A call to the unconverted, to turn and live; and accept of mercy, while mercy may be had; as they ever would find mercy, in the day of extremity from the living God. / By his unworthy servant, Richard Baxter.

A call to the unconverted, to turn and live; and accept of mercy, while mercy may be had; as they ever would find mercy, in the day of extremity from the living God. / By his unworthy servant, Richard Baxter.

Table of contents

Title page

THE Reason of this work.

A CALL TO THE UNCONVERTED.

Doct. 1. It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.

USE.

Doct. 2. It is the promise of GOD, that the wicked shall live, if thoy will but turn, unfeignedly and thoroughly turn.

Doct. 3. God taketh pleasure in men's conversion and Salvation, but not in their death or damnation; he had rather they would return and live, than go on and die.

Doct. 4. The Lord hath confirmed to us by his oath, that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he turn and live; that he may leave man no pretence to question the truth of it.

USE.

Doct. 5. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners, that he doubleth his commands and exhortations, with vehemency: Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?

Doctrine 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with unconverted sinners; and to ask them why they will die?

USE.

Doct. 7. That after all this men will not turn, it is not long of God that are condemned, but of themselves even their own wilfulness. They die because they will, that is because they will not turn.

USE.

DIRECTION I.

DIRECTION II.

DIRECTION III.

DIRECTION IV.

DIRECTION V.

DIRECTION VI.

DIRECTION VII.

DIRECTION VIII.

DIRECTION IX.

DIRECTION X.

§

BOOKS PUBLISHED BY M. CAREY.

—1— Columbian Muse.

—2— The Haunted Priory; or, The Fortunes of the House of Rayo,

—3— Charlotte—A Tale of Truth.

—4— The Lady's Pocket Library.

—5— An Impartial History of the French Revolution,

—6— Plowden's History of the British Empire,

—7— Journal Durant un Sejour en France,

—8— The Inquisitor, or Invisible Rambler.

—9— Gay's Fables:

—10— Adventures of Roderick Random.

—11— Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia.

—12— Beattie's Elements of Moral Science.

§

§

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A CALL TO THE Unconverted, TURN AND LIVE, AND Accept of mercy while mercy may be had: As they ever would find Mercy in the day of extremity from the LIVING GOD.

By his unworthy servant, RICHARD BAXTER.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED FOR MATHEW CAREY, NO. 118, MARKET-STREET. 1795.

THE Reason of this work.

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IN that short acquaintance I had with that Reverend learned servant of Christ, Bishop Usher, he has often, from first to last, been importuning me to write a Directory for the several ranks of professed Christians, which might distinctly give each one their portion; beginning with the Unconverted, and then proceeding to the babes in Christ and then to the Strong, and mixing some special helps against the several sins that they are addicted to. By the suddenness of his motion at our first congress, I perceived it was on his mind before: and I told him, both that it was abundantly done by many already, and that his unacquaintedness with my weakness, might make him think me fi [...]ter for it than I was. But this did not satisfy him but still he made it his request. I confess I was not moved by his reasons, nor did I apprehend any great need of doing more than is done in that way: nor that I was likely to do more: And therefore I parted from him without the least purpose to answer his desire. But since his death his words often came into my mind, and the great reverence I bore him, did the more incline me to think with some complacency of his motion. And having of late intended to write a [Page]Family Directory, I began to apprehend how congruously the forementioned work should lead the way; and the several conditions of men's souls be spoken of, before we come to the several relations. Hereupon I resolved, by God's assistance, to proceed in in order following:

First, To speak to the Impenitent Unconverted sinners, who are not yet so much as purposing to turn, or at least are not setting about the work. And with these I thought a wakening persuasive was a more necessary means than mere directions. For directions suppose men willing to obey them: but the persons we have first to deal with, are wilful and faft asleep in sin, and as men that are past feeling, having given themselves over to sin with greediness, Eph. iv. 19. My next work must be for those that have some purposes to turn, and are about the work, [...]o direct for a thorough and true conversion that they miscarry not in the birth. The third part must be directions, for the younger and weaker sort of Christians, that they may be established, built up and persevere. The forth part, Directions for lapsed and backsliding Christians, for their safe recovery. Besides these, there is intended some Persuasions and Directions against some special errors of [...]he times, and against some common killing sins; as [...]or directions to doubting troubled consciences, that [...]s done already. And the strong I shall not write directions for, because they are so much taught in God already. And then the last part is intended more especially for Families; as such, directing the several Relations in their Duty; some of these are already written; whether I shall have life and leisure for the rest, God only knoweth. And therefore I publish the several parts by themselves as I write them: and the rather because they are intended for men of different states, and because I would [Page]not deter them by the bulk or price, from reading what is written for their benefit.

The use that this part is published for is, 1. For Masters and Parents to read often in their Families, if they have servants or children that are yet unconverted. 2. For all such unconverted persons to read and consider of themselves. 3. For the richer sort that have any pity for such miserable souls, to give to the unsanctified that need them, (if they have not sitter at hand to use or give.)

The Lord awaken us to work, while it is day, for the saving of our own and others souls, in subserviency to the Blessed God, the Maker, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier of Souls.

RICHARD BAXTER.

A CALL TO THE UNCONVERTED.

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Ezek. xxxii. 11.

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

IT hath been the astonishing wonder of many a man as well as me, to read in the holy Scriptures how few will be saved, and that the greatest part even of those that are called, will be everlastingly shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and be tormented with the Devils in Eternal fire. Infidels believe not this when they read it, and therefore they must feel it: th [...]se that do believe it, are forced to cry out with Paul. Rom. xi 13. O the depth of the riches both of the [...]sdom and Knowledge of God! How uns [...]ha [...] are his Judgments, and his ways past finding [...] But Na [...] [...] doth teach us all to lay the blame of evil [...]rks upon the doe [...]; [Page]and therefore when we see any heinous thing done, a principle of justice both provoke us to enquire after him that did it, that the evil of the work may return the evil of shame upon the author. If we saw a man killed and cut in pieces by the way, we would presently ask, Oh! who did this cruel deed? If the town was willfully set on fire, you would ask, What wicked wretch did this? So when we read that the most will be firebrands of Hell forever, we must needs think with ourselves, How comes this to pass? and who is it long of? Who is it so cruel as to be the cause of such a thing as this? and we can meet with few that will own the guilt. It is, indeed, confest by all, that Satan is the cause; but that doth not resolve the doubt, because he is not the principal cause. He doth not force men to sin, but tempts them to it, and leaves it to their own wills whether they will do it or not. He doth not carry men to an alehouse and force open their mouths, and pour in the drink; nor doth he hold them that they cannot go to God's service; nor doth he force their hearts from holy thoughts. It lieth therefore between God himself and the sinner; one of them must needs be the principal cause of all this misery, which ever it is, for there is no other to call it upon, and God disclaimeth it, he will not take it upon him; and the wicked disclaim it usually, and they will not take it upon them, and this is the controversy that is here managing in my text.

The Lord complaineth of the People, and the People think it is long of God. The same controversy as handled, Chap xviii. ver. 25. they plainly say, that the way of the Lord is not [...]qual. So here they say, verse 19. if our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we [...]ine away in them how shall we then live? As if they should say. If we must die, and be miserable, how [...]a [...] we help [...]? as if it were not long of them, but God. But God in my [Page]text doth clear himself of, it, and telleth them how they may help it [...]f they will, and persuadeth them to use the mean, and if they will not be pursuaded, he lets them know that is long of themselves; and if th [...]s will not satisfy them, he will not forbear to punish them. It is he that will be the Judge, and he will judge them according to their ways; they are no judge of him or of themselves, as wanting authority, and wisdom, and impartiality, nor is it the cavilling and quarelling wi [...]h God that shall serve their turn, or save them from the execution of justice which they murmur at.

The words of this verse contain.

1. God's purgation or clearing himself from the blame of their destruction. This he doth not by disowning his law, that the wicked shall die, nor by disowning his judgments and execution according to that law, or giving them any hope that the law shall not be execu [...]d; but by professing that it is not their death that he takes pleasure in but their returning, rather that they may live; and this he confirmeth to them by his oath.

2. An express exhortation to the wicked to return; wherein God doth not only command, but persuade and condescend also to reason the case with them.

Why will they die? The direct end of this exhortation is, that they may turn and live The secondary or reserved ends upon supposition that this is not attained are these two: First to convince them by the means which he used, that it is not long of God if they be miserable. Secondly to convince them from their manifest wilfulness in rejecting all his commands and persuasions, that it is long of themselves, and they die, even because they will die.

The substance of the text doth lie in these observations following:

Doct. 1. It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.

[Page] Doct. 2. It is the promise of God that the wicked shall live if they will but turn.

Doct. 3. God takes pleasure in men's conversion and Salvation, but not in their death or damnation; he had rather they would return and live than go on and die.

Doct. 4. This is a most certain truth, which because God would not have men to question, he hath confirmed it to them solemnly by his oath.

Doct. 5. The Lord doth redouble his commands and persuasions to the wicked to turn.

Doct. 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with them; and asketh the wicked why they will die?

Doct. 7. If after all this the wicked will not turn it is not long of God that they perish, but of themselves; their own wilfulness is the cause of their own damnation; they therefore die because they will die.

Having laid the text open before your eyes in these plain propositions, I shall next speak somewhat of each of them in order, though very briefly.

Doct. 1. It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.

IF you will believe God, believe this; There is but one of these two ways for every wicked man, either conversion or damnation; I know the wicked will hardly be persuaded either of the truth or equity of this: No wonder, if the guilty quarrel with the law. Few men are apt to believe that which they would not have to be true, and fewer would have that to be true which they apprehend to be against them. But it is not quarrelling with the law, or with the j [...]dge that will save the malefactor; believing and regarding the law might have prevented [Page]his death, but denying and accusing it will but hasten it. If it were not so an hundred would bring their reason against the law, for one that would bring his reason to the law, and men would rather choose to give their reasons why they should not be punished than to hear the commands and reasons of their governors which require them to obey. The law was not made for you to judge, but that you might be ruled and judged by it.

But if there be any so blind as to venture to question either the truth or the justice of this Law of God, I shall briefly give you tha [...] evidence of both: which, methinks, should satisfy a reasonable man.

And first, if you doubt whether thi [...] be the word of God or not, besides an hundred other texts, you may be satisfied by these few. — Ma [...]th, xviii. 3. 'Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' John iii. 3. 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, 2 Cor. v. 17, If a man be in Christ, he is a new Creature: Old things are past away, behold all thing are become new. Col. iii. 9.10. 'Ye have put off the old man with his deed', and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. Heb. xii. 14. 'Without holiness none shall see God,' Rom. viii. 8.9. 'So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.' Gal vi. 15. 'For in Christ Jesus ne [...]her circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.' 1 Pet. i. 3. 'According to his abundant grace he hath begotten us to lively hope. Ver. 23. 'Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.' 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2. 'Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all [Page]guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speaking; as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby'. Psal. ix. 17, 'The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.' Psal. xi. 4. 'And the Lord loveth the righteous, but the wicked his soul hateth.'

As I need not stay to open these texts, which are so plain, so I think I need not add any more of that multitude which speak the like. If thou be a man that dost believe the word of God, here is already enough to satisfy thee, that the wicked must be Converted or Condemned. You are already brought so far, that you must either confess that this is true, or say plainly, you will not believe the word of God. And if once you be come to that pass, there is but small hopes of you, look to yourselves as well as you can, for it is like you will not be long out of hell. You would be ready to fly in the face of him that should give you the lie; and yet dare you give the lie to God? But if you tell God plainly you will not believe him, blame him not if he never warn you more, or if he forsake you, and give you up as hopeless; for to what purpose should he warn you, if you will not believe him? Should he send an angel from heaven to you, it seems you would not believe. For an angel can speak but the Word of God; and if an angel should bring you any other gospel you are not to rece [...]ve it, but to hold him accursed. Gal. i. 8. And surely there is no angel to be believed before the Son of God, who came from the Father to bring us this doctrine. If he be not to be believed, then all the angels in heaven are not to be believed. And if you stand on these terms with God, I shall leave you till he deal with you in a more convincing way. God hath a voice that will make you hear. Though he entreat you to hear the voice of his gospel, he will make you hear the voice of his condemning sentence, [Page]without intreaty: We cannot make you believe against your wills; But God will make you feel against your wills.

But let us hear, what reason you have, why will you not believe his Word of God, which tells us that the wicked most be Converted or Condemned? I know your reason, it is because that you judge it unlikely that God should be so unmerciful; you think it cruelty to da [...] men everlastingly for so small a thing as a sinful life. And this leads us up to the second thing, which is [...] justify the equity of God in his laws and judgments.

And first, I think you will not deny but that it is most suitable to an immortal [...]oul, to be ruled by laws that promise an immortal toward and threaten an endless punishment. Otherwise the law should not be suited to th [...] nature of the [...], who will not be fully ruled [...] any lower means than the hopes or fears of e [...]er [...]asting things: As it is in case of temporal punishment, if a law were now made that the most heinous crime [...] shall be punished with an hundred years captivity, this might be [...] some efficacy, as being equal to our lives. But if there had been no other penalties before the flood, when men lived e [...]gn [...] or rine hundred years, it could not have been sufficient because men would know that they might have so many hundred years impunity af [...]erwards. So it is in our present case.

2. I suppose that you will confess that the promise of an endless and inconceivable glory is not insuitable to the wisdom of God, or the case of man: And why then should you not think so of the threatening of an endless and unspeakabl [...]e misery!

3. When you fi [...]d it in the Word of God that so it is, and so it will be, do you think yourselves fit to contradict this Word? Will you call your Maker to the bar, and examine his word upon the [Page]accusation of falsehood? Will you sit upon him, and judge him by the law of your conceits? Are you wiser, and better, and righteouser than he? Must the God of Heaven come to school to you to learn wisdom? Must infinite wisdom learn of folly, and infinite Goodness be corrected by a swinish sinner, that cannot keep himself an hour clean? Must the Almighty stand at the bar of a worm? Oh horrid arrogancy of senseless dust! shall ever mole, or clod, or dunghill, accuse the sun of darkness, and undertake to illuminate the world? Where were you when the Almighty made the laws, that he did not call you to his counsel; surely he made them before you were born, without desiring your advice, and you came into the world too late for to reverse them; if you could have done so great a work, you should have slept out of your nothingness and have contradicted Christ when he was on earth, or Moses before him, or have save Adam and his sinful progeny from the threatened death, that so there might have been no need of Christ! And what if God withdraw his patience and substentation, and let you drop into hell while you are quarrelling with his word, will you then believe that there is an hell.

4. If sin be such an evil that it requireth the Death of Christ for its expiation, no wonder if it deserve our everlasting misery.

5. And if the sin of the devils deserved an endless torment, why not also the sin of man?

6. And methinks you should perceive that it is not possible for the best of men, much less for the wicked to be competent judges of the desert of sin. Alas, we are all both blind and partial. You can never know fully the desert of sin, till you fully know the evil of sin; and you can never fully know the evil of sin, till you fully know,

1. The excellency of the soul which it d [...]formeth.

2. And [Page]the excellency of holiness which it doth obliterate

3. And the reason and excellency of the law which it violateth.

4. The excellency of the glory which it doth despise.

And 5. The excellency and office of reason which it treadeth down.

6. No, not till you know the infinite excellency, almightiness and holiness of that God against whom it is committed.

When you fully know all these, you shall fully know the desert of sin besides. You know that the offender is too partial to judge the law, or the proceeding of his judge. We judge by feeling, which binds our reason. We see in common worldly things that most men think the cause is right which is their own, and that all is wrong that's done against them; and let the most wise or just impartial friends persuade them to the contrary, and it is all in vain. There are few children but think the father is unmerciful, or dealeth hardly with them, if he whip them. There's scarce the vilest swinish wretch but thinketh the church doth wrong him if they excommunicate him: or scarce a thief or murderer that is hanged, but would accuse the law and judge of cruelty, if that would serve their turn.

7. Can you think that an unholy soul is fit for heaven? Alas, they cannot love God here, nor do him any service which he can accept. They are contrary to God; they loath that which be most loveth, and love that which he most abhorreth: They are uncapable of that imperfect communion with him which his saints here do partake of. How then can they live in that perfect love of him, and full delights and communion with him, which is the blessedness of heaven? You do not accuse yourselves of unmercifulness, if you make not your enemy your bosom counsellor? or if you take not your swine to bed and board with you: no, nor if you take away his life, though he never sinned; and yet will you blame the absolute Lord, the most wise [Page]and gracious Sovereign of the world, if he condemn the unconverted to perpetual misery.

USE.

I BESEECH you now all that love your souls, that, instead of quarrelling with God and with his word, you will presently stoop to it, and use it for your good. All you that are yet unconverted in this assembly, take this as the undoubted truth of God; you must ere long, be converted or condemned; there is no other way but turn or die. When God, that cannot lie, hath told you this; when you hear it from the Maker and Judge of the world, it is time for him that hath ears to [...]ear; by this time you may see what you have to trust to. You are but dead and damned men, except you will be converted. Should I tell you otherwise, I should deceive you with a lie. Should I hide this from you, I should undo you, and be guilty of your blood, as the verses before my text assure me, ver. 8. When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, thou shalt su [...]ly die? if thou dost not speak to warn the wick [...]d from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. You see then, though this be a rou [...]h and unwelcome doctrine, it is such as we must preach and you must hear. It is easier to hea [...] of hell than to fe [...]l it. If your necessities did not require it, we would not [...]l your tender ears with truths that seem so harth and grievous. Hell would not be so full if people were but willing to know their case, and [...]o hear and think of it. The reason why so few escape it is, because they strive not to enter in at the strait gate of conversion, and go the narrow way of Ho [...]s while they have time: and they strive not, because they be not awakened to a lively feeling of the [...]ger they are in; and [Page]they be [...] wakened because they are loath to hear or think of it; and that is partly through foolish tenderness and carnal self-love, and partly because they do not well believe the word that threateneth it. If you will not thoroughly believe this truth, methinks the weight of it should force you to remember it, and it should follow you, and give you no rest till you are converted. If you had but once heard this word by the voice of an angel, thou must be converted, or condemned: turn or die; would it not stick in your mind, and haunt you night and day? so that in your sinning you would remember it, as if the voice were still in your ears, turn or die! O happy were your souls if it might thus work with you, and never be forgotten, or let you alone till it have driven home your hearts to God,—But if you will cast it out by forgetfulness or unbelief, how can it work to your conversion and salvation? But take this with you to your sorrow, tho' you may put this out of your minds. you cannot put it out of the Bible, but there it will stand as a sealed truth, which you shall experimentally know forever, that there is no other way, but turn or die.

O what is the matter then that the hearts of sinners be not pierced with such a weighty truth? A man would think now that every unconverted soul that hears these words should be pricked to the heart, and think with themselves, this is my own case, and never be quiet till they found themselves converted. Believe it, fits, this drowsy careless temper will not last long. Conversion and Condemnation are both of them awakening things, and one of them will make you feel ere long, I can foretell it as truly as if I saw it with my eyes, that either grace or hell will shortly bring these matters to the quick, and make you say, What have I done? what a foolish wicked course have I taken? The [Page]scornful and the stupid state of sinners will last but a little while; as soon as they either turn or die, the presumptuous dream will be at an end, and then their wits and feeling will return.

BUT I soresee there are two things that are like to harden the unconverted, and make me lose all my labour, except they can be taken out of the way; and that is the misunderstanding of those two words, (The wicked) and (Turn.) Some will think to themselves, it is true the wicked must turn or die; but what is that to me, I am not wicked, though I am a sinner, as all men be: Others will think, 'it is true that we must turn from our evil ways, but I am turned long ago, I hope this is not now to do.' And thus while wicked men think they are not wicked, but are already converted, we lose all our labour in persuading them to turn. I shall, therefore, before I go any farther, tell you here who are meant by the wicked; and who they be that must turn or die; and also what is meant by turning, and who they be that are truly converted: And this I have purposely reserved for this place, preferring the method that fits my end.

And here you may observe, that in the sense of the text, a wicked man and a converted man are contraries. No man is a wicked man that is converted; and no man is a converted man that is wicked; so that to be a wicked man and to be an unconverted man, is all one; and, therefore, in opening one, we shall open both.

Before I can tell you what either wickedness or conversion is, I must go to the bottom and fetch up the matter from the beginning.

It pleased the great Creator of the world to make three sort of living creatures: Angels he made pore spirits without flesh, and therefore he made them only for heaven, and not for to dwell on earth.— [Page] Brittes were made flesh without immortal souls, and therefore they were made only for earth, and not for heaven.—Man is of a middle nature, between both, as partaking of both flesh and spirit, and therefore he was made both for heaven and earth. But as his flesh is made to be but a servant to his spirit, so is he made for earth, but as his passage or way to heaven, and not that this should be his home or happiness. The blessed state that man was made for, was to behold the glorious majesty of the Lord, and to praise him among his holy angels, and to love him, and be filled with his love forever. And as this was the end that man was made for, so God did give him means that were fitted to the attaining of it. These means were principally two: For the right inclination and disposition of the mind of man. Secondly, the right ordering of his life and practice. For the first, God suited the disposition of man unto his end, giving him such knowledge of God as was fit for his present state, and a heart disposed and inclined to God in holy love. But yet he did not sin, or confirm him in this condition, but, having made him a free agent, he left him in the hands of his own free will. For the second, God did that which belonged to him; that is, he gave him a perfect law, required him to continue in the love of God, and perfectly to obey him. By the wilful breach of this law, man did not only forfeit his hopes of everlasting life, but also turned his heart from God, and fixed it on these lower fleshy things, and hereby did blot out the spiritual image of God from his soul; so that man did both fall short of the glory of God, which was his end, and put himself our of the way by which he should have attained it, and this both as to the frame of his heart, and of his life. The holy inclination and love of his soul to God he lost, and, instead of it, he contracted an inclination and love to the pleasing of his flesh, or carnal self, by [Page]earthly things; growing strange to God, and acquainted with the creature: And the course of this life was suited to the bent and inclination of his heart; he lived to his carnal self, and not to God; he sought the creature for the pleasing of his flesh, instead of seeking to please the Lord. With this nature or corrupt inclination we are all now born into the world; for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Job xiv. 4. As a lion hath a fierce and cruel nature before he doth devour: and an adder hath a venomous nature before she stings, so in our infancy we have those sinful natures or inclinations, before we think or speak, or do amiss; and hence springeth all the sin of our lives; and not only so, but when God hath, of his mercy, provided us a remedy, even the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Saviour of our souls, and bring us back to God again, we naturally love our present state, and are loth to be brought out of it, and therefore are set against the means of our recovery, and though custom hath taught us to thank Christ for his goodwill, yet carnal self persuadeth us to refuse his remedies, and to desire to be excused when we are commanded to take the medicines which he offereth, and are called to forsake all and follow him to God and glory.

