men|tion of his Righteousness and that only; and plead|ing only the Riches of his free, unmerited, Sovereign Grace and Love.

Thus I have set before you the only Terms, upon which you may hope for Rest from Christ. Those of you whose Consciences tell you, that you are yet Strangers to these Qualifications, have Cause to be awaken'd from a Sense of your Miserable undone Condition, and of the Ne|cessity of your flying for your Lives to this Ci|ty of Refuge, before the Avenger of Blood overtake you. Those of you that have good Hopes through Grace, that you have thus come to Christ, are now to have the Comforts of Rest proposed to you. In Order to this I shall consider.

III. What that Rest is, which the Lord Je|sus Christ will bestow upon those Weary and Heavy Laden Souls, that come to him for it.

The Rest here promised does in general imply a Freedom and Deliverance from all the Miser|able and deadly Effects of our fallen apostate

S••ate. These being a heavy and unsupportable Burthen, to an awaken'd humbled Soul, a Free|dom from the W••ight of that Burthen, may be fitly call••d Rest. And such a Freedom has the Lord Jesus Christ purchased and tendred to all those that will come to him for it. That as Sin hath reigned unto Death, even so might Grace reign through Righteousness, unto Eternal Life, by Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. v.21.

Here is Rest and Deliverance promised from the Guilt and damning Power of Sin. Though every Christless Sinner be condemned already and the Wrath of God abides on him, Joh. iii, 36. Yet if he will come to Christ, the Sentence of Death, will be reversed; the Curse of the Law taken off, and the Guilty Soul reconciled to God through the Death of the Cross. There is no Con|demnation to them which are in Christ Iesus, who walk not after the Flesh; but after the Spirit, Rom. viii.1.

Here is Rest also promised from the Dominion of Sin. Though every Unbeliever is in a Mi|serable Vassalage and Thraldom to his Lusts; and led Captive by them at their Pleasure, yet if they will come to Christ, the Son will make them free, and they well be free indeed. There will yet be Remainders of their Corruptions: but they shall Reign no more▪ The Flesh will yet lust against the Spirit; and many Imperfections ac|company their highest Attainments: but with the Mind they will serve the Law of God, tho' with the Flesh the Law of Sin. Though they must yet keep on their Harness, they are

sure of a Victory. Sin shall no more have Domi|nion over them; for they are not under the Law, but under Grace. Rom. vi.14.

Here is Rest and Freedom likewise promised from the Tyranny of Satan. tho' Satan has an absolu••e Dominion over, and a full Propriety in unsanct••fied Sinners, that they are guided by his Directions, acted by his Influences; and hurried headlong by his Temptations in the Paths of Destruction and Death; and though they are all of their Father the Devil, and the Lusts of their Father they will do; yet if they will come to Christ, he will strengthen them against Satans Temptations; and with the Temptation make a Way for their Escape, he will Support them under his fiercest Assaults, and enable them to stand against the Wiles of the Devil, and to quench all his Fiery Darts; he will bruise Satan under their Feet shortly, Rom. xvi.20.

Here is moreover Rest promised from the Damnation of Hell▪ Though every Uncon|verted Sinner is under a Sentence of Eternal Damnation; and there is but a Step between them and the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, which is the second Death; yet if they will come to Christ he will disarm Hell of all its Terrors, free them from the dreadful Danger, and prepare them for an Eternal Triumph over it, while others are weltering in the Flaming Vengeance, and Weeping and Wa••ling and Gnashing of their Teeth for ever. For he that believeth on him, shall not come into Condemnation▪ Joh. v.24.

Here is also Eternal Rest, promised to all those

that come to Christ. These shall be kept by the Power of God, through Faith to Salvation. They shall be guided by his Counsel; and afterward brought to Glory. They shall in the Conclusion be E|ternally free from all their Fears, Darkness, Temptations and Tribulations; and be pos|sessed of the Joy of their Lord, where they shall enjoy what Eye has not seen, nor Ear heard; neither has entred into the Heart of Man; where they shall Eternally tune their Harps to the Praise of him, who has loved them, and wash|ed them from their Sins in his own Blood, and made them Kings and Priests, to God and his Father. This is the Rest which remains for the People of God, Heb. .iv.9.

