er? Doth he not fometimes fuffer the Righteous themselves, tho' for other Ends indeed, to fall into Adverfities, and to continue under them to the end of their Days? And if even this be confiftent with his Goodness, fhall his Goodness oblige him to work Miracles for the impious Man, to repair his half-dead Carcafs, to fet him up with a new Stock of Wealth, and to ref cue him from the direct Confequences, and immediate Effects of his Vice and Folly ? And there is as little reafon why God should be mov'd with the Miferics and Complaints of the Damn'd in the next World. For if it be a fufficient Reason why God fhould be oblig'd in his Goodness to deliver Men from the Miferies they are under, because they feel them, and defire to be delivered from them, because they curfe themfelves for their own Folly, and weep and gnafb the Teeth, then muft God's Threatnings never be fulfilled; then it was in vain to make them; then they must never be inflicted; then there can be no fuch Thing as the Righteoufnefs of Punishment: For when Men are overtaken with the final Recompence of their Wickedness, it is most certain they will feel and complain, they will be filled with Anguifh and Vexation, with Impatience and Mifery; but this doth not make them fit Objects of the Mercy of God; and the reafon is plain, because this doth not imply any the leaft Change of their Natures and Wills; it doth not make them Good Men; it cannot include that Repentance, which is neceffary to put a Man into a compaffionate Cafe; there is no godly Sorrow for Sin exprefs'd in this, but only Rage and Vexation under the Punishment of it; there is nothing at all of an ingenuous Nature implied in the fenfe of their Miseries, because it is impoffible for them now not to be convinc'd of the Truth of those Things, which before they either believed not, or never confider'd to any purpose: It is then impoffible for the Wicked to live the Life of Faith, or to be restored to another Opportunity of bringing themselves to a teachable Temper of Mind, That Difpofition, which God fo highly Values, That which is the true Commendation of Faith, I fay, which is an hearty Affent to the Truth of God's Being, and of his Attributes, and of his Promifes and Threatnings upon that rational Evidence he hath given us of all thefe Things: It is our hearty Affent to them, though we have not the Evidence of Senfe, and our living a good Life thereupon, that entitles us to the Favour and Love of God; but this they are incapable of, who are never thoroughly Perfuaded, nor brought to Confideration, till they feel the Effects of their wilful Folly. The Fuft fball Shall live by Faith, but the Opportunity of that is quite loft to the Wicked after this Life, and they can never be in a Condition therefore to move the Mercy of God, they can do nothing then that can pretend to be Rewardable, and therefore it is no way inconfiftent with the Goodnefs of God, to have no regard to their Complaints under their Miseries : But then it is not confiftent with the least Wisdom in our felves, to fuffer things to run on, till they come to that pass, that we have either made Shipwreck of our Fortunes here, or of our Souls for ever. It is a great Mifery for a Man to have plaid the Fool fo long, till it be too late to be Wife, to be without Understanding, till there is no place for Hope, and to be tormented with the Vehemence of unprofitable Wishes, and fruitlefs Complaints? What a Picture of Folly and Unhappiness together is that Man, who has neglected all his Opportunities of being Wife for himfelf, when he is made fenfible of it, but too late for any Good that it will do him? When he may have cause to wifh a thousand times, that he had never tafted Wine, nor known Eafe, nor felt Pleasure; whereas lefs. Severity than this would have fecured him, when Time was, if he had but temperately us'd these Things, and in fuch use of them had received, and been content with that more true Delight, than ever grew from Riot, and the fulfome Pleafures of Luft and Drunkenness; Or he will be difpos'd to wish that he had worn Sackcloth next to his Skin, and out-done the Aufterities of an Hermit, and yet, when Time was, he might have ordered the Matter fo wifely, as to have been happy at last with his fine Linnen, and faring sumptuously every Day; Or to wifh that he had worn out his Knees with continual Devotion; and yet how much lefs than this would have done in the fit and proper Seafon of Repentance, had he prayed to his God in good earnest twice or thrice every Day? This would have procured God's Grace, to ftrengthen and fecure him againft Temptation, this would have procur'd God's Pardon, which now he begs in vain; Or that he had given all his Goods to the Poor; and yet a great deal lefs had been accepted in Discharge of his Duty, if his Heart had ferved him to let go but a small Part of a greatRevenue: This when Time was would have done, this would have treasured up for him the Rewards of Piety and Charity: But what à Fool muft he be in his own Eyes, and how wretched in his own Conceit, who in the Day of God's Grace refused to do so much lefs for his own Happiness, than he now thinks reasonable, and believes he should do, if he were to be tried again? Let Let me tell you, Beloved, it is the Defign of Wisdom in this place, and in this Book of the Proverbs, it is the Design of Sermons and Preaching, and of the publick Inftructions delivered here, where, to use Solomon's Words, Wifdom cries, and UnderStanding puts forth her Voice, flanding in the Top of high Places, it is the Defign of Wif dom, I fay, to represent these Things to our Confideration, that we may do wifely for our selves in time, and prevent the Shame and Mifery of a very troublefome and un eafy, but a very unprofitable Repentance. For behold now is the accepted Time, behold, now is the Day of Salvation. Let us then Seek the Lord while he may be found, and let us call upon him while he is near. Let us hearken to the Admonitions of Wisdom, and be well affur'd that we can never chuse happily for our felves, by any Ways of our own devifing, while we fet at nought her Counsel, and will have none of her Reproof. Truft then in the Lord with all thine Heart, and lean not unto thine own UnderStanding Take his Security for thy well, doing, whilft thou walkeft in the Ways that he chufeth for thee. Be not wife in thine own Eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from Evil; and that shall be Health to thy Navel, and Marrow to thy Bones. Keep found Wisdom and Difcretion, fo fhall they be Life Ee 4 unto |