I pray you read over this leaf again, and mark it, for in these few words you have a true description of our natural state, and consequently of a wicked man; for every man that is in this state of corrupted nature is a wicked man, and in a state of death.

By this also you are prepared to understand what it is to be converted; to which end you must further know, that the mercy of God, not willing that man should perish in his sin, provided a remedy, by causing his son to take our nature, and being, in one person, God and man, to become a mediator between God and man, and by dying for our sins on [Page]the cross, to ransom us from the curse of God, and the power of the devil; and having thus redeemed us, the Father hath delivered us into his hands as his own. Hereupon the Father and the mediator do make a new law and covenant for man, not like the first, which gave life to none but the perfectly obedient, and condemned man for every sin; but Christ hath made a law of grace, or a promise of pardon and everlasting life to all that, by true repentance, and by faith in Christ, are converted unto God; like an act of oblivion, which is made by a prince to a company of rebels, on condition they will lay down arms and come in, and be loyal subjects for the time to come.

But, because the Lord knoweth that the heart of man is grown so wicked, that, for all this, men will not accept of the remedy if they be left to themselves, therefore the Holy Ghost hath undertaken it as his office, to aspire the apostles, and seal up the scriptures by miracles and wonders, and to illuminate and convert the souls of the elect.

So that by this much you see, that as there are three persons in the trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, so each of these persons have their several works, which are eminently ascribed to them.

The Father's works were, to create us, to rule us, as his rational creatures, by the law of nature, and judge us thereby, and, in mercy, to provide us a redeemer when we are lost, and to send his son, and accept his ransom.

The works of the Son, for us, were these: To ransom and redeem us by his suffering and righteousness, to give out the promise or law of grace, and rule and judge the world as their redeemer on terms of grace, and to make intercession for us, that the benefits of his death may be communicated, and to send the Holy Ghost, (which the Father [...] doth by the Son.)

[Page] The works of the Holy Ghost, for us, are these, To indite the holy scriptures, by inspiring and guiding the apostles and sealing the word, by his miraculous gifts and works, and the illuminating and exciting the ordinary ministers of the gospel, and so enabling them and helping them to publish that word; and by the same word illuminating and converting the souls of men. So that, as you could not have been reasonable creatures if the Father had not created you, nor have had any access to God if the Son had not redeemed you, so neither can you have a part of Christ, or be saved, except the Holy Ghost do sanctify yon.

So that, by this time, you may see the several causes of this work: The Father sendeth the Son, the Son redeemeth us, and maketh the promise of grace; the Holy Ghost inditeth and sealeth this gospel; the apostles are the secretaries of the spirit [...]o write it; the preachers of the gospel to proclaim [...]t, and persuade them to open it: and the Holy Ghost doth make their preaching effectual, by opening the hearts of men to entertain it. And all this [...]o repair the image of God upon the soul, and to set the heart upon God again, and take it off the creature and carnal self to which it is revolted, and so [...]o turn the current of the life into an heavenly course, which before was earthly; and all this by the entertainment of Christ by faith, who is the physician of the soul.

By this, which I have said, you may see what it is to be wicked, and what it is to be converted; which, I think, will be yet plainer unto you, if I describe them as consisting of their several parts; and [...]or the first, a wicked man may be known by these three things:

First, He is one that placeth his chief content on earth, and loveth the creature more than God, and [...]his fleshy prosperity above the heavenly felicity; [Page]he favoureth the things of the flesh, but neither discerneth nor favoureth the things of the spirit; though he will say, that heaven is better than earth, yet doth he not really so esteem it to himself. It he might be sure of earth, he would let go heaven, and had rather stay here than be removed thither.— A life of perfect holiness in the sight of God, and in his love and praises forever in heaven, doth not find such liking with his heart as a life of health, and wealth, and honour here upon earth: And though he falsely professes that he loveth God above all, yet, indeed, he never felt the power of divine love within him, but his mind is more set on the world, or fleshy pleasures, than on God. In a word whoever loveth earth above heaven, and fleshy prosperity more than God, is a wicked unconverted man.

On the other side, a converted man is illuminated to discern the loveliness of God, and so fa [...] believeth the glory that is to be had with God, tha [...] his heart is taken up to it, and set more upon i [...] than on any thing in this world. He had rather s [...] the face of God, and live in his everlasting love and praises, than have all the wealth or pleasure o [...] the world. He seeth that all things else are vanity and nothing but God can fill the soul; and, there fore, let the world go which way it will, he laye [...] up his treasures and hopes in heaven, and for th [...] he is resolved to let go all. As the fire doth mou [...] upwards, and the needle that is touched with th [...] loadstone still turneth to the north, so the converted soul is inclined unto God. Nothing else can satisfy him; nor can he find any content and rest but in hi [...] love. In a word, all that ere converted do estee [...] and love God better than all the world, and th [...] heavenly felicity is dearer to them than their flesh prosperity. The proof of what I have said you m [...] find in these places of scripture, Phil. iii. 18, 21 Matt. vi. 19, 20, 21. Col. iii. 1, 2, 3, 4. Rom. viii. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 23, Psal, lxxiii, 25, 26.

[Page] Secondly, A wicked man is one that m [...] [...] the principal business of his life to prosper [...]n the world, and retain his fleshey ends. And though he may read, and hear, and do much in the outward duties of religion, and forbear disgraceful sins, yet this is all but upon the by, and he never makes it the trade and principal business of his life to please God, and attain everlasting glory, and puts off God with the leavings of the world, and gives him no more service than the flesh can spare, for he will not part with all for heaven.

On the contrary, a converted man is one that makes it the principal care and business of his life to please God, and to be saved, and takes all the blessings of this life but as accommodations in his journey towards another life, and useth the creature in subordination unto God; he loveth an holy life, and longeth to be more holy; he hath no sin but what he hateth, and longeth and prayeth, and striveth to be rid of it. The drift and bent of his life is for God, and if he sin, it is contrary to the very bent of his heart and life, and therefore he rises again and [...]amenteth it, and dare not wilfully live in any known sin. There is nothing in this world so dear to him but he can give it up to God, and forsake it for him and the hopes of glory. All this you may see in Col. iii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Matt. vi. 20, 33. Luke xviii. 22, 23, 29. Luke xiv. 18, 24, 26, 27. Rom. viii. 13. Gal. v. 24. Luke xii. 21, &c.

Thirdly, The soul of a wicked man did never truly discern and relish the mystery of redemption, nor thankfully entertain an offered Saviour, nor is he taken up with the love of the Redeemer, nor willing to be ruled by him as physician of his soul, that he may be saved from the guilt and power of his sins, and recovered unto God; but his heart is insensible of this unspeakable benefit, and is quite against the healing means by which he should be recovered. [Page]Though he may be willing to be carnally religious, yet he never resigneth up his soul to Christ, and to the motions and conduct of his word and spirit.

On the contrary, the converted soul having felt himself undone by sin and perceiving that he hath lost his peace with God, and hopes of heaven, and is in danger of everlasting misery, doth thankfully entertain the tidings of redemption, and believing in the Lord Jesus as his only Saviour, resigning up himself to him for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. He taketh Christ as the life of his soul, and liveth by him, and useth him as [...] salve for every sore, admitting the wisdom and love of God in this wonderful work of man's redemption. In a word, Christ doth even dwell in their heart by faith, and the life that he now liveth is by the faith of the Son of God, that hath loved him, and gave himself for him, yea, it is not so much he that liveth, as Christ in him. For these, see Job. i. 11, 12. and iii. 19, 20. Rom. viii. 9. Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9, 10. Gal. ii. 20. Job xv. 2, 3, 4.1 Cor. i. 20. and ii. 2.

YOU see now in plain terms, from the word of God, who are the wicked, and who are the converted. Ignorant people think, that if a man be no swearer, nor curser, nor railer, nor drunkard, nor fornicator, nor extortioner, nor wrong any body in their dealings, and if they come to church, and say their prayers, these cannot be wicked men. Or, if a man that hath been guilty of drunkenness, swearing, or gaming, or the like vices, do but forbear them for the time to come, they think that th [...] is a converted man. Others think, if a man that ha [...] been an enemy and scorner at godliness, do but approve it, and be hated for it by the wicked, as the godly are, that this must needs be a converted man. And some are so foolish as to think that they are converted, [Page]by taking up some new and false opinion; and falling into some dividing party, as anabaptists, quakers, papists, and such like. And some think, if they have but been affrighted by the fears of hell, and had convictions, and gripes of conscience, and thereupon have purposed and promised amendment, and take up a life of civil behaviour, and outward religion, that this must needs be true conversion. And these are the poor deluded souls that are like to lose the benefit of all our persuasions: and when they hear that the wicked must turn or die, they think that this is not spoken to them; for they are not wicked, but are turned already. And, therefore, it is that Christ told some of the rulers of the Jews, who were greater and civiler than the common people, that publicans and haerlots do go into the kingdom of Christ before them, Matt. xxi. 31. Not that an harlot, or gross sinner, can be saved without conversion; but because it was easier to make these gross sinners perceive their sin and misery, and the necessity of a change, when the civiler sort do delude themselves by thinking that they are converted already, when they be not.

O, sirs, conversion is another kind of work than most are aware of: It's not a small matter to bring an earthly mind to heaven, and to shew man the amiable excellencies of God, till he be taken up in such love to him that can never be quenched; to break the heart for sin and make him fly for refuge unto Christ, and thankfully embrace him as the life of his soul; to have the very drift and bent of the [...] and life to be changed; so that a man re [...]ced that which he took for his felicity and placeth his felicity where he never did before; and liveth not to the same end, and driveth not on the same design in the world, as formerly he did: [...]n a word, he that is in Christ is a new creature; old things are past away, behold all things are be [...]s[Page]new. 2 Cor. v. 17. He hath a new understanding, a new will and resolution, new sorrows, and desires and love, and delight; new thoughts, new speeches, new company (if possible) and a new conversation. Sin, that before was a jesting matter with him, is now so odious and terrible to him, that he flies from it as from death. The world, that was so lovely in his eyes, doth now appear but as vanity and vexation; God, that was before neglected, is now the only happiness of his soul; before he was forgotten, and every last preferred before him; but now he is set next the heart, and all things must give place to him; and the heart is taken up in the attendance and observance of him; and is grieved when he hides his face; and never thinks itself well without him. Christ himself that was wont to be slightly thought of, is now his only hope and refuge, and he lives upon him as on his daily bread; he cannot pray without him, nor rejoice without him, nor think, nor speak, nor live without him. Heaven itself, that before was looked upon but as a tolerable [...]eserve, which he hoped might serve in turn better than hell, when he could not stay any longer in the world, is now taken for his home, the place of his only hope and rest, where he shall see, and love and praise that God that hath his heart already. Hell. that did seem before but a bugbear to frighten men from sin, doth now appear to be a real misery, that is not to be ventured on, nor jested with. The works of holiness, which before he was weary of, and seemed to be more ado than needs, are now both his recreation, and his business, and the trade that he lives upon. The Bible, which was before to him but almost as a common book, is now as the law of God; as a letter written to him from heaven, and subscribed with the name of the Eternal Majesty, it is the rule of his thoughts, and words, and deeds; the commands are binding, the threats are dreadful, [Page]and the promises of it speak life to his soul. The godly, that seemed to him but like other men, are now the excellentest and happiest on earth. And the wicked, that were his play-fellows, are now his grief; and he that could laugh at their sin, is readier now to weep for their sin and misery, Psal. xvi. 3. and xv. 4. Phil, iii. 18. In short, he hath a new end in his thoughts, and a new way in his endeavours, and, therefore, his heart and life is new. Before, his carnal self was his end; and his pleasure and worldly profits and credit were his way: And now God and everlasting glory is his end; and Christ and the spirit, and word, and ordinances. Holiness to God, and righteousness and mercy to men; these are his way. Before, self was the chiefest ruler, to which the matters of God and conscience must stoop and give place; and now God, in Christ, by the spirit, word and ministry, is the chief ruler, to whom both self, and all the matters of self, must give place. So that, this is not a change in one or two, or twenty points, but in the whole soul, and the very end and bent of the conversation. A man may step out of one path into another, and yet have his face the same way, and be still going towards the same place, but it is another matter to turn quite back again, and take his journey the clean contrary way, to a contrary place. So it is here, a man may turn from drunkenness to thriftiness, and forsake his good fellowship, and other gross disgraceful sins, and set upon some duties of religion, and yet be sti [...] going to the same end as before, in tending his carnal self above all, and giving it still the government of his soul, but when he is converted, this self is denied, and taken down, and God is set up, and his face is turned the contrary way; and he that before was addicted to himself, and lived to himself, is now, by sanctification, devoted to God, and liveth unto God; before, he asketh himself, what he should do [Page]with his time, his parts, and his estate, and for himself he used them; but now he as [...]eth God what he shall do with them, and useth them for him. Before, he would please God so far as might stand with the pleasure of his flesh, and carnal self; but not to any great displeasure of them. But now he will please God, let flesh and self be never so much displeased. This is the great change that God will make upon all that shall be saved.

You can say, that the Holy Ghost is our sanctifier, but do you know what sanctification is? Why, this is it that I have now opened to you; and every man and woman in the world must have this, or be condemned to everlasting misery. They must turn or die.

Do you believe all this, fir [...], or do you not? Surely, you da [...]e not say, you do not: For it is past a doubt or denial: These are not controversies, where one learned pious man is of one mind, and another of another; where one party saith this, and the other saith that. Papists and Anabaptists, and every sect among us, that deserve to be called Christians, are all agreed in this that I have said, and if you will not believe the God of Truth, and that in a case where every sect and party do believe him, you are utterly inexcusable.

But if you do believe this, how comes it to pass, that you live so quietly in [...] verted state? Do you know that you are converted? And can you find this wonderful change upon your souls? Have you been thus born again and made a new? Be not these strange matters to many of you, and such as you never felt upon yourselves? if you cannot tell the day or week of your change, or the very sermon that converted you, yet do you find that the work is done; and such a change indeed there is; and that you have such hearts as are b [...]fore described; alas, the most do follow their worldly business, and little [Page]trouble their minds with such thoughts. And if they be not restrained from scandalous sins, and can say, I am no wkoremonger, nor thief, nor curser, nor swearer, nor tippler, nor extortioner, I go to church, and say my prayers, they think that this is tine conversion, and they shall be saved as well as any. Alas, this is foolish cheating of yourselves. This is too much contempt of an endless glory; and too gross neglect of your immortal souls. Can you make so slight of heaven and hell? Your corpse will shortly lie in the dust, and angels or devils will presently seize upon your souls, and every man or woman of you all, will shortly be among other company, and in another case than now you are; you will dwell in those houses but a little longer; you will work in your shops and fields but a little longer; you will set in these scats, and dwell on this earth, but a little longer; you will see with these eyes, and hear with those ears, and speak with those tongues, but a little longer, till the resurrection day; and can you make shift to forget this? O what a place will you shortly be in of joy or torment! O what a sight will you shortly see in heaven or hell! O what thoughts will shortly fill your hearts with unspeakable delight or horror! What work will you be employed in! to praise the Lord with saints and angels, or to cry out in fire unquenchable with devils; and should all this be forgotten? And all this will be endless, and sealed up by an unchangeable decree. Eternity, eternity will be the measure of your joys or sorrows, and can this be forgotten? And all this is true, sirs, most certainly true: When you have gone up and down a little longer, and slept and awakened a few times more, you will be dead and gone, and find all true that now I tell you, and yet can you now so much forget it! You shall then remember that you heard this sermon, and that this day, or in this place, you were remembered of these [Page]things; and perceive them matters a thousand times greater than either you or I could here conceive; and yet shall they be now so much forgotten?

Beloved friends, if the Lord had not awakened me to believe, and lay to heart these things myself, I should have remained in the dark and selfish state, and have perished for ever; but if he have truly made me sensible of them, it will constrain me to compassionate you as well as myself. If your eyes were so far opened as to see hell, and you saw your neighbours, that were unconverted, dragged thither with hideous cries; though they were such as you accounted honest people on earth, and feared no such matter by themselves, such a sight would make you go home and think of it, and think again, and make you warn all about you, as that damned worldling in Luke xvi. 28. would have had his brethren warned, lest they come to that place of torment. Why, faith is a kind of sight; it is the eye of the soul, the evidence of things not seen: If I believe God, it is next to seeing: And, therefore, I beseech you to excuse me, if I be half as earnest with you about these matters, as if I had seen them. If I must die to-morrow, and it were in my power to come again from another world, and tell you what I had seen, would you not be willing to hear me? And would you not believe and regard what I should tell you? If I might preach one sermon to you after I am dead, and have seen what is done in the world to come, would you not have me plainly speak the truth, and would you not croud to hear me, and would you not lay it to heart? But this must not be; God hath his appointed way of teaching you by scripture and ministers, and he will not humour unbelievers so far as to send men from the dead to them, and to alter his established way; if any man quarrel with the sun, God will not humour him so far as to set him up a cl [...]carer light.— [Page]Friends, I beseech you regard me now, as you would do if I should come from the dead to you; for I can give you as full assurance of the truth of what I say to you, as if I had been there and seen it with my eyes; for it is possible for one from the dead to deceive you; but Jesus Christ can never deceive you; the word of God, delivered in scripture, and sealed up by miracles, and holy workings of the spirit, can never deceive you. Believe th [...]s, or believe nothing. Believe and obey this, or you are undone. Now, as ever you believe the word of God, and as ever you care for the salvation of your soul, let me beg of you this reasonable request, and I beseech you deny me not: That you would, without any more delay, when you are gone from hence, remember what you heard, and enter into an earnest search of your hearts, and say unto yourselves, It is so, indeed! Must I turn or die! Must I be converted or condemned! It is time for me, then, to look about me, before it be too late. O why did not I look after this till now? Why did I venturously post off or slubber over so great a business? Was I awake, or in my wits! O blessed God, what a mercy is it that thou didst not cut off my life all this while, before I had any certain hope of eternal life! Well, God forbid that I should neglect this work any longer. What state is my soul in? Am I converted, or am I not? Was ever such a change or work done upon my soul? Have I been illuminated by the word and spirit of the Lord, to see the odiousness of sin, the need of a Saviour, the love of Christ, and the excellencies of God and glory? Is my heart broken, or humbled within me, for my former life? Have I thankfully entertained my Saviour and Lord, that offered himself with pardon and life for my soul? Do I hate my former sinful life, and the remnant of every sin that is in me? Do I fly from them as my deadly enemies? [Page]Do I give up myself to a life of holiness and obedience to God? Do I love it, and delight in it? Can I truly say, that I am dead to the world and carnal self, and that I live for God, and the glory which he hath promised? Hath heaven more of my estimation and resolution than earth? And is God the dearest and highest in my soul? Once, I am sure, [...] lived principally to the world and flesh, and God had nothing but some heartless services, which the world could spare, and which were the leaving of the flesh. Is my heart now turned another way? Have I a new design and a new end, and a new train of holy affections? Have I set my hopes and heart in heaven? And is it not the scope, and design, and bent of my heart, to get well to heaven, and see the glorious face of God, and live in his love and praise? And when I sin is it against the habitual bent and design of my heart? And do I conquer all gross sins, and am I weary and willing to be rid of my infirmities? This is the state of unconverted souls. And this must be with me, or I must perish. Is it thus with me, indeed, or is it not? It is time to get the doubt resolved, before the judge resolves it. I am not such a stranger to my own heart and life, but I may somewhat perceive, whether I am thus converted or not: If I be not, it will do me no good to flatter my soul with false conceits and hopes. I am resolved no more to deceive myself; but endeavour to know truly, off or on, whether I be converted, ye or no; that if I be, I may rejoice in it, and glorify my gracious Lord, and comfortably go on till I reach the crown; and if I am not, I may set myself on, beg and seek after the grace that should convert me, and may turn without any more delay: For, if I find it in time that I am out of the way, by the help of Christ I may turn and be recovered, but if I stay till either my heart be forsaken of God in blindness or hardness, [Page]or till I be catched away by death, it is then too late. There is no place for repentance and conversion then; I know it must be now or never.

Sirs, this is my request to you, that you will but take your hearts to task, and thus examine them, till you see, if it may be, whether you are converted or not? And if you cannot find it out by your own endeavours, go to your ministers, if they be faithful and experienced men, and desire their assistance.—The matter is great, let not bashfulness, nor carelessness hinder you. They are set over you, to advise you, for the saving of your soul, as physicians advise you for the curing of your bodies. It undoes many thousands that they think they are in the way to salvation, when they are not; and think that they are converted, when it is no such thing. And then, when we call to them daily to turn, they go away as they came; and think that this concerns not them; for they are turned already, and hope they shall do well enough in the way that they are in, at least if they do pick the fairest path, and avoid some of the foulest steps; when, alas, all this while they live but to the world, and flesh, and are strangers to God and eternal life; and are quite out of the way to heaven. And all this is much, because we cannot persuade them to a few serious thoughts of their condition, and spend a few hours in the examining of their states: Is there not many a self deceiving wretch that hears me this day, that never bestowed one hour, or quarter of an hour, in all their lives, to examine their souls, and try whether they are truly converted or not? O merciful God, that will care for such wretches that care no more for themselves, and that will do so much to save them from hell, and help them to heaven, who will do so little for it themselves! If all that are in the way to hell, and in the state of damnation, did but know it, they durst not continue in it. The greatest hope that the [Page]devil hath of bringing you to damnation, without a rescue, is by keeping you blindfold, and ignorant o [...] your state, and making you believe that you may do well enough in the way that you are in. If you knew that you were out of the way to heaven, and were lost for ever, if you should die as you are, durst you sleep another night in the state that you are in? Durst you live another day in it? Could you heartily laugh, or be merry, in such a state?—What! And not know but you may be snatched away to hell in an hour! Sure it would constrain you to forsake your former company and courses, and betake yourselves to the ways of holiness, and the communion of the saints. Sure it would drive you to cry to God for a new heart, and to seek hel [...] of those that are fit to counsel you. There are non [...] of you sure that cares not for being damned. Well then, I beseech you presently make enquiry into your hearts, and give them no rest till you find ou [...] your condition, that if it be good, you may rejoic [...] in it, and go on; and if it be bad, you may presently look about you for recovery, as men that believ [...] they must turn or die. What say you, sirs? Wi [...] you resolve and promise to be at thus much labou [...] for your own souls? Will you fall upon this self examination when you come home? Is my reques [...] unreasonable? Your consciences know it is not.—Resolve on it then, before you stir; knowing how much it concerneth your souls. I beseech you fo [...] the sake of that God that doth command you, [...] whose bar you will shortly appear, that you will no [...] deny me this reasonable request. For the sake o [...] those souls that must turn or die, I beseech you den [...] me no [...]; even to make it your business to understand your own conditions, and build upon su [...] ground, and know, off or on, whether you are converted or no; and venture not your souls on negli [...]ent security.

