Serious Advice to delivered Ones from Sickness, or any other Dangers threatening Death, how they ought to carry it, that their Mereyes may be continued, and After Misery prevented.  
OR THE HEALED ONES PROPHULACTICON Or Healthful Diet.  
Delivered in several SERMONS On JOHN 5. 14.  
By JAMES ALLIN, Teacher to the most ancient Church of Christ in Boston.  
BOSTON, Printed by John Foster, in the Year 1679.   

To the Reader.  
Christian Reader,  
THese Sermons written out by some pious Hearers from their own Notes, and by their desire hastened to the Press, so that I could not, for want of time, supervise them as I would; and not being willing to burden them with writing them again, I have been prevailed with, to consent to their publishing in this homely Dress; unfit indeed for the vein of this curious and c●rping Age, that are more for what pleaseth than what profiteth them: But seeing it hath pleased the Lord so far to bless them to any, as thereby to stir them up at their own cost and pains, to endeavour to promove others good thereby, if the Blessing may attend the Reading, that did the Preaching of them. And that it may, let me advise thee, into whose hand this may come, & thou think not thy time lost in reading it, that with the same integrity thou come to read them, that those who are the occasion of the publishing, did to the hearing, and with more mind to mend thy own, then find another faults. If thou findest any benefit, let it further thy Prayers for the Instrument, thy Thanks to the Lord for those have occasioned it; and let you and I adore the wisdom of God in managing unlikely and foolish means for thy saving good, to slain man's pride, and exalt his own glory, which is the aim and design of him who is,  
Boston, May 16. 1679. thy Soul's friend James Allin.   
John 5. 14. Afterward Jesus finding him in the Temple, and saith to Him, Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. 
IN the Chapter you have, first the History of a glorious Miracle Christ wrought in healing an impotent man, from the first, to the tenth verse. 2. The Jews quarrelling at it, designing the ruin of him that healed him, from the tenth, to the nineteenth verse. 3. Christ's Apology for himself in defence of the work he had done, to the end of the Chapter. In the first verse, and so on, you have the Miracle, and therein, first the time of it, it was at the Feast of the Passover. 2. The place, and that was Bethesda, where was a Pool for healing any disease, to the person that first stepped in, after an Angel had troubled the waters. 2. You have the person healed, described. 1. By his Impotency, left of all in the time, none helped him into the water. 2. By the long time he had been under this distemper, which was 38 years. 3. You have the manner of his cure, it was by Christ's word of command, in obedience to his command, he was to take up his bed and walk, as a sign that he was healed. Then in the second part of the Chapter you have the Jews quarrelling; and before they knew the Author of this healing, they charge the poor man with breach of the Sabbath, by carrying his bed, and his Apology being, that he was so commanded by him that healed him, and upon their Enquiry who it was, he replied he did not know; Then you have Christ manifesting himself to the healed man, by whom the Jews understanding the person, they design his death. But you see Christ finding this person gives him heavenly Counsel how to carry it, that the benefit received may be for good to him, go and sin no more, etc.  
In the words are two things, 1. Christ finding this impotent man he had healed, 2. The excellent counsel Christ gives him, 1. By way of direction, Behold thou art healed, 2. By way of caution, sin no more, lest, etc. In Christ's finding this man, two things observable, 1. The time of it, it was afterward, after his obedience to Christ carrying his bed, which the jews charged him with, and Christ manifesting himself to him in a glorious manner; and from thence we may draw this Observation.  
Doct. That they who meet with most difficulty in the way of their obedience to Christ, may expect to meet with a reward in having more of Christ's presence. So that whether it be Duty in the way of our general course, or any particular duty we are doing for Christ, no difficulty should discourage us therein; the Lord Jesus knows how to make a Recompense and compensation to us. As you should consider, 1. The time when, so 2. The place where Christ found him, it was in the Temple, where he was offering his Thank-offering, and he was early at the Temple, for you find Christ did not stay for his coming, but found him there, so that he was early in returning Thanks; thence observe,  
Doct. That it is a good fruit of healing mercy from God thank fully to acknowledge the same in our diligent attendance upon his Instituted Worship; We have here, 1. Chri●ts own Example he leavs us, to be early in seeking God in the Temple, thither Christ comes, and 2. this healed man's Example also, there Christ finds him: he finds him not in a Tavern, or in his own house neglecting the means and public worship, but in God's house; And he is not there as one loath to come, or weary of that Service, but was early there, when Christ comes he finds him there; and from hence further we may observe,  
Doct. That it is a great advantage to any that are able, to attend upon the Instituted Worship, yea, to be diligent in attending thereon, for there it is you will meet with the presence of Jesus Christ, there you will find that knowledge of him, and acquaintance with him, that you meet not with elsewhere, there Christ found him waiting upon God, to acknowledge his healing mercy, and there he meets with Christ. And further you may observe,  
Doct. They that do what they can in the acknowledgement of God, in their duty, so far as they know they shall therein be acquainted with more of their duty. God will give greater and clearer discoveries of his mind to him in that way; and you must remember God is not a debtor to us by any thing we pay him, but we are more indebted to him for those communications of his to us, Psal. 50. 23. They that glorify me to them I will show the Salvation of God.  
But the latter part of the verse is that I would chiefly speak unto, the counsel Christ gives this healed man. Christ is a gracious Physician, and comes now to heal his Soul as well as his body, that he may be kept in such a measure of health as may be for his comfort, and in order to it he gives him this counsel.  
1. By way of direction, Behold thou art made whole; That which Christ herein calls him unto, it is a diligent observance of the mercy God had bestowed, he would have him take more notice in a fuller view of this mercy, thou art made whole, Adding, Behold, healing mercy is that which should not pass you more serious consideration, where God gives it.  
2. The caution Christ gives him, Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee, he gives him a special Caution against sin, specially that fin God had been punishing him for; And he backs this caution with an enforcing Argument: lest a worse thing than thirty eight years' sickness by such a distemper come to thee. And when Christ saith, Behold thou art made whole, he doth not say, I have healed thee, thereby teaching us humility (for he did not understand Christ to be God) but would mind him of the chief Author, consider thou art healed; So from the words we may take these three observations.  
Doct. 1. It is the duty of those that have received healing and delivering mercy from the Lord to take special notice of it.  
Doct. 2. Those that are healed or delivered are to take very good heed that they sin no more.  
Doct. 3. That sins after great and eminent Salvations, Deliverances, & mercies, they pull down greater Judgements.  
Doct. 1. Those that are under saving and healing mercy from God they should take special notice of it, Beold thou art he aled. You must not take a transient view but take serious notice of God's mercies; It is one of the most precious and pleasant works of a Christian to take notice of, and observe Gods Providences to himself, Psal 111. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all those that have pleasure therein. For the Explication of the Doctrine, we may Consider,  
1. What is this beholding and taking notice of delivering and healing mercies.  
2. How we should take this notice of them. and 3. Why we should do so.  
1. What is that notice Christ would have every one delivered and saved to take of the mercy vouchsafed. I Answer, this beholding is variously taken,  
1. For a beholding with our bodily Eyes, as God said to Moses, Deut. 3. 27. get thee up into the Top of Pisgah, and lift up thine Eyes Westward and Eastward, and Northward, and southward, and behold with thine Eyes the Land, etc. he was to see the Land of Canaan with his outward bodily Eye.  
2. There is a beholding with the understanding, a considering of it, a looking upon it with the Eye of the Soul, Rom. 11. 32. Behold therefore the goodness and Severity of God; if you would see the goodness and Severity of God in his Providences, you must behold it with your understanding Eye, you must consider it, and that consideration fixed to behold it, which imports two things.  
1. Taking a full view of it in the latitude of the mercy, a looking it all over, it is a through and diligent observation, taking notice of every Argument in it that doth advance the mercy for your better acknowledgement of it: Not to take it by the lump, but observing every Circumstance that may heighten it to your consideration, to behold it so that you may see matter of wonderment, to behold every mercy with admiration:  
2. It bespeaks the intention of the act, Behold, you must look intensely upon it, you must keep your eye fixed upon it, it must not go out of your view, you must look wishly all round about it, and into every part of it with intenseness of Spirit.  
2. But how should we thus take notice and look upon the mercy that we may rightly behold it, and consider it; I Answer,  
1. In every Deliverance and work of Providence look into all the particular passages of Providence you find in it; We should take the mercy in pieces, and look into every part, and see what special Circumstances there are for our notice and observation. I shall mention some of those things in delivering mercies that are worthy your observation.  
1. Take notice of the time and seasonableness of the mercy; at what a needful time God sent such a mercy; God then delivered you, and if it had not been then, what had become of you? Mercy coming in that needful Season puts a beauty upon it, as Eccles. 3. Every thing is beautiful in its Season, it is then a mercy suitable. This poor man who had lain thirty eight years at the Pool, and none helped him, it is probable, his Faith and Patience was worn out, and now in this nick of time Christ comes, according to that in Isai. 41. 18, 19 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. That is a Season of mercy when the heart is ready to sail, and mercy comes in; Abraham takes notice of his mercy and the deliverance of his Son in the nick of time, Gen. 22. 12. At that time when he was taking the knife to slay his Son, and calls the Name Jehovah Jeirith, there, and then, in the Mount the Lord was seen.  
2. Observe and consider the care of God's Providence in bestowing the mercy, his special and distinguishing care in preserving you, when others die, you are singled out for deliverance, when others are not spared: Christ speaks Emphatically here to the man, thou art he God hath healed, when so many lay sick, there at the Pool besides: to have a healing mercy in a kill time it heightens the Mercy in a special manner, In Isai. 26, 20. God puts a special Remark upon this deliverance, they must enter into their Chambers; God hath a Chamber of safety and preservation for such, in singular and distinguishing favour to them.  
3. Observe and consider how leading this mercy is unto other mercies. Usually Deliverances and healing mercies do not come alone, but are attended with many other mercies; Now you must observe all the Concomitants of mercy that do attend it, as you find Hezekiah doth, Isai. 38. 17. Behold for peace I had great bitterness. But thou in love to my Soul hast delivered me from the Pit of Corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. He takes notice of his healing mercy, deliverance from the pit of outward destruction, by that kill disease, and specially, of the mercy attending of it, that God did it in love to his Soul, and that it was a Testimony of God's favour in pardoning all his sin also, one mercy goes not alone, to the People of God.  
4. Another thing observable in a healing mercy is, the Instrument God makes use of, or the way he doth it in, sometimes it is in an unknown way, a way we did not expect such a mercy in, the poor man waited for healing at the Pool, but little thought Christ should heal him by his Word. It is sometimes a strange way that God sends in a mercy to his People, so Luk. 5. 33. a stranger passed that way and he took up the poor wounded man, and healed him, so it is sometimes a strange way God heals in, the impotent man had none to put him into the Pool, now to be healed in a strange way unexpected, this doth greatly enhance the mercy of God.  
5. Observe and take notice of the design and end of mercy and deliverance, what Errand it comes upon; what work, and what gracious effect it hath, all believers are under that general Promise, Rom. 8. that all things shall work together for good to them, etc. afflictions shall, and mercies shall, every thing shall; now to see them thus working for our good, this heightens the mercy. The poor man goes into the Temple, and there acknowledgeth it; it is to further duty when ●t is done in mercy, caring not only to be healed, but to be Thankful.  
