THE First, Last.  
OR, The Formal Hypocrite further from Salvation, (as to the Way of God's ordinary working) than the Profane Sinner.  
Being the Substance of several SERMONS Preached in Course at a LECTURE in the Country, By J. O.  
A Discourse tending to draw the Profane Sinner to God, by working on his Hopes; and to drive the Formalist out of his Formality, by working on his Fears.  2 Tim. 3.5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away. Phil. 3.3. For we are the circumsion, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 
LONDON, Printed for R. Boulter, at the Turks-Head, in Cornhill. 1666.   

To the PARISHIONERS of C. and W. in the County of D. Grace and Peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.  
IT is an undoubted Truth, pronounced by Truth itself, That except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, Joh. 3.3. That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, 
1 Cor. 15.50.  nor corruption incorruption. Such is the connexion betwixt Conversion and Salvation, Holiness and Happiness, That I may truly say, (yet not derogating from the infinite worth of his Sufferings) that Christ cannot save an unconverted Soul; he saves none from Hell, but whom he saves from their sins; nor will freegrace itself save a graceless person. It is therefore one main Piece of a Ministers employment, (whose work is the salvation of souls) to endeavour the bringing of men from Self to Christ, from sin to holiness; to deal with them, as Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech them by us, even to pray them in Christ's stead, that they will be reconciled to God, 2 Cor. 5.20. In order to this great End, nothing seems to me more effectually conducing, than the discovery and removal of those things, which are the ordinary impediments of Conversion, amongst which these two are very common.  
1. Some think they are past hope, they are in their own apprehensions out of merci's reach; and therefore, either desperately, or despairingly throw away their own souls.  
2. Others think they are past fear, that they are escaped the wrath to come; say, as Agag. 1 Sam. 15.32. Surely the bitterness of death is past; when, alas, they do but deceive themselves with a vain show, and are but in a cleaner way to Hell.  
The first of these is incident to gross Sinners, when it pleases God to awaken their Consciences, and cause a Dart of Conviction to stick in their hearts; Yea, the least sin discovered, and set home to purpose on the soul, is apt to work this way: Nor can I think that those Ranting, Roaring Desperadoes, who spend their days in Riot and Excess, and commit all uncleanness with greediness, are altogether free from such thoughts.  
The second is the common Remora of the Formalist's Conversion, who flatters himself in his own eyes, till his iniquity be found hateful. Now to discover to the former, their grounds of hope, upon their Humble, Penitent return to God; and to the other, the cause they have to fear lest they be cast off by God, seems the most probable rational way to prevail with them, in order to their Conversion and Salvation.  
This was the Design of these poor Labours, when Presented to your Ears from the Pulpit; and upon the same account are they now Presented to your Eyes from the Press. If thou art (Reader) in either of these conditions, (and how great a part of the Christian World will be found in the one or other of them!) here is something in this small Treatise, that may, by the blessing of him that teacheth to profit, be of use and advantage to thee. Or if thou be an Israelite indeed, thou wilt find something that may suit thy condition, and that may put thee upon more vigour and activity in God's way.  
I shall not trouble you with any Apology, either for myself or the Work; weaknesses (the Lord knows) abound in both: Nor is it the design of this poor Labour to satisfy thy Curiosity, or please thy Fancy, but (which is far higher) to profit and edify thy Soul. That this may be the Fruit of it, is the hearty prayer of him, who desires to be, and earnestly begs thy prayers that he may be  
A public Helper on of thy Faith and happiness, J. O.   

The First, Last, etc.  Matthew 21. latter part of 31. Verse. 
Verily I say unto you, That the Publicans and the Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.  

CHAP. I. A Threefold use of Parables; the Text Divided and Explained; the Doctrine Proposed and Proved by Scripture.  
PArables in Scripture are used especially upon a Threefold account: First, Judicially, to blind the eyes of those who wilfully close their eyes against the light, Mark 4.11, 12. Secondly, to Illustrate the Truth to those that are willing to understand, Joh. 3.12. If I have told you earthly things, etc. i. e. Heavenly things illustrated by Earthly Parables and Resemblances. Thirdly, to blind men at first, that they may see better afterwards; or to make them own their sin and condemn themselves unawares in a third person, which directly they would not do. Of this sort is Nathan's Parable to David, 2 Sam. 1●. and many of Christ's Parables to the Jews; two whereof we find in this Chapter. viz. That of the two Sons commanded to work in the Vineyard, vers. 28, 33. and that of the Vineyard let out to the ingrateful Husbandmen, vers. 33.42. The Text in hand is the Reddition and Application of the former, wherein our Saviour wresteth from the Priests and Elders (for to them especially the Parable was spoken) a sentence of condemnation against themselves, 
Vers. 23.  under the resemblance of that Son, who said, I go Sir, but went not. Yea, forceth them to judge the Publicans and sinners (shadowed by the other Son) better and happier than themselves: having brought them to acknowledge the Premises, in the Text he plainly lays down the Conclusion.  
The words are an Assertion; in which observe,  

1. The Assertor; Jesus Christ, who was Truth itself.  
2. The note of Assertion, or Assercration; Verily,  
3. The Assertion itself; wherein there is observable, 

1. A Collation, or comparison betwixt the Priests and Elders, and the Publicans and sinners.  
2. A Praelation, or preferring the later before the former.  
3. The thing wherein they are preferred, viz. their greater readiness to embrace the Gospel, and to go into the Kingdom of God.— A little for explication.     
[Publicans and Harlots] are here Synechdochically put for the worst of sinners; for so they were deservedly esteemed.  
Publicans were Officers belonging to the Romans, (though, for the most part, Jews by Nation) not much unlike our Excise-men, or Tole-gatherers; amongst whom, some were, as it were, Farmers, (such I suppose was Zacheus, Luke 19.2.) Others of an inferior Rank, Collectors: both given to Rapine, Oppression, Injustice, Violence, and were the Romans chief instruments to grind the faces of their poor Brethren: hereby contracting upon them the just odium of the Jewish Nation. Hence that suitable counsel of John to them, Luk. 3.13. Exact no more than that which is appointed you. Upon this account Zacheus (as a special testimony of his sincere repentance) offers a fourfold restitution of any thing got by false accusation, Luk. 19.8. That being the sin of his calling. Yea so wicked they were, that in Scripture, Heathen and Publican are equivalent, Mat 18.17. So that when our Saviour would beat the Jews out of their carnal confidences, and high conceits of themselves and their do, he ordinarily compares them with Publicans, showing them, that they either come up no higher than they, as Matth. 5.46, 47. or, that they fall short of them, as Luke 18. 10-14. and this Text. Yea, so wicked were they thought, that it was judged a crime in our Saviour to converse with them, Matth. 9.11. and cast upon him, as a grand opprobrium, that he was a friend of Publicans and sinners, Matth. 11.9.  
Harlots (their sin is too well known amongst us) Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vendor: properly those, quae corpus habent venale, who prostitute their bodies for money. If you would see their wickedness, read Proverbs 6, and 7. Chapters, and 23, 27, etc. Some think that 27. Chapter to be Allegorical, and that under the shadow of an Harlot, is represented the deceitful and destructive nature of sin: if so, this sin is exceeding sinful, which (though but one species) yet contains in it the whole nature and properties of its genus; and is, as it were, an Epitome of all sin.  
[Kingdom of God] is used in many senses; to pass by other, it is taken sometimes for the state of Grace, the Church Militant; sometimes for the state of Glory, or Church Triumphant: here both may be taken in, the one as the Way, the other as the End. So that the plain sense is, Publicans and Harlots, notorious vile sinners, sooner repent, believe, embrace the Gospel, etc. so consequently come to Heaven, than you formal, selfconceited Jews, Priests and Elders.  
[Before you] The speech is something improper, (as Beza notes) Improprie hîc dicuntur praeire, quos nemo sequitur. They go before you; i. e. they are saved, and you perish; as appears by comparing this with Matth. 8.11, 12. The children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. They upon Faith and Repentance are made happy in glory, while you continuing in unbelief and impenitency fall into eternal perdition.  
The words thus opened, take the sense of them in this plain Doctrinal Proposition or Conclusion.  
Doctr. That the vilest sinners, Publicans and Harlots, etc. often believe, repent and are saved, while Pharisaical, self-justifying Formalists continue in Unbelief and Impenitency, and so perish eternally.  
Proof. Thus you see it was in the course of John's preaching, vers. 31. and thus it fell out in our Saviour's preaching. Levi the Publican becomes Matthew the Evangelist, Luke 5.27. with Matth. 10.3. Zacheus the chief of the Publicans, and very rich, becomes a Son of Abraham; i. e. a Penitent believer: Luke 19.9. Magdalen the Harlot, is made Magdalen the Convert, Luke 7.37.— Nor was it only so with these two or three; but, Mark 2.15. Many Publicans and sinners followed him, Luke 7.29, 30. The Publicans justified God— But the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, etc. Nay, Luke 15.12. Then drew near unto him all the Publicans and Sinners for to hear him, and the Pharisees and Scribes murmured— Amongst these selfconceited, self-justifying Formalists, there was but Vnus & alter, one Nicodemus, one Joseph, one Paul; and not many more that I remember. That question, John 7.48. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? implies the rarity of such men's coming in. So that as it is said of Ministers, Quis unquam vidit Cl●ricum paenitentem; (though I hope such are no black Swans in this age) so it might have been said in that age, Quis unquam vidit Pharisaeum paenitentem? Who ever saw a Pharisee, a Scribe, a Ruler, a Lawyer repenting? Nor was it otherwise in the Apostles time; (the immediate Successors of Christ) you will find throughout the History of the Acts, that the formal Jews were the greatest contemners of the Apostles Doctrine, and the most deadly inveterate haters and persecutors of their persons; while whole Cities and Countries of the profane Idolatrous Gentiles, readily embrace, steadfastly believe, and cordially obey their Gospel. Take a few instances among many, Acts 8.5.— Philip hath incredible success in Samaria, the Gospel is received there with great joy, v. 8. which the Jews had driven away from them by a great persecution, vers. 1. So Acts 13.45. The Jews seeing the multitudes, are filled with envy— contradict, blaspheme; but vers. 48. The Gentiles are glad, and glorify the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed; whereas the Jews, v. 50. do, Omnem moverê lapidem, stir up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the City, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their Coasts. Go to the 14 Chapter, at Iconium a great multitude both of Jews and Greeks believed, v. 1. But then, v. 2. the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, etc.— At Lystra, the Idolatrous people mistaking the Apostles, for their supposed Heathenish Deities, are scarce restrained from doing sacrifice unto them. Here was a wide door opened, and might in all probability have proved more effectual, had not the inveterate enemies of the Gospel, the carnal Jews, stopped the passage by enraging the people against the Apostles, as you may see, v. 19 Go on to the 17. Chapter, v. 1.5.— You find the Apostles successfully preaching the Gospel at Thessalonica, a great multitude of devout Greeks believing, and of the chief women not a few, v. 4. But v. 5. the Jews their old adversaries oppose, etc. The like success they had at Berea, v. 10, 11, 12. and the same opposers, v. 13. At Corinth, Acts 18.8. with 12, 13. At Rome, though few of the Jews believed, Acts 28.23.— to the end; yet the seed which Paul cast there, sprung up into a flourishing Gentile-Church, whose Faith was spoken of throughout the whole World, Rom. 1.8. 'Tis needless to heap up instances of this nature, they being common and obvious to any that observe them. Thus you see that de facto it was so; (and the case is not much altered now) that it was much more ordinary and frequent, to see a penitent Publican or Harlot, or the like gross Sinner, then to see a proud, self-justifying Pharisee, or Formalist, repenting and embracing Christ.   

CHAP. II. A first sort of Reasons, (viz. What may move God to call the Profane, rather than the Formalists) Negatively, and Positively.  
NOw it will be well worthy of our pains, to inquire into the Reason of this evident Truth; and those may be two ways considered.  
1. Quoad Deum, in reference to God, what may move God rather to call Publicans and Harlots, etc. then Selfconceited Formalists?  
2. Quoad media salutis, in reference to the means of Salvation: Why the Preaching of the Gospel should more frequently and kindly operate upon Publicans and Harlots, (seemingly the most uncapable subjects) then upon Morally Righteous, and seemingly holy persons; who may seem more than halfhewed and squared, even ready to be laid into the building of the Church?  
Concerning the first sort of Reasons, it is not always safe, I confess, to inquire into the secrets of the Almighty; I shall therefore endeavour according to the Apostles Rule, Rom. 12.3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; To be wise unto sobriety: Nor shall I enter any further into this Labyrinth than I am guided by the thread of Scripture; something I shall hint negatively, and something affirmatively.  
I. Negatively: And first, It is not from any want of Power in God to make the means of Grace effectual to the Conversion of one as well as another, Gen. 18.14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Suppose the Conversion of a Formalist a work of more difficulty then of a Profane Sinner; yet to Infinite Power all things are alike feisable; to Infinite Wisdom all mysteries alike discernible, to Infinite Mercy all Sins alike Pardonable.  
Nor, Secondly, is it to to be supposed, that there is more of merit in the one, then in the other, to induce God to call the one, and pass by the other: Nay, if this might carry it, we should rather imagine that the moral, formal person should be called, and the profane cast off: The former being (at least in appearance) like Stone or Timber, almost prepared for the Building; the other like crooked, knotty Timber▪ or rugged Stones, which require abundance of pains in hewing and squaring, before they can be fitted for God's use: so that if merit, or that congruous, praevious disposition which the Papists dream of, were any inducement to move God; then it's likely the Formalist, and civilly righteous Person, should be the first in God's Eye; But the Truth is, God order it otherwise, that it may appear, That it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, etc.  

Rom. 9.10  And then, Thirdly, Lest of all is it to be imagined, that God calleth the Publican, Harlot, or other Profane Sinner, as having any greater delight in them as such: No surely, sin is the sole object of God's hatred; Hab. 1.13. He is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity. And for Publicans and Harlots, whom doth God more abhor? Jam. 5. 15. Oppression, and grinding the Faces of the Poor (which was the Publicans sin) cries in God's Ears. And Habbak. 2.11, 12. The Stone shall cry out of the Wall, etc. and for Harlots, see Heb. 13.4. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge; Far be it from us, to think that God therefore calleth such, because he takes complacency in them as such: No, when they are called, they must come home by weeping Cross; they must cleanse their hands, and purify their hearts, before they can have any Communion with the unspotted Majesty of Heaven. This Negatively.  
2. Affirmatively, to make it evident to all the World, that he is no respecter of persons; that there is nothing out of himself, which is the least inducement to him to call one, or reject another. Particularly:  
1. To depress Man's Merit, 1 Cor. 1. 26-30. Not many wise men after the flesh, etc. are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise, etc. And why so? The reason is rendered, v. 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence. God's design is, to exclude man's boasting, Rom 3.27. Eph. 2.9. And what more effectual way to do it then this?  
2. To exalt his own Mercy, (a necessary consequent of the former) Man's Merit, and God's Mercy being like a pair of Scales or Buckets, as the one rises, the other falls. This you see, Jer. 9.23. Rom. 9.15. Eph. 2.7. When those are called, justified, sanctified and saved, who were the vilest and basest of men, the greatest of sinners; and in the mean while, others of high Parts, moral Accomplishments, of much seeming Sanctity, rejected. Oh, what admiring thoughts must such needs have to all eternity, of the freeness of God's Mercy! See 1 Tim. 1.12, 16. This will fill their mouths with the High Praises of the most High God, and make them strive to raise their hearts to the highest pitch of Thankfulness. Thus much for the Reasons respecting God.   

CHAP. III. A second sort of Reasons (viz. Why the Word sooner works on the Profane, than the Formalist) in general.  
2. BUt that which more concerns us to inquire into, is, Why the means of Salvation hath an easier influence upon, and finds readier acceptance with the Publican and Harlot, etc. then with the Formalist and hypocritical Professor? For since God ordinarily works by means, and that means ordinarily hath more or less operation, according to the greater capacity, or incapacity of the subject it meets with; why should not the Word rather find entertainment into the hearts of the Moral Formal person, than the Profane Sinner?  
In general take this account of it; There are more obstructions and impediments lie in the way of the Gospel, to hinder its work upon the Formalist, then upon the Profane: though in respect of God's absolute power it is alike easy; yet in respect of his ordinary way of working, it is more difficult to convert the former than the later: And these Obstructions, are either, 1. Ab intrâ: or, 2. Ab extrâ.  
Sect. 1. Inward Impediments of the words effect upon the Formalist, viz. such as are in himself.  
1. Ab intrâ. There are many things in the Formalist himself to hinder his Conversion, which are not found in the Profane.  
Reason 1. It is much more difficult to convince a Formalist of Sin, (which is a necessary Anticedent to Conversion) than a Profane person; and this I make out by a twofold consideration.  
