pearls and jewels. As you are then any way concerned in your own eternal condition, which you are entring into, (and how foon you fhall be engaged in it you know not) prevail with yourselves to attend a little unto the exhortation that lies before you; it is your own business that you are entreated to have regard unto.

1. Confider feriously what it is you bottom your hopes and expectations upon as to eternity. Great men, and in other things wife, are here very apt to deceive themselves. They fuppofe they think and believe much otherwise, than indeed they think and believe, as their cry at the last day will manifeft. Put your fouls a little unto it. Do you all feriously think of these things? Or are you fo under the power of your lufts, ignorance, and darkness, that you neglect and despise them? Or do you rife up and ly down, and perform fome duties, or neglect them with a great coldness, remifnets, and indifferency of fpirit, like Gallio not much caring for these things? Or do you relieve yourselves with hopes of future amendmer, purpofing that if you live, you will be other perfons than you are, when fuch and fuch things are brought about and accomplished? Or, do you not hope well in general upon the account of what you have done, and will do? If any of these exprefs your condition, it is unfpeakably miferable. You ly down and rife up under the wrath of the great God, who will prevail at laft upon you, and there fhall be none to deliver. If you fhall fay, Nay, this is not our ftate; we rely on mercy and forgiveness; then let me, in the fear of the great God, entreat a few things yet further of you.

2. That you would feriously confider, whether the forgiveness you reft on, and hope in, be that gospel forgiveness which we have before described? or is it only a general apprehenfion of impunity, though you are finners; that God is merciful, and you hope in him, that you fhall efcape the vengeance of hell-fire? If it be thus with you, forgiveness itself will not relieve you. This is that of the prefumptuous man, Deut. xxix. 19. gofpel

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gofpel-pardon is a thing of another nature; it hath its fpring in the gracious heart of the Father, is made out by a fovereign act of his will; rendered confiftent with the glory of his juftice and holinefs by the blood of Chrift, by which it is purchafed in a covenant of grace. as hath been fhewed: If you fhall fay, Yea, this is the forgiveness we rely upon, it is that which you have defcribed. Then I defire further that you would.

3. Examine your own hearts, how you came to have an interest in this forgivenefs, to clofe with it, and to have a right unto it. A man may deceive himfelf as effectually by fuppofing that true riches are his, when they are not, as by fuppofing his falfe and counterfeit ware to be good and current; how then come you to be interested in this gofpel-forgivenefs? If it hath befallen you, you know not how, if a lifelefs, barren, inoperative perfwafion of it hath crept upon your minds; be not miftaken, God will come and require his forgiveness at your hands, and it fhall appear that you have had no part, nor portion in it. If you fhall fay, Nay, but we were convinced of fin, and rendered exceeding unquiet in our confciences, and on that account looked out after forgiveness, which hath given us reft. Then I defire.

4. That you would diligently confider, to what ends and purposes you have received, and to make ufe of this gofpel forgiveness. Hath it been to make up what was wanting, and to piece up a peace in your own confciences? that whereas you could not anfwer your convictions with your duties, you would feek for relief from forgivenefs. This, and innumerable other ways there are, whereby men may lofe there fouls, when they think all is well with them, even on the account of pardon and mercy. Whence is that caution of the apoftle, Looking diligently left any one should seem to fail, or come Short of the grace of God, Heb. xii. 15. Men mifs it and come fhort of it, when they pretend themselves to be in purfuit of it; yea to have overtaken and poffeffed it. Now, if any of the fe fhould prove to be your condition, 1 defire.

5. That

5. That you would confider feriously, whether it be not high time for you to look out for a way of deliverance, and efcape. that you may fave yourselves from this evil world, and fly from the wrath to come. The judge ftands at the door. Before he deal with you as a judge, he knocks with a tender mercy. Who knows but that this may be the last time of his dealing thus with you? Be you old or young, you have but your season, but your day; it may perhaps be night with you, when it is day with the reft of the world. Your fun may go down at noon; and God may fwear that you fhall not enter into his reft. If you are then refolved to continue in your present condition, I have no more to fay unto you. I am pure from your blood, in that I have declared unto you the counfel of God in this thing, and fo I must leave you to a naked trial between the great God and your fouls at the last day; poor creatures, I even tremble to think, how he will tear you in pieces, when there fhall be none to deliver. Methinks I fee poor deftitute forlorn fouls, forfaken of lufts, fins, world, friends, angels, men, trembling before the throne of God, full of horror, and fearful expectation of the dreadful fentence. Oh that I could mourn over you, whilft you are joined to all the living; whilft there is yet hope, oh that in this your day, you knew the things of your peace!