6. Observe the respect mercy hath to the Prayers and desires of your Souls, and to the things you beg: there is a wonderful value upon mercies, when they are in Answer to our Prayers, when you in distress have cried to God, and called others it may be to cry to God for you, and the Lord hath heard, as Psal. 34. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and delivered, etc. he had Answer of Prayer, so that you should have such Interest in Heaven, and that God hears the cries of his poor ones, this exceedingly endears the mercy to us, as Psal. 40. 1, 2. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me, and heard my cry, he brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the myery clay, and se● my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings. That is the first thing to be observed in our healing and delivering mercies, the Circumstances in it that heighten the mercy, being looked upon with a considerate fixed Eye, and an intelligent heart, to further our acknowledgement.  
2. Observe and behold every mercy and deliverance how it doth fulfil the word of God to you; there is never a Providence of God but it is a fulfilling of God's word, as it is said, Psal. 148. 8. Stormy winds fulfilling his Word, so doth every mercy and deliverance to his People. Now you should look on the work of Providence together with the Word of God, and see what particular word of God is made good to you by his Providence, for that is encouragement from experience to trust in the word of God another time: God saith, call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me, Psal. 50. 15. Now such a Deliverance is an Answer to such a Word and Promise sued out by Prayer, for therein God hath fulfilled a Promise to you. So 1 Cor. 10. 13. the Lord tells you that with every Temptation he will work a way for your escape, and that you shall be able to bear it, and in such a deliverance God hath fulfilled that Word to you, this adds Beauty unto, and honours God's word, in seeing God fulfilling it in the Execution of Providences, so in Joh. 19 36. not a bone of Christ was broken, this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  
3. In all Deliverances and healing mercies, that you should observe and consider in them who is the author of them, we are not only to look to the work done, that this person is healed, but whence it is. The Effect is a manifestation of the cause, we must labour to understand the cause, our understanding must look through things done to the cause, every one should see the hand of God which healeth him, for there is the Name of God written upon the mercy, and especially upon a gracious and eminent delivering Providence. And consider what you are to see of God therein.  
1. You are to see the care God hath of you as your heavenly Father, so we are told in Scripture, God as your Father cares for you, he knows what you need, Math. 6. 26, 27. if for inanimate Creatures, much more for rational, especially, those among them that are also spiritual, and in every delivering mercy manifests that care of you; We are commanded that we should be found in our duty whether we are under afflicting Providences, or any other: Trusting in, and leaving the Issue with the care of our heavenly Father, who careth for us, 1 Pet. 5. 7. therefore we are bid to cast our care upon him, and so every godly man rowls that care as to the Issue and Event upon the Lord, and then in the Deliverance the Lord manifests his care, so that in considering the mercy, you may read and see, that God doth take a fatherly care of you under whatsoever dispensation of Providence you are.  
2. You may see the wisdom of God in healing and restoring you, especially, being eminent Deliverances; when it may be you were past hope, and had no means left for encouragement, the wisdom of God found out a way, provided means, and gave the blessing to a good Issue, 2 Pet. 2. 9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of Temptation, etc. he hath many ways he doth not make known till the time of Deliverance, so that here also you may read this in the Deliverance, the wisdom of God.  
3. Observe in what way God doth convey his mercy, that is a great and beautiful thing, to behold the way in which God conveys every mercy to you; The way is Christ Jesus. No mercy comes to you but through the blood of Jesus Christ, Remember thou art he whose sins brought distress upon Christ's Soul, how comes any Remedy for, or deliverance from the wounds, sicknesses, evils and dangers sin hath brought thee into, but only by Jesus Christ. That Pool of Bethesda was a Type of Jesus Christ: who can make any thing healing, and Sovereign for recovery; A curse came by the fall upon every means used, only Jesus Christ hath restored the blessing upon the means; and that should heighten our thoughts of the mercy that it comes from and by Christ, no mercy comes otherwise, therefore never look on any mercy, but in the view of it, remember and think of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. all is yours, saith the Apostle, life, death, every thing, but how? only as you are Christ's? We came to have a right to every mercy by Jesus Christ's, and only by him, and that should be a most beautiful Contemplation to us here upon Earth, which will be so glorious to our Eye in Heaven, where this discovery will be made fully, how all our mercies flow to us by and through Christ.  
4. You may read the grace of God in every such mercy. It is great love and kindness of God manifested in every mercy, for every sinner is unworthy of the least mercy, as Jacob acknowledgeth, I am less than the least of all thy mercies, so it must be grace that brings mercy to you, and if you are made whole, know that healing mercy is of grace, yea, there are riches of mercy in every outward favour the Lord bestows; and this you should behold; Behold, the free and undeserved favour of God in all.  
5. See the wonderful condescendency of God; every mercy shows wonderful Condescendency in God to a poor Creature, considering, though the Lord be high, yet he hath respect to things below, Psal. 138. and those that are so very low as we have made ourselves by our sins, Oh what a stoop is it in the divine Majesty to take such care of vile sinners, that God should have any respect to your prayers, if God hath heard you in such a day, it heightens the Condescendency of God.  
6. Lastly, observe and consider the end that God aims at in your Deliverance, God is a rational Agent aiming at a spetial mark in the Deliverances he gives. Now what is the aim and design of God, what is God's language to you by the mercy, is not the design of it to further your Repentance, and your returning into God's favour? that is the general end; these mercies are the great Arguments God would prevail with sinners to return to him by true Repentance; That is their encouragement in Hos. 6. 1, he hath wounded, and he will heal, but you may be much more encouraged, if you can say, God that hath wounded us, hath healed us, therefore in Rom. 2. 4, 5. he tells us this is the language of every mercy, and of all God's goodness, to bespeak our hearts for Repentance, the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance: as one mercy is leading to many other mercies from God to you, so the design of them all is to lead you to God, to serve him with cheerfulness, Deut. 28. 48. Consider therefore what God calls for, that you may comply with God, and that is what Christ here minds the poor man of, Behold thou art healed, thou hast attained that thou hast long waited for, and God hath given it, now it is not enough to bring a thank offering to bless God before the Congregation, but that you sin no more, it is walking thankfully and obediently before the Lord all your days, and so you shall serve the end and design of God herein.  
2. As you should contemplate thus the mercy's God gives, so you should take a full and through view of them, with a fixed mind upon them, and that is in two things.  
1. So look on every mercy that your heart may be affected; a serious fixed Eye will affect the heart, as we should look on transgressors breaking Gods Laws, so as to be grieved at them, Psal. 119. 158. I beheld the Transgressor's and was grieved, because they kept not thy Word; so you should behold the mercies of God and be affected, so as to rejoice, and have your heart engaged to God; as the Psalmist, Psal. 116. 1. I will love the Lord because he hath heard my voice, etc. There should be a drawing out of our affections to God from the beholding the mercies of God to us; and as you should love, so admire God, so behold as to wonder at such a mercy, as he Psal. 31. 19 how great is thy goodness which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of men?  
2. We should be so fixed in our contemplation of the works of God's mercies that we should never forget them, observe them so as to be always minding them, Psal. 111. he will cause his works to be remembered, etc. It must not be such a view as (Jam. 1. 21.) a Man looking his natural face in a glass, and going away forgets what manner of person he was, you must not look so on your mercies, but keep up the Remembrance of them, that they may never be forgotten. We are prone to forget, though highly taken and wonderfully affected with them for the present; be it the escaping of death, when the deliverance is over, as with Israel, Psal. 196. 13. they sang his praise, but soon forgot his works; David therefore engageth, Psal. 103. 3, 4. to praise the Lord with all his Soul, and chargeth his Soul never to forget the mercies of God; therefore you should charge your memories to be a Treasury of the mercies of God, there may be erected a monument of them in your hearts. That is the second thing how you should take notice of Gods delivering mercy, we should take a through view of them, observing how the Lord manages all our afflictions, by merciful providences leading us on to eternal: For as the Psalmist saith, Psal. 107. 43. By observing these things, we may understand much of the loving kindness of the Lord.   

SERM. II.  
IT is the latter part of the verse we are speaking unto, the counsel Christ gives to the impotent man whom he had miraculously healed, how he might preserve that mercy and improve it. There are two Directions given him, 1. That he should take special notice of his Deliverance, Behold thou art made whole. 2. A Caution against sin, go and sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee.  
From the first, we observed, That it is the duty of those that are under saving mercy, to take special notice of it. I showed you what was the notice we should take of such a delivering and saving providence, we should look upon it throughly, upon all the circumstances that do endear that mercy to us, that tender care of God, that respect it hath to our Prayers: we should look it all over: We should do it with intention, so as to be affected with it, that it may abide with us, that we may remember it, that it may be a mercy never forgotten.  
I shall give you only a few Reasons, briefly, because I would pass to the other, which I mainly intended in the choice of these words.  
Reas. 1. You ought to consider your mercies because God commandeth it. It is a duty that God commandeth, and that God expecteth, and therefore hath frequently put that affix upon a special mercy, Behold it. So Christ saith to this man Behold this mercy, look upon it with wonder, that a Sinner, a provoking sinner should be saved and delivered: wonder that God hath wrought so great deliverance before men: That was a matter of the Psalmists wonder, Psal. 31. 19 And in Math. 6. 28. Christ saith there to his Disciples, Why take ye thought for raiment? consider the lilies of the field how they grow: Look on the care of God's providence to other creatures. If we must observe God's care of inanimate creatures, or those only animate, much more should we look on his care of ourselves, & the special mercies he bestows on us: God would not have you so to look abroad, that you should not look at home, but the more to admire God's mercy and care toward yourselves.  
2. Reas. The nonobservance of God's mercy God doth severely reprove. We find it smartly reproved by God, when his People do not consider their deliverance. Psal. 106. 13. They soon forgot his mercy. It is put as a special aggravation of their sin, in their murmuring against God, They soon forgot his mercy. Why did they so soon forget it? Because they did not consider God's mercy, did not charge their Souls with the remembrance of it, that they should forget none of God's benefits.  
3. Reas. We cannot have the benefit of mercy, unless we take a serious view of it. There are two special designs of God in every delivering mercy, one is to further our obedience: the other is to strengthen our Faith against another time. It is to further our obedience, to make us serve God the more cheerfully. Every mercy should be always in our eye, to spur us to our duty. Deut. 28. 47. They did not serve me with cheerfulness: it is a great sin, under great mercies, not to serve God with a great deal more cheerfulness; that we cannot do, without we observe his mercies. Then it is to strengthen our Faith in the expectation of mercy another time, 2 Cor. 1. 10. God hath delivered us, and he will. God then heard your cry and delivered you. Abraham makes it a standing Proverb, and encouragement to Faith, Gen. 22. 12. He puts a remark on that mercy, a name on the place, there God beheld me, and took that care of me, and prevented that ruin to my Son, in the Mount God will be seen.  
4. Reas. It is a great contempt of God not to observe his mercy. God in every deliverance doth come near to us, and it is a marvellous inobservance not to take notice of him when he is near, Psal. 106. 4. Remember me O Lord with the favour thou hast to thy People, visit me with thy Salvation. When God comes with Salvation, he comes to give a visit to us; now we should take notice of it. We cannot see God, but only in the effects, God is made visible to us in his works; we should observe and see God there, what of the name of God is written upon it, what of the mercy, grace, goodness of God, else you carry it with disrespect to God.  
