1 Ʋse,

Shall be of Terror to such as live without Christ in the World, be they pro­phane Persons, or Professors. God hath pro­vided an alsufficient Saviour for us, that can sav [...] to the utmost, and there is no Salva­tion in any other Person or thing to be ex­pected: And none can be saved by him but such as receive and admit him into their hearts by Faith; and how few are they that have Christ in them? Oh you that do make account to be saved by Christ at death, and yet shut your hearts against Christ, and have not embraced him as freely offered in the Gospel, know, that you do but deceive your selves: If you keep Christ out of your hearts, Christ will keep you out of Heaven. A Christless Soul is a wretched Soul: Oh now whilst it is said to day, it concerns you above all things in the World to consider your danger, the dreadfulness of your danger, and the desperate Madness of such as sit down contented under their danger. I pray you to consider,

(1.) Your Danger.

If Christ be not in you, you cannot be in safety: Your condition must needs be a pe­rilous condition, you stand upon the Margin of Death and Destruction. For,

1. You are under the Captivity of Satan, and in the snares of the Devil, and are car­ried Captive by him at his will and pleasure. 2 Tim. 2. last: Satan possesses the Soul of all [Page 20]that continue in the state of Nature, 'till Christ comes and dispossesseth him. Eph. 2.2. Sa­tan is the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience: And you are the Children of Disobedience, and disobey the Calls of the Gospel, and the Commands of Christ in the Gospel: He Commands you to believe, and to repent, and to obey his Gospel, but you disobey him, and therefore the Spirit that dwells in you is Satan; and it's he that works in you; and Oh what sad work doth he make with your precious Souls! how doth he insnare and enslave them! what Tyranny doth he exercise on them! it's high time for you to consider it.

2. You are under the Curse of the Law, and under the Condemnation of the Gospel, and therefore you are in as much danger of Damnation, as a condemned Person is of Exe­cution: Oh what dreadful Curses are the Curses of God, and how certain in the Exe­cution, if Repentance do not intervene! And these Curses of God hang over your heads like a Hurricane or violent Tempest, that is ready to fall down upon you: There is a Curse upony our Blessings, a Curse upon your bodies: A Curse upon your substance, and a Curse upon your Soul; And if this Curse be not removed, it will certainly light upon you: Your sins will find you out, surely then you are in danger: Now Consider,

(2.) The Dreadfulness of this danger that you are under.

The greatness of this danger lies in these instances: I will lay them before you in cou­ples for the help of your Memories: The dreadfulness of this your danger lies in

1. The Unavoidableness and Universality of this danger. (1.) It's an unavoidable dan­ger. I mean, under your Circumstances (re­bus sic stantibus) as the case is now with you. A man may be in danger, and he may foresee it; and avoid it: David was in danger of Saul, and hid himself in a cave and so avoided it: But in the case you are in, the danger is unavoidable; not that it is so in it self, but you make it so to your selves; there is one way, and but one way to avoid it, and this way is by Christ: Now this way you reject, and how can ye escape if ye neglect so great Salvation? It's impossible for you to escape any other way, and this way you do not, and will not be perswaded to take, and so go about to make your danger unavoida­ble. (2.) Its an universal danger, a dan­ger of a vast extent, your [All] is in dan­ger; your lesser and greater Concerns, your Estates, your Lives, your Bodies and Souls: Your All is under a Curse, and therefore your All is in danger, and is it not time to look a­bout you when fire is got in the thatch, and all your goods are in danger, how are you Concerned! your case is much worse, [Page 20] [...] [Page 21] [...] [Page 22]your danger far greater, and will you be un­concerned?

2. The Dreadfulness of your danger lies in the Proximity and Perpetuity of the Evils you stand in danger of. (1.) In their Prox­imity. The Judge stands at the door, your danger is not a remote but a present dan­ger, you are now and alway in danger, you may lose your Souls in a minute; you know the uncertainty of Life, that it is but a Va­pour, a Bubble, that may burst and vanish in a moment: So that upon this account you are daily and constantly in danger: Now Life is so uncertain, that in Temporal matters you will secure your selves because all men are mortal, and will you run such a hazzard as we are now speaking of, and not study your safety? will you be penny wise and pound foolish? secure a little Siver, and let your Souls lie in such danger? (2) In their Per­petuity, the danger is not only present, but the evils you stand in danger of are ever­lasting: You are in danger to lose your Souls, and to lose Heaven, and these are, irrevocable losses, and such losses as will I re­main to all eternity; and your are in danger of Hell and of eternal Death, and if the danger be not removed, but it once overtake you, and you fall into it, you are utterly undone for ever. Your eternal State will be wofully Wretched and miserable, and will ye not make your escape from everlasting Wo? Oh dreadful!

3. The Dreadfulness of your danger lies in the Certainty and Senselesness of your dan­ger. (1.) In the Certainty of it, there are fictitious dangers, feigned; but your danger is certain, as sure as the Sun is in the Fir­mament, so sure is it that you are in ex­tream danger: I confess many a Child of God think they are in their dangers, and in them it's only imaginary; but you that live without Christ are certainly in danger: I have prov­ed it to you out of Gods Word, and it's as certain as Death it self is, or as Judgment is, and you will find it so in the end. (2.) In the Senslesness of it: This Consummates the dreadfulness of your danger, you do not see, nor will you be brought to believe your own danger; you are told oft, and it is proved to you out of the infal­lible Word of God, and yet you will not be convinced of it: The consideration of this, brought Tears from the eyes of Paul, Phil. 3.18. He could not speak of it with dry eyes; that men should be so stupid, as to conti­nue their Emnity against Christ and Christi­anity, when the end thereof is destruction, and cannot be made apprehensive of their own dreadful danger. There is no hope of Glory for such as have not Christ in them, and yet thousands that have not Christ in in them hope for Glory in a Christless con­dition, and conclude that they are safe and out of all danger, and will not be perswaded [Page 22] [...] [Page 23] [...] [Page 24]otherwise. This, this Beloved; fixeth you to your dangerous Estate, ye are in great dan­ger, and like to continue so, because you will not yield that you are in any danger. Now consider,

3ly. The desperate Madness of sitting down contented under this dreadful danger.

You have heard your Danger, and the dread­fulness of your danger; and now if you concern not your selves about getting out of this dan­ger, I must say to you as Paul did to the Ga­lathians, Gal. 3.1. O foolish Galathians, who hath bewitched you? Surely ye are infatuated, besotted Fools, desperate Mad-men; the World and the Devil have bewitched you, Mat. 3.7. Many came to Johns Baptism, con­fessing their Sins and pretending amendment; and amongst other many Pharisees and Saddu­ces, and John said unto them, O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned you to flie from the wrath to come? q. d. It is certain, that there is a dreadful wrath to come, and that all that are under the guilt of their Sins are in danger of it, and that it's their great concern to flie with speed and hast from the wrath to come. And you Pharisees seem to be aware of this, and pretend to endeavour to flie from the wrath to come, but will not part with your Sins; if you would escape the danger you are under, it must be by sincere Repentance, and not by pretended Repentance, you must bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance. Oh consider, what [Page 25]desperate madness it is for Sinners to stand in danger of the wrath to come, and yet to sit down under this danger, and not flie from the wrath to come, and use their utmost endea­vours to make their escape! would you not account that Man a Mad-man, that having run himself into some unseen danger, and is called to by others that see and know his Danger; Friend, Friend, stay, turn back or you are a gone man; yet takes no warning, but runs headlong upon his own ruine: This is your Case, God and Man call to you, Turn ye, Turn ye, why will ye die? The way you are in leads to Hell and Destruction, hasten out of it or you are undone for ever: And ye will take no warning, but run on in your self-destructive Courses: Now you are told of your Danger, of the dreadfulness of it, and of the desperate Madness of such as sit down contentedly under this danger. And now what will you do? what do you resolve upon in this Case? what will ye do as ye do, and be as you are, and stand to the venture? God forbid, that the Devil should so besot you: What in danger, and in so great danger, and will you continue in it, and take no warning? Oh far be it from you: I am loth to leave you unconvinced, and therefore entreat you seriously to consider,

1. What an Uncharitable thing it is, and how unreasonable in you, to stop your Ears un­der this present warning: How far is it below Men of common understanding, how unmanly [Page 26]a part, to refuse such Counsel as so much con­cerns your own Interest: Is it not to act like an Ideot, or a Frantick Person, that regard no advice for their own good? What, is it not your own concern, your greatest concern? And will you be uncharitable to your selves? Will you act against your own Welfare? Will you shew no Charity to your Selves? Have ye no Love for your own Souls? Will ye not be disswaded from destroying your selves?

2. What an unaccountable thing it is! How unexcusable! What can you say for your selves, when Christ shall charge it upon you at the grea [...] day? When he shall say, Were not ye warned by such and such? Such a time, and such a time? Why did you not take warning? What Plea can you make? surely none! And will you turn your back upon Counsel, when you have nothing to say against it? will you condemn your selves in the things you allow?

