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<DATE>2014-07-14</DATE>
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<NAME>Zev Berger</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>Chri&s;t's Voice TO SINNERS: OR, Chri&s;t waiting at the Door of the Sin|ner's Heart for Entrance. Wherein is &s;hewn from Scripture how won|derful de&s;irous the Lord Je&s;us is to get in|to every poor Sinner's Heart. With many Motives to per&s;wade every poor Sinner to open the Door of their Hearts to the <HI>Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> As al&s;o &s;everal true Characters of a Real Sound Chri|&s;tian, and the marks of a Hypocrite or fal&s;e Pro|fe&s;&s;or, &s;hewing how far a Profe&s;&s;or may go, and yet be but almo&s;t a Chri&s;tian. Being of Excellent U&s;e to all tho&s;e that defire to know how the Ca&s;e &s;lands between them and their Souls,</P>
<P><Q><BIBL><HI>Rev. 3.20.</HI></BIBL> Behold I &s;tand at the Door and Knock, If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him, and he with me.</Q></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>John 10. V. 27.</HI></BIBL>
<P>My Sheep hear my Voice, and I know them, and they follow me.</P></Q>
<P>By <HI>T. O.</HI> D.D.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Charles Pa&s;&s;inger</HI> at the <HI>Seven-Stars</HI> in the New Buildings on <HI>London-Bridge.</HI> 1680.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="3">
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<HEAD>Chri&s;t's Voice TO SINNERS, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Rev. 3.20.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Behold, I &s;tand at the Door and knock, if any man hear my Voice and open the Door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him, and he with me.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THis Text is part of the Epi&s;tle written to the Church of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> who was at this time in a very &s;ad Condition, Iull'd a&s;leep in the Cradle of &s;elf-Confidence; In which Epi&s;tle we have the&s;e parts:</P>
<PB N="4" REF="4">
<P N="1">1. The In&s;cri&s;ption &s;hewing from, and to whom it was written: to <HI>Laodicea;</HI> with a De&s;cription of him that &s;ent it. <HI>v.</HI> 14.</P>
<P N="2">2. We have the Body of the Epi&s;tle in which are the&s;e parts.</P>
<P N="1">1. We have a Di&s;ea&s;e di&s;covered.</P>
<P N="2">2. A Remedy pre&s;cribed by our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t to poor &s;ecure Sinners, and Pro|fe&s;&s;ors; <HI>Behold I&s;tand at the Door,</HI> &amp;c. fir&s;t we have in it a note of Attention, Behold; &s;ometimes it is u&s;ed as a note of Admira|tion.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Ob&s;ervations are the&s;e.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Chri&s;t is but at the Door of many Pro|fe&s;&s;ors and Sinners heart: <HI>I &s;tand at the Door,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2. Chri&s;t &s;tands at the Door of many a poor Soul, willing and ready to come in up|on their opening to him: <HI>I &s;tand at the Door,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t doth not only &s;tand at the Door of a poor Sinners heart, but he knocks: <HI>I &s;tand at the Door and knock,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="4">4. Chri&s;t will not refu&s;e to enter the vi|le&s;t and mo&s;t unworthy heart that opens to him: <HI>If any man hear my Voice, and open to me,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="4">