5. Reas. We cannot carry it suitably to God in our duty to him, without observation of his works and mercies towards us. The various providences of God, call for variety of duty in us, we cannot be in the exercise of our proper duty, unless we observe that mercy. What is the duty under delivering mercy? It is to praise God, and that not for a day, but always, to live God's praises: and therefore we should live in the view of those mercies, that are the matter and occasion of our praise, Psal. 107, 19 20. They cry to the Lord in their trouble, be saveth them out of their distresses: He sends his word and healeth them. What was the duty God required? O that men would praise the Lord for his wonderful works! You cannot give God praise for deliverance, unless you observe the full of that mercy, and your hearts be suitably affected by the Consideration of it:  
But by way of Improvement.  
USE. I. A word of Reproof to those that are inobservant of God's Mercies. Men that only take a sensitive notice of mercies, will be thankful, & praise God as long as they feel the benefit, but how soon is it forgotten: Psal. 106. 13. they carry no more a remembrance, than a beast & sensitive creature: this is not the remembrance of a rational Creature which God expects from every one. The reason why you so soon forget it, mercies are so soon lost, and your affection and love to them, and To God for them, is because you do not consider the mercy and kindness God bestoweth  
USE. II. It should put us upon this duty, that we would take special notice of every saving mercy: Look through it, see what special Arguments of Thankfulness to God there are in every mercy: there is not any deliverance that comes alone, not any mercy that comes alone; we should by consideration look into every thing of the mercy, yea and what doth attend it, that which may further that notice that you may take of those mercies. There should be never a special deliverance and mercy God vouchsafeth you, but you should keep a Record of that mercy, that it might be always to be overlooked by you, and all the circumstances of it. You find in the old Testament frequently, it was the practice of God's people, to erect Monuments of praise for signal Mercies. Jacob Gen. 28. 12. erecteth a Pillar on the place where God appeared to him. And Abraham called the name of the place Jehooah jireth, there God beheld me, Gen. 22. So Gen. 16. Hagar, when God, in special distress delivered liar, and showed her a Well, where she might be relieved, she called the name of the well, The Lord that hath seen me, though I did not look after him: So we should take notice of the mercy God vouchsafeth: a Christian should keep his Diary, and special Remembrance of God's goodness.  
But to pass to that I mainly intent, and that is the caution Christ gives to this healed man, go & sin no more, Christ here dealeth with him as a gracious Saviour, that shows he had not only care of his outward Deliverance, but of his Souls deliverance, and that that mercy might not be lost by his sin, that God had in his mercy bestowed on him, and therefore Christ prescribeth him a diet, how he should behave himself, that he might preserve that health, and continue that mercy: you must take heed of your old diet, that there be no pleasant morsel of sin that you should delight in, but as the Psalmist prays, Psal. 141. 4. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with them that work iniquity, and let me not eat of their dainties; this the Lord Jesus give him charge about, do not eat of their dainties, it will prove a surfeit, there will be a relapse, that will be a more dangerous disease if you do not take heed of sin.  
Doct. 2. That those that are under saving mercy ought to be very careful that they sin no more. For the clearing this Truth, I shall 1. Show you what this duty is to sin no more, what it is that God doth expect of those he hath prevented misery unto, or delivered out of it, that have been under it, for it is the same, that God doth expect if you have not been sick, but have been preserved from it, your preservation engageth you to this duty; If you have been preserved, and God hath delivered you from it, this is your duty, that you sin no more. 2. The Reasons why it is the duty and should be the special care of them under saving mercy.  
1. What this duty is?  
I Answer, 1. Negatively, It is not meant a Legal obedience, Christ doth not call any to impossibilities, to perform duty without the least stain of sin, that is impossible to fallen man, yea, to man restored, since his fall in this world, it is not a Doctrine of Legal perfection Christ here commendeth, it is a great Truth, Eccl. 7. 20. There is no man that liveth and sinneth not, 1 King. 8. 46. saith Solomon, If they sin, and come and confess it, for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin, Joh. 1. 8. he that saith he hath no sin ●e denyeth the Truth, the Truth is not in him, that is his greatest sin, a very great sin, and discovers him to be in a state of sin, to say he lives and doth not sin.  
2. But it is an Evangelical obedience, and Perfection Christ calls for, & especially you may take up the meaning of it under these three considerations & heads.  
1. Go and sin no more, that is, labour to be in such an Estate, that thou mayst be in a Gospel Sense in a sinless Estate, you are now healed, you have bodily healing; let that be your care now that your Soul may be healed. It is said of the Children of God, those that are truly converted, 1 Joh. 3. 9 He that is born of God doth not commit sin, for his Seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God, that is that Christ now directs you to, to labour to be in such a State, in which thou canst not sin, that you may not be under the dominion and reign of sin, under the domineering Ruling power of sin, nor under the damning power of sin! your great business is to labour to have a real, saving Interest in Jesus Christ; thereby Christ doth manifest his great care of this poor man, that he would have his Soul healed, he would have him in a saving State, for Eternity. Now let it be your main care to improve your health and strength renewed and spared to you, to get a right to eternal life, that you may be a child of God, and though being such will not secure you from outward chastisement and affliction in the World, yet it will secure them from you as being the punishment of sin, and the effect of God's wrath. You are thereby perfectly healed in this respect, that there shall never be an affliction in God's anger, but only the fruit of his love; you find the same Counsel given by Jesus Christ, Joh. 8. 10, 11. when Jesus saw the woman brought before him, and accused of Adultery, that he should condemn her, and all her accusers were gone; he said unto her, doth no man accuse thee, she said, no man Lord, Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more, as if the Lord Jesus should say, I came not now into the world to be a Judge, & to condemn sinners: indeed there is a time when Christ will be the Judge, but now I Judge no man, therefore let that be your care that you sin no more, you get a pardon of your sin, and interest in a Saviour, that your heart be sanctified for your future walking with God. In this command of Jesus Christ he doth not only express, what is his will, what is approving to God, and his own will, but Jesus Christ was actually the Saviour of this man by this command, he did hereby heal his Soul by this command as well as his body, by bidding him take up his bed and walk, and he doth thereby show his readiness, when that is our care that we may not sin again, that we may truly be the Children of God: you shall find God manifesteth this in his mercy, that he is much more willing to save your Souls, than he hath been to deliver your bodies; this is the great thing God would have you go to him for, that your Souls may be healed as well as your bodies, that is the first thing, that you labour to be in such a State, that no affliction may ever come upon you in way of Judgement, or in God's wrath.  
2. Go and sin no more, it doth import thus much, that it should be the diligent care and endeavour of them that are under saving mercy, that they do not allow themselves in any known sin, take heed of sin as of a poison, that will do you a great deal more mischief now then ever before; that you do not allow any sin either in thoughts or actions, nor live in any known sin, 1 Joh. 2. 1. saith the Apostle there, My little Children these things write I unto you that you sin not, but if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, all the writings of the Gospel (that is the meaning of it) it is not to encourage you to sin, but to caution you against sin. What sinning? that is, see you do not allow it, but if sin be too hard for you, and in a conflict carry you captive, then make your confession to Christ and labour to get pardon and power against it, Rom. 7. 18, 24, 25. as Paul did, he acknowledged there he did sin, but it was against his will, the sin that I would not do, I do it, and how doth it appear to be against his will, by the sad moans he made to Jesus Christ, by his earnest cry for deliverance, and by his acknowledgement of that great mercy of God, that had found out such a deliverer for him, so you must go and do likewise. Do not allow yourself in any sin, but show you disallow it, confess it: there is your encouragement, you have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ therighteous, there is great liberty for you to go for every Covenant mercy; pardon and power against sin are great Covenant mercies.  
3. Go and sin no more, that is, be sure you take heed you do not commit that sin again, for which God hath especially afflicted you, or hath threatened you for, that sin God hath in especial manner been dealing with you for, chastising you for, go and sin no more, commit that sin no more, so he saith to that woman, Joh. 8. Go sin no more, take heed of Adultery as long as you live, you must remember that ordinarily the chastisements and afflictions God brings on his people, are for their sins, and there are some special sins of the people of God that are the provocation of special chastisements, when God doth not cast you into hell for them, but doth deliver you and save you, then that is your great duty, that you should live with a fear of that sin all your days, and take heed of that, Psal. 89. 33. If thy Sons break my Statutes I will chastise them with the Rods of men. We ought to look on every Chastisement as coming to us for sin, and to find out those special sins, and there should be the great care of a Christian, that he should forsake them, not to meddle with them any more, that that hath pulled down so great a Judgement, Oh take heed you sin that sin no more.  
Quest. But you will say, how shall we know, what is that sin that God doth specially chastise us for, that we may be warned and take heed ever of committing that sin any more?  
Answ. Observe and take special notice what evil God doth threaten with punishment and Chastisement on his people, for what sins God doth especially threaten to punish his people for all afflictions, are the accomplishment of God's word, they are the fulfilling of God's threatenings, therefore in the Threatening you may read what the sin is that God punisheth, that that he saith, Psal. 89. when they break my Laws, I will chastise them with Rods. Especially God doth threaten to punish with his immediate hand, afflictions that come from God more immediately, are to punish those sins that men cannot see, that do not lie under the observation of men, that men cannot reach, sins committed in fecret, Hebr. 13. 4. whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge, God himself will judge them, they may commit that sin secretly, out of the view of men, but God himself undertaketh to judge that. So 1 Thes. 4. 6. Let no man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the Avenger of all such, if there be any secret hidden way of unrighteousness, and Oppression, that men cannot find out, the Lord himself is the Avenger of such.  
2. Observe for what sins God hath inflicted punishment on his professing people of old, for they are written for our example, there we shall read the indignation of God against sin, and the ordinary way of his dispensations against them, when they are sins of a professing people. 1 Cor. 10. 6. The Apostle gives a Catalogue of those sins for which God did inflict variety of Judgements on his peopel Israel in the wilderness, as that he would do in the same way, or in a greater, among Professors in gospel times: these things were our example, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted, neither be ye Idolaters, as some of them were, neither commit fornication, as some of them committed, nor tempt Christ, as some of them tempted, nor murmur, as some of them murmured: These are the sins that provoke God to those variety of Judgements. There was Idolatry, superstition, worshipping God in a false way, & Fornication, that sin of uncleanness, and the tempting of Christ: How did they tempt him? By despising his own way of providing for them, having low common thoughts of that Manna from Heaven; preferring the satisfying their own lusts, before the counsel and will of God to lead them to eternal life. There was a murmuring spirit against God, and against those God set up, for these things God did punish, 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many fallen asleep. What cause? Their slightness at the Sacrament, want of preparation for it, and being in the spirit of it, for this cause many are sick and fallen asleep.  
