WORDS WHEREBY We may be Saved.  
By THOMAS VINCENT, sometime Minister of Maudlin's Milk-street, LONDON.  Act. 11. 14. 
Who shall tell thee Words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved.  Heb. 2. 3. 
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which began to be spoken of by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?  
LONDON, Printed for the use of the Poor, and freely given to them by some worthy Benefactors, who desire their Salvation. 1668.   

To the POOR.  
THese few sheets were chief intended for you; and therefore I thought fit in a few lines to dedicate them unto you. Some Benefactors give you Food, others give you Raiment, others give you Money; all which gifts are for the relief of your temporal necessities, and of concernment only to your bodies. Here you have a gift in order to the relief of your Spiritual necessities, a Soul-gift, which doth concern your salvation. And as the Soul is more excellent than the Body, and the Salvation here treated of, is of ten thousand times more value than all earthly Riches: So in some measure of proportion you should prise such gifts chief as are for the good of your Souls, and may be (through God's blessing) a help to you in the attaining of Salvation. Your souls are as precious as the souls of the most honourable; and your souls whilst in a state of nature, are in as great danger of ruin, as the souls of the most sinful; and though you should be as yet out of a state of Salvation, you are as capable of obtaining salvation as the most holy before Conversion. And for your further encouragement I may tell you, that you may get to Heaven without so great difficulties as the Rich: See Matth. 19 24. and Jam. 2. 5. you have not those snares and temptations in your way as the Rich have; which as it should quicken your endeavours after, so it will aggravate your sin if you should neglect your salvation.  
Wicked rich men have their good things here, some kind of Portion in this life, and their evil things are chief reserved until hereafter; But you which are Poor have little portion of good things in this life, and if you do not obtain salvation, you will have no good things reserved for you in the other World, nothing but treasures of wrath according to your treasures of sin; and so besides the miseries you undergo here, you will be miserable hereafter, and miserable for ever. My heart's desire and prayer for you is, That you may be saved; therefore have I written these things. You have this little Book freely given unto you by some Worthy Persons, who hope for a fuller reward than the price of any Books can amount unto; especially if this Book be made use of by the Lord as a means for the conversion and salvation of any of your souls, their reward will be the greater that have been instrumental herein; therefore accept of this Gift, read it in your Families, or get it read to you where you cannot read yourselves. But chief accept of the Salvation this Book speaketh of, which, however dearly purchased by the blood of Christ, is freely tendered unto you. Salvation is a Gift, and the greatest, most excellent, and most necessary Gift; to move and guide you in the obtaining of which, is the design of these sheets; which that they may be successful, is the Prayer of a dear Lover of, and Wellwisher to the Poor.  
Thomas Vincent.   


CHAP. I.  
THE chief end which every one ought to intent in his Life, is the Glory of God, and the Salvation of his own Soul: The chief work of Ministers is to tell People words whereby they may be saved: Such words Peter speaketh to Cornelius, Act. 11. 14. and such words I shall endeavour in these sheets to tell sinners.  
In order to your salvation, I shall speak, 

1. Some Words to try you whether you be in a state of Salvation.  
2. Some Words to move you to endeavour after your Salvation.  
3. Some Words to guide you in the way to attain Salvation.    


I. The first words shall be to try you, whether you be in a state of Salvation; and here I must put you upon the trial of yourselves, wherein I may give you some help; take the Exhortation of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own selves. Examine yourselves by the Rule of the Word: And because these Words are chief intended in order to the salvation of such as have not yet attained it; to prepare them for the following Motives and Directions, which, if they mistook themselves to have already attained to a state of salvation, would likely do them no good: Therefore I shall briefly out of the Word of God give   

Some Characters of such as are not in a state of Salvation.  
1. Ignorant persons are not in a state of salvation. See this Isa. 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that form them will show them no favour: Those that are grossly ignorant of the Fundamental Truths of Religion, concerning God and Christ, the lost estate of Man since the fall, the way of Salvation, Repentance, Faith, the Resurrection from the dead, the last Judgement, and the future Rewards and Punishments in Heaven and Hell, and the like Principles of Religion, which are necessary to be known in order to salvation, they cannot for the present be in a state of Salvation; the meanest understanding is capable of knowing these things by the teachings of the Word and Spirit, therefore such as do neglect the means of Instruction, and do not search the Word, and cry to God for it, but nuzzle up themselves in an affected ignorance in these things, are inexcusable in their fault, and will bring unavoidable destruction upon themselves, Hos. 4. 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  
2. Negligent persons are not in a state of salvation, I mean such as neglect their salvation. Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Such as do not value and prise this great salvation purchased by Christ, and published in the Gospel; such as never were made sensible of their need hereof; such as never had any great desires after it; such as never took any pains in the use of means to obtain it; all which are evidences of their neglect, they cannot escape the dreadful punishment of Hell, which is prepared for such persons. Such as are diligent to make provision for their Bodies, but neglect the salvation of their souls; if they persevere in this negligence they must needs miss of salvation.  
3. Impenitent persons are not in a state of salvation. Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. All are guilty of sin original, and actual, and have matter for repentance; such as have an obdurate and impenitent heart, which never was broken, and melted, and humbled; which never was affected with true evangelical sorrow for sin; but on the contrary, can commit sin with delight, rolling it as a sweet morsel under their tongue, which they will not part withal, they must needs perish everlastingly, if they should die in this estate; the word is express, that iniquity will be the ruin of the impenitent, Ezek. 18. 30.  
4. Unregenerate persons are not in a state of salvation. Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Such as never had a gracious change wrought in their hearts, that are asleep in sin, and never were awakened; as are dead in sin, and never were quickened; such as have old natures and old hearts, and never were renewed; that never put off as concerning their former conversation the old man which is corrupt, according to deceitful lusts, and put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. 4. 22, 24. they are uncapable whilst such, of this salvation, there is no entrance for them into the Kingdom of Heaven.  
5. Christless persons are not in a state of salvation, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates. Such as have not Christ, and are not themselves in Christ, they are for the present in a state of Reprobation; It is Christ only can save; those that are without Christ, that are not united to him by Faith and the Spirit, that are Unbelievers without Faith, and carnal without the Spirit, they cannot, whilst such, be saved.  
6. Unsanctified persons are not in a state of salvation. Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness none shall see God. Such as are unholy, such as live after the flesh shall die, none but those that through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body shall live, Rom. 8. 13.  
7. And in a word, Disobedient persons are not in a state of salvation. Heb. 5. 9 He became the author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him, to none else; and Eph. 5. 6. The wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience. Such as walk in a course of disobedience, as live and allow themselves in the practice of known sins, whatever they be, they are children of wrath because children of disobedience. The Scriptures are so plain, that I need without many words of mine, only lay them before you, as a Glass wherein you may discern your spiritual state. Try yourselves by these places, these Texts will reach all that are not in a state of salvation.     

CHAP. II.  

II. THE second words shall be to move you to endeavour after your Salvation.  
The Motives to stir up you to endeavour your salvation may be drawn, 

1. From the consideration of yourselves, Whom you should endeavour the salvation of.  
2. From the consideration of the salvation which you should endeavour to obtain.  
3. From the consideration of the Damnation of all such as do not obtain salvation.    

Motive 1. From the consideration of your selves, whom you should endeavour the salvation of: It is the salvation of yourselves, which I would press you unto; It was the exhortation of the Apostle, Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, and this is my exhortation of you this day, Labour after your own salvation: If I were to persuade you to do some great kindness for another, were it a difficult thing and like to cost you much labour and trouble, I should not likely prevail; but when I am persuading you to do a kindness for yourselves, and the greatest kindness in the World, even to endeavour after the salvation of yourselves; methinks the natural Love which you bear to yourselves should induce you to hearken and do whatever is requisite in order hereunto, though it cannot be done without difficulty and trouble. How far will carnal self-love carry carnal men? what difficulties will they go thorough? what expenses of time and pains and strength will they be at? how will some rise up early and sit up late, deny themselves food and rest and many comforts of this life? how will others compass Sea and Land and hazard life itself, and all to get an estate in the world for themselves? and should not spiritual self-love, which is the only real self-love, carry you thorough difficulties? should you think much of exspending time and pains that you may get salvation for yourselves? carnal self-love will bring destruction and misery upon such as are swayed by it, and in the issue will prove self-hatred; as you really love yourselves, as you would escape the most dreadful misery, and obtain the chiefest happiness for yourselves, labour after salvation for yourselves. Yourself, your Persons do consist of two parts, namely, Soul and Body; it is the salvation of both, which I exhort you unto.  

1. Consider, it is the salvation of your Souls which I would have you endeavour after, the salvation of your precious souls; your souls are more precious than your bodies, and they are more precious than the whole world.  
1. Your souls are more precious than your bodies, they are by far your more excellent part: the original of your soul is more immediately from God: he formeth the spirit of man within him, Zach. 12. 1. they are beams, they are streams that issue forth immediately from God; moreover they carry more of the impress and image of God upon them as they are invisible, spiritual, rational, free, immortal; they have also more high and excellent operations than the body is capable of, as of the understanding, conscience, memory, will, affections; and I may add that if there be any lustre upon the body, it doth receive it from the soul, when the soul is gone, the beauty is gone; whatever motion or use there is in the body, it doth depend on the soul; when the soul is departed, the body can neither hear, nor speak, nor see, nor walk, nor do any business; the body is a rotten stinking carcase without the soul; and whilst the soul doth abide in it, the body is the inferior part, the body is but the Cabinet, the soul is the Jewel; the body is but the house of clay, the soul is the living inhabitant; the body is as it were the beast (as one saith Corpus homini jumentum) which the soul doth make use of to carry it from one place to another; the body is the servant, it is the soul that rules, O labour then after the salvation of your souls, which are your most excellent part; what care do some take to preserve their bodies? much more reason have you to endeavour the salvation of your souls: when London's Fire was burning the houses, those who could not save all their goods, took care to save those which were the most precious, especially their money and jewels; O whatever become of your bodies here, whatever sickness or hardship they be exposed unto, labour to save your jewels, your precious souls; the Cabinet will be spoiled, the clay and mudd-wall will be broken down, and the soul will survive the body; O take heed that when your souls come forth of their houses of clay, that they be not cast into the deep and dark prison of Hell.  
2. Your souls are more precious than the whole world; our Saviour esteemed them so, and he best knew the worth of souls, who knew the making of them, and made purchase of so many lost souls, see Matth. 16. 26. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Suppose that you had your hearts-desire in the world, that your bags should throng in your Coffers, till there were no more room; your gold and silver should increase without number; suppose you had great possessions abroad, large revenues, stately houses, fruitful gardens and orchards, pleasant groves and walks, spacious fields and meadows, which as the Poet saith, would weary the wings of a Kite to fly over in a day; suppose that you had sweet and beautiful wives at home, like loving Hinds and pleasant Roes unto you, like fruitful Vines about your houses; that you had towardly and hopeful Children like Olive-plants round about your Tables; that you had most kind and faithful friends of most pleasant conversation; that you had servants, horses, chariots, coaches, dogs, hawks, and all sorts of serviceable and delightful creatures, the best and in the greatest number at your commands to attend your pleasure: suppose you were clothed with purple, wrapped in fine linen, adorned with gold and silver, and precious stones, and had the most rich and glorious Attire that the greatest cost and art could make for you: suppose that your food were most delicious, that Air, Earth, and the Sea were ransacked to provide dainties for your Table; that your courses were served up with the most rich and generous Wine, the most sweet and harmonious music: suppose that you were laden with titles of honour, and had all the Crowns and Sceptres of the earth laid at your feet, and that the whole world had you in the highest esteem, and were in willing subjection unto you; yet what would it profit you to gain all these things, or any thing else that the heart of man could desire in the world, and lose your souls, which are a thousand fold more precious: the gain of these things are but for the body, and but for a while; whereas the loss of the soul is for ever; and when the soul is lost, all is lost; when the soul leaveth the body, a period is put to all earthly enjoyments; and the more you have of these things, the more grievous will it be to part with them; Think with yourselves that you must die certainly, and may die suddenly, and then, if not before, you will acknowledge the world's vanity and the preciousness of your souls, which are of longer duration than the age of ten thousand worlds put together, and what is the gain of the world which is so transitory and temporal, in comparison with the loss of the soul which is immortal, and whose loss is irreparable: a loss in the estate may be recovered, Riches may fly away upon the wing, and sometimes return upon the wing again, as in the case of Job; but the loss of the soul can never be recovered; when once the soul hath taken wing and is fled into the lower regions, it will never find wings to return again to its former estate: O therefore whatever you lose, take heed you do not lose your souls, your souls are very precious, seek after their salvation.   