<P N="5">5. Poor Sinners mu&s;t hear Chri&s;t's Voice, before they can open unto him: <HI>If any man hear my Voice, and open unto me,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="6">6. Some Souls hear Chri&s;t that do not o|pen unto Chri&s;t: <HI>If any man hear my Voice and open unto me,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="7">7. Chri&s;t will be entring where Souls are opening: <HI>I will come in to him,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="8">8. Chri&s;t will keep up a &s;weet Commu|nion with all tho&s;e Souls that open unto him: <HI>I will &s;up with him,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>All Souls that open to Chri&s;t keep a &s;weet Communion with him al&s;o: <HI>And he with me,</HI> &amp;c,</P>
<P N="1">1. Chri&s;t is but at the Door of many <HI>Laodiceans,</HI> Profe&s;&s;ors and Sinners hearts, Chri&s;t doth but &s;tand at their Door, be|cau&s;e their unbelief hath boulted the Door again&s;t Chri&s;t: how is Chri&s;t &s;aid to come into a Soul or dwell in a Soul. The Apo&s;tle an&s;wers this querie, by that Prayer for the <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> that Chri&s;t may dwell in the hearts by Faith, unbelief leaves no room in the Soul for Chri&s;t, <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> 3.17. O Sinner while thou art in thine unbelieving State, Chri&s;t is but at the Door though thou may&s;t think he is in the hou&s;e, and in the heart: he gave his only begotten Son, that who&s;o|ever believes in him &s;hould have everla&s;ting
<PB N="6" REF="5">Life, <HI>John</HI> 3.16. Oh when the Soul si under the Exerci&s;e of Faith, it &s;ets all wide open to Chri&s;t, Crying, come in thou ble&s;&s;ed of the Lord why &s;tande&s;t thou without.</P>
<P N="2">2. Many poor Souls, Chri&s;t is but at their Doors, they have let in &s;ome of his Atten|dants and they think becau&s;e of this the King of Glory is entered in. Oh how many poor Souls wofully mi&s;carry upon this point, and eternally peri&s;h upon this mi&s;take: you have let in family Duty, religious Perfor|mances, and in that you have done &s;o you have done well, but the&s;e may be let into the hou&s;e, and yet the King of Glory kept &s;till at the Door. Did not you &s;et upon them before your clo&s;ure with Chri&s;t? nay do you not keep them up, and look not at the pre|&s;ence and injoyment of God in them? now it is the pre&s;ence of the King that makes the Court, did not the Phari&s;ees do &s;o, and yet &s;trangers to Chri&s;t, nay Enemies to him? did not the Jews do &s;o, when their hands were full of Blood? Oh mi&s;take not your Souls in the&s;e as the <HI>Laodiceans</HI> did. You may account your family-Duties your Riches, and yet be poor beggaly Souls in point of Faith; Re|tinue &s;hould follow the King, O let Chri&s;t and his Train go together.</P>
<P N="3">3. Chri&s;t is at the Door of many a Pro|fe&s;&s;or
<PB N="7" REF="5">and Sinner: becau&s;e they retain &s;ome &s;trangers, &s;ome Enemies to Chri&s;t: he will not come in where he &s;ees &s;trangers, I mean &s;ome beloved &s;in. <HI>Jer.</HI> 2.25. It was a &s;ad &s;aying of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> Strangers have I loved, and after them will I go: Sinners look to your hearts, &s;ee that you entertain no beloved Lu&s;t: If you do, you cannot entertain your beloved Lord: what can you find in your hearts, your ba&s;e Lu&s;t &s;hould be preferred before your ble&s;&s;ed Lord? will you thus re|quite the Lord, fooli&s;h people and unwi&s;e?</P>
<P N="4">4. Chri&s;t is at the Door of many a Profe&s;&s;or and Sinner: becau&s;e they have not been humbled under the &s;en&s;e of Sin, <HI>I&s;a</HI> 57.15. but with him &s;ays God will I dwell, that is of an humble and contrite heart, to revive it: he takes not up a &s;tand at the Door, but takes his dwelling in the hou&s;e of &s;uch a Soul. Poor Sinner never won|der at Chri&s;t being at the Door, If thou ne|ver &s;awe&s;t thy need of him to give him an Invitation in.</P>
<P N="5">5. Chri&s;t is only at the Door of &s;ome Profe&s;&s;ors and Sinners, becau&s;e their Door|po&s;ts have not the &s;prinklings of the Pa&s;cal Lamb upon them, now he comes; not into the Soul, but he &s;prinkles his Blood upon it fir&s;t, and then the de&s;troyer was to pa&s;s over.
