Worst of all, they go on in this courfe against all that can be faid to them, and will give no impartial confiderate hearing to the truth which would recover them to their wits, but live as if it would be a felicity to them in Hell,to think that they came thither by wilful refolution, and in defpight of the remedy. And is it nor a fad profpect to a man that believeth the Word of God, and the life to come, to look upon fuch a diftracted world? O Sirs, if Jefus Chrift be wife that condemneththeir courfe and them, then certainly all these men are fools: And if Chrift knew what he faid, we must needs think that they know not what they do. O what is the matter that reasonable men fhould have no more use of their reafon in things of fuch importance, then thus to neglect their everlasting ftate for a thing of naught? Did God make them unreasonable, or give them understandings uncapable of things of fuch high concernment? Or rather, have they not drowned their reafon in fenfuality, and wilfully poifoned it with malicious averfnefs to God and Holinefs? What is the matter that the One thing needful is no more regarded? Hath God made them believe that they fhall dwell here for ever, and never die? No furely, this is fo grofs a lye, that the Devil himself cannot make them believe it. They know that they muft die, as fure as they are alive: And yet they prepare not, but wafte their dayes in fcraping in this dunghill world, as if they were to go no further. Did God never warn them by a Sermon, or fickness, to prepare for the life which they must live for ever? Yes, many a time, but they would take no warning. Did God never tell them that after this life there is another, where they muft live in endless joy or torment? Yes, and they profeffed that they did believe it: They heard it an hundred times over, till they were weary of hearing it. Did God make them believe that they fhall dielike beafts that have no further to go, nor any other life to live? No: if they do believe this, it is the Devil and not God that maketh them believe it. What then is the matter that the One thing needful is no more regarded? Hath God fhut up their fouls in deIperation, fo that it is in vain to feek, or trouble themfelves for that of which there is no hope? Oh no! his compaffion hath provided them a full remedy: by the death of his Son Redemption is procured, and he hath made them a deed of gift, of Chrift, and pardon, and eternal life, and tendred it to them, that upon their acceptance it may be theirs. Many a time hath he offered this

mercy

mercy to them, and many a time hath he urged them to accept it: He hath fet before them life and death, and given them their choice, and directed and perfwaded them to choose aright: Impoffibility of attainment is not their hinderance; for Mercy befeecheth and importuneth them to accept it, and grace and falvation are brought unto their hands. O wonderful! What then is left to take off a reasonable creature, from minding and preferring its own everlafting great concernments? Is it because they have done their work already, and having made fure of heaven, have time to turn themselves to other matters ? Alas no: the most are far from any fuch affurance; and have done but little to procure it. If they were to die this hour, they know not where their fouls fhall be the next: And if death even now fhould lay its terrible hands upon them, they have no other comfort then to yield unto neceflity, and leave their fouls by a fhort fecurity, to try the paffage of their unavoidable change: Unless they are comforted by fuch prefamptuous felf-deceit, which the next moment after death will vanish, and never return unto them more.. Job 8. 13,14.11.20. & 27.8. Prov. 11. 7.

This is the cafe of the miferable world; but they have not hearts to pitty themselves, nor can we make them willing to be delivered, because we cannot make them know their cafe. If a man fall into a pit, we need not fpend all the day to perfwade him that he is there, and to be willing to be helpt out of it: But with these fleshly miferable fouls, the time that fhould be spent by themselves and us for their recovery, must be spent to make them believe that they are loft; and when all is done, we leave thera loft, and have loft our labour, because we cannot prevail with them to believe it. Drown they will and perifh everlaftingly, be-cause the time that fhould be spent in faving them, must be spent in making them know that they are finking, and after all they will not believe it; and therefore will not lay hold on the hand that is ftretched forth to pull them out. The Narrative of the favage people of Soldania doth notably reprefent their ftate: Thofe people live naked, and feed upon the carrion-like carkaffes of beafts, and hang the stinking guts about their necks for ornaments, and wear hats made of the dung, and carve their skins, and will not change thele loathfom cuftoms: Some of them being drawn into our Ships, were carried away for England: when they came to London,and faw our stately buildings, and cloathing,

and

and provifions, they were obferved to figh much, which was thought to have been in compaffion of their miferable Countrey, which fo much differed from ours: When they had ftayed long among us, and got fo much acquaintance with our civility, and order, and all that belongs to the life of man, as that they were thought fit to communicate it to their Countrey-men, the next Voyage they were brought back, and fet on fhoare in their own Countrey, to draw fome of the reft to come into the Ships, and fee and enjoy what they had done (who had purposely been used as might moft content them): But as foon as they were landed, they lept for joy, and cryed, Soldania, and caft away their cloathes, and came again in the fight of our Ships, with dang on their heads, and guts hanging about their necks, triumphing in their fordid nakednefs. Juft fo do worldly fenfual men, in the matters of falvation: If against their wills they are carryed into cleaner wayes and company, and the beauty of holiness, and the joyes of heaven are opened to them, they are aweary of it all the while; and when we expect they should delight themselves in the felicity that is opened to them, and draw their old acquain tance to it, and be utterly afhamed of their former bafe and finful ftate, they are gone when the next temptation comes, and return with the dog unto their vomit, and with the washed Swine to wallow in the mire, 2 Pet. 2. 21, 22. and glory in their filth and' fhame, and only mind their earthly things, Phil. 3. 18.