2. It is the salvation also of your Bodies which I would have you endeavour after: I do not mean the salvation of your bodies from sufferings, which Religion doth sometimes call you unto; nor a salvation of your bodies from sickness and temporal death, which Religion doth not exempt any from; but the salvation of your bodies from perpetual death and pain of Hell; you may pamper your flesh for a while on Earth, which may make it a more fit bait for the Worms in the grave, and your bodies after death may be at rest, and take a sweet sleep for many years in the dust; but there is a morning approaching after the long night of death and many hours of darkness, in which the graves will be opened and the dead will be awakened, and then your bodies will come forth of the dust; and they will be adjudged by Christ unto most horrid and endless torments in Hell, to burn for ever in unquencheable Fire, if you be found under the guilt of sin: O therefore labour after the salvation of your Bodies; when your bodies now are sick, you endeavour to get them cured, when they are full of pain, you use means to get the pain removed; and you will fly as fast and as far as you can from natural Death, and you will do much to lengthen out and strengthen the thread of your life, though do what you can, it will in time be cut asunder, and death which hath you upon the chase will overtake and overcome you whatever resistance be made; O labour to get deliverance from the pains of body which are prepared in Hell for the damned: Fly, O Fly from eternal Death and the strokes of God's wrath which will come upon the bodies of the wicked hereafter; if you would not have those faces scorched, those eyes and tongues and hands roasted, and that flesh broiled and fearfully tormented in the flames of Hell fire, labour after salvation. As you love then yourselves, your souls and bodies, seek after your salvation.      

CHAP. III.  


Motive 2. FRom the consideration of the Salvation which you should endeavour to obtain; and here I shall set before you some properties of this salvation to move you the more effectually to seek after it. 

1. It is a great Salvation.  
2. It is a rare Salvation.  
3. It is a necessary Salvation.  
4. It is a possible Salvation.  
5. It is a near Salvation.  
6. It is an evident Salvation.  
7. It is a free Salvation.  
8. It is a sure Salvation.    

I. It is a great Salvation, and that both in regard of the thing itself, and in regard of the causes of it.  

(1.) It is great in regard of the thing itself. As in Motion, so in Salvation there is the terminus à quo, and the terminus ad quem, the term from which, and the term to which; that which people are in Salvation delivered from, and that which in Salvation they attain unto, both which are exceeding great.  
1. That which people in Salvation are delivered from.  
There are six great evils which those that are saved are delivered from.  
1. From sin, the greatest evil of all, from the guilt of sin, Eph. 1. 7. and the power, the reigning power of sin, Rom. 6 14. 2. From Satan the greatest enemy of all, from his power and tyranny, Col. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 26. 3. From the Law, the evil which it occasioneth, namely, the provoking to concupiscence and disobedience, Rom. 7. 5, 6. and the evil which it denounceth, namely God's curse, Gal. 3. 10, 13. 4. From the world, not in regard of their place, but in regard of their course, Gal. 1. 4. Joh. 15. 19 Joh. 17. 16. 5. From Death, the sting of death, and the fear of death, at least the grounds of fear, Heb. 2. 14, 15. 6. From wrath, the wrath of God which is to come, 1 Thes. 1. 10.  
2. This Salvation is great in regard of that which in Salvation people do attain unto. All the privileges of the Gospel are wrapped up and included in the word Salvation. Election is the foundation of it; Effectual calling is the beginning of it; Justification, Adoption and Sanctification are contained in it, and Glorification is the consummation of it. This Salvation than is great in regard of the thing itself.   

(2.) This Salvation is great in regard of the causes of it. 

1. Efficient.  
2. Meritorious.  
3. Instrumental.  
4. Final.    
1. This Salvation is a great Salvation in regard of the efficient cause, and that is God the Father: Salvation is ascribed to him as the author, Tit. 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us. God is the cause of our Salvation, 1. as he hath chosen us unto Salvation, Eph. 1. 4. As he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world: which Election being of Free grace, we are said to be saved by Grace, Eph. 2 5. 2. As he hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, to purchase Salvation for us, Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Gal. 4. 4, 5. When the fullness of the time was come God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them which were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. 3. As he revealeth this Salvation unto us by the Preaching of the Gospel, for which end he qualifyeth and sends his Ministers upon this Embassage to make known the glad tidings of Salvation. 4. As he conferrs Salvation actually upon us in our effectual calling, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification and Glorification, all these are from God. Now that must needs be a great Salvation which is effected by the great God, especially if we consider that it is the greatest and most glorious of all his works in the world, and unto which all his other works have some kind of tendency.  
2. This Salvation is a great Salvation in regard of the meritorious cause, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the excellency and greatness of whose nature, office and sufferings do demonstrate the greatness of this Salvation which was purchased by him. The sufferings of Christ were most properly the meritorious cause of man's salvation, and they were the greatest sufferings that ever were endured, insomuch as 1. They were the sufferings of the greatest person; as man he was the head of the creation in regard of dignity, he was a greater King than Solomon, Matth. 12. 42. a greater Prophet than Moses, Heb. 3. 3. a greater Priest than Aaron, even a Priest after the order of Melchisedec, Heb. 7. Moreover he was God as well as man, God manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3. 16. and though the God head could not properly suffer, yet through its union in the same person to the Manhood, it put an efficacy in his suffering, and strengthened the humane nature to undergo greater sufferings as to the value of them in that short space of time, than all the Angels and Men in the world (had their strength been united together in one person) could have endured, if the greatest extremity of misery had been laid upon such a one unto all eternity: For 2. The sufferings of Christ were equivalent unto eternal death, and the torments of the damned in Hell, yea they were far exceeding, as is evident, because Gods infinite Justice is hereby fully satisfied, and there is sufficiency of merit in them for the redemption of the whole world not only of Believers, but also of Unbelievers, not only of Men but of Devils too: Christ's sufferings were of infinite value, not in regard of the sufferings but in regard of the Divine nature so closely united unto the Humane nature: Therefore the salvation purchased by these sufferings must needs be a great salvation.  
3. This salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Instrumental Cause, and that is Faith; faith is a grace of great worth and excellency, insomuch as it doth not spring from any root or power of nature, but is wrought by the power of God, and requireth such exceeding great power in the effecting of it; we read of the exceeding greatness of God's power towards them that believe according to the working of his mighty power, Eph. 1. 19 which shows that the salvation is great which is effected by this grace of Faith.  
4. This salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Final Cause, and that is the manifestation of God's glory: 1. The glory of his Wisdom in contriving such a way for Man's salvation, which no created understanding could have thought of: 2. The glory of his Justice which is as fully satisfied through Christ's sufferings, as if all Believers had been eternally punished: 3. And chief the glory of his free grace and mercy, which is set forth and magnified so eminently in all the degrees of man's salvation, that nothing may be ascribed unto Man, but all unto God alone.  
Thus you see, that this salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Thing itself, and in regard of the Causes of it. It is so great salvation as it hath no comparison, and is beyond expression, therefore labour to attain this salvation; some endeavour to get a great Estate, others to get great Friends, others to get great honour and repute in the world, do you labour to obtain this great salvation which doth exceed all in greatness, it is a high and noble design, and is worthy your uttermost care and diligence in seeking after it; other things are but small things, mere toys and trifles in comparison; nothing in the world hath the least degree of worth, compared with this so great salvation. I shall be more brief in speaking of the other properties of this salvation.    

II. This salvation is a Rare Salvation: I mean, that few do obtain it; Many are called, few are chosen, Matth. 20. 16. Many are damned, few are saved: There are many troops of sinners that are prosting in the broad way of destruction, it is but a thin scattered company that are pressing forward in the narrow way of life and salvation; this is evident from the Answer of our Saviour upon the Question propounded unto him, Luk. 13. 23, 24. Then said one unto him, Lord are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. In which words he doth in effect say, that Few, very Few should be saved, for he tells them plainly, that the gate of salvation is a straight gate, and many cannot pass thorough a straight gate; and although many should seek to enter in at this gate, yet they should not be able; and if many that seek to enter in shall not be able, than it follows, that none of those which do not seek to enter in shall be able: Hence than we may gather a strong argument to prove, that very few shall be saved; If the most of men and women in the world do not seek salvation at all, and they cannot possibly attain it, and many that seek salvation shall never find it, than there are but few that shall be saved; but the most in the world do not seek salvation at all, to say nothing of the Heathen world which is by many degrees the far greater part of the world, who sit in darkness, and from whom the Gospel of salvation is hid, and therefore are expressly said to be lost, 2 Cor. 4. 3. Even in the Christian world where the light of the Gospel doth shine, the most of men and women, that bear the name of Christians, are ignorant, or profane, or only civil and moral, and live in the total neglect of the salvation of the Gospel, and such cannot possibly attain salvation that do not at all seek after it: And of them that make some profession of Religion, and do something in order to salvation, many shall not be able to attain it; our Saviour saith, that many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able, because they do not seek in a right manner, because they do not seek salvation chief; they seek the satisfaction of their lusts, before the salvation of their souls; because they do not seek it diligently, they are careless and formal in the use of the means of salvation; they seek, but they do not strive to enter in at the straight gate; they do not press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling, and therefore they fall short and miss of it; there are but few that strive to enter in at the straight gate, that strive as wrestlers in wrestling, or racers in running, or warriors in fight, as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify; few that seek their salvation above all other things, and with all their heart and might, few that are resolved for salvation whatever it cost them, whatever they do, or suffer for it, unto which resolution and endeavour all must come, or else they cannot be saved, and these being so few, certainly there are but few that shall be saved. More plainly our Saviour speaks to the same purpose, Math. 7. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because straight is the gate and narrow the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. The gate and way of sin which leads to death and Hell, are wide and broad, and the most in the world are passing thorough this gate, and walking in this way; the course of the world is a course of sin, the end of which course is destruction, and the reason why so many go in at the gate of sin; which is the outer gate of Hell, is, because straight is the 〈◊〉, and narrow the way which leadeth unto life; because of the difficulties in the way of life and salvation, which require much pains and diligence if we would go thorough them; we must give all diligence, if we would make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1. 10. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, if we would attain salvation, Phil. 1. 12. we must labour if we would enter into Rest, Heb. 4. 12. we must strive if we would enter in at the straight gate, Luk. 13. 24. we must run if we would obtain the prize, 1 Cor. 9 24. we must fight the good fight of Faith if we would lay hold on eternal life, 1 Tim. 6. 12. the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, saith our Saviour, and the violent take it by force, Math. 11. 12. we must lay siege to Heaven, if we would take it, and with force and violence overcome those potent enemies, the Devil, the Flesh, and the World, who would draw or drive us away from the walls and gates of the New Jerusalem. It is not an easy thing to be saved, the way to Heaven is narrow, and it lieth up hill, our endeavours for Heaven especially at the first, are like climbing up a steep hill, like hewing a way thorough hard rocks, like swimming against a strong stream, like cutting hard wood against the grain; and because of the opposition and difficulty in the way of salvation, therefore there be but few that find the path thereof; most choose a broader and easier way. It is evident then from what hath been said, that this salvation is Rare and scarce, the consideration whereof should not discourage you, but quicken you unto the greater diligence in your endeavours after it; the rarity of it showeth the worth and excellency of it; Jewels and precious stones are rare and hard to be got; what difficulties will some thorough? what dangerous voyages unto the uttermost parts of the Earth will some undertake, to bring home some rare things? but especially the consideration withal of the necessity of salvation (of which in the next particular) should quicken you to seek after it. Think with yourselves (my beloved) think seriously, and think frequently, that there are but few that shall be saved; and then examine, what reason you have to think that you are in the number of those few: When our Saviour told his Disciples that but one of them should betray him, they looked one upon another, and every one asked him, Lord is it I? there was none of them without their fears which made them so inquisitive, and they seem to be in pain until they are resolved; what then would they have thought and said? how fearful would they have been, if our Saviour had told them that the most of them should have betrayed him, yea that all of them should betray him, but one? May not I without uncharitableness say, that not one in twelve, no nor one in twenty, no nor one in a hundred in this City and Nation shall be saved? If I should tell you that hear me this day, that some of you will be damned, yea that many of you will be damned, yea that m●… of you will be damned, and that but few of this great company will be saved, should I be a false Prophet? I will not say it will be thus, neither can I do it, because this is God's secret; much less do I desire it should be thus, for the end of my preaching is, that you all might be saved; but let me tell you, that I fear that many of you here present will be found in the number of those many our Saviour speaketh of, that shall seek to enter in at the straight gate, and shall not be able; our Saviour told his Auditors, that flocked to hear him, thus, and are you better than they? you all seek to enter in at the straight gate, by coming into this place where the Gospel is preached, and where the gate is set open before you; but are there not many amongst you that seek in a careless and negligent manner? May not I say of all the seekers here, that there are but few that strive to enter in at the straight gate? Do you all, or the most look as if you had your eye upon the mark and glorious prize before you, and were pressing with all your might towards it? do you hear as if it were for your lives, as if you might hear words this day whereby you may be saved? do you pray and seek as if you were in earnest, as if you were resolved to take Heaven by violence, and whatever you were denied in, would not be denied your salvation? Such as do not strive shall never get thorough the straight gate. Think with yourselves, It may be that many in this place shall be damned, and then say, Shall not I? shall not I? and O what a miserable wretch shall I be if I should be damned! if I should get only to the gate of Heaven, and not get thorough! if I should come only to the borders of the Heavenly Canaan, and die in the Wilderness! if I should be found in the number of the negligent seekers which will miss of salvation? What grounds have I to think that I shall be saved? there are but few, can I think that I am inthe number of the few? Methinks this consideration of the Rarity of salvation should awaken you to give earnest heed that with the most that seek it, you may not miss of it.   

