THE DANGER OF DESERTION: OR A FARWELL SERMON of Mr. Thomas Hooker, Sometimes Minister of God's Word at Chainsford in Essex; but now of New ENGLAND. Preached immediately before his departure out of old ENGLAND.  
TOGETHER, WITH TEN PARTICULAR rules to be practised every day by converted Christians.  
LONDON, Printed by G.M. for George Edward's in the Old Bailie in Greene-Arbour, at the Sign of the Angel. 1641.   

The Epistle to the READER.  
CHRISTIAN READER,  
THe Author of this Sermon, while be lived here among us, gave God proof of his solid judgement, acute wit, strong memory, honest heart, pious disposition, and utter detestation, as of profaneness, so of superstition. He was trained up in Immanuel College Cambridge, where he shown his indefatigable industry about his own studies, and conscionable fidelity about his pupils and their studies. His opinion about the Doctrine maintained in the Church of England, since the reformation thereof, was Orthodox; but his conscience about the Discipline and Ceremonies thereof was scrupulous; yet so, as he loved such as he observed sincere and entire in the substance, though he differed from them in circumstances. Nor he, nor many of his brethren like him, that were forced to leave old England to enjoy the freedom of their tender consciences, deserted their places in any envy, hatred, or other like disrespect against the Church of England (like many rigid Separatists, who account herself to be no Church, and her Ministers to be no Ministers,) but partly to enjoy a greater liberty to themselves then here they could, partly to propagate the Gospel, and make it known to such as had not heard of it before. Take instance of this Author's disposition, by this his Farewell Sermon. Read it, and observe it well, and thou shalt find therein savoury of piety mixed with sincerity, and of zeal with meekness. Read it I say, and then censure it, it needs no other to commend it then itself, neither can any other do it better than itself.   

Mr. hooker's FARWELL SERMON, At his departure out of ENGLAND.  JEREMIAH 14.9. at the latter end. 
We are called by thy Name, leave us not.  
TWo things are intended and expressed by the Holy ghost, from the 1. verse, to the thirteenth.  
First, a denunciation of judgement, and that reacheth to the 17. verse, and that is sword and famine. First, he would send the famine, and then the sword, and would not be entreated.  
Secondly, in the 8. verse, we have the importunate prayer of the Church, to turn away these judgements; and the prayer is marvellous sweet, partly in confession, where they confess their sins, and seek to God for succour against them: As if they should say, Lo we are as base as base can be, and therefore help for the Lords sake, and thus they make their supplication in the 7. and 8. verses, and this short prayer discovers itself, partly in the things prayed for, and partly in the manner, and the holy Prophet intending this is very sweet in it.  
First, they pray that God will not take away his presence from them, Why stayest thou but a night? As if he should say, it is marvellous strange, that thou behavest thyself as a stranger.  
Thou seest our sorrows, and helpest not. Thou seest our trouble, and succourest not. Thou standest, and seest Jerusalem in trouble, and juda in misery, but thou helpest not. It is strange that thou the great God of Hosts standest as a man astonished: thou hast received us, but now thou standest as a man amazed, as if thou wast weary of thy work, and couldst do no more: As if he should say, jerusalem cannot be succoured, & judaea cannot be saved.  
Secondly, they beg that God would not take away his presence from them, Leave us not to ourselves. Let us see thy face, if that we die in thy presence, though thou helpest not, yet it dothus' good to look on a Saviour, they are acquainted first that thou art the hope of Israel. Alas! if thou forsake, us, our hope is lost, our hope is not in the means, our hope is in thee, leave us not.  
Secondly, thou art the Saviour of Israel, and it is that that thou takest upon thee, and thou hast made thyself a Saviour, and now is the time of trouble, perform what thou hast undertaken.  
Thirdly, thou art in the midst of us, thou art a great comforter, ready to secure us. What wilt thou see us perish when thou art so near us? 1 Sam. 4.6. Even as the Ark in the midst of the camp: as if he should say, he lives in the midst of us, and will not save us.  
Fourthly, we are called by thy Name, we have interest in thee, to whom should servants go for safety, but to their Master? to whom should the wife go, but to her husband? we have interest in thee, leave us not.  
