A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation; Being a necessary and profitable Tract, upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion: which few do indeed know, and yet he who knows them not, cannot be saved: Viz.  
How Man was at first Created.  
How he is now Corrupted.  
How he may be again restored.  
Together with the conditions of the Covenant of Grace, and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong.  
The which well learned, would keep millions out of Hell, that blindly throng thither.  
By R. Young of Roxwell in Essex.  If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world, hath blinded the minds of them which believe not: lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4.  

Sect. I.  
AS when God created the World, the first thing he made was Light, Gen. 1. 3. so when he makes us new creatures, he first creates light in the understanding, whereby the poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchedness; which before (by reason of that veil or curtain which is drawn over every natural man's heart, 2 Cor. 3. 14, 15, 16.) he is so far from discerning, that with Laodicea he thinks himself rich, and to want nothing; when yet he is wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and ●aked of all spiritual endowments, Rev. 3. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 4. As for instance, it 〈◊〉 to be observed, (can never be enough bewailed) that generally through●…ut the Land people of all sorts (young and old, rich and poor) especially the poor; are so invincibly ignorant, that (remaining so) it is impossible (so far as I am able to judge by the word of God;) that ever they should be saved.  
As ask them these questions, How do you hope to be saved? They will answer, By my prayers and good endeavours. Have you never broke this or that commandment? Thou shalt have no other gods but the Lord. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit Adultery? No, never they thank God. Are you proud? No, not they, What should they be proud of? and many the like. As for Original sin, they know not what it means. Nor is there any convincing them, that they were born sinners into the world. Yea, let a Minister come to them upon their deathbed, and question with them about their estates, or ask them how their souls fare, and what peace they have? What will be their manner of answering? (especially if they have not been notorious offenders) Are they a whit troubled for Sin, either Original or Actual? Or will they acknowledge themselves in a lost condition without Christ? No, their consciences are at quiet, and they are at peace with themselves and all the world; and they thank God, no sin troubles them, not ever did. They have been no murderers, no Adulterers, no common Drunkards; neither have they been Oppressers. (For they are so blind and ignorant, that they think the commandment is not broken, if the outward gross sin be forborn.) Yea, will they say, I do not know that I have wronged man, woman, or child. I have been a Protestant, and gone to Church all my days.   

Sect. II.  
§ 2. Yea, so far are they from being sensible of their wants, that you shall hear them brag of their faith, works, and good meaning; of their just and upright dealing, the goodness of their hearts, the strength of their faith, hope; and that they never doubted in all their lives. Yea, that it were pity they should live, if they did not believe in Christ, and hope to be saved by him. The usual expressions of formal Christians, and Protestants at large; who know not what faith, hope, or a good heart means, no more than Nicodemus knew what it was to be born again.  
All which answers and brags of theirs do imply, that they are as righteous as Christ himself, or Adamin the state of innocency: for he that can clear himself from pride, or the breach of any one commandment, or from Original sin; may clear himself from all sin whatsoever; and if so, what need of Christ? Yea, what possibility is there that ever such a soul should have any benefit by Christ? who came not to call the righteous, (viz. such as think themselves so) but weary and heavy laden sinners to repentance, Mat. 10. 6. ●▪ & 15. 24. & 18. 11. 9 12. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Luke 1. 53.   

Sect. III.  
Again, this is an infallible truth, that without repentance there is no being saved; and what hope of their serious and unfeigned repentance? For sin must be seen, before it can be sorrowed for. A man must know himself sick, before he will seek to the physician. Yea, where is no discovery of the disease, the recovery of the health is in vain hoped for. Which makes Cyp● 〈◊〉 say, that it is as mere lost labour, to preach unto a man the things of God, 〈◊〉 fore he is humbled with the fight o● his wants: as to offer light to a blin● 〈◊〉 man, to speak to a deaf man, or to labour to make a bruit beast wise.  
Besides, if we look to be saved by any thing that we can do; Christ can profit us nothing. For the Son of man is come to seek, and to save only that which was lost: the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 18. 11. Luk. 19 10. 1 Tim. 1. 15. even such as utterly despair in regard of all other helps. Nor is he any way fit for absolution, who finds not himself worthy of condemnation. We shall find no sweetness in Christ's blood, till we feel the smart of our own sins. Yea, no men under Heaven are in so hopeless a condition as they, who think to be saved by their performances, or any other thing or means, than by the righteousness of Christ alone. faring with them as it doth with unskilful swimmers: who when they begin to sink, if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom, the faster they hold, the surer they are to be drowned.   

Sect. IV.  
Fourthly and lastly, there needs no more to condemn these men, than their ignorance of such saving truths: especially in such glorious times of light and grace as these are; wherein they may hear the. Word preached every day in the week, if they did not slight and disregard it, which aggravates their sin exceedingly: For though it be enough, that God hath set down his will in his word most plainly, and we may read, or hear it read, (were it at any rate) and that the Epitome of the whole Law is writ in every man's heart. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye unto them, Mat. 7. 12. (As it servs not a male factors turn, to plead ignorantiam juris, he knew not the Law of his Prince which he hath broken: for if the King have once proclaimed any thing, and the subject after sufficinet time of notefying his will, be ignorant of it; at his own peril be it.) Yet to be affectedly ignorant, and to shut their eyes against the light of the Gospel, is by far more damnable: this is a sin with a witness. As what says our Saviour? John 3. 19 This is the condemnation: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. And so on the contrary, This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, John 17. 3. Besides, without knowledge, the mind cannot be good, as wise Solomon affirms, Prov. 19 2. A man may know the will of God, and yet not do it; but he cannot do it, except he know it. Neither can he be born of God, that knoweth him not, 1 John 4. 7. nor can he love God, vers. 8. Whence that terrible text, Jer. 10. 25. Power out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, Psal. 79. 6. And that other more terrible, 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fly, to take vengeance on them that know not God. Whence the Prophet Isaiah is peremptory, It is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercy upon them; and he that formed them, will show them no favour, Is a. 27. 11.  
Observe these Scriptu●es you ignorant souls, that think your ignorance will excuse you: and let not Satan, nor your deceitful hearts so delude you, as to think that God is in jest, where he saith, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; and because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also re●ect thee, Hosea 4. 6. Or if you do, you shall one day find him in earnest. For as you know not Christ here, so when you shall look for entrance into his kingdom hereafter, he shall say unto you, Depart from me, I know you not, Mat. 25. 12, 41. which will be but a sad saying; And far better were it, that you were ignorant of all other things: which makes Saint Paul say, I desire to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified, 1 Corinth. 2. 2.   