<PB N="8" REF="6">Chri&s;t takes po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion by &s;prinkling his Blood upon the Soul: O this Soul is mine, I have died for it: If thou ha&s;t not felt in &s;ome mea&s;ure this Blood, I am afraid that Chri&s;t is but at the Door: O how &s;peedily doth the Soul open to Chri&s;t, when the Blood of Chri&s;t clean&s;es the heart, O &s;inners get this Blood upon your Door-po&s;ts.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Application.</HEAD>
<P>Is it &s;o that Chri&s;t &s;tands at the Door of many Profe&s;&s;ors and Sinners? then, 1. It is of Information to Profe&s;&s;ors, <HI>Laodiceans,</HI> 2. To prophane Sinners.</P>
<P N="1">1. To formal profe&s;&s;ing <HI>Laodiceans;</HI> it &s;hews the &s;ad condition of &s;uch poor Souls who think Chri&s;t is hou&s;ed in their hearts, and he is got no further than the Door, they think they are &s;upping with Chri&s;t, and all this while he and they are meer Strangers, no familiar acquaintance betwixt them, they let him &s;tand without as one neglected and &s;lighted, while others are taken in: If you ask wherein doth the mi&s;ery of a formal <HI>La|odicean</HI> lie, at who&s;e Door Chri&s;t &s;tands and can have no Entrance, I &s;hall &s;hew brief|ly.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="6">
<P N="1">1. Such poor Souls profe&s;s under a delu|&s;ion, which is a woful mi&s;ery: this poor Church was under a &s;ad Delu&s;ion for all their Profe&s;&s;ion: Oh what &s;elf-flattery was &s;ound in the skirts of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> and is it not to be found too too much among&s;t us, can there be a &s;adder judgment upon a Per&s;on, or Church, or Family, than to be given to a deceived heart, to have a better opinion of them&s;elves, than Chri&s;t hath: is it not a piece of wrath from God to be given up to a Delu&s;ion, nay, to a &s;trong Delu&s;ion to be|lieve a lie, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22. they &s;ay they are A|po&s;tles, but are not, but thou ha&s;t found them Liars: O con&s;ider I pray how di&s;mal this will be to your deluded Souls, O what a Soul confounding mi&s;take will it be to drop into Hell, when thou looke&s;t for Hea|ven!</P>
<P N="2">2. Such a Soul under a formal Profe&s;&s;ion is harder to convince of his &s;ad and &s;ecure con|dition, than open prophane Sinners: there|fore our Lord did thunder out &s;uch dreadful Woes again&s;t the Phari&s;ees, who were like the <HI>Laodiceans</HI> full and whole Souls, and were conceited they &s;tood in need of nothing; one would have thought a few woes would have been wounding and convincing unto them, O but how hardly are &s;uch convinced of their
<PB N="10" REF="7">need of Chri&s;t, therefore our Lord preaches that Doctrine to them; <HI>The whole need not the Phy&s;ician but tho&s;e that are &s;ick, Matt.</HI> 9.12. and at another time he tells them, Pub|licans and Harlots &s;hall enter into the King|dom of Heaven before &s;uch: nay to con|vince &s;uch, God is put to his Oath: as I live &s;aith the Lord I will not be enquired of by you; They thought they would enquire and &s;in, &s;in and pray, and then they thought all was well. O but &s;ays God, if you will not lay your &s;ins a&s;ide you may as well lay your Duties a&s;ide: And is not this a great mi&s;ery to think your &s;elves Believers, when you are but Phari&s;ees? you are in a wor&s;e condition than prophane Sinners.</P>
<P N="3">3. Such &s;ouls under a formal Profe&s;&s;ion, that think Chri&s;t is in the hou&s;e, when he &s;tands but at the Door, &s;hall be di&s;covered; God will di&s;cover who is within, whether Chri&s;t or Corruption bear &s;way. Sinner God will find you out, as he found out the man that had not on the Wedding Garment, <HI>Mat.</HI> 22.12. Oh what work will this make in thy Soul to be found to be none of the Lords? The fooli&s;h Virgins were di&s;covered at la&s;t, and the fooli&s;h Builders, when the Floods beat and the rain fell, then the Foun|dation was di&s;covered to be on the Sands.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="7">