Now we will meddle only with the latter clause, leave us not. God might leave them, but they beg that he would not, that is their Amento the Petition, though thou standest by, and wilt not help, yet let us not die in thy presence. This is the great request of the Saints, they desire not to be left of God, though God may justly leave them,  
That God may justly leave off a people, 
Doct.  and unchurch a Nation. Israel suspected it, and feared it: It is that that they prayed against, that God would not leave them. I do not say that God will cast off his elect eternally; but those that are only in outward covenant, with him he may, Isa. 1.2. Hear O ye heavens, I have nursed up children, that is, the jews, there is an outward vocation, and for such God may cast them off. Brethren, cast your thoughts afar off. What is become of those famous Churches, Pergamus and Thyatira, and the rest? Who would have thought that jerusalem should have been made a heap of stones, and a vagabond people? Hos. 7.9. Plead with your mother, and call her Loammi, ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Thus as I may say, he sues out a bill of divorcement, as it was in the old Law, those that had any thing against their wives, sued our a bill of divorcement, and so doth God, Hos. 2.2. she is not my people, nor my beloved, let her cast away her fornications and idolatry, lest I make her as at the first, that is, in Egypt poor and miserable: as if he should say to England, plead with England my Ministers, in the way of my truth, and say unto them, let them cast away their rebellions, lest I make her as I found her in captivity in the days of bondage.  
But how doth God departed from a people? 
Ob.   
When he takes away his love from a people, 
Ans.  and as his respect, so his means too.  
2. When he takes away his protection by taking down the walls, that is, these two great means of safety, Magistrates and Ministers.  
3. When instead of counselling, comes in bribing, and in stead of teaching, daubing, when God either takes away the hedges, or the stakes are rotten, than God is going.  
4. When God takes away the benefit of both these helps, and they are signs of Gods departing.  
May God cast off a people, 
Use.  and unchurch anation? then let it teach us to cast off all security, for miseries are nigh by all probabilities. When we observe what God hath done for us, all things are ripe for ruin, and yet we fear it not, we promise safety to ourselves, and consider not that England is like to be harrowed, we cannot entertain a thought that England shall be destroyed; when there are so many professors in it, we cannot be persuaded of it, according to the conviction of our judgements, either it must not be, or not yet, as if it were impossible for God to leave England, as if God were a cockering father over lewd and stubborn children: God may leave a Nation that is but in outward covenant with him, and why not England?  
England's sins have been great, yea and their mercies great. England hath been a mirror of mercy, yet God may leave us, and make us a mirror of his justice. Look how he spoke to the people in jer. 7. that bragged of the Temple of the Lord, Sacrifices and offerings: And what may not God which destroyed Shilo, destroy thee O England? Go to Bohemia, from thence to the Palatinate, and so to Denmark. Imagine you were there, what shall you see, nothing else but as Travellers say, Churches made heaps of stones, and those Bethels wherein God's name was called upon, are made defiled Temples for Satan and superstition to reign in? You cannot go two or three steps, but you shall see the heads of dead men, go a little further, and you shall see their hearts picked out by the fowls of the air, whereupon you are ready to conclude that Tilly hath been there: Those Churches are become desolate, and why not England? Go into the Cities and Towns, and there you shall see many compassed about with the chains of captivity, and every man bemoaning himself. Do but cast your eyes abroad, and there you shall see poor fatherless children sending forth their breaches, with fear, crying to their poor helpless mothers. Step but a little farther, and you shall see the sad wife bemoaning her husband, and that is her misery, that she cannot die soon enough; and withal she makes funeral Sermons of her children within herself, for that the Spaniard may get her little ones, and bring them up in Popery and superstition; and then she weeps and considers with herself: If my husband be dead, it is well, happily he is upon the rack, or put to some cruel tortures, and then she makes funeral Sermons, and dies a hundred times before she can die. Cast your eyes afar off, set your souls in their soul's stead, and imagine it were your own condition, why may not England be thus, who knows but it may be my wife, when he hears of some in torments? Ah! Brethren, be not high minded, but fear, as we have this bounty on the one side, so may we have this severity on the other; therefore prank not up yourselves with foolish imaginations, as who dare come to England, the Spaniards have enough, the French are too weak: Be not deceived, who thought jerusalem the Lady of Kingdoms, whither the Tribes went to worship, should become a heap of stones, a vagabond people, and why not England? Learn therefore to hear and fear, God can be a God without England, do not say there are many Christians in it, can God be beholding to you for your Religion? No surely, for rather than he will maintain such as profess his Name and hate him, he will raise up of these stones children unto Abraham; He will rather go to the Turks, and say you are my people, and I will be your God. But will you let God go, England? Why are you so content to let him go? Oh! lay hold on him, yea hang on him, and say thou shalt not go. Do you think that Rome will part with her religion, and forsake her gods? nay, an hundred would rather lose their lives. Will you let God go? Oh England plead with your God and let him not departed. You should only part with your rebellions, he will not part with you. Leave us not. We see the Church is very importunate to keep God with them still, they lay hold on God with words of argument.  
