THE 
 
 3 U I L D I N G 
 
 THE 
 
 TOWER 
 
 O F 
 
 SALVATION; 
 
 BEING A 
 
 Preparation Sermon^ 
 
 By Mr. James Simson, late Miniiier 
 of the Gofpel at Alrth. 
 
 Luke xiv. 28. 
 
 Vor y which of yon intending te build a Tower^ 
 fitteth not down firfr and covnteth the Cofi^ 
 whether fo hath fufficient to finifi it > &<% 
 
 The Third Edition corre&ed 
 
 Edinburgh, Printed in the Year 1723. 
 
( 2) 
 
 THE 
 
 BUILDING 
 
 THE 
 
 Tower of Salvation, (jta 
 
 Luke xiv. 28. For, which of you intending to 
 build a Tower, fit teth not downfirfi and count- 
 eth the Coft, whether he hath fvfficient tofinifi 
 it ? &c. 
 
 WE fhall give you the Senfe of the 
 Words, and the Scope, which is this, 
 That Perfons would be well refolded 
 and determined about the Matters of 
 their Salvation. When Chritt fays, that no Aim 
 htiildeth a Tower, but he fir ft fitteth down and counteth 
 tin Coft, whether he hath Efficient to finifh it j He 
 holds ay, that Perfons would be well refolved and 
 determined in and about the Matter of their Sal- 
 vation, left they meet with a Beguile and a Difap- 
 pointmenr. 
 v We fliall give you only one Doctrine from the 
 Ssnfe and Scope of the Words, which if, To make,: 
 
(( 3 ) 
 
 believing Gtrifliam,jfuch as fhall be able to bring 
 the Wirk of their Salvation to the head-ftone, and 
 to finifh it: He tnuft Be at a folid Determination 
 about the Bufmefs, to make a (olid Work. One 
 that /hall be able to bring the Work of their Salva- 
 tion to the Head-ftone, and to finifh it, he muft 
 be at a folid Determination how he fball through 
 that Work ; it is 'requifite that he fit down and 
 count the Coft, that he ferioufly relolve with him- 
 felf, whether he be able to bring the Work of his 
 Salvation to Perfe&ion or not. 
 
 That which we intend to fpeak a little to, in 
 the fir ft Place, is, What it is for Folk to be folidly 
 ahd ferioufly reckoning about the Expence of this 
 Building? what it is for Folk folidly to reckon 
 on the true Coft and Expence of this Building a- 
 bout the Matters of their Salvation? 
 
 In Anfwer to this, there are thtee Expences of 
 that Building, as there is in other Buildings. F/>#, 
 We would be reckoning about the true Expences 
 of this Building. You uiuft fit down and fee what 
 Religion will coft you. Secondly, You mult rec- 
 kon with your felves, whether ye have a Heart to 
 be at all this Coft and Expence, which you mutt be 
 at, if ye build that Work. 7birdfy x Ye muft rec- 
 kon with your Purfe if ye have fuffo cnt to be at 
 all this Coft and Expence, which you mult be at, 
 ere you through that Work. 
 
 As to the Fvr ft of thefe, You would reckon well 
 what Religion will coft. Folks that are about the 
 Building of a Houfe ? ufe to reckon what it will 
 coft them ere they finifh it ; and they ufe to rec- 
 kon with skilful Folk, and fee what will do it. 
 Now, it will not be unneedful to enquire at fome 
 ef the Lord s People, what Religion will coft you ; 
 A 2 For 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 For ye will not get (ufficient Knowledge of it from 
 any Body, but them that have finifhed this Work^ 
 therefore it is beft to confult with the mod skilful 
 Men in Religion, what it will coft you. You 
 would confult with the Great Matter of the Work ; 
 for truly none can inform you but Himfelf. Con- 
 fult with Him, and He will tell you : For Skill 
 you fhould not doubt Him, for Faithfulnefs ye 
 would not doubt Him, and He will tell you what 
 Bxpence Religion will coft you,, and what it will 
 fpeak to you. But there is another Way that ufes 
 to inftruft Builders, and that is the Accounts of 
 Builder?, the Extracts of their Experience : The 
 Extract of the Accounts of thefe that have builded 
 aud finifhed that Work, they will tell you what 
 Col* Religion will fpeak to : There are many have 
 builded and finifhed their Work, will tell you ; 
 and feme of them have been at greater Ex pence, and 
 fome of them at letter Expcnce, There is a Varie- 
 ty L among the Expences of Builders, and lome of 
 them has been at more Expenee than they needed, 
 becimfe ef their Want of Skill in Building, Jon*b 
 Was at much more Expences than he needed ; he 
 Was, as it were, harled through Hell, which he 
 needed not to have been, if he had taken the Way 
 that G OD commanded him. And therefore ye 
 would look the Accounts of Builders, and thefe 
 will rell you what Religion will coft you. But ye 
 may fay, Who will bring down the great Build- 
 er*, Jihrahtm, lfaac yH and Jactb, and thole that 
 hold their Houfe above, to give us an Account of 
 their Expenee of the Building of their Salvation £ 
 JBut they will tell you, that we have a more fure 
 Wo r d of Prophecy, we have a more fure Word of 
 Revelation than they had. Twenty four Hours 
 
