II. The quality of the perfon; wicked. When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness. III. The motion; turneth away from his wickednessIV. To give an account of what is lawful and right; when the wicked turneth away from his wickednefs, and doth that which is lawful and right.

V. To fhew the good effect of this motion, he fhall Have his foul alive.

1. For the time of his converfion and return to God, it is indefinitely spoken, and doth not exclude tate time, which may be an encouragement to every one, be his case never so desperate. But then, this is not spoken to encourage mens delays and put-offs; for there are four great evils confequent upon that.

14. It were to illerefent the goodnefs of God, thus to requite his grace and favour, that we continue in fin, because God is gracious. God forbid (faith the apoftle) that we fhould continue in fin, becaufe grace doth abound, Rom. vi. 1, 2. This would be horrid ingratitude, and difingenuity. 2dly, It were to abufe ourselves, and do ourselves more and more harm. For evil is against the na

ture of man; it is fuch and spoils his principle.

a

thing as marrs his nature Therefore we should never meddle with it, and much lefs continue in it. 3dly, It would make the work which is neceflary to our happiness, much more hard and difficult. For ill ufe doth contract bad habits; and, bad ha bits contracted by long ufe and cuftom, are with great difficulty left off. This the prophet fuppof

eth

eth in those words, when he faith; can the blackmoor change his skin, or the leopard his fpots; then they which are accustomed to do evil, may learn to do well, Jer. xiii. 23. Impudence and immodesty, grow upon thofe that continue in the practice of iniquity.

4thly, Continuance in fin doth expose us to far greater danger.

1. Because of the great uncertainty of life, for who can promise himself another day, nay, another moment? and

2. Because of the devil's repeated and continued affaults, by which he will still get the more advan tage upon us; and fo it will become the more dif ficult to get him out of poffeffion.

3. In refpect of the infinuations of bad company and converfe. For men that are bad themselves, will keep fuch company as themselves; and company and converse are of an infinuating quality, and that is done by treaty and converse, which is not done on a fudden.

4. All the while you stand out, you are in a way of refiftance of the holy Spirit, and fight against the motions of God almighty; which are neceffary to bring you to good, and to qualify you for eternal life. Let therefore no man think, that he may lead a finful life of pleasure here, and immediately repent, and enter into life. For heaven is rather a ftate than a place; and doth require a good temper of mind, to qualify us for the enjoyment of it. And we are faid to be faved, in the language of fcripture, when we are delivered from our fins, and qualified for the Q 2 enjoyment

enjoyment of God. And there must be falvation of grace, as antecedent to that of glory. For happiness hath its foundation in holiness, and there must be either a confcience void of offence, by abfolute innocence; or ease of guilt, by our repentance, and God's pardon otherwise there is no falvation; for, a guilty confcience hath hell within itself. There are many that would be faved in a negative fenfe, that is, they would not be damned; but this is not a juft explication of falvation; for heaven and falvation is begun here, and therefore the apostle faith, who hath faved us and called us, 2 Tim. i. 9. And fo much for the firft particular, the time when the wicked turneth away from his wickedness.

II. The quality of the perfon; wicked. And here I must acquaint you, that fcripture doth not denominate perfons wicked, or finners, or workers of iniquity, from weakneffes, failings, or from error of judgment, or from indifpofition at times, from fudden paffion, or surprifal; nor from the irregularity of the first motion, that is so troublesome and grievous unto us all. But they are called finners and wicked perfons, who voluntarily confent to known iniquity ; who while they have knowledge and judg>ment of that which is right, for bafe ends and purposes act contrary thereunto, and continue in fin and apoftacy from the truth. Sins of the former fort, fuch as weaknefs and failings, through temptation or fudden fürprize, require our modefty and asking God forgivenefs: as alfo our greater care and diligence, and conftant application to God and committing ourselves into his hand; and in fo do

ing, God doth readily forgive. For he remembers our frame, and confiders and makes allowance for our weakness, Pf. ciii. 13. and Mal. i 17. As a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord pitieth those that fear him; and he will spare them as a man spareth his own fon that ferveth him.

III: I now proceed to the third, to fhew when a man may be faid to turn from his wickednefs; to which enquiry I fhall answer by three negative, and three affirmative propofitions. The negatives

are these.

Ift. A man is not faid to turn away from his ini.. quities when his fin rather leaves him than he leaves it either through age and difability of body; or through weakness and infirmity; fo that he cannot bear to do as he has formerly done,. Now, this is the cafe many times of the riotous and intemperate, who ufe to rise up early in the morning, that they might. follow ftrong drink; that continue until night, till. wine inflame them, Ifa. v. 11. But this they cannot do always. Then for the prodigal, that profufely, spends all that he hath, and is brought to a morfel of bread, and like him that we read of, Luke xv.. 14. made to feed with the fwine upon husks; fuch a man's fin hath rather left him, than he it. The like may be faid of wanton lafcivious perfons, that have quite fpoiled and disabled their bodies. And alfo of falfe dealers, who have been fo often found out, that no body will trust them, or have to da with them; you cannot say that such men as these have turned from their wickedness.

2. Such men as are not at their own liberty ; bu under tutors and governors, whom they dare not difobey; who are as it were fhut up, and not fuffered to ramble abroad. These men cannot be faid to have turned from their wickedness.

3. Nor when fin is made bitter to men, by suffering the bad confequences that follow upon it Sometimes men fuffer in their names, or in their eftates, or in their bodies. Guilt doth always prophefy evil things, and fin is a fhame and reproach to any perfon that commits it, Pro. xxiii. 29. Who bath wo, who hath forrow, who hath contentions, who hath babblings, who hath wounds without cause, who hath redness of eyes? they that tarry long at the wine; they that go to feek new wine. It is faid of laziness, idleness and sluggishness, that it is more painful than industry and diligence; and to be employed, is easier than to be idle. So it may be faid of other vices; the mischiefs and inconveniencies that follow upon diffolute living, and naughty practices, are not ballanced by the pleafure that they bring, but are dearly paid for. Whereas ways of goodness and virtue are delightful, and end in peace; as you read, Pro. iii. 17. All her ways are pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. For the feveral virtues, they are fuitable and connatural; every virtue is according to the nature of man, and agrees with the reason of his mind which is the fuperior and governing principle. As to inftance, by comparing fome virtues and vices together. Pride, infolence, envy, malice, these are troublesome and unnatural: there is no greater torment, or worse rack, than for man to live in