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the good of thy soul, though now a damned soul? | O father! cannot you help me? Mother, cannot Did we not venture our goods, our names, our you do me some good? O how loth am I to burn lives? Yea, did we not even kill ourselves with and fry in hell, while you are singing in heaven! our earnest intreaties of thee to consider of thine But alas! the father, mother, or friends reject estate, and by Christ to escape this dreadful day? them, slight them, and turn their backs upon O sad doom! When thou shalt be forced full sore them, saying, You would have none of heaven in against thy will to fall under the truth of this your lifetime, therefore you shall have none of it judgment, saying, O'How have I hated instruc- now. You slighted our counsels then, and we tion, and how hath my heart despised reproof!' slight your tears, cries, and condition now. What for, indeed, I have not obeyed the voice of my sayest thou, sinner? Will not this persuade thine teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that heart, nor make thee bethink thyself? This is now instructed me.' Pr. v. 12, 13. before thou fall into that dreadful place, that fiery furnace. But O consider how dreadful the place itself, the devils themselves, the fire itself will be! And this at the end of all, Here thou must lie for ever! Here thou must fry for ever, and for ever! This will be more to thee than any man with tongue can express, or with pen can write. There is none that can, I say, by the ten thousandth part, discover the state and condition of such a soul.

(7.) May not thy father, thy mother, thy brother, thy sister, thy friend, &c., appear with gladness against thee at the terrible day, saying, O thou silly wretch! how rightly hath God met with thee! O how righteously doth his sentence pass upon thee! Remember thou wouldst not be ruled nor persuaded in thy lifetime. As thou didst not care for us and our admonitions then, so neither do we care for thy ruin, terror, and damnation now. No, but we will stand on God's side in sentencing of thee to that portion which the devils must be partakers of. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.' Ps. lviii. 10. O sad! It is enough to make mountains tremble, and the rocks rend in pieces, to hear this doleful sound. Consider these things, and if thou wouldst be loth to be in this condition, then have a care of living in sin now. How loth wilt thou be to be thrust away from the gates of heaven! And how loth wilt thou be to be deprived of the mercy of God! How unwillingly wilt thou set foot forward towards the lake of fire! Never did malefactor so unwillingly turn off the ladder when the halter was about his neck, as thou will turn from God to the devil, from heaven to hell, when the sentence is passed upon thy soul.

I shall conclude this, then, with A FEW CONSIDERATIONS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

[First Encouragement.] Consider, for I would fain have thee come in, sinner, that there is way made by Jesus Christ for them that are under the curse of God, to come to this comfortable and blessed state of Lazarus I was speaking of. See Ep. ii.

[Second Encouragement.] Consider what pains Christ Jesus took for the ransoming of thy soul from all the curses, thunder-claps, and tempests of the law; from all the intolerable flames of hell; from that soul-sinking appearance of thy person, on the left hand, before the judgment-seat of Christ Jesus, from everlasting fellowship, with innumerable companies of yelling and soul-amazing devils, I say, consider what pains the Lord Jesus Christ took in bringing in redemption for sinners from these things.

In that though he was rich, yet he became O how wilt thou sigh and groan! How willingly poor, that ye, through his poverty, might be' made wouldst thou hide thyself, and run away from jus-rich.' 2 Co. viii. 9. He laid aside his glory, Jn. xvii.,

tice! But alas! as it is with them that are on the ladder ready to be executed, so it will be with thee. They would fain run away, but there are many halbert-men1 to stay them. And so the angels of God will beset thee round, I say round on every side; so that thou mayest indeed look, but run thou canst not. Thou mayest wish thyself under some rock, or mountain, Re. vi. 15, 16, but how to get under, thou knowest not.

O how unwilling wilt thou be to let thy father go to heaven without thee! thy mother or friends, &c., go to heaven without thee! How willingly wouldst thou hang on them, and not let them go!

Men armed with halberts or javelins; now only used at

and became a servant. Phi. ii. 7.
He left the com-
pany of angels, and encountered with the devil.
Lu. iv. Mat. iv. He left heaven's ease for a time, to
lie upon hard mountains. Lu. vi. 12. Jn. viii. 1. In a
word, he became poorer than they that go with
flail and rake; yea, than the very birds or foxes,
and all to do thee good. Besides, consider a little
of these unspeakable and intolerable slightings and
rejections, and the manifold abuses that came from
men upon him. How he was falsely accused,
being a sweet, harmless, and undefiled lamb. How
he was undervalued, so that a murderer was
counted less worthy of condemnation than he.
Besides, how they mocked him, spit on him, beat
him over the head with staves, had the hair

assizes in England, or by officers attending meetings of magis- plucked from his cheeks. I gave my back to the smiters,' saith he, and my cheeks to them 4 U-4 x

trates in Scotland.—(ED.)