Sect. V.  
Now this being the case of millions in this City, and so all the Land over: what can we other then conclude, That few (even amongst us) shall be saved, as our Saviour affirms, Matth. 7. 13, 14. & 20. 16. And that the whole world lieth in wickedness, as Saint John speaks, 1 John 5. 19 And that the number of those whom Satan shall deceive, is as the sand of the Sea, Revel. 20. 8. & 13. 15, 16, 17, Isa. 10. 22. Rom. 9 27.  
Which being so, I hold myself bound to acquaint them, what every one must of necessity know, or they cannot be saved: the which I will do in a few lines, that all (who will) may have the benefit thereof. Wherefore let all such (if they have ears) hear what I shall say unto them out of God's Word, in laying open those three fundamental principles before mentioned.   

Sect. VI.  
Touching the bounty and goodness of GOD in Man's Creation, these things would be known.  
1. That God in the beginning made Man in paradise, after all his other works; that he might come as to a Sumptuous palace ready furnished.  
2. That he was made a compendium, and abridgement of all the other creatures: as being a little world of himself; for whereas Planets have being, not life: Plants have life, not sense; Beasts have sense, not reason; Angels have being, life, reason, not sense; Man hath all, and contains in him more generality than the Angels; viz. being, life, sense, reason.  
3. That as he was made Lord of, and had dominion over all; so he did excel all other visible creatures.  
1. In that he had a reasonable soul,  
2. In that he hath a speaking tongue,  
3. In that he was made upright, with his face lifted up to heavenward,  
4. In that all things were made subject to him,  
5. In that he was made after the Image of God,  
6. In that his soul is immortal,  
7. In that he was ordained to eternal glory.  
More especially we are to know, that as God made all things else for man's use and service: so he created man (male and female) more immediately for his own honour, and service; and did accordingly adorn him with gifts, and abilities above all other visible creatures. For God made us, (had not we unmade ourselves) after his own Image, endowing us (as with reasonable, and immortal souls, so) with perfection of all true wisdom, holiness, and righteousness; writing his Law in our hearts, and giving us ability to obey, and fulfil the same in every point; and withal a power to stand, and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition, free from all misery, and to enjoy a sweet, and blessed Communion with his Creiter. So that man was created very good, did clearly and perfectly know the whole will, and works of his Maker; was able out of the integrity of his soul, and fitness of all the powers; fully, willingly and cheerfully to love, observe, and obey his Maker, in every tittle and circumstance he required, and to love his neighbour as himself: so that neither the mind did conceive, nor the heart desire, nor the body put in execution any thing, but that which was acceptable, and well pleasing unto God; as these ensuing Scriptures do plainly prove, Gen. 1. 26, 27. 30. Eccles. 7. 29. Rom. 2. 14, 15.   

Sect. VII.  
Which being so, how should it humble us, and make us ashamed of our present condition; and withal set us on fire with a holy zeal, to outstrip and go before all the rest of the Creatures in obeying our Creator; as far as he did make us outstrip them all in spiritual and divine excellencies? whereas hitherto, they have outstripped and gone before us in a high degree: as for instance, Though we are bound to praise and serve God above any creature whatsoever: in that all the creatures were ordained for our sakes: yet heaven, earth, and sea; all the elements, all the creatures, obey the word of God, and serve him as they did at first; yea, call upon us to serve him; only men for whom they were all made, most ingratefully rebel against him. As if you consider it rightly, the obedience of insensible and bruit creatures unto the will of God, is a great check and reproof unto the disobedience of man. Man is the chiefest of creatures, and they the lowest; yet do they as far exceed him in obedience, as he doth them in natural eminency. The Stork, and the Swallow know their appointed times. The ox knows his owner, and the ass his Master's crib; the Sea moveth in a settled, and unmoving course; the Stars fit their many changes, to a steady rule answerable to the will of him that never changeth. The Lord by Moses but spoke to the rock, and it gave water to the thirsty Israelites; he but commanded the clouds to rain down Mannah; and the wind to bring them in Qu●ils, for the satisfying of their hunger, and they did so. Yea, he but had the Ravens bring bread and flesh to Elijah, and they did it. In like manner did the wind and sea, Mat. thew 8. 27. the Lions, Dan. 6. 22. those two shee-Bears, a Kings 2. 24. the Fire, Dan. 3. 27. the Earth, Numb. 16. 29, to 37. obey the voice of the Lord, and many the like spoken of in Scripture. But Man is wholly gone astray from his rule; and not only runneth from it, but against it: so that he is far worse, than things worse than himself.  
Which were it rightly considered, would be enough to melt an heart of Adamant: For was this the principal end, for which men were created in such a glorious condition? That we might honour, love, and serve our Creator and enjoy communion and happiness with him for ever; and are we so far from excelling the rest of the creatures, that we are become more disobedient, and rebellious to God, than any one of them, except Satan himself? One would think it should make all, (that thirst not after their own damnation) not only to hate, and dislike themselves for it: but force us with all possible speed and industry; to seek out the cause, and how to recover ourselves out of this wretched and damnable condition.   

Sect. VIII.  
But it will be demanded how this comes ● be so? and what was the cause?  
To which I answer; God at first, entered into covenant with our first parents as public persons; both in behalf of themselves, and all that should proceed out of their loin●; and so, that whatsoever gifts, privileges and endowments they had bestowed upon them, should be continued to them and theirs only upon condition of their loyalty, and personal obedience (of which the tree of life was a pledge:) and they should have and enjoy them, or lose and be deprived of them, as well for their off-sp●i●g, as for themselves, as they should keep, or transgress his royal Law.  
But see how unworthily they demeaned themselves, towards this their boun●●ul Maker and Benefactor! For whereas God placed them in paradise, and gave them free liberty to eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden; save only of the tree of knowledge of good and c●i●, prehibiting them that alone, even upon pain of eternal death to them and theirs; they most pe●fidi●usly contemned, and broke this Law; which (as sundry circumstances that do aggravate it show) was a most execrable and damnable sin. As observe the several circustances set down by Moses, to amplify the foulness of their Fall: as,  
First, that they despised, and made light of the promise of God; whereby they were commanded to hope for everlasting life, so long as they continued their loyalty and obedience.  
2. There was in it an unsufferable pride and ambition, in that he could not content himself with being Lord of the whole Universe: but he must be equal unto God; and every way like his Maker.  
3. What greater unbelife could there be? when he gave more credit to the Serpent, in saying, he should not die; then to God, who immediately before tells them, that if he did sin in eating the forbidden fruit, he should die.  
4. In this sin was not only unkindness not to be paralleled: but wilful murder of himself, and all his posterity, whom he knew were to stand, or fall with him.  
5. Herein was soul apostasy from God to the devil: to whom (charging God with lying, envy, malice, &c.) he revolted, and adhered, rather than stick to his Maker.  
And to these might be added many the like circumstances, which grievously aggravate the sin of our first Parents, and make it so deadly in effect. For hereby it is, we not only lost our blessed communion with God; that the Image of God after which they were created, was forthwith abolished, and blotted out: but that many grievous miseries and punishments, came in the room of it: so that in the place of wisdom, power, holiness, truth, righteousness, and the like ornaments, wherewith we had been clothed: there hath succeeded these and the like:  
1. This their sin hath filled our whole man with corruption.  
2. It hath made us become vassals unto sin and Satan.  
3. It hath disabled us from understanding the will, and observing the commandments of the Lord.  
4. It caused us to lose our right unto, and sovereignty over the creatures.  
5. It makes our persons and actions unacceptable to God.  
6. It hath cast us out of God's favour, and made us liable, and subject to all the plagues and miseries of this life; and to endless, eaflesse, and reme● dilesse torments in the life to come.   

