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His Fellow-Creatures cannot help him. Chap. 7. once your favourite Companions. They will afflict you, rather than relieve you, even then: How much less can they relieve you before the Bar of GoD, when they are overwhelmed with their own condemnation?

§. 8. As for the Powers of Darkness, you are sure they will be far from any Ability, or Inclination to help you. Satan has been watching and labouring for your Dectruction, and he will triumph in it. But if there could be any Thing of an amicable Confederacy, between you, what would that be, but an Association in Ruin? For the Day of Judgment for ungodly Men, will also be the Judgment of these rebellious Spirits; and the Fire into which thou, O Sinner, must depart, is that which was prepared for the Devil and his Angels (h).

§. 9. Will the celestial Spirits then save thee? will they interpose their Power, or their Prayers, in thy Favour? An Interposition of Power, when Sentence is gone forth against thee, were an Act of Rebellion against Heaven, which these holy and excellent Creatures would abhor. And when the final Pleasure of the Judge is known, instead of interceding in vain for the wretched Criminal, they would rather, with ardent Zeal for the Glory of their Lord, and cordial Acquiescence in the Determination of His Wisdom and Justice, prepare to execute it. Yea, difficult as it may at present be to conceive it, it is a certain Truth, that the Servants of Christ, who now most tenderly love you, and most affectionately seek your Salvation; not excepting those, who are allied to you in the nearest Bonds of Nature, or of Friendship; even they shall put their Amen to it. Now indeed, their Bowels yearn over you, and their Eyes pour out Tears on your Account: Now they Expostulate with you, and plead with Gon for you, if by any Means, while yet there is Hope, you may be plucked as a Fire-brand out of the Burning (i). But alas, their Remonstrances, you will not regard: And as for their Prayers, what should they ask for you? What but this, that you may see yourselves to be undone? and that, utterly despairing of any Help from yourselves, or from any created Power, you may lie before Gop in Humility and Brokenness of Heart; that submitting yourselves to His righteous Judgment,

(h) Matt, xxv, 41.

(i) Amos iv. 11.

and

Chap. 7. The Sinner's Lamentation in his Misery. 67 and in an utter Renunciation of all Self-Dependence, and of all Creature-Dependence, you may lift up an humble Look towards Him, as almost from the Depths of Hell, if peradventure He may have Compassion upon you, and may Himself direct you to that only Method of Resene, which, while Things continue as in present Circumstances they are, neither Earth nor Hell, nor Heaven can afford you.

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The LAMENTATION of a Sinner, in this miserablè
Condition.

O doleful, uncomfortable, helpless State! Oh

* it! Poor,

Wretch that I am, to have reduced myself to empty, miserable abandoned Creature! Where is my Pride, and the Haughtiness of my Heart? where are my Idol Deities, whom I have loved, and "served, after whom I have walked, and whom I have "sought (k), whilst I have been multiplying my Trans"gressions against the Majesty of Heaven? Is there no Heart to have Compassion upon me? is there no Hand to save me? Have Pity upon me, Have Pity upon me, 0 my Friends s; for the Hand of GOD hath touched me (1), hath seized me! I feel it pressing me hard, and "what shall I do? Perhaps they have Pity upon me; But alas, how feeble a Compassion! Only if there be any where in the whole Compass of Nature any Help tell me where it may be found! O point it out s "direct me towards it; or rather, coufounded and astonished as my Mind is, take me by the land, and lead me to it!

"Oye Ministers of the Lord, whose Office it is to guide and comfort distressed Souls, take Pity upon me! I fear I am a Pattern of many other helpless Creatures, who have the like Need of your Assistance. Lay aside your "other Cares, to care for my Soul; to care for this pre

cious Soul of mine, which lies as it were bleeding to "Death, (if that Expression may be used), while you "perhaps hardly afford me a Look; or glancing an Eye "upon me, pass over to the other Side (m). Yet, alas, in a Case like mine, what can your Interposition avail, (1) Job, xix. 21.

(k)Jer. viii. 2,

66 if

(m) Luke x. 31.

68 The Sinner's Lamentation in his Misery.

Chap. 7. "if it be alone: If the LORD do not help me, how can 66 ye help me (n)?

O GOD of the Spirits of all Flesh (0), I lift up mine "Eyes unto Thee, and cry unto Thee, as out of the Belly "of Hell (p). I cry unto Thee, at least from the Borders

of it. Yet while I lie before Thee in this infinite Dis"tress, I know that Thine Almighty Power and bound"less Grace can still find out a Way for my Recovery.

