SERM. tion which is properly the fault of the mind, VIII. and to be charged wholly upon it.

Now, apply this to the cafe before us, the cafe of men far gone in impious and immoral courfes; by ill customs they have contracted difeafes of mind, the virtuous affections are weakened exceedingly, paffions are become exorbitant being used to no restraint, their fenfual defires are grown to an impetuous Violence, and their indifpofition to good is heightened into inability. But what is this inability? nothing but irrefolution, which was not only criminally contracted, but continueth to be directly and properly their own fault, and ftill the farther it proceedeth the more culpable they are. I acknowledge it is difficult for fuch finners, they have made it difficult for themselves to repent, in the fcripture fense of that word, that is, to be renewed in the spirit of their minds, to break off their habitual fins by righteousness and a thorough amendment, practifing the oppofite virtues; but this doth not ceafe to be their duty, nor doth it cease to be in their power. What hindereth? when we have said all we can of our, impotence to good, it amounteth to no more than inattention, and want of refolution; and what is there in the power of the mind, if attention and refolution be not?

The

The scriptures, in many other declarations, SE RM as well as in my text, reprefent the condition VIII. of men, by customary finning, as very deplorable and extremely difficult to be cured. Sin groweth daily ftronger in them, acquiring the force of a law, or a dominion, by which they are held in bondage; their vicious defires, become more impetuous; their judgment of moral differences is fo corrupted, that they put good for evil, and evil for good; their confciences are feared, being paft feeling, they give themselves up to lafcivioufnefs, to work wickedness with greediness: the apostle Paul faith of the unconverted Gentiles, that they were dead in trefpaffes and fins; Ephef. ii, 1. and St. Peter, concerning fome deceivers in his time, who had the advantage of better inftruction, but wickedly neglected it, that they were the fervants of corruption, and expressly, that they could not ceafe from fin, 2 Pet. ii, 14. Nay, to fet the indifpofition of fuch finners to goodness, in a stronger light, it is fometimes fo reprefented in fcripture, as if the obftinate depravity of their hearts were the intention and effects of the divine proceedings towards them. To this purpose, is that remarkable prophecy of Isaiah, chap. vi. 9, 10. frequently applied in the new teftament to the Jews, who were hardened in Q2 their

SERM. their difobedience to the Gofpel; tell this VIII. people, bear ye indeed but understand not,

and fee ye indeed but perceive not; make the beart of this people fat, and make their ears beavy, and shut their eyes, left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and underStand with their heart, and convert and be bealed. And Mofes in Deut. xxix. describing the obduracy of the Ifraelites in the wildernefs, that they had not been reclaimed from their rebellion, by all the figns and wonders which had been wrought before their eyes, faith at ver. 4. The Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears to hear unto this day. But the meaning of all this, is not as if there were a natural impoffibility of the converfion of Sinners, and their returning to a better mind and better life; much lefs, as if any thing were omitted or done on God's part to hinder their amendment, for he is always willing that men should repent, and ready to give them all neceffary affistance in order to it: the defign is only to fhew that finners, by being accustomed to evil, are fo deeply engaged in their wicked courfes, that it is extremely difficult to reclaim them, and that whatever God feeth fit, as the wife and good moral Governor of the world, in order to their reformation, they are unhappily

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happily disposed to abuse, so as to make it the SER M. occafion of their greater obftinacy. But it is VIII, plain that the scripture ftill urgeth them to amend, and useth many exhortations, and powerful perfuafives to that purpofe, which fuppofeth a poffibility of fuccefs, otherwife they would be in vain, and could hardly be reconciled to the wisdom and goodness of God, and they have been fuccessful in fome inftances. Nay, and those representations I have mentioned, as they ftand in the places referred to, are defign'd aggravations of guilt delivered in the way of reproof, to try if poffibly the minds of finners could be deeply affected, and fo prevailed with, to exert their power, for their own amendment.

The proper application of all which hath been faid, is to habitual finners. They are of various forts; fome are addicted to cuftomary debauchery, to rioting and drunkenness, as the apostle expreffeth it, to chambering and wantonness, either in a more open and profligate, or in a more fecret manner, under the hypocritical profeffion of religion; fome have contracted habits of profaneness, others of injustice. But whatever the particular vice be, (one is mortal as well as another, and he who cuftomarily offendeth in one point, is guilty of all) they will find their condition defcribed,

SERM. in the account which hath been given of evil VIII. habits, and the tendency of them to indifpofe men for doing good. Are not you fenfible that the predominant fin, by being often praEtifed, hath got a deep root in your affections? according to Zopbar's elegant fimilitude, Job XX. 12. though wickedness be fweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; though he Spare it and forfaketh it not, but keepeth it ftill within his mouth. Another unhappy effect of this indulgence, which you will undoubtedly find in experience if you confider it, is, that your fenfe of the malignity of the fin, which you are accustomed to, abateth; you will by degrees think it lefs and lefs heinous, till at last there appeareth in it little or no harm at all:

What then? can they who are fo accuftomed to do evil, not at all learn to do well; must they be suffered to go on in their evil ways without being urged to reform; and is it in vain for them to take any steps towards their own amendment? If it be fo, they must perish; for, according to the plain tenor of christianity, any one fin obftinately perfifted in will deprive us of falvation; and a thorough fubjection of mind to any one vicious habit, and continuing in the practice of it, is what the gofpel calleth a state of unbelief,