deserveth once to be named in comparison with them, nor can any earthly thing, though it were life, and crowns, and kingdoms, be a reasonable excuse for matters of so high and everlasting consequence. A man can have no reason to cross his ultimate end. Heaven is such a thing, that if you lose it, nothing can supply the want, or make up the loss. And hell is such a thing, that if you suffer it, nothing can remove your misery, or give you ease and comfort. And therefore nothing can be a valuable consideration to excuse you for neglecting your own salvation. For saith our Saviour, "What shall it profit a man to win all the world and lose his own soul." O, O, sirs! did you but know what matters they are, we are now speaking to you of! The saints in heaven have other kind of thoughts of these things. If the devil could come to them that live in the sight and love of God, and should offer them a cup of ale, or a whore, or merry company, or sport to entice them away from God, and glory, I pray you tell me, how do you think they would entertain the motion. Nay, if he should offer them to be kings on the earth, do you think this would entice them down from heaven? with what hatred, and holy scorn would they disdain, and reject the motion; and why should not you do so that have heaven opened to your faith, if you had but faith to see it? There is never a soul in hell, but knows by this time, that it was a mad exchange to let go heaven for fleshly pleasure: and that it is not a little mirth, or pleasure, or worldly riches or honour, or the good will, or the word of men that will quench hell-fire, or make him a saver that loseth his soul. O if you had heard what I believe, if you had seen what I believe, and that on the credit of the word of God, you would say, there can be no reason to warrant a man to damn his soul; you durst not sleep quietly another night, before had resolved to Turn and Live. you If y you see a man put his hand into the fire till it burn off, you marvel at it; but this is a thing that a man may have reason for, as Bishop Cranmer had when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to Popery. If you see a man cut off a leg, or an arm, it is a sad sight; but this is a thing a man may have good reason for; as many a man doth to save his e Mark viii. 36. life. If you see a man give his body to be burnt to ashes, and to be tormented with strappadoes and racks, and refuse deliverance when it is offered; this is a hard case to flesh and blood. But this a man hath good reason for; as you may see in Heb. xi. 33-36. And as many a hundred martyrs have done. But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him, and for a man to run into the fire of hell, when he is told of it, and entreated to turn, that he may be saved; this is a thing that can have no reason in the world, that is reason indeed, to justify, or excuse it. For heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to get it, or for any labour which we bestow for it. But nothing can pay for the loss of heaven. I beseech you now, let his word come nearer to your hearts. As you are convinced you have no reason to destroy yourselves, so tell me what reason you have to refuse to turn, and live to God; what reason hath the veriest worldling, or drunkard, or ignorant, careless sinner of you all, why you should not be as holy as any you know, and be as careful for your souls as any other? Will not hell be as hot to you as to others? Should not your own souls be as dear to you, as theirs to them? Hath not God as much authority over you? Why then will ye not become a sanctified people, as well as they? O sirs, when God bringeth down the matter to the very principles of nature, and shews you that you have no more reason to be ungodly, than you have to damn your own souls: if yet you will not understand and Turn, it seems a desperate case that you are in. And now either you have reason for what you do, or you have not. If not, will you go on against reason itself? Will you do that which you have no reason for? But if you think you have, produce them, and make the best of your matter, reason the case a little while with your fellow-creature, which is far easier than to reason the case with God. Tell me, man, here, before the Lord, as if thou wert to die this hour, why shouldst thou not resolve to turn this day, before thou stir from the place thou standest in? What reason hast thou to deny, or to delay? Hast thou any reason that satisfieth thine own conscience for it? Or any that thou darest own and plead at the bar of God? If thou hast, let us hear them, bring them forth, and make them good. But alas! what poor stuff, what nonsense, instead of reasons, do we daily hear from ungodly men? But for their necessity, I should be ashamed to name them. 1. One saith, If none shall be saved but such converted and sanctified ones as you talk of, heaven would be but empty; then God help a great many.' Answ. What, it seems you think God doth not know, or else that he is not to be believed: measure not all by yourself; God hath thousands and millions of his sanctified ones; but yet they are few in comparison of the world, as Christ himself hath told us in Matt. vii. 13, 14. and Luke xii. 32. It better beseems you to make that use of this truth which Christ teacheth you; "Strive to enter in at the straight gate; for straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it: but wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat f." "And fear not little flock, (saith Christ to his sanctified ones,) for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Object. 