υρές.

BY this time you may fee your felves that the difeafe of finners is in their own hearts, and it is that that must be healed if they will be faved. But what fhould we do to get into thofe hearts, to fearch your fores, and work the cure? I come now to the principal part of my meffage to you; but will you indeed entertain it, if it prove it felf to be from God? How the cafe ftandeth with mankind, you have heard in my Text, from Chrift himfelf: How One thing is needful, and how the bufie-idle world is diverted from this One thing, by many needless troublesom things 'to their own deftraction: If hence I warn you of your danger and tell you of your duty, and exhort you to take another courfe

then

then you have done, I hope you will confefs I do but what is needfull both for you and me, and what you have no reason to contradict. Come then, for the Lords fake, and let us treat practically and fuccessfully about fo great a bufinefs; and make fomething of it before we leave it; and end not till we amend what we find amifs. What courfe then will you take for the time to come? Will you go on to trouble your felves about Many things, and neglect the One thing needful as you have done? Dare you harbour fuch a purpofe? Or dare you ftifle thofe thoughts and motions that would tend to better purposes? Or may I not hope that the Light hath fhamed your fleepinefs and works of darknefs, and that you are grieved at the heart for the finful negligence of heart and life, and refolved now to be new men? For Gods fake Refolve, Sirs. What will you do? Waver not, but Refolve: Its more then a thoufand lives that lyeth on your Refolution: I come to you this day as the Minifter of the great Paftor of the Rock, that spake thefe words, not only to acquaint you, if you know not, or to remember you if you know, that One thing is needful, but alfo with authority to command you in his name, to Value it, to Love it, to Choose it, to feek it, and labour for it as the One thing needful. What fay you, will you or will you not? This unfpeakable mercy I offer you from the Lord: He is willing to put up at your hands, all that is paft, and to lay all your fins on the score of Chrift, and freely to forgive you through the vertue of his blood, if you will now at laft bethink you better and come to Cbrift, and live as men that know what they have to do: If you will but fee your former folly, and heartily bewail it,and fet your hearts on the One thing needful, he will encourage you, and help you, and bid you welcome, and number you with his fons, though you have lived as his enemies. Though you have lived like Swine and Serpents, he will put you into his bofom, if you will but be washed and changed by his grace. Though you have fet more by your worldly riches then by his glory, and have fet more by the favour of mortal man, then by his favour, and though you have fet more by your bellies, and your brutish plea fures, and little toyes, then you have done by everlasting life, he will yet be merciful to you, and put up all thefe indignities at your hands, and take you into his deareft love, if you will but Now become new creatures, and give your hearts to him that made them, and feek that firft that is worth the finding, and lose nor

H

the

the rest of your lives and labour upon unprofitable things. What can you fay against this offer? Is it not unconceivable and un-fpeakable mercy? O what would the damned give for such an offer? O what would you your felves give another day for fuch an offer, if you now neglect it? What fay you then, will you accept of this offer of mercy while it may be had, and close with Grace, while Grace would fave you, or will you not? As ever you look for mercy in the hour of your diftrefs, when nothing but mercy can ftand your fouls in any ftead, take mercy now while it may be had: Refufe it not when it is offered you, as you would not be refused by it when Hell and Defparation would devour you. If you flight it because it is free, you flight it because it is great, and therefore greatly to be valued. Think not hereafter to have it at your beck, if you neglect it now when it seeks for your acceptance. Do not fay, I will a little longer keep my fins, and a little longer enjoy my pleasures, for I can have Chrifts offer at any time before I die. O little doft thou know what a ftab fuch a trifling purpose may give to the very heart of all thy hopes and happiness! and how terribly God may make thee know, how ill he taketh thy unthankfulness and contempt! and how dear one other week of finful pleasure may coft thy foul ? In the name of God I warn you,do not so despise everlasting happiness! Do not fo trample on the blood of Chrift, if you would be faved by it: Do not abuse the Spirit of Grace, if you would be fanctified by it Play not any longer with the confuming fire, the wrath of a jealous and Almighty God: Jeft not with damnation, Though Grace be now offered you, it will not be at your command: Defpife this motion, and you may be out of hearing bé-fore the next. What can you expect, if you will flight fuch mercy, but either that Death fhould fhortly bring you to your reckoning, or that God fhould leave you to your felves, and give you up to the hardness of your hearts: And if you will needs choofe the world, and fleshly pleasure, and God and Glory shall be thus contemptuously paft by, you may take your choice, and fee what you will get by it: But remember what an offer you had this day, and that heaven was once within your reach, and that it might have been yours for ever if you would.

But because I am loth to leave you fo, I will try by fome fuch Arguments as the Reafon of man muft needs approve, Whether