 Cor>| 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 Confutation of the Son of GOD, and the Troops 
 of the glorified Saints ; we have the clear Mind of 
 Chritt in the Scriptures, and the Records of all the 
 Saints Experience, which will give us a full Ac- 
 count what the Expence really willcoftus. You 
 have the Great Matter's Count-book, that will tell 
 you what it will coft you to build this Tower. 
 
 We fhall only fpeak a Word to the Matter's 
 Mind in this Compt Book : What is the Matters 
 Mind in this Book i The firft Thing we would be* 
 clear of, is the true Expence in building. 
 
 And Firft, This Book it gives you an Account 
 of the necefTary Charges and Expences that of Ne- 
 cefllty ye mufi be ar, ere ye through this Build-* 
 ing, the Work of your Salvation. And Secondly, 
 It gives you an Account of other incident Charges 
 and Expences which ye may readily be put to ; it 
 both gives you an Account what the Expence of 
 NecefTicy ye mutt be .at, ere ye through that 
 Work; and alfo of the incident Expeaces that yc 
 readily may be at, ere ye through this Work. 
 
 And Firft,- As to the Expences that ye mutt of 
 Neeeffity be at, if you be Chriftians : And here ye 
 mutt, fir/?, Be at the Expences of redding the 
 Ground well. Secondly, Ye mutt be at the Coft of 
 laying the Foundation fure and well. Thirdly, 
 Ye mud be at the Coft of a fuitable Superftru6hire. 
 And, fourthly. Ye muft be at the Coft of con-, 
 tinuing at it, fo long as your Days laft. And; 
 Lastly, Ye muft be at the Coft of pulling any 
 Thins down which is not rightly builded upor> 
 this Foundation. Firft, Ye muft be at the Coft 
 of redding the Ground ; And there are two Things 
 in redding the Ground well. Firft, Ye muft be 
 at the digging of the Ground, And Secondly, At 
 
 ihooling 
 
( 6 ) 
 /haling of the Ground. Fir fa There irmft be a 
 digging of the Ground. Ye muft digg your 
 Hearts well. It is a Work of GonYi&ion upon 
 the Spirit and the Mind, which we call a digging 
 of the Ground, there mutt be a deep and through 
 Convi&ion of thefe Things which belong to your 
 Peace upon y qui Spirits. It muft be a Work of 
 the Spirit that convinceth the World of Sin, of 
 Righteoufnels, and of Judgment. Fir fa Ye mult 
 , have a through Con virion of Sin: The Man muft 
 be convinced that he is all in Sin, wholly pol- 
 luted, and that Sin dwelleth in him, and no good 
 Thing at all, and that Sin is greateft of all what- 
 ibmever. Secondly, And if that Ground were well 
 red, ye mutt be convinced that there is a Righ- 
 teoufnefs, by which Men muft ftand righteous be- 
 fore God, and where it muft be had. Ye muft be 
 convinced that there is a complete Righteoufnefs 
 111 Chrift, *for the covering of all your Sins, and 
 Provocations. Thirdly, The Man that reds the 
 Ground well, he muft be convinced of judgment, 
 he muft he convinced that he is under a judicial 
 Sentence of Condemnation, by vertueof Sin, arid 
 will certainly be execute, if he do not prevent it, 
 by making TJie of Chrift for his Righteoufnels, 
 and Abfolution from that dreadful Sentence. 
 
 But in the next Place, The Ground muft be red 
 by fhooling of it. I call this, as it is called in the 
 Scripture, If any Man come after me, let him deny 
 himjelf. There is a Self-Righteoufnefs that he 
 muft lhool eff, or an Efteem of a Righteoufnefs 
 within himfelf ; ye mutt fhool that away in point 
 of Righteoufnels before God, and not only your 
 Moral Righteoufnefs, and good Virtue { but even 
 alfo your gracious Righteoufnefs, your Re* 
 ';'■■ pentance, 
 
( 7 ; . 
 
 pentancf^ your Faith, and every Thing that is the 
 Fruit of the Spirit working ; ye muft renounce all 
 as a Foundation to build your Salvation on. And 
 alfo, ye muft fhool away your Refolutions, and 
 every Thing in that Nature, all your own good 
 Purpofes and In tentions : Thefe are all good ; but 
 ye muft make your own Ufe of them, they will 
 do no good here in the Matter of your Juftification 
 before GOD. 
 
