sure is not in their death, but in their conversion and life. And as the Apostle says, Because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself. For men verily swear by the greater; and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show 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 to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.(q) If there be any man who cannot reconcile this truth, with the damnation of the wicked, that is owing to his own ignorance; he has no pretence left to deny or question therefore the truth of the point in hand; for this is confirmed by the oath of God, and therefore must not be distorted to reduce it 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 hardly discern the agreement.

USE.

I DO now entreat thee, if thou be an unconverted sinner, who hearest these words, that thou wouldst bethink thyself awhile, who it is that takes pleasure in thy sin and damnation. Certainly it is not God; he has sworn for his part, that he takes no pleasure in it. And I know it is not the pleasure of him that you intend in it. 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 (g) Heb. vi. 13-16, 17, 18, 19.

must be like-minded to him. God knows, it is small pleasure to your teachers to see you wilfully run into the flames of hell. Alas! to foresee your everlasting torments, and know not how to prevent them, is 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 but 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! Do you think that this is a pleasant thing to us?

Again, it is none of your godly friends. Alas! it is the grief of their souls to see your misery, and they lament for you many a time when you give thein little thanks for it, and when you have not hearts to lament for yourselves.

Who is it then that takes pleasure in your sin? It is none but three great enemies of God, whom you renounced in your baptism.

1. The devil takes pleasure in your sin and death; for this is the end of all his temptations. You cannot please him better than to go on in sin: how glad is he when he sees thee go to the alehouse, and when he hears thee curse, or swear, or rail! These are his delight.

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

3. But I know, for all this, that it is not the pleasing of the devil that you intend; but it is your own flesh, the greatest and most dangerous enemy. It is the flesh that would be pleased in meat and drink, and clothing; that would be pleased in company, and in applause and credit with the world; and this is the gulph that devours all. This is the very god you serve. For the scripture says of such, their belly is their god.(r)

But I beseech you stay a little, and consider the business.

(1) Phil. iii. 19.

thou mayest be welcome if thou wilt come. art thou not ready?

And yet

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 assist thee, to instruct thee, and pronounce peace to thy soul; they are ready to pray for thee, and to seal thy pardon by the administration of the holy sacrament. And yet art thou not ready?

Yea, heaven itself is ready: the Lord will receive thee into the glory of the saints, as vile a beast as thou hast been, if thou wilt be but cleansed: thou mayest have a place before his throne, his angels will be ready to guard thy soul to the place of joy, if thou do but unfeignedly come in. And is God ready, the sacrifice of Christ ready, and pardon ready? Are ministers ready, and heaven itself ready, and angels ready, and all these 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, when thou hast been beside thyself so long? Art thou not ready to lay hold on Christ, who would deliver thee, when thou art even ready to drown, and sink into damnation? Art thou not ready to be saved from hell, when thou art ready to be cast into it? Alas, man! dost thou not know what thou doest? 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 to come in? O miserable wretch! hast thou not served the flesh and the devil long enough? Hast thou not yet enough of sin? Is it so good to thee, or so profitable for thee? Dost thou know what it is, that thou wouldst yet have more of it? Hast thou had 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, how dreadful, and yet what encouraging joyful calls!

For the principal inviter, it is God himself. He that commands heaven and earth, commands thee to turn, and now without delay to turn: he commands the sun to run its course, and to rise upon thee every morning; and though it is so glorious a creature, yet it obeys him, and fails not one minute of its appointed time. He commands all the planets and orbs of hea ven, and they obey: he commands 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 earth. And yet if he commands but a sinner to turn, he will not obey him: he only thinks himself wiser than God, and he cavils and 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? If thou hadst any sense in thee, at least thou wouldst say, This call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey? God is not a man, that thou shouldst trifle and play with him: 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 art thou 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 fire. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked. 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.(t) O how

(t) Heb. xii. 29.

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unmeet a match art thou for God! It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands; (v) and therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him, or to 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? "Who would 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, and he shall make peace with me." It is an unequal combat for the briars and stubble to make war with the fire.

You see who it is that calls you. Consider also by what instruments, and how often and how earnestly he does it.

1. Every leaf of the blessed book of God has as it were a voice, and calls out, Turn and live: turn, or thou wilt die. How canst thou open it, or read a leaf, or hear a chapter, and not perceive God bids thee turn? 2. The voice of many a motion of the Spirit secretly urges thee to turn.

3. The voice of conscience. Art thou not sometimes convinced that all is not well with thee? and does not thy conscience tell thee, that thou must be a new man, and take a new course?

4. The voice of all the works of God. For they also are God's books, that teach thee this lesson, by showing thee this greatness, and wisdom, and goodness, and calling thee to observe them, and admire the Creator. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.(w) Every time the sun rises upon thee, it calls 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, (w) Psal. xix. 1, 2.

(v) Heb. x. 31.