VOL. III.

that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.' Is. L. 6. His head crowned with thorns, his hands pierced with nails, and his side with a spear; together with how they used him, scourged him, and so miserably misusing him, that they had even spent him in a great measure before they did crucify him; insomuch that there was another fain to carry his cross. Again,

[Third Encouragement.] Not only this, but lay to heart a little what he received from God, his dear Father, though he were his dear and tender Son.

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[3.] Besides, his soul went down to hell, and his body to the bars of the grave. Ps. xvi. 10. Ac. ii 31. And had hell, death, or the grave, been strong enough to hold him, then he had suffered the vengeance of eternal fire to all eternity. But, 0 blessed Jesus! how didst thou discover thy love to man in thy thus suffering! And, O God the Father! how didst thou also declare thy purity and exactness of thy justice, in that, though it was thine only, holy, innocent, harmless, and undefiled Son Jesus, that did take on him our nature, 1. In that he did reckon1 him the greatest and represent our persons, answering for our sins, sinner and rebel in the world. For he laid the sins instead of ourselves! Thou didst so wonderfully of thousands, and ten thousands, and thousands pour out thy wrath upon him, to the making of of thousands of sinners to his charge. Is. liii. And him cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou caused him to drink the terrible cup that was due forsaken me?' And, O Lord Jesus! what a glorious to them all; and not only so, but did delight in so conquest hast thou made over the enemies of our doing. For it pleased the LORD to bruise him.' souls, even wrath, sin, death, hell, and devils, in God dealt indeed with his son, as Abraham would that thou didst wring thyself from under the power have dealt with Isaac; ay, and more terribly by of them all! And not only so, but hast led them ten thousand parts. For he did not only tear his captive which would have led us captive; and also body like a lion, but made his soul an offering for hast received for us that glorious and unspeakable sin. And this was not done feignedly, but really inheritance that 'eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, for justice called for it, he standing in the room of neither have entered into the heart of man' to sinners. Witness that horrible and unspeakable conceive; and also hast given thine some disagony that fell on him suddenly in the garden, as covery thereof through thy Spirit. if all the vials of God's unspeakable scalding vengeance had been cast upon him all at once, and all the devils in hell had broken loose from thence nt once to destroy him, and that for ever; insomuch that the very pangs of death seized upon him in the same hour. For, saith he, My soul is exceeding sorrowful' and sore amazed,' even unto death.'

Mar. xiv. 34.

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[2.] Witness also that strange kind of sweat that trickled down his most blessed face, where it is said: And he sweat, as it were, great drops' or clodders of blood,' trickling down to the ground.' O Lord Jesus! what a load didst thou carry! What a burden didst thou bear of the sins of the world, and the wrath of God! O thou didst not only bleed at nose and mouth with the pressure that lay upon thee, but thou wast so pressed, so loaden, that the pure blood gushed through the flesh and skin, and so ran trickling down to the ground. And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood,' trickling or falling down to the ground.' Lu. xxii. 44. Canst thou read this, O thou wicked sinner, and yet go on in sin? Canst thou think of this, and defer repentance one hour longer? O heart of flint! yea, harder. O miserable wretch! What place in hell will be hot enough for thee to have thy soul put into, if thou shalt persist or go on still to add iniquity to iniquity.

And now, sinner, together with this consider, 4. That though Jesus Christ hath done all these things for sinners, yet the devils make it their whole work, and continually study how they may keep thee and others from enjoying of these blessed privileges that have been thus obtained for sinners by this sweet Jesus. He labours, I say, (1.) To keep thee ignorant of thy state by nature. (2.) To harden thy heart against the ways of God. (3.) To inflame thy heart with love to sin and the ways of darkness. And, (4.) To get thee to continue herein. For that is the way, he knows, to get thee to be a partaker with him of flaming hellfire, even the same that he himself is fallen into, together with the rest of the wicked world, by reason of sin. Look to it therefore.

[Fourth Encouragement.] But now, in the next place, a word of encouragement to you that are the saints of the Lord.