 Bur Senndly, Ye muft fhool the Ground of Self- 
 ftrength $ ye muft not fay, As to the Time to come, 
 1 (hall mend my Life before GOP, I fhall dp 
 tetter afterwards. We would have you at this 
 Piece of Preparation this Day ; do not think that 
 that will make up the Matter between GOD and 
 you, that ye fball make a Vow, that ye {hall be 
 better for the Time to come; if ye red the Ground 
 well, ye muft renounce all Confidence of this 
 Kind in your felves, and muft lay no Weight 
 upon it in the Matter of your Righteoufnefs and 
 Juftification before GOD. 
 
 But in the next Place, Ye muft be at this Piece 
 of Coft, to lay a fuicable Foundation, after ye 
 have ted the Ground well ; ye muft lay the Foun- 
 dation well alio, if ye would build and finiflh this 
 Work or Tower. Now to lay the Foundation, 
 it is to clofe withChrift entirely, as ^e is deGgned 
 and fet apart of GOD for the Salvation and Hap- 
 pinefs of the Eleii* ye muft be unite to Jefus 
 Chritt bj[ Faith .; ye muft lay hold upon him, and 
 clofe with him by Faith, 3s he is defigned of 
 God, and as your Need of him requires. Bur, 
 truly there are many that are ignorant of Faith : 
 How few are there that know really what Faith is! 
 JYe fuppofe that their Number be but very 
 
 few 
 
(I I 
 
 few. But, if ye would take up the Objeft o[ 
 it, ye mutt take if lip under thefe four Confidera- 
 tions. You have them in the i Cor. i. 30. where 
 it is held forth, That GOD the Father gave Chritt 
 to the Eleft, to be Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, Sah<5li- 
 fication, and Redemption. Now thefe that believe 
 in him, and lay this Foundation well, they clofc 
 with him under thefe Confideratibris. 
 
 Firft, He comes to make you wife ; you muft 
 apprehend him fo ; he is given to be Wifdorn to 
 you. They fhall be al) taught of GOD, fays the 
 Scripture. He came out of the Boiom of the Fa- 
 ther to teach: If ye apprehend him right, you 
 muft take him fo, for to make you wife, and to 
 inftruft you in the whole Counfel of God, rela- 
 ting to your Salvation. 
 
 Secondly, You muft take him for Righteoufnefs ; 
 you muft apprehend him for your Righteoufnefs 
 before GOD, and your Acceptation with' him: 
 Sicklike, if ye apprehend him right, you muft 
 take him for San&ification ; if ye lay this Foun- 
 dation right, you muft apprehend him to make 
 you holy. And L*ftlj y You muft take him for 
 complete Redemption, for the putting on of the 
 Cop-ftone of your Salvation. If ye do not ap- 
 prehend him under thefe Confiderations, and clofc 
 with him intirely, as he is defigned and given of 
 GOD to the Eleft, ye will never lay the Ground- 
 work of your Salvation aright. 
 
 But in the Third Place, Ye muft be at theBc- 
 pence of a Superftrufture fuitablc to'the Foundation; 
 therefore the Chriftian is called the Builder. Be- 
 lievers muft build up themfelves on this Foundation. 
 You know that a Foundation is to no purpofe 
 lyithouc a fuitable SuperftrufturcNow, if yc would 
 
 know 
 
know what this Superftruduic is, It is Firfl a 
 Throne in the Heart for Chrift,- if ever ye refolve 
 to come to Heaven, ye mutt build this Throne ; it 
 is a Throne of Love, and it is a Throne of Subjecti- 
 on in your Heart: Ye muft fet Him in the chiet Seat 
 of your Affe&ions, and love Him above all Things 
 under Heaven ; And alfo, Ye muft be (ubjed to 
 Him in every thing which he has commanded you. 
 Ye muft be obedient to Him in every Thing ; be- 
 caufc it is a Marriage, as well as a Building. Ye 
 muft compt this Piece of your Cott ; Ye muft be at 
 all thefe Pieces of Expences, to give Him your Love, 
 that there be none to him in refped or Love and 
 Subje&ion; Ye muft be fubjeft to Him in all Things 
 in all his Commands, and in all his Difpcnfations ; 
 this is abfolutely neceffary, that he have a Throne 
 in your Heart, and that he reign over you. 
 