Thou hope of Israel, do not leave us: they beset God with their prayers, and watch him at the Town's end that he might not go away. No thou shalt not go away, thou shalt abide with us still, they are importunate with God not to leave them.  
Hence note this Doctrine.  
That it is the importunate desire of Saints to keep God with them. 
Doct.  This people you see cared not so much for the famine and sword, so God leaves them not: Good Lord leave us not, this was their prayer, and we cannot blame them, all things being considered; for it was their grief that God stood by, and would not help, why standest thou as a man astonished? but good Lord leave us not, they cannot abide to hear of that, much less to bear it; thus they did, and thus the Saints of God should do. For the proof, see Exod. 33.15. there Moses might have gone up upon fair terms, thou shalt possess the land, and peace and prosperity shall be with thee; but what says Moses? If I might have Canaan, and all the delights, yet carry us not hence, except thy presence be with us, Psal. 80.7, 19 this is the stay and string that he sticks on. Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts, and cause thy face to shine upon us: as if he should say, here is prosperity.  
But what is the presence of God? 
Ob.   
In one word, 
Ans.  it is the particular favour of God expressed in his ordinances, and all the good and sweet that followeth there. The purity of God's word and worship, is that which God reveals himself in. It is not gold, wealth, and prosperity, that makes God to be our God. There is more gold in the West-Indians, then in all Christendom besides; but in is God's ordinances in the virtue of them that, brings God's presence. God forsook Shilo where he dwelled, because his ordinances were not there, Psal. 78.5. when the Ark left them, God left them: When Gods ordinances were there in the purity of them, than God was there; for he is principally there where his ordinances are in the purity of them. Hence it was that Cain was cast out of God's presence, because he was cast out of the Church where his ordinances were, Gen. 4.14. If that a people do outwardly worship God, and sincerely mend things that be amiss, they may continue. If Sodom and Gomorrah had but legally repent, they had remained to this day. Hence it is that the Saints of God are so urgent for God's services, and in that most men so slight them. While it is thus with us is not England ripe? is not she weary of God? nay, she is fed fat for the slaughter. It was not so with the Saints and people of God in former times, Psal. 34.4. It was David's great and grand desire, that he might dwell in the house of the Lord, Psal. 42.4. his soul panted after God's ordinances. The point teacheth us thus much, That the Saints are wondrous importunate to keep God in his ordinances.  
But what if a man want preaching, 
Ob.  may not he want it, and yet go to Heaven?  
The arguments are clear, 
Ans.  the Saints maintain God in his ordinances, the want of which is under the penalty of death and condemnation. Gold cannot feed a hungry man, but bread he would have, because that he hath need of: so the Saints of God are marvellous importunate to keep God in his Ordinances, so that though they wear a ragged coat, or be pinched with hunger; yet he wants God more than these, either food or raiment. David in the 37. Psalm, fretteth at the prosperity of the wicked; but at the last breaks off, and mark what a conclusion he makes, and comes to, whom have I in heaven but thee? as if he should have said, Let them have what they will, I have nothing but thee. Why so? Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever: Thou art the strength of the heart, Showing that all things in the world cannot help the heart without God. A man were as good offer iron to a hungry man to refresh him, or air to feed him, as to say, riches, ease, and honour will help thy distressed soul: These will never establish a man, he may hope to have comfort in them; but his soul shall be gravelled and troubled. It must be the God of peace that must speak peace to a troubled soul: It must be the God of salvation that can comfort a damned soul; that kindness will comfort, that is the strength of the heart, and portion for ever, and then no marvel the soul call for God: The soul cares not, though happily the purse be filled, for it cries and sighs, I am damned. Happily the palate may be pleased; but the poor soul cries, I may go to hell, and to the Devil. Now God comes, and he supplies all, for where he comes, there is every good gift: If once a man hath God, he hath all good things with him. God blessed Obadiahs' house for the Arkes sake. Now the Ark was a type of Christ, where he comes all good things follow: When God comes, we are married unto him, Hos, 2.19. As when a wife is married, her husband is hers: so God & all is thine, & what wouldst thou have more? He speaks to the rain, and it hears the corn and wine, and that hears Israel. Hell and Death are thy servants; but now you that have outward things, profits, and prosperity, etc. you have them with a curse, unless you have God with them: Get God therefore, if he forsakes a man, all miseries befall him, and then woe beto him, Hos. 9.13. Ah! it is true indeed, woe beto that heart which God is departed from. When God who is the God of mercy is gone away from him, who will pity that soul that will not submit to God's peace, consolation, and salvation. When God departeth, all miseries follow on amain: when the banks are broken down, the Sea breaks forth: so when God departs, all miseries come; for that man that makes no conscience of outfacing God in his Ordinances, mark what the Text saith, Deut. 31. 37. I will forsake them, and many miseries shall befall them. If God be gone, the Floodgates are drawn dry, and in comes all misery. You will say, are not all these things against us, seeing God is not with us? If we would avoid woe and sorrow, and killing and slaying one another. Would the women be glad to see their husbands killed before their tender eyes, the men to see the women taken out of the world by the hands of wicked men. If not then, leave not God, but hold him fast, than all evil will departed, and so holding God he will keep us from misery.  
