Burroughs - Houston-Packer Collection BT750 .B945 1674

Goffel Xemifiion. 99 of death and condemnation ; therefore look to it, as oft as you come unworthily to the Sacrament, you have fo many Seals of death and condemnation fet upon your fouls : Take heed you do not come to take another Seal ofdeath ; 'tis much to be fear- ed many in this place come to take the feal of eternal death upon their fouls : but thofe that come worthily, though admini- ftrations benot in that dueorder as they fhould, yet God may be prefent with his own Ordinance to give them comfort from it, andhelp their Evidences by ir, I muff conclude this : thofe that content themfelveswith flight Evidences about this great work, difhonour the graceof God : you would haveus preach ofmer- cy, and indeed it is a bleffed Argument which our fouls delight much to be preaching of, betaute we find fo much fweetnefs in it, and for which our fouls (hall expatiate themfelves inglorify- ing God to all eternity ; but we are withal jealous of your dif- honouring of God in this mercy, and therefore it is that we la- bour fo with you, after the laying open of this mercy, that you maynot abufe it : for certainly my Brethren, there is nothing in the world God takes to heart more, than the difhonour tha is done to his pardoning mercy ; and nothing more aggravates the fin of People than to have flight thoughts of this greas work. t Seventhly, This is agreat di,fhonor to Gods pardoning mercy, for men to pit offthefee6ingof it to the worfi times that pofible can be; Is it not the ordinaryway of molt people, to put off the feeking, of the grace and favour ofGod, Pardonof fin, and Reconcili- ation, till the time of ficknefs, and the time of death ? they go onallyheir life-time in finning againft God ; but when they are lying upon their fick-beds and death-beds, Lord have mercy upon me, pardon me, forgive me, a wicked wretch that I have been ; thefe kind of words we hear from men at that time : O that God would forgive and pardon fuch and fuch fins, and then perhaps they will tell fome particular fins if they -think they (hail die, they will open themfelves to the Minifter, or to fume faithful N ighbour, in the difclofing of their particular fins, and befeèch them to pray to God for mercy. ; but if they have any hopes to efcape, they will keep them in , and be loth to rip open the fins of their lives : This I fay, for à"nyto put off 0 2 the

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