3. If you would know what sin God doth chastise and punish you for, take special notice of what sin God doth represent the guilt of before you in the time of your sickness; or in the time of the visitation of his people, God doth many times carry a discovery of the sin in the punishment, it carries a great deal of Conviction with it, may be many times you have heard many a Sermon that hath convinced you of that very sin, that you have taken no notice of: but God hath set it before you in the time of affliction, and distress, it may be that hath been the thing, for which you have prayed God to deliver you and spare you now, and you would mend that course. How many on their sick beds have confessed and bewailed their contempt of the word of God, of Jesus Christ, and of the gospel, and their Sabbath breaking, God hath laid the weight of it on them in the time of their sickness, and they have promised amendment: usually, that is the special provocation God hath, which he makes men's Consciences to smite them for, at such a time, that though it may be Conscience hath told thee many a time, and checked thee, but now awakeneth thee in another manner, therefore it is said, you find God doth many times represent the guilt of sin (that hath long time before been committed) in the time of affliction, and thereby tells you it was laid up among his Treasures, hence, Psal. 25. 7. Lord remember not the sins of my Youth. It was in a time of affliction God brought to remembrance, and brought into his view the guilt of some youthful sins, 2 Job. 13, 26. Thou hast made me to possess all the sins of my youth; that is, God had represented them to him in the horror, terror and guilt of them: so God suffers many times even sins that have been pardoned in his own, to be represented to them as if they had never been pardoned, in the time of affliction, that they might be the more humbled for them, and might esteem the manifestation of a pardon in respect of those sins: So 1 King. 17. 18. Saith that woman to Elisha, when God had slain her son, Dost thou come to bring my sins to remembrance? Afflictions bring sins to remembrance, those that it may be we have forgotten, they are as if they were newly committed, those sins that were a provocation to God: observe in the time of distress, what are those sins God doth load your Consciences with, that you would be glad to be unburthened of, that you make many vows and promises to God of amendment, that is your great duty, when God hath answered your cry, that you sin no more; take heed you do not lick up those vomits you have vomited out in time of distress, and break your promise and vow to God. By a diligent observance of these things you may see what is the quarrel God hath personally with you, and therefore to take heed that you do not provoke him anew.  
2. The Reasons of it. There are two heads of reasons: I shall take up only those given in the Text, expressly or employed.  
Reas. 1. Is drawn from God, why you should take such care that you do not sin again, do not abide in an unconverted estate, and do not allow yourself in any evil. Do not abide in any sin God hath punished you for: there are two Arguments, 1. From the mercy and goodness of God to you; thou art healed and restored to means of salvation, therefore do not sin any more, do not live in such a state, mercy bespeaks thee. 2. From the Justice of God that slandeth ready to avenge abused mercies: if you do, be sure you must look for greater evils then any you have had, a worse thing than thirty eight years' sickness, or any plague.  
2. The Arguments drawn from ourselves, should engage us not to sin any more, 1. Our own engagements and promises to God not to sin any more: Have you not made many vows and promises at such a time that you would not? Now God expecteth that you should pay your vows. 2. From the nature of this duty of thankfulness to God: You will all own that you owe God Thankfulness for healing mercy, the truth of it appears in this, that you do not provoke God again, it is else but to mock God, if you be not resolved to sin no more. But,  
1. From God, from the mercy of God, that is a great Argument why you sin no more, because God hath healed you; if you look upon this healing mercy, how can you kick against that bowels, love and kindness that hath healed you? The great design of mercy is to lead you to Repentance, Rom. 2. 4. The goodness of God that leadeth thee to Repentance, that is the errand that every mercy comes on to you, it's the voice and language of every mercy and deliverance, that you should Sin no more, should not abuse this mercy, by sinning against the God of your mercy. You are healed: Who healed you, whence was it you were healed? Was it not wonderful mercy of God, that you should be on this side the bottomless pit? Were not many of you unprepared to die, when you were looking into eternity? it was dreadful to think into what eternity you were going: would you not have given the world for a day more, and for the striving of God's Spirit? Now God hath healed you; the mercy and kindness of God are said to be Cords to draw us, Hos. 11. 3. I drew them with the Cords of a man: They are not drawing as you draw Beasts, but as men are drawn: How is that? It is by arguments suitable to reason; There is so much goodness and truth appears in every mercy of God, that nothing can carry greater persuasion to draw you to God, and to prevent your sin. O the Rhetoric there is in mercy, if you could but understand the Language of it, wonderful sweetness there is in every mercy to persuade you not to sin; and there is not only Rhetoric in it, but Logic, the strongest reason to take hold of the rational part of man, if thou hast any thing of a man, and of the rational being God hath made.  
I should have showed you here, and given you some hints of those Arguments, mighty Arguments, that lie in a delivering mercy, the language it speaks to them that are delivered, to caution them against sin, and against any provocation to God. There are three Arguments, a threefold Cord, that might draw and persuade men to this duty, that when they are delivered and saved by God, they should take heed they do not sin any more, they do not despise and contemn this mercy of God, for every abuse of it is the highest contempt of mercy, despisest thou the riches of his goodness?   

SERM. III.  
WE are now upon the second Doctrine, viz. That they that are under delivering and saving mercy ought to be very careful that they sin no more, that is, 1. Not to abide in any state of sin, you that God hath spared longer in this world, you should not live without Christ and conversion one day more. 2. Not to sin any sin willingly or wilfully, to live in any known sin, or to approve of sin. 3. Especially be careful you return not to such evils that God hath been punishing of you for. And you may know them thus. Those that God hath awakened your Consciences to charge upon your Souls at such a time: and those God hath helped you to make many promises never to commit them, take heed of such sins especially. Methinks the Lord Jesus Christ doth in a most compassionate way plead with poor Souls, and with every sinner, that they should sin no more: And by these three Arguments, 1. From the kindness and mercy that they have received from the Lord, thou art healed, therefore sin no more. And there are these two main Arguments in it, 1. It is great ingratitude to God to sin again after healing mercy, would you carry it so to any man that was an Instrument of your healing. A Physician whose endeavours God hath blessed, would you therefore do him the greatest mischief? Thus you do when you sin against God, who is the Author of all your deliverances. What is sin, but an endeavour as much as the sinner can, to destroy the very Being of him that hath given and preserved your Being's. This is an ill requital, Deut. 32. 5. Do you thus requite the Lord, is this all the thanks that you will give to a healing God, to spit in the face of Christ, and do him all the despite you can? methinks it is a heart-breaking expression, 2 Sam. 15. 17 Is this thy kindness to thy Friend; to such a friend as David was, that you will go into the Camp of his Enemies. So by every sin you go aside from God. Hath God saved thee from Hell, and delivered thee out of the pit, and is this all thy requital? That that goes nearest to God are sins against love, Psal. 55. 12. Had it been an Enemy I could have born it, but it was thou my friend, and my familiar. So saith God to every saved sinner, thou whom I spared from going down to the pit, and showed such kindness to: Ingratitude is an evil that is abhorring among mankind, and the greatest of all evils. Our Lord jesus tells us Math. 5. 45. To do good unto them that do good unto us, sinners will do the same, and one man to another. Indeed, it is to act like God, and to be a good Christian, to do good against evil, but it is to act the part of the Devil to do evil against goodness, they are the vilest of all sinners. Therefore that should be a great Argument with them that are healed, hath God healed you? Do not the greatest wrong and injury against God. 2. It is not only ingratitude to God, but it is a great injury to ourselves; and if that be not a great Argument to prevail, If thou art so vile and sinful that the kindness of God will not prevent your sin, yet methinks your own mischief thereby might persuade you, as Psal. 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will say, for he will speak peace to his People, and to his Servants, but let them not return again to folly. For it is the greatest folly in the world For a must to sin after God hath spoken peace, and after he hath healed him, Deut 32. 6. Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise. It is the greatest injury you can do yourselves; if you consider, 1. The folly that is in it, by this kindness of God you may see where your true happiness lies, and where your greatest misery lies. The missing of it in a man's chiefest end, is the greatest folly, now this is a missing of it in your chief end to sin again. The mercy & kindness of God in healing of you doth manifest what kindness there is in this God, and what rest you may ●nd in returning to him, Ps. 116. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. You find no rest in the way of sin, no Soul rest but in God. And thou hast no reason to doubt but that there are Arms of mercy ready to receive thee, that hath reached out so much love unto thee when thou wert in the way of thy sin. 2. It shows thee the way to greater mercy, as the contrary is the way to thy greater misery. A confessing and forsaking of sin is the way to find mercy. The Lord doth bespeak in every healing mercy, that is not all, I would do for thee, but do not hinder, nor forsake your own mercies. You have now experienced that you have to do with a God of mercy: and he that hath showed mercy to you through Christ, you may easily think how rich and bountiful you may find him if you would close with him. But if you turn aside to lying vanities, you forsake your own mercies, Joh. 2. 8. 3. It is a great folly because healing mercy gives space for Repentance, and neglecting this is a despising of the mercy; why are you restored but that you might have opportunity to make your peace with God? It is a space to repent, but sinning is an abusing this patience, in mispending the present time, that God hath given you to make sure of a good estate. What serious thoughts have you had, if you had time again how you would improve it. 5. Take heed how you spend the time now you have it, Rom. 2. 4. losing a season for Salvation, and it may be the last you may have you would think it folly in other matters, for a vain companion or trifle, to lose the opportunity of getting a great bargain, here you do so for worse than naught.  
Lastly, it is a great injury and folly to yourselves to sin again after you have been healed, for it is an acting against a man's own experience. God hath made you to taste the bitterness of your sins, and yet he tells you in your deliverance, how unwilling and loath he was to punish you; sin brought all your evils, it was free mercy that delivered you. Have you surfeited with the dainties of sin, and will you desire them again? Thus David prays, let me not eat of their dainties. And the burnt child dreads the fire. Now mercy tells you, you have escaped, do not run into sin again; this will appear to be greater folly.  
But that is the first Argument from the goodness of God towards you; will you hear then the language that your healing mercy speaks. Oh the Oratory it hath in the Ears and hearts of men, if we be men, O that it would bespeak our Souls now, and caution us against sin.  
2. Another argument Jesus Christ useth, and that is an argument used by mercy: it doth not only put you in mind of the good you receive, but it gives you warning of future misery. If it were Justice that should come to treat with the sinner, it would not be by warning, but by smiting: but mercy tells you how the Justice of God stands engaged to avenge the abuse of it. You must not be pleased with your condition, and think the bitterness of death is over: No, a worse thing may befall you. Mercy is now willing to embrace you, but if that will not do, Mercy will at length deliver you into the hands of Justice; and woe to the Sinner that is so delivered by the hands of mercy! Methinks it is such a language as God spoke to Balaam, Numb. 22. 31. when an Angel with a flaming sword stood in the way of his Rebellion: He was striving to go, though he found difficulty in his way: So the Lord Jesus tells you, there is a flaming sword in every sinner's way after deliverance, you run upon your own peril and uttermost hazard; the Judgements of God will be bitter, & you will feel the smart of them. And by these three Arguments, the Lord gives warning of Judgement to come upon the Sinner that continues in sin.  
1. Consider that all the afflictions and troubles that you had, were a fruit of your own doing: He puts you in mind to remember your former ways and evil doings. You were in the hands of Justice, and mercy hath delivered you; but it is not a complete and total deliverance, if you continue in sin: it is but a Reprieve, if you sin again. There is a present respite of Judgement, it is not a consuming and desolating Judgement: you are reprieved, but if you sin, remember you are in the hands of Justice still, and those afflictions you have suffered, are but the beginnings of those sorrows which God will bring upon you for your Sins.  