Thus I have set before you a Rest, worthy of your Choice and Pursuit. How intollerably Miserable must all those be, that come short of it. How inconceivably happy will they be, that enter into this Rest. And why then will any of you be so mad, as to forego this blessed Prospect for the Gratification of your base and sordid Lusts and Pleasures? Why are not all of you most actively solicitous, to lay hold on this Hope, that is set before you?

But its Time to make some particular Applica|tion of what you have heard. And

1. This Teaches us the Dangerous and Mi|serable Condition of all those, that remain care|less and carnally secure, in a State of Unbelief. It is an awful Thing to consider, how the great|est Part of our People a••e at ease and quiet un|der the Guilt of Sin, the Curse of the Law;

& the Wrath of God. Though they are upon the Brink of the bottomless P••t; and lia••le every Moment to be plunged into an Estate of Eternal Perdition; yet they neither feel their Misery, nor see their Danger, they Eat and Drink and Sleep in quiet; and pursue the World and their Lusts, without F••ar or Care of the dread|ful event. But is it not T••me for such of you to consider, that you are without an Interest in Christ, without any C••aim to the Gracious Promise here made to the Weary and Heavy La|den; or inde••d to any Promise in the whole Book of God; and that you are without Possi|bility of Salvation, while you remain in this Security? Is it not Time for you to stop your daring Progress in the Paths of Destruction, before your Case is remediless for ever? Would any of you keep your Beds, and say, a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of their Hands to sleep, if you were warn'd that your House were on Fire; and you just ready to be consum'd in the devouring Flame? Indeed, my dear Brethren, this is your Case, the dread|ful Flames of God's burning Vengeance are as it were flashing about your Ears, sleep but a little longer, and you are fixed for ever in that Fore that shall never be quenched. And can you quietly bea•• this terrible Thought? Can you be content to roar out a dreadful Eternity, un|der the Agonie•• of intolerable Torments and E••dles•• despair? Had you rather have your Lot with Devils and Damned Spirits, than for|sake your Lusts and fly to Christ for Mercy?

But you hope, perhaps, for better Things, you hope it will never come to thi••, but that you shall some Way or other escape this dreadful Destruction. But what Grounds have you for this Hope? Can you hope that God will vio|late his Word for your Sake; and sacrifice his Truth and Justice to your Lusts? Can you hope that God will make new Terms of Sal|vation for you, that were never proposed to any in the World; and that you shall be saved in a Way con••rary to his Nature, to his Law, and to the whole Tenor of the Gospel Cove|nant? O how vain is that Hope, how likely to End in amazing Disappointment, and to leave you for ever ashamed of it! I testify to you in the Name of the Lord; that there is no Hope for you, nothing but Eternal Destruction to be expected by you, unless you awake from your Sleep, and arise from the Dead, that Christ may give you Light.

Its probable that some of you will be ready to complain of this Address, and say, what need of all this Terror? Must we hear of nothing but Hell and Damnation? But in Answer to this, I assure you, that it is not from any Delight in your Disquie•• o•• uneasiness, that I set these awful Truth before you. I would leave you in an undisturb'd Tranquility, if your precious Souls were not in D••ng••r. But it is from a Sen••e of Duty to God, its from Compassion to your Perishing Souls, that I thus Warn you of your approaching Ruin. I am bound 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ffice, I am excited by Pity to your

Souls, to endeavour to awaken you out of this fatal Lethargy, lest you should Sleep on in your Security until your Opportunity is lost forever. And Oh that I could stir up any of you to see your Danger; and in earnest to meditate on Escape from it! But I am afraid that this Sermon will have no better Success, than the many o|thers of the like Nature, which you have heard before, and that you will yet securely go on in the same Ways of Sin and Death; until dread|ful Experience convince you, that it is a fear|ful Thing to fall into the Hands of the living God. If it must be so, I cannot help it, God is Witness; and you are Witnesses against your selves, that I have once more faithfully warn'd you. And thus I must leave those that will not regard me; to Sleep on and take their Rest, and return to the more delightful Part of a Ministers Employ|ment.