3. This salvation is a necessary salvation: the great difficulty of obtaining some precious things discourageth the endeavours of the most in seeking after them, especially when they may be well enough without them; but this salvation is necessary, you cannot be without it; it is of absolute and universal necessity; some things you may have, this you must have; without it you are undone, you will be irrecoverably and eternally miserable; there is no medium, no middle condition between salvation and damnation (of which more by and by): some things are necessary to the body, but salvation is necessary to your happiness, without it there is no possibility (in this fallen state) of obtaining the chief end, the chief good which you are capable of; without this no coming near to God in whom your chiefest happiness doth consist, no vision or fruition of him either in part here, or in full and eternally hereafter. Some men have need of one thing, and some of another, but all the men and women in the world have need of salvation, because all are sinners, all are children of wrath by nature. There is not one person amongst you all but have been guilty of sin, for the whole world is guilty before God, Rom. 3. 19, and every moment of your lives you are exposed unto the punishment of sin in Hell, unless you are brought into a state of salvation. It is necessary therefore that all of you should above all things seek after your salvation.   

4. This salvation is a possible salvation; though there were never so much worth and excellency in, never so much necessity of this salvation, yet if there were an impossibility of obtaining it, all arguments would be used in vain to press any to endeavour after it; but this salvation is possible, it is possible that you should attain it, that the meanest of you, the vilest of you, yea that every one of you that hear these words may attain it.  
1. The meanest of you may attain this salvation, and that 1. Such of you as are of the meanest parts, though you have neither humane learning, nor capacity or ability for it; though your judgement be shallow, your fancy and invention dull, your memory weak, and so could never understand and retain the many Arts and Sciences in Philosophy, and the divers kinds of Languages, which learned men have written their books in; yet you are capable of being made the Scholars and Disciples of Jesus Christ, and he can teach the dullest and shallowest of you all the deep mysteries of salvation by his Spirit; yea and he can give you a greater understanding in them, than the wiselt and most learned men that are without the Spirit do attain unto; For he hideth those things from the wise and prudent which he revealeth unto babes, Matth. 11. 25. And the natural man, let him be never so learned a man, receiveth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14. And therefore when not many wise men after the flesh are called, God chooseth the foolish things of the world to exalt the riches of his free grace in their salvation, 1 Cor. 1. 26, 27, 31. Surgunt indocti & rapiunt coelum, quum nos cum omni doctrina in Gehenn●… detrudimur, saith one. The unlearned arise, and take Heaven by violence, when we with all our learning are violently thrown down into Hell. So that you who are of no learning, and but mean natural abilities, have encouragement to seek after this salvation of the Gospel, seeing the Lord can teach you by his Spirit, and it doth better suit with his design of glorifying his free grace in bestowing it upon such as you, rather than on the wise and learned men of the world, who would be apt to ascribe the glory unto themselves. 2. Such of you as are not only of the meanest parts, but also of the meanest condition in the World, may attain this Salvation; the poor have the Gospel preached unto them, Matth. 11. 5. If with poverty in regard of Estate, you are also poor in spirit, the riches of grace and salvation are tendered freely unto you; read for your encouragement what the Apostle saith, Jam. 2. 5. Harken my beloved Brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this World, rich in Faith, and Heirs of the Kingdom, which he hath promised unto them that love him. If you were to seek some great favour from an Earthly Prince, your mean attire and condition might keep you at a distance; and you might have no regard given to your request, should it have a hearing; The Petitions of the great and rich are heard in Courts on Earth, when the poor and mean are despised: but the King of Heaven doth regard the rich no more than the poor, Job 34. 19 And if you seek diligently after this Salvation, you may have as free access to the Lord as any, and your Petitions shall be heard in the Court of Heaven, and you shall certainly obtain this Salvation which you seek after.  
2. The vilest of you all may attain Salvation; Some of you it may be have been notorious sinners, your consciences do accuse you of such great sins, with such heinous aggravations, that you may be discouraged and out of hope that suchas you should be saved; you have offered such high affronts and indignities unto the highest Majesty that you think he can never put them up; you have run so deep and so long upon the score, that you think the scores can never be wiped off; if they had been smaller faults, or more ordinary slips, or you had sought after Salvation sooner, you might have hoped to speed, but now you fear the door of mercy is shut, and the day of Grace is spent, and there is no pardon and salvation for such vile sinners as you: But let me tell you that the vilest of you all may attain Salvation, the door of mercy is not so fast shut as yet, but by knocking hard it may be opened; and so long as the day of your life is continued, and the means of grace are continued, you cannot say that the day of grace is quite spent; there is salvation attainable by the worst of you all, if you will look after it; our Saviour tells us of Publicans and Harlots that entered into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner than the Pharisees who boasted in their own righteousness, Matth. 21. 31. He conversed with, and called the worst of sinners to repentance, Matth. 9 11, 13. Indeed when the Apostle maketh mention of notorious sinners, he telleth us, that such whilst such, could not be saved, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate, nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind, nor Thiefs, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, shall inkerit the Kingdom of God. Those that are such notorious sinners, and continue in the practice of such sins without repentance, they cannot be saved; but withal he addeth in the 11. verse, that some of them had been such sinners, but were now in a state of Salvation through their interest in Jesus Christ, and the operation of the Spirit of God upon their hearts, And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God; they were justified, their sins pardoned and persons accepted, in the name of the Lord Jesus, through the imputation of his righteousness unto them, and they were washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God, through infusion of Grace by the Spirit into them: I might add further instances of notorious sinners who have been saved, as Manasses, Mary Magdalen, Paul, who before Conversion calleth himself the chiefest of sinners, yet obtained Mercy and Salvation; and let me tell you moreover, that if you repent now and apply yourselves to Christ, the greater your sins have been, the more will God's glory be illustrated in your Salvation, and the abounding of your sins will make way for the superabounding of his grace.  
3. All of you that hear these words may obtain Salvation, it is possible that every one of you in this place may be saved; it would be a rare thing, but it is a possible thing: indeed there are but few that shall be saved; but who knoweth but all of you may be found in the number of those few; and O how would it rejoice my heart to see all those faces in Heaven whom I see here this day to hear the words of Salvation. Be encouraged to seek after your salvation by the possibility of obtaining. Now salvation is possible for all of you that have not as yet attained it; but let me add, that it will not be possible long for you all; whilst you are in the land of the living it is possible, though you be condemned to Hell for sin whilst unbelievers, Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already; yet the sentence of condemnation is traversible, you may appeal from the Court of the Law, to the Court of Chancery; you may fly from the bar of God's justice, unto the throne of grace; and if you hearty repent of sin, and by faith lay hold on Christ, you may obtain pardon and salvation: Whilst the reprieve of your life lasteth, salvation is attainable; but when once your life is come to an end (which you know not how soon it may be) and you be found in a state of impenitency and unbelief, than the portcullis will be shut down upon you for ever; then the black flag will be hung out; then the talon of lead will seal up the measure of your wickedness; and your condemnation will be irreversible; when the day of your life is spent, the day of grace will be spent too, and the door of mercy will be shut upon you for ever; and it will be impossible for any of you that have not attained, then to attain salvation.   

5. This salvation is a near Salvation. Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend up into Heaven to learn what it is there? or who shall descend into the deep to bring notice of it from thence? or who shall take the wings of the morning, and fly into the uttermost parts of the earth thence to bring tidings of it to you? for the word of salvation is near unto you, it is brought home to your own doors, it is that word which is now sounding in your cars, even the words which we Ministers preach unto you: read what those words are which are brought so nigh, Rom. 10. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed: For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for whosoever calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Heretofore salvation was only amongst the Jews, and whoever of other Nations would be saved, they must travel to Jerusalem, and worship the Lord in his Temple, and inquire for salvation in that place: then salvation was afar off from the Gentiles, especially from these British Isles; but now since the revelation of Jesus Christ, as those which were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ; so the word of salvation is brought nigh unto us; you have many Messengers of Peace, which bring the glad tidings of salvation near unto you, and this may further encourage you to seek after it.   

6. This salvation is an Evident Salvation: I mean, that it is more clearly and evidently made known unto us, than it hath been in former ages unto any, or than it is in other places unto many.  
In former ages this salvation was not made known so clearly unto any, I mean in the ages before the coming of Christ: the Prophets themselves who prophesied of it, did not fully understand what the Spirit in them did signify, when it foretold of this grace which should come unto the Church in after ages, 1 Pet. 1. 10, 11. And therefore the first preaching of the Gospel of salvation, is called a revelation of the mystery which had been kept secret since the world began unto that time, Rom. 16. 25. And a manifestation of that mystery to the Saints which had been hid from ages and generations, Col. 1. 25, 26, 27. The Gospel of salvation was indeed revealed in the dispensation of the Law upon Mount Sinai by Moses, but it was more obscurely; it was wrapped up in types and figures; and as there was a vail before Moses his face, so there was a vail before the truths of salvation, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look unto the end of those things which were after to be abolished, 2 Cor. 3. 13. but this vail is done away in Christ, v. 14. When Christ suffered upon the Cross, the vail of the Temple, which kept the people off the Holy of Holies, was rend from the top to the bottom of it, and then the way into the Holy of Holies was made manifest, and Christ by his appearance abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Then darkness did pass away, and the true and marvellous light did shine upon the Church, 1 Joh. 2. 8. And now with open face believers do behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord, 1 Cor. 3. 18. The scope of which places is to show the obscurity of former revelations, and the clearness and evidence of the revelation of the Gospel in these latter days.  
In other places this salvation is not made known so clearly unto many; it is not made known at all unto the most in the world; a thick darkness of ignorance doth overspread the greatest part of the face of the earth, and even amongst those that call themselves by the name of the Church of Christ: there are in many places such fogs and mists of error and heresy, that the truths of salvation are darkened, and people's minds are blinded; but now unto you this salvation is made so clear and evident; the thing and way of it is made so manifest, that it is a great encouragement to seek after this salvation.   

7. This salvation is a Free Salvation; it will cost you no money, you may have it for nothing, you may have it for accepting: If you were taken captive by men, if you were slaves to the Turks, possibly you might not be delivered without some considerable sum for your ransom; but you may be delivered from the slavery of the Devil, and your own lusts, you may be saved from sin and Hell without money: Indeed a price hath been paid for your ransom, not silver or gold, but that which is ten thousand times more precious, and that was the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed upon the Cross for you; yet though your salvation cost Christ dear, it is free unto you, it will cost you nothing; pardon is free, and grace is free, and eternal life unto you is a free gift; you are invited to come unto the waters, and to buy wine and milk, but it is without money and without price, Isa. 55. 1. The Spirit faith, come, and the Bride faith, come, and whosoever is athirst let him come, and take of the waters of life freely, Rev. 22. 17. There is sufficiency of grace in God for the salvation of you all, and you may come and partake of this grace in your salvation freely: You may have it without money, if you be poor; the gifts of God cannot be bought; and you may have it without merit; if you conceit that you deserve any thing, you shall be sure to have nothing; if you are sensible of your unworthiness, and apply Christ's merits and righteousness, through him you may have salvation freely.   

8. And lastly, This salvation is a Sure Salvation; you have the promise of God for it, and there can be no greater certainty of a thing than the word of God, especially if you consider that God is infinite in power, and therefore can do whatever he will, and that God is infinitely true, and therefore will do whatever he hath promised: God is most powerful, and therefore able to save you; there is strength sufficient in his Almighty Arm, to bring salvation unto you; and God is most faithful in the promises of salvation, which he hath made in the Covenant of Grace; if you get faith to apply the promises, you shall certainly have the thing: There is an uncertainty in every thing else in the world, but there is a certainty in this salvation; that there is such a thing is certain from the revelation of the Word of God, who cannot lie; and that you may have it if you will accept of it, is certain from the nature and firmness of the promises; and when you have attained unto any degrees of this salvation, the perfecting of it will be most sure; for he that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1. 6. Thus I have laid before you the properties of this salvation; it is a great salvation; it is a rare salvation; it is a necessary salvation; it is a possible salvation; it is a near salvation; it is an evident salvation; it is a free salvation; it is a sure salvation; all which being laid together, may be a strong motive and inducement to you to labour that you may attain a share in this salvation.      

CHAP. IU.  


Motive 3. FRom the consideration of the Damnation of all such as do not obtain salvation. The damnation of all such persons will be Dreadful and Certain.  

(1.) The Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful. 

