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SERM. II. As this plainly instructs us, that religion, XXI. lying in externals only, will never fave a man; fo it informs us also, that wickedness, lying in the hearts and thoughts, will abundantly fuffice to damn a man. And this is no ftrange doctrine; at least it should not feem to any that have ever read the Bible, and know what belongs to true religion. Do not you know, that the heart and the thoughts are the prime and principal spring of that wickedness, that ruins fouls and turns them into hell for ever? Out of the heart (fays Chrift) proceed evil thoughts; and these speak. a man defiled, make him wicked, and turn him into hell at last. Obferve alfo this Scripture: 0 Jerufalem was thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayeft be faved; how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Wickedness and vain thoughts here are parallel expressions, which expound one another. That wickedness, of which the Prophet speaks, confifts in the vanity of the thoughts: and thofe are a man's vainest and moft wicked thoughts, that run befide GOD; and have not him for their object, nor terminate upon him. Therefore wash thine heart from this wickedness, for certainly elfe there will be no falvation for thee. Alas! thou art a damned man, a loft creature, if thine heart be not washed from this wickedness of the thoughts. Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray GoD if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven

VOL. given thee. In fhort, to exclude God out of II. ́our thoughts, and not to let him have a place there; not to mind, nor think upon God; is the greatest wickedness of the thoughts that can be. And therefore, though you cannot fay of fuch a one, he will be drunk; or he will fwear, cozen, or opprefs; yet if you can fay he will forget GOD, or that he lives all his days, never minding nor thinking upon God; you say enough to speak him under wrath, and to turn him into hell without remedy.

III. If they are wicked perfons, who do not think of GOD, and fhall for that reafon be turned into hell, then all thoughts are not free; that is, men are not at liberty, as they vainly imagine, to difpofe of their thoughts as they will. Alas! the cafe is quite otherwise than what many poor wretches imagine. They go up and down in the world, never minding GoD from day to day, and they think this is no fin; faying, "Why, what is this? It is but the

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disposing my thoughts; and furely I may do "what I will with my thoughts. What matter "is it what becomes of them?" But faith God; "What is there elfe that I value more, or fet a <6 greater price upon, than the thoughts and af"fections of the foul? I must have them or "nothing. So, be what thou wilt in profeffion "and pretence; yet if I be not in thy thoughts, "if I be forgotten by thee, I will look upon

Acts v111. 22.

thee

4

"thee as a wicked perfon, as one that fhall be SERM "turned into hell." Truly, if the cafe be fo, XXI. you must learn to correct that foolish imagination, that your thoughts are free; or that you may ufe them as you please and know, that if men will give him no place there, this is a defperate, horrid wickednefs, that the great God will be avenged upon one day.

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IV. SINCE the cafe is thus, that wicked men, and all those who forget GOD, shall be turned into hell; we may learn hence, that there are but few that fhall be faved. Do but weigh the cafe feriously, and confider with your felves, how few there are that fo live, or in the face of whofe converfations it appears, that their hearts are set upon GOD! whofe minds are taken up about him, walking up and down the world from morning to night, rejoicing and delighting themfelves in GOD! Oh, how few fuch there are; and confequently how few that are not wicked, and fhall not be turned into hell at laft! My friends, GOD doth not dally with us in fuch Scriptures as these. They are plain words which are here fpoken, and we may turn off the edge of them from rending and cutting our hearts if we will; but one day we shall hear that we were told, and read alfo, that, The wicked fhall be turned into bell, and all the nations that forget GOD. We may therefore eafily learn from hence, that going to heaven is not fo common a thing as most men take it to be. Alas! it is not, if the word of

VOL. II.

Ff

GOD

VOL.Gon is true. It will be found, that going to II. hell will be much more ordinary among men

that live under the Gofpel, than going to heaven. For it is faid, they fhall be turned into hell that forget Gop. Now, are not thefe plain words? Do they not evince and demonstrate that a great part (alas! the greatest part) are hurrying into hell apace? And is it not fad and miferable to think, that poor fouls should thus spend all their life-time, under a Gofpel of Grace? and that fo much light and love fhould shine from heaven in vain? It should not be thought of, without pain and agony, that men fhould thus perish; that there fhould be fo few faved from hell and .deftruction, notwithstanding they are under a Gofpel of light and falvation! The truth I am upon is intimated in part of the meffage to the Church of Sardis. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Alas! how few are there, how few amongst a whole affembly and congregation of people, that keep themfelves from pollution through lufts? How few names are there to be found in an affembly, who come under the character of perfons that have not defiled their garments? or, of those who have numerous thoughts of GOD from day to day? How few are there, that do not come under the character in the text, of being forgetters of GOD; and fo of fuch as must be turned into hell? It concerns

cus all to be ferious in thinking upon this matter. SER M. God hath been ferious in revealing this truth to XXI. us and his fpirit is poured out for the confirmJing, establishing, and preffing it upon your hearts and fpirits, whoever you are; and there3fore think well of it, and confider seriously how few good men there are, who shall finally be faved.

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V. You may hence learn alfo, that God hath ran infpection into, and a full knowledge of, the hearts and thoughts of men. This is evident, for you fee he makes his judgement upon what lies within the inward man; and his judgement at laft will proceed upon the fame ground. "muft have thofe turned into hell (faith the "Almighty) who never think of, nor remem"ber their GoD: they must undergo my wrath, "that have thus forgotten me." Now if GOD'S judgements must be thus determined upon what is in the heart of man, then he knows your hearts; and alfo what you do with your thoughts from day to day. His eye is upon your fouls and fpirits and fees all the day long which way your affections lie, and which way they are carried and it is by this, he must guide his judgeThus fays the Pfalmift

ment at the laft day.

He that planteth the ear, fhall not be bear 2 he : that formed the eye, fhall not be fee? He that chaftifeth the heathen, fhall not be correct? be that teacheth man knowledge, fhall not he know? The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that Ff2 they