2. Here is Matter of greatest Encouragement to Poor doub••ing distressed Souls, whatever Darkness and Discouragements, Tryals or Temptations, they may be exercised with. You may perhaps fear, that your Case is desperate. You may be troubled and bowed down greatly; and go Mourning all the Day long, and your Bones may wax Old, through your roaring all the Day. But how D••rk soever your Case may appear, there is Hope in Israel concerning this Matter. The great Red••emer has Purchased Peace and Pardon for you; and is this Day calling upon you to come unto him; and he will give you Rest.

Though your Sins are never so many and ne|ver

so great, you may hope for Acceptance with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ▪ It is not the Number nor the Aggravation of their Sin•• that makes the C••se of Sinners desperate; but their impenitent continuance in them. The Blood of Christ is sufficient to cleanse from many Sins, as well as from few; from great Sins as well as from small ones. Repair there|fore to that Fountain that is set open for Sin and Vncleanness; and tho' your Sins are as Crimson and Scarlet, they shall become like Wool and Snow; tho' they are Written with a Pen of Iron, and engraven with the Point of a Diamond, they shall be all blotted out against the Times of refreshing, shall come from the Presence of the Lord. For this is a Faithful saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, that Iesu Christ came to save Sinners, the chief of Sinners. 1 Tim. i.15. The Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all Sin. 1 Joh. i.7.

Though you have long continued in a State of Sin and Guilt, there is yet an accepted Time and a Day of Salvation for you. It is indeed a Wonder of God's Patience and for|bearing Goodness, that you have not before now been cut down in the Act of Sinning, and sent to Hell. But blessed be his Name, he is yet waiting upon you to be Gracious, he is yet calling upon you, to Day after so long a Time, to hearken to his Voice; and not har|den your Hearts, Heb. iv.7. And if you will at last comply with the Inv••••ation and come to Christ, you shall in no wise be cast out. You may make sure to your selves that your Day of

Grace is not past; if you will improve your remaining Season, in giving up your selves to Christ and living to him. For if you have a Heart to do this, its certain you are not yet given up to a hard Heart, and a reprobate Mind▪ Though it's alwaies too la••e to delay our R••|pentance, and put off the Thing•• of our Peace to future Opportunity; and tho' the•• that ••en|ture upon it, Run the dreadful Hazard of lo|sing all Opportunity and P••ssibility of Mercy▪ Yet it is never too late on this Side Hell, sin|cerely to Repent of our Sins; and come to Christ for Grace and Salvation.

Though you have long Sinned against Gos|pel Grace and Love, against Christ; his Ordi|nances and Gracious Offers of Mercy, there is yet Encouragement even for such Sinners as you, to come unto Christ for Life. It must indeed be confess'd, That Gospel Sinners are p••culiarly heinous in the sight of God. Their Rejection of Christ, their Contempt of his Ordinanc••s; and Abuse of his Love, add as dreadful Weight to their Guilt, and exposes them to a more ••erri|ble Damnation. It is indeed a Wonder that any such as these, who reject the Lord that bought them; and set light by the infinite Merits of his Blood, should ever obtain Mercy. But such are the boundless R••ches of his Grace and Love, that some of those Guilty Wretches, who with Wicked Hands had Crucified and slain the Lord of Life, had the Promise of Salvation made unto them and to their Children, Acts. ii 23, 39. And the same Promise is made unto

you also, if you will attend the Directions given to them. He that saved P••ul, a Blasphemer, a Persecutor and Injuriou••, for this Cause bestow'd Mer|cy upon him, that in him first Iesus Christ might shew forth all Long-Suffering, for a Pattern to them which s••ould hereafter believe on him, to Life everlasting. 1 Tim. 1.13.16. And why may not you de|pend upon and hope in that Infinite Grace and Love of Christ, which bestow'd Salvation up|on Peter▪ who deny'd his Lord with an Oath, and cu••s'd and swore that he did not know him.