3. What an unkind, ungrateful and unsuf­ferable a thing it is? Rom. 2.4, 5. Despisest thou the Riches of his Goodness: It's a Mercy, and a rich Mercy in God to acquaint you with your danger, and to call upon you to make your escape, and to shew you the City of Re­fuge, where you may live in Safety, viz. Christ Jesus. And what a sleight do you put upon his Mercy? What an abuse upon his Goodness? Do ye thus requite the Lord? Is it fair betwixt Man and Man, to take advice and [Page 27]have good advice given, and to turn the back upon it? do you not in such a Case use to say, I will be no more concerned with such a Man, he is uncounsellable: And may not God justly deal so with you, and say, there is no good to be done with such and such, they will not be counselled; I'll be no more concerned with them? Oh my Word let them alone, and thou my Spirit let them alone! And if you bring the matter to this pass, then there is no help for you; ye are lost Creatures, and will perish in your Sins.

2. Ʋse,

Of Tryal: Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith, prove your own selves, know ye not that Christ is in you, ex­cept ye be Reprobates? 2 Cor. 13.5. It highly concerns us all to turn our Eyes inward, and to make a diligent Inspection into our selves, to see how matters stand betwixt God and our Souls in this great Point: Whether we lie under the aforesaid danger, or have made our escape out of it: the Determination of this depends upon the indwelling of Christ in the Soul: Let us then put it to the Question, Is Christ in us or no? And if we would satisfie our selves herein, we must search,

1 . What Freedoms we enjoy (by Christ his in-being) in our selves, 2 Cor. 3.17. Where the Spirit of God is, there is Liberty: If Christ be in us by his Spirit, he hath set our Souls at Liberty, There is a sort of Liberty peculiar to the People of God, John 8.36. If [Page 26] [...] [Page 27] [...] [Page 28] the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed. This Freedom is Demonstrative that Christ is in us, and by his Spirit hath set us free. Now there is a twofold Freedom that the Spirit gives to all in whom it dwells, viz. Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Spirit, (1.) Free­dom of Speech, whereby especially in Secret they are enabled to pour our the desires of their Souls unto the Lord with much enlargedness of Heart. I say, especially in Secret, to distin­guish these enlargements from enlargements in Publick Exercises, drawn out by outward incouragements. A Hypocrite praying in his Family, or with the Church, whereof he is a Member, for Ostentation sake, and Affectation of applause, puts forth his Parts to the utmost, and is oft much enlarged: But he is seldom in Closet Prayer, and commonly flat and with little Life; but the Children of God find their Secret Enlargements exceed their Publick En­largements: It's in Secret that Christ and his Spouse have the sweetest embraces.

(2.) Freedom of Spirit, viz. From the Bondage of Sin, and Captivity of Satan, Rom. 8.9. Ye are not in the Flesh, — if the Spirit dwell in you; that is, ye are not in a Carnal Estate, and under the Dominion of the Flesh; the Spi­rit of God is a pure and Powerful Spirit, and will overcome the Flesh, and keep it in Subje­ction; that though Sin remain, yet it doth not Reign: It's a subdued Rebel, and kept under by the Spirit, yet will be raising up new Re­bellions [Page 29]in the Soul: The Flesh will be Lusting against the Spirit, but in the main the Spirit is the prevailing Principle, and doth enable the Soul more and more to die unto Sin, and live to Righteousness.

2ly. What Fellowship we have with Christ in his Ordinances: The natural Man hath no Fellowship with Christ in his Ordinances, but the Children of God have. Men in the State of Nature are Strangers to Communion with God, Psal. 94.20. Shall the Throne of Iniquity have Fellowship with thee? No, no, They have no Fellowship with thee: 1 John 1.6. If we say we have Fellowship with him, and walk in dark­ness, we lie: Such as have Fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness, have no Fellow­ship with Christ: But it's the Priviledge of the Children of God to live in Fellowship with the Trinity, 1 John 1.3. Truely our Fellow­ship is with the Father, and the Son: It's an As­sertion with an Asseveration, Christians are no sooner Effectually called, but they are admit­ted into this Fellowship, 1 Cor. 1.9. God is Faithful by whom we were called unto the Fellow­ship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ dwelling in the Soul doth verifie the Truth of this; can Christ and a Christian live together, and not have Communion together? No, if Christ be in us, there will be Communion be­twixt Christ and Us. And this Communion is a Manifestation of his abode in us: Now then let us examine our selves hereby, do we [Page 28] [...] [Page 29] [...] [Page 30]experimentally know what this Mistery of Communion betwixt Christ and the Soul mean­eth? Do we feel and find it in our selves? Have we a Receptive Participation from God in our selves, that Dilates, Revives, and Re­fresheth the Soul, above what any sensible sub­lunary thing doth or can do; and leaves be­hind it a relish which raiseth in us a singular Love to and Delight in the Ordinances? how Familiarly doth God sometimes carry it to­wards his People! he takes them into his Ban­quetting-House, and his Banner over them is Love, he Dandles them upon his Knees, embraceth them in the Arms of his Love, and speaks comfortably to them; sometimes he gives in such a Sense of Sin, as makes them weep with Grief and Godly Sorrow, and dis­solves their Souls into Penitential Tears: And sometimes such a sight of Grace, and such symp­toms of Love, as makes them weep for Joy and Solace: If it hath been thus with us at any time, it proceeds from the influence of the Spirit in us, and is demonstrative of the Pre­sence of Christ in our Souls?

3ly. What first Fruits of the Spirit is there in us? A natural Heart is barren ground, desti­tute of the Fruits of the Spirit; but when Christ comes into the Soul, he changeth the Soil and makes it fruitful: And all the good Fruit that it brings forth, are the Fruits of the Spirit, and discover the State of the Soul, and declare the goodness of the Tree: Now the Fruits of [Page 31]the Spirit are divided into First-Fruits and After-Fruits. Though the Graces of the Spirit are linkt together, and are all in semine, in the Seed, in the Soul of a Child of God; yet some of these Seeds spring up before others, and are called the First-Fruits of the Spirit, Rom. 8.23. We our selves have the first Fruits of the Spirit. Though the Spirit it self be the first Fruit of Glory, yet here something more must be un­derstood than the Spirit it self, because he speaks not of the first Fruit of Glory in the singular number, but of the first Fruits of the Spirit in the Plural number; and therefore the first Fruits of the Spirit must be understood of such Fruits as the Spirit causes to spring up in the Soul, and there make the first visible Appearance, such as saving Knowledge, Evan­gelical Repentance, Faith and Love: These two last include the two first; for there is no true Repentance without Faith, nor any true Love without Light to discover the Loveliness of the Object: Therefore I'll confine my self at this Time to the two first Fruits of saving Faith in, and sincere Love to Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us Examine then,

(1.) Our Faith, whether it be saving Faith. This is the uniting Grace, that knits Christ and the Soul together; and all that truely believe shall be saved: For saving Faith, though it may be shaken, yet it cannot be lost and ex­tinguished: It's a spark that never goes out, a durable Dye that cannot be washed away. [Page 32]And if we have any Faith (though in the least Degree) that is of a saving Nature, then for sure Christ is in us, and we may Hope for Glory. Now Paul tells us, Heb. 11.1, 2. what this Faith is; he doth not define it, but describe it, by its Excellency and Efficacy. (1.) By its Excellency, It's the Substance of things Hoped for. The Word [...] is a Word of that force that no Language can fully express: It's used in Heb. 3.14. and there Translated Confidence: Faith is a Confident and stedfast Expectation of Things promised: It apprehends the Promise and adheres to it, and assures the Soul of the Accomplishment of it, and causeth the Soul to live in Expectation thereof: It realizeth the Promises, and shews the Soul how substantial they are; that the things promised are no Trifles or feigned things, but things of Substance, weight and worth, really subsisting, and certainly to be enjoyed, and enables the Soul confidently to expect them: Thus it's the Substance of the things Hoped for. And it's the Evidence of things not seen. Things not seen, either because fu­ture, or because invisible, Faith represents to the Mind as sure and certain. The Eye of Faith beholds Christ with all his Excellencies, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Glory of Heaven, as evidently as the Eye of the Body doth visible things. Now [...]et us reduce this to practice; can we experimentally subscribe to this Description of Faith? Do we see a rea­lity [Page 33]in the unseen things? it is evident to our Souls that God is the chief Good, and Christ the fountain of Grace, and chief of ten Thousands, and that all his promises are certain and infallible, and do we depend up­on them, and live in sure and certain Hope of the accomplishment of them? then we have the faith which is called the Faith of the E­lect, Tit. 1.1. because it's peculiar to them, and to none but them. Yet further, Paul here describes faith not only by its Excellency, but also by its Efficacy.