<P N="4">4. Such Children of the Kingdom who have made Chri&s;t &s;tand without their hearts, he will make them &s;tand without his hear|ing. Not every one that &s;ays Lord, Lord, &s;hall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but &s;ee their claim, they talk at a high rate, O but yet he never knew them, <HI>Mat.</HI> 7. <HI>v.</HI> 23.</P>
<P N="5">5. Such as are under a form of Profe&s;&s;ion, and under no real po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, their condemnation will be greater than others, <HI>Chorazins</HI> Hell is an hotter Hell than <HI>Sidons:</HI> We read of &s;ome having their Portion with Hypocrites and unbelievers, Hypocrites &s;ays one are the free-holders of Hell, O what a piece of mi&s;ery will it be to peri&s;h under &s;o &s;mooth a Profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>The &s;econd branch of the Information is to &s;hew us the mi&s;ery of Sinners, at who&s;e Door Chri&s;t &s;tands, and cannot get En|trance?</P>
<P N="1">1. Such a Souls mi&s;ery lieth in this, its peri&s;hing will be wilful and inexcu&s;able; thou art inexcu&s;able, O man, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, thy De&s;truction is of thy &s;elf: O poor Soul thou ha&s;t de&s;troyed thy &s;elf: <HI>O I&s;rael,</HI> did not Chri&s;t cry unto thee, behold I &s;tand at the Door and nock, did he not cry why wilt thou dye? If thou wilt open me to I will come in and &s;up with thee: O &s;ad condition,
<PB N="12" REF="8">is Chri&s;t calling thus upon thy poor peri&s;h|ing Soul, O will not thy poor Soul &s;tand &s;peechle&s;s before the Lord in the Great Day? when the Judge will &s;ay to the poor con|demned pri&s;oner, what &s;ay&s;t thou for thy &s;elf, that &s;entence of Death, yea eternal Death &s;hould not be pronounced again&s;t thee? O will not thy &s;ilence give a doleful con&s;ent to the reading of thy righteous &s;en|tence, to be ca&s;t for ever out of his pre|&s;ence?</P>
<P N="2">2. Such Souls that only have Chri&s;t &s;tand at their Doors, their mi&s;ery lies in this. If he comes not in him&s;elf none of his Be|nefits come in; If Chri&s;t be not yours &s;inners, what is his will never be yours: how ma|ny of us love him rather for what he brings than what he is; I tell you my beloved, it is the per&s;on of Chri&s;t that is to be the object of our Faith and Love.</P>
<P N="1">1 There is no room for Adoption, but by taking Chri&s;t, receiving Chri&s;t. To as many as received him he gave power to be|come the Sons of God, we are all the Chil|dren of God through Faith in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. There's no room for Ju&s;tification, but by taking Chri&s;t: <HI>we are ju&s;tified by Faith, Rom.</HI> 5.1.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="8">
<P N="3">3. No room for Union, but by taking Chri&s;t: <HI>I will come in to him, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. No room for Communion: <HI>I will Sup with him.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. No room for Acceptance; we have acce&s;s with confidence through the Faith of him.</P>
<P>Oh &s;ad ca&s;e! to be &s;tript of all the&s;e at once: by Chri&s;t &s;tanding at the Door and the &s;inner refu&s;ing to give him entrance.</P>
<P N="3">3. The mi&s;ery of a &s;inner at who&s;e Door Chri&s;t &s;tands, is, &s;uch a Soul is a dead Soul: he that hath the Son hath Life.</P>
<P N="4">4. A Soul that hath Chri&s;t &s;tanding but at the Door, his mi&s;ery will appear in Chri&s;t departing; Chri&s;t will not always wait, and when he goeth away all that will do thy &s;oul good goeth with him; the Lord Je&s;us when he departeth marketh the Door: and then wo be to that Soul when the de&s;troying An|gel cometh: Sinner know you may weary God, as well as Man; you have wearied man, and will you weary God al&s;o? <HI>I&s;a</HI> 7.13. O think what will become of your Souls: If God &s;ay once to you, as he did to them, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 6. I will return to my place, in Allu&s;ion to a Judge that is going off a Bench: O then the Pri&s;oner cries mightily for Mercy: O poor Souls what and if the Lord &s;hould go