Use. To condemn 2 sorts of people. 
Use.  If the Saints be marvellous importunate to have God with them, what shall we think of those that are weary of the Almighty, who say to him departed from us: But you will say, such are to be chronicled, we have none such among us. Thou that art a servant, and rejectest thy Master's command, thou rejectest God. Why should a man say that they be so long and so long in prayer, and say, what man knows not what he says, he speaks this because that he is weary of the Ordinances, and would be freed from them, and God will do it one day. Alas poor soul, thou couldst pity thy condition, thou art weary of God's Ordinances, weary of God's mercies, weary of his patience, & presence. Thou shalt one day be deprived of his presence, and shut up with the haters of God and goodness in the black Tophet, where the worm never dies, nor the fire never goes out, than thy crying will do thee no good. God will be God in thy destruction, he will spurn thousands, and ten thousands such as thou art down to hell, where thou shalt be an everlasting object of his never dying wrath, though thou couldst scale the heavens with thy tears, and shrill voice: Though thou couldst be heard to cry out of the dungeon, yet thy help is never the nearer, thy God is gone. I admonish thee what to do, lay thee down and patiently endure his deserved wrath; Nay, mark what I say, a hundred hells thou hast deserved, and in those hells to lie a hundred years, nay for ever. Hold thyself contented with thy condition, for thou hast chosen death rather than life, jer. 31.8. God should wrong himself and thee, if that he did not give thee thy choosing. Will not these things move you my brethren? that you may be so happily wise, as to choose life rather than death, Lord grant it, for he delights not in your destruction. One word more, to leave impression in your hearts: I desire your soul's health, though my meat seem bitter; yet it is the mind of God it should be so, and therefore, thou man or woman, whosoever thou art that canst not abide preaching, but standest on thorns, to have the Sermon done, that sayest too much of one thing is good for nothing. Thou dost as good as say, what need have we of that, a little of that, and more of pleasure, here is thy delight and desire. Know this whosoever thou art, that hast ill-will to the Ordinances of God, thou wouldst have no such Gospel, thou shalt have thy desire, when the Trumpet shall blow, thy ears shall tingle, with that sentence, Depart from me. Thou that art weary of God, get thee down to hell, I say, God will set his teeth at thee, and stamp thee down to hell with thy base lusts: Then will God say, I have fed thee on earth this 20, 30, 40, 50, perhaps 60 years, and yet my mild words could not bear rule in thee, or prevail with thee, and now get thee to hell, and there remain for ever. Think this with thyself, God will so serve thee proud Captain, King, or Monarch, Isa. 30.33. The Text saith, he will make bonfires upon their bones about their ears, thus he will get himself glory by your destruction: But you will say to me being a King or Monarch, I do not fear any such punishment shall befall me; but God will say, be he a King that rules or reigns, yet as he hath rejected God, so God will reject him. He is a King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and therefore such a one as will laugh at thy destruction. Take notice of this, and say thus to yourselves: Is he a good child that cannot abide the presence of his father: Is she a good wife that cannot abide the presence of her husband: So is he a good creature that cannot abide the presence of his Creator.  
This rebukes Gods own people. 