1. It is evident that man, every man, is naturally averse to Conviction: Like an old Thief, that will stand it out as long as he can, will justify himself, and plead, Not guilty. Sin and Shifting came into the world together. Adam lays the fault upon his Wife, she upon the Serpent, Gen. 3.11, 12, 13. Thus the Jews deal with God, they put him to prove, Jer. 2.23, 29, 35. and stand upon their own justification. So often in Malachi, Chap. 1.7. and 2.13, 14, 17. and 3.7, 8, 13. Wherein have we polluted thee? And wherein have we rob thee? And what have we spoken so much against thee? They will not own their sin and shame. Man is loath to see and own his fault; 'tis death to him to be found guilty; as Job 24.15, 17. The eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight,— If one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death: till we deal with them, as Tamar with her Father in Law, Judah, Gen. 38.25. Produce the Signet Bracelets and Staff; undeniable testimonies of their guilt, Sinners will not be convinced. How will they deny, elude, excuse, extenuate, and as Michol, lay an Image in the Bed that David may escape? cloak their sin with the name of virtue, that the Hue and Cry of the Word may not find it out? A Fig-leaf rather than nothing shall cover their nakedness. 'Tis discernible in the best, David owns not his sin, till it be directly charged upon him, Thou art the man, 2 Sam. 12.7. Asa (though a good man, 2 Chr. 4.2.) is wroth with the Seer, 
2 Ch. 16. 1●.  puts him in a prisonhouse, and is in a rage with him, because of his plain and home reproof. Man, like a stout enemy, will not yield so long as he hath any Fortress to fly to. And then  
2. The Formalist hath more shifts and evasions, than the profane Sinner; he hath more to say for himself, more excuses and pretences to cloak his sin withal: as some wild Beasts have many Burrows, or Shelters to fly to when pursued; Achan confesses not, till his very person be taken. Though the Tribe be taken, yet possibly the Lot may fall upon another Family; the Family is taken, but perhaps his Household may escape; his Household is taken, yet it may be the Lot may light upon some other person; while there is any hope, Achan yields not. Thus it is with the Formalist, many things lie betwixt him and the Word; he hath a very thick covering; whereas the profane person lies more open and naked before the Word. Some of these shifts I shall mention, to which it will be easy to add many more.  
1. The Letter of the Law justies him in a great measure, whereas it condemns the profane person: He looks upon the bare letter and shell of the Law, and is ready to say as he Mat. 19.20. All these things have I observed from my youth: Thus the Jews, Rom. 2.17. Thou art called a Jew, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, restest in or upon the Law: and v. 23. Thou makest thy boast of the Law, (i.e.) as being an exact observer of it, and so expecting to be justified by it. So it was with Paul, while a Pharisee, Phil. 2.6. as touching the righteousness of the Law, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, blameless, without fault, no just charge or complaint could be brought against him, 1 Tim. 1.9, 10, 11. The Law is not made for (the condemnation of) the Righteous, but for the Lawless and Disobedient; for the Ungodly, and Sinners; for unholy, and Profane; for Murderers of Fathers, and Murderers of Mothers; for Man-slayers, etc. The Formalist assumes, But I am no such person, and therefore concludes, that the Law condemns him not. 'Tis true, in Thesi, men will easily acknowledge that the Law is comprehensive, that more is included in it then is expressed; But bring it down ad Hypothesin, to their particular cases and sins, and then they will scarce acknowledge any thing a Duty but what is expressly commanded; or a Sin, but what is expressly forbidden. The Jews had a Proverbial Speech, That upon every apex or tittle of Scripture did hang a mountain of sense; yet in point of practice, or conviction, or confession of sin, little or nothing is owned as a duty or sin, but what hath the express injunction or inhibition of the Word: See it in the example of the self-justifying Pharisee, Luke 18.11. He mentions no sins but such as the very letter of the Law condemns; Extortioners Unjust, Adulterers, etc. as if, because he was none of those grosser sinners, therefore he was no sinner at all. 'Tis evident also by that narrow gloss which the Jewish Rabbis had put upon several of the Commandments, refelled by our Saviour, Matth. 5.21. And thus it is with a formal Professor of the Gospel; and because he finds not himself guilty of those grosser sins condemned by the letter of the Law, and light of Nature, he declines the convincing, humbling power of the Word, and shrowds himself from it under this shelter, whereas the Profane Person, the Common Drunkard, Adulterer, Swearer, etc. lies naked before the very letter of the Law, and every blow is upon the bare.  
2. As the Letter of the Law, so natural Conscience acquits him, and speaks peace to him. 'Tis dim-sighted, and, till enlightened by the Spirit of God, takes no notice of motes, smaller sins: and withal it is (while natural) corrupt and partial; justifying, when it should condemn. 'Tis like an ignorant and unjust Judge, who either, through blindness cannot, or bribery will not, take cognizance of the Malefactor's crime. Now this is requisite in order to conviction of sin, that Conscience see and own, and charge it upon the sinner. 'Tis not all the witness from without, that will convince a man, till Conscience do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, join its Testimony, and charge the crime home upon the man. Conscience, whether its Testimony be true, or false, is Mutus Ahaeneus, a Brazen-wall to fence off Conviction: What will a man care though all the World accuse him, while Conscience acquits him? And thus it is with a Formalist, his Conscience is an easy Judge, like that Steward, Luk. 16.6. willing to take up with duty to the halves, Fifty for an hundred; and not finding him guilty of grosser sins, passeth a sentence of Absolution upon him; and being thus fortified, he can easily outface the word of Ministers, and withstand all attempts made upon him for his Conviction. Now with gross sinners it is otherwise; even natural Conscience bears witness against him; even Heathen's Consciences accuse for sins against the light of Nature, and those impressions of the Law of God which remain upon their hearts: See Rom. 2.14, 15. Natural Conscience takes little notice of Habits, but when they break out into gross Acts, as Murder, Adultery, etc. here, it cannot be altogether silent. Most profane Sinners are (as 'tis said of a convinced Heretic, Tit. 3.11.) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, self-condemned persons, and therefore it is ordinarily much more easy to convince them of a sin, when we have the advantage of a witness in their bosoms to join with us: 'Tis the proper office of Conscience to witness with, or against a man, to acquit, or condemn him (in subordination to God's Word:) But having in a great measure, lost both its knowledge and honesty (the two essential requisites in a Judge) by the fall, it will not accuse, except the crime be palpable and undeniable, unless the sin carry a dreadful aspect, and have disobedience written in the very forehead of it; Till the beams of the Sun of Righteousness be darted in, the Formalist's motes lie undiscovered, and his blind and partial Conscience gives an absolving Verdict.  
3. Another  or shelter, under which the Formalist lurks, and by which he declines the convincing power of the Word, is the secrecy of his sins: He thinks he dances in a Net, and acts unseen. So that though the Arrow of the Word be directed to his Breast and hits his sin, yet he persuades himself it was not intended; though Conscience sometimes owns the sin, being struck at by the Word, and gins to charge it upon him, yet he soon stops its mouth, by persuading himself, that the Minister did but accidentally light upon it, that it was intended against some other person: whereas the profane person, being conscious of the notoriousness of his sins, and that they are such as are obvious to the world's eye, he is ready to think that every word is directed to him; and therefore more apt to apply it. The Formalist, though conscious of a sin reproved, yet is ready to think, who imagines that I am guilty of such a sin? I pass for a godly man, a sincere Christian, in the opinion of good men; my Minister, I know, judges better, and hath other thoughts of me; and thus he waves the Charge. A stout Thief will stand upon his own justification, and outface the Judge, when he knows the Act was so secret that there can be no Testimony produced; thus it is with a Formalist, whose sins for the most part, are Chamber-sins, Closet-sins, such as are out of men's cognizance. The notoriousness of a sin, is many times a help to conviction. It's an easier matter to make a Malefactor own, and confess that crime, whereof he knows an hundred Witnesses may be produced, then of that which he presumes is known to none but himself. I may use that (at least ellusively) to this purpose, 1 Cor. 14.24. If one come in that believeth not, or is unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: So the notoriously profane person, when his drunkenness, uncleanness, swearing, etc. are spoke to, he is ready to think, this is intended against me, and that every one in the Congregation, will interpret it as spoken to him; and though it is true, that sometimes this heightens his hatred against the Word and Minister, yet if God set in with it, it hath a contrary operation, viz. to edge the Word, and facilitate conviction.  
4. (Which is of affinity to all the other) The smallness of his sin, is another shelter; they are not aggravated by those bloody and heightening circumstances, as the sins of others. He baptizeth them with the name of slips, infirmities, sins of daily incursion, unavoidable weaknesses, spots of God's own Children, such as are incident and common to the best of men; nothing befalls him, in this, but what is ordinary; yea, he compares his sins with those of the godly, recorded in Scripture; Abraham's Lying; Noah's Drunkenness; Lot's Incest; David's Murder and Adultery; Peter's Denying and Forswearing his Master, etc. And finding his sins to fall very much short, in point of guilt and scandal, he not only concludes his condition good and safe, but applauds himself as a Christian of a high form, and great attainments. Now while a man judges thus of himself, it is impossible to fasten any humbling conviction upon him. 'Tis necessary, in order to conviction, that a man not only see sin, but see its sinfulness, heinousness, and aggravated by its circumstances, till a man say, as David, Psalm 25.11. Pardon my sin, for it is great; till with Paul, he apprehend it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom, 7.13. Out of measure sinful; till he look upon himself as the chief of sinners, he will not be to purpose convinced, or humbled. Then will he cry out with Paul, Rom. 7.14. I am carnal, sold under sin. 'Tis sin, clothed with exaggerated circumstances of Gild, Scandal, Rebellion, Atheism, Contempt of God, etc. that awakens the Conscience, and fastens the Dart of conviction in the heart of a sinner. I acknowledge indeed, that the same light is requisite to discover the heinousness of a profane persons sin, and the Arrow must be shot with the same Hand, out of the same Bow, that pricks and pierces his heart, (for we see, that even those grosser sins of drunkenness, adultery, etc. are by many counted venial infirmities, tricks of youth, etc.) yet if we consider the means, whereby God ordinarily works on men, it will appear, that where sins are greater, more palpable, more directly against the express Letter of the word, it is an easier thing to bring the sinner to acknowledgement and conviction; since, in such cases, the Law and Conscience will bear witness against the sinner. That sin, the very act and matter whereof is expressly condemned by the word, is more easily set home upon a man, then when only some circumstance makes it to be a sin: Yet on the other hand, I acknowledge, that the smallest sin, aggravated upon the conscience by the Spirit of God, (whose work it is to convince of sin, John 16.8.) will appear exceeding sinful. 
Bolton's Soul-exaltation, p. 118.  Augustine's robbing an Orchard, when a Youth, was afterwards a sin very heinous in his eyes, when he considered it in its circumstances; and he aggravates it upon himself, by considering that it was against the very light of Nature; that he did it with a full propensity of will; not for want, but wantonness, having better fruit of his own; not so much out of love to the Fruit, as out of love to Sin; that he joined himself with wicked company, did it at Midnight, having spent the time before in Luxury and Vanity; that they carried away great Burdens; when they came home, they had no such desire to eat them, but cast them to the Swine. Upon these and the like considerations, he breaks out into a passionate indignation against himself, and exclamation, to God; Behold my heart, O my God, behold my heart, which thou hast pitied in the lowest Hell. Thus a small sin, seen in God's light, appears odious and exceeding heinous: Even those, Motus primo primi, (as the Schools call them) the sudden and indeliberate suggestions of sin, not coming up to consent, or action, have been matter of strong conviction and deep humiliation to some souls; yea and have more affected them, than the grossest acts, and greatest exorbitancies: Yet if we look at God's ordinary way of working, which is by the Word and Conscience, it will be easy to conceive, that a Profane scandalous sinner, is in a nearer capacity of conviction; then he whose sins are but as Motes to the others Beams, as Molehills to the others Mountains.  
5. The last refuge I shall mention, is the seeming Graces he hath, and the Duties he doth. Many good things are found in him, and proceed from him; these he ballanceth with his sins, and finding his Sins small, his Graces (as he supposes) strong and vigorous, his Performances many and excellent, he concludes well of himself; and under this thick Covering, he shrouds himself from the power of the Word; behind this Bulwark he secures himself from the Gun-shot of Conviction. Thus the Pharisee, Luke 18.11, 12. I am not as other men are, Extortioners, , Adulterers, nor even as this Publican: Here you see he looks upon himself, as free from great enormities; then v. 12. I Fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess: Here's his more than ordinary piety towards God; he is twice a week in a duty of an extraordinary nature; and here's his more than common equity toward man; he pays Tithes of all, even those things which the Law had lest doubtful. Oh what magnifying and self-applauding thoughts may we imagine him to have! How hardly could a man have fastened any humbling, convincing word upon him? Thus it is with the Formalist, he looks upon his Zeal, Meekness, Love to God, and other like Graces; (for so they appear to him, though indeed but common at best) then considers his Piety towards God, in his constancy in ordinary, and frequency in extraordinary Duties; his Equity and Mercy towards man; his Sobriety towards himself; and finding himself, Rich, 
Rev. 3.17.  and Full, and increased with Goods, he thinks highly of himself, and admires himself, as much above the pitch of ordinary Christians. Now being thus lifted up, it's no easy matter to bring him down; charge him with any sin, he will weigh it down with many good duties: His course and the tenor of his life is for God and Holiness, and those sins are but such slips as the best are guilty of, in their journeying towards the heavenly Canaan Now with the Profane person 'tis otherwise, he hath no such Asylum; you take him Naked, and so the Dart will more easily hit, and pierce deeper. Thus you see the Formalist hath more Evasions, Refuges, Fortifications against conviction, than the Profane, and consequently more difficult to convince him.  
Reason 2. As it is harder to convince him of sin, so to beat him out of Self; which yet must be done, or else a man is no true Convett; Self-denial, is the first Lesson we are taught in Christ's School; 'tis the A, B, C, of Christian Religion, and especially in point of justification, to disclaim our own Righteousness, and cast ourselves, venture our hopes upon Christ and his Righteousness, is the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Christian, and that which gives him, both the Name and thing. This is Paul's frame, Phil. 3.7, 11. he quits all for Christ. Now it's no easy matter to bring a man to this; but especially the Formalist is hardly persuaded to it. He that thinks he hath something, yea enough of his own, will not easily be persuaded to go a Begging to another's Door. Man is a proud creature, and loath to be beholding to any, till mere necessity force him: A Prodigal that hath wasted his Patrimony, and rioted away his estate, yet would fain appear as good a Man as his Father, and maintain the Garb and Custom of his Ancestors; while he hath any thing left, he will not let his poverty appear: Thus we; Our first Parents had a Stock of Righteousness, though they prodigally spent it, and beggared themselves and all their posterity; yet we are loath to go a begging, till necessity wear out shame, and whip us out of our pride. Now the Formalist conceits, he hath a stock within himself to live upon; he can spin a Web out of his own Bowels to cover himself withal; and if he have but a Rag of his own, he values it above Silks of another's giving; Homespun cloth is better than the costliest cloth of Gold or Slver, of another's providing. This is the great Impediment to a Formalist's conversion; how hard is it to persuade him, that his seeming something, is really nothing! 'Tis not the Precellency of Christ's Righteousness to ours, but a sense of our absolute need of his Righteousness, that drives to Christ. There is a more direct opposition betwixt Self and Christ, then betwixt sin and Christ; for sin doth (at least accidentally) drive us unto Christ, but Self doth altogether draw us from Crist, Rom. 10.3. Going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to the righteousness of God: Setting up Self, is the pulling down of Christ. He is nothing to that man, that is any thing to himself; flesh and blood taught not Paul that Lesson, Phil. 3.7, 11. As many Prayers, Fast, Alms-deeds, good Works, or seeming Graces, as the Formalist hath, so many Bulwarks against conviction, and Arguments to dissuade him from a close with Christ. Now the Profane person is an absolute Bankrupt, an arrant Beggar, one that hath not so much as Husks of Duty (that I may allude to it) to fill his Belly, or satisfy his conscience. He will be ready to cry out with the Publican, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, Luke 18.13. while the Formalist (Pharisee-like) is at his, God I thank thee, etc. I fast, I pay Tithes. I, and I still; Self is magnified in all. Now is it not easier to persuade a Beggar to ask an Alms, than one that is Rich, increased with goods, and needs nothing? He that is stark naked, will sooner be persuaded to put on  of another's Free-gift, than he that is clothed, and warm to his own apprehension.  
Reason 3. As the Formalist is more hardly beaten out of self, so he is more difficultly persuaded of his unregenerate estate, than the profane Person. He that thinks his estate good enough already, will not easily be persuaded to change it: It's one step to Conversion, to see ourselves unconverted; to Happiness, to see ourselves miserable. 'Tis Seneca's expression, Ideo mutari nolumus quia nos optimos esse credimus; The great reason of our persisting in our present condition, is, because we conceit it good and happy. This conceit damps all. While men think their Prison a Palace, they will not come out of it. Heretics are confidently persuaded they are in the right, and therefore their ears are stopped against means of reducement. True, the profanest think thus of themselves, but they have no ground, and therefore are sooner beaten out of this hold; but the Formalist hath much to say for himself, can produce many evidences, whereby he deceives himself and others. What Graces are peculiar to a Christian which he hath not in appearance, and in his own apprehension? He loves God, Christ, the Word, Ordinances, the Brethren, yea, his Enemies; he hath Faith, Patience, Zeal, etc. yea, he can remember the time when it was otherwise with him; he experienceth a real change in himself; he hates where he loved, and loves where he hated. Now here is a double work to do; we must first raze those false foundations, walls as high as Heaven; confute his reasonings and arguments, which he produceth to prove his Conversion, before we can fasten any thing upon him to draw him to Christ; and how hardly this will be done, is easy to imagine: Will a man be easily persuaded to pull all down, and begin upon a new Foundation, when he hath brought it to the finishing? Will one that is at his journey's end, be drawn to begin it again? Can you prevail with a man that thinks himself at Heaven's door, to return again by the gates of Hell? He that feels himself well, and is, to his own apprehension, strong and healthful, finds a universal eucrasy; head and stomach, and each other part in its due temperament, will be hardly persuaded that a mortal disease hath seized upon him, or to take Physic as one lying at the point of death. Men are not easily persuaded out of an opinion of the goodness of their condition, when they seem to have taken it upon warrantable grounds.  Prona venit cupidis in sua vota fides. 