<PB N="14" REF="9">off the Mercy-&s;eat before you be reconci|led to him? O cry for pardon before he go.</P>
<P>But I mu&s;t ha&s;ten to the &s;econd U&s;e of the Doctrine.</P>
<P>If Chri&s;t &s;tands at the Door of many Pro|fe&s;&s;ors and Sinners,</P>
<P>Then it is a word of Exortation to all, both Profe&s;&s;ors and Sinners to let Chri&s;t in, O let us give the Lord Je&s;us hou&s;e-room and heart|room: &s;hall Chri&s;t come and beg room and you deny him? we would not do thus with a friend, nay not with a &s;tranger, let him &s;tand at the Door hour after hour; and &s;hall we deal thus with Chri&s;t? nay, who hath &s;tood year after year, as he &s;aid, <HI>Three years have I come &s;eeking Fruit on this Figtree, and found none, Luk.</HI> 13.7, 8. &s;o may he &s;ay, many years have I &s;tood, waited and knockt and called for Entrance, but could find none, none an&s;wered or opened to me: O how &s;ad is this that the Lord Je&s;us &s;hould be thus dealt withal?</P>
<P>Sinners I would to God I could per&s;wade you this day to open to Chri&s;t; and to pre&s;s you to it, I &s;hall lay down &s;everal Motives.</P>
<P N="1">1. Let us open to Chri&s;t, both Profe&s;&s;ors and Sinners, and let him in at the door be|fore he departeth; you know &s;tanding is a
<PB N="15" REF="9">weary&s;om po&s;ture to us, but not &s;o it &s;eems to Chri&s;t: we read of the Lord Je&s;us, he &s;tood at the Spou&s;es door, until his Locks were fill'd with the Dews of the night; O the wonderful patience of Chri&s;t, O admire his long-&s;uffering; he might have march'd, If you and I had not opened unto him im|mediately; Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;tood many a year at thy door, and &s;aid as once to <HI>Jeru&s;a|lem: O Jeru&s;alem,</HI> when wilt thou be made clean, when &s;hall it once be? Sinner how can you think he will &s;tand any longer, who hath &s;tood &s;o long already, do not weary him, &s;inner, but now open to him.</P>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Second Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open to him, he will not &s;tand long: O how &s;hould this awaken drou&s;ie Profe&s;&s;ors and dead Sinners? what and if this &s;hould be the la&s;t call, the la&s;t knock that ever thou &s;hould|e&s;t have, if after this ordinance, the Seal of a hard heart &s;hould be clapt upon thee if thy Door after this day, be not only &s;hut, but &s;ea|led; what a &s;ad condition were then thy poor &s;oul in? well thou knowe&s;t not but thy &s;piritual Judgment is at the Door, my &s;pirit &s;hall not always &s;trive with man: what and if Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;ay now at the clo&s;e of this Exer|ci&s;e, let them alone: Profe&s;&s;ors and &s;inners you that have not opened to Chri&s;t, this day
<PB N="16" REF="10">is fa&s;t approaching upon you, when he will &s;ay to you, as to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> when he wept over it, <HI>O Jeru&s;alem had&s;t thou known in this thy day,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Luk.</HI> 19.40, 41, 42. you had a day in which Chri&s;t &s;tood at your Doors, and woo|ed your poor Souls, to let him in, he called upon you to let him in, nay begged it at your hands: but now it is hid from your Eyes: poor &s;inners con&s;ider this, be in&s;tructed <HI>O Jeru&s;alem:</HI> (be in&s;tructed <HI>O England, Lea&s;t my Soul depart from thee, and I leave thee de&s;olate, Jer.</HI> 6.8.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Third Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open to Chri&s;t. He calls to be let in, and complains he is &s;hut out; O what &s;weet calls were they that he gave the Spou&s;e when he called her to open to him; open unto me thy Husband, unto me thy Lord, 2. my Si&s;ter what will you let Relations be &s;hut out? 3. my Love, now he treats her above a Si&s;ter, as a Spou&s;e, (my Dove) 5. undefiled one, O who could &s;tand out again&s;t &s;uch a call?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Fourth Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open to Chri&s;t. Chri&s;t &s;tanding at your Door will aggravate your mi&s;ery when you are &s;hut out of Glory: If Chri&s;t had not waited on you &s;o long, &s;tood &s;o long, as he &s;aid, If I had not come to have &s;poken unto you, you had not had &s;in: but his &s;tanding at the Door waiting for Entrance, and your
