test the company of atheistical men, or any infidels that dare open their mouths to speak against the word of God. Yea, though they pretend to do it but by way of question. Hear every word against the Scripture from such deceivers, as if you heard it from the devil himself, or as if you saw him behind them, prompting them what to say, and putting them on for it is he that doth it by their mouth. As it was satan that caused Judas to betray Christ, and filled the heart of Ananias and Sapphira to lie against the Holy Ghost', so is it satan that filleth the hearts of these unbelievers to speak against Christ, and to contradict the word, which the Holy Ghost hath delivered. 5. Labour to understand the sense of Scripture, and the great evidence of its truth, and of the Christian faith; and have recourse to those for your confirmation that are of better understandings herein than yourselves, and read those books that are written to that end, to manifest the divine authority of Scripture. 6. Submit to the truth, which you know, and strive not against the light, but let it have its due impress upon your souls, that you may have the experience of its power and excellency to confirm you: by these means you may do much to overcome your unbelief; and if that were once done, the rest of the work would go on apace. Hindrance 5. The next hindrance, is, Inconsiderateness: of which I spoke in the beginning, but shall add somewhat in this place. When truths are not considered of, they are but as medicines that lie in a box, and therefore are not like to work; it is the work of consideration to bring down truths from the understanding to the heart, and to hold them there till they do work. We cannot get poor sinners so much as soberly to bethink them of their ways, and to call to mind the things we speak to them, and consider of them for their good. Because I intend, if the Lord will, to speak hereafter more fully of this subject, I shall pass it over now thus briefly. Direct. 5. If ever you would be converted, use to consider frequently and seriously of those truths of God that must do the work. The word of God is pure and powerful to convert the soul, but can you look it should convert you, if you will not so much as soberly think upon it? How can r Luke xxii. 3. Acts v. 3. : that work upon your hearts, which is out of your minds? It is you that must join with us for your own conversion, and do the rest of the work, when you come home, and not think that a sermon can do it, when you forget it, and never mind it more. If you seek to the ablest physician for your body, he can but give you physic, it is you that must take it and keep it, and observe directions till it work. If you will presently cast it up again, how can it do you good? We tell you of those truths that are most useful to your conversion, and if you will take them home, and keep them, and ponder of them when you are alone, till they sink into your hearts, and take rooting, you may be happy men; but if you will cast them all up again, and will not be persuaded to bestow now and then a few of your deepest serious thoughts for the further entertainment of them, how should they do you saving good? If I could prevail with this congregation to be but considerate, and now and then to bestow some time to get the truth to their hearts, I should have great hopes of the conversion of you all; for light is stronger than darkness if you would but open the window by consideration, and let it in, you should find the darkness presently dispelled, and it would be day with you that have sat in the shadow of death. The Spirit of God is able to overcome the flesh, and Christ is able to conquer satan, and bind him, and cast him out of your souls. And if you would but set in, and take his part, and open him the door by sober consideration, when he knocks and seeks admittance, and not discourage him by your wilful neglect, you would feel the working of his power to your salvation. There have now been many sermons preached to you on this considered of them when you came home? yourselves alone, and asked your own hearts, whether you are converted or not? And have you bethought you of the blessedness of the converted, and the misery of the unconverted, which you have heard? Have you dwelt upon these thoughts, till they have sunk down into your hearts? If you have, I dare say this doctrine hath done you good; but if you have not, what wonder if you be unconverted still, and if you live and die so, and if you be damned among the unconverted, when you will not be persuaded so much as seriously to consider of the matter? If it be not a matter text; have you Have you taken worthy the thinking of, it is not worth the hearing, and if this be not to be thought on, I know not what is. We do not go home with you from church into your houses, nor see what you think of there in secret, nor whether you fall down there before the Lord, and pray over the sermons that you hear; nor do we hear what you say of it to others; but God followeth you home, and he seeth and heareth all; and he that is here ready with his grace to enter into your hearts, if you do not resist or slight him, is there also ready to help you to make use of what you have heard, if you do not wilfully throw it off yourselves. O, did you but earnestly consider what God is, and what your duty is, and what you were made for, and whither you are going, and what sin and the world are, and what grace is, and what Christ is, and hath done for you, and what death is, and what judgment is, and what heaven is, and what hell is, how is it possible you should continue unconverted? How is it possible but you should presently run out of your present carnal, worldly state, as you should do out of a house that is all on fire over your head; and should become most zealous and diligent Christians? Certainly