1. The Day of their damnation will be dreadful.  
2. The Sentence of their damnation will be dreadful.  
3. The Execution of their damnation will be dreadful.    
1. The Day of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful, and that is the last day, the day of judgement: O how dreadful will this day be to you that are wicked and ungodly, when the Heavens shall be opened, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Judge of the world shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and the loud sound of a Trumpet; when the Earth shall be opened, and you shall be raised out of the dust, and summoned to appear before Christ's Tribunal; and the Books shall be opened, and all your sins shall be made manifest before the whole world; when the Heavens shall be on fire, and melt down upon you, and pass away with a great noise; and the Earth shall be on fire, and burn under you; and every Mountain and Hill shall flee away before Christ's face; and Christ shall be on fire, and come in flames of anger to take vengeance upon you for your sins. Think, O think how dreadful this day of damnation will be unto all such of you as shall not then be found in a state of salvation! O what dread will seize upon you so soon as your eyes are opened, and you find the predictions of the word which you formerly slighted to be true, and perceive that now indeed the day of God's wrath is come, when you shall be dragged like so many malefactors before the Judgement-seat, and there stand naked horribly lashing yourselves in the reflections of conscience upon your forepast wickedness; how will you be ready to tear yourselves to pieces for your folly and madness, that you did not provide for this day, and flee from this wrath of God, which then you will not be able to escape? how willingly would you creep into some rock, or under some mountain, or abide still in your grave, or cast yourselves into the Sea, if possibly any place could be found to hid you in this terrible day, but shall be able to find no hiding-place for yourselves? Think what hideous thoughts, what sinking fears, what horrible perplexity of mind you will on this day be filled withal, it will be a dreadful day.  
2. The Sentence of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful; when the Books are opened where your sins are recorded, and you are convicted by the Judge; then he will proceed to pass sentence upon you. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Matth. 25. 41. O dreadful words! the voice will be loud with which they will be pronounced, such as shall reach the cars of all the wicked together of all generations, and how will they all quake and tremble at the sound thereof! You may cry it may be to the Lord for mercy, but it will be in vain; you may say, Lord open to us, and receive us into thy Kingdom, that we may participate in the joys thereof; but he will say unto you, Depart from me, I know ye not all ye workers of iniquity: But if you must departed, you may wish for his blessing, as Esau, though it were but an inferior blessing; no, depart ye cursed, depart with a curse: If then you must departed with a curse, you may wish for some convenient place of abode, and good company, as Cain, when he went forth from the presence of the Lord with a curse, he built a City to dwell in, and took some comfort, it may be in his habitation, and wife, and children; no, depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; you must dwell in devouring fire, and inhabit everlasting burn, and your companions will be the Devil and his Angels, and fellow-damned sinners, in whom you will not find the least comfort, which leads to the third particular.  
3. The Execution of the Damnation of such as are not saved, will be dreadful, and this will be in Hell; when the irreversible sentence of damnation is passed upon you, immediately the execution will follow, and you will be haled from the Judgement seat, and the everlasting doors of the prison of Hell will be lifted up, where a horrible fire is burning, which can never be quenched, into which you must enter, and be shut down, and shut in to take up your eternal abode in that place of torment; there every part will be tormented, every member of your bodies, every faculty of your souls, and that in the highest degree of extremity beyond your now capacity, and your torments will have no intermission, neither will you have any hopes of their conclusion. I have already treated in my Book of Judgement of the universality, extremity, and eternity of the torments of the Damned, and therefore shall not here enlarge. From what hath been said, you may evidently perceive, that the Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful, which should awaken you to endeavour after your salvation, especially if withal you consider,   

(2.) That the Damnation of such as are not saved will be Certain; where there is no Salvation there will be unavoidable Damnation, because between these two hereafter there will be no middle condition; such as are not saved will most certainly be damned; Heaven or Hell, eternal happiness, or eternal misery will be the portion of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam. I might show, that God's Justice, and Holiness and Truth, doth require the Damnation of all such as do not obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ, so that either God must prove unholy, and unjust and false in his Word, which is impossible, or you which are not saved must be damned; therefore this is most certain, there is no escaping of the damnation of Hell by such as neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel, Heb. 2. 3.  
And methinks by this time I should hear some of you cry out as the Jews when Peter preached, or the Jailor, O what shall we do to be saved?      

CHAP. V.  

III. I Am to tell you Words to guide you in the way to attain Salvation. And here I shall 

1. Direct what things you must do, that you may be saved.  
2. Show what Means you must make use of to help you in those things.    

I. What Things you must do that you may be saved. Take this in these Ten Directions. 

1. You must see yourselves lost.  
2. You must mourn for sin.  
3. You must turn from sin.  
4. You must believe in Jesus Christ.  
5. You must get a new Nature.  
6. You must lead a New Life.  
7. You must resolve upon sufferings for Christ, if called.  
8. You must study and apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace.  
9 You must give up yourselves in Covenant unto God.  
10. You must be steadfast and persevere in the Ways of God unto your lives end.    

Direction 1. You must see yourselves lost, if you would be saved; Luk. 19 10. our Saviour telleth us, that he came to seek and save that which was lost. You must be lost if you would be found: We read Luk. 15. of the lost Sheep, the lost Groat, and the lost Son, all which were found again, and that with joy. When sinners perceive themselves to be lost and undone, and know not what to do, than they are near to be found and saved by Jesus Christ: O then as ever you expect Salvation by Christ, you must see and be sensible of your lost estate, whilst you are in a state of Nature: And for this end you must get a Conviction, 

1. Of your sin.  
2. Of the Punishment you have deserved for your sin.  
3. Of your Insufficiency to satisfy God's Justice.  
4. Of your inability to make resistance, and defend yourselves.  
5. Of the Impossibility of your fleeing and escaping God's wrath.  
6. That as yet you have no Interest in Christ, who alone is able to deliver you from the wrath to come.    
1. That you may be sensible of your lost estate, you must get a Conviction of your sin, your eyes must be opened to see yourselves guilty of sin before God, and your mouths must be stopped, so as to have nothing to say if the Lord should condemn you. You must not only understand the nature of sin in the general, that it is a transgression of the holy, and righteous, and good Law of the holy and glorious God of Heaven and Earth; but also you must be particularly and thoroughly convinced, that you have transgressed this Law of God; you must be convinced of your particular sins: As to the kinds of your sins, you must 1. See yourselves guilty of Original sin, of Adam's first transgression by a just imputation, you being in his loins, and parties in the first Covenant: and then you must see what inherent sin there is in your nature, that you were conceived and born in sin, that you are a viperous brood, a Serpentine generation, a seed of evil doers; that the Toad is not fuller of poison, than your natures are full of sin; that your natures are contrary unto the nature of God, and have an enmity in them against the Law of God, Rom. 6. 7. You must be convinced, how your natures are depraved, being wholly destitute of Original Righteousness, empty of all good, and inclinable wholly unto evil; that they are a polluted fountain, from whence can proceed nothing but what is unclean; that they are a bitter root, from whence doth spring forth such cursed fruits of sin in your lives; and you should look upon your sin of nature to be the worst, because the Original of all actual transgressions. 2. You must be convinced of your actual sins, how you have broken God's Law in thought, word and deed, you must see your sins of Omission, and your sins of Commission, against the first and second Table of the Law, and take notice of the number of them, so far as you can remember, together with their aggravations; if they have been committed through ignorance when you have had means of knowledge, if against light of Nature and the Word, if against the reluctance of natural Conscience, if against many Warnings and Reproofs, if they have been committed with security, hardness of heart, delight, greediness, pride, presumption, obstinacy, and the like; and that you might be convinced of the guilt of sin, you must look into the Law, in which as in a glass you may see your natural face, and all the spots thereof; the Law will discover the sin of your natures, as it requireth perfect conformity thereunto in habit, disposition, and inclination, and forbiddeth all evil byasses of the will and heart to sin, as well as external transgressions; Moreover the Law will discover to you your actual sins; but than you must look beyond the head Precepts of the Law, which are but ten, for you must take notice of the several branches belonging to every head, which are many; as for instance, If you would find out whether you are guilty of Adultery, you must not only look upon the Precept as forbidding only the gross outward act; Thou shalt not commit Adultery, but as reaching to the inward desires and inclinations, and so our Saviour, Math. 5. 28. interprets this Precept, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart; and so in the Precept, Thou shalt not kill, it is murder not only to take away the life of another by violence, but also to be angry with our brother without a cause; and so in the other Precepts. And as you must look into the Law for Conviction of sin, so you must also look into your own Consciences, and read what is there registered, and compare your hearts and lives with the Law; and you should call to mind the places you have lived in, the businesses you have been employed about, and the circumstances of your lives may bring to remembrance many sins committed long ago, with their aggravations. You must get thus a conviction of the guilt of your sins, especially if you have fallen into any grosser sin in your life, as adultery, drunkenness, theft, if you have been guilty of swearing, Sabbath-breaking, profaneness, or the like; you must see the heinousness of them, and withal you must see that every sin which you have committed is heinous, as it is a dishonour to the highest Majesty, who is infinitely more exalted above the greatest Earthly Kings and Potentates, than they are exalted above the meanest Worm, or Fly; and for such as you to dishonour and affront him by sin, is very heinous. This is the first thing, a Conviction of your sins, which you must endeavour after.  
2. That you may be sensible of your lost estate, you must get a conviction of the punishment which God hath threatened, and you have deserved for your sins; will the Lord put up the affronts which are offered to him by his Creatures? will he bear the dishonours of his great and glorious Name by sin, without punishing the sinners? No surely, his holiness will not permit it, his Justice hath been offended, and must have satisfaction, and therefore he threatneth to punish the offenders most severely; God threatneth temporal calamities and death, as the wages of sin; and because through patience he forbeareth to punish many transgressions so remarkably in this life; and the most dreadful temporal Judgements which he inflicteth upon any, are no ways proportionable to the desert of their sins, and the demands of his infinite Justice; therefore he threatneth eternal punishment in Hell; look into some places of Scripture, where the Lord doth denounce severe threaten against sinners, Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them. Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Eph. 5. 6. Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 2 Thess. 1. 8, 9 Christ will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them which know not God, and obey not the Gospel, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, Rom. 2. 6, 8, 9 God will render unto every man according to his deeds, to them who are contentious and do not obey the truth, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every soul of man that doth evil. That you may see and be sensible of your lost estate, you must be convinced not only in the general of the justice and equity that such Judgements should be inflicted on sinners, because God himself hath denounced them in his Word, who cannot be unjust toward his Creatures; and because sin hath deserved them, being the breach of his Law, which is holy and just and good; and an offence of an infinite Majesty, whose Justice is infinite, and must be satisfied with a proportionable punishment unto the offence: but also you must be convinced that you are such sinners; that you have committed such and such sins, that you have broken the Law in such a point, and such a point, and in every point; that you are guilty of fornication, or drunkenness, or theft, or covetousness, or lying, or profaneness; and it may be of all these, and more than these: The first is the conviction of the Law, the second the conviction of the Fact, then follows the third conviction which is of the State, that therefore you are under the Curse, that you are condemned, that the wrath of God hangeth over your head, and that you must be tormented for sin most horribly and eternally in Hell: It is the conviction of the dreadful punishment of Hell which God hath threatened, and unto which you are exposed for sin, that will awaken you to a sense of your lost state, when the conviction is imprinted deep upon you by the Spirit; when you believe that Hell is no Fiction, but a reality, as certainly prepared for the wicked, as God is above preparing places in Heaven for his people; and you have a peephole (as it were) into Hell, and imagine something of the torments which the damned there do, and shall endure for such sins as you have committed; how they roll and tumble in flames of brimstone, how they are lashed by an accusing Conscience, tormented with and by the Devil, and even consumed by the wrath of a sin-revenging God; how they cry, roar and howl, how they weep and wail, and gnash their teeth, and that this must be their condition for ever; and when withal you think that you are walking upon the brink of this pit, and hastening towards the place of these flames, that Hell doth belong to you, that you are in the number of the cursed crew, some of whom have already taken up their lodging in Hell, and that you are like to come thither shortly, that you are liable every moment to drop into the burning Lake, than you will perceive that you are lost and undone.  
3. That you may be sensible of your lost estate, you must be convinced of your insufficiency to satisfy God's Justice for your sins; if you could do this, you might do well enough; but this you cannot do, God's Justice is infinite, and requireth infinite satisfaction, which you being finite are insufficient to give; what can you offer to God? thousands of Rams, rivers of Oil, Mines of Silver, Mountains of Gold, Rocks of Pearl, yea the whole Creation, if it should offer itself to be annihilated, could not make compensation to God's Justice for one sin, nothing less than infinite must be the satisfaction; and therefore this should make you further sensible of your lost estate in yourselves.  
4. You must get a conviction of your inability to resist and defend yourselves against God, who hath threatened so severely to punish you for sin; as God's Justice is infinite, and therefore you cannot satisfy it; so his Power is infinite, and you cannot resist it; who can stand in his sight when once he is angry? who can defend himself against an Omnipotent arm? If God whet his glittering Sword, and his hand take hold on vengeance, what Powers of Earth are strong enough to make resistance? Read how God expresseth himself concerning such as set themselves against him, Isa. 27. 4. Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go thorough them, I would burn them together. Look upon yourselves as briers and thorns, yea as dried stubble before a consuming fire, which hath no power to resist the flame; and therefore that you are lost and undone in yourselves because of your sins.  
5. You must get a conviction of the impossibility of your fleeing from and escaping God's wrath, which hath you in pursuit; whither can you go from his presence? or whither can you flee from his anger and indignation? See Amos 9 2, 3. Though they dig into Hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up into Heaven, thence will I bring them down; and though they hid themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the Sea, thence will I command the Serpent, and he shall by't them. You cannot flee into any place but God will follow you; you cannot hid yourselves in any place but God will find you; there is as little hopes of escaping God's Wrath, as of resisting his Power. See Psal. 21. 8, 9 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, not only some, but all sinners, thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee: Thou shalt make them as a fiery. Oven in the time of thine angers the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. By this time sinners, methinks you should perceive yourselves to be lost and un-done; all refuge now fails you, there is no escaping for you.  
6. But lastly, that you may fully know that you are in a lost estate, you must get conviction, that as yet you have no interest in Christ, who alone can deliver you from the wrath of God, which is to come upon the ungodly. Indeed Christ can and doth deliver his people from wrath, and the punishment their sins have deserved; but when you know that you are out of Christ, than you may know you are in a lost estate; if you suppose that you have an interest in him without good grounds, you are like to be lost irrecoverably, and not know it till it be too late; therefore you must know that as yet you have no interest in him, that all your pretensions to him have been presumptuous conceits; that so you may be lost in your own apprehensions. Can you think you have an interest in Christ, that never truly mourned for sin, that never hungered after Christ, that have no true Faith to apply him? have you interest in Christ that have no true Love to Christ, and never yielded subjection to Christ? Have you interest in Christ that have no Influence from Christ? have you Union to Christ that have no Communion with him? No, no, all you that are Unbelievers, and have persisted hitherto in a sinful course, are strangers unto Christ, and therefore be convinced that you are in a lost estate: And O how should fear and trembling possess you through the apprehensions of the dreadful wrath of God? how should you go up and down like condemned malefactors, that are condemned to Hell, and know not how soon they may be dragged to execution? O what reason have you to lie down in terror, and rise up in terror, and feed upon terror all the day long! Such thoughts as these are suitable to the condition of such as you. It may be the next step I take, I may step into Hell: Alas! Alas! I am in a state of damnation, and did not know it; I have been dancing about the brinks of Hell, and did not perceive it; I have been affronting God all my days by my sins; now I see that God is highly offended with me for those sins I made light of: I am the covetous person whom the Lord abhorreth, Psal. 10. 3. I am the deceiver whom he curseth, Mal. 1. 14. I am the Adulterer whom he will judge, Heb 11. 4. I have greatly sinned, and now I see God is greatly angry, and his anger burns like fire; he frowns, and his frowns are most dreadful, and I fear he will cast me to Hell, and make me feel the power of his anger in my everlasting ruin; I fear I must dwell with devouring fire, and take up mine eternal abode with the Devil and my fellow-damned sinners: O I fear I am damned! I am damned! O happy is the Dog and the Horse, yea the Worm and the Toad, who ere long shall be annihilated; but I am cursed, and I fear that I shall eternally be tormented: O I am lost, I have lost my God, and I fear I am lost, and shall be lost for ever! O I am undone! undone! vile and miserable sinner! O woe be to me that ever I was born! that ever I sinned, and provoked God to such displeasure! But is there no spark of hope yet? is there no escaping, no reconciliation attainable? O what shall I do to be saved! I cannot save myself, and no creature can help me; but is there no other way? Thus you must see and be sensible that you are lost in yourselves if you would be saved.   

