The nets of salvation. A brief essay, upon the glorious designs & methods of winning. The minds of men unto serious religion, : [Four lines of quotations]

The nets of salvation. A brief essay, upon the glorious designs & methods of winning. The minds of men unto serious religion, : [Four lines of quotations]

Table of contents

Title page

The Words of a 〈◊〉.

The Nets of Salvation. BOSTON-LECTURE. 25. d. 3. m. 1704.

APPLICATION.

The Language of a SOUL taken in, The Nets of Salvation.

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The Nets of Salvation. A Brief ESSAY upon the Glorious Designs & Methods of Winning the Minds of Men unto [...] RELIGION.

Eorum qui impios Convertunt Nomina, ab Angelis [...] Judaei. Grot. in Luc. 10. [...].

Matth. IV. 19. I will make you Fishers of MEN.

Boston, in N. E. Printed and Sold by Timothy Green, at the North End of the Town. 1704.

The Words of a [...].

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SIvita est Optanda sapient, profecto nullam ob aliam causam vivere Optarem, quam ut aliquid Efficiam, quod vita dignum sit, et quod Ulitate [...] Iegentibus, [...] non ad Eloquentiam, quia tenuis in nobis Facundiae Rivus est, ad vivendum [...]amen afferat, quod est maxime necessarium. Quo perfecto, satis me vixisse arbitror, et Officium Hominis implesse, si Labor meus aliquos Homines ab Erroribus Liberatos, ad [...]ter Caeleste direxerit.

The Nets of Salvation.
BOSTON-LECTURE. 25. d. 3. m. 1704.

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Prov. XI. 30,‘He that Winneth Souls, is Wise.’

MAY the Merciful Redeemer of Souls, cause this Word of His this Day to be fulfilled before our Eyes!

What man that has any sense of a God, or Soul, can behold a great Assembly of Souls▪ without some ardour of Soul, for the Winning of them? That your Souls, O my Hearers, may be Wun, unto the Fear of God, and [...]he Love of Christ, and unto the Good Things [...]hat accompany Salvation, you shall hear something of what is to be spoken, of, as well as [...]or, the Winning of Souls.

I am offering to you a Delicate Fruit, gathered from the Tree of Life. Indeed, a Righ [...]eous man, is in the Proverb that affords the [Page] Sentence now before us, compared unto the Tree of Life; And this, because of the Blessed Fruit which is to be gathered from such a man; because of the Blessed Life, which is Communicated in and with his Fruit. Plutarch reports, That the Babylonians fetch'd more than Three Hundred Commodities out of that One Tree, the Palm-tree; for which, it was a Tree highly & justly honoured among them. A Righteous man desires nothing so much, as to be a Fruitful Man. He counts it the greatest Glory imaginable, to Glorify God by bringing Forth [...] Fruit. But then, what is it, that [...]e aims at in bringing forth his Fruit? What; but the Winning of Souls. The Winning of Souls, is now commended unto us, as the Desire and Study of a Just man; and it is with an Intimation, that he will be a Wise man, who will be such a Just man.

Behold, the Maxim, which I hope, we shall all agree to take up; What man is there, who knows not that it is fallen down from Heaven unto us? I am sure, Tis a thing that cannot be spoken against.

That the Wisdom of Men is greatly to to be. E [...]press'd and Employ'd, in the the Winning of Souls.

[Page] We shall try to come to what we would be at, by these Advances.

1. There is One Thing to be laid in the Foundation of all that we have to say or to do; Tis a most granted Preliminary, That [...]here are Souls, Even Rational and Immortal Souls, in the Children of men: Souls, the Eternal welfare whereof, is the First Thing [...]o be Consulted by the Children of Men. That man is indeed not worthy the Name of a Man, who doubts whether he has a Soul distinct from his Body. His very Doubt is a Confutation of his Doubt; For, meer Body should never form a Doubt. All Dubitation is [...] peculiar Prerogative of Intellectual Mind. We find this Anatomy of man, at his Compo [...]tion; Gen. 2. 7. The Dust of the Ground, and, [...] Living Soul. We find this Division of man, at [...]is Dissolution; Eccl. 12. 7. The Dust returns [...] the Earth, and, The Spirit returns to God. Thy Body, O man, tho' it be Curiously & Wonderfully made, yet it is but the Cabinet of a far more Curious, and Wonderful, and Valuable [...]. A Soul, a Soul, with which if the Body [...]e laid in the Ballance, verily, the Body, with all the Interests of it, will be found more light [...]han the Dust of the Ballance. Man is not all Body, tho' in our English Language, a Person [Page] is called, a Body. No, There is a spirit in man. There is Lodged in our Body, and Vitally United unto it, a more spiritual Substance, Endued with the Faculties of Thinking, and Knowing, and Willing, and Affecting an Umon with an Humane Body. The Oracles of God, Evidently distinguish between our Spirit and our Flesh; The Father of One, is not the Father of the Other; The one may be out of the other, and without the other; nor is the Fate of the one, the Fate of the other. When the Body Expires, the Soul yet Survives. The strange presage which the Soul often has, of its leaving the Body within such or such a Time, and this Presage with a strange Exactness accomplished; This one thing, if there were no more, is an Ungainsayable, an Irrefragable Demonstration, That the Soul out-lives the Body. But more than this, The Creator and Redeemer of the Soul, has given us to understand, Mat. 10. 28. That the Soul cannot be Killed.

No; But He did not say, That the Soul cannot be Damned. The Danger which the Soul is in, Oh, so terrible is the Danger, that it cannot without Surprize, and Horror, and Amazement of Soul be thought upon. Certainly, our People will quickly be Wun unto [Page] this point; They will all quickly grant, That the Welfare of the Soul, is the First, & Chief, and Main Thing, to be by every man provided for. We read of such an admirable Thing as that; 3 Joh. 2. The Prosperity o [...] the Soul. That man, who does think the Prosperity of the Soul, is not the best Prosperity, [...] there can be any Prosperity without the Prosperity of the Soul, such a man horribly Rebels against the Light of that Reason, that makes him a Man. It was most Reasonably said of old, The Soul is the Man. When I see a man Thoughtless about the Welfare of his own Soul, I wonder that I don't see a thing driven from among Men, Eating the Grass like an Oxe, with a Body wet from the Dew of Heaven, and Hairs grown like Eagles Feathers, & Nails like the Clawes of Birds. Alas, Alas, why are we so Deaf unto the Cry of our Souls!

Truly, Sirs, While we are Feeding our Body, our Soul Cryes unto us, Oh! Tis of more Concernment, that I be fed with the Knowledge of Him, who is the Bread of Life! While we are Cloathing our Body, our Soul Cryes unto us, Oh! Tis of more Concernment, that I be Cloathed with that Righteousness, which is the Garment of Salvation! While we are providing an House, wherein our Body, which is but the Clay-house [Page] of the Soul, may be accommodated, our Soul pleads with us; Oh! Make sure of an House for me to inhabit, when the Earthly House of this Tabernacle shall be Dissolved, even an House Eternal in the Heavens. If the Soul be Holy & Happy▪ it must at last go well with the Body. For this Mortal Body shall then be at last Raised from the Dead, unto a Blessed Immortality; and it shall be the Fiery, Flying, Everlasting Chariot of the Soul, in the Heavenly Enjoyments of God If we look after nothing but the Body, we miss of our End about the Body it self; 'twill be impossible for us to keep the Body long from falling to pieces; but our Soul horribly perishes under the Eternal Wrath of God, whereinto our Sin hath cast our Soul, for want of looking after. It stands to Reason, That the welfare of the Soul is the main Chance that every man has to mind. Man, If thou wilt not mind thy Soul, claim no longer the Name of, A man!

