that it hath not a virtuous moral freedom. But that it is the wickedness of it which deserves the I pray you let us not befool derstanding that thou gavest me, was unable to discern; the will that thou gavest me, was unable to make a better choice; the objects which thou punishment. didst set before me, did entice me; the tempta- ourselves with opinions. Let the case be your tion which thou didst permit to assault me, pre-own. If you had an enemy so malicious, that vailed against me.' And some are so loth to he falls upon you and beats you every time he think that God can make a self-determining meets you, and takes away the lives of your creature, that they dare not deny him that which children, will you excuse him, because he saith, they take to be his prerogative, to be the deter-I have not free-will, it is my nature, I cannot miner of the will in every sin, as the first efficient choose, unless God give me grace? If you have immediate physical cause. And many could be a servant that robs you, will you take such content to acquit God from so much causing of evil, if they could but reconcile it with his being the chief cause of good: as if truths would be no longer truths, than we are able to see them in their perfect order and coherence. Because our shallow understandings cannot set them right together, nor assign each truth its proper place, we presume to conclude, that some must be cast away. This is the fruit of proud self-conceit, when men receive not God's truth as a child his lesson, in a holy submission to the holy omniscience of our teacher, but as censurers that are too wise to learn. an answer from him? Might not every thief and murderer that is hanged at the assizes give such an answer, I have not free-will, I cannot change my own heart: what can I do without God's grace ? Shall they therefore be acquitted? If not, why then should you think to be acquitted for a course of sin against the Lord? 2. From hence also you may observe these three things together. First, What a subtle tempter Satan is. Second What a deceitful thing sin is. Third, What a foolish creature corrupted man is. A subtle tempter indeed, that can persuade the greatest part of the world to go wilfully into everlasting fire, when they have so many warnings and dissuasives as they have! Object. But we cannot convert ourselves till God convert us; we can do nothing without his grace. It is not in him that willeth, nor in him | A deceitful thing is sin indeed, that can bewitch that runneth, but in God that showeth mercy. Ans. 1. God hath two degrees of mercy to show: the mercy of conversion first; and the mercy of salvation last: the latter he will give to none but those that will and run, and hath promised it to them only. The former is to make them willing that were unwilling; and though your own willingness and endeavours deserve not his grace, yet your wilful refusal deserves that it should be denied unto you. Your disability is your very unwillingness itself, which excuses not your sin, but makes it the greater. You could turn, if you were but truly willing, and if your wills themselves are so corrupted, that nothing but effectual grace will move them, you have the more cause to seek for that grace, and yield to it, and do what you can in the use of the means, and not neglect it, nor set against it. Do what you are able first, and then complain of God for denying you grace, if you have cause. so many thousands to part with everlasting life, for a thing so base and utterly unworthy: a foolish creature is man indeed, that will be so cheated of his salvation for nothing, yea, for a known nothing; and that by an enemy, a known enemy! You would think it impossible that any man in his senses should be persuaded, for a trifle, to cast himself into the fire or water, into a coal-pit, to the destruction of his life? And yet men will be enticed to cast themselves into hell. If your natural lives were in your own hands, that you should not die till you would kill yourselves, how long would most of you live? Yet when your everlasting life is so far in your own hands, under God, that you cannot be undone till you undo yourselves, how few of you will forbear your own undoing! Ah, what a silly thing is man; and what a bewitching and befooling thing is sin! 3. From hence also you may learn, that it is no great wonder if wicked men be hinderers of Object. But you seem to intimate all this others in the way to heaven, and would have as while that man hath free-will. Ans. The dispute about free-will is beyond your capacity, I shall therefore now trouble you with no more but this about it. Your will is naturally a free, that is, a self-determining faculty, but it is viciously inclined, and backward to do good; and therefore we see by sad experience many unconverted as they can, and would draw them into sin, and keep them in it. Can you expect that they should have mercy on others, that have none upon themselves; and that they should much stick at the destruction of others, that stick not to destroy themselves? They do no worse by others, than they do by themselves. 