2. By its Efficacy. v. 2. By it the Elders obtained a good report, and they are famous to this day, for the Testimony that God gives of the efficacy of their faith: Faith wrought in them such works as were such evidences of the Truth of their Faith. It's their works of Faith that makes their memory so Ho­nourable. Faith without works (saith James) is dead, it is of no more worth than a dead Dog. It's our works that do shew what our faith is. A working Faith is a saving Faith: Let us then examine our Faith by our works; are our works the works of Faith? do we pray in Faith, and hear in Faith, and live by Faith? thus much for the Trial of our sa­ving Faith: Come we to our Love, let us ex­amine

2. Our Love to Christ, whether it be sin­cere, 1 John 4.16. He that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. True Love [Page 34]you see is demonstrative of Gods dwelling by his Spirit in the Soul: Let us then try our Love, (1.) By its Measure. Do we love Christ most and best? We love many Crea­tures, and it's allowed us; Parents are to love their Chidren, and Husbands their Wives, but what is it that lies next our hearts, and hath the largest measure of our Love? I am sure Christ deserves most love from us, for he hath done most for us, but do we Love him above all? is Christ a Pearl in our Eyes? can we say with the Spouse, in our Eyes he is altogether Lovely? we have other Loves, but none that lies so near our Hearts as Christ; he is our Beloved, and our best Beloved. (2.) By the Motive that moves us so to love Christ. What is it that hath so endeared us to Christ? is it the gain we expect from him, or the good we see in him? Cant. 5.10. The Church professeth much Love to Christ, and tells the cause thereof, it was the Beauty and Excellency of Christ that had gained her heart, this was the attra­ctive of her Love; is it so with us? is it Christs Love to Souls, and his Loveliness, that draws out your Love towards him? Then there is sincerity and not selfishness in your Love to Christ. (3.) By the Might and strength of your Love to Christ; Love is of a constraining Nature, 2 Cor. 5.14. Now do you find your Love to Christ constrain you? doth it constrain you to vindicate the [Page 35]Honour of Christ, against all that cast open contempt upon him? doth it constrain you to value the Ordinances above worldly wealth and dignity? doth it constrain you to venture all for Christ in suffering and trying times? doth it constrain you to avoid every thing (as far as you can) that is offensive to Christ? what influence hath your Love to Christ upon your Hearts and Lives? doth it constrain you to carry it dutifully towards Christ, and to cast off your beloved Lusts because they dishonour Christ, and to conform to the Laws of Hea­ven, because they are the Yoke of Christ? are the things of Christ become precious to you? Oh deal faithfully with your Souls.

3 Ʋse,

Of Entreaty, both to such as have not Christ in them, and to such as have him in them.

(1.) You that have not Christ as yet in you, Be entreated and perswaded to live no longer without Christ in the World: you have heard your danger, and the dreadfulness of your danger, and the desparate Madness of such as do sit down in so dangerous a Con­dition: And now in the Name of Christ I earnestly beseech and entreat you to take the matter into serious Consideration. The Lord Jesus Christ the great Mediator of the Covenant, and victorious Captain of our Sal­vation, makes as it were an Ho, Yes, Rev. 3.20. Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man open the door, I will come [Page 36]in and Sup with him, and he with me. And he is now knocking at the door of your Heart, and craving admission, and tendering himself and the Riches of his Grace and Mercy un­to you, upon condition that you will re­ceive and entertain him, and accept of him as your Lord and Saviour, and consent and submit to the gracious Terms of the Gospel: Oh comply with his gracious offer, and open to him and let him in! Put off Christ no longer, expect not Salvation by Christ with­out giving your selves up to Christ, to be Governed by him according to the Gospel. What shall I now say, to perswade you to be over entreated to get Christ into your Souls, and not to sit down still in a Christless con­dition? the business is of great importance, and I stand here in Christs stead to beseech you to be reconciled to God, and to use your utmost endeavour to make sure of Christ, and would gladly prevail with you for your own good to set about this great concern; to this end press these following perswasives up­on your own Spirits, and that with the serious­ness as the weightiness of the matter requires.

1. The case you are in, calls for spee­dy Help, You live without Christ in the World; this is your case, and it is a case that you can neither live nor die in with safety or comfort. As long as you live thus, you live under the guilt of all your Sins, and under the wrath of God; and if you die [Page 37]thus, you die in your Sins, and to Hell you must go: And is this a Case to be neglected and disregarded? were your Estates and Lives in danger, you would be concerned, and be­stir you to save your selves; you would cry out for help, and be thankful to any one that would tell you how to escape your dan­ger: Now in your case your Souls are in Danger, and in present Danger, and in great Danger, and will you not be perswaded to seek to save your selves.

2. The Cure prescribed is a proper Cure: Christ within is the Cure, and this is a suit­able Cure: Your Disease is inward, to wit, the Plague of the Heart, and outward Appli­cations cannot reach it; it calls for an in­ward Remedy. Nay more: Christ within, is not only a suitable Cure, but also a Sove­raign Cure, that will certainly and infallibly Cure you: Yea, this is the only Cure, all other remedies are vain and insufficient, and will you reject such a remedy? It's a re­medy of Gods own prescription, and cures all that make use of it, and will you not use it? will you chuse Death before Life, Damnation before Salvation? Oh then! what will you do in the end thereof?

3. The Cost of the Cure now offered, is discharged, and now freely offered: It is a Costly Cure, the price paid down for it is beyond Value: Who can reckon up the value of the Cross of Christ? Heb. 2.10. He was [Page 38]made Perfect through sufferings; There is a twofold perfection imputed to Christ. (1.) Per­fectio Personae: His Person was perfectly qua­lifyed for his Offices: He was perfectly San­ctified, and so he was a perfect High-Priest. (2.) Perfectio Operis, the Work of Re­demption was consummated by his per­fect Obedience and meritorious Sufferings: He became a perfect Saviour thereby, and per­fected the Work of Redemption, that he might be a Soveraign Redemy, and save to the utmost all such as came to him. He made plenary satisfaction to Divine Justice, for the Sins of such as he was to Save: And it cost him dear to become an infallible Cure for perishing Souls, it cost him his Life; he par­ted with his precious Blood; he bore the weight of Gods Wrath, and underwent the shameful and painful Death of the Cross; it cost him many a dreadful Pang, and will you sleight so costly a Cure? do ye account the Blood of Christ a vain thing? hath he been at the cost of the Cure, and at so great cost, and will you refuse so costly a Cure freely offered? can ye put a greater Indig­nity upon Christ, than to tell him to his Face, that you account him a Physician of no Value, and will have nothing to do with him, nor with the Cure he offereth you? is this your kindness to such a Friend?

4. The Course you take is fatal and dead­ly. You refuse to let Christ into your hearts, [Page 39]and bolt the door against him, and this will be your ruin, if persisted in without Repen­tance. You reject the remedy at your own Pe­ril, and your destruction will be of your selves, and you will know hereafter what it is to reject your own Salvation. Can you that re­fuse such rich Mercy, think to escape Divine Vengance? Oh how dreadful are the fore­thoughts of your Condemnation, and what then will the Execution be? will you not be disswaded from turning your backs upon your Blessed Saviour, when he is offering and tendering Salvation to you? will ye bring the Blood of Christ, and the Blood of your own Souls upon your heads? and wilful­ly run on in Rebellion against Christ, 'till the Wrath of the Lord go out against you, and there be no remedy? then (I say) of all men you are most miserable: It had been better for you, you had never been born, or had been made Moles instead of Men; but I would perswade my self of better things of you, and such as accompany Salvation. Consider,

5. The Change for the better, that Christ in the heart will make in you, 1 Cor. 6.11. Such were some of you, but ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. See here, (1.) The Agent in this change, the Spirit in them. (2.) The Ad­vantage of the change, it was a change for [Page 40]the better, that of bad made them good, of unclean clean, and brought them out of Dan­ger into safety, out of a State of Condem­nation, into a State of Justification; out of a State of Sin into a State of Sanctity, a bles­sed Change: And Christ in the Heart will make such a Change in you: He will change your Hearts and Lives, and fit you to live and fit you to dy: And let me tell you for your Encouragment, that the change will be so Sweet to your selves, that you will find such a strange unexpected content and satis­faction in it, that you would not be what you now are for a World. Little do you know the Comforts that accompany such a change: Oh be perswaded to live, and you will never re­pent thereof, but enjoy such a Happiness in your self as the World cannot afford.

