ruptions; or if they feed not their light by the oil of diligent studies, and other endeavours; or if they will not go along with men into the dark and unknown corners of the heart, what wonder if men's hearts remain in darkness, when those that by office are appointed to afford them light, do fail them? It is not a general dull discourse, or critical observations, upon words, or the subtle decision of some nice and curious questions of the schools, (though these may be useful to their proper ends,) nor is it a neat and well-composed speech, about some other distant matters, that is likely to acquaint a sinner with himself. How many sermons may we hear (that to other ends are not unprofitable) that are levelled at some mark or other, that is very far from the hearers' hearts, and therefore are never likely to convince them, or prick them, or open and convert them? And if our congregations were in such a case, as that they needed no closer quickening work, such preaching might be borne with and commended; but when so many usually sit before us, that must shortly die, and are unprepared, and that are condemned by the law of God, and must be pardoned or finally condemned; that must be saved from their sins, that they may be saved from everlasting misery, I think it is time for us to talk to them of such things as most concern them; and that in such a manner as may most effectually convince, awake, and change them. When we come to them on their sick-beds, we talk not then to them of distant or impertinent things: of words, or forms, or parties, or by-opinions; but of the state of their souls, and their appearing before the Lord, and how they may be ready, that death may be both safe and comfortable to them: (though a superstitious miserable fellow, that knoweth no better things himself, may talk to the sick of beads, and relics, and of being on this side or that, for this ceremony or the other, and may think to conjure the unholy spirit out of him, by some affected words of devotions, uttered from a graceless, senseless heart; or to command him out by Papal authority, as if they would charm his soul to heaven, by saying over some lifeless forms, and using the Gospel as a spell: yet ministers indeed, that know themselves what faith and what repentance is, and what it is to be regenerate, and to be prepared to die, do know that they have other work to do.) The Gospel offereth men their choice, whether they

will have holiness or sin; and to be ruled by Christ, or by their fleshly lusts; and so whether they will have spiritual, or carnal, eternal, or transitory joys. And our work is to persuade them to make that choice which will be their happiness if we can prevail, and which eternal joy depends upon; whether we come to them in sickness or in health, this is our business with them. A man that is ready to be drowned, is not at leisure for a song or dance: and a man that is ready to be damned, methinks should not find himself at leisure to hear a man shew his wit and reading only, if not his folly and malice against a life of holiness: nor should you think that suitable to such men's case, that doth not evidently tend to save them. But, alas, how often have we heard such sermons, as tend more to diversion than direction, to fill their minds with other matters, and find men something else to think on, lest they should study themselves, and know their misery! And whereas there may be so much ingenuity in the sinner, as to perceive that the discourse of idle tongues, or the reading of a romance is unsuitable to one in his condition; and therefore will not, by such toys as these, be called off from the consideration of his ways. A preacher that seems to speak religiously, by a sapless, dry, impertinent discourse, that is called a sermon, may more plausibly and easily divert him: and his conscience will more quietly suffer him to be taken off the necessary care of his salvation, by something that is like it, and pretends to do the work as well, than by the grosser avocations, or the scorns of fools: and he will more tamely be turned from religion, by something that is called religion, and which he hopes may serve the turn, than by open wickedness, or impious defiance of God and reason. But how oft do we hear applauded sermons, which force us, in compassion to men's souls, to think, O what is all this to the opening a sinner's heart unto himself, and shewing him his unregenerate state! What is this to the conviction of a selfdeluding soul, that is passing unto hell with the confident expectations of heaven! To the opening of men's eyes, and turning them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God! What is this to shew men their undone condition, and the absolute necessity of Christ, and of renewing grace! What is in this to lead men up from earth to heaven, and to acquaint them with the unseen world, and

to help them to the life of faith and love, and to the mòrtifying and the pardon of their sins! How little skill have many miserable preachers, in the searching of the heart, and helping men to know themselves, whether Christ be in them, or whether they be reprobates! And how little care and diligence are used by them to call men to the trial, and help them in the examining and judging of themselves, as if it were a work of no necessity! They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace, saith the Lord," (Jer. vi. 14.) And Ezek. xiii. 10-12. "6 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar: Say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?"