Men are easily persuaded to believe that which they would have to be; and as hardly dissuaded from believing it. Now a profane person hath no such evidences to produce: To convince him of his unregenerate condition, we need go no further but to his life and actions, the very tenor whereof speaks him wicked: But to convince the Formalist, it is necessary to dive into his heart, to discover his principles, ends, and intentions; and this is no easy matter; the heart is so full of wind, that neither we, nor himself can discover it: It is a grand cheat, 'twil pretend fair for God, Christ, and Holiness: David suspects his own heart, and therefore puts it under God's search, Psal. 139.21— end. Thus we have discovered some of those inward impediments which render the Conversion of a Formalist more difficult, then of a Profane person: We come now to those Ab extra; such hindrances as are without him, from others; and these I shall reduce to two heads, (omitting others) viz. either 1. From Ministers; or, 2. From People, especially the Godly.  
Sect. 2. Outward Impediments of the Words effect upon the Formalist, viz. such as proceed from others.  
Reason, 1 Something may be found in Ministers, which renders the Conversion of a Formalist very difficult, viz. Their want of skill and industry this way; God having appointed them as Instruments in this work, and the effect being more hardly or easily producible, not only according to the skill of the Principal Agent, but the aptitude or meptitude of the Instrument he useth: Hence it follows, that the work miscarries, through their ill-management of it. 'Tis true, in reference to God's absolute Power, it matters not what the Instrument be; Clay and Spittle shall open blind eyes; The blowing of Ram's-horns shall be more prevalent than Iron-rams, to dismantle a City; A Plaster of Figs shall cure a Boyl, or Plaguesore, if God please: Nor is it less true, that the word is in its kind, a powerful weapon to batter Fortifications, to level towering Imaginations, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. That it is sharper than a Two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a critical Judge of the hearts, thoughts, intentions, Heb. 4.12. But yet it cuts according as it is managed and wielded; A Scanderbeg's arm can do wonders with an ordinary Sword; (though I would be loath to ascribe so much to the Ministers skill and industry as that instance may intimate, nor is it always according to a Ministers ability or conscientiousness:) yet where there is a manifest defect of parts or piety, skill or industry, the work is less successful. Now in nothing are the generality of God's Messengers more deficient, then in this Divine skill, to unfold the mysterious Labyrinths of the heart of man; to uncase an Hypocrite, anatomize a Formalist, to get within men, and discover those Depths of Satan that are in their hearts: This, though the highest Learning, and most necessary for a Minister, is least studied: The Eagle-eyed Schoolmen were but Bats and Owls in this kind of Learning: We alas! are more apt to spend our time and pains in high Speculations, curious Disquisitions, questions more tending to strife, than the edification of the hearer; then in this necessary, very necessary study of unmasking the Formalist, and cutting the Thread betwixt the Hypocrite and the sincere Christian. It was Mr. Dod's expression, that most Ministers of England shot over the heads of their Auditors; sure I am, too many shoot short of their hearts. This proceeds partly from our unacquaintance with our own hearts; partly, from our not studying the spirituality of Religion: Alas do we not draw men out of Profaneness into Formality, and there leave them? If we bring them up to a Form of Prayer, Hearing, Family-performances, do we not think the work done? We are too like some curious Carvers and Painters, that carve the Image, draw the Lineaments, and lay the Colours of Christianity upon them, but do not labour to beget in them the life of Christians: We do not tell them as Mark 10.21. One thing is yet lacking: that power must be added to the former, as the Soul to the Body. Oh that it might not be justly charged upon us, that we are content to see the image of Christianity drawn upon our people! Besides, it may partly proceed from hence, that the greatest part of our Congregations consisting of profane ones, we bend our Studies and Discourses mainly against them, and by delivering things too generally, and indistinctly, we strengthen the hands of the Formalist and Hypocrite. Add to all this, (which is, and aught to be for a lamentation) we lead our people no higher than a form by our example: 'Tis our too much formality in our lives, that teaches it our people; if they saw more of the power of godliness in us, our preaching would have more power to beget real godliness in them.  
Reason 2. Something lies upon the generality of Christians, especially the godly, which renders the conversion of a Formalist very difficult.  
As 1. The godly, not being able to discern them, (or if they discern them, having no warrant to separate from them) do give them the right hand of fellowship, admit them into their most intimate Society, lay them in their Bosoms, and they are reputed amongst the best of Christians. This mightily confirms them in their good opinion of themselves, and becomes an occasion of hardening them against conviction. They abuse this indulgence of the godly into their own obduration, and to the heightening of their security. I speak not this, as blameing the godly for admitting them (for Tares, though not Briars and Thorns, must grow amongst the Wheat till Harvest) but to show, what bade use the hypocrite makes of the good esteem he hath with the godly: Though perhaps, sincere Christians may justly deserve to be blamed, for want of plain dealing with such, whom they have just cause to suspect of formality, or hypocrisy. Well, this, (as I said) hardens the Formalist in his self-conceit, and sets him at a further distance to conversion. Under this shelter Judas lay secure, and presumed that his condition was as good as the rest of the Apostles. A Formalist carries so smoothly, that the truly godly, (who are always self-suspicious) are more apt to suspect themselves, than those with whom they converse. Now the godly (on the other hand) are  of the company of profane persons, knowing they have express commands, to avoid unnecessary converse with such, as, 1 Cor. 5.11. 2 Cor. 6.17. and this sometimes, (through God's setting it upon their hearts) becomes an occasion of putting them upon a more serious consideration of their condition; even, a Cain fears and abhors the thought of being an Out-cast; those Censures of Suspension and Excommunication, appointed by God himself, work by way of shame and disgrace. But,  
3. There is so little liveliness in the best of Christians, that the Formalist concludes himself as good as the best, and so rests in his present condition. Where there is something of the power of godliness, yet there is too much of mere form; and this encourages others to rest altogether in a form. Where there is some life, there is too little liveliness; the best do not to the life hold forth the word of life, Col. 2.16. There is something in the lives of Christians, to convince and condemn the Profane; they see their swearing, drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, etc. condemned in the practice of Christians, shunning and abhorring those sins; but they do not so live, as to condemn the Formality of those amongst them: There is not that warmth in their discourses and duties, that vigour in their affections and actions, that may quicken and heat others. Men are apt to make a stand at others deadness, as the people did at the dead body of Amasa, 2 Sam. 20.12.  
'Tis storied of Janias, before his Conversion, that meeting once with a Countryman, as he was in a journey, and falling into discourse with him about divers points in Religion, he observed the plain Fellow, to talk so experimentally, with so much heartiness and affection, as made him first begin to think, that there was something more in those Truths, than his Notional-humane Learning had yet discovered; which occasioned his more serious inquiry into them, and afterward his Conversion. Liveliness, and affectionateness in Christians, is a singular Spur to incite others; but alas! how rare is it? This wanting in the best, doth strengthen the hands of the Formalist, and beget in him a conceit, that he is as good as the best. Thus we have laid down some of those impediments, (both in himself, and from others) which lie in the way of a Formalist's Conversion, and render it more difficult, then of the Profane.   

CHAP. iv Misaplication prevented.  
BEfore I come to Application, it will be requisite to say something for the preventing of m sapplication. Some may possibly hence draw this Conclusion, That the next way to onversion, is to turn Profane; that to lay aside Prayer, Hearing etc. and to become a Swearer, Adulterer, etc. is the best way to become a Saint; an inference much like that, Rom. 3.8. Let us do evil that good may come; and Rom. 6.1. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5.8.  Let us continue in sin, that grace may abound. But let such * perverse Disputers know,  
1. Though the word hath, many times, an easier influence upon the Profane, than the Formal●…; yet this makes nothing for the comfort of Profane persons, so continuing, though many such are converted and saved; What is this to him that lives and dies unconverted? 'Tis as if one sick of a Fever, refusing the Physician's help, feeding and nourishing his Disease, should comfort himself in this, That his condition is better than one that is sick of the Plague, because many are by Physic cured of the one, few or none of the other; when the one as well as the other, is Mortal without the Physician's help. Though many Profane Wretches are saved upon their Faith and Repentance, what comfort is it to thee that continuest Profane, without Faith or Repentance? If Zacheus the Publican, Magdalen the Harlot, Paul the Persecutor, are converted and saved, canst thou, who art an impenitent Oppressor, Harlot, Persecutor, etc. promise Salvation to thyself? They are saved, not because they were such, but because they Repent.  
2. Though profane persons are more frequently converted, than Formalists, yet profaneness is no cause of their Conversion. If you suppose so, you admit a Fallacy, Non causae, pro causâ; assigning that the cause, which indeed is not: Many, being Profane, are converted, but not because they are Ptophane; they are converted from, not for their Profaneness. At most, it hath but an accidental causality; as an enemy intending to kill you, may accidentally let out the corruption, and so intending to be your Murderer, may unwittingly, and contrary to his intention, prove your Physician; But that Profaneness can have no proper causative influence into your conversion, will thus appear: If so, it must be supposed, either, 1. To move God to call you; or, 2. To dispose, and incline you to conversion: but to imagine either of these, is very foolish and irrational.  
For the first, you must know, That nothing out of God himself can be an inducement to him, to call, or convert any; God's Eternal Decree, which is the proper Efflux of his own Will, and of his Freegrace, is his only Motive in this; See Rom. 8.29, 30. Ephes. 1.3, 4, 5, 6, 11. 2 Tim. 1.9. 'Tis not the good works of any fore-seen, that move God to call them, (they being effects, not causes of conversion) much less than their evil works: what can be more absurd, then to suppose that that which God loathes, should induce him to love us?  
And for the second, 'tis equally absurd; for how can that which is in the nature of it, an aversion from God, produce, as an effect, conversion to God? As rationally may we imagine darkness to be the cause of light, sickness of health, death of life, as that sin can any way be a cause of, or dispose unto conversion. Can Profaneness dispose a man to Conversion, than it would follow, the more Profane, the nearer to conversion; which is all one, as to say, the nearer Hell, the nearer Heaven.  
3. Neither is it the good that Formalists do, but their hypocrisy in doing, and the bad use they make of their good actions, that renders their Conversion difficult. Here a so you admit the same fallacy, if you suppose their praying, hearing, etc. to obstruct their Conversion. These duties rightly performed, are both means and evidences of Conversion, and incumbent upon the converted. Hearing is the way to have Faith (and other Graces) begotten in us, Rom. 10.17 Prayer is prescribed to Simon Magus, yet being in the g●●… of bitterness and bond of iniquity, in order to his Conversion, Acts 8.22. So we ma say of other-like duties: As Profaneness is not dispositive to Conversion, so neither are Pious duties any hindrance, but furtherance to it. Nay more, if ever you be Converted, you must do what they do, though not as they do. You must pray, hear, meditate, etc. though not in a form, as they do, but with power; not relying upon them when done, but denying them, putting no confidence in them. 'Tis not the form of godliness that hinders Conversion, but because it is but a form, and yet rested in.  
4. I may add, (though it's not so much to the business in hand) though Formalists hurt themselves, yet they may be, and often are useful and beneficial to others; whereas the Profane person is offensive, or unprofitable to all: they may teach others, though not themselves. Profaneness, gives occasion of stumbling and offence to them without; the Formalist's life carries some conformity to the Rule, (and is so far imitable) though his heart be naught and hypocritical; his practices are good, though his principles and ends be naught: Others may see what they ought to do in him; but the Profane person, as his heart is naught, so his life is irregular, not to be imitated. The formal persons praying, hearing, etc. may possibly excite others to do that in sincerity, which they do in hypocrisy, their parts and performances may be useful to others, though accidentally hurtful to themselves. So that there's no Reason to draw such an inference from the Doctrine in hand, or to suppose profaneness the nearest cut to conversion. If any will yet abuse this Truth to their own obduration in wicked and debauched courses, yet I hope what I have said by way of prevention, will sufficiently acquit me from the guilt of the blood of such Souls: now for Application.   

CHAP. V The first Use of the Point, in several Inferences, for Information, or Instruction.  
THe first Use may inform, or teach us several good Lessons.  
1. An outward conformity to the Rule of the word, is not conversion; 'tis more than cleansing the life from gross and palpable miscarriages, or washing the outside of the Cup or Platter; if this were all, the Formalist would not only go into the Kingdom of heaven before the profane person; but would be there already. If prayer, hearing, fasting, talking religiously, were all, who would be saved sooner than the Formalist? Then might we say of such, as the Jews of the Scribes and Pharisees, if but two go to heaven, the one of them should be a Formallist. Press him to reading, hearing, prayer, etc. He will be ready to reply (and in some sense truly) All these things have I done from my youth: what lack I yet? He can say with the Pharisee, Luke 18.11, 12. I thank God that I am not as other men are; and with Paul, Phil. 3.6. As touching the Righteousness which is in the Law, blameless: his life is not spotted with any notorious, scandalous sin; his Conscience accuseth him of nothing, but that which is incident to the best; in a word, take him, as to his outside, his life, his frequency in duty, etc. you may rank him with those of the highest form; yet this man may be possibly at a further distance to Christ, his conversion more hopeless, his heart more obdurate than the vilest drunkard, swearer, etc. One thing, yea many things are lacking, especially these three, which are essential to a Christian.  
1. He wants a throughly humbling sight of sin, especially of the sin of his nature and of his heart; he sees not that Atheism, pride, unbelief, hypocrisy, etc. which lodge in his bosom: this is a main thing in order to conversion. Paul had all  while a Pharisee, but till the law revived and he died, Rom. 7.9. till he saw himself carnal sold under sin, he remained unconverted. The formalist is ready to say with that proud Monk, Isidorè, non habeo dominè quod mihi ignoscas, I have nothing that needs a pardon; but if ever the true work be begun he must change his note, and cry out with David, Ps. 25.11. Pardon my sin, for it is great; and with the Publican, Luke 18.13. God be merciful to me a sinner. There is no conversion without some conviction, none were ever saved (in God's ordinary way of working) but they have seen themselves lost. There will be some sense of sin, and solicitousness about the pardon of it, in all those that are truly converted.  
2. He wants self-denial, to wit, a total and absolute disclaim of his own righteousness; abnegation of self is necessary, praerequisite to acceptation of Christ; this is more than whole  offerings and sacrifices. He can do duties, but cannot deny them; he cannot with Paul, count all loss and dung for Christ, etc. Phil. 37.10. He doth, and expects for doing; looks for heaven not as a gift of grace, or the purchase of Christ's blood, but as wages for working. He is much of the temper of those two Monks, or Popish Priests, the o●e whereof proudly challenges God, Redd● mihi vitam aeternam quam debes. Pay me eternal life, which thou owest me; the other as scornfully refuseth heaven as a gift, Coelum gratis non accepiam, I will not take heaven on free-cost; now hence, all becomes odious to God that such a one doth: his duties no more acceptable than killing a man, cutting off a dog's neck, offering Sw●nes blood, or blessing an Idol, Is. ●●. 3. He is but (Ephraim-like, Hos 10.1) An empty Vine br nging forth fruit unto himself. Self is that great Idol, which (like Bell in the Apocryphal story) devours all; self is prayed to, self is praised, self is the principle and end, the Alpha & Omega of all this speaks him short of true conversion.  
3. He wants sincerity (which is Evangelical perfection) in all he doth: that which he doth, is good, but he doth it not well. The Scripture distinguisheth betwixt doing that which is right in the sight of the Lord, and doing it with a perfect heart, Asa's heart was perfect all his days, 2 Chron. 15.17. And he did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. Chap. 14.2. not so Amaziah, Chapt. 25.2. He did that which was right— but not with a perfect heart: God looks at the principle, manner, and end of our actings, as well as the matter; here the Formalist is deficient: non factum sed modus in culpâ: the matter is good, but the manner is culpable. God may say to such as the Jews of old, Psal. 50.8. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy  offerings to have been continually before me; I will not blame thee for neglect of, but want of sincerity in duty: God will draw up a charge against them, like that Zech. 7.5, 6. When ye fasted and mourned, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? They failed, you see, in the end of their duties: Self, and not God, was their End; and this is a great piece of insincerity. Conversion, if right, not only rectifies a man's actions, but chief his Principles and Ends; so that the Formalist, in this, appears to be short of true Conversion.  
