of it, it is certainly the greatest mifery incident to men in all the world: for ás no words can make another fully fenfible what a privilege it is to have the ear, favour, pity, and help of God in a day of ftraits; fo it is impoffible for any words to exprefs the doleful state and cafe of that foul whom God cafts off in trouble, and whofe cries be shuts out. 5. Beware of neglecting any call of God, because that call you are now tempted to neglect, may be the laft call that God ever intends to give your foul. Sure I am, there is a call which will be the last call of God to rebellious finners, and after that no more calls, but an eternal deep filence; his Spirit fhall not always frive with man; and the more motions and calls you have already flighted, the more probable it is that this may be the last voice of God in a way of mercy to thy foul: and what if, after this, God fhould feal up thy heart, and judicially harden it; make thy will utterly inflexible, and thine ears deaf, as he threatens, Ifa. vi. 10. What an undone miferable ma or woman art thou then! Oh! beware of provoking the forest of all judgments, by perfifting any longer in a course of rebellion against light and mercy. 6. Whilft your hearts put off and neglect the calls of God, you can by no means arrive to the evidence and affurance of your election; for your election is only fecured to you by your effectual calling, 2 Pet. i. 10. There is no way for men to difcern their names written in the book of life, but by reading the work of fanctification in their own hearts, Rom. x. 8. I defire no miraculous voice from heaven, no extraordinary figns, or unfcriptural notices and informations in this matter: Lord, let me but find my heart complying with thy calls, my will obediently fubmitting to thy commands; fin my burden, and Christ my defire: I never crave a fairer or furer evidence of thy electing love to my foul: and if I had an oracle from heaven, an extraordinary meffenger from the other world, to tell me thou lovest me, I have no reason to credit fuch a voice, whilst I find my heart wholly fenfual, averfe to God, and indifpofed to all that is fpiritual. 9. What reafon have you why you should not presently embrace the call of God, and thankfully lay hold only on the first opportunity and season of falvation? Have you any greater matters in hand than the falvation of your precious fouls? Is there any thing in this world that more concerns you? If the affairs of this life be fo indifpenfably neceffary, and those of the world to come fo indifferent; if you think that meat and drink, trade and business, wife and children are fuch great things, and Christ, the foul, and eternity, fuch little things; or if you think falvation to be a work of the greatest neceffity, and yet may safely enough be put off to an uncertain time, I may affure you, you will not be long of this mind. How foon are all the mistakes of men in thefe matters rectified in a few moments after death! Rectified, I fay, but not remedied; your opinion will be changed, but not your condition. 8. Do you not every day eafly and readily obey the calls of Satan and your own lufts, whilst God and confcience are fuffered to call and strive with you in vain? If Satan or your lufts call you to the tavern, to the world, and finful pleatures, you fpeedily comply with their call, and yield a ready obedience; if pride or covetoufnefs call, or paffion and revenge call, they need not call twice; and fhall God and confcience call only in vain? Lord, what a creature is man become! If a vain companion call, you have no power to deny him; if God call, you have no ear to hear him. 9. You cannot but obferve the obedience and diligence of many others, how seriously, painfully, and affiduously they ply, and follow on the work of their own falvation, and yet are no more concerned in the events and confequences of these things than you are. Doth it not trouble you when you compare yourselves with them? Do not fuch thoughts as thefe fometimes arise in your hearts upon fuch obfervations? Lord, what a difference is there like to be betwixt their end and mine, when there is ⚫fo apparent a difference in our courfe and conversation? Doth not God diftinguish perfons in this world by the frames of their hearts, and tenor of their lives, in order to the great ⚫ distinction he will make betwixt one and another in the day • of judgment? Have not I as precious a foul to fave or lofe as any of them? What is the matter that I fit with folded arms, whilft they are working out their falvation with fear and trembling? Why fhould any man or woman in the world be ⚫ more careful for their fouls, than I for mine? Surely its capacity and excellency is equal with theirs, though my care and diligence be fo unequal.' 6. the 10. To conclude, God will fhortly give you an irrefiftible call to grave, and after that his voice fhall call to you in your graves, Arife, ye dead, and come to judgment: But wo be to you, wo and alas that ever you were born, if you should hear the call of God to die, before you have heard and obeyed his call to Christ! Will your death-bed be eafy to you? Can you with any hope or comfort shoot the gulph of eternity, before you have done one act for the fecurity of your fouls from the wrath to come? It is a dreadful thing for a poor Chriftlefs foul to fit quivering upon the lips of a dying finner, not able to stay, nor yet endure a parting pull from the body, in fuch a cafe as it is. In a word; If that God that made, and will fhortly judge you; if the Redeemer that shed his invaluable blood, and now offers you the purchases and benefits of it; if you have any love to, or care of your own fouls, which are more worth than the whole world; if you have any value for heaven, or dread of hell, then, for God's fake, for Christ's fake, for your precious foul's fake, trifle with heaven and hell no longer, but be in earnest to work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. Could I think of any other means or motives to fecure your fouls from danger, I would furely use them: could I reach your hearts effectually, I would deeply impress this great concern upon them: But I can neither do God's part of the work, nor yours; it is fome ease to me, I have in fincerity, (though with much imperfection and fecurenefs) done part of my own: The Lord profper it by the bleffing of his Spirit in the hearts of them that read it. Amen. The End of the third Volume |
