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command and discipline of another! To have a master there, and such a master, as will controul many of its favourite affections, and direct them quite into another channel! A master, who himself represents his commands, by taking up the cross and following him! To adhere to the strictest rules of godliness and sobriety, of righteousness and truth; not departing from them, in any allowed instance, great or small, upon any temptation, for any advantage, to escape any inconvenience and evil, no, not even for the preservation of life itself; but, upon a proper call of providence, to act as if I hated even my own life* ! Lord, it is hard to flesh and blood: and yet I perceive and feel, there is one demand yet harder than this.

With all these precautions, with all these mortifications, the pride of my nature would find some inward resource of pleasure, might I but secretly think that I had been my own saviour; that my own wisdom, and my own resolution, had broken the bands and chains of the enemy; and that I had drawn out of my own treasures, the price with which my redemption was purchased. But must I lie down before another, as guilty and condemned, as weak and helpless; and must the obligation be multiplied, and must a mediator have his share too? Must I go to the cross for my salvation, and seek my glory from the infamy of that? Must I be stripped of every pleasing pretence to righteousness, and stand in this respect upon a level with the vilest of men? stand at the bar amongst the greatest criminals, pleading guilty with them, and seeking deliverance by that very act of grace, whereby they have obtained it?

"I dare not deliberately say, this method is unreasonable. My conscience testifies, that I have sinned and cannot be justified before God, as an innocent and obedient creature. My conscience tells me, that all these humbling circumstances are fit: that it is fit, a convicted criminal should be brought upon his knees that a captive rebel should give up the weapons of his rebellion, and bow before his sovereign, if he expect his life. Yea, my reason, as well as my conscience, tells me, that it is fit and necessary, that if I am saved at all, I should be saved from the power and love of sin, as well as from the condemnation of it; and that if sovereign mercy gives me a new life, after having deserved eternal death, it is most fit, I should yield myself to God, as alive from the deadt. But, O wretched man that I am, I feel a law in my members that wars against + Rom. vi. 13.

* Luke xiv. 26.

the law of my mind, and opposes the conviction of my reason and conscience. Who shall deliver me from this bondage? Who shall make me willing to do that, which I know in my soul to be most expedient? O Lord, subdue my heart, and let it not be drawn so strongly one way, while the nobler powers of my mind would direct it another! Conquer every licentious principle within, that it may be my joy to be so wisely governed, and restrained! Especially, subdue my pride, that lordly corruption, which so ill suits an impoverished and a condemned creature; that thy way of salvation be made amiable to me, in proportion to the degree in which it is humbling! I feel a disposition to linger in Sodom, but O be merciful to me, and pull me out of itt, before the storms of thy flaming vengeance fall, and there be no more escaping!"

CHAP. X.

The Sinner seriously urged and intreated to accept of Salvation in this Way.

Since many who have been impressed with these Things suffer the Impression to wear off in vain, §. 1. Strongly as the Case speaks for itself, Sinners are to be intreated to accept this Salvation, §. 2. Accordingly the Reader is intreated, (1.) By the Majesty and Mercy of God: §. 3. (2.) By the dying Love of our Lord Jesus Christ: §. 4. (3.) By the Regard due to Fellow Creatures: §. 5. (4.) By the Worth of his own immortal Soul, §. 6. The Matter is solemnly left with the Reader as before God, §. 7. The Sinner yielding to these Intreaties, and declaring his Acceptance of Salvation by Christ.

§. 1. THUS far have I often known convictions and impres

sions to arise, (if I might judge by the strongest appearances) which after all have worn off again. Some unhappy circumstance of external temptation, ever joined by the inward reluctance of an unsanctified heart to this holy and humbling scheme of redemption, has been the ruin of multitudes. And through the deceitfulness of sin, they have been hardened‡, till they seem to have been utterly destroyed, and that without remedy. And therefore, O thou immortal creature, who art now reading these lines, I beseech thee, that while affairs are in this critical situation, while there are these balancings of mind, between accepting and rejecting that glorious gospel, which, in the integrity of my heart, I have now been laying

Rom. vii. 23, 24. + Gen. xix. 16.

Heb. iii, 13.

|| Prov. xxix, 1.

before you, you would once more give me an attentive audience, while I plead in God's behalf, (shall I say?) or rather in your own while as an ambassador for Christ, and as though God did beseech you by me, I pray you in Christ's stead, that you would be reconciled to God; and would not after these awakenings and these enquiries, by a madness which it will surely be the doleful business of a miserable eternity to lament, reject this compassionate council of God towards you.

§. 2. One would indeed imagine, there should be no need of importunity here. One would conclude, that as soon as perishing sinners are told, that an offended God is ready to be reconciled; that he offers them a full pardon for all their aggravated sins; yea, that he is willing to adopt them into his family now, that he may at length admit them to his heavenly presence; all should with the utmost readiness and pleasure embrace so kind a message, and fall at his feet in speechless transports of astonishment, gratitude, and joy. But alas, we find it much otherwise. We see multitudes quite unmoved, and the impres sions which are made on many more are feeble and transient. Lest it should be thus with you, O reader, let me urge the message with which I have the honour to be charged: let me intreat you to be reconciled to God, and to accept of pardon and salvation in the way in which it is so freely offered to you.