Sect. ix..  
And the reason is, Our First Parents being the root of all mankind; and instead of all their posterrity before they had issue: And the covenant being made with them as public persons; not for themselves only, but for their Posterity; who were to stand, or fall with them: they being left to the freedom of their own wills, in transgressing the commandment of God by eatting the forbidden fruit, through the temptation of Satan: have made us, and all mankind descending from them by ordinary generation, as guilty of their sin, as any heir is liable to his father's debt. Their act being ours; as the act of a Knight, or Burgess in the parliament House, is the act of the whole County, in whose name, and room they sit, and whom they represent: by which means our Nature is so corrupted, that we are utterly indisposed and made opposite, unto all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually: and have also lost our communion with God, incurred his displeasure and curse; so as we are justly liable to all punishments, both in this life, and in the life to come.  
Now for the fuller confirming and amplifying of what hath been said, touching O●iginal sin; take only these ensuing Scrirptures, and Aphorisms, without any needless connexion; that I may be so much the briefer.   

Sect. X.  
Amongst many others, the most pregnant Scriptures for the confirming of this point, I hold to be these:  
The Fathers have eaten sour grapes: and the children's teeth are set an edge, Jer. 31. 20. was a true proverb, though by them abused. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned, Rom. 5. 12. to 21. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one, Job 14. 4. Sec Chap. 13. 14, 15, 16. We are all at an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa. 64. 6. By the works of the Law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, Rom. 3. 20. There is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 21, 22, 23. And God saw that the wickedness of man was grea● in the earth; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord, that he had made man, Genesis 6. 5, 6. Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin: As it is written, ther● is none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God; They are all gone out of the way, they are altogethe● become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one. Their throat 〈◊〉 an open sepulchre. the poison of Asps is under their lips, there is no fear of Go● before their eyes, Rom. 3. 9 to 20. Out of the heart proceed evil thought● murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, Mat. 15. 19 see Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. Whence come wars, and fightings among you? com● they not hence? even of your lusts that war in your members, James 4. 1. Un●● them that are unbelieving is nothing pure: but even their mind, and conscien●● is defiled, Tit. 1. 15. I see another Law in my members, warring against the Law of my mind; and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is my members, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, & c? Rom. 7. 14. to 25. where the Apostle speaks all this, and a great deal more of himself; see Ephes. 2. 2, 3. Gal. 3. 10.  
Yet how many that g●ieve for their other sins, who are never troubled for their Original corruption: which should above all be bewailed, even as the mother and nurse of all the rest; and thought worthy not of our sighs alone, but of our tears. For this is the great wheel of the Clock, that sets all the other wheels a-moving, while it seems to move slowest. And never did any truly and orderly repent, that began not here: esteeming it the most foul and hateful of all, as David, Psal 51. 5. And Paul, crying out of it as the most secret, deceitful, and powerful evil, Rom. 7. 23, 24. And indeed if we but clearly saw the foulness, and deceitfulness of it; we would not suffer our eyes to sleep, nor our cye-lids to slumber, until a happy charge had wrought these hearts of ours (which by nature are no better than so many sties of unclean devils) to become habitations for the God of Jacob.   

Sect. XI.  
We are the cursed seed of rebellious parents; neither need we any more to condemn u●, than what we brought into the world with us. In Adam the root of all, we all so sinned; that if we had no inherent sin of our own, this imputed sin of his, were enough to damn us.  
Our first Parents were the root, we are the branches: if the root be bitter, the branches cannot be better. They were the fountain, we the springs: if the sountains be filthy, so must the spangs. Whence it is, that holy David cries out: Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me, Psal 51. 5.  
Tantillus puer, tantus peccator, saith Saint Austin: when a little child, I was a great sinner. As in the little and tender bud, is enfolded the leaf, the blossom, and the fruit; so even in the heart of a young child, there is a bundle and pack of folly laid up, as Solomon affirms, Pov. 22. 15. And as Moses speaks, The thoughts of man's heart are evil: even from his childhood, Gen. 6. 5. & 8. 21.  
We brought a world of sin into the world with us; and were condemned. so soon as conceived: we were adjudged to eternal death, before we lived a temporal life. As admit thou hadst never offended, in the least thought, word, or deed all thy life: yea, admit thou couldst now keep all the commandments, actually and spiritually; yet all this were nothing, it could not keep thee out of Hell: since that Original sin which we drew from the loins of our first Parents, is enough to damn us.  
Sin and corruption are the riches that we bequeathe to our children; rebellion the inheritance that we have purchased for them, death the wages that we have procured them. God made us after his own Image; but by sin we have turned the image of God into the image of Satan: Yea, like Satan we can do nothing else but sin, and make others sin too, who would not so sin but for us.  
As a furnace continually sparkles, as the raging Seafoams and easts up mire and diet, and as a filthy dunghill, does continnally reek forth, and evaporate ●●●ous ●do●●: so do our hearts naturally stream forth unsavoury eructations, unholy lusts and motions, even continually.  
As, O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark labyrinths of man's heart! who finds not in himself, an indisposition of mind to all good; and an inclination to all evil? O the strange monsters, the ugly, odious, hideous fiends; the swarms, litters, legions of noisome lusts that are couched in the stinking sties of every one of our decetful hearts! insomuch that if all our thoughts did but break forth into action, we should not come far short of the devils themselves.   

Sect. XII.  
And as the healthiest body is subject to the mortalest disease; so there is no sin so odious, unto which of ourselves we are not sufficiently inclinable. For Original sin, in which we are all born and bred; containeth in itself the seeds of all sins; that fearful sin against the Holy Ghost itself not excepted.  
Such venomous natures we have; that never was there any villainy committed by any forlorn miscreant; whereunto we have not a disposition in ourselves. Insomuch that we ought to be humbled, even for those very sins from which we are in a manner exempt: For that Coins envy, Ishmael's scofing, Rabsh●ka's railing, Shimei's cursing, Senacherib's balsphemy, Doeg's murder, Pharaoh's cruelty, Sodom's lust, Judas his treason, Julian's apostasy, &c. are not our sins, and as much predominant in us, as they were in each of them; it is only God's free grace and goodness. For all of them should have been thine and my sins, if God had left us to ourselves. Lord faith Saint Austin, thou lust forgiven me those sins which I have done, and those sins which only by thy grace I have not done: they were done in our inclination to them, and even that inclination needs God's mercy. If we escape temptation, it is his mercy; if we stand in temptation, it is his mercy; if our wills consent not, it is his mercy; if we consent, and the act be hindered, it is his mercy; if we fall, and rise again by repentance, all is his mercy.  
We cry out of Cain, Judas, Julian, the Sodomites: alas they are but glasses to see our own faces in: For as in water, face arswereth to face; so doth the heart of man to man. says Solomon Prov. 27. 19 even hating of God, is by the Holy Ghost charged upon all men. Rom. 1. 30. John. 15. 23. 24. 25. We are all cut out of the same piece, and as there is the same nature of all lions, so of all men  
There is no part, power, function or faculty, either of our souls or bodies, which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour God: our heart is a root of all corruption, a seed plot of all sin; our eyes are eyes of vanity, our ears are ears of folly, our mouths mouths of deceit, our hands hands of iniquity; and every part does dishonour God; which yet would be glorified of him. The understanding which was given us to learn virtue, is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin; the will which was given us to affect righteousness, is apt now to love nothing but wickedness; the memory which was given us to remember good things, is apt now to keep nothing but evil things &c. For sin like a spreading leprosy, is so grown over us, that from the crown of our heads, to the sole of our feet; there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of corruption. To be short, we are as Trailors, condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell-fire being only repricved for a time.   