4. Lastly, You may hence learn that the great | is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then est enemy to man is himself, and the greatest when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin; judgment in this life that can befall him is to and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.' be left to himself; that the greatest work that You see here that sin is the offspring of your grace hath to do is to save us from ourselves, own depraved desires, and not to be fathered on and the greatest accusations and complaints of God; that death is the offspring of your own men should be against themselves; that the great- sin, and the fruit which it will yield you as soon est work we have to do ourselves, is to resist our- as it is ripe. You have a treasure of evil in selves, and that the greatest enemy we should yourselves, as a spider hath of poison, from daily pray and strive against, is our carnal hearts whence you are bringing forth hurt to yourselves; and wills; and the greatest part of your work, and spinning such webs as intangle your own if you would do good to others, and help them souls. Your nature shows that you are the to heaven, is to save them from themselves, even from their own blind understandings, corrupted wills, perverse affections, violent passions, and unruly senses. I only name all these for brevity sake, and leave them to your farther consideration. Now we have found out the great delinquent and murderer of souls, even men's selves, their own wills; what remains, but that you judge according to the evidence, and confess this great iniquity before the Lord, be humbled for it, and do so no more? To these three ends distinctly, I shall add a few words more. First, Farther to convince you. Second, To humble you. And Third, To reform you, if there be yet any hopes. 1. We know so much of the exceedingly gracious nature of God, who is willing to do good, and delights to show mercy, that we have no reason to suspect him of being the culpable cause of our death, or call him cruel: he made all good, and he preserves and maintains all 'the eyes of all things do wait upon him, and he giveth them their meat in due season; he openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desires of the living.' He is not only righteous in all his ways,' and therefore will deal justly, and holily in all his works (and therefore not the author of sin) but he is also good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.' cause. 2. It is evident you are your own destroyers, in that you are so ready to entertain any temptation almost that is offered you. Satan is scarcely readier to move you to any evil, than you are ready to hear, and to do as he would have you. If he would tempt your understanding to error and prejudice, you yield. If he hinder you from good resolutions, it is soon done: if he would cool any good desires or affections, it is soon done: if he would kindle any lust, or vile affections and desires in you, it is soon done: if he would put you on to evil thoughts, words, or deeds, you are so free that he needs no rod or spur: if he would keep you from holy thoughts, words, and ways, a little. doth it; you need no curb. You examine not. his suggestions, nor resist them with any resolution, nor cast them out as he casts them in, nor quench the sparks which he endeavours to kindie. But you set in with him, meet him halfway, embrace his motions, and tempt him to tempt you. It is easy to catch such greedy fish that are ranging for a bait, and will take the bare hook. 3. Your destruction is evidently procured by yourselves, in that you resist all that would help to save you, and would do you good, or hinder you from undoing yourselves. God would help But as for man, we know his mind is dark, his and save you by his word, and you resist it, it will perverse, and his affections carry him head- is too strict for you. He would sanetify you long, so that he is fitted by folly and corruption, by his Spirit, and you resist and quench it. If to such a work, as the destroying of himself. If any man reprove you for your sin, you fly in you saw a lamb lie killed in the way, would you his face with evil words; and if he would draw sooner suspect the sheep or the dog, or wolf to you to a holy life, and tell you of your present be the author of it, if they both stand by; or if danger, you give him little thanks, but either bid you see an house broken, and the people mur-him look to himself, he shall not answer for you ; dered, would you sooner suspect the prince, or or else at best you put him off with heartless judge, that is wise and just, and had no need; thanks, and will not turn when you are peror a 'known thief, or murderer? I say, therefore, 'Let no man say when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man (to draw him to sin) but every man is tempted, when he suaded. If ministers would privately instruct and help you, you will not come to them, your unhumbled souls feel but little need of their help. If they would catechise you, you are too old to be catechised, though you are not