I may add to all this, Though you find Cause to complain of great hardness of Heart; Stupidity, and Insensibility; yet you are invi|ted to come to Christ for Relief in this Case also. You may perhaps imagine your selves exempted from all the Gracious Encouragements that have been set before you, since you are altoge|ther uncapable to comply with the Terms where|on they are proposed. Could you but come to Christ, you are sensible there would be Hope. But alas! you are a Poor hard hearted graceless Sinner; and what Hope can there be for you? Your Affections are dead and dull, that you can have no lively Impression of the Things that are unseen and Eternal. Your Duties are formal and superficial; and your Hearts crouded with sinful and wandring Thoughts in your nearest Approaches to God; which you are ready to fear renders your Case remediless. These and such like Complaints are commonly made by convinced and humbled Sinners; and are the

common Occasion of their greatest Darkness and Distress. But were th••ir Complaints just, and their Heart as hard and graceless as they suppose, their desperate Conclusions would no waies follow from thence. The infinite Mercy of the great Redeemer does as well ex|tend to such Weary and Heavy Laden Sinners, as to others. S••ch as you (if any such there be amongst my Hearers) who are burthen'd with a Sense of the hardness of your Hearts; and are groaning after Deliverance from it, have all the Encouragement you can desire, to depend upon Gods gracious Promise, that he will take away the Heart of Stone out of your Flesh; and give you a Heart of Fl••sh, Ezek. xxxvi.26. You have sufficient Encouragement to lye at his Foot-stool in the best Manner you are capable of, for the sanctifying and quickning Influences of his bles|sed Spirit. His Grace will be sufficient for you▪ 2 Cor. xii.9. He will quicken you, tho' dead in Trespasses and Sins, Eph. .ii.1. Of his Fulness you shall receive, and even Grace for Grace, John i.16. Do but perservere in a Diligent and humble Endeavour to seek Grace, and Strength from him; and he will Work in you both to will and to do. Phil. ii.13. He will carry you from Grace to Grace, and from Strength to Strength. He will enliven your Affections, give you Enlarge|ment in your Duties, and Comfort you with the happy Experience, that his Ways are indeed Ways of Pleasantness; and all his Paths Peace. They that thus wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength, they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles,

they shall run and not be Weary, they shall walk and not Faint, Isay. XL 31.

And now, what can stand in the Way of your Salvation, but your own Obstinacy and Stupidity? What can hinder your obt••ining an Interest in Christ and all the Benefits of his Redemption, but your care••ess neglect and Rejection of him? Though the Case of se|cure Sinners be indeed as dreadful as can be imagined; yet the Comforts given by our Lord Jesus Christ to Poor awaken'd and distressed Souls, are as great as they themselves could de|sire, were they to state their ow•• Terms of ac|ceptance with God. All the Danger in this Case, is a Misapplication of these Preci••us Con|solations. That those who have no Part nor Lot in this Matter, will ••ull themselves still fa|ster asleep by these Gracious Encour••gements, while those that are of a humble and contrite Spi|rit, and tremble at God's Word, will doubt their Claim to this Comfort; and continue in their Darkness and Distress. I therefore proceed,