Sect. XIII.  
And so much of original sin, which is the pravity, naughtiness, and corruption of our Nature. Psal. 51. 5. Now of actual sin, which is the transgression of God's law, 1 John. 3. 4. when evil thoughts are consented unto, and performed in outward deeds. James. 1. 15. Touching which we are to know, and take notice; that  
The Law of God is spiritual, and therefore requireth, not only outward obedience in word and deed; but also inward in mind and heart, and that chiefly: neither doth it forbid only the committing of outward sins in word and deed; but also all the secret corruptions of the mind, and heart. Rom. 7. 13, 14, 15. Matth. 5. 21, 22, 27, 28. 1 John. 3. 15.  
Again where any duty is commanded, there the means which tend thereto are enjoined: and where any vice is forbidden, there the occasions, provocations, and alurments tending thereto; are also forbidden. Again,  
It is not enough to do that which is good for substance; except we do it well also, in regard of circumstances: as namely, that it flows from a pious and good heart, sanctified by the holy Ghost; and be done in faith, obedience to the word, humility, saving knowledge, and sincere love to God, zeal of his glory, and a desire to edify and win others: of which I might give you many examples; as of the Jews fasting Isa. 58. 3, to 8. of those reprobates preaching in Christ's name, and casting out devil's Matth. 7-21, 22, 23. of Cains sacrificiing. 1 John 3. 12. He offered, and God abhorred; because he cared not for the manner, to do it well; God cared not for his offering, though the act was good. Simon Magus believed, Herod listened, Felix feared, Saul obeyed, Jezabell fasted, the Pha●●sees prayed▪ but because they did not believe so, hear so, fear so, obey so, fast so, and pray so as God required, and as is before related, they were never the more regarded for what they did. For love is the fountain of obedience, and all external obedience to God without inward love, is hypocrisy: whereas Christ commends to his disciples, the care of keeping his commandments aright, as the utmost testimony of their love unto him, John. 15. 10.   

Sect. XIV.  
Which being so, how oft and how many ways do we all offend? For if we but narrowly look into our hearts and lives: we shall easily perceive, that there is not one of those righteous precepts, set down Exodus 20. which we have not broken, ten thousand times, and ten thousand ways. Yea O God (may the best of us say) there is no vein in me, that is not full of the blood of thy Son; whom I have crucified and crucified again, by multiplying many, and often repeating the same sin●; there is no artery in me, that hath not the spirit of error, the spirit of pride, of passion, of lust, the spirit of giddiness in it; no bone in me, that is not hardened with the custom of sin, nourished and supplied with the marrow of sin, no sinews, no ligaments, which do not tie and chain sin and sin together. Yea, If we but watch over our own hearts narrowly one day: we shall find an army of unclean thoughts and desires there, perpetually fighting against our souls. Whereby we are continually tempted, drawn away, & enticed through our own concupiscence. As how many temptations come in by those Cink-ports the senses? how many more by Satan's injections? presenting to the affections things absent from the senses? but most of all by lust itself, (a thing not created, yet as quick as thought) tumblieg over a thousand desires in one hour: For the devil, and our flesh meet together every day, and hour; to engender new sins, which is the reason, our sins are counted among those things which are infinite: as the hairs of our head, the sands of the Sea, the stars of Heaven.  
We are swift to all evil, but to all good immovable; when we do evil, we do it cheerfully, and quickly, and easily; but if we do any good, we do it faintly, and rawly, and slackly. We have used all our wisdom, to commit the foolishness of sin; our whole conversation hath been to serve Satan, and fulfil the lusts of the flesh. We even suck in iniquity like water, and draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes: Isai. 5. 18. It hath been the course of our whole life, to leave that which God commands, and to do that which he forbids. The Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire, and purposes of better obedience: but we are constant in nothing, but perpetual offending; only therein we cease not: for when we are waking, our flesh tempts us to wickedness; if we are sleeping, it solicits us to filthiness.  
What ever God commands, we do the contrary: We profane his days, contemn his Ordinances, resist his Word, grieve his Spirit, misuse his messengers, hate our reprovers, slander and persecute his people, seduce our friends, give ill example to our neighborurs, open the mouths of God's, and our enemi●s, to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are called, and the truth we profess. Yea, we have done more against God in one week, than we have done for him ever since we were born: and whereas the least of God's mercies, is greater than all the courtesies of men: we are not so thankful to him for them all, as we are to a friend for some one good turn.   

Sect. XV.  
Neither are we sufficient of ourselves to think, much less to speak, lest of all to do aught that is good, 2 Cor. 3. 5. Joh. 15. 4, 5. There is so much wearisomeness, pride, passion, lust, envy, ignorance, awkwardness, hypocrisy, infidelity, vain thoughts, unprofitableness, and the like; cleaving to our best actions to defile them: that even our praying, and fasting, and repenting; our hearing, believing, and giving; our holiest communication our most brotherly admonition, &c. are in themselves as filthy rags, Isa. 64. 6. were they not accepted in Christ, covered with his righteousness, and washed white in his most precious blood.  
Our very righteousness is as a menstruous cloth, Isa. 64. 6. What then is our sinfulness? As bring we our lives to the rule; Look how many sins are cherished, so many false gods there are chosen. Look how many creatures thou inordinately lovest, fearest, trustest, rejoicest in; so many new gods hast thou coined: and wilt thou not th●n plead guilty, when the first and second commandment arraigneth thee?  
Thou canst not away with swearing; but dost thou reprove others for their swearing? Didst thou never hear Sermons unpreparedly, irreverently, & c? Does thy heart upon a Sabbath rest from worldly thoughts? much more thy tongue from worldly speeches? There is murder of the heart, hatred: Hast not thou murdered thy neighbour's soul, by thy negligence, persuasion, evil example, &c. Thou hast not stolen, but hast thou not coveted? Hast thou been liberal to those that are owners of a part of thy goods? hast thou not robbed thy brother of his good name? which is above silver and gold. Hast thou not robbed God of his worship? of his Sabbaths? of his tithes, &c. Lying, flattering, detracting, listening to tales; yea not defending thy brother's good name, is to bear false witness.  
Hast thou kept the Tenth commandment? which condemns the very first motions of sins, springing out of our hearts, though presently rejected; and a thousand the like: and yet for every drop of wickedness that is in the life, there is a sea in the heart that feeds it.   