Direction 2. You must mourn for sin, if you would be saved; except ye repent, saith our Saviour, ye shall all likewise perish, Luk. 13. 3. Those that laugh and rejoice now in a way of sin, shall mourn and weep for it for ever to no purpose, Luk 6. 25. But blessed are they that mourn for sin now, for they shall be comforted and saved, Matth. 5. 4. The seed time of repentance accompanied with the showers of tears, will return with the harvest of salvation, and sheaves of joy and comfort, Psal. 126. 5, 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy; he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him, Therefore see what the Apostle exhorteth unto, which is necessary to your salvation, Jam. 4. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Sinners, you have delighted yourselves in sin, you must now be afflicted for it; sin hath been sweet in your mouth, it must now be bitter to your heart: God calls you to salvation by his Son, but withal he calls you to weeping, and mourning, and deep humiliation in order hereunto; not that your tears can wash off the guilt of your sins, nothing can do this but the blood of Christ; not that God delights in your griefs and sorrows as such, but because mourning is needful for you to prepare you for Christ, and Salvation by him; whilst sin is sweet unto your taste, you will roll it under your tongue, and hug it in your bosom; you will spare it, and nothing will persuade you to part with it; but when you taste the bitterness of sin in compunction and sorrow for it, than you will spit it out; when you perceive the gall and the worm wood, than your mouth will be put out of relish, than you will desire no longer to suck at the breast of sin; whilst you are insensible of sin, you will be insensible of your need of a Saviour: None but sick persons do prize and send for the Physician, and none but such as are sick of sin, and groan and mourn under the burden of this sickness, do prize a Christ who is the soul-Physician, Matth. 9 12. Were you made sensible of sin indeed, you would eagerly inquire after Christ, and greedily hearken unto the glad tidings of salvation which he hath purchased; what shall I do to get an interest in Christ? where is he to be found? how is he to be received? what are his terms? what are his commands? do any thing, part with any thing, you would not then think much to lay down yourselves, and all that you have at his feet, so you might have him; none but Christ, none but Christ would you then desire; and if you might have all the world without him, you would not be contented. Sinners, would you be saved by Christ, get your hearts affected with godly sorrow for sin, and that you may mourn deeply and kindly, you must get not only a conviction of the guilt of sin, and the punishment which is due for it, which you cannot escape; but you must look further into the nature of sin, and get a sight and sense of the evil of sin; you must look not only to the consequential evil of sin, but also to the  evil of sin; not only to the Hell which is like to follow upon it, but also to that Hell which there is in it; look to the evil of sin not only as it is like to burn you, but as it hath blacked and smutted you; as it hath depraved and deformed your souls, which are of heavenly original, as it hath degraded and debased you, polluted and defiled you. But chief look upon the evil of sin as it reflecteth dishonour upon God, upon God that is so holy and glorious, and that is so good and gracious, as it displeaseth that God that made you, that hath exercised so much patience towards you, when he could so easily have cut you off in the act of sin, and appointed you your place and portion amongst the damned in Hell long ago; and that hath moreover been so bountiful to you, though sinners and his enemies, that he hath maintained you at his cost and charges all your days; but especially see the evil of sin, as it offendeth that God who is ready to be reconciled, and hath made such provision for reconciliation, which you could never have thought of, namely, through the death and mediation of his Son, whom he hath given for you, and proffers to give to you; and in him doth treat with you, and by us Ministers doth send entreaties to you, that you would accept of this reconciliation, lay down your weapons, and be reconciled unto him, 2 Cor. 5. 20. Break, break ye rocky hearts at this, what is God willing indeed to put up such high affronts? and to forgive such great sins? and doth he stoop to entreat and beseech such mean creatures, and wretched sinners as you to be reconciled? O be filled with astonishment and admiration, and go cast your selves down at his feet with self-loathing and abhorrency at the hideous nature, and monstrous ingratitude, and baseness of your sins! let your hearts melt within you like Wax, or Snow, when the Sun shineth upon it with heat and brightness; let your eyes drop down tears, as the morning doth drop dew upon the flowers: What! have I affronted such greatness? dared such power? trampled upon such patience? and abused such goodness too? and after all doth God beseech me to be reconciled? was it such a God whom I offended? vile wretch! O that I had never committed such sins! O that I had never been drunk, or unclean, or profane! O that I had never sworn, nor lied, nor stolen, nor offended God in any of my actions! It reputes me, it grieves me at the very heart that I have sinned, and that I can grieve no more for it.   

Direction 3. You must turn from sin, if you would be saved; see Psal. 7. 11, 12, 13. God is angry with the wicked every day; if he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bend his bow, and made it ready; he hath prepared for him the instruments of death. And God threatneth, Psal. 88 21. that he will wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their trespasses: Therefore men must turn from all their transgressions, otherwise iniquity will be their ruin, Ezek. 18. 30. They must cast away their sins as a menstruous cloth, saying unto them, get ye hence, if they would be received into favour, Isa. 30. 22. They must not only confess their sins, but also forsake them, if they would find mercy, Prov. 28. 13. The wicked must forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn to the Lord, and then he shall have pardoning mercy abundantly, Isa. 55. 7. When men cease to do evil, and learn to do well, then, though their sins have been as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be like wool, Isa. 1. 16, 17, 18. Sinners, turn from your evil ways, you have done iniquity, do so no more; you have gone on hitherto in a way of sin, proceed no further, it is the way to Hell, turn out of it: Let him that hath stolen, steal no more; and him that hath been filthy, be filthy no more; and him that hath been unjust, be unjust no more: Drunkards, forbear your drinking; swearers, refrain swearing; liars, teach your tongues to speak truth: Break off your course of sin; turn from all gross sins as to the practice, and turn from all sins as to the affection.   

Direction 4. You must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you would be saved: This is the direction which Paul gave to the Jailor, when under conviction of sin he came in to him and cried, What shall I do to be saved? he saith to him, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, Act. 16. 30, 31. So in Peter's Sermon, Act. 10. 43. To him gave all the Prophet's witness, that through his Name, whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of sins. There is no Saviour but by Christ; and there is no salvation by Christ but by faith, and therefore we are said to be saved through faith, Ephes. 2. 8. As faith is the instrument to apply the merits and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let me then exhort you to get faith, which is absolutely necessary unto salvation: Get faith of the right kind; there is a general, common, historical, temporary, hypocritical, dead and ineffectual faith; but do you labour after a special, lively, unfeigned, effectual, justifying and saving faith; and that you may not be mistaken in this great point on which your salvation doth depend, I shall describe that faith which is of the right kind, and will certainly save you if you obtain it.  
Faith is a grace wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God, whereby a poor sinner being made sensible of the guilt and power of his sins, and the utter insufficiency of himself, or any creature in the world, to give him any help or secure; and having in the Gospel a discovery and proffer made unto him of the Lord Jesus Christ, as an all sufficient, most merciful and faithful Advocate and Saviour, doth go quite out of himself, and accept, lay hold, rely, and rest upon him, and him alone, for pardon, and grace, and everlasting happiness. Or more briefly thus, Faith is a grace of God whereby the humbled sinner doth accept and rely upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is held forth in the Promises of the Gospel.  
If you would attain this grace of Faith, take these Directions.  

1. You must be fully persuaded that the Scriptures which reveal Christ, are indeed the word of God; this is the foundation of all faith, therefore I shall briefly suggest some Arguments to prove the divine Authority of the Scriptures: As 1. Because of that majesty, purity, holiness, heavenliness which doth appear in the Scriptures beyond all other writings. 2. Because of the design and drift of the Scriptures to debase man, and exalt God and his glory above all. 3. Because of the admirable contexture, and contrivance, and sweet harmony of the Scriptures in all the parts thereof, though written by so many several men in several ages and places, which showeth that they were all acted by the same Spirit of God. 4. Because of the wonderful work of man's Redemption there set forth at first more darkly, afterwards more clearly, which no mortal brain could have invented, much less could any created power have effected. 5. Because of the great power which this word hath to convince, convert, and comfort. 6. Because of the confirmation of the Scriptures by miracles. 7. Because of the acknowledgement of the Scriptures to be God's Word in all ages. 8. Because of the many millions of Martyrs, who have sealed the Truths of the word with their blood. 9 Because of the witness of the Spirit in and with the word, which doth bear testimony to the hearts of God's people, that the Scriptures are his Word, and were indicted by his Spirit. Whence it followeth, that the Scriptures are true, because God, the Author of them, is true, and cannot lie; and whatever is there revealed, is as certain as those things which are most demonstrable to sense or reason: This is the first step to your believing in Christ who is made known in the Scriptures, to believe that the Scriptures are God's Word.   

2. If you would attain a saving faith in Christ, you must be convinced and fully persuaded of your lost estate without Christ, and your absolute need of him, of which before.   

3. You must be persuaded, that it is not in your own power to believe, that it is not of yourselves, but is the gift of God, Ephes. 2. 8. and therefore must apply yourselves to God, that he would not only give you his Son, but also give you the hand of faith to lay hold on him, that he would work in you this grace of faith by his Spirit.   

4. You must consider those Arguments of Scripture which encourage faith: As for instance, I shall mention four heads of Arguments for faith, from the consideration 1. Of God. 2. Of the Promises. 3. Of Christ. 4. Of the Saints.  
1. From the consideration of God, who hath given his Son to save sinners; it is an encouragement to faith, to consider, 1. That God is merciful, and therefore willing to pardon and save, otherwise he would not have sent his Son; he doth not delight in the death of sinners, Ezek. 18. 23. but delighteth to show mercy; see Micah 7. 18, 19 Exod. 34. 6, 7. Psal. 103. 8, 9, etc. 2. That God is faithful in his Promises of salvation, which he hath made through his Son in his Covenant of Grace: God needed not have made the Covenant, nor promised mercy to any sinners; but having made the Covenant, he is engaged to make it good. 3. That it is for his glory to save sinners through his Son, the glory of his free grace, yea and justice too, which hath been fully satisfied by Christ's death.  
2. You have encouraging Arguments for faith, from the consideration of the Promises, which are, 1. Large, made to all sorts of persons, and all sorts of sinners, none are excluded. 2. Full, they extend to all sorts of sins, though never so many and great, Isa. 55. 7. 3. Free, nothing is required on your part but accepting. 4. Sure, being the Promises of God in Christ.  
3. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation, from the consideration of Christ, the proper object of faith: 1. The quality of his person who is God and man in one person, that he might reconcile man unto God. 2. The merit of his sufferings, which (as hath been shown) was of infinite value, and sufficient for the redemption of men. 3. His alsufficient power to save those that come to him, Heb. 7. 25. 4. His mercy and faithfulness to make reconciliation, Heb. 2. 17. 5. His interest with the Father. 6. His continual intercession at the right hand of God, Heb. 7. 25.  
4. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation, from the consideration of the Saints, the experience which they have had of salvation by Christ, some of whom have been as vile sinners as you: You have as good grounds to come unto Christ, and believe in him for salvation, as the most holy men alive before conversion.   

