DIRECTION VIII.

IF you mean indeed to turn and live, do it fpeedily without delay. If you be not willing to turn to-day, you be not willing to do it at all. Remember you are all this while in your blood, under the guilt of many thousand fins, and under God's wrath, and you ftand at the very brink of hell; there is but a step between you and death. And this is not a cafe for a man that is well in his wits to be quiet in. Up therefore prefently, and fly as for your lives, as you would be gone out of your houfe if it were all on fire over your head. O, if you did but know what continual danger you live in, and what daily unfpeakable lofs you do sustain, and what a fafer and fweeter life you might live, you would not stand trifling, but prefently turn. Multitudes mifcarry that wilfully delay when they are convinced that it must be done. Your lives are short and uncertain; and what a cafe are you in, if you die before you thoroughly turn! You have ftaid too long already, and wronged God too long. Sin getteth ftrength and rooting while you delay. Your converfion will grow more hard and doubtful. You have much to do, and therefore put not all off to the laft, left God forfake you, and give you up to yourfelves, and then you are undone for ever.

DIRECTION IX.

IF you will turn and live, do it unrefervedly, abfolutely, and univerfally. Think not to capitulate with Chrift, and divide your heart betwixt him and the world; and to part with fome fins, and keep the reft; and to let go that which your fleth can fpare. This is but felf-deluding; you must in heart and refolution forfake all that you have, or else you cannot be his difciples, Luke xiv. 26, 33. If you will not take

God and Heaven for your portion, and lay all below at the feet of Chrift, but you muft needs alfo have your good things here, and have an earthly portion, and God and glory is not enough for you; it is in vain to dream of falvation on thefe terms: For it will not be. If you seem never fo religious, if yet it be but a carnal righteoufhefs, and the flesh's profperity, or pleasure, or fafety, be ftill excepted in your devotednefs to God; this is as certain a way to death as open prophaneness, though it be more plausible.

DIRECTION X.

IF you turn and live, do it refolvedly, and ftand not ftill deliberating, as if it were a doubtful cafe. Stand not wavering, as if you were uncertain whether God or the flesh be the better master, or whether heaven or hell be the better end, or whether fin or holiness be the better way. But away with your former lufts, and prefently, habitually, fixedly refolve: Be not one day of one mind, and the next of another, but be at a point with all the world, and refolvedly give up yourselves and all you have to God. Now while you are reading or hearing this, refolve; before you fleep another night, refolve; before you ftir from the place, refolve; before Satan have time to take you off, refolve. You never turn indeed till you do refolve, and that with a firm unchangeable resolution.

So much for the Directions.

AND now I have done my part in this work, that you may turn to the call of God and live. What will become of it, I cannot tell. I have caft the feed at God's command; but it is not in my power to give the increase. I can go no further with my meffage; I cannot bring it to your heart, nor make it work; I cannot do your parts for you, to entertain it and confiF

der it; nor I cannot do God's part, by opening your heart to caufe you to entertain it; nor can I fhew you heaven or hell to your eye-fight, nor give you new and tender hearts. If I knew what more to do for your converfion, I hope I fhould do it.

But O thou that art the gracious Father of Spirits, thou haft fworn thou delighteft not in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn and live; deny not thy bleffing to thefe perfuafions and directions, and fuffer not thine enemies to triumph in thy fight, and the great deceiver of fouls to prevail against thy Son, thy Spirit, and thy Word. O pity poor unconverted finners, that have no hearts to pity or help themselves: Command the blind to fee, and the deaf to hear, and the dead to live, and let not fin and death be able to refift thee. Awaken the fecure, refolve the unrefolved, confirm the wavering, and let the eyes of finners, that read thefe lines, be next employed in weeping over their fins, and bring them to themselves, and to thy Son, before their fins have brought them to perdition. If thou Jay but the word, these poor endeavours shall profper to the winning of many a foul to their everlasting joy, and thine everlafting glory. Amen.

FINIS.

CONTENTS.

The Reafon of the Work.

Page

3

DOCT. 1. It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.

DocT. 2. It is the promife of God, that the wicked
fhall live if they will but turn.
DOCT. 3. God takes pleasure in men's converfion
and Salvation, but not in their death or damna-
tion; he had rather they would return and live,
than go on and die.
DocT. 4. This is a moft certain truth, which be-
caufe God would not have men to queftion, he
hath confirmed it to them folemnly by his oath.
Docr. 5. The Lord doth redouble his commands
and perfuafions to the wicked to turn.
DocT. 6. The Lord condefcendeth to reafon the
cafe with them; and afketh the wicked why they
will die?

DocT. 7. If after all this the wicked will not turn, it is not long of God that they perish, but of themselves; their own wilfulness is the cause of their own damnation; they therefore die because they will die.

Ten Directions.

10

35

41

48

55

68

91

117