 A Second Piece of this Superftru&ure, ai:d it is 
 an adorning of this Building, and this is Holinefs. 
 Holinefs is a neceffary Pieceof Charges,if ye would 
 intend to build this Tower, and not to come foul 
 off. Holy ye muft be, or ye fhall never finiili this 
 Work ; for, without it, no Man can enter into 
 Heaven ; if ye intend to build without Holinefs, 
 ye will but deform and deface this Building. Ho- 
 linefs is a moft neceffary Piece of Super (Iructure to 
 this Building. 
 
 Thirdly, Obedience. Obedient ye muft be under 
 the Dire&ion of Chrift as under a Father ; You 
 muft have a Refpeft to all his Commandments, ab- 
 itraded either from Reward or Punifhment, and 
 as to all of them, and not to fome of them that funs 
 their Humours beft, but to ail of them great and 
 fmall ; you muft not break any of his Command- 
 ments, but you muft have an universal Refpeft to 
 them all 
 
 8 Fourthly, 
 
( io ) 
 
 Famhly, Ye muft be at the neceffary Expences of 
 z\)c Crofs. Yotj muft be crofled of your Humours 
 gither froip Nlen or from GpD $ it will not be as 
 ye would, but it will often be as you would not. 
 Ye ipuft ei)dure the profs ; In the World ye ftiall 
 |iave Tribulation. 
 
 fifthly, Ye mull rieceflarily be at the Expence of 
 pioiuping over a pierced Saviour, Zech, 12.10, 
 4 fa] lhall lopk tjf him whom they have pierced, and 
 ik*] fo4l piourriy & for an only Son, and At fir a Firft- 
 fiorn ; fince you 'mutt have this on the Accoupt of 
 fib being piprped by our Iniquities ? this is a necef- 
 fary Piece of the Super ttrudture of this Building j 
 Syhat eyer yoijt Sijas have been, ye muft be brought 
 jto tjfjis, tq fuourp over them, for your piercing of 
 fihritt fry them. Repentance is a moft neceflary 
 |?iece of this Building; you mutt be at the Expence* 
 cf it, elle ye will never firjifh this Work and 
 
 3T9WCT. 
 
 Sixthly, If yc will know the Expence of this 
 building, ye mutt be at the Colt of Incettine Wars. 
 Jirjeipies at home within ; you muli fight againft 
 $£)eip all; Every pr>e that is Chritt'Sjhath crucifie4 
 i$c JFlefh, >yith the Affe&ions and Lufts thereof 
 Ye mutt be at all the Expences (I fay ) of inteftine 
 ^ars ; Yc have all great and matttirful Lufts and 
 Jineipies lyithin, vrhich you mutt fight againft andt 
 pyercome. Pf ye (Kail never build this Tower : 
 ^pil #iutt tajce up a Warfare againft Corruption 
 WJtbin you ? jt ye refolye tobuild ? and alfo to finifh. 
 ^911 jijay fhjnk to be Christians without Mortifi- 
 p^ipPj but yoij Qiall kno>y ir, that yc (hall never 
 feitf J4 3Rd ftiifb t ^ s T >V?* without it. Fight ye 
 }}\\ii\, &£ yc (hall finifh this Tower. 
 
 if\' ifrz next Place, Ye muft look the Matter's 
 
 GSfflP^Jfe^fi Jl?5 B^k of A§s |f ill tell you, 
 
 ~ l * * " There 
 
 ~j 
 
There is feme incident Charges ye maybe pjif Wj 
 it may readily cott you fome Things that ye 
 think not of ( I fhould have ipoken to the othe* 
 two, tut I pafs them, ( to wit, ) that a Man mult 
 continue at this Work of Building the Tower ill 
 his Days, till the latt Day, even till the Day of 
 his Death, he muft never give it over : And alio,* 
 he mutt be at the Cott to pull down Civility or 
 feducatioft, or moral Horietty, or ; wliatfecyer it 
 fee that hath been not rightly kuilded, mutt Be 
 pulled down ; but I pals this* J And I fay* the 
 Compt-Book tells you, that ye may be put to lems 
 Pieces of incident Charges which ye know hot of* 
 and I fhall give you them in thefe three Word** 
 
 Firft, Ye may be put to this Piece of Charged 
 and Expences, to have the great Part of the World 
 iipon your Tops, and to have Contradictions and 
 Reproaches from the Men in the Worl^I, yea, even 
 from the greatett of Men ; ye mutt reckon that this 
 may be a Piece of your Expences ere ye finifh this 
 Building; and if ye mind to build and finifh 
 your Building, .ye mutt relolve with this Piece. 6f 
 Expence and Coft; you may meet with it* 1 fay,< 
 with Reproaches and Contradictions froin the 
 Men of the World : The Chriftian Guilder may 
 meet with thefe. 
 