Sect. XVI.  
True, if thou lookest on thy sins in Satan's false glass, that will make them seem light, and contemptible; but behold them in the clear and perfect glass of God's Law, and they will appear abominable. Which makes our Saviour call hatred, murder; a wanton eye, adultery, &c. Yea, consider thy sins rightly, and they will appear as the Judases that betrayed, the soldiers that apprehended, bound, smote and wounded thy Saviour, as the gall and vinegar in his mouth, spital on his face, thorns on his head, nails in his hands, spear in his side, &c.  
This is the way to know thyself sinful: and as thus to know thyself, is the best Divinity, as Demonax said of Philosophy: so thus to aggravate thy sins in thine own sight, is the only way to have them extenuated in the sight of God. Whence the more holy a child of God is, the more sensible he is of his own unholiness; thinking none so vild as himself: as it fared with holy Job, Job 40. 4. & 42. 6. and with Isaiah, chap. 6. 5. & 64. 6. and with Saint Paul, 1 Tim 1. 15. Rom. 7. 14, to 25. and with holy David, who almost in every psalm so much bewails his sins, original and actual; of omission and commission.  
Carnal men are only troubled for those sins that appear to the world: but those in whom Christ i● formed a new, think they cannot be humbled enough for their evil thoughts, vain and unprofitable words, for the evil which cleaus even to their best actions; for sins of omission, as the want of faith, and love, and repentance, want of the true fear of God, the neglect of preparation, and profitable hearing, of praying and reading in their families, of instructing their children and servants, of sanctifying the Sabbath, and seeing that all under them do the same; their unfruitfulness under the means of grace, their not growing in grace and true wisdom, their not fearing a lie, an oath, and a hundred the like. And thus do all experimental Christians, all that have spiritual eyes. The want whereof I take to be the cause of all desperate wickedness: as what else but invincible ignorance is the cause, why wickedness so abounds in every corner of the Land. Sin indeed at first was the cause of ignorance: but now ignorance is the cause of sin. Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring abound: (saith the Prophet) because there is no knowledge of God in the land, Hosea 4. 1, 2. It is a people that do 〈◊〉 their hearts, says God; Why? Because they have not known my ways, 〈…〉 10. Ye● are dec●ived (saith our Saviour) because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God, Matth. 22. 29. When Christ wept over Jerusalem, what was the cause? Even their blindness. If thou hadst known (saith he) at the least in this thy day; those things which now are hid from thine eyes Luke 19 42. Because men know not the wages of evil, therefore they do it: and because they would securely do it, therefore they refuse to know it. O that men knew, how good it is to obey; to disobey, how evil! for this would soon disp●rse and dispel all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment. If they were wise (saith Saint Bernard) they would foresee the torments of Hell, and prevent them: but they that wander in by-paths, declare themselves ignorant of the right-way of salvation, Rom. 3. 17. I grant. many that are wicked have a show of wisdom: but let them seem to know never so much; yet it is through ignorance that they do so ill.   

Sect. XVII.  
And so having given you, a short survey of our wretchedness, by reason of O●i●inal, sin and act●all transgressions; by which we must confess to have deserved double damnation I come now to declare the means, which God of his infinite goodness hath found out, both for the satisfying of his justice, and also freeing us from the guilt, and punishment of either. And that with as much brevity, as may stand with p●●spicuity.  
First in general we must undoubtedly know, that the sole perfection of a Christian, is the imputation of Christ's righteousness; and the not-imputation of his own unrighteouness', as appears by the whole current of Scripture, of which a few.  
Even the Son of man, came to give his life a ransom for many. Mark. 10. 45. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22. As by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous, &c. Rom. 5. 18, 19 As by the offence of one, the fault came on all men to condemnation: so by the justifying of one, the benefit abounded towards all men to the justification of life. Rom. 5. 18. Unto Jesus Christ that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Revel. 1. 5. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sins 1 John. 1. 7. he is the reconciliation for our sins &c. 1 John. 2. 1, 2. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him: 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification. Rom. 4. 25. Who his own self, ●●re our sins in his own body on the tree: by whose stripes we were healed. 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed Isa. 53. 5. Neither i● there salvation in any other; for among men, there is given none other name under Heaven, whereby we must be saved. Acts. 4. 12. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6 23. I am the resurrection and the life, be that believeth in me, although he were dead, yet shall he live. John. 11. 25. You hath he quickened, that were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephe. 2. 1. God so loved the world: that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved. John. 3. 16. to 20.  
God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, Rom. 5. 6, to 11. read to the end of the Chapter. See more Joh. 1. 29. Acts 13. 39 Rom. 6. 4, to 23. & 8. 2, 3. & 10. 3, 4. 1 Cor. 15. 56. Colos. 1. 14. Gal. 3. 22. Heb. 9 28. 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19, 20. 1 Joh. 3. 8.   

Sect. XVIII.  
As Christ was a sinner, only by the imputation of our sins: so we are just, only by the imputation of his righteousness. Our good works (were they never so many and rare) cannot justify us, or deserve any thing at God's hands: it is only in Christ that they are accepted, and only for Christ that they are rewarded. Yea the opinion of thine own righteousness, makes thy condition far worse than the wickedest man's alive: For Christ that came to save all weary and heavy laden sinners; (be they never so wicked) neither came to save, or once to call thee that hast no sin, but art righteous enough without him. As hear his own words to the proud Pharisees, who had the same thoughts of themselves as thou hast. They that be whole need not a physician, but they the●● are sick. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The ●●st sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 9 13. & 10. 6. & 15. 24. & 18. 11. Nor can any soul be so dangerously sick: as thou, who art least sensible of thy being sick.  
Briefly, until with Saint Paul, thou renouncest thine own righteousness, seest thyself the greatest of sinners, art able to discern sin in every thing thou canst think, speak, or do; and that thy very righteousness is no better than a menstruous cloth, Isa. 64. 6. thou canst have no part in Christ. And until Christ shall become thine by Regeneration, and a lively faith: Thou art bound to keep the whole Law, actually and spiritually with thy whole man, thy whole life; or else suffer eternal death and destruction of body and soul in Hell for thy not keeping it. So that thou hast yet to answer (and I pray mind it seriously) for all the sins, that ever thou hast committed; who art not able to answer for one of the least of them. For the wages of sin (any sin, be it never so small) is eternal death, Rom. 6. 23. Gal. 2. 16, 19, 20, 21.  
Neither let Satan, nor thy own deceitful heart delude thee; in thinking that thou hast faith, when thine own words declare the contrary. Nor would I ask any more evidence against thee in this, than thine own mouth: in saying, that thou never doubtest in all thy life: for this makes it plain, that thou never hadst faith, nor ever knewest what faith means. For he who never doubted, never believed: and Satan hath none so sure, as those whom he never yet assaulted.   