II. Men should not only Save their own Souls, but also labour to win the Souls of others, by Engaging them in those things, that will issue in Salvation.

There are diverse Admonitions about this weighty and awful matter, to be i [...]culcated [Page] upon us: Oh! Hear them that your Souls may [...]ive!

First, A Soul is Wun, when it is brought [...] the doing of those things which must be [...] that it may be Saved. Or, say so; A [...] is Wun, when tis brought unto the Fear [...]. There is a Winning of Souls unto [...] selves, when we gain their good Opinion [...] us, and their good Affection to us. But, [...] is not the princip [...] Winning of Souls [...]herein so much Wisdom is called for. It is [...] Winning of Souls to Wisdom, that is to be [...] principal Display of our Wisdom; and that [...] the Winning and bringing of them unto the [...] of God, which is the principal Wisdom. The winning of a Soul, is Excellently described [...] us, in the words of one, that was a great [...]rtist at it; [...]am. 5. 20. He which [...] Sinner from the Error of his way, shall save a Soul from Death. The Winning of the Soul the Taking of the Soul. The Hebrew word [...] signifies as much as this comes to. There [...] the Snares of Destruction. Sins, all Sinful practices, are those Destroying Snares. A Soul taken in them, is a Lost Soul. But there are the Snares of Salvation too. In the ways [...]f Religion, there ly those Lovely, Useful, [...]aving Snares. A Soul is wun, when tis taken [Page] here, and Enticed and Allured into the Right w [...]es of the Lord. We read of one, Act. 26. 2 [...]. Almost persuaded to be a Christian. There was a Soul almost wun! But when a Soul is Altogether Perswaded unto Real Christianity, and unto those things that will be for the Everlasting Peace of it; There, There is the winning of the Soul. A Soul is wun, when it is engaged and Perswaded unto Serious Religion. Satan would make a Prize of every Soul. When the Soul is brought back unto God, by Serious Religion, it is then wun from Satan. The winning of the Soul, is the bringing of the Soul to Repent of Sin: Repentance is unto the Salvation of the Soul. The winning of the Soul, is the bringing of the Soul, to Believe on Christ; The End of Earth is the Salvation of the Soul. To win the Soul, is to bring the Soul, to Call on God, and Walk with God; He that Calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. We are here told, He that Winneth Souls, is Wise. You shall have an Angel from Heaven, to be an Expositor upon it; Dan. 12. 3. The wise are they, who Turn many to Righteousness. That, even That is the winning of the Soul; Tis, a bringing of the Soul into the Righteousness of God, by closing with the Lord Jesus Christ; and a bringing of the Soul, to [Page] [...]ove, and like, and chuse the Paths of Righteousness in Evangelical Obedience.

Secondly, Men owe this unto the Souls of [...]ne another, to do what they can, that they may win the Souls of others. No less than Six of the Ten Commandments uttered by the mouth [...] God unto His People from the Flaming Mountain, all turn upon Love to our Neighbours [...] Lovely Law, which requires nothing but Love! O Hateful Sin that shakes off such a [...]! We read, Rom. 13. 8. Owe no man anything, but to Love one another; set he that Love [...] [...]other, has fulfilled the Law. There is a Debt [...] Love, which we always owe to our Neighbours. Our Love to our Neighbours must appear in our Help to them. Our Help to our Neighbours must be used in all their Interests. Our Neighbours have no Interests, that are [...] great as those of their Souls. We are to [...] our Neighbours, what good we can in regard of their Place, their Life, their Health, their Wealth, their Name. Yea, but the Souls, [...] Souls of our Neighbours, are of infinitely [...] Account than all those things. We [...]charge not our Duties to our Neighbours, except we do for their Souls, all the Good what ever we can. It was required, Exod. 2 [...] [...] If thou [...] thine En [...]ies Oxe, or his[Page]As [...] going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. How much more, O Christian, if thou see the Soul of thy Neighbour going astray, shouldest thou do all that may be done to Wun him, and Save him? It was th [...] speech of Cain, and a Speech fit for the mouth of none but a Cain, a Child of the wicked One Gen. 4. 9. Am I my Brothers Keeper? Yes O man, Thou art under all the Bonds imaginable, to the Soul of thy Brother. Such is our Condition, that we need the mutual Assistences of one another, for our Souls, as much as in any of all our Concerns. And if we have any Charity for one another, it will be discovered in Assistences to the Souls of those about us, that call for it. Very positive is the Command of God; Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily. Is this all? Hear more; Lev. 19. 17. Thou shalt in any wise Rebuke thy Neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Is this all Hear more; 1 Thes. 4. 18.Comfort one another. There is the winning of Souls to be propounded in all these Operations.

And if the winning of Souls must be Endeavoured by all Christians, how much more must it be the Endeavour, the Vigorous and Exquisite Endeavour of them, who by a peculiar Office, have the Care of Souls lying upon them [Page] But, my Fathers & Brethren, As touching your Obligations to the winning of Souls, ye need not, that I speak unto you; For ye your selves are [...]aught of God, that the Winning of Souls, is the [...]ly thing you have to mind in the world.

Thirdly; The winning of Souls, does Declare and will Require, the Wisdom of the Souls, that are concerned in it.

We will speak Distinctly.

First. A Wise man will be Desirous to Do that he can for the Winning of Souls. There [...] no wise man, but what has had his own Soul [...]un unto the Service of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is the property of every such man, to be sollicitous for the Winning of others. There is no man, who has any true [...] in his own Soul, but what has an unbreakable Thirst in him to see Grace in every Soul about him. No man can have a Soul [...]cerely Renew'd and Alive unto God, but that longs to see the like Life, in every Soul [...] whom he is at all Related. The Language [...] every Godly Soul is nothing less than that, [...] Psal. 67. 3, 5. Let the People Praise thee, [...] God, let all the People Praise thee. Every wise man has a great Value for Souls, a great kindness for Souls. And a wise man does [...]sely lay to heart, the Consequences that [Page] will follow upon the Winning of Souls, or the not Winning of them.

On the one side, He sees, That if he do Win any Souls, an astonishing Reward, a delicious Comforts will be the Issue of it. There is no Pleasure under Heaven comparable to that, The Doing of Good: It is Heaven Anticipated; It is a most Heavenly Pleasure; [...] is its own Recompence; Every wise man is of that Judgment. But no Good is ever done, comparable to that which is done, in the winning of Souls. To Win a Soul, is to bring that Soul unto the Fruition of the Chief Good and it is to settle a New Fund of Services and Hallelujahs, and Adorations to the Great GOD that never, never shall be Exhausted through out Eternal Ages. More than this; He that wins a Soul, has a share in all the Felicity [...] that Soul. Tis a vast Honour, that the Lord puts upon a wise man, when He makes that man, the Instrument of winning a Soul to Everlasting Felicity; and he makes the man [...] Partaker of the Felicity. It will be so, when that Servant of God, shall behold the Saved Soul, Glorify God with such Acknowledgements, Oh! Blessed be God, for the Labours of such a man. Blessed be God, that ever I saw the Face, that ever I heard the Voice, that ever [...][Page]the Books, of such a Man! There will be a diadem of matchless Glory, set upon the head of that wise man, that is a winner of Souls. Of such men it is promised, They shall [...] as the Brightness of the Firmament, even as [...] Stars for Ever & Ever. The winners of Souls, will be the Stars, whom God will call Names, when the Holy City shall come down, the Out-casts of Israel shall be gathered. There will be Mansions of a peculiar Dignity in the Holy City of God, for the winners of Souls. They shall Ride in Triumph through the streets of that City, and it shall be Proclamed [...]fore them, These are the Men whom the [...] of Heaven delights to Honour. It is a [...]ishing passage, which our Apostle has to [...] Thessalonians; Their Souls had been wun [...] his Ministry; and now, sayes he; I Thes. [...] 19. What is our Hope, or Joy, or Crown of joycing? Are not even ye, in the Presence of [...] Lord Jesus Christ at His Coming? Sirs, At [...] Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall [...]eet with such as have had their Souls wun by [...] means unto the Service of the Lord Jesus Christ. But Oh! What a Rapturous Greeting will there be between us; To have it said [...] the one part, O my Friend, I thank God, I thank God, that ever I had your Counsils; what [Page]a Glory have they brought me to! To have it said on the other part, O my Child, I am glad you are here: what shall we now do together for the Glory of our Lord!