2. I am sure if such as I go to hell, we shall have store of company.' Answ. And will that be any ease or comfort to you? Or do you think you may not have company enough in heaven? Will you be undone for company? Or will you not believe that God will execute his threatenings, because there are so many that are guilty? All these are silly, unreasonable conceits. Object. 3. But all men are sinners, even the best of you all.' Answ. But all are not unconverted sinners. The godly live not in gross sins;, and their very infirmities are their grief and burden, which they daily long, and pray, and strive to be rid of. Sin hath not dominion over them. Object. 4. I do not see that professors are any better than other men: they will overreach and oppress, and are as covetous as any.' that are sanctified. Answ. Whatever hypocrites are, it is not so with those that are otherwise. f Luke xiii. 22-24. Luke xii. 23. cuse them of what they can never prove, and of that which never entered into their hearts. And commonly they charge them with heart-sins, which none can see but God; because they can charge them with no such wickedness in their lives, as they are guilty of themselves. Object. 5. But I am no whoremonger, nor drunkard, nor oppressor; and therefore why should you call upon me to be converted?' Answ. As if you were not born after the flesh, and had not lived after the flesh, as well as others. Is it not as great a sin, as any of these, for a man to have an earthly mind, and to love the world above God, and to have a faithless, unhumbled heart? Nay, let me tell you more, that many persons that avoid disgraceful sins, are fast glued to the world, and as much slaves to the flesh, and as strange to God, and averse to heaven in their more civil course, as others are in their more shameful, notorious sins. Object. 6. But I mean nobody any harm, or do no harm; and why then should God condemn me?' Answ. Is it no harm to neglect the Lord that made thee, and the work for which thou camest into the world, and prefer the creature before the Creator, and neglect grace that is daily offered thee? It is the depth of thy sinfulness, to be insensible of it. The dead feel not that they are dead. If once thou wert made alive, thou wouldst see more amiss in thyself, and marvel at thyself for making so light of it. Object. 7. I think you will make men mad under a pretence of converting them: it is enough to rack the brains of simple people, to muse so much on matters too high for them.' Answ. 1. Can you be madder than you are already? Or at least, can there be a more dangerous madness, than to neglect your everlasting welfare, and wilfully undo your selves? 2. A man is never well in his wits till he be converted; he neither knows God, nor sin, nor Christ, nor the world, nor himself, nor what his business is on the earth, so as to set himself about it, till he be converted. The Scripture saith that the wicked are unreasonable men h; and "that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God i;" and Luke xv. 17. it is said of the prodigal, "that when he came to himself," he resolved to Return. It is a wise world when men will disobey God, and run to hell for fear of being out of their wits. 3. What is there in the work that Christ calls you to, that should drive a man out of his wits? Is it the loving of God, and calling upon him, and comfortable thinking of the glory to come, and the forsaking of our sins, and the loving of one another, and delighting ourselves in the service of God? Are these such things as should make men mad? 4. And whereas you say, that these matters are too high for us, you accuse God himself for making this our work, and giving us his word, and commanding all that will be blessed, to meditate in it day and night. Are the matters which we are made for, and which we live for, too high for us to meddle with? This is plainly to unman us, and to make beasts of us, as if we were like to them that must meddle with no higher matters than what belongeth to flesh and earth, if heaven be too high for you to think on, and to provide for, it will be too high for you ever to possess. 5. If God should sometimes suffer any weak-headed person to be distracted by thinking of eternal things; this is because they misunderstand them, and run without a guide. And of the two, I had rather be in the case of such an one, than of the mad, unconverted world, that take their distraction to be their wisdom. 6 Object. 8. I do not think that God doth care so much what men think, or speak, or do, as to make so great a matter of it.' Answ. It seems then, you take the word of God to be false, and then what will you believe? But your own reason might teach you better, if you believe not the Scriptures : for you see God doth not set so light by us, but that he vouchsafed to make us, and still preserveth us, and daily upholdeth us, and provideth for us; and will any wise man make a curious frame for nothing? Will you make, or buy a clock, or a watch, and daily look to it, and not care whether it go true or false? Surely if you believe not a particular eye of Providence observing your hearts and lives, you cannot believe or expect any particular Providence to observe your wants and troubles, to relieve you. And if God had so little cared for you, as you imagine, you would |