consideration would do very much to your conversion. "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet to thy testimonies, I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments Hindrance 6. The next great impediment to your conversion, is, Hardness of heart, and searedness of conscience. Though every man have some of this in his original corruption, yet resisting of light and motions of grace doth usually bring men to a far greater measure of it; both by the nature of the thing, and by the just judgment of God. When men have sinned often or long against knowledge and conscience, and receive not the truth in the love of it that they may be saved, but suppress the light, and live not up to the convictions that are upon their consciences, it is usual for such to grow blockish and senseless, and for the brutish part so far to prevail, that they are in a sort" unreasonable ment." Men are naturally dead in sin, but when they have sinned wilfully, they grow more dead; that is, they are more insensi ble, and have more of death upon them. And when they fall, especially from former conviction and profession, they "become twice dead, and plucked up by the roots";" and then the work of conversion is hard indeed. When the heart is thus hardened, no words are much regarded by them: no saying will serve; you speak as to a post. We shoot our arrows as at a wall of flint, where they will not enter: the dew of holy instructions doth fall upon a stone where no fruit can be expected. You cannot devise what to say that will touch them, because they are stupid, and will not lay it to heart you cannot tell how to sharpen your words to make them enter. The Lord have mercy upon poor wretches, for their case is lamentable. It would make a man of consideration wonder to see what piercing, weighty truths a hard heart will make light of. Speak to them as from the God that made them, and they regard you not: speak to them of their everlasting state, and they regard you not: tell them of the heinous evil of sin, and all its aggravations, and they take it all but as words of course; and will say, God help us, we are all sinners,' and there is an end. Tell them of the infinite love of God, and the precious blood of Christ that was shed for them, and the free pardon that is offered, and the rich abundant grace, which they might have, and it will increase their presumption and security, but it will not raise their estimation of it, nor quicken their desire after it, nor make them forsake all and follow Christ. Tell them of an everlasting state of glory, which they may obtain in the presence of the Lord, and they make light of it, and hear it as they do a story of the fortunate islands, or the Elysian fields: tell them of the endless torments of the damned that despised grace in the day of their visitation, and either they feel not, and fear not what you say; or if they fear a little, it is not so much as to move them from their courses, nor bring them to a change of heart and life. O what a sad work it is to have to deal with a hardened heart! It is to hew at a stone; and to cleave a knotty block that will not receive the wedge; to plough and sow on a rock, where you cannot make the plough to enter. This is the trouble of a preacher's life; this dulleth his hopes, this wearieth and tireth him; this maketh him say, • I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nougth:' and this hath broken many of their hearts. Alas! to see u Jude 12. our poor people within a few days or years of eternal fire, which they might prevent if they would look about them in time, and we cannot get them to lay it to heart! Alas! to hear what a feeling they must have for ever, and yet we cannot get them to feel or fear, and prevent it now. Oh! thinks a poor minister, if I could but awaken him, and make him regard the case of his soul, I should have hope yet to prevent his damnation: for no man can destroy him against his will; and the light is so clear, that methinks he should see it, if he would not wilfully shut his eyes. But alas! we cannot get them to regard it. How sad a case is it to think of an everlasting glory, which they might have, and how freely Christ hath purchased it, and how freely he doth offer it to them, and they might have it if they would, and if they did not wilfully slight it and reject it. And yet that we cannot awaken them to consideration, nor bring such matters as these to their hearts; I have formerly said it, and I will say it again, that I profess that I often marvel that the weight of everlasting matters doth not rather overmatch your spirits, and overwhelm them. I have wondered that it doth not even amaze and astonish you to think how great a change you are near, and what a thing it is to be everlastingly in heaven or in hell: and yet we cannot get our people to feel or lay to heart these things. O, what lamentable hearts are these! What will they regard and feel if they will not feel everlasting matters? What words will ever pierce their hearts if the words of the living God will not do it, and the words by which they know they shall be judged? Do but call one of them by some disgraceful name, and he will quickly feel threaten him with death; promise him but a hundred pounds, and he will regard it but let God declare his sin and misery to him, and he will not feel it: let God threaten him with hell, and promise him everlasting life, if he will return, and he will not regard it. O, what a happy life might a minister have if it were not for hardhearted men! If we could deal with them, but on such terms for their souls as we do for their bodies, how certainly should we prevail, and then how comfortable would our employments be. If a lawyer tell them their evidence, or cause is nought, they will hear and regard him if a physician tell them they must take physic or die, they will lay : |