<PB N="17" REF="10">denial of him will be an aggravation to you, when you are &s;hut out of Heaven, <HI>Mat,</HI> 8.12. the Children of the Kingdom &s;hall be &s;hut out. Oh how &s;ad will this be? he once &s;tood at the Door of your hearts and you would not let him in, now the day is coming, you mu&s;t &s;tand at his Door, and he will not let you in. And none went in with the Marriage, but &s;uch as were ready, and the Door was &s;hut, and then what a di&s;mal cry was there, open, open unto us. O remember that word, the Aggravation lies there, <HI>And you your &s;elves thru&s;t out, Luk.</HI> 13.25.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Fifth Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open to Chri&s;t, is the dignity of his per&s;on, I &s;tand at the Door and knock, <HI>He is the King of Glory, Philip.</HI> 24.7. <HI>be you lift up you everla&s;ting Gates, and the King of Glory &s;hall enter in:</HI> O &s;hall &s;uch worms as we keep this glorious King at our Doors; we read a glorious de&s;cription of God, <HI>I&s;a,</HI> 57.15. The high and lofty one that inhabits Eternity, and &s;ays, O poor &s;oul can this high and lofty one conde&s;cend &s;o low, as to come into my heart: O he that inhabits Eternity, will he dwell in &s;uch a wretched &s;oul as mine? yea, that he will, al&s;o with him that is of an humble and contrite heart will I dwell (&s;aith God) O now &s;inner, Con&s;ider who it is that &s;tands at the Door: who would keep out &s;uch a per&s;on as this?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="18" REF="11">
<HEAD>Sixth Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open to Chri&s;t: Con&s;ider he hath o|pened his heart unto you, and all that he might get into your hearts, 1 <HI>John</HI> 18. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30.21. Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;ets forth his heart be|fore us; and &s;hall we after all the&s;e plain di&s;|coveries of his heart in the Go&s;pel keep him out of doors.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Seventh Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open unto Chri&s;t: Then the de&s;troyer &s;hall pa&s;s over, he will then &s;prinkle his Blood upon your Door-po&s;t. O what a mercy would it be to have the token of pacification and a|tonement fixed upon your Doors, then we &s;hall be &s;afely protected in times of divine wrath, therefore we read <HI>I&s;a</HI> 26.19. <HI>Enter into the Chambers and &s;hut the Doors, till the Indignation be over pa&s;t;</HI> what a mercy would it be to have the de&s;troying Angel pa&s;s over you, when &s;ome of your Neighbours &s;hall be &s;mitten with the wrath of God?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Eighth and la&s;t Motive,</HEAD>
<P>To open unto Chri&s;t: For con&s;ider by his coming into you, your poor Souls will be di&s;|po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of the &s;trong man armed: beloved, there is never a poor Soul out of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but is really po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed by Satan in a &s;piritual &s;en&s;e, therefore we read of the &s;pirit work|ing in the Children of Di&s;obedience.</P>
<P>Now the letting in of Chri&s;t would be the