3. To put you upon an Examination of your selves, whe••her you have been thus Weary and Heavy Laden; and whether the Burthen of your sinful and Miserable State has brought you to Christ. This is an Affair of unutterable Importance. Your Soul, your Eterni••y de|pend upon it. If you are deceived in thi•• mat|ter, you are undone forever. Your false hopes will stand you in no stead at the Barr of your Ommiscient and impartial Judge. It will stand you in no stead at that awful Tribunal, to plead

your Priviledges, your Moralities, your good Purposes; or any of your Attainments. If you have not been thus Weary and Heavy Laden, if you have not come to Christ, all such Pleas will be silenced; and you rejected, with I t••ll you I know you not whence you are; d••part from me all ye Workers of Iniquity, Luk. xiii.37. Be therefore entreated to be most serious, solemn, and impartial in this Enquiry. Don't take up with a general Hope; or any slight Grounds of Satisfaction; but make a daily Business of looking into your Hearts, and into your State. Be afraid of being deceived, and cry to God that he will search you and know your Hearts, try you and know your Thoughts, and see if there be any Wicked Way in you, and lead you in the Way everlast|ing. That I may assist you in your self Exa|mination, let me Propose a few Thing to you.

1. Have you ever had a lively Affect••ng Sense of the dreadful Displeasure of God, that your Sins have brought you under? You have heard what Convictions and awakening Discoveries of your undone Miserable State, are necessary Preparations to your coming to Christ; & have you experienced this in your selves? Have you been rouzed out of your Security by a sight of your numerous aggravated Sins? Have you been terrified with a Sense of the Wrath of God in|censed against you; and the dreadful Destructi|on ready to over••ake your Guilty Souls? Have these Convictions had a lasting Impression upon you, have they imbitter'd your Sins to you, made you afraid of Sinning against God; and

put you upon a most awful Concern, about a Deliverance from these Perishing Circumstan|ces? Has this Concern been fixed upon your Minds, that you could not shake it off by any Worldly Amusements or se••sual Pursuits? Hath God's Arrow stuck fast in you; and his Hand pressed you sore, that there was no S••und|ness in your Flesh bec••use of his Anger; nor Rest in your Bones because of your Sin? What Answer do your Consciences make to these Demands? If you have Expe••ienced these Things, God's Spirit has begun a Good W••rk in your Souls. Take heed, that you don't wear off these Impressions, quench the Spirit of God, provoke him to with-draw his Influences; and leave you to your former Security, if not to final Obduracy and Impenitence. If you have not Experienced these Things, you have not yet taken the very first Step towards your Sal|vation. And can yo•• be quiet in such a Con|dition? The Lord ••aken you before it's too late! 2. Have you ••ver been most earnestly so|licitous to get out of your Miserable Perishing Condition; and to escape deserved Damnation? What Effect have your Convictions had upon you? Have they left you in an un••ctive de|spairing Frame, Concluding that if y••u Pine a|way in your Iniquities, how shall you then live, & ••hat it's in vain to strive; or have they so worn off, that you are fallen fast asleep again in your f••r|mer Sloth and Negligence? If either of ••hese be your Case, your latter End is like to be wo••se than your Beginning.—But on the other

Hand, are there none of you, that have been pu•• upon a most earnest and hearty Concern a|bout what you should do to escape the Danger of an un••anctified S••ate; and upon a most Di|lig••n•• Endeavour to comply with all the Me|tho••s of Salvation Proposed in the Gospel? Have you constan••ly and ferven••ly addressed the Thr••ne of Grace, in your Closets and Fa|m••ies? H••ve you conscienciously attended up|on all the Ordinances of Chris••? Have studi|ed to know all yo•••• Duty; and without reserve endeavoured to Practise 〈◊〉〈◊〉? Have you been striving to enter in at the streight Gate; and pressing towards the Mark for the Prize of the High Cal|ling of God, in Christ Iesus our Lord? Have you been not slothful in Business; but fervent in Spirit serving the Lord, Though such a Life of Dili|gence Merits no Favour from God, yet this is the Way, Walk ye in it.

