thoughts of it: God is not in all their thoughts.(b) And some are already too wise to learn; they will not so long abate their confidence of their former opinions; though, poor souls, their ignorance do threaten their damnation. And some are so engaged in a sinful party, that their companions will not give them leave to make so much question of the way that they are in; and some will scarce take the scripture for the rule by which they must try and be tried; but look more to custom, and the will of those in power over them. And most are unwilling to try, because they are unwilling to know the truth, and cannot endure to find themselves miserable, nor see the sin which they would not leave, nor see the duty which they love not to practise. And thus we cannot get them to try whether the things that we teach them be so.

For want of this it is, that men deceive themselves, and think their case to be safe when it is miserable, because they will not try it by the word. This makes them rage and be confident in their folly, and laugh and sing at the brink of hell, and swim as merrily down the stream to the devouring gulph, as if no evil were near them. This makes them in the depth of misery to have no pity on themselves, and to do so little to escape it: though they have time and means, and helps at hand, yet there are not hearts in them to make use of them; yea, they run themselves daily further on the score; and all because we cannot get them to search the scripture, and try whether sin be so small a matter, and whether this will not be bitterness in the end.— Hence it is, that they are so easily drawn by a temptation, and that they dislike a holy life; and have base thoughts of them that are most diligent for salvation, and are most precious in the eyes of God; and that they can even deride the way that they should walk in; because they will not search the scripture, to see what it saith to these matters. The word is a light, and would do much to open their eyes, and win them over to God, if they would but come to it with a desire to (4) Psalm x. 4.

know the truth. You think that the ungodly that are rich and great, are in a better condition than a godly man that is poor and despised. And why is this, but because you will not go into the sanctuary, and see in what a slippery place they stand, and what will be the end of these men? In a word, this is the undoing of millions of souls. They are all their life-time out of the way to heaven, and yet will not be persuaded to ask the way; but they run and wink, and put it to the venture. Many a thousand are gone out of the world, before they ever spent the quantity of one day in trying, by the scripture, whether their state were good, and their way were right. Nay, let their teachers tell them that they must be sanctified, and take another course, they will differ from their teachers, though they be ever so wise and learned; and they will contradict them, and not believe nor regard them. And yet we cannot get them to come to us, and put the case to the trial, and let the scripture be the judge. Would they but do this, they could never sure have such hard thoughts of their teachers, and be offended at their plainest, closest dealing. You would then say, "I see now the minister says not this of himself; he speaks but that which God commandeth him: and if he would not deliver the message of the Lord, he were unworthy and unfit to be his ambassador: he were cruel to me, if he would not pull me out of the fire, by the plainest, closest means. He hated me, if he would not rebuke me, but suffer sin upon me. If he would please men, he should not be the servant of Christ. I know it is no pleasure to him to trouble me, or to provoke me: but it would be his own destruction if he tell me not of my danger. And I have no reason to wish him to damn his own soul, and suffer me to do the like by mine, and all for fear of displeasing me in my sin." These would your thoughts, if you would but try our words by the scripture, and see whether we speak not the mind

be

of God.

And sure it would go somewhat deeper in your hearts, and it would stick by you, and be more before

your eyes when you once understood that it is the word of God.

