SERMON IV.

EZEM. xxxiii. 11.

Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turis ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

I HAVE shewed you the reasonableness of GOD's commands, and the unreasonableness of wicked men's disobedience. If nothing will serve the turn, but men will yet refuse to turn, we are next to consider who it is the fault of, if they be damned. And this brings me to the last doctrine, which is,

Doct. 7. That if after all these men will not turn, it is not the fault of GOD that they are condemned, but of themselves, even their own wilfulness. They die, because they will die; that is, because they will

not turn.

If you will go to hell, what remedy? GOD here acquits himself of your blood! it shall not lie on him if you be lost. A negligent minister may draw it upon him and those that encourage you, or hinder you not in sin, may draw it upon them: but be sure of it, it shall not lie upon GOD, Saith the Lord concerning

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Tiis unprofitable vineyard, Isaiah v. 2, 3, 4. 'Judge, I, pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When he had planted it in a fruitful soil, and fenced it, and gathered out the stones, and planted it with the choicest vines; what should he have done more to it? He hath made you men, and endowed you with reason; he hath furnished you with all external necessaries, he hath given you a righteous perfect law. When you had broke it, and undone yourselves, he had pity on you, and sent his Son by a miracle of condescending mercy to die for you, and be a sacrifice for your sins, and he was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The Lord Jesus hath made you a deed of gilt of himself, and eternal life, with him, on the condition, you will but accept it and return. He hath on this reasonable condition offered you the free pardon of all your sins; he hath written this in his word, and sealed it by his Spirit, and sent it you by his ministers : they have made the offer to you many a time and called you to accept it, and to return to GOD. They have in his name intreated you, and reasoned the case with you, and answered all your frivolous objections. He hath long waited on you, and staid your leisure, and suffered you to abuse him to his face. He hath mercifully sustained you in the midst of your sins: he hath compassed you about with all sorts of mercies: he hath also intermixed afflictions to mind you of your folly, and call you to your wits; and his Spirit hath been often striving with your hearts, and saying there, "Turn sin

ner, turn to him that calleth thee: Whither art thou going? What art thou doing? Dost thou knew what will be the end? How long wilt thou hate thy friends? and love thine enemies? When wilt thou let go all and turn, and deliver up thyself to GOD, and give thy Redeemer the possession of thy soul? When shall it ance be? These pleadings have been used with thee. And when thou hast delayed, thou hast been urged to make haste, and GOD hath called to thee, To-day while it is called to-day, harden not thy heart: Why not now without any more delay? Life hath been set before you, the joys of heaven have been opened to you in the gospel; the certainty of them have been manifested; the certainty of the everlasting torments of the damned hath been declared to you. Unless you would have had a sight of heaven and hell, what could you desire more? Christ hath been, as it were, set forth crusified before your eyes, Gal. iii. 1. You have been - an hundred times told that you are but loss men till you come unto him. As oft as you have been told of the evil of sin, of the vanity of sin, the world, and all the pleasures and wealth it can afford, or the shortness and uncertainty of your lives, and the endless duration of the joy or torment of the life to come. All this, and more than this, have you been told, and told again, even till you were weary of hearing it, and till you could make the lighter of it, because you had so often heard it, like the smith's dog, that is brought by custom to sleep under the nose of the hammers, and when the sparks do fly about his ears; and though all this

have not eonverted you, yet you are alive, and might have mercy to this day, if you had but hearts to entertain it. And now let reason itself be judge, whether it be owing to GOD or you, if after all this you will be unconverted and be damned? if you die now, it is because you will die. What should be said more to you? or what course should be taken that is liker to prevail? Are you able to say and make it good, We would fain have been converted and become new creatures, but we could not; we would fain have forsaken our sins, but could not; we would have changed our company, and our thoughts, and our discourse, but we could not. Why could not you if you would? What hindered you but the wickedness of your hearts? Who forced you to sin? or who did hold you back from duty? Had not you the same teaching, and time, and liberty, to be godly, as your godly neighbours had? Why then could you not have been godly as well as they? Were the church doors shut against you? or did you not keep away yourselves; or sit and sleep, or hear as if you did not hear; Did GOD put in any exceptions against you in his word, when he invited sinners to return? and when he promised mercy to those that do return; Did he say, I will pardon all that repent, except thee? Did he forbid you to pray to him any more than others? You know he did not. GOD did not drive you away from him, but you forsook him, and run away yourselves. And when he called you to him, you would not come. If GOD had excepted you out of the general promise and offer of mercy, or had said to