Sect. XIX.  
But this being a main fundamental point, which every man is bound to know: I will more particularly and fully explain it as thus:  
Man being in a most miserable, and undone condition; by reason of original and actual sin, and of the curse due to both; being liable to all miseries in this life, and adjudged, to suffer eternal torments in hellfire after death: having no possibility to escape, the fierce wrath of Almighty God: who had already pronounced sentence upon him. When neither Heaven Earth nor Hell, could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ; that could have satisfied God's justice, and merited Heaven for us: then, O then! God of his infinite wisdom and goodness, did not only find out a way to satisfy his justice, and the Law: but even gave us his own Son out of his bosom; and his Son gave himself to die, even the most shameful, painful, and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us: that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. John. 3. 16. A mercy bestowed, and a way found out; that may astonish all the Sons of men on earth, and Angels in Heaven. Wherefore wonder at this, you that wonder at nothing! that the eternal God would die, to redeem our worse than lost souls; that we might not die eternally! O the deepness of God's love! O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty! O Son of God, who can sufficiently extol thy love, or commend thy pity or extol thy praise! It was a wonder that thou madest us for thyself; more that thou madest thyself man for us; but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thyself, that thou shouldest die to save us.  
Which salvation stands, in two things. First in freeing and delivering us from Hell; secondly, in the possession of Heaven, and eternal life. Christ by his death, merits the first for us: and by his obedience, fulfilling the law, merits the second. The parts of our justification are likewise two: the remission of our sins, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness; whereby we have freedom from all evil here, and the perfection of all good and happiness in Heaven. Insomuch, that all those Millions of mercies that we have received, from, before, and since, we were born, either for soul or body; (even to the least bit of bread we eat) or shall enjoy to eternity: Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us, with the price of his own precious blood. For which see Psal. 68 19 and 145. 15, 16. and 75. 6, 7.  
Hear this all you that care to be saved! God will pardon all your sins, he will give you an eternal crown of glory in heaven, if you unfeignedly repent, and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation, by a lively faith; and that because he is just: for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished; (for the wages of sin is eternal death, Rom. 6. 23. death in the person, if not in the surety.) Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful, and paid their debt even to the utmost farthing; as is evident by Isa. 53. 4. 5. a Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 9 26. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 25, 26. 1. Joh. 1. 7, 9 and sundry other places. As, are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law? Christ performed it for us. Were we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation, the curse of the Law, and death of body and soul? He was condemned for us, and bore the curse of the Law; he died in our stead an ignominious death. Did we deserve the anger of God; he endured his father's wrathful displeasure, that so he might reconcile us to hi● Father and set us at liberty. He that deserved no sorrow, felt much; that we who deserved much, might feel none. And by his wounds we are healed, Isa. 53. 5. Adam eat the Apple, Christ paid the price. I● a word whatsoever w● owed, Christ discharged; whatsoever we deserved, he suffered, if not in the sel● same punishments (for he being God, could not suffer the eternal torment● of Hell,) yet in proportion, the dignity of his Person, (he being God and man, giving value unto his temporary punishments; and making them of more value and worth, then if all the world should have suffered the eternal torments of Hell. For it is more for one that is eternal to die: then for others to die eternally. Therefore was the Son of God made, the Son of man: that the Sons of men, might be made the Sons of God: and therefore was he both God and man: lest being in every respect God, he had been too great to suffer for man, or being in every respect man; he had been to weak to satisfy God. And so much for explication of the Third Principle, mentioned in the beginning.   

Sect. XX  
But now comes the hardest part of my work to be performed. For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental principles never so clearly: yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premises; that he will be never the better, for what bath been told him, yea he will decoct all, (even the mercy, and goodness of God) into poison. For what will such a one suggest to himself? (the devil helping forward) Let it be granted will he say, that I were every way wretched and miserable; a great sinner, both originally and actually; and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life, and of that to come: yet I thank God, I am well enough, so long as Christ hath p●y'd my ransom; & freed me from all by a new Covenant; the tenu●e whereof is, Believe and live: whereas at first it was, do this and live: to which I answer;  
In Covenants and indentures between party and party: there are always articles, and conditions to be performed on the one side, as well as promises to be fulfilled on the other, as saith Pareus. Now as God hath covenanted & bound himself by his word and Seal; to remit thee thy sins, adopt thee his child by regeneration; and give thee the kingdom of Heaven, & everlasting life by & for his Son's sake; so Christ hath for, & on thy behalf undertaken; yea thou thyself didst for thy part, bind thyself by covenant, promise and vow in thy baptism, that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works, constantly believe God's holy Word, & obediently keep his commandments; the better thereby to express thy thankfulness towards him, for so great a benefit. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Psa. 116. 12, 13, 14 And we know that in Covenants and Indentures: if the Conditions be not kept, the Obligation is not in force. Whereby millions (Magus like) after the water of baptism, (which is a seal, of the Covenant of Grace) go to the fire of Hell. Yea except we repent and believe the gospel; (threats, and precepts; as well as promises) that holy sacrament, together with the offer of grace: instead of Sealing to us our salvation; will be an obligation under our own hand and seal against us; and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation. Therefore the main question is, Whether thou art a Believer? For although Christ in the Gospel, hath made many large, & precious promises: there are none so general: which are not limited, with the condition of faith, and the fruit thereof unfeigned repentance; and each of them are so tied and entailed, that none can lay claim to them, but true believers, which repent and turn from all their sins, to serve him in holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Isa. 39 20. As for instance, Our saviour hath made public proclamation. Mark. 16. 16. That whosoever shall believe, and be baptised, shall be saved: but mark what withal is added; he that will not believe, shall be damned. Again, So God loved the world, that be gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, Joh. 3. 15, 16. And that none may deceive themselves, he addeth; He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already: because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, Joh. 3. 19, 20. And again, As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God; even to them that believe on his name, Joh. 1. 12.  
Again, Hec● 5. 9 He is said to be the author of eternal salvation, unto all that obey him: not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickedness, and never submit themselves to be ruled by the sceptre of his Word. Christ's blood (saith Z●●c●ie) was shed as well for ablution, as for absolution: as well to cleanse from the s●il and filth of sin, as to clear and assoil from the guilt of sin, Rom, 6. 5, 6. God bath chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the world: that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love, Ephes. 1. 4. They therefore that never come to be holy, were never chosen. He is said to have given himself for us: that he might re●eem us from all iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of good works: Titus 2. 14. Luke 1. 74, 75. Yea the Lord binds it with an ●ath, that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, they shall worship him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life, Luk. 1. 73, 74, 75. 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Titus 2. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, teacheth us; that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, an● that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, vers. 12.  
By all which it is plain; that as Christ's blood is a Charter of pardon; so withal it is a covenant of direction: and he that refuseth to live, as that covenant prescribes; may perish as a malefactor that is hanged with his pardon about his neck.   