 Secondly, The King's Book gives you this Ac- 
 compt of it ; you may be put to build with very 
 great Lofs, fueh as the Lofs of Father and Mother^ 
 and the Lois of Wife and Children, and Land?,* 
 and Lives ; it may be tfm ye be ptit to this Piece 
 of Cott,- that ye (hall lole all$ ^zhd your very 
 Life alfb, ere you ever can finifh this Building* 
 Ye may be put to th$ Lofs of father's Favour^ and 
 Mothers Favour, and the Favour of Church an& 
 
 B 2 : ; u: 
 
( 12 ; 
 
 State : This may be a Piece of ycur Expcnccs, if 
 ye intend to build and fintfh. Ye may refolve 
 with your felves that ye may readily be put to 
 build with the Lofs of the beft of your Enjoy- 
 ments, yea, with the Lofs of your very Lives ; 
 this is a Piece of Coft which many have been put to, 
 ere they finifhed this Building. 
 
 In the Third Place, A Chriftian may be put to 
 this Piece of incident Charges, they may be put to 
 build with many difcouraging Difad vantages : 
 As Fir ft, Thou may be put to build in iuch 
 a Cafe as there is none in it but thy felf, none to 
 break the Ice before thee, and none to bear thee 
 Company j this was Elijah's Grief and Complaint, 
 that, there was none left in all IJrael but himfelf. 
 It is an ordinary By-word among Folks in Du- 
 ties, that they have no Heart to, that they would 
 do them, if others would do them, with them ; 
 but they have no Will to do them their alone :Buc 
 remember, it may be thy Cafe to be put to build, 
 and not one with thee, not one to bear thee Com- 
 pany; and yet thou muft build, if thou intend to 
 come fair off; 
 
 But, Secondly, Ye may be put to build without the 
 publick Ordinances, What in cafe this fhould be 
 your Lor, to be put to build this Tower without 
 the comforting and encouraging Ordinances, and 
 yet it may be your Lot to be put to build with- 
 out them : Ye may be put till it, to be Chrittians, 
 and to be holy, and yet want the preaching of the 
 Word, and to want the Sacraments and Sabbaths.- 
 Now, what would ye be for Chriftians, if all thefe 
 were away ? And yet, I fay, if ye count the Coft I 
 right, yc muft conclude, that this may be your | 
 Lot, to be put to build without Enjoyment or the j 
 publick ©rdinances. It was David's Lot, he' was j 
 
 de 
 
( *3 ) 
 deprived for a confidcrable Space of the encourag- 
 ing and comforting Ordinances, which was very 
 fad to him. So I fay, it may be your Difadvantage 
 to want the Enjoyment of the precious Ordinances 
 ( which was very fad to him : ) and yet, what 
 mutt ye do? mutt ye give it over ? No, no, ye muft 
 not give it over, you muft build (till, if ye intend 
 to finifh, and not to come foul oft*. 
 
 Thirdly , If ye be a Builder, ye may be at this 
 Difadvantage with it, that ye and the Matter- 
 Builders may be at a Variance about this Build- 
 ing • this may be a Piece of thy Difcouragement, 
 and a Piece of thy incident Lofs, to be at Variance 
 with the reft of thefe that are building. You 
 know the Church has been at this with it : The 
 great Matter Builders have ken all on others Lugs 
 about this Building, Mojes and A*ron % Paul and 
 Barn/ibas ; ye fee what Variance and Strife was 
 among thefe Matter-Builders about this Work. 
 This is a Piece of incident Coft that ye may be put 
 to,ere ye finifh this Work,you maybe at Strife and 
 Variance with the reft of thefe that are building. 
 
 Fourthly, I will tell you of another Piece of in- 
 cident Charges,which ufeth to be very difcouraging 
 to the Builders of this Tower, and it is this, To 
 fee their Neighbours pull down what formerly 
 they builded, and build what formerly they pul- 
 led down. Would not this be very difcouragine; 
 to a Builder, to fee his Neighbour upon the Wall 
 pulling down what formerly he buildcd, and that 
 very well ? yet ye muft build notwithttanding. This 
 Was Paul's Lot, when he charges Peter, and reproves 
 him for building that which he had deftroyed. I 
 tell you, this may be your Lot alfo, to fee thefe 
 who were your Fellow-Builders pull down what 
 thcyfo rmcrly buildcd very well, and build that 
 
 which 
 
( 14 ) 
 which they deftroyed. And what will yc do ? 
 Vou mutt not give over, but muft build (till, not- 
 withstanding of this Difcouragement. 
 