This then is my request to you, sirs, that the work of your conversion may not miscarry, That you would carry all that you hear to the scripture, and search there, and see whether it be so or not, that so you may be put out of doubt, and may be at a certainty, and not stand wavering; and that your faith may be resolved into the authority of God; and so the work may be divine, and consequently powerful and prevailing, when the ground and motive is divine. If you be not satisfied in the doctrine which the minister delivereth to you, first search the scripture yourselves; and if that will not do, go to him, and desire him to show you his grounds for it in the word of God, and join with you in prayer for a right understanding of it. Do you question whether there be so severe a judgment, and a heaven and a hell, as ministers tell you? Search the scripture, in Matt. xxv. and 2 Thess. 1. 8, 9, 10. John v. 29. Matt. xiii. Do you question whether a man may not be saved without conversion, regeneration, and holiness? Open your Bibles, and see what God saith, John iii. 6. Matt. xviii. 3. 2 Cor. v. 17. Rom. viii. 9. Heb. xii. 14. Do you think a man may be saved without knowledge? Let scripture judge, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. John xvii. 3. Hos. iv. 6. Do you think a man may be saved that doeth as the most do, and goeth in the common way of the world? Search the scripture and see, Matt. vii. 13. and xx. 16. and xxii. 14. Luke xii. 32. Do you think an unhumbled soul may be saved, that never was contrite and brokenhearted for sin? Try by Isaiah Ivii. 15. and lxvi. 2. Psalm li. 17. Luke iv. 18. Matthew xi. 28. Do you think a man can be the servant of God, that liveth a fleshly life, and will keep his sin? Try by Rom. viii. 13. John iii. 12. Eph. v. 5, 6. 1 John iii. 9, 10. Do you doubt whether it be necessary to make so much ado to be saved, and to be so strict, and make religion your chiefest business? Try by Psalm i. 1, 2, 3. 1 Peter iv. 18. Hebrews xii. 14. Luke x. 42. and xiii. 24. Eph. v. 15, 16. Do you think a man can be

saved that is a worldling? whose heart is more on earth than heaven? Try by 1 John ii. 15. Phil. iii. 19. Col. iii. 1. Luke xiv. 26, 33. Do you doubt whether you should serve God with your families? and instruct them, and pray with them? Try by Josh. xxiv. 15. Deut. vi. 7. Dan. vi. 10, 11. Exod. xx. 10.

Thus, if you will in all these weighty matters but go to the scripture, and see whether it says as your teachers say, you might soon be resolved, and that by the surest authority in the world. If you think that your ministers may be deceived, I hope you will confess that God cannot be deceived. If you think that your ministers are passionate, or self-conceited, or speak out of ill-will to you, I hope you dare not say so by the Lord: he owes you no ill-will, nor speaks a word but what is most sure. If you think us partial, sure God is impartial! What better judge can you have now, than he that is infallible, and must judge you all at the last? The law is made to judge you, and not to be judged by you. None can be the proper judges of the sense of the law, but the maker of it; though others must judge their case by the law. Your work is to discern it, and understand and obey it; and our work is to help you to understand it; but it is neither our work nor yours, to be the proper or absolute judges of it. At least where it speaks plain, it needs no judge.

Come then to the word in meekness and humility, with a teachable frame of spirit, and a willingness to know the truth, and a resolution to stand to it, and yield to what shall be revealed to you; and beg of God to show you his will, and lead you into the truth, and you will find that he will be found of them that seek him.

Direction III. If you would not have the work of your conversion miscarry, my next advice is this:

See that you be much in the serious consideration of the truths which you understand, between God and you in secret.

I have often spoken of this heretofore; but because I apprehend it to be a point of exceeding great concernment, I shall be longer on it again than on the rest.

The greatest matters in the world will not work much upon him that will not think of them. Consideration opens the ears that are stopt, and the heart that was shut up; it sets the powers of the soul to work, and awakeneth it from the sleep of incogitancy and security. The thoughts are the first actings of the soul, that set a-work the rest. Thinking on the matters that must make us wise, and do the work of God on the heart, is that which lieth on us to do in order to our conversion. By consideration a sinner makes use of the truth, which before lay by, and therefore could do nothing. By consideration he taketh in the medicine to his soul, which before stood by, and could not work. By consideration a man makes use of his reason, which before was laid asleep, and therefore could not do his work. When the master is from home, the scholars will be at play. When the coachman is asleep, the horses may miss the way, and possibly break his neck and their own. If the ploughman go his way, the oxen will stand still, or make but bad unhandsome work. So when reason, laid asleep, is out of the way, what may not the appetite do? and what may not the passions do? and what may not tempta tions do with the soul? A wise man, when he is asleep, hath as little use of his wisdom as a fool. A learned man, when he is asleep, can hardly dispute with an unlearned man that is awake. A strong man that is ever so skilful at his weapons, is scarce able, in his sleep, to deal with the weakest child that is awake. Why, all the powers of your soul are as it were asleep, till consideration awake them, and set them at work. And what the better are you for be ing men, and having reason, if you have not the use of your reason when you need it? As men are inconsiderate because they are wicked, so they are the more