2. You that have Christ in you,

Be you entreated to live as such as have Christ in you. Col. 2.4. As ye have received Christ, so walk in him. See that your words and works favour of Christ: Live not below your selves. Is it for such as have Christ in them to mind earthly things, and to make a God of the World? is it for such as have Christ in them, to maintain Pride in their Habi [...]s and Behaviours, and to wear the Flags of Luci­fer, and the Dress of Flora? is it for such as have Christ in them, to muster up the Spi­rit of Contention, and to cast Squibs one at another? are ye not carnal herein, and walk [Page 41]as Men, as Paul doth Phrase it? that is, as meer Men, that have nothing of the Spirit of Christ in them. Is it for such as have Christ in them to manage Religious Exercises carnal­ly and deceitfully? To be Time-servers and Men-pleasers, and to serve God no further than it will stand with Self-interest? Oh Sirs! What manner of Persons should you be, in all holy Conversation and Godliness? 2 Pet. 3.11. How should you strive to conform your selves to Christ, and not to the World, and to live ac­cording to the Laws of Heaven, and not accord­ing to the vain Customs of wicked Men! How should you let others see, that Christ within hath changed you and made you Gospel proof; that neither Profit, Example nor Honour can turn you from the Principles and Precepts of the Gospel; if Christ be in you, be ye follow­ers of Christ as Dear Children.

1. And see that you live Circumspectly, Eph. 5.15. See that you walk circumspectly, not as Fools, but as Wise: It will be your Wisdom to keep up your spiritual Watch, and to Watch carefully; though Christ be in you, yet there is much Corruption within you, and the Flesh will be Lusting against the Spirit, and if it prevail it will grieve the Spirit, and occasion it's withdrawings as to Sense and Apprehensi­on, and cause Christ to hide his Face from you, and to stand behind the Curtain, and when he hides his Face you will be troubled. Oh what Losses and Sorrow do Christians create to them­selves [Page 40] [...] [Page 41] [...] [Page 42]by their Carnal Security! Oh resolve a­gainst it, and take warning from others, and walk very circumspectly, left Satan get an Advantage against you; he that lets down his Watch gives place to the Devil.

2. See that you live Chastly, 1 Thes. 4.12. Walk, honestly, that is, not in the Lust of Con­cupiscence; and the Reason is given in the 7th. and 8th. Verses, God hath not called us to Ʋncleanness, but to Holiness, and given us his Holy Spirit. And therefore it is not for us to be carnally Minded, but to be Chast and Ho­nest, and Sober even in the Use of lawful De­lights: That is a notable Passage in 1 Pet. 4.6. The Gospel was preached to them that are Dead, that is, to the Martyrs, that they may be judged according to Men in the Flesh; but live accord­ing to God in the Spirit: You cannot stop the Mouths of Men, they will be Judging and Con­demning you, and say you are fleshly given, and live in Uncleanness, but you need not re­gard their Calumnies as long as you live ac­cording to God in the Spirit, cleansing your selves from all filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit.

3. See that you live Charitably, in Peace and Love, 2 Cor. 13.11. Live in Peace, and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you: It's great Matter of Lamentation, that such as have Christ in them, should live so Uncharitably and Contentiously, and all through small differences about Words, and Gestures; and that these [Page 43]Minute things should cause such distances, e­strangements, and unkindnesses amongst them. I am sure this ought not so to be: Those that are right in the main, ought to hold Commu­nion one with another, and that in Peace and Love, bearing one with another in things wherein they differ, Phil. 3.15, 16. Rom. 14. begin. And it's certain also, that Christ makes it one of the Characters of a true Christian, to Love the Brethren, 1 John 3.14. And that Love is full of Charity, and Kindness and For­bearance, and hides many faults. And why should there not be a fair Correspondency, where there is a vital Inspiration by the self same Spirit?

4. See that you live Contentedly, Heb. 13.5. Let your Conversation be without Covetous­ness, and be Content with such things as you have. q.d. Keep your Hearts free from the Love of the World, and the Gares, Fears and Discon­tents that thence arise, and be Content with Gods allowance; for God is with you, and will never leave you, nor forsake you; if Christ be in and with you by his Spirit, then the Comforter is at hand in all sad Cases to Com­fort and Support you, and this should Still, Quiet and Content our Spirits, and preserve you from Discontentedness; if Christ his Being in the Soul will not Content him, surely nothing will do it, 2 Cor. 4.8. We are troubled on eve­ry side, yet not Distressed. And how comes this to pass? see ver. 9, That the Life of Jesus [Page 44]may, be manifested in our Body; that is, that our Lives may be conformable to his Life in submissive Sufferings, and that it may be ma­nifest, that the Life that we live is the Life of Jesus Christ, that he lives in us, and that by him we live, and that contentedly under all our Calamities.

5. See that you live Comfortably and Cheer­fully, in the Consideration that Christ lives in and with you A Melancholly drooping Life is a great Reflection upon Religion, and upon Christ himself, and an occasion of stumbling unto many. And will you carry it so, as if you served a hard Master? none have more Reason to live Chearfully and Joyfully, than you that have Christ in you, the Hope of Glory: Such as you are called upon by God himself to re­joice in the Lord always, and to be of good Comfort, and that under the troubles of the World; you need not to be troubled at your troubles, but may and ought under your Cros­ses to Comfort your selves in Christ, in your Union with him, in your Interest in him, and in your Enjoyment of him: and that because he is in you Incessantly, Intercessively, Insepara­bly and Incumbently: He is in you,

(1.) Incessantly, in you and alway in you, when you perceive it not, when he hides his Face, and seems to be withdrawn, and you conclude be is quite departed from you; yet then he is with you, John 14.16. The Spirit abideth with you, and shall abide with you for [Page 45]ever: As a vital principle to preserve and keep you from Apostacy; and is not this Comforta­ble, and a sure Hope of Glory?

(2.) Intercessively: Christ in Heaven is your Intercessour with God the Father, and his Spirit within you is your Intercessour betwixt Christ and your Souls, Rom. 8.26, 27. The Spirit pleads Christs cause with us, and stands up for Christ against the Flesh; and it pleads our cause in Prayer with Christ and the Father. The Spirit then is in you a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication, and the Spirit of Adoption, ena­bling you to go to God boldly as to a reconci­led Father in Christ, and to pour out your Souls to him: It's Christ his Spirit in you that is the Spring of all your Holy Desires and Mo­tions God-ward: And that only that comes from the Spirit in you finds Acceptance with God, for the Spirit moves you to ask what is agreeable to Gods Will, and with a Submissi­on to his Will: And you receive Answers of Prayers in your spirits oft, in inward Strength and Consolation from the Spirit of God within you. Such as cry down the Spirit of Prayer, have need to take heed they do not despite to the Spirit of Grace.

(3.) Inseparably; nothing can sever Christ and your Souls, John 14.16. The Spirit shall abide with you for ever. And Ver. 17. He dwelleth in you, and shall be in you; he shall be in you in despite of all Opposition: All the De­vils in Hell cannot with all their Exorcisms cast [Page 46]the Spirit of God out of the Souls of his People: Satan may be dispossessed, but the Holy Ghost cannot be dispossest. He is in you, and shall be in you: Blessed be God for this Promise; he is in you not as a Guest in an Inn to stay but for a Night, but as an Inhabitant to abide in you, and he will secure his Possession. And what a strong Conso­lation is this, once Christs, and always Christs! If Christ be in you, he will never depart from you; he may in some Cases withdraw his visi­ble Communion, but not his Union: And as to Communion, he departs in the Souls Appre­hension, but that is no real departure.

(4.) Incumbently; as one in Office to over­see your Souls, 1 Pet. 2. last. Ye were as Sheep going astray, but are now returned to the Shep­berd and Bishop of your Souls. Christ is the great Archbishop of the Soul, and he is no Non-resident, but Incumbent in the Soul, as a Bishop is in his Diocess to rule and govern the same, or as a Pilot in a Ship to guide it, or as the Soul in the Body to actuate and animate it. It's his Office to Counsel, Conduct, Confirm and Comfort his People, and he is faithful in his Office: You see what Com­forts you may suck out of this Honycomb: Oh Mind them much, that you may live com­fortably upon them in this bad World. Do not pore too much upon your Troubles, but oft call to Mind the Comforts that belong to you, and live joyfully in Hope of Glory.

1. Ʋse,

Of Information. This Doctrine plainly shews two Truths of great concern to us, viz. That all Hopes of Glory are not true Hopes; and that all hearts in whom Christ dwells ought to live in Hope of Glo­ry. I will speak to both these designedly, to beat down false hopes that ruin thousands, and to advance true hope in the hearts of Gods People, for their Comfort in this wick­ed World.

1. All Hopes of Glory are not true hopes.

How many have we amongst us in England that live in Hope of Glory, that have no true hope in themselves, nor any ground for their Hopes of Glory: I'le apply my self to two sorts of People.

