I know my own insufficiency, I am resolved to wait on GOD for his grace, and to follow him in his ways, and forsake my former courses and companions, and give up myself to the guidance of the Lord.

You are not shut up in darkness of Heathenism, nor in the desperation of the damned. Life is before you; and you may have it on reasnable terms, if you will; yea, on free cost, if you will except it. The way of GOD lieth plain beforeyou; the church to you; you may have Christ and pardon, and holiness, if you will. What say you; Will you, or will you

is open

not? If you say nay,

GOD is witness, and

or say nothing, and still go on. this congregation is witness, and your own consciences are witnesses how fair an offer you had this day. Remember you might have had Christ, and would not. Remember, when you have lost it, that you might have had eternal life as well as others, and would not; and all because you would not turn.

SERMON III.

EZEK. Xxxiii. 11.

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 their way and live. Turn ye,turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

IT has been explained and proved, that GOD taketh pleasure in men's conversion and salvation, but not in their death or damnation. He would rather they would turn and live, than go on and die; That he may leave man no pretence to doubt of it, the Lord hath confirmed it to us by his oath. Yea, farther, so earnest is GOD for the conversion of sinners, that he doubleth his commands and exhortations with vehemency, Turn ye, turn ye.

Having already illustrated and applied each of these points, let us come to the next doctrine and hear your

reasons.

Doct. 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with unconverted sinners, and to ask them why they will die.

A strange disputation it is, both as to the controversy, and as to the disputants.

1. The controversy or question propounded to dispute of, is, Why wicked men will damn themselves? Or,

Why they will rather die than turn? Whether they have any sufficient reason for so doing?

2. The disputants are GOD and Man; the most Holy GOD, and wicked and unconverted sinners,

Is it not a strange thing, which GOD doth seem here to suppose, that any man should be willing to die, and be damned? Yea, that this should be the case of all the wicked; that is of the greatest part of the world; but you will say, This cannot be; for nature desireth the preservation and felicity of itself; and the wicked are more selfish than others, and not less; and therefore how can any man be willing to be damned!

To which I answer,

1. It is a certain truth that no man can be willing of any evil as evil, but only as it hath some appearance of good; much less can any man be willing to be eternally tormented. Misery, as such, is desired by none.

2. But yet for all that, it is most true which GOD here teacheth us, that the cause why the wicked die and are damned, is because they will die and be damned. And this is true in several respects.

1. Because they will go the way that leads to hell, though they are told by God and man whither it goes, and where it ends; and though GOD hath so often professed in his word, that if they hold on in that way they shall be condemned; and that they shall not be saved unless they turn, Isa. xlviii. 22. and Ivii. 21. There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. Isa, lix.8. The way of peace they know not; there is no judgement in their goings; they have made them crook

ed paths; whosoever goeth therein, shall not know peace. They have the word and the cath of the living GOD for it; that if they will not turn, they shall not enter into his rest. And yet wicked they are, and wicked they will be, let GOD and man say what they will; fleshly they are, and fleshly they will be; worldlings they are, and worldlings they will be; though GOD hath told them, that the love of the world is enmity to GOD, and that if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Jam. iv. 4. 1 John ii. 15. so that consequently these men are willing to be damned, though not directly; they are willing of the way to hell, and love the certain cause of their torment, though they be not willing of hell itself, and do not love the pain which they must endure.

Is not this the truth of your case, sinners? You would not burn in hell? but you will kindle the fire by your sins, and cast yourselves into it; you would not be tormented with devils forever, but you will do that which will certainly procure it, in despite of all that can be said against it. It is just as if you would say, I will drink this poison; but yet I will not die. I will cast myself headlong from the top of a steeple, but yet I will not kill myself. I will thrust this knife into my heart, but yet I will not take away my life. I will put this fire into the thatch of my house, but yet I will not burn it. Just so it is with the wicked men, they will be wicked, and they will live after the flesh and the world, and yet they would not be damned. But do you not know that the means do lead unto the end? and that GOD hath by his righteou

law concluded, that you must repent or perish? Me that will take poison, may as well say plainly, I will kill my. self; for it will prove no better in the end: Though perhaps he loved it for sweetness of the sugar that was mixt with it, and would not be persuaded that it was poison, but that he might take it and do well enough, but it is not his conceits, and confidence that will save his life. So if you will be drunkards, or fornicators, or worldlings, or live after the flesh, you may as well say plainly, We will be damned, for so you shall be, unless you turn. Would you not rebuke the folly of a thief or murderer,that would say, I will steal and kill,but I will not be hanged, when he knows that if he do the one, the judge in justice will see that the other be done? If he say, I will steal and murder, he may as well say plainly, I will be hanged. So if you will go on in a carnal life, you may as well say plainly, We will go to hell.

2. Moreover, the wicked will not use those means without which there is no hope of their salvation: He that will not eat, may as well say plainly he will not live, unless he can tell how to live without meat: he that will not go his journey, may as well say plainly he will not come to the end. He that falls into the water,and will not come out, nor suffer another to help him out, may as well say plainly, he will be drowned. So if you be carnal and ungodly, and will not be converted, nor use the means by which you should be converted, but think it more ado than needs, you may as well say plainly, you will be damned. For if you have found