2. Remember that God hath greater strokes, and can lay on heavier than any yet: Don't you think that God hath spent all his arrows, or hath done his worst, No, He can do yet a great deal more: God can heat the surnace seven times hotter than ever yet: Leu. 26. 14. But if ye will not hearken unto me, to do all these commandments, etc. I will even punish you seven times more for your iniquities. God hath other arrows that are more poisoned deadly arrows.  
3. Continuance in sin will provoke God (after deliverance) to inflict greater strokes. As God can punish you more, so he will certainly punish an impenitent people, when Judgements and mercies will not change them, Ezra. 9 14. Should we break again thy Commandments, wilt thou not be angry with us till thou hast consumed us? That this holy man was afraid of after deliverance.  
Reas. 3. Why you should take heed that you sin no more; From the proneness that is in man's nature to return again to sin; more prone after deliverance, especially, those that are in a state of unregeneracy; when corrupt nature hath been only under a chain of restraint, with what eagerness do they return to sin again. Yea, we find a proneness in Gods own Children, as Hezekiah after great deliverance, his heart was lifted up, & he did not render unto the Lord according to the benefits received: How much more those that are in a state of sin, you will meet with the same Temptations, & the Devil will be more busy, and your own heart more careless, if you be not exceeding cautious.  
Lastly, Consider the engagements that lie upon healed sinners, not to sin any more. And they are,  
1. From God, what a mighty engagement is that, when God saith, Oh do not this abominable thing my Soul bats. That when you have had the love and kindness of God manifested to you, you should carry it so to God.  
2. The engagement of your own vows. When God hath made sin bitter to you, O how ready were you to vow and engage to sin no more! This, then, is a forfeiting of your Bond and Obligation.  
USE I. For Information: Hence learn; and you may see that our Thank fullness to God (the main of it) doth not lie in our expressions only, but in our Spirits & Conversations This was a man that Jesus Christ found forward in the Temple bringing his thank-offering to God, and he was early there: Christ finds him there diligently attending upon the means, (very few are thus amongst us, many are willing to be last at the house of God, and the first that may go out) but now you will throw all that you have done after your Thank-offering, if you go and sin again. It is not whole burnt-offering and Sacrifices, but a loving and serving God with all the heart and Soul, that is acceptable to him. Therefore you must not think you have made amends to God for healing mercy, because you have given a verbal acknowledgement: no, this is the language of mercy, and if you would be true to God, go and sin no more, Psal. 50. ult. Who so offereth praise glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his eonversation aright, will I show the Salvation of God. They go both together; to such a one God will show his Salvation. Indeed all our acknowledgements else are but mockery. For to say God we thank thee, or to bring a public acknowledgement of praise to God, and yet for the sinner to do all he can against God, it is a horrid piece of mockery: you had better say nothing at all: As she said to Samson, Judg. 16. Thou hast mocked me, and hast not told me all thine heart; so may God say to many a sinner. This must needs be a great sin when instead of acknowledging God, you come to provoke him; and to put the highest affront upon the divine Majesty, Psal. 78, 36. They remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer, nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their Tongue: for their heart was not upright with him, neither were they steadfast in his Covenant. To think to flatter and speak God fair, it is the greatest indignity a sinner can put upon the great God, he that is able to discern all your flatteryes, and what your hearts say, it is to put a great affront upon the heavenly Majesty, and instead of giving him the praise, it is a cursing and blaspheming of him to his face.  
USE II. It is of Reproof unto those that are so far from taking heed that they sin no more after great and eminent Deliverances, when God hath unbound them and set them a liberty, that they do sin a great deal more; that instead of being reform, and carrying it better to God, they carry it a great deal worse. This did stigmatize Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28. 22. This is that Abas, after his affliction, and God's deliverance he sinned more and more.  
And that the Lord charges upon Israel, Judg. 10. 11, 12. I delivered you from such and such a misery and affliction when you cried, yet notwithstanding, you have forsaken me, therefore I will deliver you no more. In Jer. 1. 6. it is said, the Lord harkened and heard, & no man spoke aright, no man repent him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? like wild Creatures that have been chained up a while they are the more fierce; They turned more fiercely after their wicked ways, and were more bold and daring in them: this is a great provocation.  
USE. III. It is of Exhortation to press this holy and suitable Counsel of Jesus Christ on them that have been under Deliverance: Have you been delivered from the sword of a cruel enemy, or the Small Pox, that kill disease? Have your Families been delivered? What is your duty now? That should be the great enquiry of your Souls, what shall I do for God? I cannot give you Counsel in better words than Christ gives here, Go and sin no more, that is, take heed t●at you do not go on in those evils that God hath convinced any of in themselves or others in the time of their distress. As,  
1. In sins of Omission, God hath been punishing for these things: and how many in bitterness of soul have expressed how God hath charged these home upon their Consciences, when they have been near unto death? as neglect of a right improvement of the precious seasons of grace: when any of you live under soulsaving means, under the offer and tender of Christ, and yet have not improved it: Consider that the neglect of Christ is the greatest sin, and it will be charged by Christ at the day of Judgement among the greatest of evils, even sins of Omission, Mat. 26. latter end. This you did not to me. This neglect of Christ will be charged heavy at that day upon you, that do not make it your great, main and daily business to be turned and truly changed, to be fitted to die; when God hath put you in fear of death and eternity, what evils have been your trouble and fear then but your unfitness for that change? Will it not be your great sin, that another sickness or danger should find you as unprepared as you were? How bitterly have I heard this lamented by some that they have not given up themselves to be in Covenant with the people of God as well as to the Lord; that they have been negligent of Church Communion with God's people. How many dying one's have with bitterness of Soul bewailed this, that there own sad and discouraging thoughts of themselves, or rather their own pride hath hindered from that which is such a Covenant-engaging duty. How many in a time of distress have made these vows, that after such a sickness they would give themselves up to God. Do you look upon these as great things of Christ, and of his Interest; Hath not God made the special promise of a blessing to a thousand generations? That that doth perpetuate there enjoyment of God to future Ages, is this joining ourselves to the people of God. Therefore to live in the neglect of that is a great sin, and if God hath convinced you of it, take heed that you forfeit not your deliverance by such sins.  
Again, negligence under the means of grace: This hath also been sorrowfully bewailed; either in not coming to hear, that they have neglected any Season: and when hearing, they have cast God's word behind them.  
2. As sins of Omission, so also of Commission: when God hath convinced of these sins, take heed of them again. Hath God told you of Sensuality, or of uncleanness, or unrighteousness, take heed that these sins do not live & revive in you after healing mercy: Let not God find you at these practices again. The Lord saith to us, you shall have your life upon condition you will sin no more, and you accept it, and look upon it as a great favour: Now the Lord when he comes to condemn you, will do it out of your own mouths, and this sin, especially, your sin after deliverance hastens thy Judgement, 1 King. 2. 42. As Solomon said to Shimei, so here it may be said to such a sinner.   

SERM. IU.  
THe Doctrine we are speaking to is, That it is the duty of healed and saved ones to be very careful they sin no more. We showed what it is to sin no more, and why such as are under healing and saving mercies should sin no more. We are upon the improvement hereof by way of Exhortation, that I may set home this Counsel of Jesus Christ on all your hearts, and upon my own, that we take good heed that we sin no more. There are five or six Motives or considerations to further our acceptance and improvement of this Counsel. If it were no more than that it is the Counsel of Christ from his own blessed mouth, who is a true lover of men's Souls, that were enough to further any that have love to Jesus Christ, and to their own Souls, to be careful to attend to his Counsel, Christ never advised any to their own hurt.  
Suppose you had been hearing Christ himself, and that he had spoken in particular to you, do not you think his words would have been of weight to you? why, this is Christ's advice, and not to that man only, but to all in like case, therefore for your furtherance, Consider,  
1. That sinning again will disappoint you of the good of your deliverance, I say it will eat out the good and sweet of it. The outward mercy of healing, or whatever the Salvation of God is to you, it is not a mercy alone. Such is man's misery since the fall, that there is no outward mercy or dispensation of God to him, but if it comes alone, it comes under the curse, and it proves a greater misery than a mercy; and where you enjoy any mercy from God, if it do not deliver you from sin, it is not in favour, but comes under the influence of the old Covenant, 1 Tim. 4. 4, 5. As the Apostle saith of every Creature of God it is good, if it be received with Thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and Prayer, (i. e.) if it be received with a heart truly Thankful, it is sanctified, without this you have no good in any Creature enjoyment, because it is unsanctified: as whatever the sinner doth is defiled, because himself is defiled, so whatever he enjoys is defiled, he himself being unsanctified. Then mercy and outward deliverance carries a great deal of good in it, when it fits you for God's service, than it tends to the end of its first Institution, to further the Service of God, but sinning again destroys this end of it. If a mercy makes you better, than it is a choice mercy; but if it do not better you in your Souls, it is far from being good to you, I may say of such mercies as of Jonahs' gored, Jon. 4. 5, 6. When he was in great distress, and the Sun beat upon him, and greatly afflicted him, and the Lord made a gored to come up over Jonah, to be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief, and Jonah was exceeding glad of the gored. But Jonah was not sanctified hereby in his heart, by obedience to God, therefore there was a worm that smote the Gored that it withered.  
You may be glad of your deliverances, but if sin remain, it will be as a worm in them to destroy the shadow & the comforts of them; therefore take heed that you sin no more, for that will spoil you of the best good of your mercies, the flower and sweetness of a mercy will be eaten out thereby, that is the first Motive.  
2. Consider, that sinning after deliverance, will hinder you from the enjoyment of other mercies which God intends you together with your deliverance; for that is not all God intends in showing poor sinners a common bounty, Christ seems to tell this healed man here, this is not all my meaning in coming to heal thee, I have Soul healing to bestow upon thee, but sin stops and prevents this, as the Lord said to David, If that had been too little I would have done so and so for thee, 2 Sam. 12. 8. the outward mercy is the least, God is inclined to do more, but as Jer. 5. 25. Your iniquities have turned away his Ear from you, and your sins have withheld good things from you. Are you not made better by mercies, are you not changed & renewed by repentance under mercies, what is the matter? why, your sins have hindered, your iniquities have kept good things from you. As it is said, God makes a way for his anger, so sometimes he doth for his mercy; in removing a present Judgement: but Impenitency, unreformedness, that stands in the way God had made for his mercy; as it is said of Christ at Capernaum, he could do no great works there because of their Unbelief. So to speak with reverence, God cannot proceed in mercy when sin is renewed. Christ tells them, Luk. 16 11. If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon, who will commit to your trust the true Riches? if you carry it not well to God in a common mercy, do you think that God will bestow and betrust you with more and better mercies?  
3. Consider, that sinning after deliverance it is a greater sin than your sins before you received the mercy, you cannot sin now at so easy a Rate as before; you sin with a higher hand. Your mercy puts an aggravation upon your sin, for to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin, jam. 4. ult. that is, he sinneth at a higher Rate than another, because he sinneth against light, yea, and against love, (God's love) therefore his sin is of a deeper die then the sins of others are.  
4. Consider, they that sin after Deliverance, they are a greater provocation to God; God is more angry with such, for such sins than others, 2 Sam. 12. 8. the Lord by the Prophet reckons up great things to David he did for him. I anointed thee King over Israel, I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, I gave thee thy Master's house, and thy Master's wives into thy bosom, and I gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given thee such and such things, wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord? for it is said, Chap. 11. ver. ult. The thing that David had done displeased the Lord, so that the Sword should not depart from his house, etc. Sins after Deliverances, and great Mercies are a great provocation.  