2. A second Lesson we may hence learn, is this, viz. The Reason, or at least a reason why Conversion is so rare in these last days: Men are got up to a Form, and there they stick: It was long since foretold, that Formality should be a sin of the Last days, 2 Tim. 3.5. There are few but they have got some knowledge, and do something in a Form, and they think this enough, and all. Some Diseases are called Opprobria Medicorum, the shame or reproach of Physicians, because they cannot find out the cause and rule of them. This, if any, is the Opprobrium Ministrorum, very hardly discovered, and more hardly cured. Though it cannot be denied, that there is too much Profaneness in the World; yet even Profaneness itself is got under this shelter: A Form of Godliness is many times found amongst those that are under the Power of open Wickedness. Relig●o●… g in's in breadth, ●t hath more Professors and Practisers of it in a Form; but loseth in depth and height, never so little sincerity and seriousness in the profession and practice of it. Knowledge and Means abound; Light gets into the Conscience. Men cannot keep their Consciences from being Clamourous, without doing something; loath they are to forgo their sweet, their profitable sins: Hence arise a civil Commotion, (as the Philosopher speaks of the morally wicked, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their Souls are at odds with themselves) light and lust are together by the ears; now to take up the quarrel and compromise the differerence, Satan and their own hearts find out this expedient, to set up a form of Godliness, that under this cloak they may more securely practise the power of ungodliness: they will do something that is good, supposing they may have the better leave to do evil; when men are got to this, they stick at it, and make it their non ultra: thus they think to satisfy both Interests, viz. of their sins, and of their souls. 'Tis true, there are Formalists of different forms and degrees; some more gross and palpable, others that spin a finer thread, and waste more in the dark; but this sin, more or less, is to be found in the generality of professed Christians, and this renders Conversion a very rare and difficult work.  
3. This shows us, that (although nothing is common, yet) nothing is more dangerous, to step out of Profaneness, into Formality: how ordinary is it for notorious sinners, when beaten out of open wickedness, to take Sanctuary in a form of Godliness? What's this, but to run further from God, while we seem to come nearer him? at best but to come out of Egypt, and stay in the Wilderness? such men turn sin (like some thief or lewd Companion) out of the street-door, and then receive it in at a backdoor, lodging it in the secret Chamber of their hearts; they retire out of the field of a more open hostility against God and Holiness; but betake themselves into an impregnable Castle, where they set God and Christ at Defiance: under a pretence of Kissing, they do more certainly kill Christ: shunning Scylla, they fall into Charybdis: thinking to deceive God by a show, they deceive themselves really. For,  
1. You, (that I may turn my speech to such) do but more obstruct the way to your own Conversion; get further out of the reach and power of the Word: the Plague, when it comes outward in a boil or sore, is less dangerous, then when it strikes inward, and seizeth upon the Brain or Vitals. Formality is but a striking in of that disease, which formerly appeared on the Face and Body, and therefore makes it more incurable. 'Tis sad to think, how many have left the fouler way of Profaneness, in which they were walking towards Hell, and are now more certainly, and swiftly posting thither, in the cleaner way of Formality! Well, let me tell you, the Devil thinks none so surely his, as those, who serve him under Christ's Livery. They that think themselves Free, and yet are not, are most likely to continue in Bondage, He is twofold more the Child of Hell, who hath got a Cloak of Religion to cover his Rags and filthiness withal; and hath got the Art to keep up a practice of duty, and a course of sin together. That disease is most Mortal oftentimes, that is least felt: Formality only serves to Brawn the heart, and Sear the conscience, and then there's but little hope of such a soul's Conversion. He that is become insensible, (and such is the Formalist) is next door to incurable.  
2. As you do more effectually shut Heaven's door upon you, so you open a wider door into Hell; (that I may allude to that Scripture, 2 Pet. 1.11.) A more abundant entrance you have into Satan's Kingdom: your evidences are hereby made clearer, your title surer. Hell is the hypocrite's Fee-simple, Matth. 24.51. The nearer Heaven, if you fall short of it, the greater will your fall be, and the heavier your condemnation, 2 Pet. 2.20, 21. etc. If you have escaped the pollutions of the world— and are again entangled, (as certainly you will be, if you rest in formality) your later end will be worse than your beginning; better you had never known the way of righteousness, than afterward to turn from the holy commandment. A great part of Hell will doubtless be a sad recapitulation of the possibilities, probabilities, advantages, convictions, motions, etc. which we had, and slighted; the more of these here, the more of Hell hereafter. And who then may expect a hotter Hell than yourselves? Oh, will it not be a heart-cutting consideration, to think how many steps you had taken, and all in vain, for want of one step further? Yea, to think, that there are many now in glory, who took less pains (as to the matter, and frequency of duty) than thou didst, who shalt yet lie down in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for ever.  
4. This shows us, that the Formalist hath no reason to boast, or lift himself in his own conceit, above the profanest wretch that he sees or knows of: 'Tis ordinary with such to bless themselves with the Pharisee, Luke 18.11. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, nor as this Publican. To stand upon their comparisons, or rather disparisons Isaiah 65.5. Stand by thyself; Come not near me, I am holier than thou: but there is a checking word follows, These are a smoke in my nose, and a fire that burneth all the day; highly and continually offensive to God. 'Tis a speech much like that o● our Saviour to Peter, Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me. Poor deluded, self-deluding souls! You think your state incomparably better than your profane Friend or Neighbour; when, alas, it's worse, in this at least, that you think it better: What difference do you think, will God make betwixt an open Enemy, and a counterfeit Friend; surely, if any, the later is worse. God seems to be puzzled, and at a nonplus, what to do with such as thou art, Rev. 3.15. I would thou wert either hot or cold; but vers. 16. comes to a peremptory and terrible resolution; So then, because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth: Is this a condition to be proud of? What more loathsome than vomit? Can the vilest wretch on-earth, undergo a heavier doom? Indeed, could not God find thee out, thy case might be more hopeful, but he can, and will unmask and uncase thee: Then thy condition will be so much the worse, by how much better it seemed to thee, Psal. 125. 5. Such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. Such are the ways of the hypocritical Formalist, tortuous and crooked; full of wind, and turn, like the Hare's doublings before the Dogs; but God will find them out, and lead them forth with the wor●…rs of iniquity, 
In tortuosi talibus.  i. e. They shall be numbered with the profane and open Sinners, and fall with them into the same condemnation. Let me then say to thee, as the Penitent Thief to his Fellow, Luke 23.40. Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? Why boastest thou against the profane, when both must lie down together in the same Hell? Yea thou, in the hotter place: The Tares, as well as Briars and Thorns, must be burnt with fire unquenchable, Matth. 13.30, 40. Your boasting therefore is not good.  
5. This may intimate a twofold duty incumbent on Ministers, in reference to this sin of Formality.  
1. Let us take heed of driving our People out of Profaneness into Formality, and there leaving them. What skill and prudence is necessary, so to manage our Work, that we, not only draw upon them the Lineaments, but beget in them the life of Christianity: Lest we be like the unskilful Chirurgeon, to skin the sore, and let it fester inwardly; this is instead of curing, to render them more incurable. Two things will much conduce to a thorough work.  
1. Let us be sure to press an inward, as well as outward change; labour we to get into their hearts, and convince them, that the Root of all their Malignity is there, according to that of our Saviour, Matth. 15.19. Let us tell them, and tell them again, That they must be renewed in the spirit of their minds, Ephes. 4.23. That it is not enough to cleanse their hands, except they also purify their hearts, Jam. 4.8. That 'tis not only the course of their lives, but chief and primarily the frame of their hearts that must be changed: while we only press outward Reformation, and performance of duties, we do but teach them to do as Christians, not to be Christians; 'tis good to begin at the heart, and bring the disease outward.  
2. Let us be much in pressing Faith and Obedience to Christ, as well as Repentance and Reformation. Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, were the sum of Paul's Doctrine, Acts 20.20. Both must be preached; the former in subordination to the latter: Luther used to say, he that can well distinguish betwixt Law and Gospel, is a good Divine; I say, he that can join them well together, is the skilful Preacher: we should be very careful that we separate not Faith and Duty, Law and Gospel, or make those opposite, which are subordinate; while we press Repentance, Prayer, Hearing, etc. with little or no mention of Christ, we teach men to be Loyalists; while we preach Christ, Freegrace, the Saints Privileges, etc. without the Law, we teach men to be Libertines, and Licentious Antinomists: The mean is best; a prudent mixture of Loyal severity, with Gospel sweetness, is the way to make men through Christians.  
2. The other branch of our duty is this, That we bend our study much against this sin, it being the sin of the age we live in. What charge the King of Syria gave concerning the King of Israel, 1 King. 22.31. Fight neither with small nor great, etc. The same should our care be as to this sin: 'Tis the Devil's last and strongest hold: beat him out here, and we are Conquerors. Two things (omitting other) I commend to this purpose.  
1. (To make us more able for this work) Let us diligently observe the wind and formality of our own hearts: For as it is, Proverbs 27.19. As in water, face answereth to face; so the heart of man to man. (Though I will not be confident that's the sense of that Text) we are all of the same mould: Books may make us able, but this will make us profitable Ministers: The best way to fit our Sermons for others hearts, is to try them upon, or rather to dig them out of our own: What our people do most industriously strive to hid from us, viz. the naughtiness of their hearts, we may in despite of them see in our own: (and possibly this may be one reason why the Wisdom of God hath chosen men of like infirmities with others, to be the Preachers of the Word.) Well, my Brethren, let's but shoot home at our own hearts, and it's a thousand to one if we hit not some, yea, many in our Congregations.  
2. (To make us more successful in this work) Pray over our studies: Some steep seeds before they put them into the Earth, and water them after: How well might we hope that spiritual seed would thrive, that hath Prayer to go before, and follow it: and truly, if ever we have need to pray, it is when we are to grapple with this sin. This formal Devil will scarce out without prayer and fasting; What need have we to beg that the searcher of hearts will direct the arrow of his Word to the heart? The Apostle in Heb. 4.12, 13. speaking of the words discovering power, ties with a strange connexion, the Omniscience of God to it. Surely, if the All-knowing God do not more immediately concur, the Word will not so pierce to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit, joints and marrow, etc. 'Tis fabled of Pygmalion, that having made the Pourtraicture of a curious Woman, falling in love with it, he prayed to Venus, and she put life into it: Have we drawn the amiable Picture, or carved the lovely image of a Christian upon any of our people? O let's beg down life into them from God.  
6. Once more: We may hence learn, that God looks not at worthiness or unworthiness, at preparitory dispositions, previous qualifications, or that Popish fiction of merit of congruity in those whom he calls: (I desire here to be understood of what we may imagine to dispose a man, or put him in a nearer capacity to conversion; otherwise there is no such thing as fitness or unfitness really, as to God's Omnipotency) should God judge as man judgeth, or look upon the outward appearance, as man looketh, Whom should he sooner call then the Formalist? were we to guests according to carnal Reason, whom the Lord would choose, would we not say of the Formalist, as Samuel of Jesses eldest son; 
1 Sam. 16.  surely the Lords anointed is before him? these seem to meet God half way, and not to be far from the Kingdom of God. Who would take (as was before hinted) the knottiest, crookedst timber to lay in his building? the roughest stones to make his wall? yet so it pleases God to do: God looks with other eyes than we do. Mat 9.12, 13. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. God delights to make all his works Creations, and to build where there is no appearance of foundation; and this to exclude man's boasting. He will have his grace to be, and to appear free. But to proceed to a second Use.   

CHAP. VI The second and third Use of the Point, Viz. Terror to the Formalist, and discoveries of such.  
Use 2 THe second Use may serve to pull down the pride and haughtiness of the selfconceited Formalist, and to strike terror into his heart: This Text and Doctrine may be like the fingers and hand-writing to Belshazzar, Dan. 5.5. And passeth the same sentence upon him as that did, Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting. How doth the Formalist bless himself in comparison of the profane? He would not for a world be as they are; when alas, he is worse. If I may say of the unconverted, That one is further from conversion then another, (as that Text seems to intimate, Mark 13.34. Thou art not far, etc.) then these surely are at the farthest distance. That forecited Text, Mat. 9.12.13. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; seems to hint, that such self-conceitedly righteous persons, are out of the care and call of Christ, and that's sad. But I cannot expect that any should take home this Terror, till it be charged home upon them; till Conscience say, Thou art the man: we are apt to catch at comforts, and decline terrors; it will be necessary therefore, to give some Signs and Characters of the Formalist (though something hath been already hinted) that so being convinced, he may apply it.  
This may (if you please) be a distinct Use 3 Use of Examination. To give you therefore some Notes of such:  
1. He whose duties and personal righteousness stand in opposition, not in subordination to Christ and his righteousness, is the person we speak of: possibly his Baptism and Education make him affect the name of Christian; but he sees not the absolute necessity of Christ's righteousness to justify and save him; supposing he hath enough in his own store. Had this man heard Christ speaking of his sufferings in order to man's salvation, he would have been ready with Peter, to say, as Mat. 16.22. Master spare thyself; or as Judas concerning the precious ointment, To what end is all this waste? He may be a professed enemy to Popery, yet hath in him this Popish principle that he can keep the Commandments, and it may be supererogate also. such a one deals with Christ, as those women the Prophet speaks of, Isa. 4.1. We will (say they) eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach; So they will be clothed with their own Righteousness; only they love the name Christian, because its a name of honour: How is it then? the more strict and holy thou seemest to thyself, doth Christ seem of less necessity to thee? do thy duties set thee further off, or bring thee nearer Christ? dost thou live more within, and upon thyself? surely if so, to thee this terror belongs; 'Tis quite contrary with the sincere Christian, his duties and performances drive him nearer Christ: see Phil. 3. 3.-10. though he grow in inherent holiness, yet he grows daily more apprehensive of the necessity of imputed righteousness, because he sees more of God's holiness, the laws purity and strictness, and the impurity and filthiness of his own heart: when he hath done all, he cries out, Unprofitable Servant! and woe to me, for my Duties, Prayers, Hear, Graces, etc. if I had not a Mediator. When he rises highest in Duty or gracious actings, yet his suit to Christ (as Ruth's to Boaz, Ruth. 3.9.) is, Spread thy skirt over me. 'Tis remarkable, Phil. 3 3. For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.  
2. (Which is the root of the former) He whose Duties and Holiness are the fuel of Pride, is the man we inquire after; Thus it was with the Pharisees, Isa. 65.5. Luke 18.11, 12. John 7.48. Formality comes off ordinarily more proud from a Duty, and goes on the next time more self-confident (except perhaps God hath notably cut him short, as to the exercise of his gifts:) True, pride may rush (as one saith) into the heart of a sincere Christian; but it rests, grows, is cherished in the heart of a Hypocrite: where Pride leads on in any Duty, 
Dike on the Heart's Deceitfulness.  yet Humility brings him off: what the sincere person wants in antecedent directing humility, he makes up in subsequent and correcting humility, 2 Chron. 32.26. Hezekiah was humbled for the pride of his heart: a true Christian is humbled for his Pride, an Hypocrite is proud of his Humility: There's a Monitor within the sincere Christians heart, that's often jogging him, and brings him down when he gins to swell. Try then, is this worm of pride bred and nourished by thy duties? Dost thou pray, and hear, and discourse thyself more proud, haughty, selfconceited? 'Tis a sad symtome thou art yet but a Formalist: 'Tis storied, 
Heylin.  that the Isle of Man (the Title being doubted whether it belonged to Britain or Ireland) was adjudged to Britain, because it fostered venomous Serpents brought from thence into it: Sure I am, if thy duties foster and cherish this venomous Serpent of Pride, they are the duties of a Formalist, not a sincere Christian.  