Sect. XXI.  
But alas, say what can be said! carnal men (who love their sins, better than their souls) will answer all, yea confute whatever can be alleged, with God is merciful; Or in case that will not serve, yet they have another shift, or rather the enemy of mankind, will furnish them with an ●vasion, telling them that they have a strong faith, good hearts, and mean well: they repent of their sins, have as good wishes and desires as can be, are elected, hope to go to heaven as well ●s the best, &c. But to every of ●hese, I answer.  
First, true faith purifieth the heart, and worketh by love, consumeth our ●o ●●ptions, and sanctifieth the whole man throughout, so that our faith to God, is seen in our faithfulness to men; our invisible belief, by our visi●le life.  
〈…〉 holiness are as inseparable, as life and motion, the Sun and light, 〈…〉, ice, and coldness, the sp●ing and greenness, the rose and sweetnes●, 〈◊〉 and ●ardness, crystal and cleverness, pitch and foulness, honey and sweetness. Again, faith believeth the threats of the Word; together with the promises: Now thou who pretendest belief in the promises, show my thy belief in the threatenings. For didst thou believe the truth of those menaces, which God hath denounced against unclean, covetous, am●itious, unjust, envious, malicious persons, and such like sinne●●: how du●st thou then so wallow in these sins, ●hat if God instead of Hell, had promised Heaven as a reward unto them; thou couldst not do more than thou dost. Why shouldest thou deceive thyself with an opinion of faith? when indeed thou believest not so much as the devil does; for he belieus [namely the threatenings of the Word] and ●rem●les for horror, Jam. 2. but thou goest on in sin, even mocking at the menaces; and in the infidelity of thy heart, givest them the ●ve, saying; no such thing shall befall thee. But Invadunt urbem, somno vino●u● sepultam; when they shall say peace and safety, than cometh on them sudden destruction, 1 Thes. 5. 3.  
Though these persecutors of Christ, and murderers of the Lord of life, were the devil's children; as they were plainly told by tru●h itself, John 8. 44. yet they most confidently believed, and stiffly maintained, that God was their father, ver. 41. And to will the wo●st of men in these days, such as do nothing but sin, and make others sin, such as glory in, and maintain their sins.  
Again, as faith is wrought by God's Spirit: so where it is wrought, it brings forth the fruits, of the Spirit, mentioned, Gal. 5. 22. 23. whereas presumption, as it is of the flesh; so it b●ings forth the fruits of the flesh, ver. 19 20. 21.  
But it is very easy to believe, thinks the sensualist; yes, but why? Satan troubles not such, for than he who begot this presumptuous faith in him, should be divided against himself. Nay Satan confirm● him in this his deceit. Besides this is a sure rule, that that persuasion only, which follows sound humiliation, is faith: that which goes before i● is presumption. And as Ambrose speaks, no man can repent of sin, but he that belieus the pardon of sin: nor none can believe his sins are pardoned, except he hath repented. Besides how easy a matter soever thou thinkest it is to believe: he that goes about it, shall find it as hard a work to believe the gospel, as to keep the Law; and only God must enable to both, and yet so far as we come short of either, so far forth we have just cause to be humbled; if we consider how God at first made us, and how woefully we have unmade ourselves. But   

Sect. 22.  
Secondly, as for their good hearts and meanings, they may think what they will; but every wise ●an knows; that the outward actions declare the inward intentions. A good conversion is proved by a good conversation.  
The●e is no heart made of flesh, which at some time or other ●elents not; even 〈◊〉 and marble, will in some weather stand or drops. Men may flatter God with their mouths, and wit● t●ei● tongues dissemble with him; when their hearts are not upright with him, Psal. 78, 3●. 37. and indeed they whose words and dee●●s are faulty and evil; and yet plead the goodness of their hearts towards God: are like malefactors, who being convinced of thes●, or the like naughtiness, by plain evidence to their faces, do appeal to the testimony of such persons for their purgation, as they know cannot be found. And in case the hearts of such men could be seen of others, as their works and words are, their hearts would appear worst of all, as they do to God, who seeth them. Nor is any evil in the mouth or hand, which was not in the heart first of all, as the stream in the fountain. And let a vici●us man boast never so much of his good heart; I will as soon believe him that saith he hath the Philosophers stone● and yet lives like a beggar: which two hang together like a sick man's dream.  
We have good hearts, and mean well; alas poor ignorant souls! for every drop of wickedness that appears in the life, there is an ocean in the heart. The heart of man is deceitful above all things: and while he thinks there is no deceit in it, even in that he is most of all deceived. Sinners are like that peremptory Sexton, that said, howsoever the day goes, I am sure the clock goes rig●t. So that the Spanish Proverb does every way please me: defienda medios demio, God defend me from myself.  
Carnal men, are apt to boast of the goodness of their hearts: but a man's heart is as arch a traitor, as any he shall meet withal 〈◊〉 trust it too much, and know it too little, is it fared with Leah, Gen. 30 18. and Hazaell 2 Kings 8. 12. 13. and Peter, Mat. 26. 33 Luke 22. 32. Mark 14. 29. And those Jews, Act. 2. 36. 〈◊〉 all this they will acknowledge in the end; yea, prove by experience, that Heaven is full of good works; Hell of good wishes; and that the fetters whi●h sin makes, it must wear.   

Sect. XXIII.  
Thirdly, touching their repentance, my answer is True repentance for sin, is a turning from every sin, to the contrary good. In all true repentance is a change, both in the judgement from error to tru●h, and in the will from evil to good, and in the affections from loving evil, and hating good; to love good and hate evil; in the whole man from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Without which change, no repentance, no being saved: The two main and essential parts of repentance are contrition or humiliation, and conversion or reformation. It is not true repentance, except humiliation and reformation go both together: for either of these single make but a half, or halting repentance. An unreformed sorrow, is but deformed: and a sorrow less reformation, is but a very sorry one. Humitation without reformation, is a foundation without a building: and reformation without humiliation, is a building without a foundation. Judas was grieved for murdering Christ, yet no change followed: he fell to murdering of himself. It is not possible a man should truly grieve, and be displeased for his sins; and yet continue in them without ● change.   

