one emptying itself into his soul in a dying season; one is from above him, the other is from within him; The spring that runs comfort from above him, is the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience; the spring that runs comfort from within him, is the sincerity of his heart in God's service; when we lie upon a death bed, and can reflect upon our principles and performances in the service of God, and there find uprightness and sincerity of heart running through all, this must needs be comfort; it was so to Hezekiah; "remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart; and have done that which is good in thy sight. '* Nothing maketh a death bed so uneasy and hard, as a life spent in the service of sin and lust; nothing makes a death bed so soft and sweet, as a life spent in the service of God and Christ. Or put the case, the people of God should not meet with this comfort then; yet, 3. "They shall be sure to find it after death;" if time bring none of this fruit to ripeness, why yet eternity shall; grace in time will be glory in eternity; holiness now, will be happiness then; "whatever it is a man soweth in this world, that he shall be "He that sure to reap in the next world +: soweth to the flesh shall of the fiesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, Isa. xxxviii. S. † Gal. v. 7. 213 enter Whoever shall of the spirit reap life eve When sin shall end in sorrow an holiness shall end in joy and glory done thou good and faithful servan thou into the joy of thy Lordt. shareth in the grace of Christ in this world, shall share in the joys of Christ in the world to come; and that joy is joy unspeakable, and full of glory ; Lo, here is the fruit of godliness; say now, if there be not enough in religion, whether we respect profit or comfort, to engage us to be christians throughout? Consideration 4. "What an entire resignation wicked men make of themselves to their lusts and shall not we do so to the Lord Christ ?" They give up themselves without reserve to the pleasures of sin, and shall we have our reserves in the service of God? They are altogether sinners, and shall not we be altogether Saints ? They run, and faint not in the service of their lusts and shall we faint and not run, in the service of Christ? Shall the servants of corruption have their ears bored to the door-posts of sin§ in token of an entire and perpetual service, and shall we not give up ourselves to the Lord Christ, to be his for ever? Shall others make a "covenant with hell and death" || and shall not we "join ourselves to God in an everlasting covenant that cannot be forgotten ?"¶ Shall they take more pains to * Gal. vi. 8. Rom. vi. 23. 41Pet. i. 18. ŞExo. xxi. 6. Matt. xxv. 23. Isa, xxviii. 15, damn their souls, + n we do to save ours? and make more sped to a place of vengeance, than we do to a crown of righteousness ?* Which do you judge best, to be saved everlastingly, or to perish everlastingly? which do you count the best master, God or the devil? Christ or your lusts? I know you will determine it on Christ's side: O then! when others serve their lusts with all their hearts, do you serve Christ with all your hearts,"t "if the hearts of the sons of men be fully set in them to do evil," then much more let the hearts of the sons of God be fully set in them to do good. Consideration 5. "If ye be not altogether christians, ye will never be able to appear with comfort before God, nor to stand in the judgment of the last and great day ?" For this sad dilemma will silence every hypocrite; If my commands were not holy, just and good why didst thou own them? If they were holy, just and good, why dost thou not obey them? If Jesus Christ was not worth the having, why didst thou profess him? If he was, then why didst thou not cleave to him, and close with him? If my ordinances were not appointed to convert and save souls, why didst thou sit under them, and rest in the performance of them? Or if they were, then why didst thou not submit to the power of *2 Tim. iv. 8. Eccl. viii. 5. them? If religion be not good, why dost thou profess it? If it be good, why dost thou not practise it? "Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment *"? If it was not a wedding feast, why didst thou come at the invitation! If it was, then why didst thou come without a wedding garment. I would but ask an hypocritical professor of the gospel, what he will answer in that day. Verily you deprive yourselves of all possibility of apology in the day of the righteous judgment of God: It is said of the man that had no wedding garment on, that when Christ came and examined him he was speechless; he that is graceless in a day of grace, will be speechless in a day of judgment; professing Christ without a heart to close with Christ, will leave our souls inexcusable, and make our damnation unavoidable and more intolerable."+ These are the motives to enforce the duty; and O that God would set them home upon your heartsand consciences, that you might not dare to rest a moment longer in a half work, or in being christians within a little, but that you might be altogether christians? Question. "But you will say possibly, how shall I do? what means shall I use, that I may attain to a thorough work in my heart; that I may be no longer almost but altogether a christian ?" *Matt. xxii. 12. †Matt. xi. 22. Answer. Now I shall lay down three rules of direction instead of many, to further and help you in this important duty, and so leave this work to God's blessing. Direction 1. First, "break off all false peace of conscience" this is the Devil's bond to hold the soul from seeking after Christ. As there is the peace of God, so there is the peace of Satan; but they are easily known, for they are as contrary as Heaven and Hell, as light and darkness. The peace of God flows from a work of grace in the soul, as is the peace of a regenerate state; but the peace of Satan is the peace of an unregenerate state, it is the peace of death; in the grave Job saith there is peace; "there the wicked cease from troubling ;' so a soul dead in sin is full of peace, the wicked one troubleth him not. The peace of God in the soul is a peace flowing from removal of guilt, by justifying grace; "Being justified by faith in his blood, we have peace with God;" but the peace of Satan in the soul arises and is maintained by a stupidity of spirit, and insensibility of guilt upon the conscience. The peace of God is a peace from sin, that fortifies the heart against it: "The peace of God that passeth all men's understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."* The more of this peace there is in the soul, the more is the soul fortified a *Phil. iy. 7. |