5. If you would attain this grace of faith in Jesus Christ, you must labour to act it, looking up to God for help herein; endeavour to cast and roll yourselves upon Christ, to apply Christ and his merits, and to rely upon him and his righteousness: It is in your endeavour that God doth work; and here you must endeavour again and again against all opposition which you find from the Devil and your own evil heart of unbelief, which will be ready to carry you away from Christ. So much for the 4th. Direction.    

Direction 5. You must get a new Nature, if you would be saved: You must be made partakers of the Divine Nature, if you would be made partakers of this salvation: You have brought unholy and impure natures into the world with you, which must be changed and renewed after the Image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, before you can be in a state of salvation, and see the Kingdom of God: This new nature, which is absolutely necessary unto salvation, is begun in the work of regeneration, and carried on in the work of sanctification: In regeneration the work of grace is begun, the habits of grace are infused; a new principle of spiritual life is put into the soul; and sin (which before lived, and had dominion over the man, employing all his members as instruments of unrighteousness, to make provision for the satisfaction of its affections and lusts) doth receive its death's wound, and loseth its force and reigning power: In sanctification, the work of grace is carried on, the habits of grace are strengthened and increased; the new man doth grow, and the old man doth decline and decay; there is a vivification or quickening more and more of grace, by the influence of the Word and Spirit, and a mortification or subduing more and more of remaining iniquity. What our Saviour tells Nicodemus, Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God: I may tell you, that unless ye be born again, unless ye be regenerated, ye cannot be saved, no possibility of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven, without you get this new nature: A man must be born the first time, before he can possess a temporal inheritance; and a man must be born again, before he can possess the eternal inheritance: You must be children, before you can be heirs, Rom. 8. 17. children not only by adoption, but also by regeneration: Ye must be Saints, before meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1. 12. You must have the new nature, before you can enter into the New Jerusalem: You must be made like to God in holiness, before you can be admitted to live with God in the place of everlasting happiness; God doth suffer the wicked that are unclean and unholy, to live before him in the Outhouse of the Earth; but he will not permit any except such as are sanctified to live with him in the Palace of Heaven. O than labour after a work of Grace upon your hearts; be persuaded of the worth of Grace, that it is a rare and precious Jewel, that the least measure of Grace is of more worth than ten thousand Worlds; be sensible of your want of it, that naturally you are without it, that it doth not grow in Nature's Garden, that you have no good Nature in you before God, till your Nature is renewed; be ready to receive the seed of Grace, which drops down from above whilst People are attending upon God's Ordinances; be ready to hearken and yield to the Spirits motions, whereby this work of Grace is effected: And having the work begun, O cherish the Grace you have got, and as newborn Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby; and labour to cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, that ye may perfect holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7. 1.   

Direction 6. You must lead a new Life, if you would be saved; see what kind of Life the grace of God which bringeth salvation doth require and teach, namely, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, Tit. 2. 11, 12. You must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, you must put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, Eph. 4. 22. and not fashion yourselves according to the former lusts, in your ignorance and unregeneracy, 1 Pet. 1. 14. not running with others unto the same excess of riot, 1 Pet. 4. 4. not walking according to the course of a profane and ungodly world, Eph. 2. 2. but saving yourselves from an untoward generation, Act. 2. 40. as he that hath called you is holy, so you must be holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Pet. 1. 15. you must live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; soberly in regard of yourselves; righteously in regard of others; and godly in regard of the Lord.  
1. Soberly, in regard of yourselves; which implies, 1. Temperance in eating and drinking, you must take heed of Gluttony and Drunkenness: 2. Chastity, you must take heed of Adultery and Uncleanness, in thought, speech, look, and act. 3. Moderation, you must be sober in your desires after these earthly things, and take heed of inordinate affection to any thing.  
2 You must live Righteously in regard of others: You must give to every one their due, and do to others as you reasonably can desire that they should do unto you; you must take heed of unrighteousness either in regard of Commutative Justice in your buying and selling, borrowing and lending; and in regard of Distributative Justice in dispensing of rewards and punishments; you must beware of oppressing, afflicting, injuring any, of going beyond or defrauding any, of withholding deuce, keeping back wages from those that have done you service, knowing that if they cannot, God will be the avenger of all such.  
3. You must live godly in regard of the Lord; you must especially show your New Life in the immediate Worship of the Lord, and that publicly in his House, privately in your Families, secretly in your Closets; you must worship God in the Ordinances of his own appointment; and this you must do with reverence, having an awe and dread of God upon your spirits, with whom you have more immediately to do; with sincerity, having a sincere respect to God's glory therein, and that you might be accepted by him, and meet with him; with vigilancy watching the fittest time in regard of the thing, and the temper of your Bodies and Souls, and the breathe of God's Spirit; with humility, sensible of your sinfulness, unworthiness, weakness, emptiness, neediness; with diligence, before to prepare your hearts, and in Ordinances to engage them, and resist the Devil and the contrary workings of the flesh; with frequency, laying hold on all the opportunities as you can, without neglecting other businesses, which for that time you may be more necessarily called unto; with fervency, getting your hearts if you can raised and enlarged, labouring that they may burn within you with love to God; with delight and complacency in God, and above all with Faith in Jesus Christ, through whom alone it is that you can have strength to perform duties, and that you can have any acceptance in them by the Father.   

Direction 7. You must resolve upon sufferings for Christ, if called, if you would be saved; you must bear the Cross, if you would wear the Crown, remembering that if the Cross be weighty it will work for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4. 17. you must reckon upon sufferings for Christ before hand, and resolve that you will stick to him and his ways, though you should lose esteem by it, and become the Drunkard's Song, and be reproached amongst men; though you lose liberty by it, and be thrust into Prison; though you should lose Estate by it, and be brought to pinching want; though you should lose Friends by it, and have none to stand by you; though you should lose Life by it, and be cut off in the midst of your years; otherwise you cannot be Christ's Disciples indeed, and obtain this salvation which he hath purchased. See the terms which our Saviour propounds, Luk. 14. 26, 27. If any man come unto me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea and his own life, he cannot be my Disciple. This we are to understand, that a man must choose to displease Father, Mother, Wife, Children, the nearest and dearest Relations, and part with any thing in the world, yea with Life itself, rather than to displease and part with Jesus Christ; and that we must resolve to bear the Cross, whatever it be that God hath allotted for us, otherwise we do not accept of Christ upon Gospel-terms; you must resolve to be partakers of the affliction of the Gospel, if you would obtain the salvation of the Gospel; you must resolve to suffer with Christ, and for his sake when called, if you would reign and be glorified together with him. Whatever profession you make of Christ and his ways in time of peace and prosperity, when the Sun of persecution doth arise upon you with burning heat, you will whither and fall away, and turn fearful Apostates, and then your last estate will be worse than your first; and as your sin will be greater here, so your punishment will be more dreadful hereafter in Hell, where you will confess that the light sufferings which you have declined for Christ's sake here, are not worthy to be compared with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of wrath which you must endure for your Apostasy unto all eternity.   

Direct. 8. You must study and apply the Promises of the Covenant of grace, if you would be saved; without the Covenant of grace there had been no possible salvation for any of the fallen Children of Men; the Covenant of Works which God made with Man at the first, being broken by sin, it doth condemn all that are under it; it is by virtue of the Covenant of Grace that any are brought into a state of salvation; therefore study and apply the Promises of this Covenant: Now you must know that all the Promises of the Gospel, which are scattered up and down the Scripture do belong unto this Covenant; but I shall spread before you those few more general Promises which the Apostle doth make mention of, where he treats of the New Covenant, Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a People; and they shall not teach every man his Neighbour, and every man his Brother, saying know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest; for I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Here are Four great Promises which the Lord hath made to his People, which I shall explain (though not in the order of the Text) that you may the better understand and apply them.  
1. God promiseth that he will be to them a God, and they shall be to him a People; this includes all the rest: It is a full and sweet promise that God will be our God, it hath a great deal more in it, than we can conceive; we may look and look again, and though our Faith have never so piercing an eye, never so large and deep reach, yet we cannot look to the bottom, and fathom the depth of this Promise; we may suck and suck again at this breast, and though we draw never so hard, we can never draw forth all the sweetness that is in this Promise. To have God to be our God, it is very great, it is very sweet: Indeed God is the God of all his Creatures, yea of his enemies, and the vilest sinners; but to be our God in this place sounds and signifieth more than that which is common to all; it speaketh a peculiar relation, a special interest and propriety in God; in this promise God doth make over himself and all that he hath to us, so far as we are capable of receiving; he giveth himself to be our portion, he engageth his Power, Wisdom, Goodness, Mercy, Love, and all his Attributes to be employed for our good, he promiseth to be our God here, and to be our God for ever; it signifieth that he will be our Father to love and cherish us, to preserve, and provide for us whilst we live, and to take our Souls to himself when we die, and to raise up our bodies at the last day, and make both perfectly glorious and happy in Heaven, when time shall be no more. He promiseth also that we shall be his People; we cannot make ourselves so, but he promiseth that he will make us so; he will make us his Children, he will adopt us, he will regenerate us, give us the title, and give us the disposition of Children; all this and much more is contained in this Promise, That God will be our God, and we shall be his People, even the whole work of our salvation from our effectual Calling unto our eternal Glorification.  
2. A second great Promise of the Covenant of Grace is, That God will be merciful unto our unrighteousness, and that he will remember no more our sins and iniquities; it is a promise of mercy in the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins, this is an exceeding great and precious promise, without which there were no access for us unto God, no attaining eternal happiness, no escaping eternal misery, guilt would shut us out of Heaven, and sink us into Hell without a pardon. This Promise is of vast extent, it reacheth to all sort of sins, Unrighteousness, Sins, Iniquities; no sin is too great for God to pardon, if the sinner doth believe.  
3. A third Promise of the Covenant of Grace is, that God will give us the knowledge of himself; they shall not teach every man his Neighbour, and every man his Brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest; they shall not teach one another the knowledge of God, that is, they cannot, or they shall not be able to do it; they may and aught to teach one another instrumentally; it is the duty of some to teach, and the duty of others, and they have need, to learn, but they shall not be able to teach effectually; they may give instructions to one another concerning God and his ways; but they cannot give light; they may set the light before them, but they cannot set up the light in them; they may open Truths, but they cannot open the Understanding; this is the work of God only to do, and this he hath undertaken by Promise to do, they shall all know me, they shall be taught of God by his Spirit the knowledge of himself; he teacheth by men instrumentally, but he will teach us by his Spirit effectually.  
4. A fourth Promise of the Covenant of Grace, is, that God will put his laws into our hearts, and write them in our minds: the Law was written before on Tables of Stone, but here he promiseth to write them on fleshly Tables of the heart; which is done not with Pen and Ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, 2 Cor. 3. 3. this Promise is very comprehensive, it includes not only the giving of a spiritual discovery of the mind and will of God, but also the giving of spiritual dispositions, affections, and strength to perform it; and by consequence the removal of indispositions, the purging out of corruptions, the mortifying of lust, the taking away the heart of stone, and giving a heart of flesh, the giving a new heart, the putting the Spirit within us, and causing us to walk in his Statutes, and to keep his Judgements and do them, as this Promise is branched forth, Ezek. 36. 25, 26, 27.  
These in brief are the chief Promises of the Covenant of Grace, labour to understand them, and apply them that you may be saved.   