Sect. XXIV.  
Fourthly, as for their assurance of salvation, it is upon a good ground as a 〈◊〉 the rest: for they s●mber, and suppose themselves good Christians: ●●…e faith is but a dream, their hope but a dream, their charity but a dream, their obedience but a dream, their whole religion but a dream; & so their assurance of salvation is but a dream, they have regeneration in conceit, ●epentance and righteousness in conceit, they serve God well in conceit, do the works of justice and piety in conceit, and they shall go to heaven only in conceit, or in a dream; and never awake until they feel themselves in the flames of hell Every drunken beast, and blasphemer thinks to go to heaven: though none shall come there, nor once see God without holiness: which they abhor. One minds nothing but his cups, another nothing but his coin, a third only his Curtiz●n: yet all these point to meet in heaven, but this is not the way thi●her. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, 1 John 2. 16. is a broad way, but not to heaven. Micha when he had a Levite in his house, thought that God loved him, Judg. 17. 13. It is usual with formalists, when they have the Sacrament in their belly, to think that all is well, as the Jews thought, we may ●ut away our wives, we may swear, we may hate our enemies, we may kill the Prophets, subject the Word of God to our traditi●ns, and follow our own ways. Why, Abraham is our father, John 8. 39 But by their leave, Christ calls them bastards, and finds out another father for them, ver. 44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. Profane Libertine●, such as account not themselves well, but when they are doing ill: yea, the most covetous oppressors, who may say as Pope 〈◊〉 did, I can have no place in heaven, because I have so often sold it upon earth; every man of them hopes (I confess with more confidence, than judgement) to have benefit by the gospel; when they will not be tied to the least tittle of the Law. But if Christ be not our King to govern us▪ he will nei●her be our Prophet to forewarn nor our Priest to expiate. Except we so sake our sins, God will never forgive them, yea he hath sw●rn by an oath, that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies; shall serve him in holiness, and righteousness all the days of their lives. Neither can it consist with his justice, to pardon such as continue in an evil c●u●se of life.  
If Christ hath freed us f●om the damnation of sin, he hath also freed us from the dominion of sin. If with his blood he hath quenched the fire of hell for us; he hath also quenched the fire of lust in us. Christ's justifying blood, is given us by his sanctifying Spirit. He being consecrated, was made the author of eternal salvation, unto all t●em (and them only) that ob●y him, Heb. 5. 9 Of whomsoever a man i● overcome, even unto the same he is in bondage, 2 Pet. 2. 19 Have ye then no government of your passions, no conscience of your actions, no care of your lives: false hypocrites, ye do but abuse, and profane that name, which ye unjustly arrogate.   

Sect. XXV.  
But yet more to convince you, you go to heaven, when in sundry partlcula●s, you fall sho●t of many wicked reprobates recorded in Scripture; as do bu● deal impartially with thyself, and tell me thou civil Justiciary whether thou ever hadst the heart upon hearing the th●eatnings of the Word, to ●ele●t and humble thyself with Ahah? to confess thy sins, and ●esire the people of God to pray for thee with Pharaoh? to be affected with joy in hearing the Word, and practise many things, with Herod? to ●ee zealous against sin, with Jehu? willingly to part with a good part of ●hy goods, with Anarias? ●o forsake the world & all thy hopes in it; to fol●ow poor Christ, as Demus and others? to venture thy life with Alexander the coppersmith, in cleaving to the tru●h? yea it is said of Judas himself ●hat he repented, there is contrition; he saith I have sinned, there is confession, and he restored the money again, there is satisfaction; which is 〈◊〉 the Papists repentance: and yet he is Judas the son of perdition still. Now tell me? dost thou not come short of these, many such as these be wicked reprobates, and yet wilt thou pleas thyself in a false conceit, of thine own happiness, who comest further behind them, than they do behind true christians? If some that have journied in the wilderness to Kad●sh-barnea, shall yet never enter into God's rest; shall those that never left Egypt? Is the stony ground reprobate? and can the highway ground be good. There are three sorts of ground mentioned, Mark. 4. 4. 5. 6. 7. and the very worst of them receives the seed, yet all damned; whither then shall the ●empest of God's wrath drive them, that would never yet give the Gospell● religious ear.  
But vicious men, think God is all mercy (as ●oggie air useth to represent every object far bigger than it is.) when the Word tells us, that he is a consuming fire, and a ●ealous God, Deut. 4. 24. Heb. 12. 29 and when we ●hall find in Deut. 28. thrice as many curses as blessings. Dost thou expect to have him merciful to thee, that art unmerci●ull, cruel, and bloody to ●im, to his, and thine own soul? none that have eyes in their heads and open, can be so sort●●●. But Sin is like the juic● of poppy, called Opium; which if the quantity exceed, b●ingeth the patient into a deep sleep, that he never awaketh. Sinners dream they are awake, but ind●ed they are ●ast asleep; yea, with Sardi they are dead, while they think they are ●live.  
And indeed this misp●ision or mistake, this very opinion of being in ●afe good enough; keeps a man out of all possibility of being bettered: ●or what we presume to have attained, we seek not after. Yea this con●●ited righteousness, is the only cause of all unrighteousness; and many a man had been good, if he had not at present so thought himself. Until Paul was humbled to the very ground; trembling and astonished, he ne●er asked Jesus, what wilt thou have me to do. And the like of those Con●e●ts that were p●ickt in their hearts at Peter's searching Sermon, upon their being convinced, that they were the murderers of the Lord of life, Acts 2. vers. 36, 37, 38.   

Sect. XXVI.  
In the last place touching their Election, this is an infallible truth; Whomsoever God hath appointed to salvation, to them he hath appointed ●he means also, which is holiness. I●deed a man may be so bold of his Pre●estination, as to forget his conversation; so he may dream himself in Hea●en, and waken from that dream in Hell. God's purpose touching the end, include the means. Though God had promised Paul that his company should not be drowned; yet he told the mariners, that unless they kept in the ship, they should be drowned, Act. 2●. 22, 23. 31. ●s if their safety should not be without means: Rebek●● had God's Oracle for Jacob's life, yet she sent him away out of Esau's reach. It was impossible for Herod to hurt the child Jesus, yet he must fly into Egypt.  
And so I have shown in the last place, what are the conditions of the new Covenant, and to whom the promises belong; which is all that I undertook. Now if men will yet go on, and perish in their impenitency; their blood be on their own heads, and not on mine, I have discharged my duty.  
Nevertheless, lest the single evidence that I bring from the Word of Truth, should not prove sufficient to gain your credence to what ha●h been spoken; And because examples give a quicker impression than arguments, I have one thing more to crave of thee, which is of as great concernment, as all that I have hitherto spoken; namely, that thou wilt also hear the confession of two parties (in the ensuing, or second part of this Discourse) that were lately in thy very condition; though now by the infinite goodness of God they have their eyes opened, and their hea●●s changed, to see and know, both what it is to be in the state of nature, and what to be brought into the glorious liberty of the sons God; that so by a threefold cord, you may be drawn to accept of salvation upon God's own terms; whereas otherwise, you can no way escape his eternal wrath.  
The ensuing, or second part, which I would request you to read and mind, is; A happy conference, between a Formalist converted, and a loose Libertine; entitled, As Experimental Index of the Heart.  
And so much of the first Part, the second followeth.  
FINIS   

Sold only by James Crump, in Little bartholomew's Well-yard; and by Henry Cripps, in Popes-head Alley. 1658.