3. Have you committed your Souls to the free G••ace of God, depending upon the Righ|teousness of Christ, and that only, for your Acceptance with him? Have you seen the D••••••ct & Imperfection of your own Duties and of all your own Righteousness; and how justly God m••ght Damn bo••h you and them? Have you ever seen that if God ever bestowed Sal|vation upon you, it must be such a Display of fr•••• Grace as deserves your Eternal Admiration and Pra••se? Have you seen that if ever you ob••••••n Salvation, it must be only upon Christs Account upon the Account of what Christ h••s done and su••••e••ed ••or you, and not on Account

of what you have done, or what you can do or suffer for him. Has this Consideration made the Lord Jesus Christ appear exceeding pre|cious to you, that you could be rather con••ent to want any Thing else, than to want an In|terest in Christ? Have you most ardently de|sired to have Christ Reign in your Hearts; and to bring all your Powers and Faculties into Subjection to him? Have you committed your Souls to him, and Resolved to Rest only upon him, that he might be unto you Wisd••m, Righ|teousness, Sanctification and Redemption? And has this not only been found in your Souls, upon some sudden Heat of your Affections; but your habitual Experience? If you can give a comfortable Answer to these Enquiries; and don't deceive your serves, you may depend up|on Rest from Christ.

4. Have you the Evidences of an Interest in Christ by the Blessed Fruits and Consequences of an Union to him? If you believe in Christ, you are Careful to maintain Good Works, for Faith without Works is dead. If you have a true Fait•• it i•• Operative, it Works by Love, by Love to God, Love to the Lord J••••us Christ; Love to Holiness, Love to God's Ordinances, and Love to one another. Now, have you had Experience of this? Have you had this Charge in your Hearts and Affections, as well as in your Lives and Conversations? In a Word, have you Experienced the Fruits of the Blessed Spirit in your Soul? This as much as any Thing is a Distinguishing Mark of a Child of God. For

if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ (with his Fruits and Graces,) he is none of his, Rom. viii.9. It concerns you therefore, seriously to ex|amine your selves by this Rule, and to consi|der whether you have these Fruits in your hearts and Lives, according as they are descr••bed, Gal. v.22, 23. The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Ioy, Peace, Long-Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance.— I wish you could all stand this Tryal; but there is too great cause to fear, that some of you have not these Graces of the Spirit; or at least that you have them not in Exercise. What else mean these Divisi|ons and Confusion, these Aspersions and Re|proaches, this Judging and censuring one an|other, that is so much complain'd of among you? Are not these Things as directly contra|ry to the Fruits of the Spirit here enumerated, as they possibly can be? How then can any Men pretend to be led by the Spirit of God, into such Practices as these▪ — You may, perhaps, answer to this, that those whom you reproach and vil••fy, and whom you thus severely judge and censure, are indeed formal Hypocrites; and it is your Duty bo••h to God and them, to tell them of it, and to awaken them to a Sense of their Danger; that the Society in general being such Formalists, ought to be broken up, that it may be settled upon a better Foundation. Such like Pleas have (I perceive) been made for your Church-Dividing Practices; and for your Un|charitable Censoriousness. But I would enquire of those, how they come to know that they

who are Professors of Religion, sound in their Faith, Regular in their Conversations, Friends to vital Piety, forward in Promoting Religious Duties; and constant in attending upon them, are but formal Hypocrites. They may be such it's true; but it's the Prerogative of him who searches the Hearts and the Reins, to determine whether they are such or not; And whence have any of you Authority to invade his Pre|rogative? Would you but View your Conduct in the Glass of God's Word, it might justly fill you with Surprize. There you are directed not to Iudge, least you are Iudged, Mat. vii.1. There the Apostle expostulates with you, as I have now been doing. Who art thou that judg|est another Man's Servant? To his own Master he Standeth or Falleth. Why dost thou judge thy Brother, or why dost thou set at nought thy Brother; for we shall all stand before the Iudgment-Seat of Christ? Let us not therefore judge one ano|ther any more, Rom, xiv.4.10, 13. And the same Apostle warns you, to judge Nothing before the Time, until the Lord come, 1 Cor. iv.5. In that Blessed Book you are directed, to do Nothing through strife and Vain-Glory; but in lowliness of Mind, each to esteem other better than themselves▪ Phil. ii.3. And you are there assured, that if you had all Faith so that you could remove. Moun|tains, and have no Charity, you are Nothing, Cor. xiii.2. You are there repeatedly warn'd of the Sinfulness of Divisions and Confusions, and of God's great Displeasure against the Authors of them, You are there told, that this Wisdom