It was a Savoury Speech uttered by a Great Personage, who sometimes was a Preacher of the Gospel, but came to be one of the most Eminent States-men in Europe; Said he, ‘ [...] have passed through many places of Honour and of Trust, both in Church and State more than any of my Order in England for Seventy Years before. But were assured, that by my Preaching I had Converted but one Soul to God, I should there [...] take more Comfort, than in all the Honours and Offices that ever have been bestowed upon me.’ Great WILLIAMS, [...] do not wonder at thee!

On the other side; He sees, That if he do not what he can, for the winning of Souls, he may come to have the Ruine of Souls lying upon him. There is no fight so grievous and so fearful, unto a wise man, as the Desolation of [...] a SOUL. For a Soul to ly under the Guilt of Sin, and the Wrath of God, and become a Prey to Devils; Oh! Tis the most Heartbreaking sight, unto every Good man, that ever he look'd upon. But then, the Blood [Page] [...] a Ruined Soul, to have it lying upon him if; such a man had rather Dy upon the [...]heel, than be so miserable. It is a tremendous word; Ezek. 33. 8. If thou dost not speak warn the Wicked from his way, that wicked [...] shall Dy in his Iniquity, but his Blood will require at thine Hand. All men that can do [...] thing for the Souls of others, may be more less concerned in this word. Man, if thou nothing to Warn & Win the Wicked Folks but thee, they may Dy in their Iniquity, but [...] Blood may God require of thy Souls there is nothing, Oh! Nothing more terrify, [...] to a wise man, than the Blood of Souls. There no Wise man, but what had rather be thrown [...] a M [...]stone into the midst of the Sea, than the Cause of any man being Drowned in [...]; or have the Judge of the world [...] to him, The Blood of Souls is found in thy [...]. He trembles, he trembles at it, as much [...] Belshazzar did at a, M [...]ne T [...]kal

Secondly, He had need be a wise man, that all do any thing to purpose for the Winning [...] Souls. We read Prov. 16. 20. He that endles [...] matter wisely shall find Good. Even [...], He must handle a matter wisely, that will do [...]. None but a wise man will be likely to handle a matter for the winning of Souls. [Page] To win a Soul unto any thing, there is occasion for Wit & Skill: But there is occasion for more than ordinary Wisdom in the winning of Souls to Piety. For the Souls of men are Naturally most averse to Piety; and Satan tries with all the Art & Force of his Temptations, and by more than Ten Thousand Wiles to keep them Impious. Hence we have that Advice given unto us, Col. 4. [...]. Walk in wisdom towards them that are without. He that would win Souls, must know, what are the Things that God requireth of Souls; he must know, what Arguments are to be used for the pressing of those things, he must know what Artifices, what Contrivances, what Methods, are the most proper for the Taking of Souls. He must know,—Alas, I so little know the Needful Things themselves, that scarce [...] know how to tell what are the Needful Things. Lord, [...] our want of wisdom. So many Things are to be Known, and to be Done, for the winning of Souls, that we must say, Who may be sufficient for those things? We read of one, Act. 11. 24. He was a Good man, and much People were Added unto the Lord. So, He had need be a wise man, by whose means, the Souls of any People are to be added unto the Lord. [...]. [Page] But we will proceed unto some Articles.

APPLICATION.

I. There is great Wisdom in the winning of Souls: what Folly tis then, to be Active in the winning of Souls? There are many Agents of [...] Devil in the world, who are such Unhappy [...]retches, as to debauch the Souls of others, to the same Damnation with their own. That can be the Fate of such Fools, but a [...] Damnation, and a Damnation that [...] is not! It is the Character of Seducers, that [...] People into Damnable Heresies. They are [...] Busy about the winning of Souls, over [...] their Heresies. Alas, That winning of Souls the Damning of them. Of the Souls that we wun by them, tis said, 2 Tim. 2. 26. They are in the Snare of the Devil. Should any of the Seducers profess themselves to be recovered unto Repentance, one would think, that they would walk softly in the Bitterness of their Souls [...] their Dayes, when they reflect, how many Souls have been Damned under their Conduct should such a man speak Lightly and Vainly and without unspeakable Remorse upon his mind, of the Souls formerly misled by him, [...] were a black mark of his being an Impostor, [Page] that never had any true Repentance at all doubt, the Churches of New-England have known such a man! But how many wayes have all Vicious Companions, to destroy the Souls of them that keep them Company! [...] Companions do strangely win upon the Souls of one another; and so they Draw one another into the Paths of the Destroyer. Woful Creature; The man is himself, it may be Delivered up unto Satan; and now, he strives to Win as many for Satan as he can. It may be, there are some that by sitting with such [...] as he, have been flouted out of all Serious Dispositions; There are some, who have been carried away to Hard Drinking, and Gaming, and Lewdness, by the Enchantments of that Fellows Conversation: Or, It may be, some have been Unrighteously & Uncureably Prejudiced against the winners of Souls, by the Malice of such or such a man. Sometimes miserable Relatives thus poyson one another. The Souls of their Friends might have been wun unto God, by such Dispensers of the Gospel, if they had not hindred it. Oh! That they, who make it their Business, to carry away the Souls of others, from a Devout Respect unto all the Commandments of God, would be think themselves of their Folly. To associate [Page] [...] with such, is to be, as the Wise man tells [...], Prov. 13. 20. The Companion of Fools. [...] wretches, what are you doing to one [...]other? You are dragging one another down [...] the state of the Damned, in this greatness [...] your Folly. Down they are going; they [...] gone, they are gone; Except thou, O Lord, [...] them wonderfully. But let us now go forth, to look upon the Souls of the men, that have thus transgressed against the Lord; Their Worm does not, and their Fire is not Quenched, [...] they are an A [...]horring to one another, & [...] Endless Execrations they gnash upon [...] another, and say, Cursed be the Day that [...] I knew thee; Thou, Thou art the wretch, [...] has brought me to this place of horrible [...]ment!

II. Is there wisdom in the winning of Souls? [...] tis Wisdom for Souls to be Wun, and [...] to and comply with, such as would [...] them to that which is Good. O that all [...] People, would be so wise, as to understand [...], and Consider, what would be their Latter [...], if their Souls were once Wun unto the [...] of God! But, because our Young People, [...] of all the most likely and easy to be Wun, [...] you, O Young People, reckon your selves peculiarly concerned in these Admonitions [...] the Lord.

[Page] It may be, there cannot a more Winning Thing be spoken, to move men unto Religion than to show them, that it will be their Wisdom. For man is ambitious of nothing for much as to be esteemed wise. The very first Sin and Fall of man, was introduced by that Ambition. We use the most powerful Motive with a man that can be, if we Convince him, that it will be his wisdom to do what we would have.