[Page] But perhaps you will say, What if we should find ourselves yet unconverted, what shall we do then? this question leadeth me to my second doctrine; which will do much to the answering of it, to which I shall now proceed.

Doct. 2. It is the promise of GOD, that the wicked shall live, if thoy will but turn, unfeignedly and thoroughly turn.

THE Lord here professeth that this is it that he takes pleasure in, that the wicked turn and live. Heaven is made as sure to the converted, as [...]ell is to the unconverted. Turn and live, is as certain a truth as Turn or die. God was not bound [...]o provide us a Saviour, nor open to us a door of hope, nor call to us to repent and turn, when once we had cast ourselves away by sin. But he hath free [...]y done it to magnify his mercy: Sinners, there are [...]one of you shall have cause to go home, and say I [...]reach desperation to you. Do we use to shut the [...]oor of mercy against you? O that you would not [...]hut it up against yourselves! Do we use to tell you, [...]hat God will have no mercy on you, though you [...]urn and be sanctified? When did you ever hear a [...]reacher say such a word? You that bark at the [...]reachers of the gospel for desiring to keep you out [...]f hell, and say, that they preach desperation; tell [...]e if you can, when did you ever hear any sober [...]an say, That there is no hope for you, though you [...]epent, and be converted? No, it is the clean con [...]rary that we daily proclaim from the Lord; and whoever is born again, and by faith and repentance [...]oth become a new creature, shall certainly be saved, [...]nd so far are we from persuading you to despair [...]f this, that we persuade you not to make any doubt [...]f it. It is life, not death, that is the first part of [...]ur message to you; our commission is to offer salvation; [Page]certain salvation; a speedy, glorious, everlasting salvation to every one of you: To the poorest beggar, as well as the greatest lord: to the wor [...] of you, even to drunkards, swearers, worldlings, thieves, yea to the despisers and reproachers of the holy way of salvation. We are commanded by the Lord our Master, to offer you a pardon for all th [...] is past, if you will but now at last return and live [...] we are commanded to beseech and intreat you [...] accept the offer, and return to tell you what prep [...] rations is made by Christ; what mercy stays for you; what patience waiteth on you; what though [...] of kindness God hath towards you; and how ha [...] py, and certainly and unspeakably happy you m [...] be if you will. We have indeed also a message [...] wrath and death; yea, of a twofold wrath and death but neither of them is our principal message. W [...] must tell you of the wrath that is on you alread [...] and the death that you are born under, for th [...] breach of the law of works, but this is but to sh [...] you the need of mercy, and to provoke you to estee [...] the grace of the Redeemer. And we tell you n [...] thing but the truth, which you must know; for wh [...] will seek out for physic, that knows not that he [...] sick? Our telling you of your misery, is not it th [...] makes you miserable, but driveth you out to s [...] for mercy. It is you that have brought this dea [...] upon yourselves. We tell you also of anoth [...] death, even remediless, and much greater tormen [...] that will fall on those that will not be converte [...] But as this is true, and must be told you; so it [...] but the last and saddest part of our message. W [...] are first to offer you mercy, if you will turn, and [...] is only those that will not turn, nor hear the voi [...] of mercy, that we must foretell damnation to. W [...] you but cast away your transgressions, delay [...] longer, but come away at the call of Christ, and [...] converted, and become new creatures, and we ba [...] [Page]not a word of damning wrath, or death to speak against you. I do here in the name of the Lord of life, proclaim to you all that hear me this day, to the worst of you, to the greatest, to the oldest sinner, that you may have mercy and salvation, if you will but turn. There is mercy in God, there is sufficiency in the satisfaction of Christ, the promise is free, and full, and universal; you may have life, if you will but turn. But then as you love your souls, remember what turning it is that Scripture speaks of. It is not to mend the old house, but to pull down all, and build anew, on Christ the Rock and sure Foundation. It is not to mend somewhat in a carnal course of life, but to mortify the flesh, and live after the Spirit. It is not to serve the flesh and the world, in a more reformed way, without any scandalous disgraceful sins, and with a certain kind of religiousness; but it is to change your master, and your works, and end; and to set your face the contrary way, and do all for the life that you never saw; and dedicate yourselves, and all you have, to God. This is the change that must be made if you will live.

Yourselves are witnesses now, that it is salvation, and not damnation, that is the great doctrine I preach to you; and the first part of my message to you. Accept of this, and we shall go no further with you; for we would not so much as affright, or trouble you with the name of damnation, without necessity.

But if you will not be saved, there is no remedy but damnation must take place. For there is no middle palce between the two: You must have either life or death.

And we are not only to offer you life, but to shew you the grounds on which we do it, and call you to believe that God doth mean, indeed, as he speaks; that the promise is true, and extended conditionally [Page]to you, as well as others; and that heaven is no fancy, but a true felicity.

If you ask, where is your commission for this offer, Among an hundred texts of scripture, I will shew it unto you in these few.

First, You see it here in my text, and the following verses; and in the 18th of Ezek. as plain as can be spoken: and in 1 Cor. v. 17. xviii. 16. xx. 21. you have the very sum of our commission, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are past away, behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing their trespasses to them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as tho' God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled unto God; for he hath made him to be sin for us, who know no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." So Mark xvi. 15, 16. "Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth, (that is, with such a converting faith as is expressed) and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not, shall be damned." And Luke xxiv. 3640. Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance (which is conversion) and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." And Acts v. 30, 31. "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." And Acts xiii. 38, 39. "Be it known unto you, therefore men and brethren, That through this man is preached unto you [Page]the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." And lest you think this offer is restrained to the Jews, see Gal. vi. 13. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." And Luke xiv. 17. "Come, for all things are now ready." And verse 22, 24.

You see by this time that we are commanded to offer life to you all, and to tell you from God, that if you will turn, you may live.

Here you may safely trust your souls; for the love of God is the fountain of this offer. Job iii. 16. and the blood of the Son of God hath purchased it; the faithfulness and truth of God is engaged to make the promise good; miracles oft sealed up the truth of it; preachers are sent through the world to proclaim it; the sacraments are instituted and used for the solemn delivery of the mercy offered to them that will accept it; and the spirit doth open the heart to entertain it, and is itself the earnest of the full possession. So that the truth of it is past controversy, that the worst of you all, and every one of you, if you will but be converted, may be saved.

Indeed, if thou will needs believe that you shall be saved without conversion, then you believe a falsehood; and if I should preach that to you, I should preach a lie: This were not to believe God, but the devil and your own deceitful hearts. God hath his promise of life, and the devil hath his promise of life. God's promise is. Return and live. The devil's promise is, You shall live, whether you turn or not. The words of God are as I have shewed you. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matth. xviii. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John iii. 3, 5. Without holiness none shall see [Page]God, Heb. xii. 14. The devil's word, You may be saved without being born again and converted; you may do well enough without being holy; God doth but frighten you; he is more merciful than to do as he saith; he will be better to you than his word. And alas, the greatest part of the world believe this word of the devil, before the word of God; just as our first sin and misery came into the world. God saith to our first parents, If ye eat ye shall die: And the devil contradicted him, and saith, Ye shall not die; and the woman believed the devil before God. So now the Lord saith, Turn or die: And the devil saith, You shall not die, if you do but cry God's mercy at last, and give over the acts of sin when you can practice it no longer. And this is the word that the world believes. O heinous wickedness, to believe the devil before God!

And yet that is not the worst, but blasphemiously they call this a believing and trusting in God, when they put him in the shape of Satan, who was a liar from the beginning; and when they believe that the word of God is a lie, they call this a trusting God, and say they believe in him, and trust on him for salvation: Where did ever God say, That the unregenerate, unconverted, unsanctified, shall be saved? Shew such a word in scripture. I challenge you if you can. Why this is the devil's word, and to believe it is to believe the devil, and the sin that is commonly called presumption; and do you you call this a believing and trusting in God? There is enough in the word of God to comfort and strengthen the hearts of the sanctified; but not a word to strengthen the hands of wickedness, nor to give men the least hope of being saved, though they be never sanctified.

But if you will turn, and come into the way of mercy, the mercy of the Lord is ready to entertain you. Then trust God for salvation, boldly and confidently; for he is engaged by his word to save you. [Page]He will be a father to none but his children, and he will save none but those that forsake the world, the devil, and the flesh, and come into his family to be members of his Son, and have communion with his saints. But if they will not come in, it is long of themselves: His doors are open; he keeps none back; he never sent such a messenger as this to any of you; It is now too late: I will not receive thee though thou be converted. He might have done so, and done you no wrong; but he did not: he doth not to this day: He is still ready to receive you, if you were but ready unfeignedly, and with all your heart to turn. And the fulness of this truth will yet more appear in the two following doctrines, which I shall therefore next proceed to, before I make any further application of this.

Doct. 3. God taketh pleasure in men's conversion and Salvation, but not in their death or damnation; he had rather they would return and live, than go on and die.

I Shall first teach you how to understand this, and then clear up the truth of it to you: And for the first, you must observe these following things; 1. A simple willingness or complacency is the first act of the will following the simple apprehension of the understanding, before it proceedeth to compare things together; but the choosing act of the will is a following act, and supposeth the comparing practical act of the understanding; and these two acts may be often carried to contrary objects, without any fault at all in the person.

2. An unfeigned willingness may have divers degrees; some things I am so far willing of as that I will do all that lieth in my power to accomplish it, and some things I am truly willing another should do, when yet I will not do all that ever I [Page]am able to procure [...]t, having many reasons to dissuade me therefrom, though yet I will do all that belongs to me to do.

3. The will of a Ruler, as such, is manifested in making and executing laws? but the will of a man in his simple natural capacity, or as absolute lord of his own is manifested in desiring or resolving of events.

4. A ruler's will, as law giver, is first, and principally, that his laws be obeyed, and not at all that the penalty be executed on any, but only on supposition that they will not obey his people; but a ruler's will, as judge, supposeth the law already either kept o [...] broken, and therefore he resolveth on reward or punishment accordingly.

Having given you those necessary distinctions, I shall next apply them to the case in hand, in these following propositions:

1. It is the gloss of the word and creatures, that in this life we must know God, and so according to the nature of man we ascribe to him understanding and will, removing all the imperfections that we can, because we are capable of no higher positive conceptions of him.

2. And on the same grounds we do, with the scripture, distinguish between the acts of God's will, as diversisfied from the respects or the objects, though as to God's essence they are all one.

3. And the boldlier, because that when we speak of Christ, we have the more ground for it from his human nature.

4. And thus we say, that the simple complacency, will or love of God is to all that is naturally or morally good, according to the nature and degree of its goodness, and so he hath pleasure in the conversion and salvation of all, which yet will never come to pass.

5. And God, as ruler and law-giver of the [Page]world, had so far a practical will for their salvation, as to make them a free deed of gift of Christ and life, and an act of oblivion for all their sins, so be it they will not unthankfully reject it, and to command his messengers to offer this gift to all the world, and persuade them to accept. And so he doth all that, as law-giver or promiser, belongs to him to do for their salvation.

6. But yet he resolveth, as law-giver, that they that will not turn shall die; and as judge, when their day of grace is past, he will execute that decree.

7. So that he thus unfeignedly willeth the conversion of those that never will be converted, but not as absolute Lord with the fullest efficacious resolution, nor as a thing which he resolveth shall undoubtedly come to pass, or would engage all in his power to accomplish. It is in the power of a prince to set a guard upon a murderer, to see that he shall not murder and be hanged; but if, upon good reason, he forbear this, and do but send to his subjects, and warn and intreat them not to be murderers, I hope he may well say that he would not have them murder and be hanged; he takes no pleasure in it, but rather that they forbear and live; and if he do no more for some, upon some special reason, he is not bound to do so by all. The king may well say to all murderers and felons in the land, "I have no pleasure in your death, but rather that you would obey my laws and live, but if you will not, I am resolved, for all this, that thou shalt die." The judge may truly say to the thief, or a murderer, "Alas, man, I have no delight in thy death; I had rather thou hadst kept the law and saved thy life; but seeing thou hast not, I must condemn thee, or else I should be unjust." So, though God have no pleasure in your damnation, and therefore call? upon you to return and live, yet he hath pleasure [Page]of the demonstration of his own justice, and the executing his laws, and therefore he is, for all this, fully resolved, that if you will not be converted, you shall be condemned. If God were so much against the death of the wicked, as that he were resolved to do all that he can to hinder it, then no man should be condemned, whereas Christ telleth you, that few will be saved. But so far God is against your damnation, as that he will teach you, and warn you, and set before you life and death, and offer you your choice, and command his ministers to entreat you not to damn yourselves, but accept his mercy, and so to leave you without excuse; but if this will not do, and if still you be unconverted, he professeth to you, he is resolved of your damnation, and hath commanded us to say unto you in his name, verse 8. O wicked man, thou shalt surely die! And Christ hath little less than sworn it, over and over, with a verily, verily, except ye be converted, and born again, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matth. xviii. 3. John iii. 3. Mark that he saith [you cannot.] It is in vain to hope for it, and in vain to dream that God is willing of it; for it is a thing that cannot be.

In a word, you see then the meaning of the text, that God, the great Lawgiver of the world, doth take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn and live; though yet he be resolved that none shall live but those that turn; and as a Judge even delighteth in justice, and manifesting his hatred of sin, though not in their misery which they had brought upon themselves, in itself considered.

2. And for the proofs of the point, I shall be very brief in them, because I suppose you easily believe it already.

1. The very gracious nature of God proclaimed; Exod. xxiv. 6. and xxvi. 6. and frequently elsewhere, [Page]may assure you of this; that he ha [...] pleasure in your death.

2. If God had more pleasure in thy death, than in thy conversion and life, he would not have so frequently commanded thee in his word, to turn; he would not have made thee such promises of life if thou wilt but turn; he would not have persuaded thee to it by so many reasons. The tenor of this gospel proveth the point.

3. And his commission that he hath given to the ministers of the gospel, doth fully prove it. If God had taken more pleasure in thy damnation, than in thy conversion and salvation, he would never have charged us to offer you mercy, and to teach you the way of life, both publicly, and privately; and to entreat and beseech you to turn and live; to acquaint you with your sins, and tell you of your danger; and to do all that possibly we can for your conversion, and to continue patiently so doing, tho' you should hate or abuse us for our pains. Would God have done this, and appointed his ordinances for your good, if he had taken pleasure in your death?

4. It is proved also by the course of his providence. If God had rather you were damned than converted and saved, he would not second his word with his works, and entice you by his daily kindness to himself, and give you all the mercies of this life, which are his means to lead you to repentance, Rom. ii. 4. and bring you so often under his rod to force you into your wits, he would not set so many examples before your eyes, no, nor wait on you so patiently as he doth from day to day, and year to year. These be not signs of one that taketh pleasure in your death. If this had been his delight, how easily could he have had thee long ago in hell? How oft, before this, could he have catcht thee away in the midst of thy sins, with a [Page]curse, or oath, or lie in thy mouth, in thy ignorance, and pride, and sensuality? When thou wert last in thy drunkenness, or last deriding the ways of God, how easily could he have stopt thy breath, and tamed thee with his plagues, and made thee sober in another world! Alas, how small a matter is it for the Almighty to rule the tongue of the prophanest rather, and tie the hands of the most malicious persecutor, or call the fury of the bitterest of his enemies, and make them know that they are but worms? If he would but frown upon thee thou wouldst drop into thy grave. If he gave commission to one of his guardian angels to go and destroy ten thousand sinners, how quickly would it be done! How easily can he lay thee upon the bed of languishing, and make thee lie roaring there in pain, and make thee eat the words of reproach which thou hast spoken against his servants, his word, his workship, and his holy ways, and make thee send to beg their prayers, whom thou didst despise in thy presumption? How easily can he lay that flesh under gripes and groans, and make it too weak to hold thy soul, and make it more loathsome than the dung of the earth? That flesh which now must have what it loves, and must not be displeased, though God be displeased, and must be humoured in meat and drink and clothes, whatever God say to the contrary, how quickly would the frowns of God consume it? When thou wast passionately defending thy sin, and quarrelling with them that would have drawn thee from it, and shewing thy spleen against the reprover, and pleading for the works of darkness; how easily could God have snatched thee away in a moment, and set thee before his dreadful majesty, where thou shouldst see ten thousand times ten thousand glorious angels waiting on his throne, and have called thee there to plead thy cause, and asked thee, 'What haft thou [Page]now to say against thy Creator, his truth, his servants, or his holy ways? Now plead thy cause, and make the best of it thou canst? Now, what canst thou say, in excuse of thy sins? Now, give account of thy worldliness and fleshly life, of thy time, of all the mercies thou hast had.' O how thy stubborn heart would have melted, and thy proud looks be taken down, and thy countenance be appalied, and thy stout words be turned into speechless silence, or dreadful cries, if God had but set thee at his bar, and pleaded his own cause with thee, which thou hast here so maliciously pleaded against! How easily can he at any time say to the guilty soul, 'come away, and live in that flesh no more till the resurrection,' and it cannot resist. A word of his mouth would take off the poise of thy presen, life, and then all thy parts and powers would stand still, and if he say unto thee, live no longer, or live in kell, thou couldst not disobey.

But God hath yet done none of this, but hath patiently forborn thee, and mercifully upheld [...]e [...], and give thee that breath which thou didst breathe out against him, and give those mercies which thou didst sacrifice to thy flesh; and afforded thee that provision which thou spentest to satisfy thy greedy throat: he gave thee every minute of that time which thou didst waste in idleness or drunkenness, or worldliness; and doth not all his patience and mercy shew that he desired not thy damnation? Can the candle burn without the oil? Can your houses stand without the earth to bear them? As well as you can live and hour without the support of God. And why did he so long support thy life, but to see when thou wouldst bethink thee of the folly of thy ways, and return and live? Will any man purposely put arms into his enemies hands to resist him, or hold a candle to a murderer that is killing his children, or to an idle servant that plays or [Page]sleeps the while? Surely it is to see whether thou wilt at last return and live, that God hath so long waited on thee.

5. It is further proved by the sufferings of his Son, that God taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked; Would he have ransomed them from death at so dear a rate? Would he have astonished angels and men by his condescension? Would God have dwelt in flesh, and have come in the form of a servant, and have assumed humility into one person with the Godhead? And would Christ have lived a life of suffering, and died a cursed death for sinners, if he had rather taken pleasure in their death? Suppose you saw him but so busy in preaching or healing of them, as you find him in Mark iii. 21. or so long in falling, as in Matth. iv. or all night in prayer, as in Luke vi. 12. or praying, with the drops of blood trickling from him instead of sweat, as Luke xxii. 44. on suffering a cursed death upon the cross, and pouring out his soul as a sacrifice for our sins. Would you have thought these the signs of one that delighteth in the death of the wicked!

And think not to extenuate it by saying, that it was only f [...]bi [...] [...]ct; for it was thy sin, and the the sin of all the world that lay upon our Redeemer, and his sacrifice and satisfaction is sufficient for all, and the fruits of it are offered to one as well as another; but it is true, that it was never the intent of his mind to pardon and save any that would not by faith and repentance be converted. If you had seen and heard him weeping, and bemoaning the state of disobedience in impenitent people, Luke xix. 41, 42. or complaining of their stubbornness, as Matth. xxiii, 37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?" Or if you had seen [Page]and heard him on the cross, praying for his persecutors, (Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,) would you have suspected that he had delighted in the death of the wicked; even of those that perish by their wilful unbelief? When God hath so loved (not only loved, but so loved) as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, (by an effectual faith) should not perish, but have everlasting life: I think he hath hereby proved against the malice of men and devils, that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but had rather they would turn and live.

6. Lastly. If all this will not yet satisfy you, take his own word, that knoweth best his own mind, or at least, believe his oath; but this leadeth me up to the fourth doctrine.

Doct. 4. The Lord hath confirmed to us by his oath, that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he turn and live; that he may leave man no pretence to question the truth of it.

IF you dare question his word, I hope you dare not question his oath. As Christ hath solemnly protested, that the unregenerate and unconverted, cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matth. xviii. 3. John iii. 3. So God hath sworn that his pleasure is not in their death, but in their conversion and life. And, as the Apostle saith, Heb. vi. 13, 16, 17, 18. "Because, he can swear by no greater than himself," he saith, "As I live, &c." for men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation, is to them an end of strife: wherein, God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God [Page]to lie we might have strong consolation, who had fled [...] refuge, to lay hold on the hope before us, which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast. If there be any man that cannot reconcile this truth with the doctrine of predestination, or the actual damnation of the wicked, that is his own ignorance; he hath no pretence left to question or deny therefore the truth of the point in hand; for this is confirmed by the oath of God, therefore must not be distorted, to reduce to other points; but doubtful points must rather be reduced to it, and certain truths must be believed to agree with it, though our shallow brains do hardly discern the agreement.

USE.

