Infer. 6. How dreadful is the state and case of apostates, who have their eyes opened., their consciences awakened., their resolutions Jhr Christ seemingly fixed ; and yet , after all this, return again to their ^former course of sin !
You see, brethren, sin hath not only power to hold men in bondage to its lusts after their eyes have been opened, but it hath power to recover and fetch back those that seemed to have clean escaped out of its hands, 2 Pet. ii. 18, 19- The unclean spirit may depart for a time, and make his re-entry into the same soul with seven spirits worse than himself, Matth. xii. 43. Restraints by conviction and formality do not wholly dispossess Satan, he still keeps liis propriety in the soul, for he calls it my house ; and that propriety he keeps under all those convictions, and partial refor- mations, opens to him and all his hellish retinue a door for his re- turn. But oh how doleful will the end of such men be ! and how just is that martial lazv of heaven that dooms the apostate to eternal wrath ! Heb. x. 38. Such are twice dead, and will be plucked up y the root, Jude, ver. 12.
Infer. 7. To conclude this use, How sure and dreadful will he the condemnation of all those, in the day of the Lord, who obstinately per- sist and continue in sin, under the convictions and condemnatioris of their otvn consciences !
Poor wretches, you are condemned already, John iii. 18. con- demned by the law of God, and by the sentence of your own con- sciences. What thy own conscience saith according to God's law, God will confirm and make it good, 1 John iii. 20. " If our hearts *' condemn us, God is greater than our heai'ts, and knoweth all " things."*" His sentence will be as clear as it will be terrible ; for
294 AN APPENDIX TO ENGLAND'S DUTY.
in the last day the books will be opened, the book of God''s omnu science, and the book of thine own co^iscience. Now the book of con* science is as it were a ti-anscj-ipt or counterpart of God's book for thee to keep in thine own bosom. Now when God's book and thy own book shall be compared, and found exactly to agree, there cart be no farther dispute of the equity of the account. O when God shall charge thee, saying, Thou knewest this and that to be sin, and yet thy lusts hurried thee on to commit it ; Is it not so ? Look sinner into thine own book, and see if thy conscience has not so charged it to thy account. Thou knewest prayer was thy duty when thou neglectedst it ; and over-reaching the ignorant, credu- lous, and unwary, was thy sin, when the love of gain tempted thee to it. You knew I had plainly told you, theft, uncleanness, drunkenness, and extortion, would bar you out of the kingdom of Christ, and of God, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. and yet putting that to the venture, you have lived in those sins ; is it not so .? Examine the book in your own bosom, and see. The Lord make men sensible of coming wrath for those sins they live in under light ; for the MTath of God is revealed from heaven against them.
Is the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all that hold the truth in unrighteousness.? Then let me exhort and persuade you by all the regard and love you have for your souls, by all the fears you have of the incensed wrath of the great and terrible God ; that you forthwith set your convictions at hberty, and loose all the Lord's prisoners that lie bound within you : Because there is wrath, beware, Job xxxvi. 18. O stifle the voices of your consciences no more, slight not the softest whisper, or least intimation of con- science ; reverence and obey its voice. Motives pressing and per- suading this are many, yet estimate them by weight rather than by number.
Motive 1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against them that hold the truth in unrighteousness ; and because there is wrath, beware. Are you truly informed what the wrath of God is ! " Who knoweth the power of thine anger 't According to thy <* fear, so is thy wrath," Psal. xc. 11 . O, if the wrath of a king, (who in all his glory is but a mortal worm) be as the roaring of a lion, and as the messengers of death, Prov. xx. 2. Prov. xvi. 14 What then is the power of his wrath, at w^hose frowns tlie kings of the earth tremble, the captains and the mighty men shrink like woniis into their holes ? If the lesser executions of it by providence in this world be so dreadful, that men, yea, good men have desired an hiding-place in the grave till it be past. Job xiv. 13. then what Is the full execution thereof upon the ungodly in the place of tor«
AN APPENDIX TO ENGLANd's DUTY, 295
ments ? If the threats and denunciations of it against others liave made an Habakkuk, though assured of personal safety, to quiver with his lips, and tremble in his bowels, as you see it did, Hab. iii. 16. how much more should those tremble and quiver who are to be the subjects of it, and not the mere heralds of it as he was ? And, (which is more than all) if Jesus Christ, who was to feel it but a few hours, and had the power of the Godhead to support him under it, did, notwithstanding, sweat as it had been great drops of blood, and was sore amazed ; think with thyself, poor wretch how shall thy heart endure, or thy hands be strong, when thou hast to do with an incensed Deity ?
Motive 2. Till you let your convictions go, Satan will not let you go ; he binds you whilst you bind them : Here is the command of God, and the command of Satan, in competition. Let go my truths, saith God, which thou boldest in unrighteousness; bind, and suppress them, saith Satan, or they will deprive thee of the liberty and pleasure of thy life. Now, whilst thou slightest the voice of God and conscience, (for the voice of conscience is the voice of God) dost thou not avowedly declare thyself the bond-slave of Satan.? "His servants ye are to whom you obey,'' Rom. vi. 16. Dai'e not to make one step further in the way of known sin, saith conscience ; continue not, at thy peril, in such a dangerous state, after I have so clearly convinced and warned thee of it : Fear not, saith Satan, if it be bad with thee, it will be as bad with millions : God will wound the heads of such as go on in their trespasses, saith the scripture, Psal. Ixviii. 21. Tush, others do so, and escape as well as the most nice, and tender, saith Satan. Now, I say, thy obedience to Satan's commands plainly declares thee, all this while, to be a poor enslaved captive to him, acted and carried according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Motive 3. Nay, further, until you obey your convictions, you are confederates with the devil in a desperate plot against your own «ouls; you join with Christ's great and avowed enemy to dishonour him, and damn yourselves.