We must prosecute this matter with our Hearers. There are those who would [...] Win your Souls; God knows, There are so When Moses would win his People to the which is Good, he so urged it upon them Deut. 4. 6. This is your wisdom. Truly, this is what we would urge upon our Hearers that they may be wun unto Religion; O [...] People, It will be your wisdom, if the Winners [...] Souls, may prevail upon your Souls. For,

First; The Things from which you should be Wun, are such, as it cannot but be your wisdom to be Wun from them. To Repentance is, to grow wise again. An ungodly man always playing the Fool. To be wun from the ways of Sin, is to be wun from what we make work for Repentance. If there be wisdom in Repentance, there is no wisdom [...] [Page] those things that will Damn a man without Repentance. The Things are those, whereof [...] are so Expostulated withal; Rom. 6. 21. That Fruit had you of those things, whereof ye [...] now Ashamed? For the End of those things [...] Death. If any of you are still going on in the Courses of Ungodliness. Oh, be Wun, & [...] Wean'd from those [...]; For the wrath [...] God comes upon the Children of Disobedience, or such things; and it cannot be any mans wisdom to Expose himself unto that wrath. [...] it be your wisdom to Forget God! When God says, They that Forget God shall be turned [...] Hell. Can it be your wisdom, to walk [...] the Flesh? When God sayes, If ye walk [...] the Flesh, ye shall Dy. Can it be your wisdom, to mind Earthly things? When you [...] told by God, That a dreadful Destruction all be the End of them that mind Earthly things. Oh! That your Souls might be wun [...] the Sins, by which you wrong your own Souls. Why, why will you love Death? Tis Madness, with which you go to the Dead.

Secondly; The Things To which you should be wun, are such as it cannot but be your wisdom to be wun to them. About every one of the things, I may say; Deut. 32. 47. It is [...] a vain Thing for you, tis your Life.

[Page] One Thing whereto we would Win your Soul, is, A vast Regard, a strong Pity for your own Souls. Oh! That you would be wun to some Care about your Souls. Twill be your wisdom, O ye Souls in Peril, to be wun unto some Thoughts about your own state before the Lord. It cannot but be wisdom as long as that word stands in the Bible Mat. 16. 26. What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own Soul? It was reckon'd a Golden saying of the Heathen Reverence thy self, Honour thy self. A Christian cannot hear a saying of more Importance than this; Reverence thy Soul, Honour thy Soul O be not one of those Monsters of whom there is this Description, Prov. 15. 32. [...] Despises his own Soul. I will say this unto you; Behold, O Despisers, and wonder, & no more Despise, that you may not Perish A Soul, that is the Miracle of the Creation. All the Stars in Heaven are not so illustrious as a Soul! The Image of the Great GOD, is no where so much to be seen throughout the whole visible Universe as upon a Soul! A Soul, which the Son of God Himself set such a rate upon, that He was willing to shed every drop of His Precious Blood for the purchase of it. A Soul, for which every [...] [Page] of the [...] God! A Soul, [...] the Highest and the bright [...] would with all their Hearts, befriend [...] their kindest [...]! A Soul, A Soul, [...] is [...] for Eternity [...] O Soul, [...] Endure, and of thy [...] there shall be [...] For [...] Oh that you would be [...] to take some [...], before it be too late. [...] with your selves, what [...] I [...] what, what [...] become of [...] I [...] for it [...] You would [...] to be [...]: And there is not the [...] of wisdom in you, till you come to This. [...]! That you were all [...] at least unto as much; To [...] down before God, and [...] out with him; [...]

Another Thing whereto we would Wun our Souls, [...], The Consent of your Souls [...] [...] of Great, and unto all the [...] proposals of it. O [...], your Souls [...] Love: There is proposed unto us all, [...] of first More is for [...]. By the Consent of our Souls thereunto, we are brought [...] the Covenant, [...] have a [...] to all [...] [Page] If a man may, have the Infini [...] GOD for [...] and the Lord JESUS CHRIST for a Prophet, and his [...], and his King; and the very Great of [...] Promises of the [...] Covenants for his Portion; All This, [...] This, only upon an Heart, Consent, for [...] have these things, Oh! would it not be [...] Wisdom to give his Consent? I say then; [...], O all ye People, [...] one of you! Be [...] thus Wise and you are wise man Salvation. [...] the winning of the Soul, for it once to be made a willing Soul. The People are [...], when one they become, Psal. 110. 3. 4 willing people Soul, Can there, be no winning of thee? Oh Be willing to have God the Father for thy Father, Be willing to have God, the Son for the Saviour; Be willing to have God the [...] for thy Leader: And, be willing to have the Kingdom of God for thy Inheritance; and the word of God for thy Rule to come a [...] [...] Certainly, This would be thy Wisdom; For if thou art but willing to it, it shall be so believe, the Angels of God stand looking upon us, with an Astonishment. There [...] unto us all and even unto the [...] and wretched Sinner among us all [...] a Tender as [...] The Great GOD, is willing to be thy God, and the Christ of God is willing [Page]thy Righteousness & thy Salvation, if the [...] it Accept of Him. Would it not be our wisdom, with a Conquered Soul, full of [...] to declare immediately Lord, I Accept and I Accept! Lord, Help me to Accept! [...] of us have not so much Wisdom as this comes to, I am sure, You are Astonished at this, [...] Heaven, and ye are horribly Afraid, because you see we are so Besotted, and shall be [...] Desolate [...] Briefly, To sum up all; We would W [...]n our Souls to the whole Exercise of all God [...]ess; to the Practice of Serious Religion; to every thing that is Holy, and Just, and Good, [...]! That you would be wun to a free. [...] of your selves [...] the Service of God, and a firm Resolution to serve Him, [...] the wayes of Holiness & Righteousness [...] Him all the dayes of your lives. I can [...] unto you, That it would be your wisdom to become Seriously Religious. [...], There can be no standing before this demonstration; The Laws of the Only wise God, must needs be Rules of the most Exalted wisdom. It cannot but be our wisdom i [...] Conform our selves unto the Laws of the Only wise God. Oh, Why then will you not become Seriously Religious? Why not be [...] [Page] to abound in the Demotions of Christianity and [...]atch over [...] Hearts and Lives that there may be [...] allowed [...] them. It was most incontestably Determined. [...]sal. 111. 10. The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of wisdom, [...] have [...] who [...] things And thence is this thing so strengthen the Demonstrations, You [...] have no manner of Objection to make again [...] the Piety required of you. You cannot Object, that it is [...] Disconsolate thing, to be Seriously Religious [...] The wayes of wisdom are pleasant wayes; No Sensual Pleasures [...] comparable to those of Communion with God. It can [...] Wisdom to take such pleasant wayes. You can't Object, that it is Dishonourable. What? Can it be a Blemish, to become a Child of the Almighty King of Heaven and Earth, or to [...] the [...] of what Lord whom all the Angels in Heaven adore for evermore? You can't Object, That it is Unprofitable. What? Can you be a loser by that which will bring you to the Unsearchable [...] of Christ [...] Surely, To gain the Knowledge of God, and the Favour of God, is better than to gain the finest Gold. Oh! why should not our People be Wun, unto those things, that will Delight them, Adorn them, [Page] Enrich them inexpressibly! Is it not a mans wisdom, to do what is for his Interest? Then 'twill be your wisdom to become Seriously Religious! I appeal to the Conscience of every man alive, whether the Greatest Interest of every man in the world, be not his Everlasting Happiness in the world to come. Every man Living will readily grant it: That thing has even put off the Character of a Man, and should be Condemned and Confined unto All Four, who will not readily grant it. Grant this, and the Point is wun; For there is no man who can Seriously think, That there is any coming to Everlasting Happiness without being Seriously Religious. But, O man, Thy Heart not yet wun unto it!