I Do now intreat thee, if thou be an unconverted sinner that bearest these words, that thou wouldst ponder a little upon the forementioned doctrines, and bethink thyself a while, who it is that takes pleasure in thy sin and damnation? Certainly, it is not God; he hath sworn for his part, that he takes no pleasure in it. And I know it is not the pleasing of him that you intend. You dare not say, that you drink, and swear, and neglect holy duties, and quench the motions of the spirit to please God.— That were as if you should reproach the prince, and break his laws, and seek his death, and say, you did all this to please him.

Who is it then that takes pleasure in your sin and death? Not any that bear the image of God, for they must be like minded to him. God knows it is small pleasure to your faithful teachers to see you serve your deadly enemy, and madly venture your eternal state, and wilfully run into the flames of hell. It is small pleasure to them to see upon your souls (in the sad effects) such blindness, and hard-heartedness, [Page]and carelessness, and presumption, such wilfulness in evil, and such unteachableness and stiffness against the ways of life and peace; they know these are marks of death, and of the wrath of God, and they know from the word of God what is like to be the end of them, and, therefore, it is no more pleasure to them than to a under physician to see the plague-marks break out upon his patient. Alas, to foresee your everlasting torments, and know not how to prevent them! To see how near you are to hell, and we cannot make you believe it and consider it. To see how easily, how certainly you might escape, if we knew how to make you willing! How fair you are for everlasting salvation, if you would but turn and do your best, and make it the care and business of your lives! but you will not do it; if our lives lay on it, we cannot persuade you to it. We study day and night what to say to you, that may convince you and persuade you, and yet it is undone; we lay before you the word of God, and shew you the very chapter and verse where it is written, that you cannot be saved [...]ept you be converted, and yet we leave the most of you as we found you: We hope you will believe the word of God, though you believe not us, and regard it when we shew you the plain scripture for it; but we hope in vain, and labour in vain as to any saving change upon your hearts. And do you think that this is a pleasant thing to us: Many a time, in secret prayer, we are fain to complain to God with sad hearts. ("Alas, Lord, we have spoken to them in thy name, but they little regard us: We have told them what thou bidst us tell them concerning the danger of an unconverted state, but they do not believe us; we have told them that thou hast protested that there is no peace to the wicked" Isa. xlviii. 2. and lvii. 21. "But the worst of them all will scarce believe that they are wicked; we have shewed [Page]them thy word, where thou hast said, that if they live after the flesh they shall die." Rom. viii. 13. "But they say, they will believe in thee, when they will not believe thee, and that they will trust in thee, when they give no credit to thy word; and when they hope that the threatenings of thy word are false, they will yet call this a hoping in God; and though we shew them where thou hast said, that when a wicked man dieth all his hopes perish, yet cannot we persuade them from their deceitful hopes." Prov. xi. 7. "We tell them what a base unprofitable thing sin is, but they love it, and therefore will not leave it. We tell them how dear they buy this pleasure, and what they must pay for it in everlasting torment, and they bless themselves, and will not believe it, but will do as the most do; and because God is merciful, they will not believe him, but will venture their souls, come on it what will. We tell them how ready the Lord is to receive them, and this doth but make them delay their repentance, and be bolder in their sin. Some of them say, they purpose to repent, but they are still the same; and some say, they do repent already, while yet they are not converted from their sins. We exhort them, we entreat them, we offer them our help, but we cannot prevail with them; but they that were drunkards, are drunkards still; and they that were voluptuous flesh-pleasing wretches, are such still; and they that were worldlings, are worldlings still; and they that were ignorant, and proud, and self conceited, are so still. Few of them will see and confess their sin, and sewer will forsake it, but comfort themselves, that all men are sinners, as if there were no difference between a converted sinner and [...]n unconverted: Some of them will not come near us, when we are willing to instruct them, but they know enough already, and need not our instruction; and some of them will give us a hearing, [Page]and do what they list; and most of them are like dead men that cannot feel; so that when we tell them of the matters of everlasting consequence, we cannot get a word of it to their hearts. If we do not obey them, and honour them in baptizing the children of the most obstinately wicked, and giving them the Lord's Supper, and doing all that they would have us, though never so much against the word of God, they will hate us, and rail at us; but if we beseech them to confess, and forsake their sin, and save their souls, they will not do it. We tell them if they will but turn, we will deny them none of the ordinances of God, neither baptism to their children, nor the Lord's supper to themselves, but they will not hear us; they would have us to disobey God, and damn our own souls to please them: and yet they will not turn and save their own souls to please God. They are wiser in their own eyes than all their teachers; they rage and are confident in their own way, and if we would never so fain we cannot change them. Lord, this is the case of our miserable neighbours, and we cannot help it; we see them ready to drop into hell, and we cannot help it; we know if they would unfeignedly turn, they might be saved, but we cannot persuade them; if we should beg it of them on our knees, we cannot persuade them to it; if we should beg it of them with tears, we cannot persuade them; and what more can we do?"

These are the secret complaints and moans that many a poor minister is fain to make. And do you think that he hath any pleasure in this? Is it a pleasure to him to see you go on in sin, and cannot stop you? to see you so miserable, and cannot so much as make you sensible of it? to see you merry, when you are not sure to be an hour out of hell? to think what you must for ever suffer, because ye will not turn? and to think what an everlasting life of [Page]glory you wilfully despise and cast away i [...] Wha [...] sadder thing can you bring to their hearts, and ho [...] can you devise to grieve them more?

Who is it, then, that you pleasure by your si [...] and death? It is none of your understanding go [...] friends. Alas, it is the grief of their souls to [...] your misery, and they lament you many a time whe [...] you give them little thanks for it, and when yo [...] have not hearts to lament yourselves.

Who is it [...] then, that takes pleasure in your sin [...] It is none b [...], three great enemies of God, who [...] you renounced in your baptism, and now are turn [...] falsely to serve.

1. The devil indeed takes pleasure in your [...] and death: For this is the very end of all his temp [...] tions; for this he watches night and day; you ca [...] not devise to please him better than to go on in si [...] How glad is he when he sees thee going into [...] alehouse, or other sin, and when he heareth th [...] curse, or swear, or rail? How glad is he when [...] heareth thee revile the minister that would dr [...] thee from thy sin, and help to save thee? The [...] are his delight.

2. The wicked are also delighted in it, for it agreeable to their nature.

3. But I know, for all this, that it is not [...] pleasing of the devil, that you intend, even wh [...] you please him; but it is your own flesh, the gre [...] est and most dangerous enemy that you intend [...] please; it is the flesh that would be pampered, th [...] would be pleased in meat and drink, and cloathin [...] that would be pleased in your company, and plea [...] in applause and credit with the world, and plea [...] in sports and lusts, and idleness; this is the gul [...] that devoureth all. This is the very God that [...] serve (for the scripture saith of such, that th [...] bellies are their gods, Phil. iii. 18.) But I besee [...] you stay a little, and consider the business.

[Page] 1. Quest. Should your flesh be pleased before your Maker? Will you displease the Lord, and displease your teacher, and your godly friends, and all to please your brutish appetites, or sensual desires? Is not God worthy to be the ruler of your flesh? If he shall not rule it, he will not save it; you cannot in reason expect that he should.

2. Quest. Your flesh is pleased with your sin; but is your conscience pleased? Doth not it grudge within you, and tell you sometimes that all is not well, and that your case is not so safe as you make it to be; and should not your souls and consciences be pleased before that corruptible flesh?

3 Quest. But is not your flesh preparing for its own displeasure also? It loves the bait, but doth it love the hook? It loves the strong drink and sweet morsels; it loves its ease, and sports, and merriment; it loves to be rich and well spoken of by men, and to be somebody in the world; but doth it love the curse of God? doth it love to stand trembling before his bar, and to be judged to everlasting fire? Doth it love to be tormented with the devils forever? Take all together, for there is no seperating sin and hell, but only by faith and true conversion; if you will keep one, you must have the other. If death and hell be pleasant to thee, no wonder then if you go on in sin: But if they be not (as I am sure they be not) then what if sin be never so pleasant, is is worth the loss of life eternal? Is a little drink, or meat, or ease; is the good word of sinners; is the riches of this world to be valued above the joys of heaven? Or are they worth the sufferings of eternal sire? Sirs, these questions should be considered before you go any further, by every man that hath reason to consider, and that believes he hath a soul to save or lose.

Well, the Lord here swearing that he hath no pleasure in your death, but rather that you would [Page]turn and live; if yet you will go on and die rather than turn, remember it was not to please God that you did it; it was to please the world, and to please yourselves. And if men will damn themselves, to please themselves, and run into endless torments for delight, and have not the wit, the hearts, the grace, to hearken to God, or man, that would reclaim them, what remedy but they must take what they get by it, and repent it in another manner, when it is too late! Before I proceed any further in the application, I shall come to the next doctrine; which giveth me a fuller ground for it.

Doct. 5. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners, that he doubleth his commands and exhortations, with vehemency: Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?

THIS doctrine is the application of the former, a [...] by a use of exhortation, and accordingly I shall handle it. Is there ever an unconverted sinner that heareth these vehement words of God. Is there ever a man and woman in this assembly that is y [...] a stranger to the renewing sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost? (It is an happy assembly if it be not so with the most) hearken then to the voice of your Maker, and turn to him by Christ without delay. Would you know the will of God? Why this is his will, that you presently turn. Shall the living God send so earnest a message to his creatures, and should they not obey? 2. Hearken, then, all you that live after the flesh; the Lord that gave thee thy breath and being, hath sent a message to thee from heaven; and this is his message, turn ye, turn ye, why will you die? He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Shall the voice of the Eternal Majesty be neglected? If he do but terribly thunder, thou art afraid. O but this voice doth more nearly concern [Page]thee. If he did but tell thee, thou shalt die tomorrow, thou wouldst not make light of it. O but this word concerneth thy life or death everlasting. It is both a command and an exhortation. As if he said to thee, ["I charge thee upon the allegiance that thou owest to me thy Creator and Redeemer, that thou renounce the flesh, the world and the devil, and turn to me that thou mayest live. I condescend to entreat thee, as thou either lovest or fearest him that made thee; as thou lovest thine own life, even thine everlasting life, turn and live; as ever thou would escape eternal misery, turn, turn, for why wilt thou die?"] And is there a heart in man, in a reasonable creature, that can once refuse such a message, such a command, such an exhortation as this! O what a thing then is the heart of man!

Hearken, then, all that love yourselves, and all that regard your own salvation; here is the joyfullest message that ever was sent to the ears of man, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die?" You are not yet shut up under desperation. Here is mercy offered you; turn and you shall have it. O, sirs, with what glad and joyful hearts should you receive these tidings! I know this is not the first time that you have heard it; but how have you regarded it, or how do you regard it now? Hear all you ignorant, careless sinners, the word of the Lord! Hear all you worldlings, you sensual flesh pleasers; you gluttons, and drunkards, and whore mongers, and swearers; you railers and back biters, slanderers and liars, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?"

Hear, all you cold and outside professors, and all that are strangers to the life of Christ, and never knew the power of his cross and resurrection, and never felt your hearts warmed with his love, and live not on him as the strength of your souls, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?"

[Page] Hear, all that are void of the love of God, whose hearts are not toward him, nor taken up with the hopes of glory, but set more by your earthly prosperity and delights, than by the joys of heaven; all you that are religious but a little by the bye, and give God no more than your flesh can spare; that have not denied your carnal selves, and forsaken all that you have for Christ, in the estimation and grounded resolution of your souls, but have some one thing in the world, so dear to you, that you cannot spare it for Christ, if he requited it, but will rather venture on his displeasure than forsake it: "Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die?"

If you never heard it, or observed it before, remember that you were told from the word of God, this day, that if you will but turn you may live; and if you will not turn, you shall surely die.

What now will you do, sirs? What is your resolution? Will you turn, or will you not? Halt not any longer between two opinions: If the Lord be God, follow him; If your flesh be God, then serve it still. If heaven be better than earth and fleshy pleasures, come away then and seek a better country, and lay up your treasure where rust and moths do not corrupt, and thieves cannot break through and steal, and be awakened, at last, with all your might, to seek the kingdom that cannot be moved, Heb. xii. 28. and to employ your lives on a higher design, and turn the stream of your cares, and labours, another way than formerly you have done. But if earth be better than heaven, or will do more for you, or last you longer, then keep i [...] and make the best of it, and follow it still. Sirs, are you resolved what to do? If you be not, I will set a few more moving considerations before you, to see if reason will make you resolve.

Consider first, what preparation mercy hath made for your salvation: and what pity it is that any [Page]man should be damned after all this. The time was, when the flaming sword was in the way, and the curse of God's law would have kept thee back; if thou hadst been never so willing to turn to God: The time was when thyself and all the friends that thou hast in the world, could never have produced thee the pardon of thy sins past, though thou hadst never so much lamented and reformed them. But Christ hath removed this impediment, by the reason of his blood. The time was that God was wholly unreconciled, as being not satisfied for the violation of his law: But now he is so far satisfied, and reconciled, as that he hath made thee a free act of ob [...]ivion, and a free deed of gift of Christ and life, and offereth it to thee, and entreateth thee to accept [...], and it may be thine if thou wilt. For, "he was [...] Christ reconciling the world to himself, and hath committed to us the word of actual reconciliation." [...] Cor. v. 18, 19. Sinners, we are commanded to [...]o this message to you all as from the Lord. (Come, [...]or all things are ready. Luke xiv. 17.) Are all [...]ings ready, and are you unready? God is ready to [...]tertain you, and pardon all that you have done against him, if you will but come. As long as you have [...]ned, as wilfully as you have sinned, he is ready [...]o cast all behind his back, if you will but come. Though you have been prodigals, and run away [...]rom God, and have staid so long, he is ready even [...]o meet you, and embrace you in his arms, and re [...]ice in your conversion, if you will but turn. [...]ven the earthly worldling, and swinish drunkard. [...]ay find God ready to bid them welcome, if they [...]ill but come. Doth not this turn thy heart within [...]ee? O, sinner, if thou have an heart of flesh, [...]d not of stone, in thee, methinks this should [...] it. Shall the dreadful infinite Majesty of hea [...], even wait for thy returning, and be ready to [...]ive thee, who hast abused him, and forgotten [Page]him so long? Shall he delight in thy conversion, that might at any time glorify his justice in thy damnation, and yet doth it not melt thy heart within thee, and art thou no [...] yet ready to come in? Hast thou not as much reason to be ready to come, as God hath to invite thee, and bid thee weloome?

But that's not all; Christ hath done his part on the cross, and made such way for thee to the Father, that on his account thou mayest be welcome, if thou wilt come. And yet art thou not ready?

A pardon is already expressly granted, and offered thee in the gospel. And yet art thou not ready?

The ministers of the gospel are ready to assi [...] thee, to instruct thee and pronounce the absolving words of peace to thy soul; they are ready to pray for thee, and to seal up thy pardon by the administration of the holy sacrament, and yet art thou not ready?

All that fear God about thee are ready to rejoi [...] in thy conversion, and to receive thee into the co [...] [...]union of saints, and to give thee the right-hand [...] fellowship, yea, though thou hadst been one tha [...] had been cast out of their society, they dare not but forgive where God forgiveth, when it is manife [...] to them by thy confession and amendment; the [...] dare not so much as hit thee in the teeth with thy former sins, because they know that God will not upbraid thee with them, if [...] hadst been never so scandalous. If thou wouldst [...] heartily be converted and come in, they would not refuse thee let the world say what they would against it. And are all these ready to receive thee, and yet are th [...] not ready to come in?

Yea, heaven itself is ready; the Lord will [...] ceive them into the glory of his saints? as vil [...] beast as thou hast been, if thou will but be cleans [...] thou maye [...] ha [...]e a place before his throne, h [...] angels will be ready to guard thy soul to the [...] [Page]of joy, if thou do but unfeignedly come in. And is "God ready, the sacrifice of Christ ready, the promise ready, and pardon ready? Are ministers ready, and the people of God ready, and heaven itself ready, and angels ready?" And all these but waiting for thy conversion; and yet art thou not ready? What, not ready to live, when thou hast been dead so long? Not ready to come to thy right understanding, (as the prodigal is said to come to himself, Luke xv. 17.) when thou hast been beside thyself so long? Not ready to be saved, when thou art even ready to be condemned? Art thou not ready to lay hold on Christ that would deliver thee, when thou art even ready to drown and sink into damnation? Art thou not ready to be drawn from hell, when thou art even ready to be cast remedilessly into it? Alas, man! Dost thou know what thou dost! If thou die unconverted, there is no doubt to be made of thy damnation: And thou art not sure to live an hour; and yet art thou not ready to turn and come in; O miserable wretch! Hast thou not served the flesh and the devil long enough? Yet hast thou not enough of sin? Is it so good to thee, or profitable for thee? Dost thou know what it is, that thou wouldst yet have more more of it? Hast thou bad so many calls, and so many mercies, and so many blows, and so many examples? Hast thou seen so many laid in the grave, and yet art thou not ready to let go thy sins, and come to Christ? What! after so many convictions, and gripes of conscience, after so many purposes and promises, art thou not yet ready to turn and live? O, that thy eyes, thy heart were opened to know how fair an offer is now made to thee! and what a joyful message it is that we are sent on, to bid thee come, for all things are ready.

2. Consider also, what calls thou hast to turn and live. How many, how loud, how earnest. [Page]how dreadful; and yet what encouraging, joyful calls.

For the principal inviter, it is God himself. He that commandeth heaven and earth, commands thee to turn; and presently, without delay, to turn: He commands the sun to run its course, and to rise upon thee every morning; and though it be so glorious a creature, and many a time bigger than all the earth, yet it obeyeth him, and faileth not one minute of its appointed time. He commandeth all the planets, and the orbs of heaven, and they obey: He commandeth the sea to ebb and flow, and the whole creation to keep its course, and all obey him: The angels of heaven obey his will, when he sends them to minister to such silly worms, as we on [...]rth, Heb. i. 14. And yet, if he command but [...] s [...]nner to turn, he will not obey him: He only [...]i [...]ks himself wiser than God, and he cavils and [...]eads the cause of sin, and will not obey. If the Lord Almighty say the word, the heavens, and all therein obey him: But if he call but a drunkard out of an alehouse, he will not obey; or if he call a worldly, fleshly sinner, to deny himself, and mortify the flesh, and set his heart on a better inheritance, he will not obey.

If thou hadst any love in thee, thou wouldst know the voice, and say, "O this is my Father's call! How can I find in my heart to disobey? For the shee [...] of Christ do know and hear his voice, and they follow him, and he giveth them eternal l [...]fe," John x. 4. If thou hadst any spiritual life and sense in thee, [...]t l [...]ast thou wouldst say, This call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey? For saith the prophet, Amo [...] iii. 8. The lion hath roared, who will not [...]ear? God is no [...] a man, that thou shouldest dally, and play with him. Remember what he said [...]o Paul a [...] his conversion, It is hard for thee to [...]ick against the pricks, Acts ix [...] [Page]Wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his spirit, and stop thine ear against his call? Who is it that will have the worst of this? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest, and contendest with, and what thou art doing? It were a far wiser and easier task for thee to contend with the thorns, and spurn them with thy bare feet, and beat them with thy bare hands, or put thy head into the burning ire. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked, G [...]. vi. 7. Whoever else be mocked, God will not: You had better play with the fire in your thatch, than with the fire of his burning wrath. For our God is a consuming fire. Heb. xii 29. O how unmeet a match art thou for God! It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands, Heb. x. 31. And therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him, or resist him. As you love your own souls, take heed what you do. What will you say, if he begin in wrath to plead with you? What will you do, if he take you once in hand? Will you then strive against his judgment, as now ye do, against his grace, saith the Lord, Isa. xxvii. 3, 6. Fury is not in me; (that is) I delight not to destroy you: I do it as it were, unwillingly: but yet "who will set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them; I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me. It is an unequal combat for the briars and stubble to make war with the fire.

And thus you see, who is it that calleth you, that should move you to hear his call, and turn: so consider all "by what instruments, and how often, and how earnestly he doth it,"

1. Every leaf of the blessed book of God hath, [...] it were, a voice, and calls out unto thee, Yurn and live; turn, or thou will die. How [...]nst thou open it and read a leaf, or hear a chapter, and not perceive God bids thee turn?

[Page] 2. It is the voice of every sermon that thou hearest; for what else is the scope and drift of all, but to call, and persuade, and entreat thee for to [...]urn.

3. It is the voice of many a motion of the spirit, that secretly speaks over these words again, and urgeth thee to turn.

4. It is likely, some time, it is the voice of thy own conscience. Art thou not sometimes convinced, that all is not well with thee? And doth not thy conscience tell thee. that thou must be a new man, and take a new course, and often call upon thee to return?

5. It is the voice of the gracious examples of the godly. When thou seest them live an heavenly life, and fly from the sin which is thy delight, this really calls upon thee to turn.

6. It is the voice of all the works of God: For they also are God's books, that teach thee this lesson, by shewing thee his greatness and wisdom, and goodness, and calling thee to observe them, and admire the creator, Psal. xiv. 1, 2. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-work: Day unto day uttereth speech — Night unto night sheweth knowledge. Every time the sun riseth upon thee, it really calleth thee to turn, as if it should say, "What do I travel and compass the world for, but to declare to men the glory of their maker, and to light them to do his work? And do I still find thee doing the work of sin, and sleeping out thy life in negligence? A wake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," Ephes. v. 14. "The night is spent, the day is at hand. It is now high time to awake out of sleep: Let u [...], therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantouness, not in strife and envying, [...]ut put [Page]ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof," Rom. xiii. 11, 12, 13, 14. (This text was the means of Austin's conversion!)