descendeth not from above, but is earthly sensual devi|lish, Jam. iii.15. Now what must your Cha|racter appear, if you are try'd by these Oracles of God? I don't say it is impossible that you can have the Truth of Grace, this were to imitate your Censoriousness, but I am bold to say, that these Practices are directly opposi••e to the ex|ercise of Grace, and therefore to be heartily repented of, and speedily reform'd, if you would have a clear Evidence of your good Estate. It's not improbable that I shall be severely censured for this Address. But my Dear Brethren, have I not proved the Sinful|ness of these Practices by that Word, by which you and I must be judged at the last Day? If I have, take heed what you do; for it is hard to kick against the Pricks. God will first or last Vindicate the Truth of his Word, whoever oppose it. If I have not proved this from the Word of God, challenge no Regard to any Thing I have said, I don't desire you to re|ceive any Thing upon my Authority. I there|fore leave this to the Determination of your own Consciences; and Pray God that they may direct you to such Methods now, as will prove most Comfortable to you in the Day of Christ. I shall add no more upon this Subject; but that I have in the Fear of God born my Testimony against these uncharitable Practices, and have delivered my Soul. If any of you will still persist in them, your Blood be upon your own Heads, I am clear from your Guilt.— There needs no Apoligy for my insisting so

long upon this Matter, you all know the Case, I shall therefore leave it with you, and return to summon your Attention to those Rules of Try|al that have been proposed. Review what you have heard, and consider it. Do your Con|sciences bear Testimony for you, that you have been throughly awakened from your Carnal Security; and deeply affected with a Sense of your Sin and Guilt, and of the Wrath of God, to which you are thereby exposed? Do your Consciences testify for you, that you have been constant, diligent and earnest in all known Me|••hods of fleeing from the Wrath to come? Do they upon an impartial Examination bear you Testimony, that you have renounced all Confidence in your selves, that you commit your Souls to Christ, and depend upon him only, as the Author of your Eternal Salvation? And have you found the Fruits of the Blessed Spirit in your Souls, Mortifying your Lusts, Purifying your Hearts, and quickning you in the Ways of God and Godliness? Have you according to the Apostles Direction, Col. iii.14 15. Above all Things put on Charity; which is the Bond of Perfectness? And has the Peace of God Ruled in your Hearts, to which also ye are called in one Body. If these Things be in yoa•• and abound, they make you, that ye shall be neither Barren nor Vn|fruitful in the Knowledge of Our Lord Iesus Christ.

4 I would conclude this Address, with an earnest Exhortation to every one, to come wea|ry and heavy laden to Christ for Rest — This is an Affair of the greatest Consequence

that was eve•• proposed to any of the Children of Men; and every one of your Precious Souls are like to be Unconceivably happy and Glorious; or Unspeakably and Intollerably Miserable, thro' all Eternity; according as you comply with or rej••ct this Exhortation. And what a Tho••sa••d P••ti••s it is, that any of you should fa••l of the Grace of God; and come short of th••s Rest, when the Lord Jesus Ch••ist is with such Bowels of tender Compassion inviting you to come to him for it. What a Thousand Pities; that all your Opportunities and Off••rs of Mercy, and this Sermon among the rest, should encrease your future Misery; and make the Flames of God's Eternal Wrath hotter and more intollerable. O that I could therefore prevail with some of you at least, to accept of this off••red Salvation! I can with greater sin|cerity Address you in the Apostles Language, Rom. x.1. Brethren, my Hearts desire and Prayer for you is, that you might be saved. Tho' I have not so immediate a Relation to you, as I former|ly had: Yet, I can't forget to be concern'd for the Welfare of your Souls. I should yet esteem it Matter of greatest Thankfulness, if God would make me an Instrument of saving but one of you from Eternal Ruin. Allow me therefore, to press this Exhortation upon you with greatest Importunity; and I entreat you, not to give me a Denyal.