<PB N="19" REF="11">ejection of Satan, when a &s;trong man armed keepeth his place, his goods are in peace, but when a &s;tronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he taketh from him his Armour, wherein he tru&s;ted, and divideth, the Spoils, <HI>Luk.</HI> 11.21, 22. <HI>Matt.</HI> 12.29. the &s;trong man is Satan armed with all his &s;ub|tilty, to keep our Chri&s;t; the Palace or Hou&s;e, is the heart of a poor Creature, before Chri&s;t enter in upon it, his goods are in peace, <HI>(viz.)</HI> all is quiet and &s;till and at re&s;t, in the Soul, but now a &s;tronger than he enters, that is Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he comes and takes po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Soul and turns out Satan O what a mercy will this be for Satan, to be ca&s;t out and Chri&s;t to come in? but I have done with the Motives. And methinks I hear &s;ome poor &s;oul &s;ay I can|not tell what hinders opening to Chri&s;t, I de|&s;ire to open unto him, but alas I find I do not o|pen to him, he is but at the Door yet, and he was there &s;everal years ago. Now what are the lets, and barrs that keep him out? before you have the helps to let him in, it is convenient you &s;hould know the Hindrances, that keep him out, and that I may convince you, con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">1. That which keeps Chri&s;t at the Door, is &s;elf-confidence, and conceitedne&s;s of our good E&s;tate, this was the hindrance to Chri&s;t, coming in to tho&s;e poor <HI>Laodicians:</HI> they were rich in their own opinions, &s;uch were
<PB N="20" REF="12">the Phari&s;ees, whole &s;ouls, and &s;o looked not after a Phy&s;ician; now Chri&s;t hath no|thing to do with &s;uch &s;ouls, <HI>he came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. That which keeps Chri&s;t out is re&s;ting in a formal <HI>Laodican</HI> Profe&s;&s;ion, and thus they deceive them&s;elves. They think they have let him into their hearts, when they let him in by Profe&s;&s;ion into their Lives: it was a complaint of a Father, how many ki&s;s Chri&s;t, but few love Chri&s;t, your Profe&s;&s;i|on is but a ki&s;s a meer Complement, if you do not let him take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of your Souls: <HI>It is not every one that &s;ays Lord, Lord, can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matt.</HI> 7.23.24, 25.</P>
<P N="3">3. That which keeps Chri&s;t out of the Soul is per&s;ons ignorance of their need of Chri&s;t: O what opening to Chri&s;t would there be, and what running after him? what crying out <HI>come in thou ble&s;&s;ed of the Lord, why &s;tande&s;t thou without?</HI> O then thy &s;oul will cry out; none but Chri&s;t, none but Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4^t^h^. Hindrance which keeps Chri&s;t out, poor &s;ouls re&s;erving &s;ome beloved Lu&s;t. Con|&s;ider &s;inner, Chri&s;t and Sin are like <HI>Sarah</HI> and <HI>Hagar:</HI> they cannot dwell together; alas poor &s;oul there is no room for Chri&s;t, thy heart is filled already.</P>
<P N="5">5^t^h^. Hindrance that keeps Chri&s;t out of the Scul is, the pride of poor Souls. They are too
<PB N="21" REF="12">proud to open to Chri&s;t: but remember &s;inner, Chri&s;t re&s;i&s;ts the proud a far of: <HI>but with the humble he hath promi&s;ed to dwell, Gen.</HI> 4.5. but I mu&s;t ha&s;ten to a Conclu&s;ion which &s;hall be in a word of Direction,</P>
<P>To many poor Souls that are &s;tirred, or pre&s;t in &s;pirit, to open unto Chri&s;t: but they find it hard work, their hearts are &s;o barr'd and troubled again&s;t the Lord Je&s;us, how (&s;ays &s;uch Souls) &s;hall we be help'd to open unto him?</P>
<P>Fir&s;t Help to open to Chri&s;t: Sinner be &s;ure to &s;tir with the fir&s;t motions and calls of the &s;pirit of God to open. Poor Souls are &s;no|ring on their Beds of &s;ecurity, and are fa&s;t a&s;leep: and Chri&s;t comes to them as he did to the Spou&s;e, and &s;ays <HI>open to me my Si&s;ter, &amp;c.</HI> but alas poor &s;ouls are not awakened.</P>