Well; I will put the Demonstration then beyond all Contradiction. There is not one of us all, but what will within a very little while come to the Acknowledgment of it. That Serious Religion is the greatest, the truest, the only Wisdom. It would be a Real wisdom in every man, to Live under the power of such Apprehensions, as he will have, when he becomes to Dy. Men generally Entertain [...]iser Apprehensions of things, when they are under the awful Apprehensions of being fetch'd away by Death, to appear before God the Judge [Page]of all, and give an Account how they have Lived, than they had while they lived [...] Health and Ease and a Thousand [...]. Now, When, when did you ever [...] Dying man, but what Confess'd his Apprehensions, That it would have been his wisdom, to have lived Religiously? One of the most Renowned Scholars and States-men upon the [...]ace of the Earth, Namely, Gr [...]tius; when he drew near his Death, he professed, That he would gladly now give all his Learning, and all his Honour, for the Religion of a poor [...] in his Neighbourhood; an honest man, that lived [...], but very Religiously. And when some ask'd him, Sir, Will you please to Oblige us now, with be [...]st Couns [...] that we may Expect from a Person of your Great [...] and Experiences? His only Answer was, be Serious, Be Serious. And a Person little, if an all, inferiour to him, Namely, the admirable Selden, when he was in his last Sickness declared, The Five [...] Verses, in the Second Chapter to Tirus, are now of more value [...] me th [...]n all my Library. Oh, Our Beloved People; Why will you not be wun to that Religion, of which you will very shortly wish, [...] that I had been so wise as to be wun unto [...]

How, How shall I set on this Thought [Page] with a proper pungency? I will bring my [...] as near to take, as I can for my Life. In our most Quiet and Healthy Times, take one Year with another, there Dyes out of this Town in one Year, above One Hundred and Fifty People; which I take up be about a Fortieth Part of the People. Accordingly, to all probability, there are at least One Hundred and Fifty People now living in this Town, that before [...] Year come about, will be carried before be Judgment [...] of God. And there is not so much as One of all you, my Hearers, but for ought he can tell, he may make one of this Number. Ah, Lord, why should not I be One of them! Now there will not be One of this Number, but if they have the Age, and the Sense, to speak Reasonably in their Dying Hours, I can certainly foretel thus much concerning them. Come to them in those Dying Hearts, when their Breath is Failing, their Throat is R [...]ling, their Eyes have a Cloud, and their Hands a Damp upon them; and their Soul, their Soul, is going; and, Then! Ask them, Whether they do not judge it the Highest wisdom it [...] to Fear God, and Love Christ, and Hate Sin, and Slight the World and be [...] abounding in the Duties of Serious Religion? They will most certainly [Page] bear a lively Testimony to it, Oh! There is no wisdom comparable to that of Serious Religion. They will choose, they will wish, Oh! Let me Dy the Death of the Righteous, and let my Last End be like his! And why then, will not our People be W [...]n unto this wisdom? Why should any Souls, under the Gospel that should win our Souls, continue like the Deaf Adder, which will not [...] Voice of Charmers, that Charm [...] Wisely? Let them not wonder, if we tell [...] That this [...] way is their Folly. The Sinner is in the Divine Oracles very often called, A [...] He will a Thousand times of [...]ner call himself, A Fool. He will regret, and reproach his own Folly, more than Ten Thousand Ages. O sollicited Soul; There are Two that more thee, to make thee their own. The Saviour, He Wooes thee, My Son, Give me thy Heart; Be thou mine, and I will [...] a spectator and a partaker of my Glory [...]. The Destroyer, he Wooes thee, [...] Follow the Pleasures of Sin for a Season; Gratify my Temptations, and run the venture of a share in my Everlasting Miseries. But which of these now, shall Win that sollicited Soul? Certainly, [...] will be thy wisdom for thy Soul, to be wun by thy Saviour; O Child of [...] Do not [Page] bring thy self, to that Condition; Prov. 5. 11, 12 Thou shalt mourn at the Last, and say, How have I hated Instruction!

III. In the winning of Souls is there Wisdom? Let us Get the wisdom; and Use the wisdom.

Indeed, There is one particular winning of Souls, that some have thought more particularly intended, in that Proverb of Israel, which is now instructing of us; and it were well, if there were more of that wisdom found among us. That is to say, The Winning of People under Animosities against one another, to lay aside their Animosities: To win Souls, is to Reconcile the minds of People, that are at Variance, and Conquer and Subdue the Prejudices, that are in their Souls against one another. Good men do Lose one another, & Lose that Good which they might have by one another, when they are Embroiled in Contentions. Tale-bearers are therefore Diametrically Opposite unto winners of Souls. To win Souls, is to bring Divided Spirits over unto one another; and it is Wisdom to do such Thing; Tis that wisdom which is from above, [...] be so Peaceable. They are wise men, who [...] in the methods of true Wisdom, affect & merit that Motto, Mat. 5. 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers. Sometimes the sincere Servants [Page] of God, may like Paul and Barnab [...] have their Paroxysms. Uncomfortable Al [...] nations may happen between those that and Men of God, because they may have too much of the Old Man in them, and Satan may not a little Damnify the Cause & Work of God by these Infirmities. It would be a wisdom to Unite the Jarring Servants of God. The Garland of wisdom shall be placed on the Heart of him that brings them into an Union with one another. And the Attempt is here more hopeful, than when you have to do with soul as are themselves destitute of wisdom. The Children of God, tho, they may have then Froward and Fretful Pangs, yet they will not be those Thorns, which cannot be taken wide bands. A wise Man will not count himself so sent with Iron and the staff of a Spear, as to [...] where he can hope for nothing but—

But there is a more General winning of Soul to which we are more Generally now to be invited; And that is, The bringing of soul unto Serious Religion.

I remember, that brave Old Man, Father Laty [...]er, having occasion to Rebuke and Unbraid, the Sloth of some, who by their Profession should have been the Winners of Soul be stung them with a passage of this Purport [Page] [...] won't Learn of God, and Christ, & Good [...], Sirs, then Learn of the Devil! The Devil does all he can for the Winning of [...] he goes about seeking whom he may Win, unto his Devouring Jaws. Why do we no more to W [...]n, and Save Souls, from those Devouring Jaws? This I will say; our Lord sometimes complained, Luk. 16. 8. The Children [...] this World are for their Generation Wiser than the Children of Light. With shame truly may we make the Complaint. The Children of a [...] Religion, are Wise and Warmer, in their Zeal for the Winning of Souls into their, Paths of Darkness, than we are for the Winning of Souls, to walk in the Light of the Religion of God. The Mahometans out-do us; The Quakers out-do us; The Socinians out-do [...]: The Papists make us Ashamed. With what a Zeal do their Missionaries compass Sea [...] Land, that they may gain Proselytes, & win the Souls of men over unto the Popish Idolatry? What Hazardous Travels, what Marvellous Fatigues, do their Zealots undergo, that they may Win the Souls of men, only to change the Old Chains of Death for New ones? They will bear the Loathsome and Irksome Wigwams of the Indians in an howling Wilderness, if they may but Win over the Salvages [Page] to their Superstitions. I blush, I faint, when I read, the vast Pains which those Bigots take for the winning of Souls! No less than Six Hundred Clergy-men, in that one Order of the Jesuites did within a few Years, Embarque themselves at several times, for China, that they might Win over that mighty Nation unto their Bastard-Christianity. No less than Five Hundred of them lost their Lives, in the Difficulties of their Enterprise; and yet the Survivers go on with it, Expressing a sort of Trouble, that it [...] not unto their share to make a Sacrifice [...] their Lives, in Enterprising the Propagation of Religion. I am astonished. I am astonished! No man shall hinder me from spreading out my Hands unto the Lord, and Crying out, with him of old; Ezr. 9. 6. O my God, I ashamed, and blush to [...] up my Face unto thee, my God. How can a Servant of God forbear sallying forth into the most inflamed & confirmed Resolutions▪ ‘Well; I am sure, I owe more unto the Glorious Lord Jesus Christ, than any man in the world can owe unto Antichrist. I am sure, Our Holy, and Noble, and Glorious Religion, is more worthy to be Propagated, than any of the Romish Abominations. Let me then Triumph over all the [Page] Discouragements that can be offered by a Slothful, and an Envious, and a Flouting Generation of men. I will be wholly swallowed up in the Raptures of a Zeal to Do Good; And if this be to be Vile, I will be yet more Vile; For, Lord, it will be impossible for me ever to do Enough, in the Serving of thee, and in the winning of Souls to serve thee!’