Direct. 9 You must give up yourselves in Covenant to God, if you would be saved; God hath put his hand and seal to the Covenant which he hath made through his Son with you, and you should put your hand to the Covenant and engage yourselves unto the Lord; you were dedicated to the Lord by your Parents when you were baptised, than you understood not what was done; now you are arrived to years of understanding, you should make it your own act, and dedicate yourselves to the Lord: and the more solemnly you enter into Covenant with God, the more strong Obligation it may be upon you to walk closely with God all your days: Some have directed to do it under hand-writing, subscribing the name, and some have put words into your mouths, which you may do it, in if you are not so well able to express the terms yourselves; you have this done in Mr. Guthry and Mr. Allen's books, if those Books be not at hand, I shall set before you this Platform, which you may make use of in entering solemnly into Covenant with God.  
I A. B. do acknowledge myself to be the Creature and Subject of the great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth, in whom I live, move, and have my being, and from whom I receive every good thing which I receive; and therefore am obliged to conform my mind, will and affections, to order my words, ways and whole conversation according to his most wise and good, most righteous and reasonable Laws: Besides which natural Obligation, however born in sin, and thereby disenabled, yet being born in the Church, and Baptised in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and by my Parents dedicated unto God when I was an Infant; I am further obliged by Covenant to be the servant of the Lord. But having proved a Rebel and Traitor against the Highest Majesty, breaking his Laws, and Covenant-ties which have been upon me, spending years of my life in a state of strangeness and enmity to God, in the service of the Devil and my own Lusts, I do now solemnly renew my Covenant with God, that the breach may be made up which sin hath made between God and my Soul.  
Being in the First place convinced of the guilt of my sins, whereby I have affronted and offended the highest Majesty, whose Justice must be satisfied; and withal convinced of my own utter inability to make the least satisfaction either by doing or suffering, and that my Righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and therefore altogether insufficient to procure for me the pardon of sin, the favour of God, and the peace of Conscience; as also fully persuaded that no mere Creature is able to give unto me any help and relief in this case. And being informed by the Word of God what the Lord Jesus is, hath done, and suffered for poor sinners, That there is no Name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we can be saved, but only the Name of Jesus Christ; that he is able to save all them unto the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing be ever liveth to make intercession for them; that he is a merciful and faithful Highpriest in things pertaining to God, to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People; that whosoever cometh unto him, he will in no wise cast out: and finding a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that God will be merciful unto our unrighteousness, and that our sins and iniquities he will remember no more; which Covenant is of full force through the death of Christ the Testator thereof: and having Christ set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood, and his Righteousness declared for the remission of sins which are passed through the forbearance of God; and this Christ freely tendered unto me, and being invited earnestly, yea entreated that I would be reconciled unto God through him; and by the Spirit being persuaded of the truth of these things, and hereby encouraged to apply myself unto Christ, and the Promises through him unto myself: I do now (grieving that I have offended God, groaning under the burden of sin, renouncing all my own righteousness, hungering after the Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness) upon the bended knees of my soul come unto him, and cast myself wholly upon him; I choose him for my only Advocate to plead my cause in the Court of Heaven, to procure for me Pardon and Reconciliation, that being justified by Faith, I may have peace with God through my dear Lord Jesus Christ.  
Next, repenting from the bottom of my heart● of my sins, grieving that I have such a sinful Nature, such a deceitful heart, that I have so adulterated my affections, and gone a whoring from God to the Creatures, that I have so indulged my flesh, and satisfied its irregular desires, that I have given ear to the Devil, and complied as I have done with his temptations: I now renounce all allegiance and service to the World, to the Flesh, and to the Devil, these enemies of the Lord, and of my peace, which war against my Master, and against my own soul; covenanting and promising never to give away my heart any more from the Lord unto any person or thing in the World; to refuse the World for my portion and chief happiness; to deny my flesh i●s sinful desires and demands; to resist the Devil and his Temptations; not to live and allow myself in any known sin, and to make use of all the known means which the Lord hath prescribed for the crucifying of the World, for the mortifying and utter extirpation of sin, for the resisting and overcoming the Devil. And being persuaded of the power and interest, the subtlety and deceitfulness of these enemies, and withal sensible of my own imprudence, folly, weakness and inconstancy, I humbly and earnestly implore and beseech the highest Majesty, who is infinite in wisdom, power, and goodness, that he would give me counsel and discretion in the use and management of all means and helps that I may not neglect any, nor through sloth and imprudence suffer a lesser duty to justle out a greater, that he would give me courage, strength and constancy in the maintaining my spiritual warfare against these my spiritual enemies unto my life's end. And if ever I should fall through unwatchfulness and weakness, (which the Lord grant I may never do) I do promise in the strength of the Lord to arise again by Faith and Repentance. And because of the Body of sin within me, and remaining corruptions, I shall be subject (during my abode here) unto daily failings and infirmities; I do promise to pray, watch and strive against them, beseeching the Lord to strengthen me herein, and grant that my sinful infirmities may be less every day than other; in the mean time looking upon those disallowed miscarriages contrary to the settled bent and resolution of my heart, as insufficient to make my Covenant void.  
Furthermore, being convinced of the vanity, emptiness, and utter insufficiency of any or all the Creatures in the World, to make me happy, had I the most  enjoyment of them; and having a discovery of the infinitely blessed God made unto me in his Works, chief in his Word, as being the chief good of man, and withal a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that he will be our God, yea our Father through Christ, and that we shall be his people, his Sons and Daughters: I do here with deep veneration of Soul, and chief estimation of mind, choose the thrice Blessed Jehovah for my Portion and chief good, beyond all persons and things in this World; and do avouch him this day to be my God. I humbly accept of the relation of a Servant and a Son, or Daughter, which he hath called me unto. I put myself under his wing, and commit myself to his care and Tuition; and henceforth shall be bold through my dearest Lord to call him, and look upon him to be my God and Father; and humbly shall expect from him Protection and Provision in his way and work, Correction, Audience of Prayer, and the fulfilling of all those Promises unto me, which he hath made unto his Children.  
Moreover, being persuaded that none can come unto the Father, but by the Son; nor share in any spiritual privilege, but through Christ's death and intercession, and being persuaded of the infinite amiableness of Christ's person, the greatness of his love and affection unto the children of men, as also of his infinite desireableness in regard of those offices, and relations which he hath vouchsafed to take upon him, and enter into for the good of his people: I do avouch the Lord Jesus Christ to be my only Saviour, and choose him in all his Offices and Relations. I choose Christ to be my Highpriest, to intercede, and procure for me daily pardon, access unto God, acceptance of my person and service, audience of my prayers, and supply of all my wants. I choose Christ to be my Prophet, to teach me by his Word and Spirit the will of the Father. I choose Christ to be my King to rule and govern me, to command my whole man into the obedience of himself. I choose Christ to be my Captain, to go before me, and to tread down my spiritual enemies under my feet. I choose Christ to be my Friend and Brother, to counsel and advise me, to stand by me in all the difficulties and straits of my life. I choose Christ to be my Husband and beloved, humbly accepting of this near and sweet Relation which he calleth me unto. I join and espouse myself unto the Lord Jesus; and do promise to be for him only, and with full purpose of heart to cleave unto him, to love, honour and serve him, never to deny nor leave him whatever reproaches and distresses I may meet withal for his sake; though Persecution should arise, and that even unto death, I do promise to own his Name, and Cause, and Truths, and Ways, so long as I have breath in my Body: But knowing that I am utterly insufficient to do any of these things in my own strength, therefore upon the knees of my Soul, I earnestly beseech that I may have strength for all these from himself alone.  
Further, because God my Father is invisible to the eye of sense, and incomprehensible by the grasp of Reason; and because my dearest Lord Jesus Christ, who alone hath declared him, in regard of his bodily presence is now in Heaven, absent from his people; and because whatever spiritual light or life, grace comfort, or spiritual communion with the Father, and with his Son, is vouchsafed unto the people of God, it is by the Holy Spirit, who is appointed by Office hereunto, and graciously promised unto them in the Word: Therefore I avouch and choose the Holy Ghost to be my Teacher and Guide, to be my Sanctifier and Comforter, to help my infirmities in duties; to strengthen me with might in my inner man against sin and Satan's Temptations; to cleanse me from all filthiness of flesh and spirit; to heal me of all my spiritual distempers; to revive me under all my faintings; to supply me with all Graces as to kind and measure, as shall be needful for me in my place and work; to testify God's love to my Soul; to give me earnests of Glory, and to seal me up unto the day of Redemption: And O that I might have the presence and abode of the Spirit of God with me, and never grieve, quench, resist, and drive away the Spirit any more!  
Also, because the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, indicted by the Holy Ghost, the Epistle of Jesus Christ, wherein he hath given notice of his love and will; because they are the only sufficient, and in themselves a perfect Rule for Faith and a holy Life, and 〈◊〉 fully do declare the way and means unto everlasting happiness: Therefore I choose the Word of God to be the Rule of my Faith and Life; and the Ordinances of God therein prescribed to be the means of my acquaintance and converse with my God so far as I am capable of, and he shall vouchsafe; and to be the means also of preparing of me for the full and perfect enjoyment of him beyond my present capacity.  
And, because the Ordinances are but dark glasses to see the Lord in; because ignorance and unbelief do exceedingly veil God from mine eyes, flesh and corruption do damp my love to God, and my spiritual Joy in him, and interrupt my communion with him; because of the sins, sorrows, temptations, and afflictions which I cannot be wholly free from, and therefore cannot be perfectly happy here in this World; and having life and immortality brought to light by the Gospel; a discovery and promise of eternal Life made unto me in the Word, and withal a command of my Lord, to lay up my Treasure in Heaven: Therefore I choose Heaven for my Treasure and Inheritance, for ever to live there in the company of all the holy Angels and Saints, in the blessed sight, love, and enjoyment of the infinitely blessed God, to see and share in the glory of my Dearest Lord Jesus Christ, whither I hope my Soul shall be transported by the Angels, so soon as it is separated from my Body; and that my vile Body, when awakened and raised in the Morning of Christ's coming, shall be fashioned like unto Christ's most beautiful and glorious Body, and both inherit the Kingdom prepared and promised by my Father.  
Lastly, being persuaded of my Duty, and encouraged by God's promise of assistance and acceptance; I now dedicate and deliver up myself fully, freely, and for ever unto the Lord; I yield and resign up my Soul with all its powers and faculties; my Body with all its senses and members to be the instruments of righteousness unto God: I resign up my Mind to think upon the Lord, and those things which concern his Interest and Glory, to receive, embrace and maintain his Truths; I resign up my Memory, to be a store-house and receptacle chief of the great things which do belong to his Kingdom, and other things of a more inferior rank, as they may have a reference unto his Glory. I resign up my Conscience to receive light and purity from his Word and Spirit, and desire that it may act faithfully as the Lord's Deputy. I resign up my Will unto the Will of God, to submit to his Precepts, to embrace his Promises, to oppose what he hath forbidden, to comply with all the dispensations of his Providence towards me, to be willing that I should be, and do, and bear, and choose and lose what God would have me. I resign up my Heart and Affections to fear and reverence the Lord, to believe and trust in the Lord, to desire and seek after the Lord, to love and delight in the Lord, and desire to put them all under his Government, and to have them exercised according to his will. I resign up my Fancy to be governed and employed by my Reason in the service of my Master. I resign up my Sensual Appetite after meat and drink, sleep, and any pleasures to be subservient to my Rational Appetite, and no further to have satisfaction, than will tend to the glory of the Lord. I resign up my Hands to work for God, my Feet to walk for God, my Ears to hear for God, my Eyes to see for God, my Tongue to speak for God. I resign up all my Graces, all my Gifts, all my Talents, to be used for the Glory of my Lord and Master; and my whole Man to be ruled and governed by his Laws: Promising, though my Flesh do contradict and rebel, that I will endeavour to order my whole conversation according to his Word; humbly looking up to him for strength so to do, that I may be enabled by him to every duty. And now I look upon myself no longer my own, or that any thing I have is at my own dispose; but I wholly belong unto the Lord: And therefore, blessing, and praising, and giving thanks unto the Lord, for vouchsafing to enter into Covenant with me, and inclining my heart to enter into Covenant with him; Bending my neck under the feet of the most glorious Jehovah, I subscribe myself,  
Witness my Hand and Seal. The devoted Servant of the Lord, A. B.   

Direct. 10. You must be steadfast, and persevere in the ways of God unto your lives end, if you would be saved: And here you must be steadfast, 

1. In the ways of Truth.  
2. In the Ways of God's Commandments.    
1. You must be steadfast and persevere in the ways of Truth; in the belief of the Truths of the Word, without turning aside into ways of Error; there are ways of Error which will lead you as certainly, and more securely to Hell, than the ways of open profaneness. The Apostle tells us of damnable errors, as well as open, damnable sins, 2 Pet. 2. 1. and we read of some that are damned for believing a lie, that their delusion hath been the cause of their damnation, 2 Thess. 2. 11, 12. The Devil leads as many as he can in the cords of more gross and known sins towards the place of endless misery; but if any of them begin to perceive their thraldom and danger, if their eyes be a little opened, and Conscience awakened, and hearts affected, and they are persuaded to look after their salvation, than he endeavours to draw them into ways of Error, he hath his Agents and Ministers, who are very subtle and crafty, and lie in wait to deceive, who with good words and fair speeches insinuate poisonous doctrines; and pretending more glorious discoveries, higher and more excellent ways, draw them out of the way of the Word and Ordinances, into paths of darkness, where they wander and lose themselves for ever; where they are tossed up and down, and beaten to and fro with every wind of doctrine unto the shipwreck of their Faith and their Souls. As you hope for salvation, you must take heed of Error; diligently inquire after Truth; search for it as for silver, and dig for it as for hidden treasures; dig for it in the golden Mines of the Scriptures, let the Word of God be the only Rule of your Faith; and having found the Truth, keep it, hold it fast, labour to fix it in your minds, let it be as a girdle about your loins; lay it up in your heart, let it be rooted there; apply yourselves to Christ as a Prophet to lead you by his Word and Spirit into all Truth, and to keep you from being deceived and deluded; and keep close to the Ministry and Ordinances of Christ's Institution, which the Lord hath appointed to continue unto the end of the World, for the edifying establishment, and perfecting of the Saints, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13, 14.  
2. You must be steadfast, and persevere in the ways of God's Commandments; you must patiently continue in well-doing, if you would obtain immortal glory, Rom. 2. 7. you must endure to the end, if you would be saved, Matth. 10. 22. you must be faithful unto the death, if you would gain the Crown of life, Rev. 2. 10. It is absolutely necessary unto salvation, that you hold out in the ways of God; none but such which come to the end of the race will obtain the prize; the Gate of Heaven lieth at the further not the hither end of the Holy Path; therefore you must steadfastly persevere in this way; if you should fall down, you must rise again, and go on; if you should fall back or through mistake turn aside, you must return again, and make the more haste; but if you should fall off, if you should fall away (as some have done who have seemed very zealous and forward Christians as to the outward Profession) you are lost, you are castaways, and you will tumble and fall down into the bottomless Pit, from whence there is no returning. Be not then followers of them that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul, Heb. 10. 39 Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promises, Heb. 6. 12. It is a glorious Inheritance that is before you, that is promised and prepared in Heaven, let this encourage you to diligence and perseverance unto the end; I shall conclude with the words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethren be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  
Thus I have given you Directions, What things you must do that you may be saved.      