5. Consider, sins after deliverance they are sins against your special engagements and Covenants; I doubt not but many of you in time of distress have made that prayer which David did, Psal. 119. 175. Let my Soul live, and it shall praise thee, have not many of your prayers and cries in sickness been, that you might live to praise God to be better in God's Service; Now to live in sin to God's dishonour after deliverance, how contrary is this to your Engagements, to reproach and blaspheme his holy Name afterward.  
6. Consider, the great advantage of not sinning any more; this is preserving Diet of an healed sinner, Christ as a wise and faithful Physician prescribes this as health preserving Diet. This is the way to preserve and continue the mercies you have received and do enjoy, as you will, if you continue a holy man, etc. take heed to sin no more, Isai. 48. 18. O that thou hadst harkened unto my Commandments, than had thy peace been as a River, and thy Righteousness as the waves of the Sea; it would have born down all before it, all should have given way, no Enemy should have disturbed that peace given you by the favour of God upon his Reconciliation with you. But by way of Direction.  
If you should say now, but what is that that we must do that we may not sin any more: Here are but a few words, but there is a great deal couched in them as the sense of them; A little to spread before you what is contained therein, Go and sin no more. that is,  
1. Let this be your special care to improve the time you have by this deliverance, and your saving mercies to the saving of your Souls: That is, labour now to get into a saved Estate, take heed you do not again nor any longer neglect the offers and tenders of Salvation made to you, and if you say this is to put a man upon impossibilities, such as man cannot do, and it is as much as to say, to a hungry man eat no more, & to a thirstyman drink no more, so is it to say sin no more, Job. 15. 16. my meaning therefore is, labour to be in such a Case & Estate, that you may so sin no more as formerly, or as others do that is, labour to be converted, that lies in two things.  
1. To make that your great business to get a clear knowledge and through sense of the evil of sin.  
That you heartily close with jesus Christ, that is the way to sin no more.  
1. Get a clear knowledge and deep sense of your sin. Man is a rational creature and is always acting and moving for an end, and that which is his greatest encouragement in his motion toward such an end, is the apprehension or good, that draws the affections of man, either real good, or the appearance of it: and nothing will deter a man from the practice of evil, but the understanding it to be evil: the understanding is the guide of the will, the will hath the command of every other faculty, what the understanding represents as evil, the will avoids it, refuses it, and commands the whole man so to carry to it, and now the will of man will follow the ultimate sentence of the Judgement, when the sinner is fully convinced, and can represent the evil to be an evil indeed to the Judgement. Now when is that? The mere knowledge of good or evil, will not persuade to the embracing the one, or avoiding the other, to fallen man, it will (I say) be no persuasion, as it would to man in the state of innocency: Now there must be not only the knowledge of good and evil, but the experience of both: and by the same way that man was brought in love with sin, must he be brought out of love with it. How came man at first to be in love with sin, but by experience? The Devil tempted him, telling him that by eating the forbidden fruit he should know both good and evil. And by the loss of good, he lost the inclination of his nature unto good, and thereby came to taste nothing but sweetness in the creature. Now there must not only be in the recovery of man, a discovery that sin is evil, but an experience of it that it is so. He must be cut off from evil by finding the bitterness that is in sin, Jer. 2. 19 Thou shalt know that it is an evil and a bitter thing. A speculative knowledge of the evil of it will not do, but you must know it to be bitter also: and indeed this is the last conclusion of the sanctified judgement that it represents to the will that sin is a most bitter thing: Therefore saith Job, the Lord hath made me to possess the sins of my youth, by writing bitter things against me. He came to have an enjoyment of the fruits of his sin, those fruits of his own doings. Now what pleasure, what profit have you in things that God hath made so bitter? You could not have believed it; but now God hath made you to believe it. Hence the Lord promises Covenant good to those that do reform their evil ways. Leu. 26. 4●. If their uncircumcised hearts be humbled etc. When a man is brought not to sin, and to dislike sin, when his soul is humbled in the sense of the evil of sin. Therefore as you would not sin, O beg of the Lord and make it part of your daily prayer that God would give you an humbling sense of sin, that it may be more evil to look over it, than ever it was pleasure to commit it. When the arrows, those poisoned arrows come to drink up a man's spirits, when he hath been in the fire of God's anger, this will make him pray. Then labour to get an humbling sense of sin: whatever we talk of future judgements of God for sin, it seems nothing till we are throughly humbled, till God makes us feel what and how grievous it is to have an hell in our Consciences: this will make sin terrible.  
2. As you must feel the evil of sin, so you must heartily close with Jesus Christ. You will never be taken off from what you thought to be a good, until you experience sin to be such an evil, and Christ the best good. When you come to obtain pardoning mercy from God, and sanctifying, your will is then carried out with a greater pleasure in the ways of Christ, than it took in the ways of sin. And this counsel Christ gives to the blind man cast out by the Jews, Joh. 9 35. When he had found him, he said to him, dost thou believe on the Son of God: As if he should say, this is your great business: And if ever you would be engaged against sin, you must close heartily with Jesus Christ, this is the whole work of true Conversion: Now the Seed of God is sown in stead of the Seed of the Devil, and he is brought under another power, 1 Joh. 5. 3. it is said of such, the Commandments of God are not grievous. Those ways which were so burdensome, now he finds them pleasant ways. Hence it is said, 1 Jo●. 3. 9 he that is born of God cannot sin, because he is born of God, neither fully, nor finally, not with the full consent of his will: It would be contrary to his renewed principle and sanctified Reason, that a man should choose misery in stead of good, when he hath experienced both: such a one will say, (when every one shall leave Christ and turn to his lust) as Peter, Lord, whether shall I go, Joh. 6. 68 that is the language of every believer, I have found by Experience the bitter ways of sin, and the sweet ways of believing and walking with God, therefore he can never utterty leave it, unless it were possible to lose his sanctifiing grace, and be cut off from believing. This is the man that takes the counsel of Christ, to sin no more: The Lord hereby did represent himself to him as the Physician of his Soul, and minds him of a greater good than the mere healing of his body. Oh that this were the serious care of healed ones, not to sin against God by resting still in an unconverted Estate; endeavour sight and sense of sin as the worst evil, and Christ the best good, then and not till then you will avoid the one, and cleave to the other.  
Direct. 2. Couched in this Counsel of Jesus Christ is, labour to keep up a d●ep and a through sense of the bitterness of that sin for which God hath been chastising of you. Though you may lose the sense of your affliction, never lose the sense of your sin: the dreadful and terrible thoughts you had of sin, when you were looking into Eternity. You should labour to remember those things when you are well, and delivered, that so your Soul may be kept in an humbled frame: thus the Church, Lam. 3. 19; 20. Remembering mine affliction, and my misery, the wormwood, and the gall, my Soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This should be the care of every Christian, remembering the terrors of God, and the terrors of sin, how bitter God hath made it to you in your affliction, and this you should remember continually. And as we soon forget the sense of 〈◊〉, so we soon lose the humbling sense of affliction, this is our misery; we should labour to keep up the sense of both upon our Souls to humble and encourage us. If so be your Souls were in the same Agony, if you could put them in the same Case as they were, when the Terrors of God were upon you, and you were within the sight of Eternity, you dare not commit those sins as you did before.  
3. If you would sin no more, then take heed of the Temptations to sin, avoid all occasions of sinning. It is a mere pretence for a man to say, he doth what he can to avoid any evil while he runs into the Temptation to it, Judas Epist. v. 22. Hating the very garments spotted with the flesh: would you not be defiled with sin, take heed of coming near the garment spotted with the flesh. You cannot go upon hot coals and not be scorched, nor touch pitch and not be defiled. Those sins that are greatest Temptations, you must especially take heed of them, avoiding the very appearance of evil, that you may be sure to avoid that which is really evil. Take heed of that which appears to be so, stand at the greatest distance from it. Our Lord Jesus taught us to make this our daily prayer, Math. 6. Led us not into Temptation, we should be so much afraid of it. I grant, when ever God doth lead us into Temptation, we have a greater encouragement to pray, that God would lead us out of it; But you should beware that you do not lead and thrust yourselves thereinto: That you do not tempt the Devil. You have no encouragement to trust God to preserve you from the evil that you run into. The Lord will say, who bid you go upon the Devil's ground, when snares and Temptations watch for you, God never sent you. It is said of Jesus Christ, Math. 4. though he was without sin, and had no personal evil, yet when he went into the place of Temptation, he did not go of himself, it is said, the Spirit led him into the Wilderness. Dost thou think thou canst withstand a Temptation better than Christ himself. Temptation is the Seed of the Devil, and our hearts are the natural ground: would you not think him a mad man that sows briars and Thorns in his ground: they will come up fast enough. So will you run to the Devil to fa●ten his Temptations. They that would avoid sin should stand at a great distance from every Temptation, avoiding those places and Companies that are too hard for them: stand at a great distance if ever you would be kept. Adam in Innocency, though he had no sin, the Devil made way to enter in, that crooked, winding Serpent. It was going into the Temptation that lost mankind, therefore we should fly from it.  
4. If you would not sin after Deliverance, then labour to get through knowledge, and make a full representation to your Souls of the evil effects and fruits of every sin. Do not look upon sin as it is the Temptation, and comes in the appearance of good, but look what will be the Issue of it. This the Lord Jesus minds him of: Remember worse things will befall you, Deut. 32. 29. O that my People were wise, that they understood this, that they would comsider their latter end. It is a part of your greatest wisdom to consider what will be the end of your sinful practices. A rational man should act for an end, and all that means should be commended to him that suits his best end. It is a great Truth, the measures of good and evil are as they stand related to Eternity. As he said to Joab, 2 Sam. 2 26. will it not be bitterness in the latter end: so would I say to every Soul, Consider what will be afterward, that you should labour to possess your Souls with: that will discover the Hook that lies under the bait. All these pleasures and vanities are but to catch your Souls, and bring you into everlasting misery.  
5. If you would sin no more, That which is wrapped up in his heavenly Counsel, it is, that you would seriously weigh the advantage you shall have by not sinning. If you would not see sorrow any more, you must not sin any more, 1 Pet. 3. 10. He that loveth life, and would see good days, let him refrain his Tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Would you see merry and prosperous days, than you must sin no more in heart, Tongue, or Conversation. It is true, that the most holy man in the world that walks most closely with God, cannot expect to be free from outward trouble and affliction, but they shall not be evils to him. He may die in youth and strength, but he shall fill up his time, as much as he that lives one hundred years. That man that walks with God shall never see any evil days, for his very afflictions shall further his everlasting good. It is a Truth, that walking close with God, and free from sin, is the best way even to outward prosperity. Though there may be afflictions and sorrows to particular believers for the exercise of their grace, yet walking with God will give lasting peace and prosperity to them that so walk closely with him, when a people do so, and inward peace to Believers. Would you lose all your sweet enjoy ments, would you that God should bring a great deal more terrible dispensations upon you? th●n sin again, but if you would avoid these, it is by labouring to be in a way of Reformation.  