But, whither am I carried?

The Case, which I am now to speak to is;

What may be done for the Winning of Souls? What will be done if there be Wisdom in us?

Now truly, The very Propounding of the Case, is the First, and almost the Chief thing to be done, in the Answering of the Case. My meaning is; That we should all of us, very often make that Enquiry; What may be done for the Winning of Souls? We all of us have our various Opportunities to do something in this Lovely work of God. Neither [...], nor any man, can specify all the several Opportunities, to win Souls, wherein every man is betrusted with the Talents of the Lord. But therefore let every man Retire and Ponder with himself, What is there that I may do [Page]for the winning of Souls? Entreat of God, the Father of Lights, That He would by His good Spirit, suggest into your minds, What you may do for Him, & for Souls? And then, Think, and Think again! Thinking for Souls is a great step to the winning of Souls. It may be, thy Soul, O Servant of God, will not be so Barren of Good Thoughts, but that thou wilt Think of something to be done Oh! That our Souls were smitten with the Charm of that word, Prov. 14. 12. Mercy & Truth shall be to them that Devise Good. Sirs, Would you be often Devising, and Studying, and Contriving, what Good you may do for the Souls of them that are about you, who, who can tell what surprizing Things, the Mercy and Truth of God may do for you!

But, What may be done? I will mention a Second Thing: which being joyned unto the First, will render it the more Significant and Effectual. Tis This: That we may win Souls, we must set a right Estimate upon the worth of Souls. A SOUL, a SOUL; Oh, Let the Sound of it, with us, be so big, as to drown the Sound of a whole World. A SOUL, Tis a mighty Thing! What is the Body, in comparison of the Soul? The Body, tis Wormsmeat; yea, tis a worm. The Soul, Tis the [Page] off-spring of God, the Image of God. What can the Body do, without the Soul? What becomes of the Body, when the Soul is fled? The Soul, Tis an Angel in Flesh; or, at least, by Sanctity it may be made one. How stupendous are the Capacities of the Soul! Tis capable of Conversing with the God of Heaven, and Enjoying of Him. A SOUL; The Blood of the Son of God Himself, He did not look upon it as thrown away, when it was paid and shed as a Ransome for Souls! The Soul, if it be Converted unto God, it will come to be with Christ, in Fulness of Joyes & Pleasures for evermore. But if that Soul go Christless, and Graceless out of the world, it sinks down into such Miseries, that thy Heart is all Stone, O man, if thou art not struck with horror at them; if thou Cry not out, O Lord, my Flesh Trembles, I am Afraid of thy Judgments! Christian, Canst thou make such Reflections, without longing to be, A winner of Souls? Methinks, were we under the Influence of such Thoughts, our Compassion for Souls, would make us with some Anguish to groan after the winning of Souls. We should be loth any Soul in the world, should miscarry; and every Soul within our own [Page] Reach we should stick at no pains, to prevent the miscarriage of it.

But still; What may be done? Thirdly, and I might have said, Firstly; There is this to be done. Praying for Souls is a main stroke is the winning of Souls. If once the Spirit of Grace be poured out upon a Soul, that Soul is wun immediately; and never any Soul is [...] till then. Prayer, Prayer, to the God of the Grace, This is the way to obtain the Spirit of Grace. The Enmity in the Souls of men, against God and Christ, will never be Conquered merely by Moral Suasions. Tis the Spirit of Grace, that is the grand winner of Souls. Oh! If He will but come in!—Our way must be this; When we have pitched upon a Soul, that we should win, we must fall down before the Lord, with weeping Supplications; O my God, Give me the Soul! Give me that Soul! It may be, the Lord will say to us, as once to Abraham: [Gen. 17. 20.] As for that Soul, I have heard thee; Thou hast wun it; Behold, I have Blessed it, and it shall be Fruitful before me. All that would be successful at winning of Souls, must by Prayer, go to that God, who forms the spirit of man within him; that God, who Opens the Heart as He pleases, who Turns [...][Page]Heart which way He pleases: First win the Soul in Heaven, and you will Win that Soul [...] Earth, and win that Soul to Heaven.

Would not our Churches gladly see the Rising Generation among us, wun over to serve [...] God of our Fathers with a perfect Heart & [...] Mind? There has been a Proposal made, That Solemn Da [...]es of Prayer with [...], might be Celebrated in our Churches; Even successively in their several Vicinities, [...]n purpose, to ask for Effusions of the Spirit [...] Grace on the Rising Generation. It has been Proposed by our most Aged Pastors; It has been Proposed by Assemblies of our Pastors; it has been Proposed by the whole General Assembly of the Province: The Proposal would, no doubt, be of a vast Consequences for the winning of Souls▪ But, alas, of later Years, in how few Churches hath it ever yet been Practised? O Sleepy Churches; Why? are you so Cruel, and even like the Ostriches [...] the Wilderness! Why do you leave your Off-spring in the Earth, and forget that the Foot of [...] is there Crushing of them? Why are [...] Hardened against your Young Ones, as if they [...] yours, and as if you had no Feat of [...] in their Sins? Why should it [...] said, that God has deprived you of the wisdom [Page] so requisite unto the winning of their Souls, and not imparted unto you Understanding?

Yea, who can tell, how far the Prayers of the Saints, & of a few Saints, may prevail with Heaven to obtain that Grace, that shall win whole People and Kingdoms to serve the Lord? A New Heart shall one Day be given to the Israelitisle Nation; The Spirit of Grace, will Win their Souls, to the Belief of the Messiah. There never yet shone upon the world, so bright a Day, as that wherein the Israelites, will be wun, and be turn'd unto the Lord, and their Light shall come, and the Glory of the Lord shall [...] [...]isen upon them. Now, What shall be done to bring on this Notable Day of the Lord? We are told; Ezek. 36. 37. Thus faith the Lord God, I will yet be sought unto, on the behalf of the House of Israel to do it for them.

It may be, the Nations of the world, would quickly be wun from the Idolatries of Paganism, and the Impostures of Mahomet, if a Spirit of Prayer, were at work among the People of God, with this Petition; Lord, Let thy Way be known upon Earth, and thy Salvation to all Nations.

It may be, the Greek Churches would quickly be wun from their woful Superstitions, if a Spirit of Prayer were at work for [Page] them, and this Petition often presented for them; Lord, Let the Dry Bones that ly buried in the Grave of the Eastern Oppression and Corruption be raised unto Life.