§. 3. I intreat you, by the majesty of that God, in whose name I come; whose voice fills all heaven with reverence and obedience. He speaks not in vain, to legions of angels; but if there could be any contention among those blessed spirits, it would be who should be first to execute his commands. O let him not speak in vain to a wretched mortal! I intreat you, by the terrors of his wrath, who could speak to you in thunder; who could by one single act of his will, cut off this precarious life of yours, and send you down to hell. I beseech you, by his mercies, by his tender mercies; by the bowels of his compassion, which still yearn over you, as those of a parent over a dear son, over a tender child, whom notwithstanding his former ungrateful rebellion, he earnestly remembers still.+ I beseech and intreat you, by all this paternal goodness, that you do not (as it were) compel him to lose the character of the gentle parent, in that of the righteous Judge; so that (as he threatens with regard to those whom he had just called his sons and his daughters ;) a fire shall be kindled in his anger, which shall burn unto the lowest hell.

#2 Cor. v. 20.

+ Jer. xxxi. 20.

Deut. xxxii. 19, 22.

§. 4. I beseech you farther, "by the name and love of our dying Saviour." I beseech you, by all the condescension of his incarnation; by that poverty to which he voluntarily submitted, that you might be enriched with eternal treasures; by all the gracious invitations which he gave, which still sound in his word, and still coming (as it were) warm from his heart, are sweeter than honey or the honey-comb.+ I beseech you, by all his glorious works of power and of wonder, which were also works of love. I beseech you by the memory of the most benevolent person, and the most generous friend. I beseech you, by the memory of what he suffered, as well as of what he said and did; by the agony which he endured in the garden, when his body was covered with a dew of blood. I beseech you by all that tender distress which he felt, when his dearest friends forsook him and fled§, and his blood-thirsty enemies dragged him away, like the meanest of slaves, and like the vilest of criminals. I beseech you by the blows and bruises, by the stripes and lashes, which this injured sovereign endured while in their rebellious hands; by the shame of spitting, from which he hid not that kind and venerable countenance. || I beseech you, by the purple robe, the sceptre of reed, and the crown of thorns, which this king of glory wore, that he might set us among the princes of heaven. ¶ I beseech you, by the heavy burden of the cross, under which he panted, and toiled, and fainted, in the painful way to Golgotha,** that he might free us from the burden of our sins. I beseech you, by the remembrance of those rude nails, that tore the veins and arteries, the nerves and tendons of those sacred hands and feet; and by that invincible, that triumphant goodness, which, while the iron pierced his flesh, engaged him to cry out, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.++ I beseech you, by that unutterable anguish which he bore, when lifted up upon the cross, and extended there as on a rack, for six painful hours, that you open your heart to those attractive influences which have drawn to him thousands and ten thousands.‡‡ I beseech you by all that insult and derision, which the Lord of glory $5 bore there; by that parching thirst which could hardly obtain the relief of vinegar; by that doleful cry, so astonishing in the mouth of the only begotten of the Father, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?¶¶I beseech you, by that grace that subdued

* 2 Cor. viii. 9.
Isai. 1. 6.
‡‡ John xii. 32.

+ Psal. xix. 10.

Psal. cxiii. 8.
§§ Mat. xxvii. 39-44.

Luke xxii. 44. § Matt. xxvi 56. ** John xix. 17. tt Luke xxiii. 34. John xix.28,29. ¶¶ Mat. xxvii. 46.

and pardoned a dying malefactor;* by that compassion for sinners, by that compassion for you, which wrought in his heart, long as its vital motion continued, and which ended not when he bowed his head, saying, It is finished, and gave up the ghost+. I beseech you, by the triumphs of that resurrection by which he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the Spirit of holiness which wrought to accomplish it; by that gracious tenderness which attempered all those triumphs, when he said to her out of whom he had cast seven devils, concerning his disciples, who had treated him so basely, go, tell my brethren, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, unto my God and your God; § I beseech you by that condescension, with which he said to Thomas when his unbelief had made such an unreasonable demand, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands, and reach hither thine hand and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless but believing. I beseech you, by that generous and faithful care of his people, which he carried up with him to the regions of glory, and which engaged him to send down his spirit, in that rich profusion of miraculous gifts, to spread the progress of his saving word. I beseech you by that voice of sympathy and power, with which he said to Saul, while injuring his church, Saul, Saul, why perfecutest thou me ?** by that generous goodness, which spared that prostrate enemy, when he lay trembling at his feet, and raised him to so high a dignity, as to be not inferior to the very chiefest apostles.†† I beseech you by the memory of all that Christ hath already done, by the expectation of all he will farther do for his people. I beseech you, at once, by the sceptre of his grace, and by the sword of his justice, with which all his incorrigible enemies shall be slain before him,11 that you do not trifle away these precious moments, while his Spirit is thus breathing upon you; that you do not lose an opportunity which may never return, and on the improvement of which your eternity depends.

§. 5. I beseech you, "by all the bowels of compassion which you owe to the faithful ministers of Christ;" who are studying and labouring, preaching and praying, wearing out their time, exhausting their strength, and very probably, shortening their lives, for the salvation of your soul, and of souls like

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