"Thou art He, whom I have most of all injured and "affronted; and yet from Thee alone must I now seek Re"dress. Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned, and done "Evil in Thy Sight (q); so that Thou mightest be justified "when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest, though Thou shouldst this Moment adjudge me to Eternal Misery. And yet I find something that secretly draws me to Thee, as if I might find Rescue there, "where I have deserved the most aggravated Destruction. "Blessed Gop, I have destroyed myself; but in Thee is my Help (r), if there can be Help at all.

"I know in the general, that Thy Ways are not as our "Ways, nor Thy Thoughts as our Thoughts; but are as "high above them, as the Heavens are above the Earth

(s). Have Mercy therefore upon me, O GOD, according -" to Thy Loving-Kindness, according to the Multitude of Thy tender Mercies (t)! Oh point out the Path to the City of Refuge! Oh lead me Thyself in the Way everlasting (u)! I know in the general, that Thy Gospel is the only Remedy: O teach Thy Servants to administer it! Oh prepare mine Heart to receive it! and suffer not, as in many Instances, that Malignity which has spreadl itself through all my Nature, to turn that noble Me❝dicine into Poison !"

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News of Salvation by CHRIST brought to the convinced and condemned Sinner.

The awful Things which have hitherto been said, intended not to grieve, but to help, §. 1. After some Reflection on the Pleasure with which a Minister of the Gospel may deliver the Message with which he is charged, §. 2. And some Reasons for the Repetition of what is in Speculation so generally known, §. 3. The Author proceeds briefly to declare the Substance of these glad Tidings; viz. That GOD, having in His infinite Compassion sent His Son to die for Sinners, is now reconcileable through Him: §. 4-6. So that the most heinous Transgressions shall be entirely pardoned to Believers, and they made completely and eternally happy, §. 7, 8. The Sinner's Reflection on this good News.

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§. 1. M Gospel, and wherever it is cordially re, ceived, it is the glorious Effect of it, to fill the Heart with Sentiments of Love; to teach us to abhor all unnecessary Rigour and Severity, and to delight not in the Grief, but in the Happiness of our Fellow-Creatures. I can hardly apprehend, how he can be a Christian, who takes Pleasure in the Distress which appears even in a Brute, much less in that of a Human Mind; and espe cially in such Distress as the Thoughts I have been pro posing must give, if there be any due Attention to their Weight and Energy. I have often felt a tender Regret, while I have been representing these Things; and I could have wished from mine Heart, that it had aiot been

Y dear Reader! It is the great Design of the

necessary

70

The News of Salvation published.

Chap. 8. necessary to have placed them in so severe and so painful a Light. But now I am addressing myself to a Part of my Work, which I undertake with unutterable Plea sure; and to that, which indeed I had in View, in all those awful Things, which I have already been laying before you. I have been shewing you, that, if you hitherto have lived in a State of Impenitence and Sin, you are condemned by God's righteous Judgment, and have in yourself no Spring of Hope, and no Possibility of Deliverance. But I mean not to leave you under this sad Apprehension, to lie down and die in Despair, com plaining of that cruel Zeal, which has tormented you before the Time (a).

§. 2. Arise, O thou dejected Soul, that art prostrate in the Dust before GoD, and trembling under the Terror of His Righteous Sentence; for I am commissioned to tell thee, that though thou hast destroyed thyself, in GOD is thine Help (b). I bring thee good Tilings of great Joy(c), which delight mine own Heart, while I proclaim them, and will I hope reach, and revive thine; even the Tidings of Salvation, by the Blood and Righteousness of the REDEEMER. And I give it thee for thy greater Security, in the Words of a gracious and forgiving Gon, that He is in Christ reconciling the World unto Himself, and not imputing to them their Trespasses (d).

§. 3. This is the best News that ever was heard, the most important Message which God ever sent to His Creatures: And though I doubt not at all, but living, as you have done, in a Christian Country, you have heard It often, perhaps a Thousand and a Thousand Times; I will with all Simplicity and Plainness, repeat it to you again, and repeat it as if you had never heard it before. If thou, O Sinner, shouldst now for the first Time feel it, then will it be as a New Gospel unto thee, though so familiar to thine Ear; nor shall it be grievous for me to Speak what is so common, since to you it is safe and ne cessary (e). They who are most deeply and intimately acquainted with it, instead of being cloyed and satiated, will hear it with distinguished Pleasure; and as for those who have hitherto slighted it, I am sure they had Need

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