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 has been the wonder of many, to read in the holy scripture how few will be saved; and that the greatest part even of those that are called, will be shut out of heaven, and tormented with the devils in eternal fire. Infidels believe not this, and therefore must feel it. Those that do believe it, are forced to cry out with St. Paul, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!(a) But nature itself teaches us all to lay the blame of evil works upon the doers; and therefore when we see any heinous thing committed, a principle of justice provokes us to inquire after him that did it. If we saw a man killed and cut in pieces by the way, we should presently ask, O who did this cruel deed? If a town were set on fire, you would ask, What wicked wretch did this? So when we read that the most will be fire-brands of hell for ever, we must needs think with ourselves, How comes this to pass? Who is it that is 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 confessed by all that Satan is the cause: but that resolves not the doubt, because he is not the principal cause. He does not force men to sin, but tempts them to it, and leaves it to their own wills, whether they will do it or not. It lies therefore *Rom. xi. 33.

between God himself and the sinner; one of them must be the principal cause of all this misery; for there is no other to cast it upon: and God disclaims 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 which is here carried on in my text.

The Lord complains of the people; and the people think it is the fault of God. They say, ver. 10. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how shall we then live? As if they should say, If we must die, how can we help it? As if it were not their fault, but God's. But God, in my text, clears himself of it, and tells them how they may help it if they will, and persuades them to use the means; and if they will not be persuaded, he lets them know that it is their own fault; and if this will not satisfy them, he will not therefore forbear to punish them. It is he that will be the judge; and he will judge them according to their ways: they are no judges of him or of themselves, as wanting authority, and wisdom, and impartiality: nor is it the cavilling with God, that shall serve their turn, or save them from the execution of justice.

The words of this verse contain, 1. God's clearing of himself from the blame of their destruction. This he does not by disowning his law, that the wicked shall die; nor by disowning his execution according to that law, or giving them any hope that the law shall not be executed; 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 confirms to them by his oath.-2. An express exhortation to the wicked to return; wherein God does 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 ends, upon supposition that this is not attained, are these two: First, to convince them, that it is not the fault of God if they be miserable. Secondly, to convince them, from their manifest wilfulness in rejecting all his commands and persuasions, that it is their own fault; and they die, even because they will die.

The substance of the text lies in these observations following:

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

Doct. 2. It is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live if they will turn.

Doct. 3. God takes a pleasure in men's conversion and salvation, but not in their death and damnation: he had rather they would turn 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 has confirmed to them solemnly by his oath.

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

Doct. 6. The Lord condescends to reason the case with them, and asks the wicked why they will die? Doct. 7. If after all this the wicked will not turn, it is not the fault of God that they perish, but of themselves; their own wilfulness is the cause of their 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.

DOCTRINE I.

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 judge, that will save the malefactor. Believing and

regarding the law might have prevented his death: but denying and accusing it, will but hasten it. If it were not so, a hundred would bring their reasons 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 question either the truth or the justice of the law of God, I shall briefly give you evidence of both.

And, first, If you doubt whether this be the word of God or not, besides a hundred other texts, you may be satisfied by these few: Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.(b) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.(c) If any man de in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new.(d) Without holiness no man shall see God.(e) They that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.(f) The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.(g) The Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked his soul hateth.(h)

I need not add any more of that multitude which speak the like: if thou be a man that believest the word of God, here is already enough to satisfy thee, that the wicked must be converted or condemned. 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, it is likely you will not be long out of hell. But if you tell God plainly you will not believe him, blame him not if he never warn you more: 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 (b) Matt. xviii. 3. (c) John iii. 3. (d) 2 Cor. v. 17. (e) Heb. xii. 14. (ƒ) Rom. viii. 8, 9. (g) Psal. ix. 17. (h) Psal. xi. 5.

bring you any other gospel, you are not to receive it, but to hold him accursed. And surely there is no angel to be believed before the Son of God, who came from the Father to bring us this doctrine. And if you stand on these terms with God, I shall leave you till he deal with you in a more convincing way. God has 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. We cannot make you believe against your wills; but God will make you feel against your wills.

But why will you not believe this word of God, which tells us that the wicked must be converted, or condemned? It is because you judge it unlikely that God should be so unmerciful; you think it cruelty to damn men everlastingly for so small a thing as a sinful life. And this leads us to the second thing; which is, to justify the equity of God in his laws and judgments.

And, first, I think you will not deny, that it is most suitable to an immortal soul, to be ruled by laws which promise an immortal reward, and threaten an endless punishment. Otherwise the law would not be suited to the nature of the subject, who will not be fully ruled by any lower means, than the hopes or fears of everlasting things: as it is in the case of temporal punishment, if a law were now made that the most heinous crimes should be punished with a hundred years' captivity, this might be of some efficacy, it being equal to our lives. But if there had been no other penalties before the flood, when men lived eight or nine hundred years, it would not have been sufficient, because men would know that they might have so many hundred years' impunity afterwards. So it is in our present case.

2. When you find in the word of God that so it is, and so it will be, do you think yourself fit to contradict this word? Will you call your Maker to the bar, and examine his word? Will you sit upon him, and judge him by the law of your conceits? Are you wiser and better than he? Must the God of heaven come to school to you to learn wisdom? Must infinite Wisdom Tt