7. It is the voice of every mercy thou dost possess; if thou couldst hear and understand them, they all cry out unto thee, turn: Why doth the earth bear thee, but to seek, and serve the Lord? Why doth it afford thee its fruit, but to serve him? Why doth the air afford thee breath but to ser [...]e him? Why do all the creatures serve [...]hee with their labours, and their lives and their health, but that thou mightest serve the Lord of them and thee? Why doth he give time and strength, but for to serve him? Why hast thou meat, and drink, and clothes, but for his service? Hast thou any thing which thou hast not received, and if thou didst receive them, it is reason that thou shouldst bethink thee, from whom, and to what end and use thou didst receive them? Didst thou never cry to him for help in thy distress, and didst thou not then understand that it was thy part to turn and serve him, if he would deliver thee? He hath done his part, and spared thee yet longer, and tried thee yet another, and another year; and yet dost thou not turn? You know the parable of the unfruitful figtree, Luke xvi. 6, 7, 8, 9. When the Lord had said, Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? He was intreated to try it one year longer, and then if it proved not fruitful, to cut it down. Christ himself there makes the application twice over, ver. 3 and 5. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. How many years hath God tooked for the fruits of love and holiness from thee, and hath found none, and yet he hath spared thee? How many a time, by thy wilful ignorance, and carelesness, and disobedience, hast thou provoked justice to say, Cut him down, why cumbereth he the [Page]ground? And yet mercy hath prevailed, and patience hath forborne the killing, damning blow to this day. If [...]hou hadst the understanding of a man within, thou wouldst know that all this calleth thee to turn. "Dost thou think thou shalt still escape the judgment of God, or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself, wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man, according to [...] deeds." Rom. ii. 3, 4, 5, 6.

8. Moreover, it is the voice of every affliction, to call thee to make haste and turn. Sickness and pain, cry, turn; and poverty, and loss of friends, and every twig of the chastising rod. cry, turn, and yet wilt thou not hearken to the call? These have come near thee, and made thee feel; they have made thee groan, and can they not make thee turn.?

9. The very frame of thy nature, and being itself, bespeaketh thy return: Why hast thou reason, but to rule thy flesh, and serve thy Lord? Why hast thou an understanding soul but to l [...]arn, and know his will, and do it? Why hast thou an heart within thee, that can love and fear, and desire, but that thou shouldst fear him, and love him, and desire after him?

10. Yea, thine own engagements, by promise, to the Lord, do call upon thee to turn, and serve him. Thou hast bound thyself to him by a baptismal covenant, and renounced the world, the flesh and the devil: This thou hast confirmed, by the profession of Christianity, and renewed it at sacraments, and in times of affliction; and wilt thou promise and vow, and never perform, and turn to God?

[Page] Lay all these together, now, and see what should be the issue. The holy scripture calls upon thee to turn; the ministers of Christ, do call upon thee to turn; the spirit cries, turn; the conscience cries, turn; the godly, by p [...]rsuasions and examples, cries, turn; the whole world, and all the creatures therein, that are pr [...]sented to thy consideration, cry, turn; the patient forbearance of God, cries turn; all the mercies which thou hast received, cry turn; the rod of God's chastisement, cries, turn; thy reason, and the frame of thy nature, bespeaks thy turning; and so do all thy promises to God; and yet art thou not ready to turn?

3. Moreover, poor, ha [...]d hearted sinner! Didst thou ever consider upon what terms thou standest all this with him, that calleth on thee for to turn? Thou art his own, and owest him thyself, and all thou hast; and may he not command his own? Thou art his absolute servant, and shouldest serve no other master. Thou standest at his mercy, and thy life is in his band, and he is resolved to save thee upon no other terms; thou hast many malicious spiritual enemies, that would be glad if God would but forsake thee, and let them alone with thee, and leave thee to their will; how quickly would they deal with thee in another manner? And thou canst not be delivered from them, but by turning unto God. Thou art fallen under his wrath by thy sin already, and thou knowest not how long his patience will yet wait. Perhaps this is the last year; perhaps the last day; his sword is even at thine heart, while the word is in thine ear; and if thou turn not, thou art a dead and undone man. Were thy eyes but open, to see where thou standest, even upon the brink of hell, and to see how many thousands are there already, that did not turn, thou wouldest see that it is time to look about thee.

[Page] Well, Sirs, look inwards now, and tell me, how are your hearts affected with those offers of the Lord? You hear what is his mind; he delighteth not in your death; he calls to you turn, turn; it is a fearful sign if all this move thee not; or if it do but half move thee, and much more, if it make thee more careless in thy misery, because thou hearest of the mercifulness of God. The working of the medicine will partly tell us whether there be any bope of the cure. O what glad tidings would it be to those who are now in hell, if they had but such a message from God! What a joyful word would it be to hear this, turn and live: Yea, what a welcome word would it be to thyself, when thou hast felt that wrath of God but an hour! Or, if, after a thousand, or ten thousand years torment, thou couldst but hear such a word from God, turn and live, and yet wilt thou neglect it, and suffer us to return without our errand?

Behold, sinners, we are sent here, as the messengers of the Lord, to set before you life and death: What say you? Which of them will you choose? Christ standeth as it were, by thee, with heaven in the one hand, and hell in the other, and offereth thee thy choice, which wilt thou choose? The voice of the Lord maketh the rocks to tremble. Psal. xxvi. And is it nothing to hear him threaten thee, if thou wilt not turn? Dost thou not understand and feel this voice, turn ye, turn ye, wky-will you die? Why? It is the voice of love, of infinite love, of thy best and kindest friend, as thou mightest easily perceive by the motion, and yet canst thou neglect it? It is the voice of pity and compassion. The Lord seeth whither thou art going, better than thou dost, which makes him call after thee, turn. turn.—He feeth what will become of thee, if thou turn not: He thinketh with himself; Ah! this poor sinner will cast himself[Page]into endless torments if he do not turn: I must in justice deal with him according to my righteous law. And, therefore, he calleth after thee, turn, turn. O sinner! If you did but know the thousandth part as well as God doth, the danger that is near you, and the misery that you are running into, we shall have no more need to call after you to turn.

Moreover, this voice that calleth to thee, is the same that hath prevailed with thousands already, and called all to heaven than are now there; and they would not now, for a thousand worlds, that they had made light of it, and not turned to God. Now what are they possessing that turned at God's call? Now perceive that it was indeed the voice of love that meant them no more harm than their salvation, and if thou wilt obey the same call, thou shalt come to the same happiness. There are millions that must for ever lament that they turned not; but there is never a soul in heaven that is sorry that they were converted.

Well, sirs, are you yet resolved, or are you not? Do I need to say any more to you, what will you do? Will you turn or not? Speak man in thy heart to God, though thou speak not out to me: Speak, lest he take thy silence for denial. Speak quickly, lest he never make thee the like offer more. Speak resolvedly, and not waveringly; for he will have no indifferents to be his followers. Say in thy heart now, without any more delay, even before thou stir hence, "By the grace of God, I am resolved presently to turn. And because I know my own insufficiency, I am resolved to wait on God for his grace, and to follow him [Page]in his ways, and forsake my former courses and companions, and give up myself to the guidance of the Lord."

Sirs, you are not shut up in the darkness of heathenism, nor in the desperation of the damned; life is before you; and you may have it on reasonable terms, if you will, yea on free cost if you will accept it. The way of God lieth plain before you; the church open to you, you may have Christ and pardon, and holiness, if you will. What say you? Will you, or will you not? If you say nay, or say nothing, and still go on, God is witness, and this congregation is witness, and your own consciences are witnesses how fair an offer you had this day. Remember you might have had Christ, and would not; remember when you have lost it, that you might have had eternal life, as well as others, and would not; and all because you would not turn!

But let us come to the next doctrine, and hear your reasons.

Doctrine 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with unconverted sinners; and to ask them why they will die?

A Strange disputation it is, both as to the controversy, and as to the disputants.

1. The controversy, or question propounded to dispute of, is, Why wicked men will damn themselves? or, why they will rather die than turn; whether they have any sufficient reason for so doing.

The disputants are God and man, the most holy God, and wicked unconverted sinners.

[Page] Is it not a strange thing which God doth seem here to suppose, that any man should be willing to die, and be damned, yea, that this should be the case of the wicked; that is, of the greatest part of the world? but you will say, this cannot be; 'for nature desireth the preservation and felicity of itself; and the wicked are more selfish than others, and not less, and therefore how can any man be willing to be damned?'

To which I answer, 1. It is a certain truth that no man can be willing of any evil as evil, but only as it hath some appearance of good; much less can any man be willing to be eternally tormented. Misery, as such, is desired by none. 2. But yet for all that, it is most true which God here teacheth us, that the cause why the wicked die and are damned, is because they will die and be damned. And this is true in several respects.

1. Because they will go the way that leads to hell; though they are told by God and man, whither it goes, and whither it ends, and though God hath so often professed in his word, that if they hold on in that way, they shall be condemned; and that they shall not be saved, unless they turn. Isa. xlviii. 22. and lvii. 21. There is no peace (saith the Lord) unto the wicked, Isa. lix. 8. The way of peace they know not; there is no judgment in their goings; they have made them crocked paths: Whosoever goeth therein shall not keep peace. They have the word, and the oath of the living God for it, that if they will not turn, they shall not enter into his rest. And yet wicked they are, and wicked they will be, let God and man say what they will; [...]leshy they are, and fleshy they will be: Worldlings [Page]they are, and worldlings they will be, though God hath told them that the love of the world is enmity to God, and that if any man love the world, (in that measure) the love of the father is not in him, Jam. iv. 4.1 John ii. 15. so that consequently these men are willing to be damned, though not directly; they are willing of the way to hell, and love the certain cause of their torment; though they be not willing of hell itself, and do not love the pain which they must endure.

Is not this the truth of your case, sirs? You would not burn in hell, but you will kindle the fire by your sins, and cast yourselves into it; you would not be tormented with devils forever, but you will do that which will certainly procure it is despight of all that can be said against it. It is just as if you would say, "I will drink this ratsbane, or other poison, but yet I will not die: I will ca [...] myself headlong from the top of a steeple, but yet I will not ki [...]l myself: I will thrust this knife into my heart, but yet I will not take away my life: I will put this fire into the thatch of my house, but yet I will not burn it." Just so it is with wicke [...] men, they will be wicked, and they will live after the flesh, and the world, and yet they would not be damned. But do you not know that the means do lead unto the end? and that God hath, by his righteous law, concluded that ye must repent or perish? He that will take poison, may as well say plainly, I will kill myself, for it will prove no better in the end; though perhaps he loved it for the sweetness of the sugar that was mixt with it; and would not be persuaded that it was poison, but that he might take it and do well enough; but [...]s is not [Page]his conceits and confidence that will save his life. So if you will be drunkards, or fornicators, or wordlings, or live after the flesh, you may as well say plainly, we will be damned, for so you shall be unless you turn. Would you not rebuke the folly of a thief or murderer, that would say, I will steal, or kill, but I will not be hanged, when he knows that if he does the one, the judge in justice sees that the other be done? If he say I will steal and murder, he may as well say plainly, I will be hanged; and if you will go on in a carnal life, you may as well say plainly, we will go to hell.

2. Moreover, the wicked will not use these means, without which there is no hope of their salvation: He that will not eat, may as well say plainly, he will not live, unless he can tell how to live without meat: He that will not go his journey, may as well say plainly, he will not come to the end: He that falls into the water, and will not come out, nor suffer another to help him out, may as well say plainly, he will be drowned. So if you be carnal and ungodly, and will not be converted, nor use the means by which you should be converted, but think it more ado than needs, you may as well say plainly, you will be damned; for if you have found out a way to be saved without conversion, you have done that which was never done before.

3. Yea, this is not all, but the wicked are unwilling, even of salvation itself, tho' they may desire somewhat which they call by the name of Heaven, yet heaven itself, considered in the true nature of the felicity, they desire not; yea, their hearts are quite against it. Heaven is a state of [Page]perfect holiness, and of continual love and praise to God, and the wicked have no heart to this. The imperfect love and praise, and holiness which is here to be attained, they have no mind of; much less of that which is so much greater; the joys of heaven are of so pure and spiritual a nature, that the heart of the wicked cannot truly desire them.

So that by this time you may see, upon what ground it is that God supposeth, that the wicked are willing of their own destruction: They will not turn, tho' they must turn or die; they will rather venture on certain misery, than be converted, and then, to quit themselves in their sins, they will make themselves believe that they shall nevertheless escape.

2. And as this controversy is matter of wonder that ever men should be such enemies to themselves, and wilfully to cast away their souls, so are the disputants too. That God should stoop so low, as thus to plead the case with man, and that man should be so strangely blind and obstinate, as to need all this, in so plain a case; yea, and to resist all this, when their own salvation lieth upon the issue.

No wonder if they will not hear us, that are men, when they will not hear the Lord himself: As God saith, Ezek. iii. 7. when he sent the prophet to the Israelites. ["The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee: For they will not kearken unto me: For all the house of Israel are impudent and heard hearted."] No wonder if they can plead against a minister, or a godly neighbour, when they will plead against the [Page]Lord himself, even against the plainest passages of his word, and think that they have reason on their side: When they weary the Lord with their words, they say, wherein have we wearied him? Mal. ii. 17. The priest that despised his name, durst ask, "wherein have we despised thy name? and when they polluted his altar, and made the tables of the Lord contemptible, they durst say, wherein have we polluted thee." Mal. i. 6, 7. But, "Wo unto him (saith the Lord) that striveth with his maker! Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth; shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?" Isa. xiv. 9.

Quest. But why is it that God will reason the case with man?

Answ. 1. Because that man being a reasonable creature, is accordingly to be dealt with; and by reason to be persuaded and overcome, God hath therefore endowed them with reason, that they might use it for him. One would think a reasonable creature should not go against the clearest and greatest reason in the world when it is set before him.

2. At least, men shall see that God did require nothing of them that was unreasonable; but that what he commandeth them, and whatever he forbiddeth them, he hath all the right reason in the world on his side; and they have good reason to obey him, but none to disobey. And thus even the damned shall be forced to justify God, and confess that it was but reason that they should have turned to him; and they shall be forced to condemn themselves, and confess that they had [Page]little reason to cast away themselves by the neglecting of his grace in the day of their visitation.

USE.

LOOK upon your best and strongest reasons, sinners, if you will make good your way, you see now with whom you have to deal. What sayest thou, unconverted sensual wretch? Darest thou venture upon a dispute with God? Art thou able to confute him? Art thou ready to enter the lists? God asketh thee why wilt thou die? Art thou furnished with a sufficient answer? Wilt thou undertake to prove that God is mistaken, and that thou art in the right! O what an undertaking is that? Why, either he or you is mistaken, when he is for your conversion, and you are against it; he calls upon you to turn, and you will not; he bids you do it presently, even to day, while it is called to day, and think it time enough hereafter. He saith it must be a total change, and you must be holy and new creatures, and born again: and you think that less may serve the turn, and that's enough to parch up the old man, without becoming new. Who is in the right now? God, or you? God calleth you to turn, and to live an holy life, and you will not: by your disobedient lives it appears you will not. If you will, why do you not? Why have you not done it all this while? And why do you not fall upon it yet? Your wills have the commands of our lives. We may certainly conclude, that you are unwilling to turn, when you do not turn. And why will you not? Can you give any [Page]reason for it, that's worthy to be called a reason?

I that am but a worm, your fellow creature, of a shallow capacity, dare challenge the wisest of you all, to reason the case with me, while I plead my maker's cause: and I need not be discouraged, when I know, I plead but the cause that God pleadeth, and contend for him that will have the best at last; had I but these two general grounds against you, I am sure that you have no good reason on your side.

I am sure it can be no good reason, which is against the God of truth and reason. It cannot be light that is contrary to the sun. There is no knowledge in any creature, but what it had from God; and therefore none can be wiser than God. It were damnable presumption for the highest angel to compare with his Creator; What is it then for a lump of dirt, an ignorant sot, that knoweth not himself nor his own soul, that knoweth but little of the things that he seeth, yea, that is more ignorant than his neighbours, to set himself against the wisdom of the Lord? It is one of the fullest discoveries of the horrible wickedness of carnal men, and the stark madness of such as sin, that so silly a mole dare contradict his maker, and call in question the word of God; yea, that those people in our parishes, that are so beastly ignorant that they cannot give us a reasonable answer concerning the very principles of religion, are yet so wise in their own conceit, that they dare question the plainest truth of God, yea, contradict them and cavil against them, when they can scarce speak sense, and will believe them no further than agreeth with their foolish wisdom.

[Page] 2. And as I know that God must needs be in the right, so I know the case is so palpable and gross, which he pleadeth against, that no man can have reason for it. Is it possible that a man can have any reason to break his maker's laws, and reason to dishonor the Lord of glory, and reason to abuse the Lord that bought him? Is it possible, that a man can have any good reason to damn his own immortal soul? Mark the Lord's question, Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die? Is eternal death a thing to be desired? Are you in love with hell? What reason have you wilfully to perish? If you think you have some reason to sin, should you not remember, that death is the wages of sin, Rom. vi. 23. and think whether you have any reason to undo yourselves, body and soul forever. You should not only ask whether you love the adder, but whether you love the sting? It is such a thing for a man to cast away his everlasting happiness, and to sin against God, that no good reason can be given for it; but the more any one pleads for it, the madder he sheweth himself to be. Had you a lordship, or a kingdom offered you, for every sin tha [...] you commit, it were not reason, but madness to accept it. Could you by every sin obtain the highest thing upon earth that flesh desireth, it were of no considerable value to persuade you in reason to commit it. If it were to please your greatest or dearest friends, or to obey the greatest prince on earth, or to save your lives, or to escape the greatest earthly misery, all these are of no consideration to draw a man, in reason to the committing of one sin. If it were a right hand, or a right eye, that would hinder your salvation, it is [Page]the gainfullest way to cast it away, rather than to go to hell to save it. For there is no saving a part when you lose the whole. So exceeding great are the matters of eternity, that nothing in this world deserveth once to be named in comparison with them; nor can any earthly thing, though it were life, or crowns, or kingdoms, be a reasonable excuse for the neglect of matters of such high and everlasting consequence. A man can have no reason to cross his ultimate end; Heaven is such a thing, that if you lose it, nothing can supply the want, or make up the loss; and hell is such a thing, that if you suffer it, nothing can remove your misery, or give you ease and comfort, and therefore nothing can be a valuable consideration to excuse you for neglecting your own salvation: For, saith our Saviour, What shall it profit a man to win all the world, and lose his own soul? Mark viii. 36.

O Sirs, that you did but know what matters they are, that we are now speaking to you of, the saints in heaven, you would have other kind of thoughts of these things, if the devil would come to them that live in the sight and love of God, and should offer them a cup of ale, or a whore, or merry company, or sports to entice them away from God and glory, I pray you tell me, how do you think they would entertain the motion? Nay, or if he should offer them to be Kings on the earth, do you think this would entice them down from heaven? O, with what hatred and holy scorn would they reject the motion! And why should not you do so, that have heaven opened to your faith, if you had but faith to [Page]see it? There is never a soul in hell but knows, by this, that it was a mad exchange to let go heaven for fleshy pleasure, and that it is not a little mirth or pleasure, or wordly riches, or the good will or word of men, that will quench hell fire, or make him a saver that loseth his soul; O, if you had heard what I believe, if you had seen what I believe, and that on the credit of the word of God, you would say there can be no reason to warrant a man to damn his soul; you durst not sleep quietly another night, before you had resolved to turn and live.

If you see a man put his hand in the fire till it burn off, you will marvel at it; but this is a thing that a man may have reason for, as Bishop Gramaner had, when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to popery. If you see a man cut off a leg, or an arm, it is a sad sight; but this is a thing that a man may have a good reason for, as many a man doth to save his life. If you see a man give his body to be burnt to ashes, and to be tormented with strappado's and racks, and refuse deliverance when it is offered, this is a hard case to flesh and blood; but this a man may have good reason for, as you may see in Heb. xi. 33, 34, 35, 36. and as many an hundred martyrs have done. But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him, and for a man to run into the fire of hell, when he is told of it, and intreated to turn, that he may be saved; this is a thing that can have no reason in the world, that is reason indeed, to justify or excuse it. For heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to [Page]get it, or for any labour which we bestow for it, but nothing can pay for the loss of heaven.

I beseech you now, let this word come nearer to your heart, as you are convinced that you have no reason to destroy yourselves, so tell me, what reason have you to refuse to turn and live to God? What reason had the veriest worldling, or drunkard, or ignorant careless sinner of you all, why you should not be as holy as any you know, and be as careful for your souls as any other? Will not hell be as hot to you as to others? Should not your own souls be as dear to you as theirs to them. Hath not God as much authority over you? Why then will you not become a sanctified people as well as they?

O sirs, when God bringeth the matter down to the very principles of nature, and shows you, that you have no more reason to be ungodly than you have to damn your own souls, if yet you will not understand and turn, it seems a desperate case that you are in.

And now, either you have reason for what you do, or you have not; If not, will you go on against reason itself? Will you do that which you have no reason for? But if you think you have, produce them, and make the best of your matter. Reason the case a little with me your fellow creature, which is far easier than to reason the case with God; tell me, man, here before the Lord, as if thou wert to die this hour, why shouldest thou not resolve to turn this day, before thou stir from the place thou standest in, what reason hast thou to deny, or to delay? Hast thou any reason that satisfieth thine own conscience for it, [Page]or any that thou darest own and plead at the bar, of God? If thou hast, let us hear them, bring them forth, and make them good. But alas, what poor stuff, what nonsense, instead of reasons, do we daily hear from ungodly men. But for their necessity, I should be ashamed to name them.

1. One saith, "If none shall be saved, but such converted and sanctified ones as you talk of, then heaven would be but empty, then God help a great many.

Answ. Why, it seems, you think that God doth not know, or else that he is not to be believed! Measure not all by yourselves: God hath thousands and millions of his sanctified ones; but yet they are few in comparison of the world, as Christ himself hath told us, Matth. vii. 13.14. Luke xi. 31. It better seems you, to make that use of this truth which Christ teacheth you; "strive to enter in at the strait gate, for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that can find it; but wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat, Luke xiii. 22, 23, 24. Fear not little flock (saith Christ to his sanctified ones,) for it is your father's good pleasure to give you that kingdom, Luke xii. 13.

Object. 2. I am sure if such as I go to hell, we shall have store of company.

Answ. And will that be any ease or comfort to you? Or do you think you may not have company enough in heaven? Will you be undone for company, or will you not believe that God [Page]will excuse his threatening, because the [...] [...] many that are guilty? All these are unreasonable conceits.

Object. 3. But all men are sinners, even the best of you all.

Answ. But all are not unconverted sinners. The goodly live not in gross sins, and their very infirmities are their grief and burden, which they daily long, and pray, and strive to be rid of. Sin hath not dominion over them.

Object. 4. I do not see that professors are any better than other men; they will over reach, and oppress, and are as covetous as any.