2. Use.  We see the Gospel going, brethren, I wonder you hear no better stand up & hear, and God give you grace to understand. I deal plainly with you, and tell you what God hath told me: I must tell you on pane of salvation, will you give ear and believe. I poor Ambassador of God am sent to do this message unto you, though I am low, yet my message is from above, he that sent me, grant that it may be believed for his sake. Suppose God hath told me this night that he will destroy England, and lay it waste, what say you brethren to it? It is my message that God bade me do, he expects your answer, what sayest thou oh England, I must return an answer to my Master that sent me to night, why speak you not an answer? I must have one. Do you like well of it, would you have England destroyed? would you put the old men to trouble, and the young men to the sword? would you have your women widows, and your maids defiled? would you have your children, your dear ones to be thrown upon the pikes, and dashed against the walls? or would you have them brought up in idolatry under the necessity of preaching, which is worst of all? would you see those Temples wherein we worship God burnt, and your own houses? will you see England laid waste without inhabitants? are you willing to it? are you content? God bade me ask, why do you not answer me? I must not stir without it, I must have it, I am an importunate Ambassador, send me not away sad, speak comfortably and cheerfully unto me. Are you willing to have God with you still, you are, are you not? I am glad of it; but you must not only say so, but use the means, plead with God: And though his hand be up, and his sword drawn; yet suffer him not to destroy, but to sheathe it in the blood of our enemies, God grant it, and I should be glad to see England flourish still, and so are you, are you not? you are. Now if it come to pass that England be not, but destroyed and laid desolate, thank yourselves, and not God, he delights not in it. We may take up the complaint of the Prophet, Isa. 64.7. No man stirs up himself to lay hold upon God: For this is our misery, if that we have quietness and commodity we are well enough, thus we play mock-holy-day with God, the Gospel we make it our packhorse: God is going, his glory is departing, England hath seen her best days, and now evil days are befalling us: God is packing up his Gospel, because no body will buy his wares, nor come to his price. Oh lay hands on God and let him not go out of your coasts, he is a going, stop him, and let not thy God departed, lay siege against him with humble and hearty closing with him, suffer him not to say, as if that he were going, farewell, or far ill England, God hath said he will do this, and because that he hath said it, he will do it, therefore prepare to meet thy God O England! Amos 4.12. least God complain of thee as he did of jerusalem, lest my soul departed from thee, and I make thee a desolate land not inhabited.  
Thus we see that the godly hath done, and this must be our care; but let it be our Copy, clasp about the Lord Jesus as Mary did, they have broken the Ice, let us go after them, this is our atonement day, we have nothing to do with to morrow, this is the day of reconciliation, we are at odds with God; and to end all controversies, let us labour to prevail with God, and never lose his presence, I sought but I found him not, Cant. 3.2. and when I found him not, I followed and sought him, till that I found him. Our God is going, and do you sit still on your beds? would you have and keep the Gospel with these lazy wishes? arise, arise, and down on your knees, and entreat God to leave his Gospel to your posterity. Shall we disinherit our infants of such a blessing? shall we bereave them of the Gospel, which should be the life of our lives, and so to have them brought up in superstition? No Lord, we cannot endure this, give us not health or wealth; but give us thy Gospel's Lord, that is our plea, & when we have found God let us bring him home to our families, that as we have made him our God, so let him be the God of ours in time of affliction. We will cry, Lord have mercy upon us, than we shall be glad of him. Oh beloved! carry God home with you, lay hold on him, let him not go, say he is our husband, let him not go for your little ones, and so let us leave God to be a father unto thee.  
But how may we keep the Lord? 
Ob.  it is worth the while, it is comfortable, for at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.  
If you will come to the price, 
Ans.  you shall have him. The means are these:  
1. You must prepare room for him, for he is a King, and a King sends an harbinger before him to prepare room for him against he comes to any place: so must you do by cleansing yourselves from every evil course; therefore come out of her, sarth the Lord to his people, touch no unclean thing, and then I will be your God, and you shall be my people, Rev. 18.19. So brethren come out of all evil sinful pleasures and practices, and then you may expect Gods coming into your houses; when you sit by the fire, and when you lie upon your beds, think thus with yourselves: What an equal condition doth he propound? doth he require no more but to part with a sin, a lust, a Dalila, which thou mayest spare as well as water out of thy shoes, or out of thy bosom; yea it is so. Will God keep company in the paths of sin? what is this his proffer? what are the terms no harder? what then should I do but bid sin adieu? would you have God to be your God, and will you not keep out of sin? If not, he will not be your God: But now let every soul forsake his uncleanness, and God will come to that soul; and therefore that place is marvellous sweet, Isa. 58.8. You shall call and God shall say, here I am, if that you will forsake your evil courses. Thus you see you have as fair an offer, as fair a warning as God can propound.  
2. As you must prepare room for God, so you must give him content, let him have his will. Where the King comes, there he will have all according to his mind: so it is with God, if he may have his own worship you please him well, you must dress his dish according to his tooth; but when you put poison into his meat, you discontent him, than you do not give him his mind, you must lay aside all superstition and errors; than you please his tooth above all, when your souls submit to his truth: At the name of jesus every knee shall bow. This is not meant of the word jesus, to give a bow with the knee, and a stab at the heart: If so, why do we not bow at the word jehovah, as at the word jesus; but the bowing at the word, the syllable is Idolatry: And here we do not give him his mind; but the meaning of it is, that we should worship him in spirit and truth.  
