Consider first, what preparations mercy hath made for your salvation. And what pity it is that any man should be damned after all this. The time was, when the flaming sword was in the way, and the curse of God's law would have kept thee back, if thou hadst been never so willing to turn to God: the time was, when thyself, and all the friends that thou hadst in the world, could never have procured thee the pardon of thy sins past, though thou hadst never so much lamented, and reformed them. But Christ hath removed this impediment, by the ransom of his blood. The time was, that God was wholly unreconciled, as being not satisfied for the violation of his law: but now he is so far satisfied and reconciled, as that he hath made thee a free act of oblivion, and a free deed of the gift of Christ and life, and offereth it to thee, and entreateth thee to accept it, and it may be thine if thou wilt. For, "He was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and hath committed to us the word of actual reconciliation d" Sinners, we are commanded to do this message to you all, as from the Lord. 'Come, for all things are ready." Are all things ready, and are you unready? God is ready to entertain you and pardon all that you have done against him, if you will but come. As long as you have sinned, as wilfully as you have sinned, as heinously as you have sinned, he is ready to cast all behind his back, if you will but come. Though you have been prodigals, and run away from God, and have staid so long, he is ready even to meet you, and embrace you in his arms, and rejoice in your conversion, if you will but turn. Even the earthly worldling and swinish drunkard, may find God ready to bid him welcome, if they will but come. Doth not this turn thy heart within thee? O sinner, if thou hast a heart of flesh, and not of stone in thee, methinks this should melt it; shall the dreadful Infinite Majesty of heaven, even wait for thy returning, and be ready to receive thee who hast abused him, and forgotten him so long? Shall he delight in thy conversion, that might at any time glorify his justice in thy damnation? and doth it not yet melt thy heart within thee, and art thou not yet ready to come in? Hast thou not as much reason to be ready to come, as God hath to invite thee and bid thee welcome?

But that is not all; Christ hath done his part on the cross, and made such a way for thee to the Father that on his account thou mayst be welcome, if thou wilt come. And yet art thou not ready?

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 the absolving words of peace to thy soul; they are ready to pray for thee, and to seal up thy pardon by the administration of the holy sacrament; and yet art thou not ready?

All that fear God about thee, are ready to rejoice in thy conversion, and to receive thee into the communion of saints, and to give thee the right hand of fellowship, yea, though thou hadst been one that had been cast out of their society; they dare not but forgive where God forgiveth, when it is manifest to them by thy confession and amendment: they dare not so much as hit thee in the teeth with thy former sins, because they know that God will not upbraid thee with them. If thou hadst been never so scandalous, if thou wouldst but heartily be converted and come in, they would not refuse thee, let the world say what they would against it. And are all these ready to receive thee, and yet art thou not ready to come in?

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 but be cleansed thou mayst 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, the promise ready, and pardon ready? Are ministers ready, the people of God ready, and heaven itself ready, and angels ready, and all these but 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; (as the prodigal is said to come to himself, Luke xv. 17.) when thou hast been besides thyself so long? Not ready to be saved, when thou art even ready to be condemned? Art thou not ready to lay hold on Christ that would deliver thee, when thou art even ready to drown, and sink into damnation? Art thou not ready to be saved from hell,

Yet hast

when thou art even ready to be cast remediless into it; alas! man, dost thou know what thou dost? 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! thou not 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.

He that

For the principal inviter, it is God himself. commandeth heaven and earth, commandeth thee to Turn: and presently, without delay to Turn. He commandeth the sun to run its course, and to rise upon thee every morning; and though it be so glorious a creature, and many times bigger than all the earth, yet it obeyeth him, and faileth not one minute of its appointed time. He commandeth all the planets, and orbs of heaven, and they obey. He commandeth the sea to ebb and flow, and the whole creation to keep its course, and all they 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 command but a sinner to Turn, he will not obey him: he only thinks himself wiser than God, and he cavils and pleads the cause of sin, and will not obey. If the Lord Almighty says the word, the heavens and all therein obey him but if he call a drunkard out of an alehouse he will not obey: or if he call a worldly, fleshly sinner to deny himself, and mortify the flesh, and set his heart on a better inheritance, he will not obey.

e Heb. i. 14.

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?' For the sheep of Christ do "know and hear his voice; and they follow him, and he giveth them eternal life f." If thou hast any spiritual life and sense in thee, at least thou wouldst say, 'This call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey?' For saith the prophet," The lion hath roared, who will not fear "?" God is not a man that thou shouldst dally and play with him. Remember what he said to Paul at his conversion, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks"." Wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his Spirit, and stop thine ears against his call? Who is it that will have the worst of this? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest and contendest with, and what thou art 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 i." Whosoever 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 k." O how unmeet a match are you for God: "It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands'." And therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him, or 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 you do against his grace? Saith the Lord "Fury is not in me :" that is, I delight not to destroy; I do it as it were unwillingly but yet," 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 m." It is an unequal combat for the

briars and stubble to make war with the fire.

And thus you see who it is that calleth you, that should move you to hear this call, and Turn: so consider also, by what instruments, and how often, and earnestly he doth it.

f John xii. 4. Heb. xii. 29.

Amos iii. 8. 1 Heb. x. 31.

h Acts ix. 5.

m Isa. xxvii. 4. 6.

i Gal. vi. 7.

1. Every leaf of the blessed Book of God hath, as it were, a voice, and calls out unto thee. " Turn and Live; Turn or thou wilt Die." How canst thou open it, and read a leaf, or hear a chapter, and not perceive God bids thee Turn?

2. It is the voice of every sermon thou hearest; for what else is the scope and drift of all, but to call, and persuade, and entreat thee to Turn?

3. It is the voice of many a motion of the Spirit, that secretly speaks over these words again, and urgeth thee to Turn.

4. It is likely sometimes, it is the voice of thy own conscience. Art thou not sometimes convinced, that all is not well with thee; and doth not thy conscience tell thee, that thou must be a new man, and take a new course, and often call upon thee to Return?

5. It is the voice of the gracious examples of the godly. When thou seest them live a heavenly life, and fly from the sin which is thy delight, this really calls upon thee to Turn.

6. It is the voice of all the works of God. For they also are God's books that teach thee this lesson, by shewing thee his 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 sheweth his handy works; day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night sheweth knowledge"." Every time the sun riseth upon thee it really calleth 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, and sleeping out thy life in negligence?' "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. It is now high time to awake out of sleep; let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let as walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof"." (This text was the means of Augustine's conversion.) n Psal. xix. 1, 2. • Eph. v. 14. D D

VOL.VII.

P Rom xiii. 11-14.