6. If you would sin no more, be in the use of all means that God hath appointed to preserve you from sin, with earnest prayer, for his Spirit to help you to mortify sin, and be found in the way of obedience, that you may be assisted by his Spirit in the doing of it. All means & endeavours that any man can use himself, without the help of God's Spirit will not do, Rom. 8. 13. mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit. You may refrain a while, but you will never destroy one sin without the Spirit, and this Spirit is to be obtained by prayer, Luk. 11. 13. the Lord will give his Spirit to them that ask him: O be earnest with the Lord to lead you by the hand of his Spirit that shall guide and assist you in a holy course.  
7. And Lastly, Resolve not in your own, but in Christ's strength that you will not sin any more, Job. 34. 31. 32. I know resolutions and engagements in a man's own strength, they will fail him, Peter is a sad Instance, Luk. 22. He was as resolved as any could be, though I die with thee, I will never deny thee. That is the Reason why they come to no better Effect, the Vows and Resolutions of men, because they think they can do it of themselves; Therefore (saith David) I said I would take heed to my ways that I sin not with my Tongue, Psal. 143. But he begs that God would keep the door of his lips, & establish his saying, I said, through the grace of God that I would do my duty, & be waiting upon God for his help, Psal. 119. 13●. I will run the ways of thy Commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I will keep them unto the end. Thus we should take up those holy resolutions in the grace and strength of Christ that we sin no more; But labour to walk more closely with God for time to come.   

SERM. V.  
THe last Doctrine we observed hence, was this, That continuance in sin after eminent deliverances, pull down heavier Judgemen; or those that contitinue in sin after eminent healing mercies from God, worse things will befall them. For the handling this Doctrinally, we shall show you, 1. that there are worse things may befall men then ever yet have befallen them. 2. What are those sins, the continuance in which, or what is that continuance in sin, that worse Judgements shall befall such sinners. 3. That it shall be so, and the Reasons of it.  
1. That worse things may befall sinners, than ever yet have befallen them, God hath sharper Arrows in his Quiver, other manner of Judgements to inflict on sinners then ever sinners have undergone; there is none should be so bold as to say, what ever afflictions they have come under, that God hath done his wor●●. I remember I have heard of one in England near Westchester, that had such expressions upon a great affliction; that God had now done his worst, but God made her a living monument of his sorer Judgements, & that for many years. It is a great deal of boldness for any sinners to limit God in his Justice, as well as in his mercy, for any to say of God in his mercy, can God provide for us? it is a tempting God; so for any to say, Can God bring a greater Judgement? yea, there may be a great deal worse: Christ tells this man (you do not read what his sickness was, but you find by the Effects it was very distressing, he was unable to help himself, had never a friend to help him, and had lain under this infirmity thirty eight years, and yet the Lord Jesus tells him) if he doth not carry it better, worse things shall befall him, and the Lord tells us of the last times in which we live, Dan. 12. 1. There shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation; there are troubles God will bring upon a professing people, such as never was worse on any Nation, so there are those God can bring upon a person such as never were worse on any person. But more particularly, 1. There are worse Judgements in this world, that God can inflict, than ever have been inflicted on any. 2. There are worse Judgements God hath to inflict in another world.  
1. In this world, as 1. Temporal, or outward Judgements, such as respect the outward man, God can bring other manner of outward miseries then ever yet he hath done on any. 2. Spiritual Judgements, such as respect the inward man.  
1. For outward Judgements, the Lord hath variety of them, a great variety, but especially we read of four sore Judgements of God, Ezek. 14. 21. For thus saith the Lord, how much more when I send my four sore Judgements on Jerusalem, the Sword, the Famine, the noisome Beasts, and the Pestilence; to cut off from is man and Beast. God hath sent his Sword among you, but Famine is a sorer Judgement, and noisome Beasts that is a sorer Judgement still, and the Pestilence, but how much sorer are these, when all these are together; when what the Sword leavs the Famine shall devour, and what the Famine leaves, the wild Beasts shall devour, and what these leave, the Pestilence shall devour. When God sends all his Judgements at once upon a people, that is a sore affliction, as there are worse sorts of Judgements, so there is never an one of these sorts, but God can make it a worse Judgement in the degree of it, he can make every one of these Judgements a great deal worse, as you read, Ezek 9 10. As for me saith the Lord, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense their ways on their heads. When Judgements come in such a way of judgement, without any mixture of Gods sparing and pitying mercy, than it is a sorer Judgement: when the Errand of them is only to destroy, not refine, and purge a People, but to ruin them, and God will have no more mercy on them, this is a sore affliction.  
2 There are spiritual judgements that God inflicteth in this world, and they are a great deal worse than any outward judgement; there are variety of spiritual judgements; but especially there are four main sorts of spiritual judgements, & the sorest, there is the sword, that is the word of God, when it is only for terror, only for conviction: a wound in the conscience is more dreadful than a wound in the body: when God sends an arrow into the conscience, a wounded spirit who can bear? Prov. 18. 14. it is an intolerable unsufferable wound, especially when God will provide no balm in Gilead, nor healing medicine for it, when God shall make a man a terror to himself, this is a sorer judgement. The Soul is the tenderer part, the more spiritual part, therefore every such judgement is far greater, that reacheth the Soul: and spiritual Famine, that is a more terrible judgement, when there shall be a famine, not of bread, not of that only, but of hearing the word of the Lord, Amos. 8. 9, 10. That is a threatening of a sorer judgement, when you want bread for your souls, there shall be none to break it to you. And those spiritual wild beasts, those that will make a prey of men's souls; either those that will persecute for conscience sake, or as Christ saith of them, Math. 23 13. Such as will not go to heaven themselves, nor suffer any else togoe; when the bonds shall not be only on your bodies; but on your consciences; you shall be conscience bound, and there shall be snares laid for your consciences, this is a sore Judgement, when you shall have such, that in stead of feeding the Flock, shall devour the Flock, Eccles. 34. 4. when there shall be none but wolves that shall not spare the Flock of Christ, or make any profession to be so, this is a sore Judgement; as it is a far more desirable mercy than any outward enjoyment, for a people to see their Teachers, they are not driven into corners, Isai. 30. 12. So it is a sorer Judgement than the want of any outward comfort, that in stead of those that lead you to Heaven, should as blind guides lead you to Hell, and both together fall into the pit. And those Temptations of the Devil, when God lets loose Satan with violent oppressing Temptations, and God will give up men to be oppressed by the violent and subtle Temptations of the Devil: and then this spiritual plague is the worst of all plagues, that Pestilence of a hard seared Conscience, that plague of the heart, when God shall inflict it as a Judgement, when God shall give up men to their hardness, yea, into the hand of their own lusts Psal. 81. 11, 12. So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, into the hands of their hearts lusts. This is the sorest Judgement that God can inflict on a people in this world, when it is in the highest degree of it, a man to be delivered up to his own hearts lusts, when the Lord saith to a people, ye will not be saved, and ye shall not be saved, ye will not be reform, and ye shall not, ye will not be made clean, therefore ye shall be filthy still. That very sin of living in sin after deliverance, is a greater Judgement than the affliction out of which ye were delivered: when God inflicteth spiritual Judgements in the highest degree, as there are higher degrees of spiritual judgements, when temporal and spiritual shall be together, that is a great deal worse, when God shall follow you with all his sore judgements, both these afflictive to the body and the Soul, when there shall be a Famine to the body and the Soul, the Sword of the Enemy, and the Sword of God, an outward plague, & a spiritual plague, these are worse & greater judgements.  
2. God hath worse to inflict in another world, if you should escape in this: if a sinner should go scot-free here, every day would aggravate his everlasting punishment. What will a sinner be a gainer in the issue, when his main work in sinning and going on in sin after deliverance, is but heaping up the measure of his wrath, Rom. 2. 4. Thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath, and the Revelation of the righteous Judgement of God, Hell punishment is greater than any that can be inflicted in this world, Math. 13. 28. Fear him that can cast Soul and body into Hell, that is most to be feared as being the most terrible judgement; and there are degrees of punishment in hell, there is a hell that is seven times hotter, they that continue in sin after judgement and mercy after deliverance, they will have a greater degree of Torment, Heb. 10. 29. How much sorer Judgement shall they be counted worthy of, there are some are worthy of greater judgement than others are, and God hath greater: there is the Heathens Hell, there is the hell of them that live under the Gospel, there is the hypocrites hell where the fire will be more intense, there will be a thicker darkness; more exquisite Torment, that God will inflict upon one, then upon another, that is the first thing, that there are worse judgements may befall you, worse in this world, and in that that is to come.  
2. what is that continuance in sin for which God will inflict worse judgements, that continuance in sin after deliverance & mercies? Ans. 1. it is a continuance in a state of unregeneracy, a being without a saying close with Christ, the end of God's mercies and deliverances is to give space for repentance, to give another time, to try a sinner whether he will use longer time better, in making provision for Eternity Rom. 2. 5. the riches of God's goodness that leadeth to Repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 15. the end of Gods long suffering is your Salvation, that is God's end, his gracious end, that that he doth approve, if that be not a sinner's end, and his work that he may be saved, this is a continuance in sin, that will bring greater judgements, Rev. 2. 22. I gave her space to repent, and she did not repent, therefore God threatens he would throw her on a bed of sickness. It may be many of you were afraid when you were near to death, that that was your great fear of dying, was, of being unprepared to die: what Vows, and what promises were made then? if you might have another day of grace, now God tries you, if that be not so improved, that that is given for your trial, when it is improved contrary to God's end, will pull down worse and greater judgements on a sinner: this is that will leave you without excuse, when another judgement overtakes you, when God will say, he will take your word no more, when he hath tried you, and found you false to your Promise of improving time better.  
2. Continuance in sin, in those particular evils, God hath been convincing you of, as provocations to himself, some evil course and way of life, some particular evils that God hath burdened Conscience with in time of sickness, or under the word of God, sins that you have Confessed, that you have in some degree bewailed before God, and promised amendment, the continuance in those sins is a provocation to greater judgements, as is said of those, Jer. 42. 21, 22. I have this day declared to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, for any thing for which you sent me to inquire of God: they promised and made solemn Vows, they would obey, yet did but dissemble with God; now therefore know certainly, that you shall die by the Sword, by the Famine, and by the Pestilence, in the place whether you desire to go: you will dissemble with God, but God will not be mocked, if you will not be as good as your promise, and your word to God, God will certainly be as good as his Threatening to you, Jer. 44, 25, 26. when jeremiah had told them from the Lord, what was the sin had provoked the Lord against them, therefore if now they would carry it better, God would have compassion on them, but they were resolved on their way, and would have their lusts: We will surely perform our Vows, we have vowed to pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven, therefore hear the word of the Lord, behold I have sworn by my great Name that my Name shall be no more named in the mouth of any man of judah. So what ever is the sin you have made solemn Vows to God in the time of your distress against, if it have been your Sabbath breaking, contempt of the Word and Ordinances of God, Covetousness, pride, Sensuality, Contention, if these be not reform, if you will live in them still, and have your own way, what ever God saith to the contrary, this is to live in those sins that will pull down greater judgements.  