1. To Professors, that profess Christianity with a seeming integrity and seriousness, but all in hypocrisie. Least doubting sincere Souls should fallely apply this to themselves, and so aggrivate their discouragements, I shall first describe the Hypocrite, and then lay open [Page 66]the falsness of his Hope. That Professor is an Hypocrite that for self-interest conforms to the outward exercises of Christianity, and walks in the tract of the duties thereof, but is a stranger to the inwards of duty, viz. the enjoyment of Christ, and the exercise of Grace therein; hath no regard to the inward man, hath nothing of the Image of Christ in the Soul, is wholly carnal and sensual, not ha­ving the Spirit, is altogether destitute of sa­ving Grace: And as for his gifts, he useth them for by ends, to quiet his Conscience, to keep up his Name and Credit amongst Christians, or to curry favour with some that he hath a de­pendance upon. As for such as labour under a trembling fear of hypocrisie, and bewail that partial hypocrisie they find in themselves, and fight and pray against it, they hereby give such an evidence of their sincerity, as de­clares that they are of the number of true Christians, and cannot be ranked amongst Hypocrites, and their Fault lies not in ho­ping, but in the weakness of their Hope, and oft in rejecting the Hope of Glory: But the Hypocrite, tho' he be not in a hope­ful condition, yet he is commonly full of confidence, and cherisheth false hope in him­self; but this Doctrine overthrows his hope: Si tollitur causa tollitur effectus; Take away the Cause, and the Effect ceaseth: Now in these the experience of the saving work of Grace in the heart is wanting, Christ was ne­ver [Page 67]formed in them, and therefore there can be no such thing in them as any true Hope of Glory: And hence it is the Spirit of God in the Word cries down the hope of the Hypocrite, and tells him that it is not to be trusted to, but that in vain they hope for Glory: Job 8.13, 14. The Hypocrites Hope shall perish — His trust shall be a Spiders Web; Spun out of a false conceit of their own brains, and when the besom of destruction comes, it fails and proves a Spiders Web; for weakness, and worth, and durance, it proves of no value; Job 27.8. What is the Hope of the Hypocrite when God taketh away his Soul? Then where is his hope? Alas, he then finds his hope turned into despair, and he that hoped for Heaven is cast down into Hell! Oh these false Hopes, how do they vanish under the greatest needs of the Soul? such come before God, like men to a Market, with Money enough in their Pocket that they took for good, but proves counterfeit and will not pass, and so they cannot supply any of their need with it: So these hopes fails them when they most need them, and will not pass for currant; their hopes of Glory have not [...] grain of good in them, they are counter­ [...]eit Coin, away with them.

2. To prophane Wretches, that live scan­ [...]alous Lives, wallow in wickedness, that [...]ne would think that they could not pretend [...] any hopes of Glory; and yet I have met [Page 68]with many of these that feed themselves with hopes of Glory: Though these hopes are the Childrens bread, yet these Dogs snatch at them; and they that are Posting towards Hell will not be brought to see their Danger, but think they are going to Hea­ven. Oh you that live prophane Lives, and yet hope for Glory, hear what is said of your hope, Job 11.20. The Hope of the wic­ked shall be as the giving up of the Ghost; that is, He that is seized with Death, and his Soul ready to expire, may as well hope to Live, as such hope for Heaven in the State they are in: Or their Hope is as the giving up of the Ghost, that is, as a puff of breath, like the last puff of breath that a dying man puffeth when he leaves the World, that vanish­eth in a moment: It's no more to be regarded, no more to be relied upon then such a puff. And when the Wicked puff out their last breath, their breath and hope will vanish together: Then adieu to Breath, and adieu to Hope. Oh ye that live in notorious Wickedness, and yet hope for Mercy from God (in this State of Sin) at your Death, give me leave to expostulate with you a little about your hopes.

(1.) What reason can you give for this hope that is in you? what Word of God have you met with to ground your hope on? Alas, alas, that you should take up a hope that hath not one Word of God for its sup­port, [Page 69]but much against it in the Scripture: Nay, let me tell you, your hope is false, or God himself false in his Word; reconcile your hope if you can to these Scriptures, Psa. 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell. Job. 19.7. He shall perish for ever like his own Dung: Isa. 3.11. Wo to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Isa. 27.11. He that made them shall not have mercy on them, and he that formed them shall shew them no favour. Rom. 2.9. Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul that doth evil. 2 Thes. 1.7.8.9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven — ta-Vengance on them that know not God, and o­bey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting Destructi­on.

(2.) What Right can you claim to Christ, and to Salvation by him? he is a Saviour of the believer, and of none but believers; if you say you believe, and therefore he is your Saviour, then hear what James says to you, James 2.18, 19, 20. Thy Faith is a dead Faith, and profits nothing, and this he proves thus, Faith without works is dead; thy Faith is such a Faith, and therefore but a dead Faith.

2. Ʋse,

Of Instruction, to three sorts of Per­sons, viz. To such as are wallowing in their Sins; to such as are weak in their Faith and Hope; and to such as are waiting in Hope for the Glory of Heaven.

(1.) To such as are Wallowing in their Sins.

Oh all ye that live in Uncleanness, Drun­kenness, Ungodliness and Unrighteousness, and Consequently live without Christ and true Hope in the World, be Instructed from this Doctrine to take notice of some great Truths that much concern you. As,

1. Observe the Happiness of such as do Believe and Cordially Embrace the Gospel, and change your Thoughts of them: You ac­count them simple contemptible People, and think that they are more precise than wise; but consider, is it not better to enjoy Christ in Grace, and assured hopes of enjoying him in Glory, than to live Vitiously without any re­gard to Glory? I appeal to your own Con­sciences, and desire you to take the answer that your Consciences will give you to this question, Whether they are in the better Condition that live under guilt, and in constant danger of eternal Death and Damnation, or they that by Faith and Repentance are uni­ted to, and in Communion with their Bles­sed [Page 78]Redemer, and live in sure and certain Hope of Glory.

2. Observe the High-way to obtain both the Hope of Glory here, and the enjoym [...]nt of Glory hereafter: And this you see is not the professing Christ with the Mouth, but possessing him in the Heart: Not the owning of Christ by the Soul, but the admitting Christ into the Soul. It's this that is the appointed way to Glory, and to the Hope of Glory; and if you fall short of this, you will certainly fall short of Glo­ry: Alas, you talk of living in Hope of Glo­ry, and have hopes in your selves, but they are false Hopes, and pernitious Hopes, that make you secure and careless in the midst of the most dreadful Danger; and take heed least that Threatning be executed upon you, 1 Thes. 5.3. When they shall say peace and safety, then suddain destruction cometh on them, as tra­vel upon a Woman with child, and they shall not escape.

3. Observe the Hatefulness of the Sin of Unbelief, and the reason why there is so much said against it in the Gospel: Here lies the vileness of this Sin, where it Reigns it vitiates the Heart, and keeps Christ and the Soul asunder, and so frustrates the Death of Christ to the Soul. And this is your Case: You are oft told of your Misery, and pres­sed to flie to the City of Refuge, but you be­lieve [Page 79]not our Report of your Case, but by Unbelief bolt the Door of your Hearts a­gainst the Voice of the Gospel, and this makes your Case so hopeless: Your Unbelief is that which so much endangers your Ruin. Did you beileve the account that God himself gives of your Case in his Holy Word, you could not feed your selves with these false Hopes that keep you from Repentance.

4. Observe the Holiness of this Glory, that this Doctrine speaks of, and your unmeet­ness for the same, Col. 1.12. Giving thanks to the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. This Inheritance is a heavenly Inhe­ritance, and the Inheritance of none but Saints, and these Saints are made meet for it before they are received into it. If then you would be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints, you must be made meet for it. Can you imagin that such filthy Hearts as yours are meet for Heaven? what should such as you do in Hea­ven? were it possible for such as you to get in­to Heaven, Heaven would be a Hell to you. You that are now tyred so much with an hour or two spent in the Service of your Maker, how could you brook the Holiness of Heaven, and the heavenly Imployments of Saints and Angels?

5. Observe the Hopelesness of a Christless Con­dition: The Hopes of Glory are inconsistent [Page 80]with a Christless Condition. Such as live with­out Christ in the World must needs live with­out Hope of Glory also, Ephes. 2.12. Ye were without Christ — Having no hope, and without God in the world: I pray you mind what the Lord says of your Condition: You say you have Hope, but God says that your Condition is a hopeless Condition, and that you have not Hope: Alas your Hope is no Hope in Gods Account, for it is no well-grounded Hope, no true Hope: It's pre­sumption and not Hope; it's said, Rom. 5.5. Hope maketh not ashamed: That is, Di­vine Hope is certain and infallible, and doth not shame such as enjoy it by way of Fru­stration: But what shame will your Hope expose you to! what confusion will it put you to when it fails, and you miss of your vain Glorious Hope! how many are there now in Hell, that on Earth boasted of their Hopes of Heaven! Now shall I beg of you, that you would commune with your selves about these things, and take them into se­rious Consideration, and press them upon your own Spirits, that they may awaken you, and convince you of your need of Christ, and provoke you to submit to the Gospel, and to the way that God therein hath appointed for your Salvation, and so by degrees brings you to live in sure and certain Hope of Glo­ry.