I would more particularly apply my self to the Young People of this Congregation; and Endeavour to prevail with them to come to

Christ. I have more hope of them than of others, for it has been a constant Observation, that the most that are ever brought to a saving Interest in Christ, are converted in their youth. Will you then, my dear Children, be perswaded to renounce your youthful Lust•• and Pleasures, to consider y••ur Danger and Misery, and betake your selves to the Lord Jesus ••hrist for Mer|cy, now while you have such a Precious Op|portunity; while God is waiting upon you to be Gracious, while Christ is invi••ng you▪ Minist••rs perswading you, the Spirit striv••n•• wi••h you, and the Arms of M••rcy open to re|ceive you. Now is your Time. How soon all these Advantages will be irrecoverably past forever, God only knows.

I must also direct this Exhortation to those of more advanced years, that have longer stood it out against the Calls of the Gospel; and the striving of the bl••ssed Spirit. Though the•••• is less h••p•• of prevailing with such a•• these; yet I dare n••t despair even of ••heir C••se. The Mercy of God, and ••he Redemption of Christ, are sufficient for the Oldest and most enormous S••••ner of them all, if they would but come to him for it. I would therefore most earnestly entreate, I would most ••olemnly War•• such as these, to improve the rem••ining Sands of their Glass, in this Infinite concern. You have lost Time enough. You h••ve run the dre••d|ful Venture too long already. O then hea••k••n to this Exhortation, To Day while it is cal••ed to 〈…〉〈…〉

I entreate all of you both Young and Old most seriously to Medita•••• upon the dreadful Misery of your Condi••ion, while in an Un|sanctified State. Solemnly and d••liberately c••n|sider what you are by Nature; Chil••••••n of Wrath, and Heirs of Destructi••n. Consid••r what you are by Practice, most aggravatedly Guilty in the Sight of God. Con••ider what Perdition and Eternal Ruin is ready to ••vertake you, a thought that makes even the Devils trem|ble. The Law of God Condemns you; and how terrible are the Curses of that broken Law. God himself is Angry with you every D••y, and how astonishing ••s the Wrath of the Eternal God! Who can stand before him, when once he is Angry? Hell opens its Mouth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 you, there is but a Step between you and Eternal Damnation. O Meditate upon these Things till your Consciences are awakened; and you convinced that there is no resting any longer in this Condition.

Consider likewise in a most serious and deli|berate Manner, that there is no Remedy for you, but in Christ only. D••n't fly to any carnal Refuges for Help in your Distres••'d State, but impress it upon your Minds, that you must Ob••ain an Interest in Christ; or perish without Remedy. Let this Considera••ion so aff••ct your Souls, that you can rest quietly no lon|ger in a Christless State.

And to conclude, Resolve to cast your So••ls u••on his infinit•• Grace and Love, what••ver be the ••ssue. Confess to God your Sin and 〈◊〉〈◊〉,

your utter Unworthiness, and Inability to help your selves. Plead before him the boundless Riches of his infinite Grace, and the Merits and Passion of his Son, for your Acceptance with him: Be importunate with him, for the Graces of his Spiri••, for Faith to receive a tendred Saviour upon his own Terms, to depend upon him, and to live to him Endeavour to come to Christ as you are; and don't pretend to pre|pare your selves for his Accep••••••ce. Though you cannot believe in him, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ou are firs•• Weary and Heavy Laden, yet he alone mu•••• give you these Qualifications. He must 〈◊〉〈◊〉 you your Necessities of an Interest in him an•• en••ble you to receive him. Strive therefo••e to bring your dead, dull, lifeless, and Sin••••l Heart•• to Christ, that he may begin and carry on the Good Pleasure of his Goodness in you. Be constant and earnest in thus doing as for your Lives. If you will thus be stedfast, immoveable, alwaies abounding in the Work of the Lord, your Labour shall not be in Vain in the LORD.