shall do well enough in the way that they are in, at least if they do pick the fairest path, and avoid some of the foulest steps; when alas, all this while, they live but to the world, and flesh, and are strangers to God, and eternal life, and are quite out of the way to heaven. And all this is much, because we cannot persuade them to a few serious thoughts of their condition, and to spend a few hours in the examination of their states: is there not many a self-conceited wretch that hears me this day, that never bestowed one hour, or a quarter of an hour in all their lives, to examine their souls, and try whether they are truly converted or not? O merciful God that will care for such wretches that care no more for themselves, and that will do so much to save them from hell, and help them to heaven, who will do so little for it themselves! If all that are in the way to hell, and in the state of damnation, did but know it, they durst not continue in it. The greatest hope that the devil hath, of bringing you to damnation without a rescue, is by keeping you blindfold and ignorant of your state, and making you believe that you may do well enough in the way that you are in. If you knew that you were out of the way to heaven, and were lost for ever, if you should die as you are, durst you sleep another night in the state that you are in? Durst you live another day in it? Could you heartily laugh, or be merry in such a state? What! and not know but you may be snatched away to hell in an hour! Sure it would constrain you to forsake your former company and courses, and to betake yourselves to the ways of holiness, and the communion of the saints. Sure it would drive you to cry to God for a new heart, and to seek help of those that are fit to counsel you. There is none of you sure, that cares not for being damned. Well then, I beseech you presently make inquiry into your hearts, and give them no rest, till you find out your condition, that if it be good, you may rejoice in it and go on and if it be bad, you may presently look about you for recovery, as men that believe they must Turn or Die. What say you, sirs, will you resolve and promise to be at thus much labour for your souls? Will Will you fall upon this self-examination when you come home? Is my request unreasonable? Your consciences know it is not; resolve on it then, before you stir; knowing how much

it concerneth your souls, I beseech you for the sake of that God that doth command you, at whose bar you will shortly appear, that you will not deny me this reasonable request. For the sake of those souls that must Turn or Die, I beseech you deny me not; even but to make it your business to understand your own conditions, and build upon sure ground, and know off or on, whether you are converted or no, and venture not your souls on negligent security.

But perhaps you will say, What if we should find ourselves yet unconverted, what shall we do then? This question leadeth me to my second doctrine; which will do much to the answering of it, to which I shall now proceed.

Doct. II. It is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live if they will but turn; unfeignedly and thoroughly turn.

The Lord here professeth, that this is it he takes pleasure in, that the wicked Turn and Live. Heaven is made as sure to the converted, as hell is to the unconverted. Turn and Live, is as certain a truth as Turn or Die. God was not bound to provide us a Saviour, nor open to us the door of hope, nor call to us to repent and turn, when once we had cast ourselves away by sin. But he hath freely done it to magnify his mercy. Sinners, there are none of you shall have cause to go home and say, I preach desperation to you. Do we use to shut up the door of mercy against you? O that you would not shut it up against yourselves! Do we use to tell you that God will have no mercy on you, though you turn and be sanctified? When did you ever hear a preacher say such a word? You that bark at the preachers of the Gospel, for desiring to keep you out of hell, and say that they preach desperation; tell me if you sober man say, that there is no hope for you, though ye repent and be converted? No, it is the clean contrary that we daily proclaim from the Lord, That whosoever is born again, and by faith and repentance doth become a new creature, shall certainly be saved; and so far we are from persuading you to despair of this, that we persuade you not to make any doubt of it. It is life and not death, that is the first part of our message to you; our commission is to offer salvation; certain salvation, a speedy, glorious, everlasting salvation, to every one of you; to the poorest beggar, as well as to the greatest