3. He that is altogether a stranger to Godly sorrow, Humiliation for sin, (and this is the cause of both the former) he that never knew what compunction or contrition meant, whose heart was never broken up, and furrowed with the Blow of conviction; who hath had but a superficial work, hath but cleansed the outside of the Cup or Platter? 'Tis observable, The stony ground received the word (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Matth. 13.20. immediately with joy, but soon witherered: whereof the Evangelist Matthew, Chap. 13.5. gives the reason, because it had not depth of Earth: Luke, Chap. 8.6. because it had not moisture: Both the Evangelists, as also Mark Chap. 4.16. tells us, They received the Word with joy and gladness: What can be understood by depth of earth, and moisture, but heatings and melt by Humiliation? This the stony ground wanted; and therefore they being yet a rock not broken, not humbled, the seed though suddenly springing up, withers, and comes to nothing: heat and moisture are joint-causes of growth and fruitfulness; the latter without the former drowns and suffocates the seed; the former without the latter doth scorch and whither it: and this is the case of this ground, they have some heat of joy and raptures, which (like the flattering rays of the April Sun) draw forth some early blossoms; but when some cold chilling frosts, or scorching heats come in the following Month, they are either nipped by the one, or scorched and shrunk up by the other: Praemature fruits never come to maturity: The Child that thrusts its self forth into the world before its time, seldom proves long-lived. Such are Formalists, they hastily catch at Christ, before they are humbled for sin, or melted by godly sorrow, and therefore do as quickly forsake him: The like may be gathered from that other Parable of the wise and foolish bvilders, Luke 6.47, 48. The wise Builder, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, digged deep, and laid his foundation on a rock; the foolish built without a foundation on the Earth; surely Humiliation and thorough conviction is (at least in part) the import of that digging deep; and for want of this digging, the building doth, molâ suà ruere, fall by its own weight: for want of these dews and moistures the root is dried up from beneath, and above the bud is cut off, Job 18.16. As the natural, so the spiritural birth is attended with pangs. Now the Formalist is one that never felt these, or not to purpose; never so as to bring him off his own righteousness, or to subdue his will to an acceptance of Christ upon Gospel terms. But here I desire to be rightly understood; I prescribe not such a measure of humiliation as necessary, nor to all the like measure: there is great difference as to the manner, measure, and continuance of it; all are not thrown upon the ground, and deprived of their sight as Paul was; all walk not in the Region of the shadow of death, nor go bowed down 18 years with a spirit of Infirmity: To some God comes in a fire, thunder and whirlwind, to others in a still voice; as God teacheth us to put a difference, Judas 22,23. so himself doth doth; on some he hath compassion, others he saves with fear, pulling them out of the fire; the convictions and humiliation of some are more sensible & terrible, like the breaking of stones with a hammer; they are brought by the gates of Hell to Heaven; of others, more sweet, kindly and insensible, like the melting of wax before the fire, and Ice or Snow before the Sun. The Souls of some are taken by storm, others by a long and tedious siege and battery; some are surprised, as it were, by stratagem, and some surrendered upon Parley; yea, some are so wrought upon, that the first (sensible) work they experience, is Grace, drawing them to a voluntary resignment of their souls to God. All these worketh our gracious God according to his own Will and Pleasure; nor can any certain stated Rules be laid down about the various workings of God with poor souls. Nevertheless, these two things I conceive may be safely asserted:  
1. That before a soul is brought, or upon a souls coming over to Christ, he hath such a convincing sight of sin, and of his own sin original and actual, with such a measure of compunction & contrition (be it less or more) as doth make him both see an absolute necessity of Christ, and willingly close with him upon Gospel conditions. (I speak here of God's working upon the adult.) 'Tis not merely the love of Christ, or his excellency appehended, that attracts the soul to him; but withal, he sees he stands in need of him, and is undone without him. I would fain know of any of those pretended Patrons and Assertors of freegrace, how a soul can have any apprehensions of the love of Christ to purpose, without some praevious apprehensions and convictions of its own sinfulness and misery: Is it not the very Emphasis of the love of Christ, that while we were yet sinners he died for us? Rom. 5.8. That when we were lost, he came to seek and save us? take away this sense of sin and misery, and you take away the very accent of Christ's love. Is not this the language of a Soul under the most kindly workings? O infinite Love! that such a vile, sinful, lost wretch as I am should be sought for, inquired after! much like the language of Mephibosheth to David, 2 Sam. 9.8. What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? And Ch. 19.28. All my father's house were but dead men before my Lord the King, yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thy table. Here's deep and deep; depth of Misery, and depth of Mercy; these jointly apprehended, melt the heart of a poor sinner, and make it as water, or rather as wax, fit for any Divine impression: so that there is in the soul, under most ingenuous and kindly workings, sense of sin, and sorrow for it, though swallowed up in the joyful sense of God's love in Christ Jesus.  
2. And after a soul is come to Christ, the frame of the heart is such, that it's ready to grieve and melt upon the sight and conviction of a sin now committed, or the remembrance of a sin formerly acted: Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, 2 Chron. 32.26. We find Peter in the same temper, and David often; the stone being taken out of the heart, there is an habitual tenderness, ready to exert itself in kindly melt, upon sight of any unkindnesses, and disingenuous actings towards God, Christ, or the Spirit: Now to both these, the Formalist is a stranger: his will was never subdued, his heart never mollified so far, as to go out of himself: Bring this note home, and try your state by it, I beseech you.  
4 He is a Formalist, who though he is constant in the matter, yet is little or not at all conscientious in the manner of duty: That it be done, he is very careful; but how, he regards not. The Formal Jews were so constant at their sacrifices, that there God will not blame them, Psal. 50.8. The sincere Christian is no less troubled for his carelessness, customariness, wander and distractions in, then for his omissions of duty; he accounts that, as not done, which is not done with some suitableness of affection, and exercise of grace: he thinks he hath but mocked God, and taken his Name in vain: But this troubles not the Formalist; he is a good Churchman (as they call him) constant at his Family-duties, etc. and never matters how cursorily and slubbringly they are performed: his care is to get it done, the sincere Christians, to get it well done; thinking himself never the better for that Duty that makes him not better; never the nearer for that which brings him not further out of himself, and nearer God. Try then; Canst thou never remember the time when thy heart smote thee for thy negligence in, as well as neglect of Duty? Dost thou go on merrily and confidently in a cold, dull, heartless course of Religious Performances? 'Tis a sad sign thou art yet a Formalist, and to thee the Text speaks terror.  
5. He is a Formalist whose Duties do no execution upon his sins; he Prays, and sins; Hears, and sins; goes in a round, as a Horse in a Mill: Take him at his Prayers, you may hear him perhaps confessing his Worldliness; but take him in the World, and you find him as covetous, as gripping, as apt to defraud as ever: he comes off his duties, as if he had but begged leave to sin; yea, sin gets strength by his performances: As the Harlot, Prov. 7.14, 15. I have Peace-offerings by me, this day I have paid my vows. Come, let us take our fill of love— So he thinks his morning and evening-Duties procure him liberty to sin all the day; when he hath heard, though the Word was never so piercing, he never thinks more of it, to reform his heart or life by it; that he hath heard satifies him, never thinking what, or to what end he hath heard; hence it is that no execution is done upon his lusts. Now with the sincere Christian 'tis far otherwise; his Duties give sin a shake, loosen it at the root: True indeed, a corruption may outlive many a Prayer, Sermon, Humiliation-day, without any sensible decay; yea, may seem to get head, and grow more turbulent; yet every Duty rightly performed, doth something towards the mortification of it: as in cutting down a tree, every stroke doth not bring it down, yet some chips are cut off; and in battering a Fort, every shot doth not beat it down, yet makes it weaker, and prepares it for the next. So every Duty doth something weaken sin, at least thus; for that it increases the Soul's hatred of it, and puts upon him a fresh engagement to pursue it to the death: examine then; doth sin get strength by thy Religious duties? dost thou grow into more love and liking of thy bosom corruptions? (for that's the surest evidence of sins growth:) Then hast thou just cause to suspect thyself of formality, and to apply this terror to thyself.  
6. The Formalist is ordinarily full of confidence and self-conceit, very supercilious towards poor bruised reeds, and doubting souls: he looks upon the weak Believer as no body in comparison of himself. Thus you see it in the Pharisees, Joh. 7.48. Luk. 18.9— 12. Paul was once of this temper, Rom. 7.9. He was alive without the Law once; i. e. highly conceited, and strongly confident of his good condition: so the Formalist seldom suspects himself, never is at a loss for his Evidences. The Devil befriends him, and helps him up to this Pinnacle; he is not more an enemy to true saving Faith, than a friend to Presumption: The sincere Christian (on the other hand) is very suspicious, often trying, dougbting, searching; works out his salvation with fear and trembling. 'Tis true some healthy, well-complexioned Christians, (but oh how rare are they!) keep up faith in a lively and constant exercise; can look within the veil, and are not subject to those frequent toss and doubtings as others; but then they do not browbeat, and carry scornfully and contemptuously towards those that have not attained to their Measure: they are very tender towards the weakest Lambs in Christ's fold, and can sympathise in their weaknesses, and help to bear their Infirmities. That supposed assurance that is joined with the contempt of weak ones, and separated from a holy, humble, watchful walking with God, is a sure note of a Formalist. There is fear and jealousy in the best; David, Psal. 139. 20— end. professes his sincerity, yet suspects there ma be some way of wickedness in him: so that if thou hast high presumptions, and low performances, strong confidence upon weak grounds, and this lifts thee up in thy own conceit above thy weak brethren; conclude thyself but yet a Formalist.  
7. The Formalist hath some regard to the matter of the first Table, little to the second: Piety, as to the face of it, he practiseth, but equity and charity he little looks at, perhaps nor sobriety neither, he thinks his duties towards God may excuse his deficiencies towards men (And herein by the way, the Moralist and Formalist differ; the former being only or chief for second table duties, though both do convenire in tertio, agree in this third thing, that they neglect Christ, and put confidence in their own righteousness.) This that I say of the Formalist is evident, Psal. 50.8. with verse 18, 19, 20. They were constant at their sacrifices, but deeply guilty of Theft, Adultery, evil-speaking, and false accusations: with the same mouth did they bless God, or curse or speak evil of man made after the image of God, Jam. 3.9. so Jer. 7.4. They cry The Temple of the Lord. i. e duties, sacrifices; but verse 5, 6. They did not execute judgement between a man and his neighbour, they oppressed the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, they shed innocent blood, etc. so verse 9 They did steal, murder, commit adultery, and swear falsely. The like you may see Isa. 58.2. They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, etc. yea, verse 3. They challenge God, and charge him as not having regard to their fasting, and afflicting their Souls: yet these, verse 4. did fast for strife and debate, and to smite with with the fist of wickedness. See more of their failings towards their neighbour, verse 6, 7, 9, 10. Where Gods calling for such duties at their hands, sufficiently intimates their defectiveness in them. Possibly some smaller acts of righteousness or mercy they may do; so did the Pharisees, Matth. 23.23. They tithed Mint, anise and Cummin, but the weightier points of the law, judgement, mercy, or faith, (that is, as some with good reason interpret, faithfulness in their deal with men) these they neglected. Yea, by their rare device of Corban, i. e. a gift given to the Priest or Temple, that their Parents might be prayed for, disoblige the child from that necessary duty of succouring his necessitous Parents: Matth. 15.5.6. with Mark 7.11, 12. Thus making pretended piety towards God, a cloak for neglect of duty towards man: and upon this account how many Formalists are to be found amongst us? are not many, that have set up Prayer and reading in their Families, who frequent Ordinances, and seem to be eminent in piety, as bad, yea much worse in second-Table-duties, than the profanest? Who more griping and oppresive? Who more ready to overreach in Bargaining? To defraud or abridge their Minister of his due? So that (as to the business of equity, and justice of people towards their Minister) we could rather desire to be cast upon a profane, superstitious, ignorant people, then amongst knowing Formalists: Besides, who more quarrelsome? fuller of strife and debate? more apt to go to Law for trifles, than these? Can these things consist with sincertty? are they not plain evidences of a rotten heart, a mere Formalist? Surely sincerity hath an equal respect to all God's Commandments, will not knowingly bank any; much less make obedience to one, a cloak of disobedience to another.  
8. Add one more briefly: The Formalist is regardless of his own heart: A stranger to that Duty Solomon presses, Prov. 4.13. Keep thy heart above all keeping. This is (if I may so speak) the very Formalis Ratio, the Essence of Formality, that the heart is wanting in all he doth: he hath an eye to his Conversion, (as far as it is obvious to the eye of others) but lets his heart run at liberty. Now the sincere Christian's work is most within; his greatest care is in weeding, dressing, keeping clean, watching over his own heart: he hath a wary eye to every entrance and out-going of the soul. Thus you see some rude draught of a Formalist: Judge yourselves by these Characters; and, if you find cause, apply the Text and Doctrine to your own hearts; rectify your mistakes, and judge of yourselves as the Word judges of you; it may do you good: for this is not a judgement of final decision, but of trial and discussion, which may bring you into the right way.  
4. The fourth and last Use I shall make of the Doctrine, is Exhortation; in which, 1. A word to the Profane, 2. To the Formalist.   

CHAP. VII. The fourth and last Use of the point, viz. Exhortation: And first to the Profane, That they will improve their hopes: Prosecuted, 1. by Directions. 2. Encouraging Motives.  
1. TO you that wallow in the mire of sin, and drink the very dregs of iniquity; see your hopes, your possibilities, your probabilities for Heaven, and lay hold on them: possibly some of you may conceit your case hopeless and desperate, but take not up such sad conclusions: There is yet hopes in Israel concerning this thing; say not then with the Eunuch and stranger, Isa. 56.3. The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people, Behold I am a dry tree: Nor with the Apostate Jews, Jer. 2.25. There is no hope, etc. Despair will make you desperate: 'Tis the Epicures language. 1 Cor. 15.32. Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die: (q. d.) Let us take our fill of pleasure and voluptuousness here, we know not what our portion will be in another world; none are so obstinately wicked, as they that have hardened themselves by despair. I have read of one, who after a first and second relapse from purposed and promised Reformation, being the third time visited with sickness, sent for his Minister, who minding him of his former promises and failings in performance, aggravating his sin upon him, he told him, that except he did speedily and seriously repent, and put away his Harlot (who was then in his house) there was no hope of his Salvation. His reply was, Say you so; can I not be saved except I put her away? Then I will do as well as I can while I live; so calling for Wine, Cards, and that Woman, he spent his time (which was but three or four days) in mirth and pleasure, and so in a moment went down into the grave. Oh take heed of bringing yourselves to this pass! That Scripture is notable, Job 15.21, 24. A doleful sound is in his ears, Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid. Here's his despair, or horror of Conscience: see the effect of it, Vers. 25, 26. He stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty: he runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. Some wild Beasts, when hunted to a stand, will turn again, and fly in your face: So do sinners, when grown desperate, even fly in the face of God himself. 'Tis the Devil's ordinary way, when he hath drawn men into sin, and kept them in it as long as he can, when they begin to think of turning, to persuade them there is no hope. Oh but consider the Text, possibly thy case may be more hopeful than many a one that passes in the world for a sincere Christian: yet the door is open, the Golden Sceptre is held out; thy case is not desperate; make it not so by going on still in thy wickedness: Presumption gins obduration, but despair heightens and completes it. If once thou drink in this deadly conclusion, That there is no possibility of Salvation for thee; thou wilt then bid defiance to God: This made one shoot his darts against Heaven; another throw up handfuls of his own blood, crying out Vicisti Galilaea, O Galilean, thou hast overcome: A third, wish himself above God, that he might be able to grapple with him; and a fourth lay violent hands upon himself, and become his own Executioner. This is it that makes the Devil a Devil, Jam. 2.19. He believes and trembles: 'Tis a Hell worse than Hell itself: See therefore, and lay hold on thy opportunity: Publicans and Harlots, (saith the Text) go into the Kingdom of God, art thou worse? 'Twas a cheering word to poor blind Bartimeus, Mar. 10.49. Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee. The same I may say to you, he came to call sinners (and are not you such) to repentance: Oh that you would now imitate that poor blind man, who V 50. cast away his Garment, rose and came to Jesus, Acts 13.43. with 47, 48. See how the Gentiles rejoiced and flocked in, when God vouchsafes them an invitation. Poor souls! They thought God had cast them off, and not reserved such a blessing for them; therefore they are even ravished with the glad tidings, and become as Corn fully ripe, that shakes into the hand of the Reaper; or as mellow fruits, dropping into the mouth of him that gathers them: Oh that this discovery of the like hopes for you profane sinners, might have the like operation upon you! Oh that I could hear some poor soul pouring out such breathe as these! What? Is there hopes for me? for me an old Drunkard, an unclean wretch, & c? Will Christ vouchsafe to give me a call, an invitation? Is it possible, that I that have spent my choice time, exhausted my best Spirits, etc. upon sin, should yet be in a possibility of Heaven? Is it thy pleasure, dear Saviour, to bestow thy Blood and Merits, thy Grace and Spirit; yea, an heavenly Inheritance, a Crown of Glory on such a dead dog as I am? Surely though none could have less hope, yet none hath more need than I; since there is a peradventure, I will go in; if I perish, I perish: Oh take the Prophet's Counsel, Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Give me leave to sub-join two or three words of Direction, and as many of Encouragement.  
1. Come within the call of Christ; lie at the Bethesda of Ordinances; put yourselves under the Physicians hands, if you will be cured: Faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10.17. Miss not an opportunity; you know not when the Spirit will blow, or the Angel descend to move these waters: Though God hath called some from the Alebench, Tavern, Stews, Receipt of Custom; yet it is not to be presumed God will do so; 'tis out of God's ordinary road. Those whom Christ cured, or called, were such ordinarily as were in his way: So the ten Lepers, Luke 17.12. The blind man, Luke 18.35. The wounded man lay in the way betwixt Jericho and Jerusalem, etc. Zacheus got into the Sycamore-tree where Christ was to pass by, Luke 19.4, 5. and he hears that glad tidings, Come down Zacheus, etc. Ezek 16.6. When I passed by thee— I said unto thee, live: 'Tis good to be where Christ may pass by us, and that is in his Church, amongst his people; for his walk is in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, Rev. 2.1. Wisdom cries without, she uttereth her voice in the streets; she cryeth in the chief place of concourse, etc. Prov. 1.20— What hope mayst thou conceive if thou waitest at her Gates, and watchest daily at the posts of her doors, since such are pronounced blessed, Prov. 8.34? Some have been caught in the net before they were ware, (a happy catching!) yea, when they came to catch, carp and deride: What hope mayst thou have, if thou wilt constantly and conscientiously wait upon God in his Ordinances?  
2. Call upon Christ; cast thyself at his feet, with the Lepers, and the blind man, Luk. 18.41. Lord, that I might receive my sight. Learn the Publicans posture, Luk. 18.13. Lord be merciful to me a sinner. Take the Apostles counsel to Simon Magus, Act. 8.22. Pray that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee: such prayers, (whatever some say) shall not be rejected; else why doth the Holy Ghost direct to the use of them? Christ hath taught thee importunity, Luke 18. 1-8. Put his Lesson in practice; beg pardon and justification: say to Christ, Lord spread thy spirit over me, since thou art become a near kinsman: Beg Sanctification; Lord here's a filthy heart, O cleanse it; a hard heart, O mollify it; a dead heart, O quicken it: Plead such free Promises as that, and put them in suit, Ezek. 36.26. Take, Lord, the stone out of my heart, and give me an heart of flesh: sprinkle clean water upon me, etc. Take up Ephraim's words, Jer. 31.18. Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God; And Hos. 14.1, 2. Plead the examples of such as thou art, whose conversion is recorded for thy encouragement; Magdalen, Zacheus, Paul: see that sweet Scripture, 1 Tim. 1.15, 16. How be it, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Cast thyself upon him, in confidence of that word, Joh. 6.37. Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast off: Plead as the servants of Benhadab, 1 King. 20.31. I have heard the God of Israel is a merciful God: A mere peradventure should be enough to an undone Creature, as it was to the four Lepers, 2 King. 7.8. much more when thou hast such invitations and encouragements to allure thee to come in.  