2. To such as are weak in Faith and Hope.

There are many precious Souls that have Christ in them, and yet are weak in Faith and full of doubting, and enjoy little Hope in themselves of Glory; and I would wil­lingly contribute something towards the en­crease of their Hope of Glory: And in or­der thereunto shall propound to such, some means and helps that tend to the strengthen­ing of the Hope of Glory, and beseech them diligently to employ themselves in the use of them.

1. See that you praise God heartily for the mercies you have already received, Col. 3.15. Be ye thankful: You are full of Complaints of your wants, you want Peace, and Joy, and Assurance: But are ye thankful for what you have? thankfulness for what you enjoy, is the way to obtain a speedy supply of what you want: The thankful Soul is a Soul fitted for mercy: And God will be the more ready to give, when he knows that what he gives will be thankfully received: Were we more thank­full, he would open his hand the sooner and wider when we come to him for new sup­plies, but when enjoyed mercies are under­valued, and God wants his praise for them, then it's no wonder that he delays to give more mercies; he will make you wait the longer, to teach you more thankfulness. A mite of Grace is of more worth than a Moun­tain of Gold: And you have Grace, and much Grace, but because you want Comfort, you [Page 82]overlook your Graces, and do not own them with thankfulness, and God is offended here­at, and takes an effectual course to make you more thankful.

2. See that you proceed in the exercise of what grace you have. A Babe in time may become a strong Man, and weak beginnings may have large endings: A small Tallent may be doubled by good usage, Mat. 13.12. He that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance; alway, provided that he hus­band well what he hath: Therefore what Faith and Hope you have, (though it be weak) yet exercise with Dilligence: Repetition of Acts beget habits, and diligent endeavors are at­tended with a Blessing, and so you may come to have abundance, Prov. 11.25.). The di­ligent Soul shall be made fat: You complain of leanness of Soul, take heed that your lean­ness be not the effect of your own negligence; exercise more diligence in the use of what Grace you have, and your diligence will be blessed with fatness.

3. See that you plead the Promises at the Throne of Grace: This was good David his frequent Practise, Psal. 119.25. Quicken thou me according thy Word: v. 28. Strengthen thou me according to thy Word: v. 41. Let thy mercy come unto me, O Lord, even thy Salva­tion, according to thy Word. In this one Psalm he useth this Plea very oft, no less then ele­ven times. Its no presumptious, but a pro­fitable [Page 83]Plea, to urge God with his Word of Promise, and it is our Wisdom to reduce it to Practise: Its much in use betwixt Man and Man; You promised me to do so and so, when will you perform it? let us use the same Plea betwixt God and us: It is thy promise, be it according thy word. It's the Plea of Faith, it is as if the Soul should say, Lord, thy promises are faithful Promises, and here I spread one of thy Promises before thee, and trust to thee for the accomplish­ment of it; be it according to thy Word.

4. See that you press the Commands of Faith and Hope upon your own Spirits: This Course David took, Psal. 43. last, Why art thou cast down, Oh my Soul — hope in God. It's ill done, O my Soul, to cast aside thy Hope, and to give way to dispondency; it's thy Duty to trust in God, and see that thou hope in God. Hoping in God is an indispen­sible Duty that God requires from thee, 1 Pet. 1.13. Be sober, and hope to the end. And it's a very acceptable Duty, Psal. 157.11. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him, in those that hope for his mercy: And wilt thou, O my Soul, cast of thy Duty, a Duty that God takes Pleasure in! O far be it from thee! Oh my Soul, hope thou in God! thus press it upon your Souls.

5. See that you Parley not with Satan about the great concerns of your own Souls, have nothing to do with him: He is an open Ene­my [Page 84]to Christ and Christianity, and you have renounced him in your Baptism, therefore reject his Temptations for Sin, as well as his Temptation to Sin: Enter not into dispute with him, he is too crafty a Sophister to be disputed with by weak Christians; it will be your wisdom therefore to take the course that Paul took, 2 Cor. 12.7, 8. There was given me a thorn in the flesh, the Messenger of Sa­tan to buffet me — For this thing I be­sought the Lord thrice. Note, (1.) The Case that Paul was now in: There was given him a Thorn in the flesh, viz. Satan was per­mitted to buffet him; [...], the evil Angel Satan, not a Menssenger of Satan, but Satan himself. And this is added exegeti­cally, to explain what his Thorn in the flesh was, viz., The buffets of Satan, his immedi­ate Suggestions darted into his Soul, which com­monly are unnatural in kind, suddain in moti­on, and violent in prosecution. (2.) The Course he took in this case, he betook him­self to God by Prayer: Paul had much Grace, and much of the Spirit, yet declines dispu­ting with the Devil, and flies to God for re­fuge against him, and herein is an example for us to follow: We must decline Disputes with the Devil, and Pray him down, and were this course well followed, Satan could not get such advantage against Christians as oft he doth. I'le conclude this matter with the Prayer of Paul, Rom 15.13. The God of [Page 85]hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the Power of the Holy Ghost: Its not the words of Man that perswade the heart to live in hope, but the Power of the Holy Ghost, and his Power can make you abound in hope, and raise your feeble hope to a full assurance of hope. Now I pass to the third sort.

3. To such as are waiting in hope for the Glory of Heaven.

There are some, yea many, that through Free-Grace are brought to wait in hope for the glory of Heaven; my Instructions to these follow:

1. Confine your Hopes to the limits of the Gospel: The Gospel allows you to wait up­on God in hopes of Glory in the World to come, this I am sure is your Duty; but as for such as extend their hopes according to their fancies, and wait Night and Day, and that in a Triumphant manner, with such Jol­lities, Mirth, Musick, Dancing, Clapping of hands for joy, as was never practised a­mongst sober Christians, in expectation of a speedy Midnight Cry, and a Transportation to Jerusalem: Let me entreat you to look upon them as under a Satanical delusion, and have nothing to do with that hope that will certain­ly end in shame. Keep your hope within the compass of the Promises, and aspire not to hopes that are of such a Phantastical Na­ture.

2. Confess oft your unworthiness of this great Mercy: It's a high Attainment, and it's a hard matter to keep the Heart low, un­der high Attainments. High hopes of Glory are apt to lift up the Heart with high thoughts of it self: To have such high hopes, and yet to have low Spirits, is rare and extraordinary. Paul indeed was high in Gifts and high in Grace; high in excellencies, and high in ex­pectation of Glory, and yet low and hum­ble in Spirit; do you labour to be like him: And to this end, mind your unworthiness of the mercy, and ascribe all your hopes of Glory to Free Grace: You are in danger of Pride in this case, watch against it, and pray against it, and beat down every bubble of Pride that ari­seth in your Hearts, least you grow High-mind­ed, and so provoke God to bereave you of your hope of Glory: Rom. 11.20. Be not high-mind­ed but fear: Think not highly of your selves, but sear, least your Hearts should grow haugh­ty, and beware of it. Pride is a great Sin, especially when it is about those things which are freely given us of God, for the good of out Souls.

3. Confute your causeless and carnal Fears by these your sure and certain Hopes of Glo­ry. You are incident in this Life to frauds from men and frowns from God, to Sin and Sorrow, and to Trials and Temptations, and these cause fears, yea great and terrible fears: Good David was surrounded with [Page 87]them, Psal. 31.13. Fear was on every side: And none are free from these fears, Isa. 24.17. Fear, the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O In­habitant of the Earth: There is not an Inha­bitant upon the Earth, but he is sometimes haunted with these fears, and these exceedinly discompose and disjoint the Soul, and unfit it for the Service of God: Now God hath gi­ven you Hope of Glory for an Antidote against this Poyson, to cure you of your fears; imploy your hopes against your fears, and confute your fears with your hopes. (1.) Argue a Minore ad majus, from the less to the greater: Doth the fear of Hell and Dam­nation seize you? confute it thus, he that hath a sure certain Hope of Glory, shall en­joy the end of his hope, viz. The Salvation of his Soul, otherwise this hope were in vain; and God hath given me such a hope: Away then thou fear, it's not for him that lives in hopes of Glory to torment himself with such need­less fears: Thus by your Hope cast out your Fears. (2.) Argue majore ad minus, from the greater to the less, Rom. 8.32. Shall he not with him freely give us all things? hath he given me Christ, and the Hope of Glory, and shall I fear want? no surely, he will see to my needs, and supply me with all necessaries, and what need I more? Phil. 4.19. My God shall supply all your wants, according to his Riches in Glory by Christ; he hath supplied the wants of my Soul, and shall I fear want [Page 88]of supplies for my body, when I have a pro­mise of the supply of all my need? No, no, as I hope for Glory, so will I hope in God for bodily supplies, and cast my care upon him, that alway hath taken care for my sup­ply.