It may be, God would raise up Reformers, in the Nations of Europe; that would be the Illustrious winners of Souls; Men that would be filled with the Spirit of God, and fly like Angels of the Lord about the world, with the Everlasting Gospel in their Hands: It might be so, if the Spirit of Prayer, would make a greater Cry to Heaven for such a Revolution. The Prayers of the Saints, being offered upon the Golden Altar, they may be follow'd with a Revolution, that shall remove the Butchers of Souls out of their Usurped Stations, and advance the Winners of Souls unto precious Opportunities; There may follow Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings, and Earthquakes.

Even they that can do little else bu [...] Pray, may be great winners of Souls, if they will Pray, and Weep, and Beg before the Lord▪ That the Souls of men may not Perish, but come unto Repentance. The Famous Melancton had an Hope, That God would carry on the Reformation in Germany, because he understood, That there were certain Obscure Godly People, and even poor Women, that [Page] would meet and Pray together, for the smile of Heaven upon the Reformation. Even the poor Hand-maids of the Lord, by their Praying to God for the winning of Souls, may prove Mothers in Israel. And, O you, my Fathers, That in your Old Age, retire from the Business and the Trouble of the world How, How do you spend your Time? In Prayer, I hope; In Abundance of Prayer. Now, Try whether you can't by your Prayer pull down the Grace of Heaven for the winning of Souls unto the Lord.

Yea, I will say unto you, The Prayers of One man, that is very Dear to Heaven may fetch down from thence, the Showers of Grace, for which the Souls of the Elect [...] God may fare the better, from one End [...] the Land unto the other. I don't know but whole Nations, may have mercies for Souls, hastened unto them, upon the Prayers of some [...] One Man, that shall be continually therefore lying in the Dust before the Lord, With Tears, with Sighs, with Agonies. O Man of God, and mighty man of Prayer; The Lord is with thee. See, see, what the Lord will do for thee.

But there is yet more than this to be done for the Winning of Souls. For, Fourthly; A [Page]Good Conversation in Christ, may do much towards the winning of Souls for Christ. [See, Mat. 5. 16.] If we would win the Souls of others, to what we p [...]ofess, we must by our Good Conversation, bring a Credit unto our Profession. By being Exemplary in our Good Conversation, we shall Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour; if we Adorn it, we shall Win over others unto it. They that by Scandalous walking in the ways of Sin, do Scandalize others against the wayes of God and His Churches. Are they the winners of Souls? No, They are the Cut-throats of Souls. Would we win Souls! Let us then Abbor that which is Evil, and even Abstain from all appearance of Evil. Be very Heavenly; Be very Humble; Be very Patient; Be very Ready to Forgive Injuries; very Ready to do all Good Offices; very Mortified unto all Things here below. And Especially, let our Carriage in our several Relations be very Exemplary. Oh! Make it Evident, That Christianity makes us carry better to one another than we could have done without it. This, This will Win others to a liking of Religion! It will Win a Prize of Souls for our Excellent Religion, when it shall be said, ‘Those consorts do Excel others in their Kindness to one another. [Page] Those Parents Excel in their Carefulness of their Children; and those Children Excel in their Dutifulness to their Parents; Those Masters Excel in their Tenderness to their Servants; and those Servants Excel in their Faithfulness to their Masters. Those Pastors Excel in their Watchfulness to their People; and those People Excel in their Affection to their Pastors. Those Rulers Excel in their Compassion for their Subjects; and those Subjects Excel in their Loyalty to their Rulers. But what makes them to Excel? Oh! Tis the Religious that is more Excellent than his Neighbour!’ Methinks, It should [...] upon the Neighbourhood. I love to Read the boast of Tertulltan; Saves he to this Effect; ‘The Heathens, they Hare one another; but upon us Christians they set it as a Mark & a Brand, See how they Love one another! The Heathens, one can hardly keep them from Killing one another; but of Christians, they say, See how ready they are to Dy for one another!’

Briefly; We are advised, Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever Things are True, whatsoever Things are Honest, whatsoever Things are Just, whatsoever Things are Pure, whatsoever Things are Lovely, Whatsoever Things are of Good Report; Think[Page]in these Things. Oh! What a winning Thing will it be, if we can Compel the Consciences of the Beholders, to bear this Testimony for us; This tis to be a Christian! Tis to do nothing, but what is True, is Honest, is Just, is Pure, is Lovely, is of Good Report.

But is there not something more to be done? Yes; Fifthly; Our Address to Souls may be so managed, as to do much for the winning of Souls. In the winning of Souls, there is a special Improvement for, The Fruit of the Righteous. And what is the Fruit of the Righteous? His Talk is his Fruit. Let us wisely take all fit Occasions, to Talk such Things unto those about us, as may be for the winning of Souls; and may, Eph. 4. 29. Minister Grace unto the Hearers. By Brohterly Counsel, and by Brotherly Reproof, we may win the Soul of a Brother. And it may [...] often worth our while, when we are in the Company of our Friend, ingeniously to think, [...] there no word that I may let fall, which may be of some advantage to the Soul of my Friend?

Perhaps, We can't speak to so much advantage as we would. There is another way [...]hen to be taken; Present agreeable BOOKS unto our Friends. Who can tell, what God [...]ay do for their Souls, by the Books which [Page] we put into their Hands? Who can tell, but the Expence of less than a Shilling this way may have proved the Winning of the Soul, for whom it was Expended? The Publishing, the Dispersing, the Presenting of Books, that may Cherish the Intentions of Piety in the Souls of men; Tis a Rare method for the winning of Souls. There are many now before the Lord, in this House, who have often done Considerable Things, in this way of sprinkling the Salt of Religion about the world. I can see more than two or three Lovers of Souls, at this very Time in this House, who have each of them, with their own Charitable Hands, given away many Hundreds of Books, for the Winning of Souls. O Dear Servants of God, what you have done, has been, Ret [...]a Sal [...]tis Pandere, To spread the Nets of Salvation for the winning of Souls; Doubtless, Many, Many Souls have been taken in your Nets, whereof you shall know more, when you meet them with unspeakable Joy in the Kingdom of God.

What more shall we say? This, Lastly; In Winning of Souls, the Winning of those, who are more Immediately under our own Charge, is in the First Place to be Laboured for. This Charity must Begin at home!

[Page] Shall I say then? O CONSORTS, Can you do nothing to win the Souls of your Consorts? To speak more Scripturally, What knowest thou, O Man, but thou may it win thy Wife? What knowest thou, O Woman, but thou mayst win thy Husband? There is a memorable Direction; 1 Pet. 3. 1. That the Husbands may be wun by the Conversation of the Wives. Alas, The Task lies oftnest and hardest on that side; The Husband is to be Wun by the Wife unto the wayes of God. Oh, Use all the Artifice, all the Patience, and all the Obliging Perswasives, that ever you can, ye Hand-maids of the Lord, that your Consorts may be Engaged unto Serious Religion. There is this one thing to be mentioned: It may be some of you have Husbands who don't Pray in their Families, I am afraid, left You, even You, may be something to blame. It will be much, if you can do nothing, upon them, to bring them unto something of Devotion. Oh! Importune them, till you have done it! Their [...] Souls will Bless God for you, throughout Eternal Ages.

O PARENTS, May you be so Wise, as to win the Souls of your Children. Often, often set before then, their Baptismal Covenant, and [Page] bespeak their Compliance with it, with every Article in it, left their Baptism aggravate their Condemnation. Often, often tell them of their Sinfulness & Wretchedness by Nature, & show them how they must close with the Lord Jesus Christ for Deliverance from their Sinful and Wretched Circumstances. Often, often observe the Things which most Endanger their Souls, and Warn them, and Charge them, with all possible fervency, to avoid those dangerous things.