3. That greater Judgements will befall such, for God hath threatened it, Lev 26. 24, 28. If that doth not do, saith God, I will punish you seven times more for your abominations: when one is over, God tries what that will do, and if that do not do, and God on trial sees that you are never the better, than you must expect seven times greater judgements. And we find that this hath been the way of Gods proceeding, both with profane sinners, and his professing people, that he hath followed them with worse judgements, when they have not been amended with lesser: so God did with Pharaoh, God hath variety of plagues, when he delivered him from one, and yet he continued hardened against the Lord, than he brought another and worse plague, till he himself at last was destroyed and his people. So it was with a professing people, Psal. 78 throughout that Psalm: God delivered them many times, and they provoked him, and provoked him so far, till he gave up his glory into the hand of the enem●. There were degrees of punishment, and every punishment was worse than before: then God abhorred his people, and gave up his strength into the hand of the enemy. v. 60.  

The Reasons of it.  
Reas. 1. From the Justice of God, who gives every man according to their works, Rom. 2. 6. He will render every man according to their deeds. Where deeds have been worse, the Judgements of God will be worse, Tribulation and anguish, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile: a Jews punishment shall be greater and worse than that of the Gentile, because God will render to every one according to his works: Judgements are the wages of sin, Rom. 6. 23. Now God will give wages according to every man's works, they that have been more in the work of sin, shall receive greater wages of sin; now sinning after eminent mercy is a greater sin, therefore deserveth greater punishment: for,  
1. It is a sin against a great deal more mercy; there is Gods sparing mercy, and the riches of God's goodness, as the Apostle calls it, Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness? there is a great deal of riches of mercy in every mercy a sinner enjoyeth: when God hath a sinner at such an advantage to destroy him, it is rich mercy now to spare him: the going on in sin, is contempt cast upon the riches of God's mercy, that which Justice will not bear, but is sure to revenge.  
2. It is against more light, after more of the knowledge of their Masters will, now he that knows his Master's will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luke 12. 47.  
3. They are sins against vows and engagements to obedience, to sin after deliverance: the praying for deliverance lays the Sinner under a Vow of obedience and duty to God; besides the voluntary vows that many have made in their distress, unto God: now that is a great sin, to sin against our voluntary engagements we have made to God, when we have said we will no more transgress: see how God puts Jacob in mind of it, how angry God was with Jacob when he did not perform his Vow, Gen. 35. 1. Go to Bethel where thou vowedst to serve the Lord. The greatest affliction that ever he had in his Family, was on the neglect of his vow, that great miscarriage of his daughter Dinah, and of his Sons, was a punishment of the neglect of his vow. God doth not delight in fools, Eccles. 5. 4. that when they say they will take care of their duty, do not perform it: when they are rash with their mouths, it is a provocation to God to destroy the work of his hands.  
Reas. 2. From the faithfulness of God: worse things must needs befall such, because he will as certainly perform what he hath threatened, as what he hath promised. God will be as good as his word, and he hath threatened every Sinner that continues in sin after warning, after mercies, that greater judgements shall befall them.  
Reas. 3. From the wisdom of God, the manifestation of God's wisdom, a great deal of God's wisdom will be manifested, as in variety and excellent ways of delivering his People, so in special judgements on evil doers, 2 Pet. 3. 9▪ God knows how to deliver the godly, and to reserve the wicked to the day of Judgement to be punished. It is a part of the wisdom of God in governing the world, that he knows how to give out punishments to evil doers, that he knows how to reward all the obedience of his Servants, though he seems to forget them for a time, and knows how to punish Sinners, though he seems to wink at them for a time.   

By way of improvement.  
The only Use we shall make of this is, to be a word of Conviction & awakening to us: we have been under the judgements of God, and God hath eminently delivered us, He hath delivered from the sword of a barbarous enemy, and hath in a great measure delivered from that more immediate judgement the Smallpox that came with such commission from God to destroy; now you are delivered, you must not look on yourselves out of the reach of God's Judgements, do not think God hath done his worst, and will do no more, or put yourselves in a fools Paradise, to say as Agag, 1 Sam. 15. 26. He put himself in his brave clothes and said, The bitterness of death is over: so many think the bitterness of death and hell is over now they have escaped the present Judgement: but he found it otherwise to his cost. And you that continue in your sins have reason to be afraid that greater Judgement is nearer than you are aware of. 1 Thes. 5. 3. When they say peace and safety, when an ungodly man saith so that lives in his sin, all shall be well with me, then sudden destruction cometh.   

I would only lay before you these two or three Considerations.  
1. Consider that outward Providences are no argument of God's love, whether they be afflictive or merciful: merely outward Providences are no argument of God's special love, Eccles. 9 1. You cannot see love or hatred by any of these things that are before you. You cannot say God hath more love to you, than he hath to them he took away by the disease, because he spared you; for these in themselves are but common mercies.  
2. Consider that merely when outward judgement ceaseth, we cannot thence conclude God's anger ceaseth, or is turned away: We cannot conclude by the present removal of a judgement, that the anger of God is removed; for God may remove it in anger. There are pardoning mercies, God may be said to pardon, when he doth only spare for a time. Psal. 78. 36. So he forgave their iniquity: How forgave? Not with a special saving pardoning mercy; for he punished them afterwards, yea unto destruction, many of them; but it was a present reprieve from the judgement. God may be as angry with you still as ever, though he hath removed the present Judgement: a sparing mercy may be in wrath, in displeasure to the person that is spared; therefore you have no reason to be secure, nor to be pleased with your present condition, while God may be angry with you, while the anger of God is not appeased: you have no reason to cry peace to yourselves when God doth not speak a word of peace.  
3. Consider, that when men are delivered from affliction, and not saved from their sins, it is certain God is angry with them still: when they are delivered from an outward affliction, and sin remains, that that is the cause and coat of affliction and evil be not removed, you may certainly conclude it is but a reservation to greater judgements. As it is an argument of their happy condition that are in the very midst of affliction, when they are taught of God in it, made more holy, humble & conformable to Gods will: so it is an argument of a miserable and a cursed estate, though you are out of affliction, if you have not been taught of God: if you are out of affliction, but still in sin, it is a certain argument of reservation to greater punishment, that worse things will befall you, unless timely Repentance prevent it. There are these two ends why God doth punish his people, and God will accomplish his end in every punishment: there is his work, and his whole work God will do on mount Zion, Isa. 10. 22. When God hath done his whole work, than he burneth the rod, and not till then, it is but laid by, and God's intention to bring a greater. What is God's whole work? There is in every Judgement, a work of judgement, and a work of mercy; there is a work of mercy God hath to all his elect and people, to reform and refine them to purge away their sin, to make them holy, and to make them better. Isa. 27 9 That is the work to them that are the true children of Zion. But then God hath a work of judgement, that is on those he never intends saving mercy to: every judgement is but the beginning of their misery: God judgeth them in way of satisfaction to Justice; there is but part of payment in one judgement that is upon them, and it is is to ensure them that the remainder is behind, that God will be sure to take the full payment. If none of this work be done, if God hath not refined his people, there is still some work to be done; & if there be those that are unconverted, never to be converted, greater and worse judgements do abide; none such, but shall have greater cause to curse the day of their birth, than ever job or Jeremiah, yea, to curse the day of their preservation: better you had died of that sickness, because your judgement is but so much increased by your living. Those that shall live out their days without true repentance of their sin, every day's mercy is but an aggravation of their condemnation. There are many signs of Gods remaining displeasure; methinks the clouds do seem to return after the rain, God doth not make it clear day with us, nor cause the clouds to break and scatter, but to gather again: There are many Signs, as God's taking away those that are the prime, and hopeful ones of the next generation, that is a sad sign of worse judgements. 1 King. 14. 13. It was sad to Jeroboams house, and so to all Israel, the taking away Jeroboams Son, in whom some good thing toward the Lord was found: it was a judgement to the whole house of Israel; he was taken from the evil, and it was a sign from the Lord of the evil he would bring on them: so the taking away so many of God's faithful ones, especially in eminent place, in Magistracy and in Ministry, putting out so many lights in the Candlesticks, and that men, many of them, in their prime, in the flower of their years, that were very likely to have lived many years, and done much service to God; that died not in a full old age, and full of days, but in their youth, and in the flower of their days: and, which is a great deal worse, and makes it look the sadder, that there are not any do rise, and fill their places: that it is so hard a thing to see, and rationally to think, that there are men to fill up the rooms of those God hath taken from us: When stars do set, and there are no others that rise, it is a sign of a very dark vight: when men that stood in the gap are taken away, and none to put in their room, they are sad signs that God hath a mind to take away the hedge, unless speedy repentance and reformation prevent this ruin. Yet this is the saddest sign of all, that these things do befall us, and so few do lay them to heart, that men are not awakened, to bestir themselves to lay hold on God, that when they have lost all visible props, they do 〈◊〉 make sure of God to be their friend; While God himself stands at a distance, and 〈◊〉 sinners stand at a distance from God: this is the saddest sign of all, 〈…〉 not humbled, do not stir up themselves to lay hold on God, Isa. 〈…〉 are taken away, & no man laying it to heart, that was the 〈…〉 People: had there been broken hearts under a breach, that might have made some amends, and have been a means to prevail with God to pour out his Spirit: but to be an unhumbled, unreformed people under such dispensations of God, this is one of the saddest signs. though I do verily believe, and have many Arguments to sway my thoughts concerning it, that God will not throw up the work he hath done in New-England, will not utterly root up the plant he hath planted, and that the Judgement God hath taken out of the hand of an Enemy, he may not easily put it into the hand of another, but that he will take it himself, and deal with his People by his own hand: but yet believe it, if God love you, if you are such that God hath special favour for, then God will not spoil you, and if God will not spoil you then he will not spare his Rod, and you may be sure, if one will not do another shall. The godly & holy shall be refined, if one Furnace will not do it, another shall. Those that are Elect, however they are like wild Asses Colts, God will have his Month to find you, God hath other Thorns to set in the way of your lovers, if you will be like Manasseh, that must be taken in the bushes, God will have his time to do it, when you shall humble yourselves and your Souls before the God of your Fathers; them that God hath designed for Conversion, they shall be converted, what every way God hath to do it, it seems to be a terrible way? but if there be some God hath no such special love for, let me tell you, God will not spare you to spoil his end, God is about reforming work, not only his People, but things among his people, God is about to have other manner of Churches, and other manner of Spirits, his People shall be refined, but they shall be consumed, it will be a terrible day of the Lord; but shall be as refiners fire, and will purify the gold, but the dross shall be consumed in the fire.  
And therefore let me leave this solemn advice with you, nay, it is not mine but Christ's, and that the Lord himself gives you; that you bewail your former, and take heed of future sinning, Eccl. 12. 1, 2. Remember your Creator in the days of your Youth, the Clouds may not return after the Rain. It is spoken to those that are not only in the beginning of their time, but in their prosperous time. If you so do, you will not only prevent future judgements, but be in the way to better mercies, as well as continue those you have; I may say to you from the Lord, you have seen the worst days, the bitterness of death is over, the best are behind; and your present preservation is a pledge of your future Salvation, Psal, 94. 12. Psal. 119, 71, 75. which will put an end to sin & sorrow, and the fear of either for ever. And may say with him, Isai. 38. 17. In love to my Soul the Lord hath delivered me, for he hath cast all my sins behind his back, and with the Apostle, 2 Cor. 1. 9, 10.   
FINIS.   

In the Epistle, l. 4. for vein r. view. P. 4. l. 20. r. Luk. 10.