3. As we give him his mind, so we must give him welcome also and entertainment: If you look lowering towards him, and grudge at him and his truth, no wonder but he go away. This is the sin of England: We bear an ill will to God and his word, God hath done much for us of this land. What could he have done more for his vineyard, Isa. 5. 4. but it brought forth fruit contrary to his expectation; and therefore mark what he saith, I will take away the hedge thereof, it shall be trodden down: so will it be with us. Are we better than the old world? the same sins that were found in them, are found in us: Sodom and Gomorrah on whom God reigned fire and brimstone, are not our sins as great? and are there not as great sins in us as were in jerusalem, that was carried away captive? are we better than other Churches, than our brethren that have drunk so deeply of the cup of God's wrath? what are we? I will tell you we are a burden to God, he cannot bear us, he will think his pains well over when he hath destroyed us. You know all men are glad when their pains are over: so it is with God, we are a pain and a trouble to him, and why should God go continually in pain and trouble with us, who are worthy to be destroyed? If his decree once come forth, then shall England seek peace, and shall not find it. God will not pity us, as in Isa. 7.25. Ah! Brethren, what a heavy case is it, when a merciful God doth show himself unmerciful? when a patiented God will be impatient? O beloved! there is a hard time befalling us of England; yet we consider it not; lamentable is our time. God wept over Jerusalem a long time: Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thy eyes: So may I say to England, their Lord hath wept over it in mercy and patience a long time, but it hath not been taken notice of, God hath hid it from our eyes, what shall we do when his mercy is turned into fury? and his patience into frowning? what shall we do when we have leisure to consider what once we did enjoy? we can never prise God's patience till that we find the great want of it. Thus than the poor soul will say: There was a time when we might have been at peace with this patiented God, but now it is hid from our eyes: I might have had mercy, but now the gate is shut, and not only shut, but locked and barred too. Thus when people refuse mercy, he sends the contrary judgement, and then it will grieve and wound our souls to think what once we did enjoy; but that man that will bid God welcome to his heart, may go singing to his grave.  
4. You must be importunate with him to stay, and to continue, and count it a great favour that he will yet be entreated, Isa. 37. jacob wrestled with God, and thus must we do if we mean to keep him. You that live under the means, and will not walk in them, what great condemnation will be to you, over to them that have not the means, as it is said of Capernaum, Mat. 18. so say Into England: Thou England which wast lifted up to heaven with means shalt be abased and brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in India or Turkey, they would have repent ere this; therefore capernaum's place is England's place, which is the most insufferablest torment of all; and mark what I say, the poor native Turks and Infidels shall have a cooler summer parlour in hell than you; for we stand at a high rate, we were highly exalted, therefore shall our torments be the more to bear. The Lord write these things in our hearts with the finger of his own Spirit for his Christ's sake, under whom we are all covered.  
FINIS.   

THE RULE OF THE NEW CREATURE.  GAL. 6.16. 
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.  
THe rule of the new Creature, which is to be practised every day, by all believers, consisting of these ten particulars.  
First be sensible of thy original sin & corruption, daily know how it enticeth thee to all evil, & indisposeth thee to all good; groan under it, and bewail it as Paul did, 7. Rom. 14. O wretched man that Jam, who shall deliver me from this body of death. Also take notice especially of thy actual sins, or daily infirmities, in thought, word, and deed, endeavour to make thy peace with thy God for them before thou goest to thy bed, by repenting and confessing of them to thy God; work thy heart to grieve for them by some melting considerations of God's mercies towards thee, 1 john 1.9. by believing or casting thyself wholly on Christ's righteousness, for removal of thy sin, and reconciliation with thy God, 3 Rom. 22, 23, 24, 25. Cleave to God's promises of pardon and peace, Isa. 43.25. Rom. 5.1. waiting till the Lord shall speak peace to thy soul, Psal. 85.6.  
The second rule of the new Creature is, get thy union with Christ, and interest in Christ clear and confirmed unto thee daily more and more, that thou art a branchin that vine, a member in that body, 2 Cor. 13.3. this may be done three ways.  
First, by daily renewing thy faith in Christ, especially that act of faith, by which thy soul knits or ties itself on Christ for salvation, cause thy soul every day in solemn manner to act that part, put forth this primitive act of faith in the whole part of thy soul. The daily exercise of this will increase and strengthen the divine habit of faith in the soul, and make the soul sensible of every act of it: By frequent believing thou shalt feel at thy very heart root that thou dost believe: so shalt thou have witness in thyself, that thou art in Christ, 1 joh. 5.16.  
