soul, and so great a hope, through mere sloth, and loathness to be at some pains for thy life; let the text, which hath been thy directory about the things that belong to thy peace, be also thy motive, as it gives thee to behold the Son of God weeping over such as would not know those things. Shall not the Redeemer's tears move thee? O hard heart! Consider what these tears import to this purpose.

1. They signify the real depth, and greatness of the misery into which thou art falling. They drop from an intellectual and most comprehensive eye, that sees far, and pierces deep into things, hath a wide and large prospect; takes the compass of that forlorn state into which unreconcilable sinners are hastening, in all the horror of it. The Son of God did not weep vain and causeless tears, or for a light matter; nor did he for himself either spend his own, or desire the profusion of others' tears. "Weep not for me, O daughters of Jerusalem." He knows the value of souls, the weight of guilt, and how low it will press and sink them; the severity of God's justice, and the power of his anger, and what the fearful effects of them will be, when they finally fall. If thou understandest not these things thyself, believe him that did, at least believe his

tears.

2. They signify the sincerity of his love and pity, the truth and tenderness of his compassion. Canst thou think his tears deceitful? his, who never knew guile? was this like the rest of his course? And remember, that he who shed tears, did, from the same fountain of love and mercy, shed blood

too! Was that also done to deceive? Thou makest thyself some very considerable thing indeed, if thou thinkest the Son of God counted it worth his while to weep, and bleed, and die, to deceive thee into a false esteem of him and his love. But if it be the greatest madness imaginable to entertain any such thought, but that his tears were sincere and inartificial, the natural genuine expressions of undissembled benignity and pity, thou art then to consider what love and compassion thou art now sinning against; what bowels thou spurnest; and that if thou perishest, it is under such guilt as the devils themselves are not liable to, who never had a Redeemer bleeding for them, nor, that we ever find, weeping over them.

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3. They show the remedilessness of thy case, if thou persist in impenitency and unbelief till the things of thy peace be quite hid from thine eyes. These tears will then be the last issues of (even defeated) love, of love that is frustrated of its kind design. Thou mayest perceive in these tears the steady unalterable laws of heaven, the inflexibleness of the divine justice, that holds thee in adamantine bonds, and hath sealed thee up, if thou prove incurably obstinate and impenitent, unto perdition; so that even the Redeemer himself," he that is mighty to save," cannot at length save thee, but only weep over thee, drop tears into thy flame, which assuage it not; but (though they have another design, even to express true compassion) do yet unavoidably heighten, and increase the fervour of it, and will do so to all eternity. He even tells thee, sinner, Thou

hast despised my blood, thou shalt yet have my tears. That would have saved thee, these do only lament thee lost.

But the tears wept over others as lost and past hope, why should they not yet melt thee, while as yet there is hope in thy case; if thou be effectually melted in thy very soul, and "looking to him whom thou hast pierced, dost truly mourn over him," thou mayest assure thyself the prospect his weeping eye had of lost souls, did not include thee. His weeping over thee would argue thy case forlorn and hopeless. Thy mourning over him will make it safe and happy. That it may be so, consider further that,'

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4. They signify how very intent he is to save souls, and how gladly he would save thine, if yet thou wilt accept of mercy while it may be had. if he weep over them that will not be saved, from the same love that is the spring of these tears, would saving mercies proceed to those that are become willing to receive them. And that love that wept over them that were lost, how will it glory in them that are saved? There his love is disappointed and vexed, crossed in its gracious intentions; but here, having compassed it, how will he joy over thee with singing, and rest in his love! And thou also, instead of being involved in a like ruin with the unreconciled sinners of the Old Jerusalem, shalt be enrolled among the glorious citizens of the new, and triumph together with them in eternal glory.

APPENDIX.

CONCERNING THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST; AND HOW GOD IS SAID TO WILL THE SALVATION OF THEM THAT PERISH.

BECAUSE Some things, not fit to be wholly omitted, were as little fit to come into the body of a practical discourse, it was thought requisite to subjoin here the following additions, that will, severally, have reference to distinct parts of the foregoing discourse.

As to what was said, p. 104, of the unreasonableness, and ill consequence of admitting it to be any man's duty to believe himself utterly rejected, and forsaken of God, inasmuch as it would make that his duty which were repugnant to his felicity. This is to be evinced by a consideration, which also, even apart by itself, were not without its own great weight, namely, that such a belief were inconsistent with his former stated and known duty: it were therefore inconsistent with his felicity, inasmuch as it would make that duty impossible to be performed, which, before, was, by the constitution of the evangelical law, made necessary to it; namely, "Repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." The hope of acceptance is so necessary to both these, that the belief of a man's being finally rejected, or

that he shall never be accepted, cannot but make them both impossible, equally impossible, as if he were actually in hell; as much impossible to him, as to the devils themselves. Nor is this impossibility, merely, from a moral impotency, or that obduration of heart which were confessedly vicious, and his great sin, but from the natural influence of that belief of his being for ever rejected, which, upon the mentioned supposition, were his duty. Besides, inasmuch as it is the known duty of a sinner under the gospel, "to turn to God through Christ," and it is also declared in the same gospel, sufficiently to make it the common matter of faith to Christians, that none can "of themselves turn to God, and believe in his Son," without the help of special efficacious grace; it must hereupon be a man's duty also to pray for that grace which may enable him hereto. How deep in wickedness was Simon Magus, even in the "gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity," when yet Peter calls him to repentance, and puts him upon praying for forgiveness, which must imply also his praying for the grace to repent; but how can a man pray for that, which, at the same time, he believes shall not be given him? yea, and which is harder, and more unaccountable, how can he stand obliged in duty, to pray for that, which, at the same time, he stands obliged in duty to believe he shall not obtain? How can these two contrary obligations lie upon a man at the same time; or is he to look upon the former as ceased? should he reckon the gospel as to him repealed? or his impenitency and infidelity, even when they are at the highest, no sins?