too old to be ignorant and unholy. Whatever they can say to you for your good, you are so selfconceited and wise in your own eyes, even in the depth of ignorance, that you will regard nothing that agrees not with your present conceits, but contradict your teachers, as if you were wiser than they; you resist all that they can say to you, by your ignorance and wilfulness, foolish cavils, shifting evasions, and unthankful rejections; so that no good that is offered, can find any welcome acceptance or entertainment with you. 4. Moreover, it is apparent that you are selfdestroyers, in that you draw the matter of your sin and destruction even from the blessed God himself; you like not the contrivance of his wisdom: you like not his justice, but take it for cruelty: you like not his holiness, but are ready to think he is such a one as yourselves, and makes as light of sin as you: you like not his truth, but would have his threatenings, even his peremptory threatenings, prove false. His goodness, which you seem most highly to approve, you partly abuse to the strengthening of your sin, as if you might the more freely sin because God is merciful, and because his grace doth so much abound. 5. Yea, you draw destruction from your blessed Redeemer, and death from the Lord of life himself, and nothing more emboldens you in sin, than that Christ hath died for you; as if now the danger of death were over, and you might boldly venture: as if Christ were become a servant to Satan, and your sins, and must wait upon you while you are abusing him; because he is become the physician of souls, and is able to save to the utmost, all that come to God by him, -you think he must suffer you to refuse his help, and throw away his medicines, and must save you, whether you will come to God by him or not; so that a great part of your sins are occasioned by your bold presumption upon the death of Christ, and from not considering that he came to redeem his people from their sins, to sanctify them a peculiar people to himself, and to conform them in holiness to the image of their heavenly Father, and to their head. 6. You also procure your own destruction from all the providences and works of God. When you think of his eternal fore-knowledge and decrees, it is to harden you in your sin, or possess your minds with quarrelling thoughts, as if his decrees might spare you the labour of repentance, and an holy life, or else were the cause of your sin and death. If he afflict you, you repine; if he prosper you, you the more forget him, and are the more backward to the thoughts of the life to come: if the wicked prosper, you forget the end that will set all reckonings straight; and are ready to think it is as good to be wicked as godly. And thus you draw your death from all. 7. The like you do from all the creatures and mercies of God to you; he gives them to you as the tokens of his love, and furniture for his service, and you turn them against him to the pleasing of your flesh. You eat and drink to please your appetite, not for the glory of God, and to enable you for his work; your clothes you abuse to pride; your riches draw your hearts from heaven; your honours and applause puff you up; if you have health and strength, it makes you more secure, and forget your end. Yea, other men's mercies are abused by you to your hurt: if you see their honours and dignity, you are provoked to envy them; if you see their riches, you are ready to covet them; if you look upon beauty, you are stirred up to lust; and it is well if godliness be not an eye-sore to you. 8. The very gifts that God bestows on you, and the ordinances of grace which he hath instituted for his church, you turn into your sin. If you have better parts than others, you grow proud and self-conceited: if you have but common gifts, you take them for special grace. You take the bare hearing of your duty for so good a work, as if it would excuse you for not obeying it. Your prayers are turned into sin, because you 'regard iniquity in your hearts, and depart not from iniquity when you call on the name of the Lord.-Your prayers are abominable, because you turn away your ear from hearing the law,' and are more ready to offer the sacrifice of fools,' thinking you do God some special service, than to hear his word and obey it. You examine not yourselves before you receive the supper of the Lord, but not discerning the Lord's body, eat and drink judgment to yourselves. 