Secondly, by examining thy heart on what grounds thou takest Christ to be thine: as first, are thy grounds of taking Christ a sight and sense of thy sins, of the guilt, power, and punishment of them, and of thy misery by them, Mat. 19.13. Secondly, are thy grounds of taking Christ, the want of Christ seen and felt at thy very heart, to justify, sanctify, redeem, and save thee, else thou art utterly undone for ever, and lost everlastingly, Luk. 9.10. Thirdly, is thy ground of taking Christ, God's free mercy & general offer of him to any that will take him by faith, joh. 3.16. Manifold promises to this purpose; the ground of all these offers— donations of Christ being free grace, rich mercy, undeserved love, Eph. 2.4, 7. Titus 3.4, 5, 6, 7. Fifthly, is thy ground of taking Christ his sweet and gracious invitation of such to come to him, as are weary and heavy laden, Mat. 11.28. Buy of him as have no money, Isa. 55.1. No worthiness at all, or desert in ourselves.  
Fifthly, are thy grounds of taking Christ thus, that as sinful wretches as thou art have been sought of Christ, and found of him, 1 Cor. 9.10. Then why may not you; the more clear thou desirest Christ, the more clear will be thy title to him.  
3. In what manner thou desirest Christ to be thine.  
1. Whether thou dost renounce wholly all opinion and conceit of thy own righteousness and desert, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9, 10. So that thou comest to Christ empty of thyself, very vile, yea nothing in thy own eyes, unworthy to receive him.  
2. Whether thou layest hold on Christ alone with the empty hand of faith, joining nothing at all with Christ in matters of salvation.  
3. Whether thou find God the Father drawing thy heart after him, joh. 6.44. By hungering and panting desires, which will never be satisfied without him, so that the streams both of thy judgement, 3 Phil. 18. also of thy affections, 1 Cor. 2.2. Gal. 6.14.  
4. If thou takest as a Lord to rule thee, as well as a jesus to save thee, Col. 2.6. one which is all to thee, thy wisdom, thy righteousness, thy salvation, thy redemption, 1 Cor. 1.3. thy special food, joh. 5.6. thy raiment, Rom. 13.14. thy strength, Phil. 4.13. Gal. 2.20.  
5. Whether thou seek and wait for Christ out of the sense of thy spiritual want and penury, in every ordinance public and private, Word, Sacraments, Prayer, Meditation, Conference, not as ones own works of sanctification; but as they are Gods Ordinances, appointed of very purpose for the manifestation and communication of Christ to the soul.  
The third part of the rule of the new Creature.  
4. Labour to draw and derive from Christ by the pulling attractive force of faith, special ability sufficient for the day: First, to perform all duties: secondly, to exercise all grace in the day: thirdly, to resist and overcome all temptations and corruptions which shall befall thee in the day, make thy provision of grace and strength from Christ, every morning fetch so much as you shall have occasion to use all the day long; yea, and in all occasions that shall fall out on the day; Go to Christ still for the wisdom that must direct thee; for the holiness which must carry thee, and characterise thee; for the shoulder that must bear thee: If they be crosses, for the strength that must sustain them: If they be temptations, perform them: If they be duties, act thy faith daily on the promises of grace and strength, as john 1.16. Ezek. 36.27. Isa. 44.3. Zach. 10.12. These are securities given thee from God, that thou shal● receive grace through the Ordinancer, which are the conduit-pipes, or instruments of conveying the same into the soul from Christ: This is to do all in the strength of Christ, and to take forth a great deal of Christ into the soul every day, that not thou, but Christ may be in thee, Gal. 2.20.  
The fourth part of the new Creature, perform daily duties both in family, and in closet, especially prayer, meditation, conference, reading with intention of affection, with diligence and delight, jer. 48.10. Mal. 1.4. 1 Cor. 21.24. To this end watch to these duties, keep thy heart in a good frame for them, Eph. 6.18. undefiled with sinne●, untainted with the world.  
2. Take fit time for the performance of all, when tho art dull and sluggish, begin the day with the thoughts of God.  
3. Be substantial with God in all these duties, endeavour to feel every duty at the very heart, enlarging and inflaming thy affections. These be duties of very great consequence, which bring the greatest comfort to thy soul, because they aim at they souls good.  
The fifth rule of the new Creature.  
First, fortify thyself very morning against those special insts, to which by nature thou art most prone and often tempted, as pride, passion, inordinate affections, covetousness, by argumenting and reasoning within thyself, drawn from the sad effects of it, as disprofit, discomfort, disgrace, etc. Labour to see the unreasonableness of thy sins discovered unto thee, and make thy soul ashamed of them; for examine and ponder with thyself, shall I be proud? then I am sure to have a fall, for pride goes before a fall, and God accounts me as his enemy, for he resists the proud. Shall I be angry? If I let passion in, I shall not keep Satan our, Eph. 4.26. I shall grieve the holy Spirit of God, Eph. 4.30. Shall I be covetous? I cannot but be very sinful, for the love of money is the root of all evil, 1. Tim. 6.10.  
