Ser. 3.] in their finful ways; and when one is cut off and caft into hell, and another fnatched away from among them to the fame condemnation, it doth not much daunt them, because they fee not whither they are gone. Poor wretches, they hold on in their ungodlinefs, for all this; for they little know that their companions are now lamenting it in torments. În Luke xvi. the rich man in hell would fain have had one to warn his five brethren, left they fhould come to that place of torment. It is like, he knew their minds and lives, and knew that they were hafting thither, and little dreamed that he was there, yea, and would little have believed one that fhould have told them fo. I remember a passage that a gentleman yet living told me that he faw upon a bridge over the Severn*. A man was driving a flock of fat lambs, and fomething meeting them and hindering their paffage, one of the lambs leaped upon the wall of the bridge, and, his legs flipping from under him, he fell into the ftream; the reft feeing him, did one after one leap over the bridge, and were all, or almost all, drowned. -Thofe that were behind did little know what was become of them that were gone before, but thought they might venture to follow their companions; but, as foon as ever they were over the wall, and falling headlong, the cafe was altered. Even fo

*Mr. R. ROWLEY, of Shrewsbury, upon Acham-Bridge.

One

it is with unconverted carnal men. dieth by them, and drops into hell, and another follows the fame way; and yet they will go after them, because they think not whither they are gone. Oh but when death hath once opened their eyes, and they see what is on the other fide of the wall, even in another world; then what would they give to be where they were!

6. Moreover, they have a fubtile malicious enemy, that is unfeen of them, and plays his game in the dark; and it is his principal business to hinder their converfion, and therefore to keep them where they are, by perfuading them not to believe the Scriptures, or not to trouble their minds with thefe matters; or by perfuading them to think ill of a godly life, or to think that it is more ado than needs, and that they may be faved without converfion, and without all this ftir; and that God is fo merciful, that he will not damn any fuch as they; or at least, that they may stay a little longer, and take their pleasure, and follow the world a little longer yet, and then let it go, and repent hereafter: And, by fuch deluding cheats as thefe, the devil keeps the moft in his captivity, and leadeth them to his mifery.

Thefe, and fuch like impediments as thefe, do keep fo many thoufands unconverted, when God hath done fo much, and Chrift hath fuffered fo much, and minifters have faid fo much, for their con

[Ser. 4. verfion; when their reafons are filenced, and they are not able to answer the Lord that calls after them, "Turn ye, turn ye,, why will ye die?" yet all comes to nothing with the greatest part of them; and they leave us no more to do, after all, but to fit down, and lament their wilful mifery.

SERMON IV.

EZEK. xxxiii. II.

Say unto them, As I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleafure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and. live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways, for, why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael?

HAVE fhewn you the reasonableness of God's commands, and the unreafonablenefs of wicked men's difobedience. If nothing will ferve the turn, but men will yet refufe to turn, we are next to confider who it is long of if they be damned. And this brings me to the last doctrine, which is,.

Doct. 7. That if, after all, these men will not turn, it is not long of God that they are condemned, but of themselves, even their own wilfulness. They die, because they will die; that. is, because they will not turn.

If you will go to hell, what remedy? God here acquits himself of your blood;

it fhall not lie on him if you be loft. A negligent minifter may draw it upon him; and those that encourage you, or hinder you not in fin, may draw it upon them; but, be fure of it, it fhall not lie upon God. Saith the Lord, concerning his unprofitable vineyard, Isaiah v. 2, 3, 4.

Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard, what could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When he had planted it in a fruitful foil, and fenced it, and gathered out the ftones, and planted it with the choiceft vines," what fhould he have done more to it? He hath made you men, and endowed you with reason; he hath furnished you with all external neceffaries, he hath given you a righteous perfect law: When you had broken it, and undone yourselves, he had pity on you, and fent his Son by a miracle of condefcending mercy to die for you, and be a facrifice for your fins, and he "was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself." The Lord Jefus hath made you a deed of gift of himself, and eternal fife with him, on the condition you will but accept it and return. He hath, on this reasonable condition, offered you the free pardon of all your fins; he hath written this in his word, and fealed it by his Spirit, and fent it you by his minifters; they have made the offer to you, (many a time) and called you to accept it, and to turn to God. They have in his name intreated

you, and reasoned the cafe with you, and anfwered all your frivolous objections. He hath long waited on you, and ftaid your leifure, and suffered you to abufe him to his face. He hath mercifully fuftained you in the midft of your fins: he hath compaffed you about with all forts of mercies: He hath alfo intermixed afflictions to mind you of your folly, and call you to your wits; and his spirit hath been often ftriving with your hearts, and faying there, "Turn, finners, turn to him that calleth thee: whither art thou going? What art thou doing? Doft thou know what will be the end? How long wilt thou hate thy friends, and love thine enemies? When wilt thou let go all, and turn, and deliver up thyfelf to God, and give thy Redeemer the poffeffion of thy foul? When fhall it once be?" Thefe pleadings have been ufed with thee: And when thou haft delayed, thou haft been urged to make hafte, and God hath called to thee, "To-day, while it is called to-day, harden not thy heart: Why not now without any more delay?" Life hath been fet before you, the joys of heaven have been opened to you in the gofpel; the certainty of them have been manifefted! the certainty of the everlafting torments of the damned hath been declared to you. Unlefs you would have had a fight of heaven and hell, what could you defire more? Chrift hath been, as it were, fet forth crucified before your eyes,