1. Consider what a happy state thou art in that hast gotten the faith of the Lord Jesus into thy soul; but be sure thou have it, I say, how safe, how sure, how happy art thou! For when others go to hell, thou must go to heaven; when others go to the devil, thou must go to God; when as others go to prison, thou must be set at liberty, at ease, and at freedom; when others must roar for sorrow of heart, then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart.

2. Consider thou must have all thy well-spent Modern editors have altered this to, 'did deal with him.' life to follow thee instead of all thy sins and the -(ED.)

glorious blessings of the gospel instead of the

dreadful curses and condemnations of the law; the blessing of the father, instead of a fiery sentence from the judge.

not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man to conceive?

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Will it not be glorious to have this sentence, 3. Let dissolution come when it will, it can Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdo thee no harm; for it will be but only a pas- dom prepared for you from the foundation of the sage out of a prison into a palace; out of a sea of world?' Will it not be glorious to enter then with troubles into a haven of rest; out of a crowd of the angels and saints into that glorious kingdom? enemies, to an innumerable company of true, loving, Will it not be glorious for thee to be in glory with and faithful friends; out of shame, reproach, and them, while others are in unutterable torments? contempt, into exceeding great and eternal glory. O then, how will it comfort thee to see thou hast For death shall not hurt thee with his sting, nor not lost that glory; to think that the devil hath bite thee with his soul-murdering teeth; but shall not got thy soul, that thy soul should be saved, be a welcome guest to thee, even to thy soul, in and that not from a little, but from an exceeding that it is sent to free thee from thy troubles which | danger;1 not with a little, but a great salvation. thou art in whilst here in this world dwelling in | O, therefore, let the saints be joyful in glory, let the tabernacle of clay. them triumph over all their enemies. Let them begin to sing heaven upon earth, triumph before they come to glory, salvation, even when they are in the midst of their enemies, for this honour have all his saints.' Ps. cxlix. 9.

4. Consider however it goes with friends and relations, yet it will go well with thee. Ec. viii. 12. However it goes with the wicked, yet surely I know;' mark, yet surely I know,' saith he, that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.' And therefore let this,

(1.) In the first place, cause thee cheerfully to exercise thy patience under all the calamities, crosses, troubles, and afflictions that may come upon thee; and, by patient continuance in welldoing, to commit both thyself and thine affairs and actions into the hands of God, through Jesus Christ, as to a faithful Creator, who is true in his word, and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath promised to thee.

(2.) And, therefore, to encourage thee while thou art here with comfort to hold on for all thy crosses in this thy journey, be much in considering the place that thou must go into so soon as dissolution comes. It must be into heaven, to God the judge of all, to an innumerable company of angels, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and to Jesus, to the redeemer, who is the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things for thee than Abel's did for Cain. He.

xi. 22-24.

(3.) Consider that when the time of the dead that they shall be raised is come, then shall thy body be raised out of the grave and be glorified, and be made like to Jesus Christ. Phi. iii. 21. O excellent condition!

Verse 29.-'Abraham said anto him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.'

In the verses foregoing you see there is a discovery of the lamentable state of the poor soul that dies out of Christ, and the special favour of God. And also how little the glorious God of heaven doth regard and take notice of their most miserable condition.

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Now in this verse he doth magnify the word which was spoken to the people by the prophets and apostles, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.' As if he should say, thou askest me that I should send Lazarus back again into the world to preach to them that live there, that they might escape that doleful place that thou art in. What needs that? IIave they not Moses and the prophets? Have they not had my ministers and servants sent unto them and coming as from me? I sent Enoch and Noah, Moses and Samuel. I sent David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, and the rest of the prophets, together with Peter, Paul, John, Matthew, James, Jude, with the rest; 'Let them hear them.' What they have spoken by divine inspiration I will own, whether it be for the damnation of those that reject, or the saving of them that receive their doctrine. And, therefore, what need have they that one should be sent unto them in another way? They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.' Let them receive their word, close in with the doctrine declared by them. I shall not at this time speak anything to that word Abraham,' having touched upon it already; but shall tell you what is to be understood by these words, They

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(4.) When Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory you also shall sit with him, even when he shall sit on the throne of his glory. O will not this be glorious, that when thousands, and thousands of thousands shall be arraigned before the judgment-seat of Christ, then for them to sit with him upon the throne, together with him to pass the sentence upon the ungodly. 1 Co. vi, 2, 3. Will it not be glorious to enjoy those things that eye hath -(ED.)