9. Yea, the persons you converse with, and all their actions, you make the occasions of your sin and destruction. If they live in the fear of God, you hate them; if they live ungodly, you imitate them; if the wicked are many, you think you may the more boldly follow them; if the godly be few, you are the more emboldened to despise them: if they walk exactly, you think they are too precise: if one of them fall into a particular temptation, you stumble upon them, and turn away from holiness, because others are imperfectly holy; as if you were warranted to break your necks be 3. What pity is it, that you should do that against yourselves, which none else in earth or hell can do! If all the world were combined against you, or all the devils in hell were combined against you, they could not destroy you without yourselves, nor make you sin, but by your own consent. Will you do that against yourselves which none else can do; you have hateful thoughts of the devil, because he is your enemy, and endeavours your destruction; and will you be worse than devils to yourselves? Why thus it is with you, if you had hearts to understand it; when you run into sin, and run from godliness, and refuse to turn at the call of God, you do more against your own souls than men or devils could do besides. If you should set yourselves and bend your minds to do yourselves the greatest mischief, you could not devise to do a greater. cause some others have, by their heedlessness, | gratifying the desires of your flesh. But alas, sprained a sinew or disjointed a bone. If a hy- it is but as a draught of cold water in a burning pocrite discover himself, you say, they are all fever. If indeed you would have pleasure, profit, alike, and think yourselves as honest as the best. or honour, seek them where they are to be found, A professor can scarcely slip into any miscarriage, and do not hunt after them in the way to hell. but because he cuts his finger, you think you may boldly cut your throats. If ministers deal plainly with you, you say they rail; if they speak gently or coldly, you either sleep under them, or are little more affected than the seats you sit upon. If any errors creep into the church, some greedily entertain them, and others reproach the Christian doctrine for them, which is most against them. And if we would draw you from any ancient rooted error, which can but plead two, or three, or six, or seven hundred years' custom, you are as much offended with a motion for reformation, as if you were to lose your life by it, and hold fast old errors while you cry out against new ones. Scarce a difference can arise among the ministers of the gospel, but you will fetch your own death from it. And you will not hear, or at least, not obey the unquestionable doctrine of any of those that agree not with your conceits: one will not hear a minister, because he reads his sermons, and another will not hear him, because he doth not read them: one will not hear him, because he saith the Lord's prayer; and another will not hear him, because he doth not use it: one will not hear them that are for episcopacy, and another will not hear them that are against it. And thus I might show you in many other cases, how you turn all that comes near you to your own destruction; so clear is it, that the ungodly are self-destroyers, and that their perdition is of themselves. Methinks now, upon the consideration of what is said, and the review of your own ways, you should bethink you what you have done, be ashamed, and deeply humbled, to remember it. If you be not, I pray you consider these following truths. 1. To be your own destroyers, is to sin against the deepest principle in your natures, even the principle of self-preservation; every thing naturally desires or inclines to its own felicity, wel fare, or perfection? And will you set yourselves to your own destruction? When you are commanded to love your neighbours as yourselves, it is supposed that you naturally love yourselves; but if you love your neighbours no better than yourselves, it seems you would have all the world to be damned. 2. How extremely do you cross your own intentions! I know you intend not your own damnation, even when you are procuring it; you think you are but doing good to yourselves by 4. You are false to the trust that God hath reposed in you. He hath much intrusted you with your own salvations and will you betray your trust? He hath set you with all diligence to keep your hearts; and is this the keeping of them. 5. You do even forbid all others to pity you, when you will have no pity on yourselves: if you cry to God, for mercy, in the day of your calamity, what can you expect but that he should thrust you away, and say, nay, thou wouldst not have mercy on thyself; who brought this upon thee but thy own wilfulness? And if your brethren see you for ever ip misery, how should they pity you, that were your own destroyers, and would not be persuaded. 6. It will for ever make you your own tormentors in hell, to think on it, that you brought yourselves wilfully to that misery. Oh, what an agonizing thought it will be for ever, to think with yourselves that this was your own doing; that you were warned of this day, and warned again, but it would not do; that you wilfully sinned and turned from God; that you had time as well as others, but you abused it. You had teachers as well as others, but you refused their instruction; you had holy examples, but you did not imitate them; you were offered Christ, grace, and glory as well as others, but you had more mind to fleshly pleasures; you had a prize in your hands, but had not a heart to lay it out. Can it choose but torment you, to think of this your present folly? Oh, that your There is no carrying madmen to heaven