3. Cast away thy transgressions, Ezek. 18.31. Thou canst not be saved in them, but from them thou mayst: This is the good old way wherein only thou shalt find rest for thy soul. Jer. 6.16. This doctrine will abide the fire, when all the wood, hay and stubble of novel and unscriptural speculations, will be burnt: 'Tis Christ's own Doctrine, Luke 13.3, 5. Away then with thy lewd companions, excess, revel; put away those works of the flesh, Gal. 5.22. else take no comfort in all: I have said, read over the examples of all those that were saved, especially such profane ones as thyself: Was not this valley of Anchor, bitter Repentance, their door of hope: 'Tis not Paul the Persecutor, but Paul the Penitent, the faithful Apostle, that is in Heaven: Not Zacheus the Oppressor, but Zacheus the Restorer: Not Magdalen the Harlot, but Magdalen the Penitent; weeping Magdalen, washing Christ's feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hairs of her head: And what is there in any sin, that hopes of future glory should not make thee willing to part with it? Is the Favour of God? Are the Consolations of the Spirit? The Privileges of the Saints? Is Heaven, and Glory, and the eternal fruition of the Beatifical Vision, so contemptible, that they cannot outbid one base lust? Are the pleasures of sin for a season, better than the eternal recompense of reward? Are devouring flames, everlasting burn such light matters, so easy to be endured, that for the enjoyment of some worldly delight or contentment, perhaps for some sin that hath in it neither profit nor pleasure, (such as swearing is) you should plunge yourselves into them irrecoverably? Do you believe those eternal things, or no? If not, Why do you come to hear? Why do you not declare yourselves professed Atheists, and lay aside all Profession of Religion? Why do you not take your fill of carnal pleasures? But if you do believe them, (as I know you will profess you do) why do you not put away your abominations? Why do you not fly from the wrath to come, by bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance? Will you yet say, my case is hopeless, I have sinned away my opportunities? Look once again into the Text, see who the persons are; Publicans, and Harlots: What their privilege is; they go into the Kingdom of God: To whom they are preferred, as to their hopes of Salvation; the Morally Righteous, the Formal Professor, you may (if you will take the course prescribed) step into Heaven before them: But that I may leave you without scruple in this particular, take these two considerations further along with you.  
1. Will not God, think you, be most ready to do that which best pleases, and most honours him? and what's that but pardoning the Penitent, embracing returning Prodigals? Do you question this? A great part of Scripture, yea, the very scope of the Gospel may convince you. Read Jer. 9.24. Mich. 7.18. Exod. 34.6, 7. Isa. 55.7. Joel 2.12, 13— Will you believe God upon his word? he hath told you, Ezek. 18.32. that he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth: will you have his Oath? Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; [herein he hath pleasure:] turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, etc. If neither Word nor Oath will serve, yet I hope his Actings, and gracious Dispensations towards the sons of Men, towards yourselves, may pass for a Demonstration: Had God delighted in the Destruction; yea, had he not had unspeakably more delight in the salvation of poor sinners, would he have sent his Son? Would he have published the Gospel? Would he wait, and beseech, and so pathetically beg your souls? 2 Cor. 5.19. And for thy own case, could not God have thrown thee into Hell so soon as thou wast born, if that had pleased him? Would he have been at so much cost and pains with thee? Or if thou now returnest, will he not accept thee; yea, meet thee while yet afar off, fall upon thy neck, and kiss thee, who hath been so long waiting that he might be gracious unto thee? And then for the honour of God; 'tis true, he can get it in thy destruction, but he had rather thou wouldst give it him in thy Salvation: Such is his Philanthropy, and love to man, that he esteems that his greatest honour, which consists with his creatures greatest happiness. Let me speak a serious word; Which do you think will make the sweeter melody in God's Ear? whether the eternal howl and yell of the damned, blaspheming, and tearing his Name in pieces; or the incessant Blessings and Hallelujahs of glorified Saints, singing Praises to him that sits upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever? And for you to whom I am speaking [Profane sinners] How singularly pleasing will it be to God? How delightful to the Angels, etc. to entertain you into their heavenly society? (to entertain you, I say, not such as now you are, but washed in the blood of the Lamb, clothed with white linen, which is the Righteousness of the Saints) read, and read again those three Parables of the Prodigal son, the lost groat, and lost Sheep, Luke 18. They tell you, there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, then over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance; and for the glory of God, he will both get more by you, (for the Physician's skill is commended by the desperateness of the disease he cures) and you will (at least endeavour) give him more than others: If we may imagine an holy strife and emulation amongst the glorified Saints, to excel each other in praising God; surely they that have exceeded others in sinning here, will in singing hereafter: they to whom most is forgiven, will love most, admire most, and labour to rise highest in their praises: So that this may be helpful against any d scouraging fears of being rejected: 'Tis singularly pleasing and honouring to God, that you should come in; you cannot suppose God unwilling to receive you upon your serious return, but you suppose him also false in his word, his oath; deceitful in his actings, and unfaithful to the great interest of his own glory: all which is no less than blasphemy to imagine.  
2. Will Jesus Christ, think you, be more willing that his blood should be spilt, and the great end of his undertaking frustrate (as to you) in your destruction, then accomplished in your salvation? Did he take all that pains, undergo such a shameful and ignominious death, the wrath of God, the terrors of Hell, to save poor lost souls? and now all is done, and ready, nothing wanting but your consent and application; And can you imagine, that he will rather lose all, then freely bestow what he hath so dearly purchased? True, he is not so prodigal of his blood and merits as to throw them away upon those that neither set their need of them, nor will thank him for them; but when you are sensible of your necessity, and humbly sue to him for an interest in them, and cast yourselves upon him, do you think he will cast you off? Hath he done the painful part, and will he not much more do the pleasant part of the work? Will it not be abundant satisfaction to see the fruit of the travel of his soul, in the Conversion and Salvation of yours? O with what contentment and complacency will Christ embrace you? Welcome poor Prodigal, lost, weary, heavy-laden soul; now it reputes me not of all my toil and travel: 'tis enough that thou wilt accept what I have done and suffered for thee; I freely give thee my Blood to justify thee, my Merit to procure thy acceptance with the Father; my Grace to sanctify thee, my Spirit to seal thee to the day of Redemption; yea, Heaven itself for thine Inheritance: mine it is by purchase, and on thee I bestow it; I expect nothing but thy ingenious acceptance, and grateful obedience: Oh, you cannot more disgrage the wisdom or mercy of Christ, then to imagine him unwilling to bestow himself, and all he hath done, upon those that humbly beg it, in the deep sense of their own necessity: so that let not the vilest wretch, the profanest sinner in the Congregation, stand off upon supposition that God will not accept him, or that Christ will cast him off: You see in the Text, who were the chief materials of that stately Fabric, the Church, when Christ and his Apostles were the bvilders, even Publicans and Harlots, sinners, such as yourselves are: With whom did Christ converse? Whom came he to call? Who were they most commonly embraced by him, but such? Nay, such were not only stones in the building, but Master-builders, even Paul (though a Pharisee yet) in his own account, a Persecutor, a Blasphemer, Injurious, 1 Tim. 1.12. If you want not hearts, you want no hopes for Heaven. All this I have spoken, not in the least to strengthen your hands in wickedness, (Woe to him that shall so turn this grace of God into wantonness) but to remove that scruple which possibly may keep some at a distance from Christ; nor would I be understood as encouraging any to delay their turning to God, presuming upon acceptance at last gasp. Remember that of Austin, Qui dat poenitenti gratiam, non semper dat peccanti poenitentiam: He that gives pardon to the Penitent, doth not always give Repentance to the Sinner. Come then, Profane Sinner, come speedily, seriously, humbly, and self-denyingly to Christ, and I promise thee acceptance; Make good the Text, Step into Heaven, and lay hold on Eternal Life before the proud Formalist. Then, though such as they despise thee, God will accept, and prefer thee before them: Then, however filthy and polluted thou art, thou shalt be washed in the Lamb's blood, clothed with his Righteousness, made comely with his comeliness, and admitted into that blessed society, Heb. 12.22, 23, 24. there to continue to all Eternity.   

CHAP. VIII. The second branch of Exhortation, viz. to the Formal Hypocrite, to hasten out of his dangerous condition; urged by divers Motives.  
2. ANd now I turn to you the other subjects of my Text, Formal Christians, who are painted Sepulchers, Graves that appear not, Luke 11.44. I have endeavoured to work upon the others hopes, I shall now endeavour to work upon your fears: your condition, you see, is sad and deplorable, yet not desperate: Have you not often in your thoughts (and it may be in your speeches) passed a sad doom upon the profane? When you have heard them swearing, and blaspheming the Name of God, imbruing their tongues in the blood and wounds of Christ, when you have seen them wallowing in their drunkenness, etc. have you not thought, O I would not be in that man's condition for all the world? yet by what hath been said, you see your state in some respect worse than theirs; that there is a greater likelihood of their salvation, then of yours: What remains then, but that you turn your eyes inward, and take up the same thoughts concerning yourselves, which formerly you have had of them? you see what thoughts our Saviour had of such as you are, Luke 18. 9-14. there he tells you that a poor penitent Publican is rather justified (and consequently saved) then proud self-justifying Pharisees: in all his Preaching, What do such as you hear, but woe, woe, as Matth. 23.13— end? when a  Magdalen hears a sweet word, Luke 7.48. Thy sins are forgiven: Zacheus a gracious call, Luke 19.6, 9 Come down Zacheus, this day is salvation come to thy house, forasmuch as he also is the Son of Abraham: and generally, weary, heavy-laden sinners have a loving invitation, Math. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, backed with a sweet promise, I will give you rest. Oh then, let fall those plumes of pride which have been lifted up so much above others; glory not in your specious formalities and outside cleanliness: That which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16.15. Bear not yourselves high upon your parts, morality, or external performances, while there are seven abominations in your hearts, Prov. 26.25. Think not that your credit amongst men will bestead you before the all-knowing God. But hasten out of your woeful state; learn that first and hardest lesson of Christianity, self-denial: labour to get what yet you want, a heart deeply humbled for sin, an absolute disclaim of self-righteousness, and submission to the righteousness of Christ, and Truth in the inward parts. Something I shall add by way of motive, and then directions.  
1. Will it not grieve thee to the heart to have lost so many duties, prayers, days of hearing; fasting, thanksgiving? It may be many tears and sighs, yea many scoffs, reproaches and injuries suffered for thy profession. Let me take up the Apostles words, Gal. 3.4. Have you suffered so many things in vain, if they be yet in vain? Will it not cut thee to the heart, to be separated from that society in heaven, with which thou hast associated here on earth? That, that which hath helped others to heaven, should accidentally plunge thee deeper into hell? That thou hast done and suffered more than many a one in glory, for the name and profession of Christ, and all lost? Lost, 1. As to any acceptance with God here. 2. As to any advantage to thyself hereafter: How will it repent thee of what thou hast done and suffered in the profession of Religion? how wilt thou wish that thou hadst joined with the profane crew? that thou hadst never had those gifts, made that profession, done those duties, which shall be (not only lost as to any benefit of thyself, but) as so many weights to press thee deeper into hell; Stings in thy torment, and brands to increase the flame, and shall stand uncancelled, as so many dreadful Items in God's Book of remembrance, rendering thy account more heavy? Oh, will it not grieve you, when others have sworn, and drunk, and whored themselves into Hell, that thou hast heard, and prayed, and fasted thyself thither? (pardon the harshness of the expression, I mean by an ill management of those duties) when others are damned for profaneness, thou for thy (hypocritical) profession? others for their sins, thou for thy (feigned) services? 1 Cor. 15.19. If a Christian hath hope only in this life, he is of all men most miserable: the reason is, because they deny themselves of worldly contentments, expose themselves to continual crosses and vexations, in expectation of future glory, which, if they miss of, they are every way miserable. This is thy condition: further, will it not grieve thee to be thrust into Hell with that company which here thou abhorredst? to be turned out with the workers of Iniquity, Psal. 125. last. Nay, to have a hotter Hell than they? All this perhaps may sound harsh in your ears, and you may suppose them to be but the Hyperbolical expressions of an Orator, declaiming against this sin, or the overheated eructations of mistaken Zeal, and misguided Passion: No, my Brethren, they are the words of Truth and soberness: The greater sin shall have the greater punishment, (that's a known and granted maxim:) Now thy sins are greater than many (I will not say then any) profane person's: Is not contempt of Christ, and setting light by him, setting up your own Righteousness in opposition to his, trampling upon his precious blood, a greater sin then Swearing, Drunkenness, & c? Is it not Rebellion at the height, Rom. 10.3.— have not submitted themselves unto (i. e. have rebelled against) the Righteousness of God? Hereby you evacuate the sufferings of Christ, expunge the Gospel, and charge Christ with an unnecessary undertaking, yea, with self-murder. Tremble then at the sight of your condition. Truly, when I look on a Formalist, and consider what pains he takes; his constancy in Hearing, Prayer, and other duties; when I look upon his almost spotless and unblameable conversation; me thinks 'tis pity such should be thrown into Hell: But when I consider that pride & opposition to Christ lies at the root of all this; when I see him strutting in his own rags, and will not be beholden to Christ; then me thinks the greatest severity as little enough, and the hottest corner in Hell cool enough to punish his desperate madness. Oh to slight the love of Christ, to make void his sufferings, to ex-authorize him of his Mediatory office, how great a sin is it, and how great punishment doth it deserve? But I am almost digressed from that which I propounded. Well, if thou wilt not lose the work which thou hast wrought, 2 Joh. 8. if thou wilt not lose thy duties, or be a loser by them, Get out of this condition.  
2. Will it not grieve thee to see Publicans and Harlots admitted into Heaven, and thyself cast out? See Matth. 8.11, 12. Many shall come from the East, and West, and shall sit down, &c— But the Children of the Kingdom (the formal Jews) shall be cast out into utter darkness, There ('tis emphatical) there shall he weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Possibly thou livest amongst a company of profane Neighbours; and when thou nearest some cursing and swearing, seest others profaning the Lord's Day; some Drunkards, others unclean and debauched in their lives; all of them scoffing at God, and Holiness, which thou profesest: thou blessest thyself, and sayest in thy heart (and not without good reason) as Luk. 8.11. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, etc. But what if some of these, upon Repentance, step before thee into Glory? What if thou seest hereafter some of these in Abraham's bosom, and thyself in a Lake of brimstone? What if these, washed in the blood of the Lamb, clothed in the long white Robe, stand amongst the sheep at Christ's right hand, when thou in the filthy, stained rags of thy unrighteous righteousness, shalt be thrust amongst the Goats on his left hand; and when they hear, Come ye Blessed, etc. thou hear, Go ye Cursed? Will not this even rend asunder thy heartstrings, and fill thy soul with unspeakable horror and consternation? Thus doubtless it will be if thou live and die in thy condition. Oh that I could provoke you to jealousy! as God threatens to do, and did provoke the Jews by the conversion of the Gentiles, Deut. 32.21. Rom. 11.11. One day, doubtless, you will be provoked to a sinful and malicious jealousy at th' s sight; but I had rather now provoke you to a virtuous and holy jealousy, such as might rouse you out of your Formality, and make you altogether Christians. The Jews were never more incensed, then when they were told God had rejected them, and embraced the Gentiles, Act. 22.21, 22. They gave him audience to that word, and then lift up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the Earth, for it is not fit that he should live. The elder Son grows sullen and envious at his Prodigal brother's entertainment and welcome, Luk. 15.28, 29. 'Tis not this sinful envy that I would excite in you; but an holy jealousy, fear, emulation; lest such profane ones should get before you into the Kingdom of God: If such a sight would be (as needs it must be) grievous and tormenting; endeavour now to prevent it by a timely escape from Formality; otherwise I shall say, 
Averro a mohammed n.  as the Heathen Philosopher, who seeing the Christians eat their pretended God, cried out, Sit anima mea cum Philosophis; so I, Sit anima mea cum prophanis, (scil. penitentibus:) I had rather be a penitent Thief, than a proud Formalist or Judiciary.  
3. Thou never knewest, nor shalt know the real comforts of Christianity, while thou continuest in Formality: a painted Christian hath but imaginary comforts; the Hypocrite hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Mat. 6.2, 5. a Hypocrites reward, proportionate to his service: Sincerity, as it shall only wear the Crown hereafter, so it only enjoyeth true solid consolation here: The joy of the Holy Ghost is their privilege, who are made partakers of the Holy Ghost, not in his common gifts, but saving graces: The true waters of consolation are drawn out of those wells of salvation, the sense of God's special love shed abroad in the heart, the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience, and the sanctifying spirit of God, first working, and then shining upon his own work: He that is a stranger to these, is a stranger to true joy, and who but the sincere Christian hath these things? The stream can neither rise higher, nor continue longer than the fountain whence it arises; and what is the fountain of a Formalists comfort, but his own spotted righteousness, and sorry performances? the web wherewith he covers himself is spun out of his own bowels, and this can neither afford him warmth, nor long endure: The sparks wherewith he encompasseth himself, are but from a fire of his own kindling; all the light and warmth he hath, is thence; and what then can his portion be, but at last to lie down in sorrow? Is. 50.11. When he is brought to the King of terrors, his confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernale, Job 18.14. His comfort is but a land-flood, violent, but not lasting. 'Tis evident; for,  
1. All true comfort flows from Christ, from a saving interest in him, and reconciliation with God by him: this the Formalist hath not; he never drunk of that rock, but only out of the muddy puddles of his own polluted duties, which have nothing but filth and gravel at the bottom.  
