work and province, as we are invefted with intel lectual nature; and if we are led to gratify sense against reason, we are cheated and couzened. We render those words of the apoftle, Rom. xiii. 14. to make provifion for the flesh but the Greek word fignifies, to make it the bufinefs of mind and understanding, to cater for the body; which is no less than to make it the employment of the spirit to feed the beast; when it should be the business of mind and understanding, to contemplate God and things divine. For otherwife, the mind of man is as the field of Solomon's fluggard, that instead of bringing a good crop, is overgrown with thorns and briars; and a man lives in a lie, and hath no judgment. For the use of judgment is to observe the difference of things, which he doth not, that knows not how to value fpiritual and eternal things before those that are prefent and temporal. 9. Laftly, If God be not understood and acknowledged in our worldly enjoyments, and recommended to us by them if he be not intended in all our actions, then do we not comply with the relation we stand in to God, nor act according to our higheft principles, nor anfwer our capacity; nor are true to our own intereft. For it is the work of mind and understanding, to seek after God, and to find him out in his ways and works, as you read, Acts xvii. 27. To be without God in the world, is our degeneracy in full proportion; and to alienate our felves from him, is the greatest and trueft facrilege. For our highest faculties are God's peculiar, God's appropriate, God's referve, made for God, and fit to attend upon him, and to receive from him. Since therefore there is this danger, ft. Let us act with caution and with good advice, by converfation with the best and wifeft men. For 'tis an eafy matter to be deceived without great care and diligence. 2dly. But chiefly, let us make application to God, by meditation and prayer, who will not be wanting to us. Let us carefully avoid all prefumption, pride, arrogancy, and felf-affuming. Do not on the fudden, but fee before you do, and understand well before you act. And in all thy ways acknowledge God, and lean not to thy own understanding. DISCOURSE XII. EZEK. Xviii. 27. When the wicked man turneth away from his wickednefs that he hath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall fave his foul alive. F we would be true to our great intereft, and be and fecure them for eternity; we must then put evil from us, and repent of what we have done amifs must disclaim it, and condemn ourselves in it; we must be reformed, and return to our du→ ty. ; we I fay, I. That I. That the wicked ought to reform. I. That the wicked ought to reform. And that will appear upon these suggestions. Firft, fin is contrary to reafon, credit, and safety. 1. Sin is contrary to reafon. and you This is the malignant and mischievous nature of every finful action. It is in itself unreasonable, contrary to all wisdom and understanding will eafily grant, that what is against reafon ought not to be done at all; or if it be done, that it ought to be revoked. We cannot fay worse of a man, than that he is an unreasonable person: nor worse of an action, than that it is contrary to reafon. If a man will hear no reason, who will have to do with him? For he that will not hear reason, will do no right and therefore what is done against reason must be revoked, and disclaimed. For what is fo done is done against right, which is the rule of all actions. For right is the measure of all motion, and the law of heaven. Right is fo facred a thing, that even poverty, neceffity, calamity, and misery, which make cafes very pitiable, and compaffionable, they are not confiderable, in competition with right, for fo we read, Lev. xix. 15. Thou shalt not counte Be the man poor or nance a poor man in his cause. rich, the right of his cafe, and nothing else must be confidered in judgment. 2. A finful action is difcreditable to any perfon whatsoever. It is faid of the fons of Eli, that by their wickedness, they made themselves vile, 1 Sam. 3. It is grievous, painful, and intollerable to bear the effects of wicked and finful actions, and to vary from right. Unless a man disclaim and revoke it, fach actions are very coftly and. dearly paid for 3though they promife pleasure for the prefent, yet they, lay the foundation of an evil confcience, and a dif. quieted and discontented mind; and if they be not repented of, we shall rue it to eternity: and that, not only in respect of lofs, but mifery; which we cannot now exprefs. For we know not what is meant by Tophet's burning, nor fully understand what is comprehended in thofe words of enduring the worm that dieth not, and the fire that goeth, not out. Let no man deceive himfelf; real fatisfaction, true. content must have a folid foundation, a clear conscience, honeft intention, right actions, an unblameable tenour and courfe of life. And that is the first the malignancy and naughtiness of every finfuli action, as being a contradiction to reafon, against right the agents difcredit, a grievous, painful, an intollerable thing.. Secondly, Being fuch, it cannot be juftified. For this is most certain, whatsoever is contrary to the reafon of the thing, or to the right of the cafe, is morally null and void, though it be done by any per¬ fon fon whatsoever, I fay, null as to the validity of the thing; though not null and void as to the mischief it doth to the agent. It is without all authority, and right. For this power is not in God himself ; For his throne is established in righteousness, Pro. xxv. 5. It is a principal mifcarriage; fo that a bad man is not a man of power and priviledge, he is not a man of excellency; but he is, as a man that is deaf, blind, or lame; that is not distinguished from other men, by any perfection, but by impotency and deformity. As the palfy-motion, which seems to be quicker than other, but it is not from strength but from weakness: no man can justify a finful ac tion, but to a bad confcience, or before an unrighteous judge; who is either ignorant or partial, or himself as bad by undue principles, corrupt intereft, or an abuse of power. For it is not to be able, for a man to do that which ought not to be done. Thirdly, Every finful action, however we may ftand to it, or may be countenanced here in the world, will be discountenanced fooner or latter, whether we will or no. For it will fall under cenfure, and be brought to judgment, and condemned and punished. For right fhall finally prevail : things themselves will not long continue out of order. Folly and madness will at last be weary and afhamed of themselves befides the judgment of God, which will be according to truth, for God will bring to light the hidden works of darkness, &c. 4 Fourthly, If we do not repent of that which we have done finfully, it will lie upon us as the blackeft fpot, as the heaviest judgment, and as the worst malady |