being dead unto sin, should live unto righteousness. Since therefore our living a holy life is the end of Christ's dying that sad and holy death for us, he that trusts on it to evil purposes, and to excuse his vicious life, does (as much as lies in him) make void the very purpose and design of Christ's passion, and dishonours the blood of the everlasting covenant; which covenant was confirmed by the blood of Christ but as it brought peace from God, so it requires a holy life from us. But why may not we be saved as well as the thief upon the cross? Even because our case is nothing alike. When Christ dies once more for us, we may look for such another instance; not till then. But this thief did but then come to Christ, he knew him not before; and his case was, as if a Turk or heathen should be converted to christianity, and be baptized, and enter newly into the covenant upon his death-bed then God pardons all his sins. And so God does to christians when they are baptized or first give up their names to Christ by a voluntary confirmation of their baptismal vow: but when they have once entered into the covenant they must perform what they promise, and to what they are obliged. The thief had made no contract with God in Jesus Christ, and therefore failed of none; only the defailances of the state of ignorance Christ paid for at the thief's admission: but we that have made a covenant with God in baptism, and failed of it all our days, and then return at night when we cannot work, have nothing to plead for ourselves, because we have made all that to be useless to us, which God with so much mercy and miraculous wisdom gave us to secure our interest and hopes of heaven. And therefore let no Christian man, who hath covenanted with God to give him the service of his *See Life of Jesus, Disc. of Repentance, part 2. * life, think that God will be answered with the sighs, and prayers of a dying man: for all that great obligation which lies upon us cannot be transacted in an instant, when we have loaded our souls with sin, and made them empty of virtue; we cannot so soon grow up to a perfect man in Christ Jesus. οὐδεν των μεγάλων αφγω Joerai. You cannot have an apple or a cherry, but you must stay its proper periods, and let it blossom and knot, and grow and ripen, and in due season we shall reap, if we faint not, (saith the apostle :) Far much less may we expect that the fruits of repentance and the issues and degrees of holiness shall be gathered in a few days or hours. γνώμης δ' ανθρώπου καρπον θελεις ουτῳ δι' ολίγου και ευκόλως κλήσαθαι; You must not expect such fruits in a little time, nor with little labour. Suffer therefore not yourselves to be deceived by false principles and vain confidences: for no man can in a moment root out the long contracted habits of vice, nor upon his death-bed make use of all that variety of preventing, accompanying, and persevering grace, which God gave to man in mercy, because man would need it all, because without it he could not be saved; nor upon his death-bed can he exercise the duty of mortification, nor cure his drunkenness then, nor his lust, by any act of Christian discipline, nor run with patience, nor resist unto blood, nor endure with long sufferance; but he can pray, and groan, and call to God, and resolve to live well when he is dying. But this is but just as the nobles of Xerxes, when in a storm they were to lighten the ship to preserve their king's life, they did προσκυνιονίας επιπηδαν εις την θαλασσα», they did their obeisance, and leaped into the sea: so (I fear) do these men, pray, and mourn, and worship, and so leap overboard into an ocean of eternal and intolerable * Arrian, Epictet. l. 1. c. 15 17 VOL. II. calamity. From which God deliver us, and all faithful people. Hune volo laudari qui sine morte potest.* Vivere quod propero pauper, nec inutilis annis, SERMON VII. THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. JEREMIAH XVii. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? FOLLY and subtilty divide the greatest part of mankind; and there is no other difference but this, that some are crafty enough to deceive, others foolish enough to be cozened and abused: and yet the scales also turn, for they that are the most crafty to cozen others are the veriest fools, and most of all abuse themselves. They rob their neighbour of his money, and lose their own innocency; they disturb his rest, and vex their own conscience; they throw him into prison, and themselves into hell; they make poverty to be their brother's portion, and damnation to be their own. Man entered into the world first alone; but as soon as he met with one companion, he met with three to cozen him: the serpent, and Eve, and himself all joined: first to make him a fool and to deceive him, and then to make him miserable. But he first cozened himself, giving himself up to believe a lie; and being desirous to listen to the whispers of a tempting spirit, he sinnet before he fell; that is, he had within him a false understanding, and a depraved will: and these were the parents of his disobedience, and this was the parent of his infelicity, and a great occasion of ours. And then it was that he entered for himself and his posterity into the condition of an ignorant, credulous, easy, wilful, passionate, and impotent person; apt to be abused, and so loving to have it so, that if nobody else will abuse him, he will be sure to abuse himself; by ignorance and evil principles being open to an enemy, and by wilfulness and sensuality doing to himself the most unpardonable injuries in the whole world. So that the condition of man in the rudenesses and first lines of its visage seems very miserable, deformed, and accursed. For a man is helpless and vain; of a condition so exposed to calamity, that a raisin is able to kill him; any trooper out of the Egyptian army, a fly can do it, when it goes on God's errand; the most contemptible accident can destroy him, the smallest chance affright him, every future contingency, when but considered as possible, can amaze him; and he is encompassed with potent and malicious enemies, subtle and implacable: what shall this poor helpless thing do? Trust in God? Him he hath offended, and he fears him as an enemy; and God knows, if we look only on ourselves, and on our own demerits, we have too much reason so to do. Shall he rely upon princes? God help poor kings; they rely upon their subjects, they fight with their swords, levy force with their money, consult with their councils, hear with their ears, and are strong only in their union, and many times they use all these things against them: but, however, they can do nothing without them while they live, and yet if ever they can die they are not to be trusted to. Now kings and princes die so sadly and notoriously, that it was used for a proverb in holy |