A44690:28
A sermon directing what we are to do, after strict enquiry whether or no…
A sermon directing what we are to do, after strict enquiry whether or no we truly love God preached April 29, 1688.
London: printed for Tho Parkhurst, 1696
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, Do it in the sight of God as before him, as under his Eye, as under the Eye of Christ: That Eye that is as a flame of fire, that searches Hearts, and tries Reins: Arraign thy self before him: Lord! I have here brought before thee a guilty Soul, a delinquent Soul, a wretched, an horrid delinquent, a Soul that was breathed into me by thee, an intelligent, understanding Soul, a Soul that hath love in its Nature, but a Soul that never loved thee.
Thirdly, Judge thy self before him as to the fact, and as to the fault: As to the fact, I have never yet loved thee, O God, I own it to thee: Lord! I accuse, I charge my Soul with this before thee, this is the truth of the fact, I have not the love of God in me: And charge thy self with the fault: Oh horrid Creature that I am! I was made by thee, and don't love thee: thou didst breath into me this reasonable immortal Spirit, and it doth not love thee: It is thy own Off-spring, and does not love thee: It can never be blessed in any thing but thee, and it does not love thee: And then hereupon in the
Fourth place, Join to this self-judging, self-loathing: That we are to Judge our selves, is a Law laid upon us by the Supreme Law-giver, the one Law-giver, that hath power to save, and to destroy: And his Word that enjoins it, as plainly tells us what must go with it, that this self-judging must be accompanied with self-loathing, Ezek. 6.9. ch. 20.43. and 36.31. Do God that right upon thy self, that thou mayest tell him, Blessed God! I do even hate my self, because I find I have not loved thee, and I cannot but hate my self, and I never will be reconciled to my self, till I find I am reconciled to thee: This is doing Justice: Doth not the Scripture usually and familiarly so represent to us the great turn of the Soul to God: When poor ⟨p. 8⟩