repentance and reformation, is now the only way to obtain pardon and forgiveness. Now unless a man repent, he cannot be fenfible of the impurity of the act, nor of his danger thereby; and till this be done, he will not feek after his remedy, no more than a man will seek after a phyfician, that is not fenfible of his disease, nor of his danger by means thereof. No man will go to Chrift for pardon, unlefs he be fènfible of the evil of fin and of which he doth repent, and condemn himself, and refolve againft it; for no true penitent doth allow himself in fin.

But farther, fhall fave his foul alive. From this we may understand of how great benefit the good ufe and improvement of our time is. Time, though it be of the flenderest entity, yet 'tis of the most moral confideration, because improveable to the highest advantage. Our time is a day of grace, for we are in a probation state: fo that now it fairly lies before us, to make ourselves happy for ever. And we may alfo by the abufe of the grace of God, undo ourfelves for ever, Therefore I fay unto you in the words of Mofes, Deut. xxx 19. I fet before you this day life and death, blessing and curfing, choose life. For when a 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. But if he continue in wickedness, he fhall furely die.

How many are there that overlook the business, purpofe and intention of life! We are here to run a race, and fo to run that we may obtain : and therefore we are to watch over ourfelves, both as

to

to the things of our mind, and body; and fo to keep under our bodies, and bring them into fubjection, that we may not ruin and undo ourselves. Now this is another thing, than to gratify our fenfe, and live in a humour. No, no, we muft run the race that is fet before us, and as those that strain for the ⚫ mastery, must be temperate in all things. This is our business, to ferve the intereft of our fouls, in the state that is before us. Therefore I advise every man that is ferious, to ask himself these queftions.

1. Will this that I have done, or am doing, be accountable, when God fhall call me to a reckoning? When any thing doubtful is propofed, or of a bad quality, then ask this question; fhall I be able to give an account for this, when I shall stand before the tribunal feat of Chrift? The

2d. Question is that which Abigail put to David 1 Sam. xxv. 31. This will be no grief of heart, nor offence unto thee.

3d. Question is, what fhall I think of this, when I fhall lie upon my death bed? What judgment of apprehenfion fhall I have of it then? The

4th. Question is, how remedilefs will the confe quence of evil be, when I fhall have the least relief by my reason, and be leaft capable of advice; and when I fhall have the leaft affiftance of God's grace and Spirit? How fhall I be then able to bear up against the intolerable burthen of evil and guilt too? Let us confider that we die daily in a threefold refpect; in respect of age, in refpect of diseases, and in refpect of hazard and danger. In refpect of age,

we

we grow nearer and nearer unto death: and in respect of diseases, which is death in fome degree: and lastly in respect of hazard and danger from abroad. For whosoever neglects God and the law, may be master of any body's life. How will men fatisfy themselves, that take so little care how they pass out of time, into eternity? That live and die in fuch a frame and temper, which is altogether unfit for the business and employment of eternity? For if we expect to be happy, and to attend upon God, and holy angels, and faints in glory; it is neceffary that we free ourselves from all impurity and by holiness of life qualify ourselves for the enjoyment of God. For our Saviour hath told us, that unless we be converted, and become as little children, that are innocent and harmless, that may fuffer wrong, but will do none, we cannot enter into heaven. These three things do utterly unqualify a man for the state of glory and happiness.

1. Earthlinefs, worldliness, and carnality. 2. A fpirit of malice, ill-will, and revenge. 3. Pride, arrogancy, and haughtiness.

1. Earthlinefs, worldliness, and carnality. The pfalmift tells us, Pfal. xvii. 11. That worldly men have their portion in this life. They being unqualified for the state of eternity.

2. Then for those that live in the spirit of envy, malice, and ill-will. They have the very spirit and temper of the devil, who goes about seeking whom may devour.

he

3. And for pride: the apoftle Jude tells us, that this was the very temper of the angels that fell, that

kept

kept not their first state, but through pride and arrogance, did affume to themfelves.

But to draw to a conclufion. Since now we have fuch a declaration as this in the text, which contains the fulness of gospel knowledge that when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall fave his foul alive. Let us entertain good thoughts of God, let us have right apprehenfions of him in our minds always think fo of God, as to encourage our application to him. And never think that he is implacable; but that he is ready to forgive, and is no hard master, nor difficult to please, nor backward to forgive. Yea, I will fay more, that God is fuch a friend to our fouls, and takes fuch delight in our converfion and turning to him, that he will not be wanting on his part, to afford us what is neceffary, for our enablement and encouragement. And should we think otherwife of God, we fhould fret in our minds against him, and fit down in discontent and defpair just as you have an account in Rev. ix. 6. of fome that blafphemed God because of their pains. This was the temper of Cain, who faid, my fin is greater than can be forgiven. By this a man doth put himself quite out of the way of forgiveness.

I add, that it is the special and genuine effect of the mercy of God to bring finners to repentance. But by every evil act that a man doth commit, his recovery is the more difficult; because fin doth put a man quite out of temper, and sets him at the greater diftance from God. For fin hardens a man's heart, and fpoils the modefty of intellectual nature, and much

much more difpofeth a man for evil, than he was before.

Now in the clofe of all, I will reinforce the ad_ vice of the text, that the wicked turn from his wick_ ednefs. And let us not herein be mistaken, for we ought in nothing more to understand ourselves aright; because it is the cafe of life and death. Therefore in these cafes, as I told you, men cannot be faid to forfake their fins, when fin rather leaves them, than they their fins; when his turning from fin arifeth rather from abroad than from himself, and is rather the effect of his company, and those that have power over him. You cannot fay that men turn from their wickedness, when 'tis not their own motion, nor what they would do if free and left to themfelves. Nor when a man out of fear of former fufferings, doth not do as formerly he did. For you must know, that all vice and wickedness is first contrary to the reason of our minds; and fecondly, to the health of our bodies for by fin and wickednefs men lay the foundation of aches and diseases, and shorten their days. In these cases a man cannot be faid to turn from his fins: but in the other cafes which I named, a man may be faid to turn from his wickednefs.

First, When the wicked man loaths his fin out of fenfe and judgment of the bafenefs and vileness of it. For the motion, ground, and principle of an action, doth fpecificate the action. And you cannot upon a moral account, eftimate an action from the materiality of it, but from the intention, motion, ground, and principle from which it doth pro

ceed.