<P>Second Help to open to Chri&s;t is this get a true and unfeigned Love to him: we open to tho&s;e we love. If we love Chri&s;t with all our heart, we &s;hould open our hearts to him more. We read of a &s;weet pa&s;&s;age, when the Spou&s;es heart was &s;hut again&s;t him, what did Chri&s;t go away and leave her in her &s;hut up condition? no it is true he did withdraw: but he fir&s;t went to her, and dropt Myrrh up|on the handles of the Lock, he put his hand at the hole of the Door, and what then? her Bowels were moved for him: &s;he was now
<PB N="22" REF="13">affected, and afflicted with her unkindne&s;s, in not opening to Chri&s;t, and what did i&s;&s;ue in? <HI>I ro&s;e to open to my beloved.</HI></P>
<P>Third direction to help to open to Chri&s;t: be &s;ure &s;oul to take heed of calling Satan into Council with you, when you are under any Inclinations of heart to open to Chri&s;t: as &s;oon as Chri&s;t comes to knock at a poor &s;ouls Door to get in, then Satan will be about the Door to keep Chri&s;t out. O therefore con|&s;ult not with him, he is a great Enemy to &s;ouls opening to Chri&s;t upon the&s;e Accounts. Fir&s;t he knows he &s;hall be turned out if Chri&s;t come in, when a &s;tronger than he enters his hou&s;e; O he is loath to be turned out of his Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, then he rages becau&s;e his time is &s;hort. Secondly, He knows when Chri&s;t comes into the &s;oul he will bring his train, this Glorious King hath a double train, fir&s;t a train of Graces, Secondly, a train of Com|forts, now Satan envies the Soul &s;hould have any Grace. or any Comfort, he knows as grace comes in grace goes out. Thirdly, as Comfort comes in Corruption goes out, there|fore we read <HI>the fear of the Lord and the Com|forts of the Holy Gho&s;t goe together, Act</HI> 9.3.11. and what is the meaning of Chri&s;ts &s;upping with the Soul, but his good cheer he brings in with him, his Fea&s;t of fat things, <HI>viz. The Comforts of his Love, Cant.</HI> 5.1.</P>
<PB N="23" REF="13">
<P>Fourth, and la&s;t Direction, would you open to Chri&s;t, then labour to get more ex|perimental acquaintance with the Exerci&s;e of Faith: as you have heard Love to be one open|ing Grace, &s;o is Faith another; Faith makes a di&s;covery of Chri&s;t to the Soul as the only de&s;irable Object; Faith &s;ets love on work; Faith purifies the Soul from the filth of &s;ins as well as the guilt of &s;in. I did intend to have &s;hown you more of the Excellency of this Grace of Faith: but the time is too far &s;pent the re&s;t I &s;hall re&s;erve for another opportuni|ty: the Lord give a Ble&s;&s;ing to what hath been delivered in much weakne&s;s and rai&s;e it up with much &s;trength.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's note">
<P><HI>Books Printed for and Sold by</HI> Charles Pa&s;|&s;inger <HI>at the</HI> Seven Stars <HI>on</HI> London-Bridge.</P>
<P N="1">1. The wi&s;e Merchant, or the Pearle&s;s Pearl.</P>
<P N="2">2. Death's Dialogues, or a Diologue be|tween Life and Death.</P>
<P N="3">3. Chri&s;t's fir&s;t Sermon.</P>
<P N="4">4. Chri&s;t's la&s;t Sermon.</P>
<P N="5">5. The School of Grace.</P>
<P N="9">9. A Di&s;cour&s;e of &s;piritual Wi&s;dom.</P>
<PB N="24" REF="14">
<P>The&s;e &s;ix la&s;t are three pence a piece.</P>
<P N="1">1. Man's la&s;t End, being a Funeral Ser|mon. Preached by Mr. <HI>James Janeway.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Chri&s;t in the Clouds coming to Judg|ment, by Mr. <HI>Tho. Wade&s;worth.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Chri&s;tians Temptations and Try|als, in a Sermon by Mr. <HI>Ralph Vennings.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. A &s;ea&s;onable Warning to all Impeni|tent Sinners, in a Sermon by Mr. <HI>Richard Baxter.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. A Voice from Heaven to the people of <HI>England,</HI> in a Sermon by Mr. <HI>Henry Stubs.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. Sighs from Hell, or the Groans of the Damned, in a Sermon by <HI>Roger Hough.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. Tormenting Tophet, or a terrible De&s;cription of Hell in a Sermon.</P>
<P>The&s;e are but two pence apiece.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