4. Conform your selves to Christ, with whom you hope to live in Glory: Conform to his Precepts and to his Pattern, do his Will on Earth as it's done in Heaven. See that your Hopes of Glory influence your Heart, and excite Heavenly-mindedness: You that hope to live with Christ in Glory, what manner of persons ought ye to be, how exact in your daily walk, how lively in every Duty, how re­gular in all your actions? you should make your hopes of Glory a strong Argument against Sin; it's not for one that hopes to live with Christ in Glory to mind earthly things, 1 John 3.3. Every man that hath this hope in him­self, purifies himself, as he is pure: He Argues thus with himself; Christ is pure and holy, and I hope to live with him in Glory, and therefore it concerns me above others to shun all uncleanness, and to keep my self unspotted from the World.

5. Confirm your hope of Glory more and more. Strong hopes of Glory would add much strength to your Soul. (1.) Your patience would be much strengthned by it; steady, firm, and assured hopes of Glory would enable you to possess your souls in Patience, under the [Page 89]sadest Circumstances that can befall you, 1 Thes. 1.3. Remembring your patience of Hope: Patience is the product of hope, and hope the Mother of patience; the stronger your hope, the greater your patience; Hope therefore must be strength­ned for the increase of patience: You have need of Patience, Heb. 10.36. It's needful to help you to wait for mercy under long delays of Mercy, and to help you to bear ad­versity without Despondency. High Hopes of Glory heigthen Patience, and patience easeth the Burden of Oppression. (2) Your Praises would be much sweetned by it. A Heart filled with Hope of Glory is a joy­ful heart, and Praises God melodiously and joyfully, Psal. 16.9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, my flesh also shall rest in hope; or according to the Hebrew, dwell con­fidently, and I hope to enjoy everlasting rest in Glory, and this makes my heart glad, and my glory rejoyce, when with my glory or tongue I glorifie God in trumpeting out his Praise, my heart rejoyceth in me. Strong hopes fill the heart with strong Consolations, Heb. 6.18. and strong Consolations enlarge the heart in Praises. Confirmed hope quickens and corroborates the Soul, and makes the prai­ses of God very delightful to a Christian.

6. Comfort your selves under all Discom­forts, Disappointments and Discouragements with your hopes of Glory: You are sure whilst you are in this envious World to meet with [Page 90]Troubles, but be of good Comfort, Christ within you, and your hope of Glory will support you in your Trouble, and animate you under them; you need not to be troub­led at your troubles, they will quickly be over. Consider for your Comfort that these Troubles are,

1. Passages to Glory, Acts. 14.22. We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The way to Glory is a thorny way, and you must expect in your Pas­sage Tribulation, and much Tribulation, and must pass through it. Mariners and Merchants pass through many a storm, and if they come well home richly laden, they think well of the Voyage. And though your passage to glory be tempestuous and stormy, yet glo­ry will make amends for all.

(2.) Petty matters if compared to glory, not worthy to be compared to it: Rom. 8.18. Poor, inconsiderable things to glory, and why then should you make such adoe about them? who will be concerned about a soul step or two in his way, that is going to take possession of a Crown?

(3.) Preparatives for Glory, Heb. 12.11. They yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness; they make the Soul fruitful, and that in good fruits: And the more of these fruits we bring forth, the more meet and fit we are for Glo­ry.

(4.) Productive of a richer degree of Glory, [Page 91]2 Cor. 4.17. not only suffering for Christ, but bodily afflictions are not only momen­tary but gainful, and means appointed to ob­tain a more weighty Crown of Glory. Now mind these things, and consider it will be but a while, but all your Troubles will be over, and in the mean time your condition is com­fortable.

3 Ʋse.

Of Direction how to attain to a well-grounded hope of Glory. Would you live under sure and certain hope of Glory, and not deceive your selves with vain presumptuous hopes of glory, then you must get Christ into your hearts, that Christ in you may be your hope of glory. You that live either without Christ, or against Christ in the world, and flatter your selves in vain with hopes of glory, know that you are mistaken in your own estate, and do but put a cheat upon your own Souls: Your present Condition is a hopeless Condi­tion, there is no hope of glory growing in the Garden of your Souls: There is hope of Glo­ry attainable, but not in the case you are in: You must make sure of Christ, or I am sure you cannot be saved: Your hopes will cer­tainly be frustrated; and therefore expect not Heaven under the guilt and state of sin, but fly to the City of Refuge, put on Christ, be­come his Disciples, take his Yoke upon you, that Christ may become your Hope of Glo­ry. It is not so easie a matter to get to Hea­ven as you take it to be, nor to get a well [Page 92]grounded Hope of Glory. Such a hope is (I confess) worth your utmost diligence in seeking after it; it's an excellent thing, and such as enjoy it are excellent men, and Oh that you would look diligently after it. In hope that some are willing to get in this hope­ful Condition, I shall direct you how it is to be obtained, and what is required in order thereunto. Would you get a fure and certain Hope of Glory? then it must be by Union and Communion with Christ; and this cannot be had but from Christ himself: And if you would have it from Christ, he requires on your part, serious Consideration, sincere Consent, and sa­cred Compliance.

(1.) Serious Consideration; Ezek. 18.28. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his wickedness that he hath committed, he shall surely live, and he shall not die. You see Con­version preceeds Salvation, and Considera­tion preceeds Conversion. Continuance in Sin proceeds for want of due Consideration: You will never be brought to turn away from your wickedness 'till you be brought to consi­der, Hag. 1.7. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, con­sider your ways. God puts the Sinner in order to his Conversion upon serious Consideration, and calls upon him to Consider: Oh then, take the matter into serious Consideration, commune with your own Hearts, and consider seriously.

1. The Woes as are denounced by God against impenitent Sinners, Isa, 3.11. Woe [Page 93]to the wicked: Joh. 10.15. If I be wicked, Woe unto me: Isa. 5.18, 19, 20. Wo to them that draw Iniquity with the cords of Vanity — Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that say concerning evil, it is good; Now consider these Woes are dreadful, and that you are they that lie under these Woes, and stand in danger of their Execution, Psa. 50.22. Now consider this, ye that forget God least I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: When God is putting his Woes in Execution, then there is no way to escape; he like a Lyon tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Consider then that if the Execution of the Woes of God be not pre­vented by true Repentance, you are certain­ly undone for ever; they are denounced a­gainst you, and if they fall upon you, your condition will be woeful to all Eternity.

2. The way to escape the Woes you lie under is only by Jesus Christ, John 14.6. I am the way: There is Salvation in no other: You cannot save your selves from these Woes by any thing you can do or suffer, it's your Sins have brought you under these Woes, and satisfaction must be made to Di­vine Justice for your Sins, and this is done by Christ, and by the plenary Satisfaction that he made for Sin; he is become and pro­claimed to be a mighty and all sufficient Savi­our, and all are invited to come to him for Salvation. So that you see, he is the way: [Page 94]Therefore consider, that as yet ye are out of Christ, and so out of the way to Glory: And what hope can you have of Glory, that are not in the way to Glory; Psal. 119.176. Like lost sheep you are gone astray, and are wandring out of the way. There is but one way to Heaven, and that is by Christ, and as yet you are out of this way: So that if you continue as you are, you cannot have any sure Hope of Glory. And consider al­so,

3. The wants that remain in you unsup­plied in this your Christless Condition, you want Pardon of Sin, Peace of Conscience, Poverty and Purity of Heart, and the Spi­rit of Grace and Supplication; all which are requisite to make you meet for Heaven, and to make way for sure and certain hopes of Glory, Phil. 4.19. My God shall supply all your wants, according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus: It is by Christ that God supplies these wants; and when Christ comes into a Soul, he brings such supplies along with him as supply all the need of the Soul. As long as you continue without Christ, your needs con­tinue unsupplied: In Christ all fulness dwells, fulness of Might, fulness of Merit, and ful­ness of Mercy: And of his fulness such as are sa­ved by Christ receive Grace for Grace, Job 1.16. Oh then consider the need that you stand in of Christ to supply your need. Your needs are great, they cannot be supplied from the [Page 95]World, it affords not one supply of the needs of your Soul, nor can they be supplyed from your selves: It's you that are needy, and want supplies of your need: It's Christ and him alone that supplies the need of the Soul, and all its need. Oh stand still a while, and fix your eyes upon Christ: And now you are up­on Consideration, consider him that deserves your most Serious and Solemn Consideration, Heb. 3.1. Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Heb. 12.3. Consider him that endured such contradiction of Sinners against himself: You have been con­sidering your selves, your Woes, your Wan­derings and your Wants. Now consider the Apostle and High-Preist of our Profession, Christ Jesus. Consider what he is in him­self, the Son of God, the great Mediator of the Covenant; and Consider what he is to such as receive him, he is their Apostle and High-Preist, and their Advocate with the Fa­ther, and so their Hope of Glory: Consi­der,

(1.) His fullness and all-sufficiency: Though your disease is Heritary and Mortal, yet his Blood hath Vertue and Efficacy enough in it to recover you: Though your need is so great, that the Riches of the World cannot supply it, yet he is so Rich and All-suffici­ent that he supplies all the wants of all that come to him: He is wonderful, the Wonder of the World, and the Wonder of Heaven, [Page 96]not only for his greatness but for his good­ness. How amazing is it to consider, all the rich supplies wherewith he supplies his Peo­ple?