But now, if you fhall fay, Nay, but we will feek the Lord whilft he may be found, we will draw nigh unto him before he caufe darkness; then confider I pray,

6. What Joshua told the children of Ifrael, when they put themselves upon fuch refolution, and cried out, We will ferve the Lord our God, chap. xxiv. ver, 19. Te cannot ferve the Lord, for he is an holy God, a jealous God, he will not forgive your tranfgreffions, nor your fins. Go to him upon your own account, and in your own ftrength, with your own best endeavours and duties, you will find him too great and too holy for you to deal withal. You will obtain neither acceptance of your perfons, nor pardon of your fins. But you will

of

fay,

fay, this is heavy tidings. If you fit ftill you perith, and if you rife to be doing, it will not be better; is there no hope left for your fouls? muft we pine away under our fins and the wrath of God for ever? God forbid. There are yet other directions remaining to guide you out of thefe entanglements. Wherefore,

7. Ponder ferioufly on what hath been' fpoken of this way of approaching unto God. Confider it in its own. nature, as to all the ends and purposes for which it is propofed of God: Confider whether you approve of it or no; Do you judge it a way fuited and fitted to bring glory unto God? Doth it anfwer all the wants and diftrefles of your fouls? Do you think it excellent fafe, and glorious unto them who are entered into it? Or have you any thing to object against it? Return your anfwer to him in whofe name, and by whofe appointment thefe words are fpoken unto you.. If you fhall fay, We are convinced that this way of forgiveness is the only way for the relief and deliverance of our fouls. Then,

8. Abhor yourfelves for all your blindnefs and obftinacy, whereby you have hitherto defpifed the love of God, the blood of Christ, and the tenders of pardon in the gofpel. Be abafed and humbled to the duft, in a fenfe of your vilenefs, pollutions, and abominations; which things are every day spoken unto, and need not here be repeated. And,

9. Labour to exercife your hearts greatly with thoughts of that abundant grace that is manifefted in this way of finners coming unto God; as alfo of the excellency of the gofpel wherein it is unfolded. Confider the eternal love of the Father, which is the fountain and fpring of this whole difpenfation; the inexpreffible love of the Son, in establishing and confirming it, in removing all hindrances and obftructions by his own blood, bringing forth unto beauty and glory this redemption or forgiveness of fin, as the price of it. And let the glory of the gospel which alone makes this difcovery of forgiveness in God, dwell in your hearts. Let your minds

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fed about thefe things. You will find effects em, above all that hath as yet been brought n your fouls What for the most part have you to been converfant about? When you have rifen ve the turmoyling of lufts and corruptions in your hearts, the entanglements of your callings, bufinefs, and affairs, what have you been able to rife your hearts unto? Perplexing fears about your condition, general hopes, without favour or relifh, yielding you no refreshment; legal commands, bondage-duties, diftracted confciences, broken purpofes and promifes, which your have been toffed up and down withal, without any certain reft. And what effects have these thoughts produced? Have they made you more holy, and more humble? Have they given you delight in God, and ftrength unto new obedience? Not at all. Where you were, there you ftill are, without the leaft progrefs: But now, bring your fouls unto thefe fprings; and try the Lord if from that day you be not blessed with spiritual ftores.

10. If the Lord be pleafed to carry on your fouls thus far, then ftir up yourselves, to choose and clofe with the way of forgivenefs that hath been revealed. Choose it only, choose it in comparison with, and op pofition unto all others. Say you will be for Chrift, and not for another, and be fo accordingly. Here venture, here repofe, here reft your fouls. It is a way of peace, fafety, holiness, beauty, ftrength, power, liberty, and glory; you have the nature, the name, the love, the purposes, the promifes, the covenant, the oath of God; the love, life, death, or blood, the mediation, or oblation and interceffion of Jefus Chrift. The power and efficacy of the Spirit and gofpel grace by him adminiftred, to give the affurance of the excellency, the onenefs, the fafety of the way, whereunto you are engaging.

If now the Lord fhall be pleased to perfwade your hearts and fouls, to enter upon the path marked out before you, and fhall carry you on through the various

exercises