 A Fifth difcouraging Difadvantage that ye may 
 be put to, to build with, and it is. this, When 
 ye have neither Heart nor Hands to build 
 with. David (ays, My ffeart and Plefb fails me. 
 Muft he give it over then ? Mo, he iuuft not give 
 it over, but fee better to it than ever he did ; this 
 is an incident Piece of Lofs, that ye may be put to 
 build this Tower with, when yc have neither Heart 
 tior Hand to Work. 
 
 The Laft Piece of incident Lofs, that ufeth to be 
 very difcouraging to the Chriftian in building 
 this Tower, and it is this,Hemay be put to build in 
 the Dark ; it is a very great Difcouragement to 
 build and to be in Darknefs about his Intereft, and 
 about his Duty, and about the Promifes. 
 
 Fir ft, Thou may be called to build when thou 
 art in the Dark about thy Intereft, not knowing 
 that thou haft any Thing ado with Chrift, faving- 
 ly ; thou not knowing tnat thy Perfbn is accepted* 
 let be thy Performances; not knowing but all thou 
 doft is caften at by GOD, and looked upon by him 
 as thy Sin, and yet thou muft build: Yc mult 
 reckon this Piece of Lofs with your felves, that yc 
 may be brought to build in Darknefs about your 
 Intereft. 
 
 Secondly^ou maybe at this Difadvantage, to be 
 in the Dark about thy Duty, and that in two Re- 
 fpefts, Firft, Thou knowft not that the Promife 
 that is made to the Duty belongs to thee ; I fay, 
 thou may be put to Work and to Duty, and yet 
 koow not whether or no thou haft a Right to the 
 Promife that is made to that Work or Duty* Se- 
 condly, Thoa knowft not to what Purpofe thy 
 
 Vfotk 
 
( *s ) 
 
 Work is, and yet you muft work. Yet you 
 muft go forward, although you fee not to what 
 Purpofe your Work is. 
 
 And Thirdly 9 Ye may be put to build in the 
 Dark about the Promifes, not knowing that a Pro- 
 mife in all the Word of GOD belongs to thee. 
 Now, Sirs, if you intend to build and finifh this 
 Tower, the Work of your Salvation, you muft 
 reckon with your felves to meet wirh all thefe 
 Pitces ofExpences both neceflary and incident; 
 Lay your Account with them ; tor if ye do not 
 ferioufly intend to be at all thefe Pieces of Expen- 
 ccs, if ye be called thereto byG OD, ye will ne- 
 ver builjl and finifti this Tower and Work. 
 
 We come in the next Place to the (ccond Part 
 of Reckoning, and it is this, The Man is now to 
 count with himfelf, what Mind he has for this 
 Work upon fuch Terms and Conditions. 
 
 Firf} 9 The Man muft lay his Hand upon the 
 Book, the Matter's Count-book of Rates, and rec- 
 kon what Charges and Expenees the Building of 
 this Tower will amount unto ; and then he mutt 
 lay his Hand upon his Heart, and ask at his 
 Heart, how it likes to build on fuch Terms and 
 Conditions ? He muft fpear at himfelf, if he has 
 a mind to this Work upon fuch Conditions. 
 Would you build and not come foul oftV then, I 
 fay, You muft reckon with your felves, whether or 
 no ye have a mind to ware all this Coft upon it, 
 which the Maftcrs Count- book tells you, you muft 
 ware on it, if you intend to finifh this Work. I 
 fhall tell you, if ye be minded, ye will find your 
 Hearts iublcribing thefe Accounts in theie few In- 
 ftances. Fir/?, Your Hearts will fubfenbe to the 
 ReafonabIene{s of thefe Account?. He that counts 
 the Coft right, and is content to be at all this 
 
 " - - Cof:, 
 
( ij ) 
 
 Cofr, he fubfcribes to the Reafonablencfs of it ; lie 
 fays in his Heart,thac it is very reafonable that he 
 have the Ground well rid,and it is very reafonable 
 that he lay the Foundation well,and that he have a 
 fuitable SuperHru6ture ; and that, if the Lord call 
 him to it, he be at every Piece of incident Lofs 
 whatfomever : If ye reckon right, your Heart will 
 fay, All is reafonable. Every Builder will not fub- 
 fcribe with all thefe Accounts ; but he that counts 
 right, will fubferibe with all his Soul to.the Rea- 
 fonablenefs of them all ,• he will account them in 
 his Heart every one reafonable. This will be a 
 neceflary Piece of Preparation to you all this Day, 
 before ye approach this Ordinance, to go through 
 all thefe Pieces of Expences, and fee how your 
 Heart joins with them : You would ponder and 
 confider them with your Heart, if it thinks them 
 reafonable Terms and Conditions. 
 