(2.) His faithfulness: As the fulness of his Person, so the faithfulness of his Promi­ses is very considerable, Heb. 10.23. Faith­ful is he that promised: He hath promised to entertain all that come to him, and to cast off none that come, John. 6.37. But to supply all their wants, and to save them from the wrath to come, and great is his faithfulness, and continues to all Generations, that it's be­yond all doubt that all such shall be saved, and may live in sure and certain hope of Glo­ry. Now you see what considerations are required from you, and if you consider these things, you will find that they will con­vince you of your Misery by nature, and incline you to make use of your Remedy: But then Remember what Considerations they must be; they must be serious Con­siderations. Some are inconsiderate, and do not mind things of this Nature; others consider them slightly, and not seriously, and this keeps them off from the benefit of such Con­siderations; they do not weigh Matters, nor mind the great importance of them, nor consi­der themselves, how much they themselves are concerned in the Matter; and hence it is that their Considerations work no Convictions nor Conversions in them. You must so Consider, as [Page 97]that your Considerations may make deep im­pressions upon your Souls: Your Considerations must be fiducial Considerations, and frequent Considerations, and affectionate Considerati­ons, dwelling upon the matters pondered, and driving them home to the Conscience, 'till you find your Souls much concerned about them: And then from Consideration proceed to Consent, and so I come to the second thing required from you, viz.

(2.) Sincere Consent: Follow on with Consideration 'till the Soul freely Consent.

And your Consent must be real and Re­ligious; it must be a willing voluntary Con­sent, without constraint and compulsion, giv­en out of choice, as a matter that is most eli­gable, rational and useful: It must be an upright, sincere and cordial Consent, without Hypocrisie, synister Ends, or worldly Re­spects, as to a matter purely Religious and of a Divine Nature: And it must be an Uni­versal, Impartial and Catholick Consent, with­out Reservation, Limitation, or secret Ex­ception to all the Terms of the Gospel. This Consent must be given,

1. To the Covenant of Grace, as to the Mag­na Charta of all your Christian Rights and Priviledges: You must consent to the matter of it as Gracious, Immutable, Royal, Irre­vocable and Fundamental: And you must con­sent to the main end of it, as it's a standing Monument of Free-Grace, and bespeaks God [Page 98]reconciled by Christ to all faithful Consent­ers: And as it's a special Pledge of his infi­nite Love to his Elect, and the Confirmati­on of their Faith, and their sealed Indenture for Glory.

2. To Christ the great Mediator of the Co­venant, as to the Person from whom you ex­pect all the blessings of the Covenant, and up­on whom you wholly depend for Salvation, and for all the Mercies that accompany Sal­vation; you must consent to his Offices, and to the exercise of all his Offices in and over you. You must consent to his Yoke of Go­vernment, to submit to his Laws, and to his Sovereignty: You must consent to his Cross, to partake with him in Suffering, and pass through much Tribulation to the King­dom of Heaven, and must take him for bet­ter and worse, to be true and faithful to him to the Death.

3. To the Conditions of the Covenant, be they never so hard to flesh and blood. He consents not only to such Conditions of the Covenant as may consist with his Profits and Reputation, ease and safety, but with such as are inconsistent with the same, as he con­sents.

(1.) To part with all his Sins, be they never so pleasant and profitable to him, be it as his right Hand or right Eye; you must be willing to part with them, and consent to be divorced from them. As Abraham consent­ed [Page 99]to the Sacrificing of his dear Son Isaac, and God accepted the Will for the Deed, and his intention is accounted his Action, Heb. 11.17. So you must consent to the Crucifying of your beloved Sins, and wil­lingness to part with them all will find acceptance with God, though they be not wholly put to Death in you in this Life.

(2.) To practice all the Duties of Reli­gion at all times, and under the greatest Haz­zards; even then when the Laws of men contradict the Laws of God, and make it penal to obey them, you must consent to all matters of Faith and Obedience, because en­joyned by God, and oblidging to Conscience, though thereby you expose your selves to the Scorn and Malice of wicked and unreasona­ble Men; you must consent to live to Christ as well as to be saved by Christ, and all that you do for God must be done out of Love, Thankfulness and Obedience.

(3.) To place all your hope in Christ, with­out respect to any Merit that is in your own good Works: You must consent to the doing of good Works with all diligence, as they are the Paths in which you are to walk, and the evi­dences of your Faith, and the Comforts of your Lives, and the works that belong to your gene­ral Calling: But as for your Faith and Hope, they must be fixed on Christ, and you must consent to take him for your only Saviour, [Page 100]and to hope in his Word, and to trust to his faithfulness for the supply of all your wants. And from a sincere Consent you must proceed to a sacred Complyance. There is required from you,

(3.) Sacred Compliance: Your sincere Consent must be seconded with a holy Com­pliance.

When you are come up to a free and full Consent, do not stick there, but follow it with a heavenly Compliance; fall to the work that you have consented to, and put good Inten­tions into godly Actions: He that gives his Assent and Consent to what in his Conscience he disallows, and in his practise he resolves not to perform, is condemned in himself. See that you demonstrate the sincerity of your consent by a holy compliance with Christ your Saviour. In every branch of your Chri­stian Consent make an open profession of your Consent by a cordial compliance with the Rules of the Gospel, and herein follow your own Consent, and not the custom of others: Remember your Consent is to the Vitals of your Religion, and your Compliance is your indispensible Duty, and let not the Exam­ple of selfish men misguide you in your work. Your Compliance must carry a cor­respondence with your Consent, and a confor­mity to Christ your Saviour; and if the An­gry World frown at you for your preciseness, be not discouraged, Christ himself endured [Page 101]such contradiction of Sinners; mind you your work, and let your compliance be such as is blameless, and set light by the Censures of such as are Strangers to sure and certain Hope of Glory. Let your main care be that your Compliance be according to the Gospel, and in compliance with Christ and your Christian Consent. (1.) Close with Christ, coming up to the Terms that you have consented to. Set your selves as in his Presence, and renew your Baptismal Covenant. Renounce the World, the Devil and the Flesh, and devote your selves to Christ and to his Service, with penitent Hearts for your by-past Breaches of your Covenant, and importunate Prayers for help from Heaven, and Strength to keep close unto God for time to come. Thus espouse your selves to Christ in Covenant, with full purpose of Heart to be faithful there­in.

2. Choose a faithful Guide for your Souls, to help you in your work, and quicken you in your Duty: The Lord that best knows your Need, hath appointed by his standing Ordinance such Guides in his Church, and (Blessed be his Name) hath provided such for you, and require you to honour and obey them, and to attend upon their Ministry, and by his Blessing upon their Labours and your faithful endeavours in the right▪ use of his Or­dinances administred by them, your Souls may come to be built up in the holy Faith, and [Page 102]so strengthened in believing as to live in sure and certain Hope of Glory.

3. Cherish your good beginnings, with secret Devotions, and daily Supplications for the Spirit of Adoption: Secret Prayer is a great help against secret Sins; and when put up by a broken and contrite Spirit, then it is a special means for the obtaining sure and certain Hopes of Glory. Under the secret Humiliations of the Soul before the Lord, the Lord oft visits the Soul in kindness, and Communicates unto it such hints of his Love, as strengthen Hope and give assurance of Glo­ry. Oh make Conscience of Secret Prayer, and make it your daily Practise, and be se­rious and devout therein, and you will at last arrive at the Haven of Rest; for so Christ giveth the Soul of his Beloved rest; rest from it's fears and doubts, and quiets it with sure and certain Hopes of Glory.

4. Chear up your Souls with such Tokens of Love as you receive from Christ in your Com­pliance with him: If you be cordial in your Compliance, and sincere in your Obedience, you will find that your Labour is not in vain, Psal. 19.11. In keeping his Commandments there is great Reward: Not only for keep­ing them, but in keeping them: It's in keep­ing them that Gods People have fellowship with the Trinity: It's in keeping them that they receive new supplies of Grace and Mer­cy, and such manifestations of Gods Love as [Page 103]fill their Souls with high Hopes of Glory: Be then encouraged to carry on your Compli­ance with Christ, and that with care and faith­fulness, 'till you attain to sure and certain Hope of Glory.

4. Ʋse,

Of Caution: To prevent mistakes and misapprehensions about this Doctrine: I shall conclude with some Cautions.