in eyes were opened to see what you have done in fetters. You may be condemned against your the wilful wronging of your own souls! And wills, because you sinned with your wills; but that you better understood those words of God, you cannot be saved against your wills. The hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not : | wisdom of God hath thought meet to lay man's blessed is the man that heareth me, watching salvation or destruction very much upon the daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my choice of their own wills: that no man shall come doors; for whoso findeth me, findeth life, and to heaven that chose not the way to heaven; and shall obtain favour of the Lord; but he that sin- no man shall come to hell, but shall be forced to neth against me, wrongeth his own soul; and they say, I have the thing I chose, my own will did that hate me, love death.' bring me hither. Now if I could but get you to Now I am come to the conclusion of this work, be willing, to be thoroughly, resolvedly, and my heart is troubled to think how I shall leave habitually willing, the work were more than half you, lest after this the flesh should deceive you, done. Alas, must we lose our friends, and must and the world and the devil should keep you they lose their God, their happiness, their souls, asleep, and I should leave you as I found you, | for want of this? O God forbid! It is a strange till you awake in hell. Though in care of your thing to me, that men are so inhuman and stupid poor souls, I am afraid of this, as knowing the in the greatest matters, that in lesser things are obstinacy of a carnal heart; yet I can say with very civil and courteous, and good neighbours. the prophet Jeremiah, 'I have not desired the For ought I know, I have the love of all, or woful day, the Lord knoweth.' I have not with almost all, my neighbours, so far, that if I should James and John, desired that fire might come send to every man in the town, parish, or down from heaven, to consume them that refused country, and request a reasonable courtesy of Jesus Christ. But it is the preventing of the them, they will grant it me; and yet when I come eternal fire that I have been all this while en- to request of them the greatest matter in the deavouring: and O, that it had been a needless | world, for themselves, and not for me, I can have work! That God and conscience might have been as willing to spare me this labour, as some of you could have been. But dear friends, I am so loth you should lie in everlasting fire, and be shut out of heaven, if it be possible to prevent it, that I shall once more ask you, what do you now resolve? Will you turn, or die? I look upon you as a physician on his patient, in a dangerous disease, that saith unto him, though you are so far gone, take but this medicine, forbear but these few things that are so hurtful to you, and I dare warrant your life; but if you will not do this, you are a dead man. What would you think of such a man, if the physician and all the friends he hath, cannot persuade him to take one medicine to save his life, or to forbear one or two poisonous things that would kill him? This is your case. As far as you are gone in sin, do but now turn and come to Christ, take his remedies, and your souls shall live. Cast up your deadly sins by repentance, and return not to your poisonous vomit any more, and you shall do well. But yet if it were your bodies, that we had to deal with, we might partly know what to do for you. Though you would not consent, you might be held or bound, while the medicine was poured down your throats, and hurtful things might be kept from you. But about your souls it cannot be so; we cannot convert you against your wills. nothing of many of them, but a patient hearing. I know not whether people think a man in the pulpit is in good earnest or not, and means as he speaks. For I think I have few neighbours, but if I were sitting familiarly with them, and telling them of what I have seen or done, or known in the world, they would believe me, and regard what I say; but when I tell them from the infallible word of God, what they themselves shall see and know in the world to come, they show by their lives that they do either not believe it, or not much regard it. If I meet any one of them on the way, and told them, yonder is a coal pit, or there is a quick-sand, or there are thieves lay in wait for you, I could persuade them to turn by. But when I tell them that Satan lies in wait for them, and that sin is poison to them, and that hell is not a matter to be jested with, they go on as if they did not hear me. Truly neighbours, I am in as good earnest with you in the pulpit, as I am in any familiar discourse, and if ever you will regard me, I beseech you let it be here. I think there is not a man of you all, but if my own soul lay at your wills, you would be willing to save it; though I cannot promise that you would leave your sins for it. Tell me, thou drunkard, art thou so cruel to me that speaks to thee, that thou wouldst not forbear a few cups of drink, if thou knewest it |