 Secondly, Your Heart will fubferibe to the Dif- 
 proportion that is betwixt the Building and the 
 Expences ; but beware to think that Heaven is be- 
 holden or obliged to any Body for any Thing that 
 they can do or fuffer ; but ye are to think your 
 felvcs the more obliged to the free Grace of GOD, 
 that lias given you a Heart for it, and has helped 
 you to be at all this Colt and Expences about it ; 
 1 fay, If your Hearts fubferibe aright to all thefe 
 Accounts, it will lay, that the Expences are infi- 
 nitely Abort of the 1 Building ; and ye will fay with 
 the Apoftle, It is not worthy to be compared with the 
 Glory that is to be revealed. Your Hearts will ab- 
 hor and difdain fin a Manner J every Thing they 
 can either do or fufter, as to be right, in Comparifon 
 therewith. 
 
 Thirdly, If ye count right, and your Hearts 
 be well minded in this Matter, y^ur Mind? will 
 
 (iib* 
 
r I? ; 
 
 fobfcrfbe to thefe Accounts as defirable j that is to 
 -fey, Your Souls will have an infatiable Defire to 
 *ave Strengch to be at this Work : .Ye will fay, 
 {although ye had never fo much Conviction of 
 ■Your Inability) O if I had Gear for its Sake ! Your 
 Hearts nil! be troubled for nothing, but for the 
 fyVanc of what ye (tand in need of, in order to this 
 "Bailding. If your Hearts be well minded for this 
 'Building, ye will fubferibe to all thefe Accounts 
 as defirable j ye will think it your Glory to beat all 
 this Coft. 
 
 And Fourthly, If your Hearts be well minded 
 "Ibrttois Building, ye will be refolute for it, thac 
 ye wrill build at'all this Coft ; if ye can be able by 
 any Arc of Heaven, ye will build, although ye 
 fliould be at all Coft and Expences. Says David, 
 I have jworn and 2 mil perform it, that I will leep 
 thy righteous Statutes. If the Heart be right in this 
 Matter, it will refolve to build, altho , it be at all 
 this Coft that we have named j that muft be a 
 Piece of Peremptforinefs, that ye will beChriftians, 
 if you fhould fell all that is out of your Eye- 
 "holes for it. This' was the Way of the wife Mer- 
 chant, that fold all that he had, and bought the 
 Field with the Pearl of great Price. The Man 
 *who has a Mind for this Building, he will be re- 
 fblved that he will do his Utmoft for the Accom: 
 pliChmentofit. 
 
 We (hall in the next Place come to the third 
 Part of the Reckoning, and it is this. Ye muft 
 now reckon with your Purfes, and fee if ve have 
 fufficient there to bq at all the Coft, as I told you. 
 You muft firfl lay your Hand upon the Book, the 
 Matter's Cotjpt^book, the Book of Afls, 3nd lee 
 there what it will coft. Secondly, You muft lay 
 your Hand upon your Heart, and ask at it how it is 
 C contest 
 
( i8 ) 
 content to be at all this Cott. And Thirdly, Ye 
 muft look your Purfe, and fee whether ye have fuf- 
 ficient to be at all this Cofr. Now ye iee what 
 tht Expence is, and ye know what your Mind is : 
 Now, what have you to build with ? Have ye fuf- 
 ficienc for the Accomplifhing of this Building ? I 
 fhall fpeak a little to this one Qiicftion, How (hall 
 a Man know that he hath fufticient Furniture for 
 this Work ? In Anfwer to which, Firft, Ye know 
 a Man may be faid to have, if he have in his own 
 Hand, or in a Friend's Hand. Secondly 9 He may 
 be faid to have, if he have Money, or it he have 
 Peny worths. Thirdly, He may be faid to have, if 
 lie actually have it, or if he have for Incoming. 
 