can, when did you ever hear any

lord; to the worst of you, even to the drunkards, swearers, worldlings, thieves, yea, to the despisers and reproachers of the holy way of salvation. We are commanded by our Lord and Master, to offer you a pardon for all that is past, if you will but now at last return and live; we are commanded to beseech and entreat you to accept the offer and return; to tell you what preparation is made by Christ, what mercy stays for you, what patience waiteth on you, what thoughts of kindness God hath towards you; and how happy, how certainly and unspeakably happy, you may be if you will. We have indeed, also, a message of wrath and death: yea, of a twofold wrath and death; but neither of them is our principal message: we must tell you of the wrath that is on you already, and the death that you are born under, for the breach of the law of works: but this is only to shew you the need of mercy, and provoke you to esteem the grace of the Redeemer. And we tell you nothing but the truth, which you must know: for who will seek out for physic, that knows not that he is sick? For telling you of your misery, is not it that makes you miserable, but driveth you to seek for mercy. It is you that have brought this death upon yourselves. We tell you also of another death, even remediless, and much greater torment will fall on those that will not be converted. But as this is true, and must be told you; so it is but the last, and saddest part of our message; we are first to offer you mercy, if you will turn: and it is only those that will not turn nor hear the voice of mercy, that we must foretel damnation to. Will you but cast away your transgressions, delay no longer, but come away at the call of Christ, and be converted, and become new creatures, and we have not a word of damning wrath or death to speak against you. I do here in the name of the Lord of Life proclaim to you all that hear me this day, to the worst of you, to the greatest, to the oldest sinner, that you may have mercy and salvation if you will but turn. There is mercy in God, there is sufficiency in the satisfaction of Christ, the promise is free, full and universal: you may have life if you will but turn. But then, as you love your souls, remember what turning it is the Scripture speaks of. It is not to mend the old house, but to pull down all, and build anew on Christ the rock and sure foun

dation. It is not to mend somewhat in a carnal course of life, but to mortify the flesh, and live after the Spirit. It is not to serve the flesh and the world in a more reformed way, without any scandalous disgraceful sins, and with a certain kind of religiousness; but it is to change your master, and your works, and end, aud set your face a contrary way, and do all for the life that you never saw, and dedicate yourselves, and all you have to God. This is the change that must be made, if you will live.

Yourselves are witness now, that it is salvation and not damnation, that is the great doctrine I preach to you, and the first part of my message to you. Accept of this, and we shall go no further with you; for we would not so much as affright or trouble you with the name of damnation without necessity.

But if you will not be saved, there is no remedy, but damnation must take place; for there is no middle place between the two. You must have either life or death.

And we are not only to offer you life, but to shew you the grounds on which we do it, and call you to believe, that God doth mean indeed as he speaks; that the promise is true, and extendeth conditionally to you as well as others, and that heaven is no fancy, but a true felicity.

If you ask, where is our commission for this offer? Among a hundred texts of Scripture, I will shew it unto you in these few:

And

First, you see it here in my text, and the following verses; and Ezek. xviii. as plain as can be spoke. And in 2 Cor. v. 17-21. you have the very sum of our commission, ("If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, who hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing their trespasses to them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God; for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him). So Mark xvi. 15, 16. "Go ye into

the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth (that is, with such a converting faith as is expressed) and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not, shall be damned." And Luke xxiv. 46, 47. "Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance (which is conversion) and remission of sins, should be preached in his name among all nations." And Acts v. 30, 31. "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." And Acts xiii. 38, 39. "Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." And lest you think this offer is restrained to the Jews, see Gal. vi. 15. “ For in Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." And Luke xiv. 17." Come, for all things are now ready; and ver. 23, 24.

You see by this time, that we are commanded to offer life to you all, and to tell you from God, that if you will Turn you may Live.

Here you may safely trust your souls; for the love of God is the fountain of this offer. And the blood of the Son of God hath purchased it; the faithfulness and truth of God is engaged to make the promise good; miracles have sealed up the truth of it; preachers are sent through the world to proclaim it; the sacraments are instituted and used for the solemn delivery of the mercy offered, to them that will accept it; and the Spirit doth open the heart to entertain it, and is itself the earnest of the full possession. So that the truth of it is past controversy, that the worst of you all, and every one of you, if you will but be converted, may be saved.

Indeed, if you will needs believe you shall be saved without conversion, then you believe a falsehood; and if I should preach that to you, I should preach a lie. This were not to believe God, but the devil and your own deceitful hearts. God hath his promise of life, and the devil hath his promise