CHAP. VI  


II. THE Second and last thing for your guidance in the way of Salvation, is, To show you what Means you must make use of to help you in these things.  
There are Ten Means to be used in order to the attaining of Salvation: 

1. Self-examination.  
2. Reading the Word of God, and other good books.  
3. Hearing the Word Preached.  
4. Meditation.  
5. Prayer.  
6. Christian-conference.  
7. Watchfulness.  
8. Sanctification of Fasting-days.  
9 Sanctification of sabbath-days.  
10. Improvement of Sacrament-dayes.    

Means 1. Self-examination. You must examine yourselves, if you would see yourselves lost; you may read the mistake of the Laodiceans, Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. You must examine and prove your spiritual state, that you may have a right judgement thereof, that you may perceive how poor, and wretched, and miserable you are whilst you are in a state of Nature. You must examine yourselves, that you may get a sight and sense of sin: Jer. 8. 6. I harkened and heard, but they spoke not aright, no man repent him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the Horse rusheth into the battle. You must examine what you have done, if you would repent of your sins; you must search and try your ways, if you would turn from your evil ways; you must commune with your hearts, and come to yourselves, with the Prodigal, if you would return unto God, and turn your feet unto his Testimonies. Be serious then in this great duty of Self-examination; and that you may be so, I would advise that you would set apart time for it, when your thoughts are most free, and affections most sedate and quiet; get out of the hurry of the world, and lay aside other business for a while; and withal separate yourselves from company, and retire into secret, where you may be free from external disturbances and interruptions; whatever indispositions and withdrawments of heart you find, force yourselves to the work; resist Satan, who will endeavour to divert and discourage you: Set yourselves in the presence of God; desire him to search you; beg his help in the duty; labour to keep your mind close to it; if vain thoughts arise, and would hurry you away, look up to Christ to rebuke them, and to bring them into captivity and obedience unto himself. And then sit down, and seriously consider what you have done ever since you came into the World, and withal think with yourselves what you will do when your life and this world shall come to an end. Take a review of your sins; they are noted down upon the book of your Consciences, peruse this book; and if you extracted a Catalogue of your sins, it might be a help to you. Note down your original sin; your actual sins; your transgressions of God's Law, in the first and the second Table thereof; your disobedience to the Gospel; the aggravations of your sins.   

Means 2. Reading the Word of God, and other good books. The rule whereby you are to examine yourselves is the Word; this is like a Candle, which will give light in dark corners; this is like a Glass, which will discover spots in the face; you must search the Word, and try yourselves hereby, if you would have knowledge of sin, and your spiritual state; and you must search the Word, if you would have knowledge and acquaintance with God and his will. You may arrive to some knowledge of God by reading the Book of Nature; the whole world is full of God, and every Creature doth represent him; but the world is full of sin too, and the more immediate representations of the Creatures are sensitive things, which our sense layeth hold on first, and is apt there to stick, without further piercing and searching to find out God; and where we have one provocation from the Creatures to love and serve him (through the bewitching temptations of the world, meeting with the worldly lusts of our hearts) we have a thousand incitements and allurements from them to sin against God; but the Word is full of God, and no incitement there to sin, full of persuasives to holiness and obedience; God is to be seen more easily, and he setteth forth himself there most conspicuously; In the Book of the Scriptures you have the most glorious discoveries of God, in his greatness, majesty, power, holiness, love, mercy, and the like; and the way made known of acquaintance and communion with him; if you would be acquainted with God in Christ, you must acquaint yourselves with the Scriptures: Read the Scriptures daily, and search them; Joh. 5. 39 read not only the history of the Word, but labour to understand the mystery of Godliness therein revealed, 1 Tim. 3. 16. endeavour after a spiritual discerning of the things of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 14. when you meet with Doctrines in your reading the Word, labour to understand and believe them; when you meet with Precepts labour to obey them; when with Prohibitions and Threaten, be cautioned against sin by them; when you meet with promises, labour to apply them, to draw virtue from them. Read this Book as the Word of God, and hid it in your heart; lay it up there, as a choice treasure, get your hearts cast into the mould of it; get it written upon your hearts, and let it have an influence upon your whole conversation; and that you may the better understand and apply the truths of the Word, read as you have time other good books, which open the Scriptures, and treat of needful points of Religion, especially such as direct in the great work of Conversion, and give Rules out of the Word for the ordering of your whole conversation; but above all Books read and study the Scriptures.   

Means 3. Hearing the Word Preached. It is by the foolishness of Preaching that God saveth such as do believe, 1 Cor. 1. 21. however the preaching of the Word is to them that perish foolishness, yet unto Believers it is the power of God unto salvation; therein God doth put forth his power, and maketh bare his arm, in bringing salvation to lost souls. Hear and thy Soul shall live, Isa. 55. 3. Faith cometh by hearing, Rom. 10. 17. Lydia's heart was opened whilst she attended upon the Word preached by Paul, Act. 16. 14. Attend therefore diligently upon the Word preached by Christ's Ministers, as an Ordinance of his own institution for the working and increase of Grace: Look upon Ministers as Christ's Ambassadors; he that heareth them heareth Christ, and he that turneth away his ear from hearing them, turneth away his ear from Christ, who by his Spirit in them speaketh from Heaven unto men, and how impossible it is for such to escape the wrath of God, see Heb. 12. 25. Much more shall not they escape that turn away their ear from him that speaketh from Heaven. Hear the Word with reverence, as the Word of God, as if the Lord should speak to you from Heaven with an audible voice; hear the Word with diligence and attention as for your lives, as for the salvation of your Souls; hear the Word with faith and love, without which it will not profit and work effectually in your hearts; and in hearing look not so much for those things which may please, as for that which may edify; I mean, do not regard so much men's fancies, as the wholesome Truths of the Word, which tend most to conviction, edification, to the kill of sin, quickening and increase of Grace, and nourishment of the spiritual life.   

Means 4. Meditation. The Word like Food must be digested by Meditation, that it may turn to spiritual nourishment; you must ponder and consider in your minds the Truths of the Word, that you may both understand them, and get your Hearts affected with them, and your Lives ordered by them. Meditation is a great help in Heaven's way, such as are remiss herein cannot walk so steadily, nor cheerfully; accustom yourselves unto this duty, set apart time for it; I know that some complain of barrenness in their thoughts, when they endeavour to meditate; such I would advise, if they have not that fruitfulness of thoughts themselves to supply them with matter, that they would make use of others help; let them meditate on the Scriptures they read, on the Sermons they hear; moreover I would offer some general heads for Meditation, which you may make use of. 1. Sometimes meditate on God, his Attributes, his infinite Majesty, power, holiness, omnipresence, omniscience, eternity, unchangeableness, his infinite wisdom, truth, faithfulness, justice, goodness, mercy and lovingkindness; his Counsels, especially his eternal decree of Election, which is of most sweet consideration to Believers; his works of Creation and Providence. 2. Sometimes meditate on Christ; his near relations, of Friend, Brother, Husband; his needful Offices of Priest, Prophet, and King. 3. Sometimes meditate on the Spirit, his way and workings on the mind and heart, how he enlighteneth, enliveneth, strengtheneth, comforteth, etc. 4. Sometimes meditate on the Covenant of Grace, and the rich, free, suitable, sure Promises of pardon, grace, salvation therein. 5. Sometimes meditate on the Gospel, and its privileges, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Assurance of God's love, peace of Conscience, Joy in the Holy Ghost, communications of grace, etc. 6. Sometimes meditate on the four last things, namely, Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. 7. Sometimes meditate, and that frequently, daily, of such Arguments as tend to the mortifying of your particular sins, which are most strong and prevalent, and to the strengthening of your graces which you find most weak and deficient.   

Means 5. Prayer. Pray secretly; retire yourselves from company into your Closets, or some private place, and there confess your sins, and make known your requests to God, that seethe and heareth in secret, and hath promised an open reward to such as secretly and sincerely seek him. Pray frequently, be often upon your knees, give yourselves unto Prayer; begin the day, conclude the day with Prayer, and recover some other time to visit and speak to God; at least mingle ejaculatory Prayer with every other work; and labour that your minds may be always in a praying frame; and do not withdraw, but be glad when an opportunity offereth itself to come to the throne of grace. Pray fervently, pour forth your hearts before God in the duty; wrestle with God in Prayer like Jacob, be earnest in your Petitions as for your lives, be instant and importunate, take no denial, follow hard after God; stir up yourselves to take hold on him, use arguments in Prayer, to plead with him. Pray believingly, mingle your prayers with Faith; make use of the name and mediation of Jesus Christ; and make application of the Promises which God hath made to his People, which he hath made to Faith, and which he hath made to Prayer.   

Means 6. Christian Conference. Take heed of the company of the wicked; from such turn away; if you are under ties to be in such company, converse with them as infected persons, with an Antidote, lest you receive hurt by them, and with endeavours of doing them good. But choose the company of them that fear God; they are the excellent persons; the wicked are the Dross of the Earth, they are the Gold; let your delight be in their society; associate chief, if you have opportunity, with such as have most of the power of godliness; and labour to improve by their company whenever you come into it; endeavour to get light, and life, and warmth and strength from them; take heed of unprofitable discourse; but let it be with grace for edification.   

Means 7. Watchfulness. Watch unto duty; there are some golden seasons for some duties, some choice opportunities of doing and receiving good, which if once slipped, you may never have the like again so long as you live; watch that you may know them, watch that you may improve them; understand the day of your visitation; sow your seed whilst the weather lasteth; hoist up the sail when the wind bloweth; watch the breathe of the Spirit, and comply with its motions. Watch against sin, and therefore keep your hearts with all diligence; guard your senses; take heed of Satan; get on the Spiritual Armour, especially the shield of Faith, and fight the good fight of Faith, that you may lay hold on eternal life.   

Means 8. Sanctification of Fasting-days. Set apart times to humble your Souls before God in Fasting, and Prayer; and therein rend your hearts and not your garments; labour to afflict your Souls for sin; meet God with weeping and supplication; cloth yourselves with humility, lie in the dust, cover yourselves with shame; loath and abhor yourselves in his sight for your iniquities, mourn for your own sins, and for the great dishonours of his Name by the sins of others: And seek to the Lord both for yourselves, and for his Church.   

Means 9 Sanctification of sabbath-days. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath-day; break off timely the day before from worldly employments, and be earnest with God to prepare your heart for the day; and when the day is come, begin and hold on with God from Morning to Night, in the public, private and secret duties of his immediate Worship, except what time works of necessity and mercy do call for: Labour to be in the Spirit and in the fear of God all the day long; lay aside worldly business, take heed of vain and unprofitable discourse; let not the Duties of Religion seem tedious, but call the Sabbath your delight; begin Heaven-work on such days, that you may be fitted by these Sabbaths for the Eternal Rest: Praise God on these days for the works of Creation, especially for the work of Redemption; and labour to grow in grace by the dews of the Word which fall upon you most plentifully on such days.   

Means 10. Improvement of Sacrament-dayes. Come frequently to the Table of the Lord, if you have opportunity, to celebrate the Memorial of Christ's Death, and come preparedly; examine yourselves; pray for the Wedding-garment; read the history of Christ's Passion; consider such arguments as may be a means to draw forth your graces into exercise; and when you are there, labour to mourn for sin, which hath pierced the Lord; to hunger after his righteousness; to receive him by Faith; to apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace, whereof the Sacrament is a Seal; endeavour after a burning love to him whose love hath been so great as to die for you; and let your hearts be filled with joy, and your mouths with Praises, and deliver up yourselves in Covenant unto the Lord in this Ordinance; After you come from the Lords Table, reflect upon your carriage towards the Lord; if you have been straitened, endeavour to find out the cause, mourn, and by after-pains and application of Christ, endeavour to get some benefit, and prepare better against the next time; if you have been enlarged, be humble, be thankful, be watchful, live up to Obligations; draw virtue from Christ's death for the crucifying more and more of your flesh, with its affections and lusts; and fetch influences of grace and spiritual nourishment, that you may increase with the increases of God.  
Finally, be diligent in the use of these, and all other means and helps, and so at length you shall attain the ultimate end, for which they are appointed, even your Salvation and Eternal Happiness.      
FINIS.