Altered in the third edition to 'a great exceeding danger.'

have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.' I The things that I shall observe from hence are these:

[First.] That the scriptures spoken by the holy men of God are a sufficient rule to instruct to salvation them that do assuredly believe and close in with what they hold forth. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.' That is, if they would escape that doleful place, and be saved indeed from the intolerable pains of hell-fire, as they desire, they have that which is sufficient to counsel them. "They have Moses and the prophets; let them be instructed by them, Let them hear them.' For all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;' why? That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.' 2 Ti. iii. 16, 17. Do but mark these words, 'All scripture is profitable.' ALL; take it where you will, and in what place you will, All is profitable:' For what? That the man of God,' or he that is bound for heaven, and would instruct others in their progress thither.

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It is profitable to instruct him, in case he be ignorant; to reprove him, in case he transgress; to correct him, if he hath need of it; to confirm him, if he be wavering. It is profitable for doctrine, and all this in a very righteous way-that the poor soul may not only be helped, but thoroughly furnished, not only to some, but to all good works. And when Paul would counsel Timothy to stick close to the things that are sound and sure, presently he puts him upon the scripture, saying, From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.' The scripture holds forth God's mind and will, of his love and mercy towards man, and also the creature's carriage towards him from first to last; so if thou wouldest know the love of God in Christ to sinners, then search the scriptures, for they are they which testify of him.'

Wouldst thou know what thou art, and what is in thine heart? Then search the Scriptures and see what is written in them. Ro. i. 29-31; iii. 9-18. Je. xvii. 9. Ge. vi. 5; viii. 21. Ep. iv. 18, with many others. The Scriptures, I say, they are able to give a man perfect instruction into any of the things of God necessary to faith and godliness, if he hath but an honest heart seriously to weigh and ponder the several things contained in them. As to instance in things more particular for the further clearing up of this. And first, if we come to the creation

of the world. Wouldst thou know somewhat concerning that? Then read Ge. i. and ii., and compare them with Ps. xxxiii. 6.; also Is. lxvi. 2. Pr. viii, towards the end.

Wouldst thou know whether he made them of something or nothing? Read He. xi. 3.

Wouldst thou know whether he put forth any labour in making them, as we do in making things? Read Ps. xxxiii. 9.

If thou wouldest know whether man was made by God corrupt or upright, read Ec. vii. 29. Ge. i. 10, 18, 25, 31. Wouldst thou know where God did place man after he had made him? Read Ge. ii. 15.

Wouldst thou know whether that man did live there all his time or not? Then read Ge. i 23, 24.

If thou wouldest know whether man be still in that state by nature that God did place him in? Then read Ec. vii, 29., and compare it with Ro. v. 16. Ep. ii. 1–3. God made men upright, but they have sought out many inventions.'

If thou wouldest know whether the man were first beguiled, or the woman that God made an help-mate for him? Read Ge. iii. 6, and compare with 1 Tim. ii. 14.

Wouldst thou know whether God looked upon Adam's eating [the fruit of] the forbidden tree to be sin or no? Read Ro. v. 12-15, and compare it with Ge. iii. 17.

Wouldst thou know whether it were the devil who beguiled them, or whether it was a natural serpent, such as do haunt the desolate places? Read Ge. iii. 13, with Re. xx. 1–3.

Wouldst thou know whether that sin be imputed to us? Read Ro. v. 12-15, and compare it with Ep. ii. 2. Wouldst thou know whether man was cursed for his sin? Read Ga. iii. 10. Ro. v. 15.

Wouldst thou know whether the curse did fall on man, or on the whole creation with him? Compare Ge. iii. 17, with Ro. viii. 20–22.

Wouldst thou know whether man be defiled in every part of him by the sin he hath committed? Then read Is. i. 6.

Wouldst thou know man's inclination so soon as he is born? Read Ps. Iviii, 3, The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born.'

Wouldst thou know whether man once fallen from God by transgression, can recover himself by all he can do? Then read Ro. iii. 20, 23.

Wouldst thou know whether it be the desire of the heart of man by nature, to follow God in his own way or no? Compare Ge. vi. 5, and Ge. viil 21, with Ho. xi. 7.

Wouldst thou know how God's heart stood affected toward man before the world began? Compare Ep. i. 4, with 2 Ti. i. 9.

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they could do to make him amends? Then read have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.'

De. xi. 5-8.

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Wouldst thou know how God could still love his creatures, and do his justice no wrong? Read Ro. iii. 24-26. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation' for sin, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.'