2. By pondering in thy mind the precepts in God's book, threaten against thy sins, and judgements of God upon others; as on Herod for pride, Dives for voluptuousness Nabal for churlishness.  
3. By applying promises of mortification to thy heart, as a plaster to thy soul for subduing of thy corruptions daily, as Micah 9.10. Rom. 6.14.  
4. By drawing virtue from Christ's death to thy soul, which hath in it a kill force of sin, Phil. 3.10. Num. 6.5.  
The sixth part of the rule of the new Creature. Let thy heart be strongly fixed on God by trusting on him, Ps. 112.7. submitting thyself to him, 2 Sam. 15.26. 1 Sam. 3.8. against thy fears, cares, trials, troubles, afflictions of every day; for sufficient to the day is the evil thereof, Mat. 6.31. to the end.  
1. To foresee prudently thy personal trials and troubles, whatsoever they are like to be, Prov. 22.3.  
2. Go hide and lay upthy self in God, run unto his name; for God is a rock of salvation, whereunto a poor soul may continually resort, God will give command to save us, Psal. 71.3.  
3. Especially commit that very thing to God, put it into his hands, whatsoever thou desirest to keep, or fearest to lose, 2 Tim 1.12. be it life, liberty, name, or friends, maintenance, whatsoever you would have resolved of a doubt, Psal. 37.5. or supply, if it be want, removed; if it be a cross, Psal 50.15. together with all other things, cast all thy cares, sorrows, troubles, fears, on the Lord wholly, Mat. 6.31. 1 Pet. 5.7. Psal. 55.22.  
4. Renew thy faith on those promises every day, which most concernethy present state: As for the promises of supply, if thou be'st in want, as Psal. 34.3. Psal. 84.11. of direction if in doubt; of deliverance if in trouble, of a sanctified use of all, Deut. 8.16. I am. 5. 11. Rom. 8.28. Heb. 12.10.  
5. Labour to see God's hand in every thing, Psal. 34.9. believe his love, Heb 11.6.  
6. Resignethy self to him, Mat 26.39.  
The seventh part of the rule of the new Creature. Get a savoury relish of thy Christian privileges with which thou art invested, as thou art a new creature in Christ.  
1. Of thy dignity, being the Son of God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.  
2. Of thy liberty, being freed out of all thy enemies hands.  
3. Of the victory that thou hast in Christ to overcome the world, 1 john 5.4. thou hast victory over the evil of temptation and persecutions, Rom. 8.35, 37. by thy faith.  
4. Thou hast an hedge of providence about thee, a guard of Angels, Psal. 91.11. an enclosure of mercies, Psal. 32.10. God's promises are yet of protection, Heb. 13.5, 6.  
5. Of thy riches, Heb. 10.14. 1 Pet. 2.6.  
6. Of the joys, which are precious for kind, plentiful for measure, Psal. 16.11. they are thy Masters joy.. Meditate on these seriously every day, and oppose thy pleasures, profits, honours, which thou hast by Christ, against the profit, pleasure, honours of the world.  
The eighth rule of the new Creature, sanctify God in thy heart daily, 1 Pet. 3.15. get into thy heart the fear of God, Isa. 8.13. delight in God, Psal. 37.34.  
1. Have serious thoughts of God in his nature, it is this will nourish the divine nature in thee.  
2. Labour to admire God in his works, to taste his love in them, Psal. 34.8. take notice of God's anger in his judgements, Psal. 119.120. Heb. 3.16.  
3. Pray for a heart of flesh, and apply the promises for that very end.  
The ninth part of the rule of the new Creature. Get a public Spirit to mind the things of Christ, Phil. 2.20, 21.  
1. Mourn for the sins of the time, call thy comforts Icabods, 1 Sam. 4.21.  
2. Remember the afflictions of joseph, Psal. 137.6, 7. Sympathize with them, pray to God for them.  
3. Mind signs of the times, as the commonest signs, contempt of God's Ordinances, departure of his glory from his ordinances.  
4. Incorrigibleness under former judgements, as errors in opinion, declining from the truth of God, these precede temporal judgements, Isa. 6.10, 11.  
The tenth rule of directions.  
1. Get thy heart more and more weaned from the Creature, the Creature is empty, it's not able to satisfy thee fully, nor make thee happy.  
2. It cannot save thee from judgements, from death.  
3. It's of a perishing nature.  
4. The wicked of the world have the greatest part of these earthly blessings.  
These ten rules are to be practised by Christians every day.  
FINIS.