Answ. Whatever hypocrites are, it is not so with those that are sanctified. God hath thousands, or ten thousands that are otherwise, tho' the malicious world doth accuse them of what they can never prove, and of that which never entered into their hearts; and commonly they charge them with heart sins, which none can see but God, because they can charge them with no such wickedness in their lives, as they are guilty of themselves.

Object. 5. But I am no whoremonger, nor drunkard, nor oppressor; and therefore why should you call upon me to be converted.?

Answ. As if you were not born after the flesh, and had not lived after the flesh as well as others! Is it not as great a sin as any of these, for a man to have an earthly mind, and to love the world above God, and to have an unbelieving unhumbled heart? Nay, let me tell you more, that many persons that avoid disgraceful sins, are as f [...]st glued to the world, and as much slaves to the [Page]flesh, and as strange to God, and averse to heaven in their more civil course, as others are in their more shameful notorious sins,

Object. 6. But I mean no body any harm, nor do no harm; and why then should God condemn me?

Answ. Is it no harm to neglect the Lord that made thee, and the work for which thou camest into the world, and to prefer the creature before the Creator, and to neglect grace that is daily offered thee? It is the depth of thy sinfulness to be so insensible of it, the dead feel not that they are dead. If once thou wert made alive, thou wouldest see more amiss in thyself, and marvel at thyself for making so light of it.

Object. 7. I think you would make men mad, under pretence of converting them; it is enough to rack the brains of sinful people to muse so much on matters so high for them.

Answ. 1. Can you be madder than you are already, or, at least, can there be a more dangerous madness than to neglect your everlasting welfare, and wilfully undo yourselves?

2. A man is never well in his wits, till he be converted, he never knows God, nor knows sin, nor knows Christ, nor knows the world, nor himself, nor what his business is on earth, so as to set himself about it, till he be converted. The scripture saith, that the wicked are unreasonable men, 2 Thess. iii. 2. and "that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God," 1 Cor. i. 20. and Luke xv. 17. It is said of the prodigal, "that when he came to himself," he resolved to return. It is a wise world when men will disobey [Page]God, and run to hell for fear of being out of their wits.

2. What is there in the work that Christ calls you to, that should drive a man out of his wits? Is it the loving God, and calling upon him, and comfortably thinking of the glory to come, and the forsaking of our sins, and loving one another, and delighting ourselves in the service of God? Are these such things as should make men mad?

3. And whereas you say, that these matters are too high for us; you accuse God himself for making this our work, and giving us his word, and commanding all that will be blessed, to meditate on it day and night. Are the matters which we are made for, and which we live for, too high for us to meddle with? This is plainly to unman us, and to make beasts of us, as if we were like them, that must meddle with no higher matters than what belongs to flesh and earth. If heaven be too high for you to think on, and provide for, it will be too high for you ever to possess.

4. If God should sometimes suffer any weak-headed persons to be distracted by thinking of eternal things, this is because they misunderstand them, and run without a guide; and of the two, I had rather be in the case of such an one, than of the mad unconverted world, that take their distraction to be their wisdom.

Object. 8. I do not think that God cares so [Page]much what men think, or speak, or do, as to make so great a matter of it.

Answ. It seems then, you take the word of God to be false, and then what will you believe? But your own reason might teach you better, if you believe not the scriptures, for you see God sets not so light by us, but that he vouchsaved to make us, and still preserveth us, and daily upholdeth us, and provideth for us, and will any wise man make a curious frame for nothing? Will you make, or buy a clock or watch, and daily look to it, and not care whether it go true or false? Surely, if you believe not a particular eye of Providence observing your hearts and lives, you cannot believe, or expect any particular Providence to observe your wants and tronbles, or to relieve you; and if God had so little care for you as you imagine, you would never have lived till now, an hundred diseases would have striven which should first destroy you; yea, the devils would have haunted you, and fetched you away alive, as the great fishes devour the less, and as ravenous beasts and birds devour others. You cannot think that God made man for no end or use, and if he made him for any, it was sure for himself; and can you think he cares not whether his end be accomplished, and whether we do the worst that we are made for.

Yea, by this atheistical objection, you make God to have made, and upheld all the world in vain: For what are all other lower creatures [Page]for, but for man? What doth the earth but bear us, and nourish us, and the beasts do serve us with their labours and lives, and so of the rest. And hath God made so glorious an habitation, and set man to dwell in it, and made all his servants; and now doth he look for nothing at his hands, nor care how he thinks, or speaks, or lives? This is most unreasonable.

Object. 9. It was a better world, when men did not make so much ado in religion.

Answ. It hath ever been the custom to praise the times past; that world that you speak of was wont to say, it was a better world in their forefathers days, and so did they of their foresathers. This is but an old custom, because we all feel the evil of our own times, but we see not that which was before us.

2. Perhaps you speak as you think: worldlings think the world is at the best, when it is agreeable to their minds, and when they have most mirth and worldly pleasure; and I doubt not but the devil, as well as you, would say, that then, it was a better world, for then, he had more service, and less disturbance. But the world is at the best, when God is most loved, regarded and obeyed; and how else will you know when the world is good or bad, but by this?

Object. 10. Th [...]re are so many ways and religions, that we know not which to be of, and therefore we will be even as we are.

Answ. Because they are many, will you [Page]be of that way that you may be sure is wrong None are farther out of the way than worldly, fleshly, unconverted sinners; for they do nor only err in this or that opinion, as many sects do, but in the very scope and drift of their lives. If you were going a journey that your life lay on, would you stop or turn again because you meet with some cross ways, or because you saw some travellers go the horseway, and some the foot-way, and some perhaps break over the hedge, yea, and some miss the way? or would you not rather be the more careful to enquire the way? If you have some servants that know not how to do your work right, and some that are unsaithful, would you take it well at any of the rest that would therefore be idle, and do you no service, because they see the rest so bad?

Object. 11. I do not see that it goes any better with those that are so godly, than with other men: They are as poor, and in as much trouble as others.

Answ. And perhaps in much more, when God sees it meet. They take not earthly prosperity for their wages: they have laid up their treasure and hopes in another world: or else they are not Christians indeed; the less they have, the more is behind, and they are content to wait till then.

Object. 12. When you have said all that you can, I am resolved to hope well, and trust in Goa, and do as well as I can, and not make so much ado.

Answ. 1. Is that doing as well you can, [Page]when you will not turn to God, but your heart is against his holy and diligent service? It is as well as you will, indeed, but that is your misery.

2. My desire is, that you should hope and trust in God: But for what is it that you will hope? Is it to be saved, if you turn and be sanctified? For this you have God's promise, and therefore, hope for it, and spare not. But if you hope to be saved, without conversion and an holy life, this is not to hope in God, but in satan, or yourselves, for God hath given you no such promise, but told you the contrary; but it is satan, and selflove, that made you such promises, and raised you to such hopes.

Well, if these, and such as these, be all you have to say against conversion, and an holy life, your all is nothing, and worse than nothing: and if these, and such as these seem reasons sufficient to persuade you to forsake God, and cast yourseives into hell, the Lord deliver you from such reasons, and from such blind understandings, and from such senseless hardened hearts. Dare you stand to every one of these reasons at the bar of God? Do you think it will then serve your turn, to-say, "Lord, I did not turn, because I had so much ado in the world, or because I did not like the lives of some professors, or because I saw men of so many minds." O how easily will the light of that day con [...]ound and shame such reasonings as these! Had you the world to look after? Let the [Page]world which you served now pay you your wages, and save you if it can. Had you not a better world to look after first, and were ye not commanded to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, and promised that other things should be added to you, Matth. vi. 33. And were ye not told, that godliness was profitable to all things, having the promise of this life, and of that which is to come? 1 Tim. iv. 8. Did the sins of professors hinder you? You should rather have been the more heedful, and learned by their falls, to beware, and have been the more careful, and not to be more careless; it was the scripture, and not their lives, that was your rule. Did the many opinions of the world hinder you? Why, the scripture, that was your rule, did teach you but one way, and that was the right way. If you had followed that, even in so much as was plain and easy, you should never have miscarried. Will not such answers as these confound and silence you? If these will not, God hath those that will. When he asked the man, Matth. xxii. 12. 'Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment?' that is, what doest thou in my Church, among professed christians, without an holy heart and life; what answer did he make? Why the text saith, he was speechless; he had nothing to say. The clearness of the case, and the majesty of God, will then easily stop the mouths of the most confident of you, though you will not be put down by any thing we can say to you now, but will make good your cause, be it never so bad. I know already, that never a reason that now ye can give me, will do you any [Page]good at last, when your case must be opened before the Lord, and all the world.

Nay, I scarce think that your own consciences are well satisfied with your reasons, for if they are, it seems then you have not so much as a purpose to repent. But if you do purpose to repent, it seems you do not put much confidence in your reasons which you bring against it.

What say you, unconverted sinners? Have you any good reasons to give, why you should not turn, and presently turn with all your hearts? Or will you go to hell in despite of reason itself? Bethink you what you do in time, for it will shortly be too late to bethink you. Can you find any fault with God, or his work, or his wages? Is he a bad master? Is the devil, whom you serve, or is the flesh a better? Is there any harm in an holy life? Is a life of worldliness and ungodliness better? Do you think in your consciences that it would do you any harm to be converted and live an holy life? What harm can it do to you? Is it harm to you to have the Spirit of Christ within you, and to have a cleansed purified heart? If it be bad to be holy, why doth God say, 'be ye holy, for I am holy! 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Lev. xx. 7. Is it evil to be like God? Is it not said, that God made man in his image? Why this holiness is his image: this Adam lost, and this Christ, by his word and spirit, would restore to you, as he doth to all that he will save. Why were you baptised into the Holy Ghost, and why do you baptise your children into the Holy Ghost, as your Sanctifier, if you will not be sanctified by him, but think it an hurt to you to be sanctified? [Page]Tell me truly, as before the Lord, though you are loth to live an holy life, had you not rather die in the case of those that do so, than of others? If you were to die this day, had you not rather die in the case of a converted man, than of the unconverted? of an holy and heavenly man, than of a carnal earthly man? And would you not say as Baalam, Num. xxiii. 10. 'Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!' And why will you not now be of the mind that you will be of then? first or last you must come to this, either to be converted, or to wish you had been when it is too late.

But what is it that you are afraid of losing if you turn? Is it your friends: you will but change them: God will be your friend, and Christ and the Spirit will be your friend, and every christian will be your friend. You will get one friend that will stand you in more stead than all the friends in the world could have done. The friends you lose would have but enticed you to hell, but could not have delivered you; but the friend you get, will save you from hell, and bring you to his own eternal rest.

Is it your pleasures that you are afraid of losing? You think you shall never have a merry day again, if once you be converted. Alas, that you should think it a greater pleasure to live in foolish sports and merriments, and please your flesh, than live in the believing thoughts of glory, and in the love of God, and in righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, in which the state of grace consisleth, Rom. xiv. 17. If it be a greater pleasure for you to think of your lands and [Page]inheritance (if you were Lord of all the country) than it is to a child to play for pins; why should it not be a greater joy to you to think of the kingdom of Heaven being yours, than of all the riches or pleasures of the world? As it is but foolish childishness that makes children so delight in gauds, that they would not leave them for all your lands; so it is but foolish worldliness and fleshliness, and wickedness, that makes you so much delight in your houses and lands, and meat and drink, and ease, and honour, as that you would not part with them for the heavenly delights. But what will you do for pleasure, when these are gone? Do you not think of that? When your pleasures end in horror, and go out with a stinking snuff, the pleasures of the Saints are then at the best. I have had myself but a little taste of the heavenly pleasures in the forethoughts of the blessed approaching day, and in the present persuasions of the love of God in Christ; but I have taken too deep a draught of earthly pleasures, so that you may see, if I be partial, it is on your side; and yet I must profess from that little experience, that there is no comparison; there is more joy to be had in a day (if the sun of life shine clear upon us) in the state of holiness, than in a whole life of sinful pleasures. 'I had rather be a door keeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psal. lxxxiv. 10.' 'A day in his courts is better than a thousand any where else.' lxxxiv. 10. The mirth of the wicked is like the laughter of a madman, that knows not his own misery; and therefore, Solomon faith of such labour, it is mad, [Page]and of mirth, what doth it? Eccles. ii. 2. and Eccles. vii. 2, 3.4, 5, 6. "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth: It is better to bear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools; for as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool." All the pleasure of fleshly things, is but like the scratching of a man that hath the itch; it is his disease that make him desire it, and a wise man had rather be without his pleasure, than be troubled with his itch. Your loudest laughter is but like that of a man that is tickled; he laughs when he hath no cause of joy, and it is? wiser thing for a man to give all his estate, and his life to be tickled to make him laugh, than for you to part with the love of God, and the comforts of holiness, and the hopes of heaven, and to cast yourselves into damuation, that you may have your flesh tickled with the pleasure of sin for a little while. Judge, as you are men, whether this be a wise man's part. It is but your carnal unsanctified nature that makes an holy life seem grievous to you, and a course of sensuality seem more delightful: if you will but turn, the Holy Ghost will give you another nature and inclination, and then it will b [...] more pleasant to you to be rid of your sin, than now it is to keep it: and you will then say, that you knew not what a comfortable life [Page]was till now, and that it was never well with you till God and holiness were your delight.

Quest. "But how cometh it to pass, that men should be so unreasonable in the matters of salvation? They have wit enough in other matters, what makes them so loth to be converted, that there should need so many words in so plain a case, and all will not do, but the most will live and die unconverted?"

Answ. To name them only in a few words, the causes are these:

1. Men are naturally in love with earth and flesh, they are born sinners, and their nature hath an enmity to God and goodness, as the nature of a serpent hath to a man; and when all that we can say goes against an habitual inclination of their natures, no marvel if it little prevail.

2. They are in darkness, and know not the very things they hear. Like a man that was born blind, and hears a high commendation of the light; but what will hearing do, unless he sees it. They know not what God is, nor what is the power of the cross of Christ, nor what the spirit of holiness is, nor what it is to live in love by faith: They know not the certainty, and suitableness, and excellency of the heavenly inheritance. They know not what conversion, and a holy mind and conversation is, even when they hear of it. They are in a mist of ignorance. They are lost and bewildered in sin; like a man that has lost himself in the night, and knows not where he is, nor how to come to himself again, till the day light do recover him.

3. They are wilfully confident, that they need [Page]no conversion, but some partial amendment; and that they are in the way to heaven already; and are converted, when they are not. And if you meet a man that is quite out of his way, you may long enough call upon him to turn back again, if he will not believe you, that he is out of the way.

4. They are become slaves to their flesh, and drowned in the world, to make provision for it. Their lusts, and passions, and appetites have distracted them, and got such an hand over them, that they cannot tell how to deny them, or how to mind any thing else, so that the drunkard saith, 'I love a cup of good drink, and I cannot forbear it." The glutton saith, 'I love good chear, and I cannot forbear.' The fornicator saith, 'I love to have my lust fulfilled, and I cannot forbear.' And the gamester loves to have his sports, and he cannot forbear. So that they are become even captivated slaves to their flesh, and their very wilfulness is become an impotency, and what they would not do, they say they cannot. And the worldling is so taken up with earthly things, that he hath neither heart nor mind, nor time for heavenly; but as in Pharaoh's dream, Gen. xli. 4. the lean kine did eat up the fat ones; so this lean and barren earth doth eat up all the thoughts of heaven.

5. Some are so carried away by the stream of evil company, that they are possessed with hard thoughts of a godly life, by hearing them speak against it! or at least, they think they may venture to do as they see most do, and so they hold on in their sinful ways: and when one is cut off, [Page]and cast into hell, and another snatched away from among them, to the same condemnation, it doth not much daunt them, because they see not whither they are gone; poor wretches, they hold on in their ungodliness, for all this; for they little know that their companions are now lamenting it in torments. In Luke xvi. the rich man in hell would sain have had one to warn his five brethren, lest they should come to that place of torment. Its like he knew their minds and lives, and knew that they were hasting thither, and little dreamt that he was there, yea, and would little have believed one that should have told them so. I remember a passage that a gentleman, yet living, told me he saw upon a bridge over Severn. † A man was driving a flock of fat lambs, and something meeting them, and hindering their passage, one of the lambs leapt upon the wall of the bridge, and his legs slipping from under him, he fell into the stream; the rest seeing him, did, one after one leap over the bridge into the stream, and were all, or almost all drowned; those that were behind, did little know what was become of them that were gone before; but thought they might venture to follow their companions; but as soon as over the wall, and falling headlong, the case was altered. Even so it is with unconverted carnal men. One dieth by them, and drops into hell, and another follows the same way: and yet they will go after them, because they think not whither they are gone. Oh, but when death hath once opened their eyes, and they see what [Page]is on the other side of the wall; even in another world, then what would they give to be where they were!

6. Moreover, they have a subtle malicious enemy, that is unseen of them, and plays his game in the dark; and it is his principal business to hinder their conversion; and therefore to keep them where they are, by persuading them not to believe the scriptures, or not to trouble their minds with these matters; or, by persuading them, to think ill of a godly life, or to think that its more ado than needs, and that they may be saved without conversion, and without all this stir: and, that God is so merciful, that he will not damn any such as they; or, at least, that they may stay a little longer, and take their pleasure, and follow the world a little longer yet, and then let it go, and repent hereafter. And by such juggling deluding cheats as these, the devil keeps the your in his captivity, and leadeth them to his misery.

These, and such like impediments as these, do keep so many thousands unconverted, when God hath done so much, and Christ hath suffered so much, and ministers have said so much, for their conversion; when their reasons are silenced, and they are not able to answer the Lord that calls after them, 'Turn ye, turn ye; why will you die?' Yet all comes to nothing with the greatest part of them; and they leave us no more to do after all, but to sit down, and lament their wilful misery.

I have now shewed you the reasonableness of God's commands, and the unreasonableness of [Page]wicked men's disobedience. If nothing will serve turn, but men will yet refuse to turn, we are next to consider, who it is long of, if they be damned. And this brings me the last doctrine, which is,

Doct. 7. That after all this men will not turn, it is not long of God that are condemned, but of themselves even their own wilfulness. They die because they will, that is because they will not turn.

IF you will go to hell, what remedy? God here acquits himself of your blood: it shall not lie on him if you be lost. A negligent minister may draw it upon him; and those that encourage you, or hinder you not in sin may draw it upon them, but be sure of it, it shall not lie upon God, saith the Lord concerning his unprofitable vineyard, Isa. v. i. 2.3.4. Judge I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard, what could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? When he had planted it in a fruitful soil and fenced it and gathered out the stones, and planted it with the ch [...]i [...]st vines:

What should he have done more to it? He hath made you men, and endowed you with reason: he hath furnished you with all enternal nec [...]ties, all creatures are at your service; he [...]h given you a righteous perfect law. When y [...] had broke it, and undone yourselves, he had pity on you, and sent his Son by a miracle of condescending mercy to die for you, and by a sacrifice for your sins, and he [...] in Christ reconciling the world to [...]imself.

[Page] The Lord Jesus hath made [...]ou a deed of gift of himself, and eternal life with him, on the condition you will but accept it and return. He hath on this reasonable condition offered you the free pardon of all your sins; he hath written this in his word and sealed it by his spirit, and sent it you by his ministers: [...]ey have made the offer to you an hundred an [...] an hundred times, and called you to accept it, and turn to God. They have it his name intreated you, and reasoned the case with you, and answered all your frivolus objections. He hath long waited on you, and staid your leisure, and suffered you to abuse him to his face. He hath mercifull [...] sustained [...]ou in the midst of your sins; he hath compassed you about with all sorts of mercies; he hath also intermixt afflictions to remind you of your folly, and call you to your wits, his spirit hath been often striving with you hearts, and saying there, Turn sinner, turn to him that calleth thee: Whither art thou going! What art thou doing! D [...]st thou know what will be the end: How long wilt thou hate thy friends and love thin [...] enemies; When wilt thou let go all, and turn and d [...]liver up thys [...]lf t [...] Gods and give thy Redeemer the possession of thy soul! When shall i [...] once be! These pleadings have been used with thee, and when thou hast delayed thou hast been urged to make haste, and God hath called to thee, To day while it is called to day, harden not thy heart: Why not now, without any more d [...]ay! Life hath been set before you: t [...]e Joys o [...] heaven have been opened to you in the gospel; the certainty of them hath been manifested; the certainty of the everlasting torments of the damned hath been [Page]declared to you; unless you would have a sight of heaven and hell, what could you desire more? Christ hath been, as it were, set forth crucified before your eyes, Gal. iii. 1. You have been an hundred times told, that you are but lost men, till you come unto him; as oft you have been told of the evil of sin, of the vanity of sin, the world, and the pleasures and wealth it can afford: of th [...] shortness and uncertainty of your lives, and the endless duration of the joy, or torment of the life to come. All this, and more than this, have been told, and told again, even till you were weary of hearing it, and till you [...]ould make the lighter of it, because you have to often heard it, like the smith's dog, that is brought by custom to sleep under the noise of the hammers, and when the sparks do fly about his ears: and though all this have not converted you, yet you are alive, and might have mercy to this day, if you had but hearts to entertain it. And now, let reason itself be the judge, whether it belong of God or you, if after all this, you will be unconverted and be damned? If you die now, it is because you will die. What should be said more to you, or what course should be taken that is likelier to prevail? Are you able to say, and make it good, We would fain have been converted, and become new creatures, but we could not; we would have fain forsaken our sins, but we could not; we would changed our company, and our thoughts, and our discourse, but we could not.