O MASTERS, May you be so Wise, as to win the Souls of your Servants. Wherefore, [...]each them the Will of God and Christ, and help them to the Knowledge of the Things, which to know, is Life Eternal. Hire them to learn the Truths of God; and let them have certain Encouragements, and Recompences, if they will make such a Progress in Reading and Learning the Things of their Everlasting Peace. Require them to Pray without Ceasing; Restrain them from Evil Company; Allow them some time for meetings with Better Company. Argue with them, till they Resolve to be the Lords.

Let Parents and Masters, mightily inculcate upon their Young Folks, the Things that are pressed in the Public Ministry of the [Page]Word. Perhaps, to Repeat the Publick Sermons, in the way of Dialogue, and Conference, with your Young Folks, would Win them to a very great Attention. Having your Children and Servants about [...], thus go over the main Heads of the Publick Sermons. Is not such, or such a thing, a [...]rath of God? And, Must we not Believe such, & such a Truth? And, Has not the Word of God said so, and so [...] Add then; Must not you then be careful that & so to order your Conversation? Do you desire the Help of the Grace of God, that you may do thus & so? Well: Be sure, you Remember this. Christians, who can tell, but the Sanctifying Spirit of God, may marvellously fall down upon the Souls of your Young folks, while you are in this Winning way treating of them!

And how many other wayes, may those that have the Tuition of Scholars, invent for the instilling and infusing of Good Principles into their Scholars, and Winning of their Young Souls over to a sense of Religion! I have somewhere met with this passage among the customs of a certain Tutor; ‘That in every Recitation ordinarily, he would from something or other occurring in it, make an occasion, to let fall some Sentence which [Page] might have a Tendency to promote the Fear of God in the Hearts of his, Pupils.’

Above all; Won't you Pray for them? As the Man came to our Lord, saying, Lord, Have Mercy on my Son, for he is s [...]re vexed, & [...] falls into the Fire, & into the Water! As the Woman came to our Lord, saying, Have Mercy on me, O Lord, my Daughter is grievously vexed with Devil▪ As the Centurion came to our Lord, saying, Lord, My Servant lies grievously Fermented! So, Let us lift up our Cries to God, for our Children, and our Servants▪ Lord, My Child, will fall [...] Eternal Fine [...] thou do not save him! Lord, My Child will be a Slave & a Prey to the Devil if thou do not save her! Lord, My Servant is grievously out of Order, & will Perish if thou do not win him to be thy Servant! Oh! Don't leave off till you have your Samuels, and your Naph [...]hali's.

And, You, O Men of God, and [...] Ministers of [...] which do His Pleasure, & Preach His Gospel; Doubtless, you will be always watching to fulfil your Ministry, for the winning of Souls, Will you not Study, what Souls are to be Wun? Will you not Study, what you may do, that the Soul, may be Wun? Will you not rarely let any Souls in your Flocks [Page] come anear you, without letting fall some word upon them, that may have a Tendency to the winning of Souls! O the wondrous Effects, which there have been of the words, but occasionally let fall, by men of God, upon the Souls of such as have perhaps but accidentally come in their way. It is not proper for me to relate the wondrous Effects thereof, which have been known even among our selves. I will add; Will you not both in your Publick Sermons, and in your Private Visits, Endeavour to come at the Souls, for which you are to give an Account?

But in the midst of these your Holy Cares, doubtless, you will set an Example of Gravity, of Purity, of Goodness. You will, be able to Challenge all the world, and be able to make that Challenge.

‘Produce with [...] any one Instance wherein I have [...]rought any man or done any thing misbecoming a man whole Business [...] is to do Good unto all and I will submit unto the [...] Censure my wor [...] [...] impose upon me.’

Well, but tho' you should be thus Innocent, yet, if the world be not mended since the days of [...] you shall hear the defaming of many. Suppose it be so, yet if you are set upon the [Page] Winning of Souls, you will take little Notice of the Defamations; You will remember the Three words, by our Blessed Eliot often insisted on, Bear, forbear, forgive. You will Concoct abundance of wrongs; You will abhor to lose your Time,& your Calm in the managing of Controversies; You will, when there is any thing for to be done for the Souls of the Injurious, do it, as if they had never done you any Injury a [...] all: Say as Paul to the humour-some Galatians, Ye have done me no Injury!

But above all; Doubtless, You will be men of Prayer: If you be not so, you will never be men of God. It has been a Remarkable Thing, in the Churches of the Lord; Ministers that are men of Prayer, will do more at winning of Souls, than those who Preach better than they, but Pray less than they! Oh! Let us Pray over our Sermons, before we Preach them, & get them Sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ, that so when they are Preached they may be prospered. Yea, Let us give our selves up to Praying, & Fasting, & Watching before the Lord. And even, while our people are Sleeping, let us be Praying & Weeping in secret places for them, that so we may save our own souls & the souls of them that Hear us.

I will say but this, Dexterius loquentur cum hominibus, qui priuscum Dea, t [...]a mente sunt collecuti.

[Page]

The Language of a SOUL taken in, The Nets of Salvation.

Grace Irresistible subdues me, Lord,

And I no longer can Resist thy Word.

My SOUL too long lies in its Grave forgot;

Whose price bright Pearls, yea, whole Worlds Equal not:

A SOUL whereto GOD such Respect ha's had;

And which Repenting, would make Angels glad.

I Loathe & Leave now all the Paths of SIN,

And Mourn that I have stray'd so long therein.

The Paths of True Religion I prefer,

As what most just & Good & Lovely are.

O Great JEHOVAH, Thou my God shalt be;

And I my ALL surrender unto thee.

My Life is in thy Favour; Let me live

In That, & to thy Name all Glory give.

[Page]

Be Thou my father, O, Thou [...] in One,

My [...] Thou alone.

Oh! May I know, & love, & serve my God,

And [...]ill'd with [...] in Hi [...] [...] my Abode.

[...] Believe who the Destroyer sayes,

Nor will I walk in his Destructive wayes.

Thee O my SAVIOUR with a Lively Faith,

I ask to Save me from Eternal [...]

Me [...]ow Resign'd to thy most Glorious Hands,

Free by thy Merits, Rule by thy Commands.

O Wisdom, open thou my Sinful Eyes;

And with a Light from Heaven make me wise.

O Righteous One, [...] thy Obedience paid.

To Got for me, my Righteousness be made.

O Holy One, my Heart [...] with Zeal,

In Flights of Holiness to do thy Will.

O Strong [...] Help a wretched Slave,

And from [...] me Redemption have.

Lord, Me to thy C [...]lestial City bring,

Where thy dear Saint the hold no grievous thing

There let me See, & with the [...], possess

My JESUS, if Comp [...]eat and Endless [...]

I Hope of that Rich Bills, I will despise

This Vain World, and its Lying [...]

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The nets of salvation. A brief essay, upon the glorious designs & methods of winning. The minds of men unto serious religion, : [Four lines of quotations]

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2007-01.

ID [DLPS]

N00982

ID [TCP]

N00982

ID [STC]

Evans 1176

ID [NOTIS]

APX2559

ID [IMAGE-SET]

1176

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99019294

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 1176.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N00982)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 1176)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 1176)

Source

— The nets of salvation. A brief essay, upon the glorious designs & methods of winning. The minds of men unto serious religion, : [Four lines of quotations], Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728..

Extent

56 p. ; 14 cm. (8vo)

Printed and sold by Timothy Green, at the north end of the town.,. Boston, in N.E. :: 1704.. (Urging listeners to endeavor to win people to the Christian life.) (Attributed to Cotton Mather by Holmes.) ("The language of a soul taken in the nets of salvation."--p. 55-56, 38 lines in verse.)

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