That is, God having his justice satisfied in the blood, and righteousness, and death of his own Son Jesus Christ for the sins of poor sinners, he can now save them that come to him, though never so great sinners, and do his justice no wrong, because it hath had a full and complete satisfaction given it by that blood. 1 Jn. i. 7, 8.

Wouldst thou know who he was, and what he was, that did out of his love die for sinners, then compare Jn. iii. 16, 17. Ro. v. 8, with Is. ix. 6.

Wouldst thou know whether this Saviour had a body of flesh and bones before the world was, or took it from the Virgin Mary? Then read Ga. iv. 4. Wouldst thou know whether he did in that body bear all our sins, and where? Then read 1 Pe. ii. 24. Who bare our sins in his own body on the tree.'

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Wouldst thou know whether he did rise again after he was crucified, with the very same body? Then read Lu. xxiv. 38—41.

Wouldst thou know whether he did eat or drink with his disciples after he rose out of the grave? Then read Lu. xxiv. 42, and Ac. x. 41.

If thou wouldst be persuaded of the truth of this, that that very body is now above the clouds and stars, read Ac. i. 9–11, and Lu. xxiv. toward the end.

If thou wouldst know that the Quakers hold an error that say the body of Christ is within them;1 consider the same scripture.

Wouldst thou know what that Christ that died for sinners is doing in that place whither he is gone? Then read Heb. vii. 24.

Wouldst thou know who shall have life by him, read 1 Ti. i. 14, 15, and Ro. v. 6-8, which say, Christ died' for sinners, for the ungodly.'

Wouldst thou know whether they that live and die in their sins shall go to heaven or not? Then read 1 Co. vi. 10. Re. xxi. 8, 27, which saith, They shall

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Bunyan published this work before the Quakers were formed into a Society. Many of the wildest enthusiasts called themselves Quakers. Barclay, in his Apology, very clearly defines what the Society of Friends mean by, Christ within, the hope of glory.' It is a spiritual, heavenly, and invisible principle, in which God, as Father, Son, and Spirit, dwells or reigns.'-Prop. V. and VI.—(ED.)

Wouldst thou know whether man's obedience will obtain that Christ should die for them, or save them? Then read Mar. ii. 17. Ro. v. 6, 7.

Wouldst thou know whether righteousness, justification, and sanctification do come through the virtue of Christ's blood? Compare Ro. v. 9, with

Heb. xii. 12.

Wouldst thou know whether natural man can abstain from the outward act of sin against the law, merely by a principle of nature? Then compare well Ro. ii. 14, with Phi. iii. 6.

Wouldst thou know whether a man by nature may know something of the invisible things of God? Compare seriously Ro. 1. 20, 21, with ii. 14, 15.

Wouldst thou know how far a man may go on in a profession of the gospel, and yet fall away? Then read Heb. vi. 4–6. They may taste the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come.' They may taste 'the heavenly gift, and be partakers of the Holy Ghost,' and yet so fall as never to be recovered, or renewed again unto repentance. also Lu. xiii,

See

Wouldst thou know how hard it is to go to heaven? Read Mat. vii. 13, 14. Lu. xiii. 24. Wouldst thou know whether a man by nature be a friend to God, or an enemy? Then read Ro.

v. 10. Col. i. 21.

Wouldst thou know what, or who they are that shall go to heaven? Then read Jn. iii. 3–7, and 2 Co. v. 17. Also, wouldst thou know what a sad thing it is for any to turn their backs upon the gospel of Jesus Christ? Then read Heb. x. 28, 29, and Mar.

xvi. 16 Wouldst thou know what is the wages of sin? Then read Ro. vi. 23. [The wages of sin is death.'] Wouldst thou know whither those do go that die unconverted to the faith of Christ? Then read Ps. ix. 17, and Is. xiv. 9.

Reader, here might I spend many sheets of paper, yea, I might upon this subject write a very great book, but I shall now forbear, desiring thee to be very conversant in the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of Jesus Christ.' Jn. v. 39. The Bereans were counted noble upon this account: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,' &c. Ac. xvii. 11. But here let me give thee one caution, that is, have a care that thou do not satisfy thyself with a bare search of them, without a real application of him whom they testify of to thy soul, lest instead of faring the better for thy doing this work, thou dost fare a great deal the worse, and thy condemnation be very much heightened, in that though thou didst read so often the sad state of those that die in sin, and the glorious estate of them that

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