Why, could you not if you would? What hindered you but the wickedness of your hearts? [Page]Who forced you to sin, or who did hold you back from your duty? Had you not the same teaching, and time, and liberty to be godly, as your godly neighbours had? Why then could not you have been godly, as well as they? Were the church doors shut against you, or did not you keep away yourselves, or sit and sleep, or hear as if you did not hear? Did God put in any exceptions against you in his word, when he invited sinners to return; and he promised mercy to those that do return? Did he say, I will pardon all that repent except thee? Did he shut thee out from the liberty of his holy worship? Did he forbid you to pray to him any more than others? You know he did not. God did not drive you away from him, but you forsook him, and run away yourselves, and when he called you to him, you would not come. If God had excepted you out of the general promise and offer of mercy, or had said to you, "stand off, I will have nothing to do with such as you; pray not to me, for I will not hear you; if you repent never so much, and cry for mercy so much, I will not regard you." If God had left you nothing to trust to but desperation, then you had had a fair excuse, you might have said, "to what end do I repent and turn, when I will do no good?" But this was not your case, you might have had Christ to be your Lord and Saviour; your head and husband, as well as others, and you "would not," because you felt yourselves not sick enough for the physician, and because you could not spare your disease, in your hearts you said as those rebels, Luke xx. 14. W [...] will not have this man [Page]to reign over us." Christ would have gathered you under the wings of his salvation, and you would not, Mat. xxiii. 37. What desires of you: welfare did the Lord express in his holy word? With what compassion did he stand over you and say, "O, that my people had hearkened unto me, and that they had walked in my ways! Psalm xviii. 13. lxxvi. 13. O that there were such a heart in this people, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments alway, that it might be well with them, and their children forever! Deut. v. 20. O, that they were wise, and they understood this, and that they would consider their latter end!" Deut. xxxii. 29. He would have been our God, and all for you that your souls could well desire: but you loved the world, and your flesh above him, and therefore you would not hearken to him, though you complimented with him, and gave him high titles, yet when it came to the closing, you would have none of him, Psal. lxxxi. 11, 12. No marvel then, if "he gave you up to your own hearts lusts, and walked in your own counsels." He condescends to reason, and pleads the case with you, and asks you, "What is there in me, or my service, that you should be so much against me? What harm have I done thee sinner? Have I deserved this unkind dealing at thy hand? Many mercies have I shewed thee; for which of them dost thou despise me? Is it I, or is it satan, that is thy enemy? Is it I, or is it thy carnal self, that would undo thee? Is it an holy life, or a life of sin, that thou hast cause to stay from? If thou be undone, thou procurest this to thyself by fo [...] saking [Page]saking me, the Lord that would have saved thee, Jer. ii. 7. Doth not thy own wickedness correct thee, and thy sin reprove thee? Thou mayest see that it is an evil and bitter thing, that thou bast forsaken me. Jer. ii. 19. What iniquity have you found in me, that you have followed after vanity, and forsaken me? Jer. ii. 5, 6." He celleth out, as it were, to the brutes, to hear the c [...]troversy he hath against you, "Mic. ii. 3, 4, 5. Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wea [...]ied thee? Testify against me, for I brought thee up out of Egypt, and redeemed thee, &c. Hear, O heavens, and give car, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me: the [...]x knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider! Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, &c. Isa. i. 2, 3, 4. Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people, and unwise? Is not he thy father that bought thee? Hath he not made thee, and established thee?" Deut. xxxii. 6. When he saw that you forsook him, even for nothing, and turned away from your Lord and life, to hunt after the chaff and feathers of the world, he told you of your folly, and called you to a more profitable employment," Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3. "Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour, for that which satisfieth [Page]not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incli [...] your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found. Call ye upon him, while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon, ver. 6, 7. and so Isa. i. 16, 17, 18. And when you would not hear, what complaints have you put him to, charging it on you, as your wilfulness and stubbornness. Jer. ii. 12. 13. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, for thy people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water." Many a time hath Christ proclaimed that free invitation to you. Rev. xxii. 17. "Let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." But you put him to complain, after all his offers; "They will not come to me, that they may have life, John v. 40. He hath invited you to feast with him in the Kingdom of his Grace, and you have had excuses from your grounds, and your cattle, and your wordly business, and when you would not come, you have said you could not come; and provoked him to resolve that you should never taste of his supper, Luke xiv. 15. to 25." And who is long of now but yourselves? and what can you say [Page]is the cause of your damna [...] [...] but your own wills? you would be damned.

The whole case is laid open by Christ, Prov. i. from the 20. to the end. "Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets, she crieth in the chief place of the concourse, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight, in scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn ye at my reproof; behold I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye have refused, I have stretched out my hands, and no man regarded, but you have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproofs; I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you, then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would hear none of my counsels: They despise all my reproof: Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from the fear of evil.' I thought best to recite the whole text at large to you, because it doth so fully shew the cause of the destruction of the wicked. It is not because God would not teach them, but because they would not learn. It is not because [Page]God would not call them, but beause they would not turn at his reproof. Their wilfulness is their undoing.

USE.

FROM what hath been said, you further learn these following things:

1. From hence you may see, not only what blasphemy and impiety it is, to lay the blame of men't destruction upon God; but also how unfit these wicked wretches are to bring in such a charge against their Maker. They cry out upon God, and say, he gives them not grace, and his threatnings are severe, and God forbid that all should be damned that be not converted and sanctified; and they think it a hard measure that a short sin should have an endless suffering; and if they be damned, they say they cannot help it, when in the mean time, they are busy about their destruction, even cutting the throat of their own souls, and will not be persuaded to hold their hands. They think God were cruel, if he should damn them; and yet they are so cruel to themselves, that they will run into the fire of hell when God hath told them it is a little before them, and neither intreaties, nor threatnings nor any thing that can be said, will stop them. We see them almost undone; their careless, worldly, [...]eshly lives do tell us that they are in the power of the devil; we know if they die before they are converted, all the world cannot save them, and [...]nowing the uncertainty of their lives, we are fraid every day lest they drop into the sire; and [Page]therefore we intreat them to pity their own souls, and not to undo themselves when mercy is at hand, and they will not hear as. We intreat them to cast away their sin, and come to Christ without delay, and to have some mercy on themselves, but they will have none; and yet they think that God must be cruel, if he condemn them. O wilful wretched sinners! It is not God that is cruel to you, it is you that are cruel to yourselves; you are told, you must turn or burn, and yet you turn not. You are told, that if you will needs keep your sins, you shall keep the curse of God with them; and yet you will keep them. You are told, that there is no way to happiness but holiness, and yet you will not be holy. What would you have God to say more to you? What would you have him do with his mercy? He offereth it to you, and you will not have it. You are in the ditch-of sin and misery, and he would give you his hand to help you out, and you refuse his help; he would cleanse you of your sins, and you had rather keep them! you love your lust, and love your gluttony and sports, and drunkenness, and will not let them go; would you have him bring you to heaven, whether you would or no; or would you have him bring you and your sins to heaven together? Why, that is an impossibility, you may as well expect he should turn the sun into darkness. What. an unsanctified fleshly heart be in heaven! it cannot be; "there entereth nothing that is unclean, Rev. xxi. 17. For what communication hath life with darkness, or Christ with Belial? 2. Cor. vi. 14, 15. All the day [Page]long hath he stretched out his hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people.' Rom. x. 25. What will you do now? Will you cry to God for mercy? Why, God called upon you to have mercy upon yourselves, & you would not. Ministers see the poisoned cup in the drunkard's hand-and tell him there is poison in it, and defire him to have mercy on his soul, and forbear, and he will not hear us; drink it he must and will; he loves it, and therefore though hell comes next, he says he cannot help it. What should one say to such men as these? We tell the ungodly careless worldling, "It is not such a life will serve the turn, or ever bring you to heaven." If a bear were at your back, you would mend your pace; and when the curse of God is at your back, and satan and hell are at your back, will you not stir, but ask, What needs all this ado? Is an immortal soul of no more worth? O, have mercy upon yourselves! But they will have no mercy upon themselves, nor once regard us. We tell them the end will be bitter, who can dwell with the everlasting fire? And yet they will have no mercy upon themselves. And yet, will these shameless wretches say, that God is more merciful than to condemn them, when it is themselves that cruelly and unmercifully run upon condemnation, and if we should go to them with our hats in our hands, and intreat them, we cannot stop them, but to hell they will go, and yet will not believe that they are going thither, if we beg of them for the sake of God that made them and preserved them, for the sake of Christ who died for them, for the sake of their [Page]own poor souls, to pity themselves, and go no further in the way to hell, but come to Christ, while his arms are open, and enter into the state of life while the doors stand open, and now take mercy while mercy may be had, but they will not be persuaded. If we should die for it, we cannot get them so much as now and then to consider with themselves of the matter, and to [...]uin, and yet they can say, 'I hope God will b [...] [...]erciful,' Did you never consider what he saith, Isa. xxvii. 11. "It is a people of no understanding; therefore he that made them, will not have mercy on them; and he that formed them will shew them no favour. If another man will not clothe you when you are naked, and feed you when you are hungry, you will say he is unmerciful. If he should cast you into prison, or beat and torment you, you would say he is unmerciful; and yet you would do a thousand more against yourselves, even cast away both soul and body for ever, and never complain of your own unmercifulness; Yea, and God that waited upon you all the while with his mercy, must be taken to be unmerciful, she punish you after all this. Unless the Holy God of heaven will give these wretenes leave to trample upon his Son's blood, and with the Jews, as it were again, to spit in his face, and do despite to the spirit of grace, and make a jest of sin, and a mock at holiness, and set more light by saving mercy, than by the filth of their fleshly pleasures; and unless, after all this, he will save them by the mercy which they cast away, and would have none of, God himself must be called [...]merciful by them. [Page]But he will be justified when he judgeth, and he will not stand or fall at the bar of a sinful worm.

I know that there are many particular cavils that are brought by them against the Lord, but I shall not here stay to answer them particularly, having done it already in my Treatise of Judgment, to which I refer them. Had the disputing part of the world been as careful to avoid sin and destruction, as they have been busy searching after the cause of them, and forward indirectly to impute it to God, they might have exercised their wits more profitably, and have less wronged God, and sped better themselves. When so ugly a monster as sin is within us, and so heavy a thing as punishment is on us, and so dreadful a thing as hell is before us, one should think it should be an easy question, who is in the fault, whether God or man be the principal or culpable cause? Some men are such favourable judges of themselves, that they are proner to accuse the infinite perfection and goodness itself, than their own hearts, and imitate their first parents, that said, "the serpent tempted me, and the woman that thou gavest me, gave unto me, and I did eat." Secretly implying that God was the cause. So say they, "the understanding that thou gavest me was unable to discern; the will that thou gavest me was unable to make a better choice; the objects which thou did set before me did entice me; the temptations which thou didst permit to assault me, prevailed against me." And some are so l [...]th to think that God can make a self-determining creature, that they dare not deny [Page]him that which they take to be his prerogative, to be the determiner of the will in every sin, as the first efficient immediate physical cause; and many could be content to acquit God from so much causing of evil, if they could but reconcile it with his being the chief cause of good, as if truths would be no longer truths than we are able to see them in their perfect order and co-herence; because our ravelled wits cannot set them right together, nor assign each truth its proper place, we presume to conclude, that some must be cast away. This is the fruit of self-conceitedness, when men receive not God's truth as a child his lesson, in an holy submission to the omniscience of our teachers, but as censurers that are too wise to learn.

Object. "But we cannot convert ourselves, till God convert us, we can do nothing without his grace; it is not him that willeth, nor in him that runne [...]h; but in God that sheweth mercy."

Answ. 1. God hath two degrees of mercy to shew; the mercy o [...] conversion first, and the mercy of salvation [...]; the latter he will give to none but those that will and run, and hath promised it to them only. The former is to make them willing that were unwilling, and though your own w [...]ling and endeavours deserve not his grace, yet your wilful refusal deserveth that it should be denied to you. Your disability is your very unwil [...]ngness [...]tself, which excuseth not your sins, but mak [...]th it the greater. You could turn if you were but truly willing, and if your wills themselves are so corrupted, that nothing but effectual [Page]grace will move them, you have the more cause to seek for that grace, and yield to it, and do what you can in the use of means, and not neglect it, and set against it. Do what you are able first, and then complain of God for denying you grace, if you have cause.

Object. But you seem to intimate all this while, that man hath free will.

Answ. The dispute about free-will is beyond your capacity; I shall therefore now trouble you with no more but this about it. Your will is naturally a free, that is, a self-determining faculty, but it is viciously inclined, and backward to do good; and therefore we see by sad experience, that it hath not a virtuous moral freedom; but that it is the wickedness of it that deserveth the punishment; and I pray you, let us not befool ourselves with opinions. Let the case be your own. If you had an enemy that was so malicious that he sails upon you, and beats you every time he meets you, and takes away the lives of your children, will you excuse him, because he saith, I have not free-will, it is my nature, I cannot chuse, unless God give me grace. If you have a servant that robbeth you, will you take such an answer from him? Might not every thief and murderer that is hanged at the assize give such an answer? I have not free-will; I cannot change my own heart; what can I do without God's grace. And shall they therefore be acquited? If not, why then should you think to be acquited for a course of sin against the Lord?

2. From hence also you may observe these three things together. First, what a subtle tempter [Page]satan is. Second, what a deceitful thing sin is. Third, what a foolish creature corrupted man is. A subtle tempter indeed, that can persuade the greatest part of the world to go into everlasting fire, when they have so many warnings and dissuasives as they have. A deceitful thing is an indeed, that can bewitch so many thousands to part with everlasting life, for a thing so base and utterly unworthy! A foolish creature is man indeed, that will be cheated of his salvation for nothing, yea, for a known nothing, and that by an enemy, and a known enemy. You would think it impossible, that any man in his wits, should be persuaded for a little, to cast himself into the fire, or water, or into a coal pit, to the destruction of his life, and yet men will be entic [...]d to cast themselves into hell. If your natural lives were in your own hands, that you should not die till you would kill yourselves, how long would most of you live? And yet, when your everlasting life is so far in your own hands under God, that you cannot be undone till you undo yourselves, how few of you will forbear your own undoing? Ah what a silly thing is man! and what bewitching and befooling thing is sin.

3. From hence also you may learn, that it is no great wonder if wicked men be hinderers of others in the way to heaven, and would have as many unconverted as they can, and would draw them into sin, and keep them in it! Can you expect that they should have mercy on others, that have none upon themselves? And that they should much stick at the destruction of others, that stick [Page]not to destroy themselves! That do no worse by others, than they do by themselves.

4. Lastly, you may hence learn, that the greatest [...]nemy to man is himself, and the greatest judgment in this life that can befal him, is to be left to himself, and that the greatest work that grace hath to do, is to save us from ourselves, and the greatest accusations and complaints of men should be against themselves, and that the greatest work we have to do ourselves, is to resist ourselves, and the greatest enemy that we should daily pray, and watch, and strive against, is our own carnal hearts and wills, and the greatest part of your work, if you would do good to others, and help them to heaven, is to save them from themselves, even from their blind understandings and corrupted wills, and perverse affections, and violent passions, and unruly senses. I only name all these for brevity sake, and leave them to your further consideration.

Well, sirs, now we have found out the great delinquent, and murderer of souls, (even men's selves, their own wills) what remains but that you judge according to the evidence, and confess this great iniquity before the Lord, and be humbled for it, and do so no more? To these three ends distinctly, I shall add a few words more.

1. Further to convince you.

2. To humble you.

And 3. To reform you, if there yet be any hope.

1. We know so much of the exceeding gracious nature of God, who is willing to do good, and delighteth to shew mercy, that we have no reason to suspect him of being the culpable cause [Page]of our death, or to call him cruel▪ he made all good, and [...]e preserveth and maintaineth all; the eyes of all things do w [...]t upon him, and he giveth them their meat in due season; h [...] openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desires of all the living. Psal. cxlv. 15, 16. He is not only righte [...]us in all his ways, and therefore will deal just [...]y, and holy in all his works, and therefore not the author of sin, but he is also good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Psal. xiv. 5, 17, 19.

But as for man, we know his mind is dark, his will perverse, and his affections carry him so headlong, that he is fitted by his folly and corruption to such a work as the destroying of himself. If you saw a lamb lie killed in the way, would you sooner suspect the sheep, or the dog, or wolf, to be the author of it, if they both stand by? Or if you see an house broken, and the people murdered, would you sooner suspect the prince or judge, that is wise and just, and [...]d no need, or a known thief or murderer? I say therefore, us Jam. i. 13, 14, 15. "Let no [...] a say when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man," to draw him to sin, but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death." You see here, that sin is the brat of your own concupiscence, and not to be fathered on God, and that death is the offspring of your own sin, and the fruit which it will yield you as soon as it is ripe. You [Page]have a treasure of evil in yourselves, as a spider bath of poison, from whence you are bringing forth hurt to yours [...]lves, and spinning such webs as entangle your own souls. Your nature shews it is you that are the cause.

2. It is evident that you are your own destroyers, in that you are so ready to entertain any temptation almost that is offered you. Satan is scarce readier to move you to any evil, than you are ready to hear, and do as he would have you. If he would tempt your understanding to error and prejudice, you yield. If he would hinder you from good resolutions, it is soon done. If he would cool any good desires or affections, it is soon done. If he would kindle any lust, or vile affections and desires in you, it is soon done. If he will put you on to evil thoughts, or deeds, you are so free, that he needs no rod nor spur. If he would keep you from holy thoughts and words, and ways, a little doth it, you need no curb. You examine not his suggestions, nor resist them with any resolution, nor cast them out as he casts them in, nor quench the sparks which he endeavoureth to kindle; but you set in with him, and meet him half way, and embrace his motions, and tempt him to tempt you. And it is easy to catch such greedy fish that are ranging for a bait, and will take the bare hook.

3. Your destruction is evidently long of yourselves, in that you resist all that would help to [...] you, and would do you good, or hinder you [...] undoing yourselves. God would help and [...] you by his word, and you resist it, it is too [...] He would sanctify you by his [Page]spirit, and you resist and quench it. If any man reprove you for your sin, you fly in his face with evil words; and if he would draw you to an holy life, and tell you of your present danger, you give him little thanks, but either bid him look to himself, he shall not answer for you, or else, at best, you put him off with an heartless thanks, and will not turn when you are persuaded. If ministers would privately instruct and help you, you will not come at them; your unhumbled souls do feel but little need of their help; if they would catechise you, you are too old to be catechised, though you are not too old to be ignorant and unnoly. Whatever they can say to you for your good, you are so self-conceited and wise in your own eyes, even in the depth of ignorance, that you well regard nothing that agreeth not with your present conceits, but contradict your teachers, as if you were wiser than they; you resist all that they can say to you, by your ignorance, and wilfulness, and foolish cavils, and shifting evasions, and unthankful rejections, so that no good that is offered, can find any welcome acceptance and entertainment with you.

4. Moreover, it is apparent, that you are self-destroyers, in that you draw the matter of your sin and destruction even from the bl [...]ssed God himself. You like not the contrivances of his wisdom; you like not his justice, but take it for cruelty; you like not his holiness, but are ready to think he is such a one as yourselves, Psal. l. 21. and makes as light of sin as you: you like not his truth, but would have his threatenings, even his pretemptory threatenings prove false. And h [...] [Page]goodness, which you seem most highly to approve, you partly resist, as it would lead you to repentance, and partly abuse, to the strengthening of your sins, as if you might the freelier sin, because God is merciful, and because his grace doth so much abound.

5. Yea, you fetch destruction from the blessed Redeemer, and death from the Lord of Life himself. And nothing more emboldeneth you in sin, than that Christ hath died for you; as if now the danger of death were over, and you might boldly venture; as if Christ were become a servant to satan and your sins, and must wait upon you while you are abusing him; and because he is become the physician of souls, and is able to save to the utmost, all that come to God by him; you think he must suffer you to refuse his help, and throw away his medicines, and must save you whether you will come to God by him or no, so that a great part of your sins are occasioned by your bold presumption upon the death of Christ.

Not considering that he came to redeem his people from their sins, and to sanctify them a peculiar people to himself, and to conform them in holiness to the image of their heavenly father, and to their head, Matth. i. 21. Tit. ii. 14. 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Col. iii. 10, 11. Phil. iii. 9, 10.

6. You also fetch your own destruction from all the providences and works of God. When you think of his eternal fore-knowledge and decrees, it is to harden you in your sin, or possess your minds in quarrelling thoughts, as if his de [...]rees might spare you the labour of repentance, [Page]and an holy life, or else were the cause of you [...] sin and death. If he afflict you, you repine; if he prosper you, you the more forget him, and are the back warder to the thoughts of the life to come. If the wicked prosper, you forget the end, that will set all reckoning straight; and are ready to think it is as good to be wicked as godly. And thus you draw your death from all.

7. And the like you do from all the creatures and mercies of God to you. He giveth them to you as the tokens of his love, and furniture of his service, and you turn them against him, to the pleasing of your flesh; you eat and drink to please your appetite, and not for the glory of God, and to enable you for his work. Your clothes you abuse to pride. Your riches draw your hearts from heaven; Phil. iii. 18. Your honours and applause do puff you up; if you have health and strength, it makes you more secure, and forget your end. Yea, other mens mercies are abused by you to your hurt. If you see their honours and dignity, you are provoked to envy them. If you see their riches, you are ready to covet them. If you look upon beauty, you are stirred up to lust. And it is well, if godliness be not an eye sore to you.

8. The very gifts that God bestoweth on you and the ordinances of grace which he hath instituted for his church, you turn to sin. If you have better parts than others, you grow proud, and self-conceited: If you have but common gifts, you take them for special grace. You ta [...] the bare hearing of your duty for so good a wo [...] [Page]as if it would excuse you for not obeying it. Your prayers are turned into sin, because you "regard iniquity in your hearts," Psalm. lxvi. 18. and depart not from iniquity when you call on the name of the Lord, 2 Tim. Your prayers are abominable, because you turn away your ear from hearing the law, Prov. xxviii. 9. And more ready to offer the sacrifice of fools, (thinking you do God some special service) than to hear his word and obey it, Eccles. v. 1. You examine not yourselves before you receive the supper of the Lord, but not discerning the Lord's body, do eat and drink judgment to yourselves, 1 Cor. xi. 28, 29.