2. True Consolation is the consequent of sound Humiliation (to which he is a stranger) Psal. 126.5, 6. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy, etc. Isa. 66.10. There seems to be something to purpose intimated in that, Prov. 14.10. The heart knows his own bitterness, and the stranger intermeddleth not with his joy. Why may not the meaning be this, That as the heart hath its sorrows that others know not, so its comforts also; and he that never knew the one, shall never taste the other? however the thing is a Truth. The vapours of a truly humbled soul's tears, sighs, sorrows, exhaled, do afterwards come down in refreshing dews, and showers of consolation. Liquors bottled up, increase their strength and virtue: God bottles up the tears of his people, and these waters so bottled, are turned into wine of consolation. But the Formalist never knew how to weep for sin, as sin; he is a stranger to those Evangelical melt, and therefore cannot have those reviving cordials of comfort.  
3. True comfort is the fruit of a conscience pacified, purified, sanctified: 2 Cor 1.12. This is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) our exultation, the Testimony of a good Conscience, etc. such is not the Formalist's Conscience; silent and peaceable it may be, not pacified; for that's only by the blood of sprinkling: it may bring in an absolving verdict, but it's upon mistake, which will be rectified by the supreme Judge at the last day. Well then: Wouldst thou drink the pure wine of Consolation? Wouldst thou taste of the hidden Manna? Have the new Name? The white stone? Get out of thy Formality; Be that indeed, which now thou wouldst be accounted, and desirest to be found at last, A sincere Christian.  
4. Let this consideration drive thee out of thy Formality: He that is no more than form, will, very probably, ere long, become less than form: Formality is but a water-colour, not laid in the oil of grace, not dried in the grain of Christ's blood, and therefore will fade: it will either wear off in time, or wash off with the waters of affliction. The Stage-Player who only bears the person of a Prince; when his part is acted, and the Comedy ended, puts off his habit, and is but what he was before: The Formalist doth but personate and represent the Christian, and this will not always continue, Job 27.10. Will the Hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? He will not: Artificial Christians will be but Temporaries: Such were Judas, Demas, Julian: nor wilt thou only lose what thou seemest to have, but become worse: The salt that hath lost its savour, makes the very ground it is cast upon, barren. The counterfeit friends of Religion, have often proved her most embittered Enemies. Julian's little finger (who once professed Christianity) was heavier than the loins of the other persecuting Emperors: rottenness in profession, often turns into ranchor and malice against it. Had some of the Apostates of this age been told, while they made profession of the Truth, that they should become revilers of Ministers, contemners of Ordinances, violent Persecutors of that way they then professed; that they should be ready to pull out the eyes of those, for whom they seemed willing even to pull out their own: would they not have been ready to say with Hazael, 2 King. 8.13. Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? Yet this is the fruit of Formality and Hypocrisy: well, if you would stand, and keep your station, be more than form. They that are but Comets will fall: and he that gins in Hypocrisy, will end in Apostasy: if thou hast only a name to live, it will ere long appear that thou art indeed dead: a mere name will not long preserve a man from rottenness and putrefaction: Formality will shrink in the wetting; the fire will discover who are but dross, Luke 8.13. Times of persecution, are times of falling off, to those that are not truly fixed: whence are all those sad falls in our days but from want of Truth in the inward parts? Ps. 37.31. The Law of the Lord is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide: The Formalist hath the Law only in his head, and on his tongue; this is not enough to keep him from falling. And oh think what a Discredit it will be to turn Apostate, Renegado: How will God and man abhor thee? good men because thou art not what thou once seemedst to be; bad men, because thou didst once seem to be good: get therefore out of this condition, which will have so sad an issue.  
5. But suppose thou mayest hold out, it will be bitterness in the end; however thou mayst escape the discredit and shame of Apostasy here, thou canst not escape the danger and damnation of thy Formality hereafter. The Text tells thee, that Publicans and Harlots go before thee into the Kingdom of Heaven; but as they go, not before, but upon repentance; so neither shalt thou follow after, but upon the same condition. Formality will as certainly damn thee as any other sin; and thrust you as deep into hell, as almost any other, and what comfort will it be, that thou hast left a good name behind thee, that thou didst live and die under the repute of a sincere Christian? the mistaken commendations of surviving Christians, will be but a poor allay to the scorching flames of hell: yea, it will aggravate thy torment to think, (as probably thou mayest think) Now some are speaking and hoping well concerning me on earth, while I am howling and yelling in these flames. 'Tis some addition to a man's grief under extremity of pain or sickness, to be judged by others in a better state than indeed he is: To be canonised on earth is but sorry comfort to him that is condemned in hell! what good did the honours that were done to Nero, 
Sueton.  at, and after his death, do to him; though as the Historian tells us, Non defuerunt qui Neronent vernis aestivisque coloribus ornarent: There wanted not some to strew his cursed grave with the flowers of the spring: Salvian (as I find him quoted) complains, that Multorum corpora splendent in sepulchris quorum, animae ardent in Gehemâ. Some were rendered glorious at their funerals, whose miserable souls were frying in hell: a poor recompense! this is no allay, but is, or would be an aggravation of their torment, if they knew it. 'Tis storied of one preaching at the funeral of a supposed religious man, and giving him large commendations, a voice was heard, saying, Mortuus sum, judicatus sum, condemnatus sum: for the truth of the story, I shall leave it to your own discretion, whether to believe it or no; the moral may be good that damned souls take little delight in the commendations of Survivors; for a man that takes a good Conscience with him; and whose good works follow him, it is something to leave a good name behind him, for Prov. 10.7. The memory of the just shall be blessed; but where the two former are wanting, the last will rot sooner or later; the great day will rectify all mistakes in that kind. If we would have a name that might outlive that day, we must get out of Formality, and come up to sincerity, which is Gospel-perfection.   

CHAP. IX. Helps or Directions to the formal Hypocrite, in order to his coming out of that condition, and becoming a sound and thorough Christian.  
BUt that I may propound something by way of Cure and Remedy, (for what is it to discover a disease, and leave the Patient in it?) Take these helps against it.  
Direct. 1 Get a convincing sight (and humbling sense of this sin) sight and sense of misery, is the great spur to put us upon seeking after remedy: the senslesly sick, will laugh in the face of the Physician; but he that feels his sickness, will embrace the cure: and however, in outward maladies it is not always necessary that the Patient be sensible in order to cure; yet in spiritual, the feeling of our distemper is not only a preparative to, but a good part of the Remedy. The will must concur to the Cure of Spiritual diseases, in order to which, the understanding must be convinced. But because it is one thing to see sin, and another to feel it, I shall speak to each severally.  
1. Then, that thou mayest have a convincing sight of this sin, and that thy heart may be forced to acknowledge it, (besides the Notes and Characters before laid down) make use of these two Directions.  
1. Be a narrow vigilant observer of thy own heart. The very essence of Formality lies in this, That all is done without heart or life. So that if thou findest thy heart stupid, senseless, without motion in duty, and this be thy constant frame: thence conclude thyself a mere Formalist. Were I to describe such a one, I would in short, call him, the Carcase of a Christian, one that hath the outward lineaments, but wants the life and soul of a Christian; that hath much of Religion in his head, and upon his tongue, but nothing of it in his heart: One that is moved and acted like a Puppet or Engine, not from an inward principle, but by an external poise or impulse. 'Tis true indeed, the best of Christians have their dead and cold fits; but these, as they are not constant, so they are their grief and burden, the matter of their complaint and humiliation. If therefore thou art constantly dead, and so far, as to be secure and senseless in, and of thy deadness, this may fasten the conviction of this sin upon thy heart.  
2. Observe thy nonproficiency under Means. This is another evidence. A painted Tree or man is always in the same state, but the living grows; the living Christian thrives, and gets ground of corruption: Where there is a principle of Life, there will be growth. How did Nicodemus grow in Christian courage? John 3.1, 2. compared with John 7.50, 51. The smoking Flax will become a flame, and the morning-glimpse come on to a noonday brightness. True, the Christian is not always sensible of his growth, nor a fit Judge of it. That of the Orator concerning growth in knowledge, may be fitly applied hither; As we see the shadow of a Dial to have gone, but see it not go; and the Herb or Grass to have grown, but do not see it grow; so the increase of knowledge, (and the same may be said of Grace) because it consists of very small additions, is seen only at some distance: Yet with these limitations, I may affirm, That every true Christian is in a constant, thriving posture.  
1. That he grows downward (like Trees in Winter) when he seems to decay upward: he grows more humble, when he seems to be less holy; and this is real growth. God in wisdom suspends his influences as to the growth of other Graces, that there may be a proportionable growth in that. Christians, like the Athenian Students, the more they grow in Grace, the more out of conceit with themselves: As they at their first coming thither, arrogated the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Wise men; then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Lovers of wisdom: Afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Speakers of wisdom. At last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Idiots. So it is with Christians.  
2. That he grows more into hatred of sin, when he seems to decay in strength against it; when he feels corruption prevail, lusts predominant; he cries out with the Apostle, Rom. 7.15. What I hate, that do I. And v. 24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He more loathes sin and himself, that he cannot conquer it; he abhors the very thoughts of it, and grows more impatient of its yoke.  
3. That he grows in depth of Judgement, when he declines in height of Affection: possibly when young, he had more leaves and blossoms, stronger affections, and more serverous motions; but now is more sober and solid. At first he was sick of love; now more rooted in love.  
But now it is otherwise with the Formalist; he experiences not such growth, but the contrary; he goes backward, and not forward, Jer. 7.24. grows more proud and self-confident; sin grows less burdensome, or more delightful to him; as he hath less strength, so he hath less heart then formerly to resist sin, or perform duty. Conscience is in a consumption, and he that would have strained at a Gnat, can after some time swallow a Camel; he loses his seeming love to, and savour of Religion. Observe then if it be thus with thee; for by these thou mayest discover thy Formality.  
2. But it is not enough to get a convincing sight of this sin, i e. that thou art a Formalist, except thou hast also an humbling sense of it; there's a great distance betwixt the eye and heart; a man may clearly see that he is a sinner, yet be little affected with it; the Drunkard, Swearer, &c. cannot but see their sin, yet are far from feeling it: It must be therefore our endeavour, in order to the cure of this sin, to get the heart affected, as well as the Judgement convinced: Sin must be our burden, else we shall never look out for ease: To this end therefore it must be thy endeavour to view this sin in its aggravations; to consider, and dwell upon the consideration of its heinousness, till thy heart be pressed with the weight of it. To help thee a little in this, take a few things of many.  
1. It is a sin that turns the greatest reality in the world into a mere show and shadow: Religion is the greatest reality; all we do in the World, besides the work of Religion, is but a mere dream; Regeneration, Communion with God, the Spiritual combat, the Life of Faith, Mortification of sin, etc. these are realities indeed: Now Formality turns all these into a naked, empty Profession, a vain Theatrical show; (as the Poetical Fiction of the Echo, metamorphosed from a real Virgin, to a mere Sound) as the Papists have turned the true Fast, into a m●ck-fast; Repentance and afflicting the soul, into lashings of the Body, and Pilgrimages; the Sacrament of the Supper, into a dumb show; and the whole Worship of God into a ceremonious Interlude: So the Formalist turns Prayer, Hearing, Sacraments, etc. into shadows; and is this a small sin, think you? Dwell upon this consideration; how soon would Religion vanish into nothing, if there were not a few serious spirits to uphold it in the power of it? This eats out the kernel, the heart, the life of Religion. It was no less serious, then witty a division which one gave of that Text, 2 Tim. 3.5. Having a form of godliness— Hear (said he) you have, 1. The Body of Religion, viz. Form. 2. The Soul of Religion, viz. Power. 3. The death of Religion, and that is the separation of the Soul from the Body, Power from Form. This is the effect of thy sin, it murders Religion.  
2. It is a mocking God to his very face; it's a lying to God, and will God endure it? What are your formal Petitions, Confessions, Thanksgivings, etc. but mere mockeries? Thou comest to hear, but it is as they in Jer. 42.5, 6, 9 who when they received a Message contrary to their designs, tell the Prophet to his face, that he lies; or as Isa. 58.2. who were but as a people that did righteousness, and forsook not the Ordinances of their God— Or as they are described in Ezek. 33.31, 32. The Prophet's Preaching was to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice— They heard his words, but did them not: And what greater abuse can be put upon God, then for men to come, and pretend a desire to know his Will, yet to take no care of performing it? As to your prayers, I may invert that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 14. 14. Your understanding prayeth, but the spirit is unfruitful. Your approaches to the Lords Table, are no better than a Judas' kiss; nor can God take any more pleasure in your approaches, than he did in the like service of the Jews, Isa. 1. 12-15. & 66.3 You do but compliment with God, and that is no better than mere mockery: O think how wretched a thing it is, how highly displeasing! your duties all of them, while you continue in Formality, are so many jeers and abuses put upon God.  
3. By this sin you put a cheat and fallacy upon your own souls; you mock God, but deceive yourselves. Gal. 6.3. If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] he deceives himself, seduces his own soul. Jam. 1.22. Bare hearers do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, play the sophisters, put tricks and fallacies upon themselves. So v. 26. He that bridleth not his tongue, (and such ordinarily is the Formalist, bitter, railing, censorious) but deceiving his own heart, his Religion is vain: And what greater madness than for a man to cheat himself? Lay this home, and aggravate your condition by it: Wretch that I am! I think to deceive God and the world, but I shall find at last that I have deceived my own soul: 
Psa. 125.5  Will not God both find me out in these crooked ways, and turn me out with the workers of iniquity? He that perverteth his ways, shall be known, Prov. 10.9. The self-flatterers iniquity shall be found hateful, Psal. 36.21. Can I carry it so closely, that God shall not find me out? Doth not his eye pierce, and his eyelids try the children of men? Doth he not set our secret sins in the light of his countenance? Is there not a woe to them that dig deep to hid their sins (as well as their counsels) from the Lord? 
Isa. 29.15, 16.  Thus labour to make thy heart sensible of this sin.  
4. It is a sin of evil influence upon others. Warm and lively Christians are the great blessings of the places where they live; their zeal provokes many, 2 Cor. 9.2. But a dead and heartless profession (especially if of any eminency in the Church) puts a stop to others who are apt to come up to their measure, and there to rest. The whole Army made a stand at Amasa's dead body; 
2 Sam 20.12.  so do many at one dead Christian. How may a dead and formal Minister or Master of a Family, read his own in the Temper of his People or Family? As face answers face in a glass, so for the most part doth the complexion and temper of the Followers, answer that of their Leaders. Aggravate thy sin by this consideration upon thy own heart. Vile wretch that I am! how many do I hinder in heaven's way? how doth my formality give occasion to some to think there is no reality in Religion; and to others to rest in the same temper? Were I a better Leader, my People, Family, Neighbours would be better Followers: If they perish in that sin, how justly may their Blood be charged upon my head?  
5. It is a sin that insensibly hardens the heart; every sin is of that nature, Heb. 3.13. But as none is (I think) more deceitful, so scarce any more hardening. One or two duties customarily and formally done, will be found mightily deadning and indisposing the heart to other duties afterward: By Formality in prayer, you may in time pray away both your Graces and Gifts; so you may by customary hearing, hear yourselves quite deaf to all God's counsels. 
2 Tim. 1.6  This makes the heart of many like the trodden path, or nether Millstone. Formality is a lazy sin; it doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, blow up the Gifts and Graces of God's Spirit, and so the Fire goes out. Habits of laziness are hardly shaken off, as we see in common Beggars; indulging a lazy temper, (which is the Formalists sin) must needs increase it. 'Tis the Formalists frame, that of the sluggard, Prov. 6.10. and 26.14. Yet a little sleep, 
Ver. 11.  etc.— And what is said of him, may well be applied hither, So shall thy poverty come as an armed man— By this lazy, formal temper, spiritual poverty invades and seizes upon the soul. Besides, this sin, as it hath a natural, so a judiciary tendency to hardness of heart; i. e. it provokes God to give up to obduration; 
Luk. 19.26.  From him that hath not (so as to improve) shall be taken even that he hath, or seems to have. God will say to such in his just Judgement, Sleep on, and take your rest; and as that great Commander, finding his Sentinel asleep, run him thorough, saying, Dead I found him, & dead I leave him. Thus God deals with the lazy, formal, sluggish Christian. Work this also on thy heart.  