It is a plain and terrible passage, Prov. xxiv. 24, "He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse; nations shall abhor him." Such injustice in a judge, or witnesses, is odious, that determine but in order to temporal rewards or punishments: (Lev. xix. 15; Prov. xviii. 5; xxviii. 21.) But in a messenger that professeth to speak to men in the name of God, and in the stead of Jesus Christ, when the determination hath respect to the consciences of men, and to their endless joy or torment, how odious and horrid a crime must it be esteemed, to persuade the wicked that he is righteous; or to speak that which tendeth to persuade him of it, though not in open, plain expressions! What perfidious dealing is this against the Holy God! What an abuse of our Redeemer, that his pretended messengers shall make him seem to judge clean contrary to his holiness, and to his law, and to the judgment which indeed he passeth, and will pass on all that live and die unsanctified! What vile deceit and cruelty against the souls of men are such preachers guilty of, that would make them believe that all is well with them, or that their state is safe or tolerable, till they must find it otherwise to their woe! When diseased souls have but a short and limited time allowed them for their cure, that a man shall come to them,

as in the name of their physician, and tell them that they are pretty well, and need not make so much ado about the business, and thus keep them from their only help till it be too late! What shame, what punishment can be too great for such a wretch, when the neglect and making light of Christ and his salvation, is the common road to hell? (Heb. ii. 3; Matt. xxii. 5.) And most men perish, because they value not, and use not the necessary means of their recovery; for a man in the name of a minister of the Gospel, to cheat them into such undervaluings and neglects, as are likely to prove their condemnation: what is this but to play the minister of Satan, and to do his work, in the name and garb of a minister of Christ? It is a damnable treachery against Christ, and against the people's souls, to hide their misery, when it is your office to reveal it; and to let people deceive themselves in the matters of salvation, and not to labour diligently to undeceive them; and to see them live upon presumption and ungrounded hopes, and not to labour with faithful plainness to acquaint them with their need of better hopes. But some go further, and more openly act the part of Satan, by reproaching the most faithful servants of the Lord, and labouring to bring the people into a conceit, that seriousness and carefulness in the matters of God and our salvation, are but hypocrisy and unnecessary strictness: and in their company and converse they put so much countenance on the ungodly, and cast so much secret or open scorn upon those that would live according to the Scriptures, as hardeneth multitudes in their impenitency. O dreadful reckoning to these unfaithful shepherds, when they must answer for the ruin of their miserable flocks! How great will their damnation be, which must be aggravated by the damnation of so many others! When the question is, How come so many souls to perish?' The answer must be, "Because they set light by Christ and holiness, which should have saved them.' But what made them set light by Christ and holiness? It was their deceitful confidence, that they had so much part in Christ and holiness, as would suffice to save them, though indeed they were unsanctified strangers to both. They were not practically acquainted with their necessities. But how came they to continue thus ignorant of themselves till it was too late? Because they had teachers that kept them strange to the nature of true holiness, and

did not labour publicly and privately to convince them of their undone condition, and drive them to Christ, that by him they might have life. Woe to such teachers that ever they were born, that must then be found under the guilt of such perfidiousness and cruelty! Had they ever felt themselves, what it is to be pursued by the law of conscience, and with broken hearts to cast themselves on Christ as their only hope and refuge, and what it is to be pardoned, and saved by him from the wrath of God; and what it is to be sanctified, and to be sensible of all his love, they would take another course with sinners, and talk of sin, and Christ, and holiness at other rates, and not deceive their people with themselves.

Direct. 1. My first direction therefore to you, is in order to the knowledge of yourselves, that if it be possible, you will live under a faithful, soul-searching, skilful pastor; and that you will make use of his public and personal help, to bring you, and keep you in continual acquaintance with yourselves.

As there is a double use of physicians; one general, to teach men the common principles of physic, and read them lectures of the nature of diseases, and their causes and remedies; and the other particular, to apply these common precepts to each individual person as they need: so is there a double use of ministers of the Gospel; one to deliver publicly the common doctrines of Christianity, concerning man's sin and misery, and the remedy, &c.; and the other to help people in the personal application of all this to themselves. And they that take up only with the former, deprive themselves of half the benefit of the ministry.

1. In public, how skilful and diligent should we be, in opening the hearts of sinners to themselves! The pulpit is but our candlestick, from which we should diffuse the holy light into all the assembly: not speaking the same things of all that are before us, as if it were our work to trouble men, or only to comfort them: but as the same light will shew every man the things which he beholdeth in their varieties and differences; (we see by the same sun a man to be a man, and a beast to be a beast, and a bird to be a bird ;) so the same word of truth which we deliver, must be so discovering and discriminating, as to manifest the ungodly to be ungodly; and the carnal to be carnal; the worldling to be