9. Yea, the persons that you converse with, and all their actions, you make the occasions of your sin and destruction. If they liv [...] in the fear of God, you hate them. If they live ungodly, you imitate them. If the wicked are many, you think you may the more boldly follow them: [...]f the godly be few, you are the more em [...]ldmed to despise them. If they walk exactly, you think they are too precise; if one of them fall in a particular temptation, you stumble up [...]n them, and turn away from holiness, because [...]hat others are imperfectly holy; as if you were [...]arranted to break your necks, because some [...]thers have, by their heedlessness sprained a [...]ew, or put out a bone. If a hypocrite disco [...]er himself, you say, they are all alike, and [...]ink yourselves as honest as the best. A pro [...]ssor can scarce slip into any miscarriage, but [...]cause he cuts his singer, you think you may [...]ldly cut your throats. If ministers deal plainly [Page]with you, you say they rail. If they speak gently, or coldly, you either sleep under them, or are little more effected than the seats you sit upon. If any errors creep into the church, some greedily entertain them, and others reproach the Christian doctrine for them, which is most against them. And if we would draw you from any ancient rooted error, which can but plead two, or three, or six, or seven hundred years custom, you are as much offended with a motion for reformation, as if you were to lose your life by it, and hold fast old errors, while you cry out against new ones. Scarce a difference can arise among the ministers of the gospel, but you will fetch your own death from it. And you will not hear, or at least not obey the unquestionable doctrine of any of those that jump not with your conceirs: one will not hear a minister, because he saith the Lord's prayer; and another will not hear him, because he doth not use it. One will not hear them that are for episcopacy, and another will not hear them that are against it. And thus I might shew it you in many other cases, how you turn all that comes near you to your own destruction: so clear it is, that the ungodly are self-destroyers, and that their perdition is of themselves.

Methinks now, upon the consideration of what is said, and the review of your own ways, you should bethink you what you have done, and be ashamed, and deeply humbled, to remember it. If you be not, I pray you consider these following truths:

1. To be your own destroyers, it to sin against [Page]the deepest principle of your natures, even the principle of self preservation. Every thing naturally desireth or inclineth to its own felicity, welfare, or perfection. And will you set yourselves to your own destruction? When you are commanded to love your neighbours as yourselves; it is supposed that you naturally love yourselves. But if you love your neighbours no better than yourselves, it seems, you would have all the world damned.

2. How extremely do you cross your own intentions? I know you intend [...] your own damnation, ev [...]n when you are procuring it; you think you are but doing good to yourselves, by gratifying the desires of your flesh. But alas, it is but as a draught or cold water in a burning fever, or as the scratching of an itching wild fire, which increaseth the disease and pain. If indeed you would have pleasure, profit, or honour, seek them where they are to be found, and do not hunt after them in the way to hell.

3. What pity is it, that you should do that against yourselves, which none else in earth or hell can do! If all the world were combined against you, or all the devils in hell were combined against you, they could not destroy you without yourselves, nor make you sin but by your own consent. And will you do that a gainst yourselves which no one else can do; you have hateful thoughts of the devil, because he is your en [...]my, and endeavoureth your destruction. And will you be worse than devils to yourselves? Why, it is thus with you, if you had hearts to understand it: When you run into [Page]sin, and run from godliness, and refuse to turn at the call of God, you do more against your own souls than men or devils could do besides, and if you should set yourselves, and bend your wits to do yourselves the greatest mischief, you could not devise to do a greater.

4. You are false to the trust that God hath reposed in you. He hath much intrusted you with your own salvation, and will you betray your trust? He hath set you with all diligence to keep your hearts, and is this the keeping of them? Prov. iv. 23.

5. You do even forbid all others to pity you, when you will have no pity on yourselves; if you cry to God in the day of your calamity for mercy, mercy; what can you expect but that he should thrust you away, and say, "nay, thou wouldst not have mercy on thyself; who brought this upon thee but thy own wilfulness?" And if your brethren see you everlastingly in misery, how shall they pity you that were your own destroyers, and would not be dissuaded?

6. It will everlastingly make you your own tormentors in hell to think on it, that you brought yourselves wilfully to that misery. O what a griping thought it will be for ever to think with yourselves, that this was your own doing! that you were warned of this day, and warned again, but it would not do: that you wilfully sinned, and wilfully turned away from God! that you had time as well as others but you abused it; you had teachers as well as others, but you refused their instruction; you had holy examples, but you did not imitate them; [Page]you were offered Christ, and grace, and glory, as well as others, but you had more mind of your fleshly pleasure; you had a price in your hands, but you had not a heart to lay it out. Prov. xvii. 16. Can it choose but torment you to think of this your present folly? O that your eyes were opened to see what you have done in the wilful wronging of your own souls! and that you better understood these words of God, "Prov. viii. 33, 34, 35, 36. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not; blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors; for whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain the favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death."

And now I am come to the conclusion of this work; my heart is troubled to think how I shall leave you, lest, after this, the flesh should still deceive you, and the world and the devil should keep you asleep, and I should leave you as I found you, till you awake in hell. Though in care of your poor souls, I am afraid of this, as knowing the obstinacy of a carnal heart; yet I can say with the prophet Jeremy, xvii. 16. I have not desired the woeful day, the Lord knoweth. I have not with James and John desireth that fire might come from heaven to consume them that refused Jesus Christ, Luke xi. 54. But it is the preventing of the eternal fire that I have been all this while endeavouring: And O that it had been a needless work? that God and conscience might have been as willing to spare me this [Page]labour, as some of you could have been. Dear friends, I am so loth that you should lie in everlasting fire, and be shut out of heaven, if it be possible to prevent it, that I shall once more ask you, what do you now resolve? Will you turn or die? I look upon you as a physician on his patient, in a dangerous disease, that saith to him, though you are far gone, take but this medicine, and forbear but those few thing [...] that are hurtful, to you, and I dare warrant your life; but if you will not do this, you are but a dead man. What would you think of such a man, if the physician, and all the friends he hath, cannot persuade him to take one medicine to save his life, or forbear one or two poisonous things that would kill him? This is your case. As far as you are gone in sin, do but now turn and come to Christ, and take his remedies, and your soul [...] shall live. Cast up your deadly sins by repentance, and return not to the poisonous vomit any more, and you shall do well. But yet if it were your bodies that we had to deal with, we might partly know what to do for you. Though you would not consent, yet you might be held or bound, while the medicine were poured down your throats, and hurtful things might be kept from you. But about your souls it cannot be so, we cannot convert you against your wills. There is no carrying madmen to heaven in fetters. You may be condemned against your wills, because you sinned with your wills; but you cannot be saved against your wills. The wisdom of God hath thought meet to lay mens salvation or destruction exceeding much upon the choice of their own [Page]wills; that no man shall come to heaven that chose not the way to heaven; and no man shall come to hell but shall be forced to say, I have the thing I chose, my own will did bring me hither. Now, if I could but get you to be willing, to be thoroughly and resolvedly, and habitually willing, the work were more than half done. And alas, must we lose our friends, and must they lose their God, their happiness, their souls, for want of this? God forbid? It is a strange thing to me that men are so inhuman and stupid in the greatest matters, that in lesser things are civil and courteous, and good neighbours. For ought I know, I have the love of all, or almost all my neighbours, so far, that if I should send to every man in the town, or parish, or country, and request a reasonable courtesy of them, they would grant it me; and yet when I come to request of them the greatest matter in the world for themselves, and not for me, I can have nothing of many of them but a patient hearing. I know not whether people think a man in the pulpit is in good sadness or not, and means as he speaks; for I think I have few neighbours, but if I were sitting familiarly with them, and telling them of what I have seen or done, or known in the world, they would believe me, and regard what I say; but when I tell them, from the infallible word of God, what they themselves shall see and know in the world to come, they shew by their lives they do either not believe it, or not much regard it. If I met ever any one of them on the way, and told them yonder is a coal pit, or there is a quicksand, or [Page]there are thieves lie in wait for you; I could persuade them to turn by. But when I tell them that satan lieth in wait for them, and that sin is poison to them, and that hell is not a matter to be jested with, they go on as if they did not hear me. Truly neighbours, I am in as good earnest with you in the pulpit, as I am in my familiar discourse: and if ever you will regard me, I beseech you let it be here. I think there is never a man of you all, but if my own soul lay at your wills, you would be willing to save it (though I cannot promise that you would leave your sins for it.) Tell me, thou drunkard, art thou so cruel to me that speak to thee, that thou wouldest not forbear a few cups of drink, if thou knewest it would save my soul from hell! Hadst thou rather that I did burn there for ever, than thou shouldst live soberly as other men do? If so, may I not say, thou art an unmerciful monster, and not a man? If I came hungry or naked to one of your doors, would you not part with more than a cup of drink to relieve me? I a in confident you would; If it were to save my life, I know you would (some of you) hazard your own. And yet will you not be intreated to part with your sensual pleasures for your own salvation? Wouldest thou forbear an hundred cups of drink man, to save my life, if it were in thy power, and wilt thon not do it to save thy own soul? I profess to you, firs, I am as hearty a beggar with you this day for the saving of your own souls, as I would be for my own supply if I were forced to come a begging to your doors. And therefore if you would hear me then, heat [Page]me now. If you would pity me then, be intreated now to pity yourselves. I do again beseech you, as if it were on my bended knees, that you would hearken to your redeemer, and, turn that you may live. All you that have lived in ignorance, and carelessness, and presumption, to this day; all you that have been drowned in the care of the world, and have no mind of God, and eternal glory; all you that are enslaved to your fleshly desires, of meat and drink, sports and lusts; and all you that know not the necessity of holiness, and never were acquainted with the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost upon your souls, that never embraced your blessed redeemer by a lively faith, and with admiring and thankful apprehensions of his love, and that never felt an higher estimation of God & heaven, and an heartier love to them than to your fleshly prosperity, and the things below; I earnestly beseech you, not only for my sake, but for the Lord's sake, that you go not one day longer in your former condition, but look about you, and cry to God for converting grace, that you be made new creatures, and may escape the plagues that are a little before you. And if ever you will do any thing for me, grant me this request, to turn from your evil ways and live. Deny me any thing that ever I shall ask you for myself, if you will but grant me this. And if you deny me this, I care not for any thing else that you would grant me. Nay, as ever you will do any thing at the request of the Lord that made you, and redeemed you, deny him not this; for if you deny him this, he cares for nothing that you [Page]shall grant him. As ever you would have him hear you prayers, and grant your requests, and do for you at the hour of death and day of judgment, or in any of your extremities, deny not his request in the day of your prosperity. O sits, believe it, death and judgment, and heaven and hell, are other matters when you come hear them, than they seem to carnal eyes afar off; then you would hear such a message as I bring you with more a wakoned regardful hearts.

Well, though I cannot hope so well of all, I will hope that some of you are by this time purposing to turn and live; and that you are ready to ask me, as the Jews did Peter, Acts ii. 37. When they were pricked in their hearts, and said, "men and brethren, what shall we do? How might we come to be truly converted? We are willing, if we did but know our duty. God forbid that we should choose destruction, by refusing conversion, as hitherto we have done.

If these be the thoughts and purposes of your hearts, I say of you as God did of a promising people, Deut. v. 28, 29. They have well said all that they have spoken; "O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always!" Your purposes are good: O that there were but an heart in you to perform these purposes! And in hope hereof, I shall gladly give you direction what to do, and that but briefly, that you may the easier remember it for your practice.

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DIRECTION I.

IF you would be converted and saved, labour to understand the necessity and true nature of conversion; for what, and from what, and to what, and by what it is, that you must turn.

Consider what a lamentable condition you are in till the hour of your conversion, that you may see it is not a state to be rested in. You are under the guilt of all the sins that ever you committed, and under the wrath of God, and the curse of his law, you are bound slaves to the devil, and daily employed in his work against the Lord, yourselves, and others; you are spiritually dead and deformed, as being devoid of the holy life, and nature, and image of the Lord. You are unfit for any holy work, and do nothing that is truly pleasing unto God. You are without any promise or assurance of his protection, and live in continual danger of his justice, not knowing what hour you may be swatched away to hell, and most certain to be damned if you die in that condition, and nothing short of conversion can prevent it. Whatever civilities, or amendments, or ventures, are short of true conversion, will never procure the saving of your souls. Keep the true sense of this natural misery, and so of the necessity of conversion on your hearts.

And then you must understand what it is to be converted. It is to have a new heart or disposition, and a new conversation.

Quest. 1. For what must we turn?

Answ. For these ends following, which you [Page]may attain; 1. You shall immediately be made living members of Christ, and have interest in him, and be renewed after the image of God, and be adorned with all his graces and quickened with a new and heavenly life, and saved from the tyranny of satan, and the dominion of sin, and be justified from the curse of the law, and have the pardon of all the sins of your whole lives, and be accepted of God, and made his sons, and have liberty with boldness to call him father, and go to him by prayer in all your needs, with a promise of acceptance; you shall have the Holy Ghost to dwell in you, to sanctify and guide you! You shall have part in the brotherhood, communion and prayers of the saints? You shall be fitted for God's service, and be freed from the dominion of sin, and be useful and a blessing to the place you live in; and shall have the promise of this life and that which is to come. You shall want nothing that is truly good for you, and your necessary afflictions you will be enabled to bear; you may have some taste of communion with God in the spirit; especially in all holy ordinances, where God prepareth a feast for your souls; you shall be heirs of heaven while you live on earth, and may foresee by faith the everlasting glory, and so may live and die in peace; and you shall never be so low, but your happiness will be incomparably greater than your misery.

How precious is every one of these blessings, which I do but briefly name, and which in this life you may receive!

And then, 2. At death you souls shall go to [Page]Christ, and at the day of judgmen both [...] and body shall be justified and glo [...] [...] into your Maker's joy where your happi [...] will consist in these particulars.

1. You shall be perfected yourselves; your mortal bodies shall be made immortal, and the corruptible shall put on incorruption; you shall no more be hungry, or thirsty, or weary, or sick, nor shall you need to fear either shame or sorrow, or death, or hell, your souls shall be perfectly freed from sin, and perfectly fitted for the knowledge, and love, and praises of the Lord.

2. Your employment shall be to behold your glorified Redeemer, with all your holy fellowcitizens of heaven, and to see the glory of the most blessed God, and to love him perfectly, and be loved by him, and to praise him everlastingly.

3. Your glory will contribute to the glory of the New Jerusalem, the city of the living God, which is more than to have a private felicity to yourselves.

4. Your glory will contribute to the glorifying of your Redeemer, who will everlastingly be magnified and pleased in you that are the travail of his soul; and this is more than the glorifying of yourselves.

5. And the eternal majesty, the living God, will be glorified in your glory, both as he is magnified by praises, and as he communicateth of his glory and goodness to you, and as he is pleased in you, and in the accomplishment of his [Page]glorious works, in the glory of the New Jerusalem and of his Son.

All this the poorest beggar of you that is converted, shall certainly and endlessly enjoy.

2. You see for what you must turn! Next, you must understand from what you must turn; And that is, in a word, from your carnal self, which is the end of all the unconverted. From the flesh that would be pleased before God, and would still be enticing you thereto. From the world that is the bait; and from the devil, that is the angler of souls, and the deceiver. And so from all known and wilful sins.

3. Next you must know to what end you must turn; and that is, to God as your end; to Christ as the way to the Father, to holiness as the way appointed you by Christ; and so the use of all the helps and means of grace afforded you by the Lord.

4. Lastly, you must know, by what you must turn. And that is by Christ as the only Redeemer and Intercessor, and by the Holy Ghost as the Sanctifier, and by the word as his instrument or means, and by faith and repentance as the means and duties on your part to be performed. All this is of necessity.

DIRECTION II.

IF you will be converted and saved, be much in secret serious consideration. Inconsiderateness undoes the world. Withdraw yourselves oft into retired secrecy, and there bethink you of the end why you were made, of the life you have [Page]lived, the time you have lost, the sin you have committed, of the love and sufferings, and fulness of Christ, of the danger you are in, of the nearness of death and judgment; and of the certainty and excellency of the joys of heaven, and of the certainty and terror of the torment of hell, and eternity of both, and of the necessity of conversion and a holy life. Steep your hearts in such considerations as these.

DIRECTION III.

IF you will be converted and saved, attend upon the word of God, which is the ordinary means. Read the scripture, or hear it read, and other holy writings that do apply it constantly; attend on the public preaching of the word. As God will light the world by the son, and not by himself without, so will he convert and save men by his ministers, who are the lights of the world, Acts xxvi. 17, 18. Matt. v. 14. When he hath miraculously humbled Paul, he sendeth him to Ananias, Acts ix. 10. and when he had sent an angel to Cornelius, it is but to bid him send for Peter, who must tell him what he is to believe and do.

DIRECTION IV.

BETAKE yourselves to God in a course of earnest constant prayer. Confess and lament your former lives, and beg his grace to illuminate and convert you. Beseech him to pardon what is past, and to give you his spirit, and [Page]change your hearts and lives, and lead you in his ways, and save you from temptation, and ply his work daily, and be not weary of it.

DIRECTION V.

PRESENTLY give over your known and wilful sins. Make a stand, and go that way no further. Be drunk no more, but avoid the very occasion of it. Cast away your lusts and sinful pleasures with detestation. Curse, and swear, and rail no more, and if you have wronged any, restore as Zaccheus did; if you will commit again your old sius, what blessing can you expect on the means for conversion?

DIRECTION VI.

PRESENTLY, if possible, change your company, if it hath hitherto been bad; not by forsaking your necessary relations, but your unnecessary sinful companions, and join yourselves with those that fear the Lord, and enquire of them the way to heaven, Acts ix. 19.26. Psal. xv. 4.

DIRECTION VII.

DELIVER up yourselves to the Lord Jesus as the physician of your souls, that he may pardon you by his blood, and sanctify you by his spirit, by his word and ministers, by instruments of the spirit. He is the way, the truth and the life; there is no coming to the Father but by him. [Page]John xiv. 1. Nor is there any name under heaven, by which you can be saved. Acts iv. 12. Study therefore his person and natures, and what he hath done for you, and what he is to do for you, and what he will be, and how he is fitted to the full supply of all your necessities.

DIRECTION VIII.

IF you mean indeed to turn and live, do it speedily without delay. If you be not willing to turn to day, you be not willing to do it at all. Remember you are all this while in your blood, under the guilt of many thousand sins and under God's wrath, and you stand at the very brink of hell; there is but a step between you and death. And this is not a case for a man that is well in his wits to be quiet in. Up therefore presently, and fly as for your lives, as you would be gone out of your house if it were all on fire over your head. O, if you did but know what continual danger you live in, and what daily unspeakable loss you do sustain, and what safer and sweeter life you might live, you would not stand trifling, but presently turn. Multitudes miscarry that wilfully delay when they are convinced that it must be done. Your lives are short and uncertain; and what a case are you in, if you die before you thoroughly turn! You have staid too long already, and wronged God too long. Sin getteth strength and rooting while you delay. Your conversion will grow more hard and doubtful. You have much to do, and therefore put not off to the last, lest [Page]God forsake you, and give you up to yourselves, and then you are undone for ever.

DIRECTION IX.

IF you will turn and live, do it unreservedly, absolutely, and universally. Think not to capitulate with Christ, and divide your heart betwixt him and the world; and to part with some sins, and keep the rest; and to let go that which your flesh can spare. This is but self deluding; you must in heart and resolution forsake all that you have, or else you cannot be his disciples. Luke xiv. 26.33. If you will not take God and Heaven for your portion, and lay all below at the feet of Christ, but you must needs also have your good things here, and have an earthly portion, and God and glory is not enough for you; it is vain to dream of salvation on these terms: For it will not be. If you seem never so religious, if yet it be but a carnal righteousness, and the flesh's prosperity, or pleasure, or safety, be still excepted in your devoutedness to God; this is as certain a way to death as open profaneness, though it be more plausible.

DIRECTION X.

IF you will turn and live, do it resolvedly, and stand not still deliberating, as if it were a doubtful case. Stand not wavering, as if you were yet uncertain whether God or the flesh be the better master, or whether heaven and hell be the better end, or whether sin or holiness be the better way. [Page]But away with your former lusts, and presently, habitually, fixedly resolve: Be not one day of one mind, and the next of another, but be at a point with all the world, and resolvedly give up yourselves and all that you have to God. Now while you are reading or hearing this, resolve; before you sleep another night, resolve; before you stir from the place, resolve; before Satan hath time to take you off, resolve. You never turn indeed till you do resolve, and that with a firm and unchangeable resolution.

So much for the directions.

AND now I have done my part in this work, that you may turn to the call of God and live. What will become of it, I cannot tell. I have cast the seed at God's command; but it is not in my power to give the increase. I cannot go any further with my message; I cannot bring it to your heart, nor make it work; I cannot do your parts for you, to entertain it and consider it; nor I cannot do God's part by opening your hearts to cause you to entertain it; nor can I shew you heaven or hell to your eye sight, nor give you new and tender hearts. If I knew what more to do for your conversion, I hope I should do it.

But O thou that art the gracious Father of Spirits, thou hast sworn thou delightest not in the death of the wicked, but rather that they would turn and live; deny not thy blessings to these prosuasions and directions, and suffer not thine enemies to triumph in thy sight, and the great deciever of souls to prevail against thy Son, thy Spirit, and thy Word. O pity poor unconverted [Page]sinners, that have no hearts to pity or help themselves; Command the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, and the dead to live, and let not sin and death be able to resist thee. Awaken the secure, resolve the unresolved, confirm the wavering, and let the eyes of sinners that read these lines, be next employed in weeping over their sins, and bring them to themselves, and to thy Son, before their sins have brought them to perdition. If thou say but the word, these poor endeavours shall prosper to the winning of many a soul to their everlasting joy, and thine everlasting glory. Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

†

M. R. R [...]y, of Shrewsbury, upon Acham-bridge.

↵

§

§

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Title statement

A call to the unconverted, to turn and live; and accept of mercy, while mercy may be had; as they ever would find mercy, in the day of extremity from the living God. / By his unworthy servant, Richard Baxter.

Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2011-05.

ID [DLPS]

N21487

ID [TCP]

N21487

ID [STC]

Evans 28243

ID [NOTIS]

APX1821

ID [IMAGE-SET]

28243

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99018517

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 28243.

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(Evans-TCP ; no. N21487)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 28243)

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— A call to the unconverted, to turn and live; and accept of mercy, while mercy may be had; as they ever would find mercy, in the day of extremity from the living God. / By his unworthy servant, Richard Baxter., Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691..

Extent

v, [1], 7-140, [4] p. ; 14 cm. (18mo)

Printed for Mathew Carey, no. 118, Market-Street.,. Philadelphia: :: 1795.. ("Printed by Richard Folwell, for Mathew Carey."--p. 140.) ("Books published by M. Carey."--p. [141-144].)

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