 Now I would in the Fir ft Place fay, that if ye 
 can neither have in your felves nor in others, ye 
 are not ftocked for Building ; if ye neither have it 
 in your felves nor in Chrilt, ye are not fhffciently 
 ftocked for this Building ; Forthefe that have nei- 
 ther in themfelves nor in Chrifr, have nothing. 
 Secondly, If thou thinks thou haft iufficiently in thy 
 felf, thou haft nothing ; Thefe that look upon them- 
 felves as being able to accomplifh the Work of their 
 Salvation by what is in themfelves, they are able to 
 do nothing in it at all. And Thirdly, If there be 
 any Thing in thee, if thou think it is thy own, thou 
 art dreadfully miitaken, for thou has nothing but 
 what thou haft received. And F<mrtblj 9 If thou 
 have betwixt thee and Chrift, it is all one as if 
 thou had it in thy own Hand, for he will not let 
 thee want $ if thou have enough betwixt Him and 
 thee, thou needs not be afraid, thou haft fufticient 
 Furniture for this Building. n y 
 
 In the next Place, we (hall give you feme Evi- 
 dences of tlie Pertoft5 that have a fujficient Stock for 
 this Building : 
 
( i9 ; 
 
 Firtf , If thou can lay, That Cbrift cntred the* 
 to the Work, and has given thee a little Stock to 
 fcegin with : And what is the Chriftian's Stock 
 that is given them by Chrift ( as I was faying) 
 it is having the Ground well ltd, having the 
 Heart throughly convinced of Sin and Mifery, 
 and of their Inability to do their own Bufc- 
 nefs ; if thou can fay, The Lord hath done lb 
 unto thee, he hath given thee a Stock for this 
 Building. 
 
 Secondly, If thou have a Efficient Stock, and 
 therewith have laid the Foundation, If thou can 
 fay, That thou art united to Him by Faith, and 
 clofed with Him for all the Ends He came for in- 
 to the World, and for the Neceflities thou art un- 
 der, and for all that the Father hath defigncd 
 Him for, and a Bone of him thou dare tw break: 
 If thou can fay fo, you have a begunStoek. 
 
 Thirdly, If thou have a fufficient Stoclc for this 
 Building, then ye have the Faith of His Sufficient 
 cy, that He is AlMufticienr, and compleatly able 
 to do your Bufineis ; If thou can fay, He has 
 caufed thee to look upon Him as One having All- 
 fufficiency in Him, and looks upon this Work 
 as impoflible for thee to work and through* it, io 
 thy own Strength, as for a Camel to go through 
 the Eye of a Needle ; but when thou looks to 
 Chrilt, and looks upon Him as All-ftifficicnt, and 
 compleatly able to help thee to through this Work 
 taul was at this, when he faid, He was nor cfhimjelf 
 able to think a good Tbonght ; but fays he clfc- 
 where, / am able throxgbtbrijh to do all Things^ 
 Through Cbrift who ftrengtbens me. If thou can fay, 
 That He has helped ttae to this, he has given thee 
 a Stock for the Building. 
 
 Imtbfy, If yc have aftiffickmStcck, then ye 
 
 have 
 
( 2« ) 
 
 have the Faith of Chrift's Communication that he 
 is willing to communicate, and let out of his AH- 
 fufficiency for hdpiiig of you to through this Work ; 
 if thou can fay that thou haft theFakh of his Wil- 
 lingnefs to communicate, and let out his Fulnefs 
 for the helping of thee to through this Building, 
 then thou haft i goodly Stock for it, and thou art 
 in Cafe to manage this Work to purpofe. 
 
 And Fifthly i If ye have fufficient for this Building, 
 then ye muft not only have of his All-fufficientnefs, 
 and of his Communicativenefe, but alfo an a&ive 
 Faith to imploy Him. You muft have a Faculty 
 of going to Him, and imploying Him for drawing 
 Water out of the Wells of Salvation 5 if thou haft 
 an Heart to wait on Him, and imploy Him, it is 
 an Evidence that he has given thee a little Peny in 
 Hand for this Building. 
 
 And Laftly, If ye have fufficient for this Building, 
 then he has given thee a Heart to make Ufe of e- 
 very Thing that thou meets with,for the advancing 
 and promoting of this Building. 
 
 And now, Sirs,to come to aClofe,I (hall reduce it 
 to a Word of Exhortation. He has given you 
 Sabbaths, and inftru&ed you more than the Beafts 
 of the Fields 5 Ye have Souls alfo ; and it may be, 
 He has given fome of you melkl? idle Time, which 
 ye fpend in Vanity. O if ye would make Money 
 of it, and ware it on this Building/ Have ye 
 Power ? Have ye Greatnefs ? O imploy it for GOD j 
 and if the Lord has given you a Heart to make Mo- 
 ney of Peny worths to advance this Building, it 
 is an Evidence that you have a fufficient Stock for 
 this Building. He Has given you Ordinances alfo, 
 then make Money of it, and improve it for this 
 Building, and let it be your Errand at this Ordi- 
 nance to get Furniture tor your Work* Amsn, 
 F / N I S. " 
 
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