6. It is a sin that broodeth, hatcheth, cherisheth many other; Pride, Self-confidence, Contempt of others, are the natural products of it. Upon account of a constant course of formal duties, men are apt to encourage themselves in sin; see Jer. 7.8, 9, 10. 'Tis storied of one (an Italian as I remember) who used to patter over his prayers in the morning, and then challenge the Devil to do his worst. Let but a Formalist observe his own heart, and he shall find, That when he hath done something more than ordinary in a way of duty, he is apt to draw encouragements thence of being more lose afterward. Set this home: Oh what a Viper have I harboured in my bosom! How many sins hath this one sin let in, and drawn me into, & c?  
7. It's a sin that brings both the surest and soarest destruction. To such is that cutting word of our Saviour directed, Matth. 23.33. Ye Serpents, ye generation of Vipers; how can you escape the damnation of Hell? Hypocrites are Leaders in the Black Roll, Matth. 24. last. And as dissembled Sanctity is double iniquity, so shall it have a double portion of Misery. These things I have suggested to help you in aggravating this sin upon your own souls; it were easy to add many more, but any one of these laid close to the Conscience, will through the blessing of God, make the Soul groan under the weight of this sin.  
This is the sum of the first step which a soul is to take in order to cure; Get a convincing sight, and humbling sense of thy sin; and would but the Lord bring on the Work thus far; could I but see your hands on your loins, could I but find you (Ephraim-like) smiting upon your thigh, ashamed, confounded; were you but throughly convinced of the guilt, and sensible of the weight of this sin, how hopeful might I be of effecting the Cure?  
Direct. 2 When it is thus (or rather, that it may be thus) with thee, make thy addresses to God in way of humble confession, and fervent petition. But to hint something briefly:  
1. Fall down before the Lord in the shame and grief of thy own Soul, making self-condemning Acknowledgements, and aggravated Confessions of this sin. Thou that hast been hitherto a proud Pharisee, 
Luk. 18.13  now become an humble Publican. Learn David's posture, Psal. 51.3. This is a singular way to get thy own heart affected; for indeed, it's a principal end of confession; we do not confess sin to inform God, but to humble and shame ourselves. In confession thou mayest use the forementioned aggravations.  
2. Add Petition to confession; beg a more lively sense of this sin; for it is not all thy own aggravating this sin upon thy soul, that will make thee feel it to purpose, till God take it, and set it upon thy Conscience; 'tis the Spirit of God that must to purpose convince of sin, John 16.8. the sins which look but as Moats, will appear Beams in that Light which the Spirit of God darts into the Soul. Beg Contrition also, that acceptable Sacrifice of a broken heart, must be of Gods own preparing, the sorrow which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: according to God, 2 Cor. 7.10— must be from God, Zech. 12.10. Beg pardon with the Psalmist, Ps. 51.1. Fitly may you use his Petition and Argument, Psal. 25.11. Pardon my sin— for it is great; 
Luk. 18.13  and take up the Publicans Posture and Petition, smite on your breast, and say, The Lord be merciful to me a sinner. Beg strength against this sin; pray for Truth in the inward parts; pray as Psal. 119.80. Make my heart sound in thy statutes, that I may never be confounded. Lord, I have the Lineaments, put into me the Life of a Christian; make me what I seem, lest at last I be found what I would not; and here, take heed you be not formal in confessing and praying against your formality; a hypocrite, that hath got the Art to confess his hypocrisy in hypocrisy, and seems to be displeased with himself for that sin, when he is not so indeed, may well have [Lord have mercy] written upon his door.  
Labour to get those things which are the Direct. 3 very Life and Essence of a Christian; those things which are constituent of, and difference a Christian from all others. Some of these things have been hinted already, in showing what a Formalist wants; I shall touch upon them here, and add more. In general, Content not yourselves to act as Christians, or in doing what a Christian doth; 'tis one thing to be and do as a Christian, and another to be a Christian. There are especially five things which constitute, and are, as it were, ingredient into the very Essence of a Christian.  
1. A sound conviction of, and deep humiliation for sin. This (as you heard before) the Formalist wants; this is the ordinary Foundation of all that saving-work which the Spirit of God doth upon the Soul, John 16.8. This is the ordinary forerunner of true solid Comfort: Conviction and Contrition are the inlets and preparatives to Consolation. Here begun the work upon those three thousand Converts, Acts 2.37. upon Paul, Rom. 7.9. And though it's wrought in some insensibly, or with less noise and horror; yet it is wrought in all really, who are saved in God's ordinary way, and who are truly wrought upon.  
Labour then to feel sin your heaviest burden; and that not only some one or few sins of your life, 
2 Chron. 32.26.  but especially your heart-pollutions; be humbled (with Hezekiah) for the pride of your heart, and so for other inward lusts; yea, let your humiliation reach to your very duties; be ashamed at their deficiency and defilements; labour to see and be sensible, that all your righteousness is as a filthy rag; 
Isa. 64.6.  and cease not to follow the streams; until you are come to the Springhead, viz. the corruption of Nature; and here sit down and weep, as the Jews by the Rivers of Babylon: Never think your conviction and humiliation right, till you arrive at this, viz. A clear sight, and deep abiding sense of the universal pollution of your nature, and the utter inability to any thing truly and spiritually good. Thus you must, as it were, begin the work again, raze all other, and lay this as a sound foundation; he that hath this, hath the root of the matter in him.  
2. Labour after a total abnegation of your own righteousness, duties, privileges, performances— This is essential to a Christian; in that brief, but full description of a sincere Christian, Phil. 3.3. this is one of the three Ingredients, To put no confidence in the flesh. The first Lesson in Christ's School, is Self-denial, Matt. 16.24. We must learn that counsel, Luke 17.10. to acknowledge ourselves unprofitable servants; 'tis one of he hardest Tasks, but exceeding necessary. True Grace, and Christian Religion, is, [perpetua naturae violentia] a doing violence to ourselves, thwarting our passions, depluming ourselves of all those. Feathers wherewith we are wont to strut, and in which we have prided ourselves. We must learn to acknowledge with the Prophet, 
Isa. 64.6.  That all our righteousness is but as a filthy rag; that our best Duties, or seeming Graces, are in themselves but a beautiful Abomination; and to trust in them, is but to go a cleaner way to Hell. And what should hinder from this self-denial? What is thy righteousness more (nay, is it not in many respects less) then that of the Scribes and Pharisees? Read Luke 18.10, 11— and compare; yet ver. 14. the self-abasing Publican went away more justified than the Pharisee; that is, the Pharisee was not at all justified; for there is not magis & minus in Justification Away then with all thy proud self-reflections; think but how strict a disquisition shall be made at the day of Judgement, and how piercing the eyes of the Judge will be; and then consider whether thou shalt be able to stand before him in thy own rags; and if thou wilt not be able then to stand, why shouldst thou now glory in them? Oh! surely God can see beams in those duties, where thou canst not discern moats; and will discover blemishes, where thou conceitest there is the greatest beauty.  
3. Endeavour a cordial close with Christ upon Gospel-tearms. Here lies the main to which the two former are preparatory. This was Paul's great desire, 
Phil. 3.9.  To be found in Christ— Get therefore that precious Grace of Faith, which is the hand wherewith thou must accept Christ; whatever thou hast, if this be wanting, thou shalt certainly perish; John 3.18, 36. The grand Enquiry at the great Day will be, Whether you believed or no; though it's true, your work will be looked into, but those as the proofs and evidences of the sincerity of your Faith: There will be no standing before the Judge, except himself be thy Advocate; and this he will not be, but upon thy cordial acceptance of him now. On make out for Christ; cry out, Give me Christ, or I die. And that you may get Christ, you must not (as Peter) gird your Coat (your own righteousness) to you; but as Bartimeus, cast it from you. Neither think that a blind, bold, adventurous rushing upon Christ, a mere adherence to him, or a confident persuasion of his goodwill towards you in particular, is the all, or main of this Faith and Acceptance I am pressing; (this mistake will, I fear, be the ruin of Thousands,) There must be an absolute resignment of thyself to Christ, as well as reliance on him: 'Tis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a gross and grievous mistake, to think that the strength of Faith lies in the strength of a man's Fancy or Imagination, or of his persuasion that Christ died for him in particular: True Faith gives as well as takes; when you send for a Physician, and he undertakes and promises your cure, 'tis supposed you accept of him, and resolve to follow his Prescriptions, else you may miscarry: To accept Christ as your Saviour & Soul-Physician, necessarily includes your giving up yourselves to follow his Prescriptions, else you but dissemble with him. This I hint to prevent mistakes about the nature of true Faith, (which are too ordinary.) Well, if thou who art yet a Formalist, wouldst be a Christian indeed, get out of all, and accept Christ as tendered in the Gospel.  
4. See that thou have a thorough change of heart, Eph 4.23. Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind. 1 Thes. 5.23. Sanctified throughout, 'Tis not building on the old Foundation, repairing and decking up the old man, will serve turn? 'Tis not putting a new piece upon the old Garment; all is depraved in Adam; All must be renewed in Christ; it's no less than a new Creation, that makes a Christian. That which is born of the flesh, 
2 Cor. 5. 17  (even the best of it, is no better than flesh, Joh. 3.3, 6. The best of a carnal man, is carnal; no man is born a Christian. There must be a putting off the old man, and putting on the new man, Eph. 4.22, 24. Col. 3.9, 10. 
Psal. 4 5.10 Bialt.  a forgetting and forsaking thy own People and Father's house; that is, as one well glosses, quicksands quid corruptionis ex utero afferimus aut quaecunque ex placâ institutione nobis adhaerent: Whatever corruption we derived from the Womb, or contracted by Education, etc. Well, see that not only the branches of corruption be lopped off, but the root digged up; let sin be not only left, but loathed; let duty be not only done, but delighted. See that the change be not only in the face of your conversations, but in the frame of your hearts, and bend of your affections; and see that it be the whole inward man, not understanding only enlightened, or affections enlarged; but each faculty having its proper work of Sanctification wrought upon it, and above all, the Will brought to a cheerful submission to, and compliance with the Will & Commands of God, even in those things that are most opposite to your natural inclinations. This is a fourth Essential in a Christian.  
5. Endeavour liveliness, vigour and sincerity in every duty; content not thyself, till thou hast got thy heart engaged in duty. I bid thee not lay aside duty; (nay, rather be more frequent) but withal, more fervent and serious in it. Hear and practise; pray in the spirit; turn thy dead and heartless confessions, into heart-breaking acknowledgements; thy formal petitions, into earnest groans and breathe of soul, etc. and withal, see that thy end in all be right, viz. God's glory, and thy souls advantage. Rectitude of ends, is a great piece of sincerity: Oh, this is very essential to a Christian, not only to do duty, but to be lively, vigorous and right-ended in it; not only to do it, but to do something by it, and receive something through it; and that it may be thus, make Conscience of seriousness and liveliness in the smallest duties, in thy daily Family-duties, yea, in thy very begging a blessing upon the creature. Formality creeps in at our ordinary and lesser duties, and by degrees mixes itself with our greater; out it (as much as possible) of your common and ordinary, and there is less danger it should spoil your extraordinary duties.  
And thus I have in these five particulars, included (I think) m●st of that which is essential to a Christian. Oh that the Lord would persuade your hearts to endeavour after them, and that they may be found in every soul of you! These are they that do specify and constitute a Christian indeed, and that do distinguish him from, and set him above all others in the world; get these, and you are more than Formalists; but get them all; the third cannot be without the first and second; nor can the fourth and fifth, really be without the third; but where all these are found in conjunction, that soul may undoubtedly conclude its real Christianity.  
As a singular help to rouse thee out of Direct. 4 Formality, represent to thy thoughts & meditations, the nature of God, especially in those awakening Attributes, his Spirituality, his Omniscience, Omnipresence, etc. together with the dreadfulness of the day of judgement. Formality is the souls sluggishness, and therefore it needs those helps that are most awakening. And oh how would the lively representation of these things, startle you out of this drowsy temper! Is not God a Spirit? and Spirits are active; and how ill do they that are themselves active & vigorous, brook the lazines of others? Again, Is not God's eye upon me? Is he not present in a special manner to those that are in his service? and must not such a cold and careless temper be highly displeasing to him? Again, How shall I be able to stand before the Tribunal? Will not my Formality be then discovered? will not the careless performance, as well as total neglect of duty, be enquired into, and severely punished at that day? Such workings as these will be upon the heart that lies under the lively sense of those things; and they must needs put life into thy duties, and put thee out of thy dull and sluggish temper.  
Direct. 5 Get a holy jealousy and suspicion of thy own heart; watch it as thou wouldst watch a lazy or unfaithful servant: Our hearts will do no longer than they are watched, and tasked, and followed; we must be winding them higher continually; if we let them slacken never so little, drowsiness steals upon them; it must be a jealous eye, and strict hand over them, that must keep them waking. Deal therefore with your hearts, as David, Psal. 103.1, 2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me— He calls upon his soul, thus must we, 
Prov. 6.9, 10.  be often jogging them; say not, A little more sleep, a little more slumber— but rather, Why sleepest thou, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yea, when they seem to be most wakeful and active, there is need to watch them, especially after a duty done with more than ordinary fervour; intenseness of action, causeth weariness, and weariness inclines to sleep and sluggishness.  
Earnestly beg the continuance of lively Direct. 6 & quickening Ordinances, and beg life and quickening into those Ordinances. 1. Beg lively and quickening Ordinances. They are the means which God hath appointed to beget and keep life in the soul; the word is, The immortal seed whereby souls are begotten to God, 1 Pet. 1.23. But if this and other Ordinances lose their liveliness, by a dead, heartess, formal management; they will instead of rousing us out, lull us asleep in our formality. Cor non faciunt quae non habent: How can those Ordinances make hearty Christians, which have no heart in them? Ordinances that are not good, 
Ezek. 20.25.  and statutes whereby a soul cannot live, are amongst the saddest of judgements: Dead forms are like the stone at the foot of the Bird, which hinders it from the first use of its wing: Also how prone is the last age of the world to fall into this drowsy temper? We have need of the most lively Ordinances, and all too little to keep us waking: Dull, heartless Preaching, Prayers, or other Ordinances will charm the Soul into a dead sleep, and will be as a soft Pillow under the elbow of drowsy sinners; and this (I am persuaded) is the great reason why the multitude dote on their old forms; because they will break no bones, they will not come near the quick: Men love to be rocked & hushed asleep in their Formality: Oh, but if ever you would get from under this corruption, it must be by quickening Ordinances: Oh let us beg of God, that his Worship may be dispensed in that way that is most advantageous to the putting souls into, and keeping them in a waking posture.  
2. Beg life and quickening into Ordinances; the best Ordinances have no power in them, if they be not quickened by the Spirit. They are but like the Prophet's staff, 2 King. 4.31. We shall never stand upon our feet, though the Word bid us stand, if the Spirit do not enter into us, and set us upon our feet, Ezek 2.1, 2. The weapons of our warfare are mighty, but it must be through God, 2 Cor. 10.4. If we must have heartless Ordinances, earnest Prayer will either procure better, or a blessing upon what we have.  
Direct. 7 Get into, and frequent the society of warm and hearty Christians: they are like sticks on fire, which will kindle others that are put to them, 2 Cor. 9.2. Your zeal hath provoked many: If there be any spark under the ashes, they will help to blow it up: If thou hast not the opportunity of conversing with living Christians, yet converse in the Scriptures, and other Records, wh●re the lives of such are Recorded for thy Imitation, they will shame thee out of thy Formality: they will mightily quicken thee, if there be any thing of true piety in thy heart: their zeal, forwardness, diligence in duty, their care and conscientiousness will put thee on in heaven's way; Example is often more prevailing then Precepts Therefore the Holy Ghost enjoins subjection, chastity, meekness, and other Christian virtues, to the Wife, that if the unbelieving H sband obey not the Word, he may be won by the W●ves conversation.  
Think often in what manner you hope to serve Direct. 8 God in glory; and how the Angels and glorified Saints do now serve him: are they now, or will you then be so cold, careless and heartless as you now a e? Psal. 103.20 The Angels excel in strength, doing his Commandments; and the glorified Saints, (Rev. 4.8 ●5. 8, 9, 13.) Rest not day and night, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty— Dost thou hope to be of that blessed society, and yet act so unlike them now? Should we not labour to be, and act, as we hope one day to be and act? It ill be seems him who hopes one day to j in in consort with that heavenly choir, to be so unskilful and heartless in the service of God, Phil. 3.11. It was Paul's endeavour and ambition, it by any means, to attain to the resurrection of the dead, i.e. to that measure and perfection which he hoped then to arrive at. True, we are clogged with flesh and corruption; 'tis impossible that our services should be so pure and undefiled; but we should be aspiring towards it; we should do violence to the flesh, that we may serve God in the Spirit: How unsuitable are cold, worthless and lifeless services to the eternal Reward? Let your hopes of Glory, and your expectations to be of that blessed society, quicken and wind up you hearts to a high pitch of zeal and fervency; so it did the believing Jews, Act. 26.7. To the which promise our 12 Tribes instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. 
Heb. 6.11, 12.  Let us show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope, unto the end: Let us not be slothful, but followers of them, who through Faith and Patience inherit the promises. Thus I have proposed some Remedies, which (if the Lord bless unto you) may be effectual, both to bring on those who are mere Formalists, to become sincere Christians, and to quicken those that are Christians indeed, to more vigour and liveliness in the practice of all Christian Duties. It were easy to have added many more; but I shall entreat you to think of these, and work them upon your hearts, and you shall, by the blessing of God, find them helpful to the end for which they were propounded. And now, Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his Grace,— Act. 20 32.   
FINIS.