:

the inftruments of death against him, do you
think us fuch fools to believe it? What does this
but provoke God to swear that we shall never enter
into his reft. What's the reason of this? It's be
cause men are not shifted, they have no change,
they are fetled on their lees. Moab hath been at
eafe from his youth, he hath been fetled, and hath not
been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath be gone
into captivity, Jer. 48. 11. Confider we whether
our fecurity comes not from the fame caufe: We
have not been emptied from veffel to veffel, we
have alwayes been at reft. Why have we fo little
converfion? There are two things hinder it: the
hardening of a mans heart against the Word, and
our fetling our felves on our lees. When we
we have no change in grace, we are fecure, we ne-
ver lee an evil day. And this is that which flays
the foolish perfon. Wo to them that are at ease. It
were better for thee to be emptied from vessel to
vellel, to go into captivity. For as long as a man
continues thus in an unregenerate condition, he
can look for nothing but troubles; certain judg-
ments muft neceffarily follow, and as fure as God
is in heaven, so sure may they expect mifery on
earth and they fhall receive the eternal weight
of Gods wrath treasured up against the day of
wrath: Therefore there is a neceffity of our con-
verfion if we will keep off either temporal or e-
ternal wrath. Our Saviour makes it the cafe of
all impenitent finners to be liable to wrath : One
judgment befell the Galileans, another thofe on
whom the Tower of Siloe fell: But what faith our

Saviour, Suppose you that these were greater finners above all the men of Jerufalem? I tell you nay but except you repent you shall all likewife perish, Luk. 13.3. All, every mothers fon here prefent, if you tura not from your finful courses, God will meet with you one time or other, if you harden your hearts against him be fure. Who ever hardned his heart against God and profpered? As long as a man is in this condition,his state is woful.As many as are in the ftate of unregeneracie,are under the power of Satan, 2 Tim.2.25,26. Mark the Apostles words, In meekness inftruct those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the ac knowledging of the truth. And that they may recover themselves out of the fnare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. The state then of the hardned & fetled on their lees, is as a bird in a cage, taken alive at the will of the Fowler. So is it here, as long as we continue obftinate and hardned, we are taken alive at Satans will, we are at his difpofing. While we are at liberty, we are way laid by his nets and traps, and taken we are at his pleasure: As long as we are hardned in heart, we are in the Devils cage: true repentance is that whereby alone we purchase our freedomėj whereby we recover our felves; and therefore in Rom. 2.5. Hardness of heart and impenitency fignifie the fame thing. After thy hardned and im penitent heart thou treasureft up unto thy felf wrath against the day of wrath. Mark then: what's a hard heart? It's an impenitent heart. Doft thou har den thy heart? then know that for the prefent

B 3.

thou

thou art a dead man. If notwithstanding all Gods threats out of his word thou art not a jot moved, thou art dead whilst alive, as the woman that lived in pleasure. And if thou continueft fo, thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath, and the just revelation of Gods judgments. Gods Word is the especial meanes to recover thee. A man that is in a swoun, they rub him to recover him, because there's life in him; but if dead, ftrong-waters, or any thing else cannot restore him. Examine thy felf then, does the working of the Word rub and gall thee? it's a fign there is life in thee; but if it make no impreffion, it moves thee not, it's a fign of a dead heart. Confider then the danger of this condition for a man to refolve on his evil courfes, never purpofing to alter matters. It exceedingly haftens Gods judgments.

But leaving this, I proceed to the second point, which is to direct us how to work our escape. Though God threaten us, yet if we have but the grace to look about us, and remember our selves: If God do but caufe us to confider we have to deal with a merciful Father, and make us meet him by humiliation, then though our fins were as fcarlet, yet fubmitting our felves to our Judge, living as obedient fubjects, the storm shall paffe from us: So that this is the 2d. point.

2. Notwithstanding God threatens us, yet if he gives us but grace to repent, and bethink our felves, let our fins be never fo great, we may be fure of mercy

O that we could fee with what a gracious God

we

we have to deal! Canft thou but humble thy self? all these things fhall speak peace unto thee. As an impenitent finner is under the power of Satan, and liable to all mifery: So contrariwife whoever returnes and feeks the Lord, is fure to be under his wings,and free from all evil. Thinkst thou that God makes ufe of threatnings for thy hurt? No, he deales not with us as an angry Judge, but as a compaffionate Father; men will take an enemy alwayes at an advantage, when they may do him moft hurt. Gods terrors over take us, he threatens us that he will do this and this, that we may prevent it. He knows that unlefs his terrors awake us, we will reft fecure. Before he fmites us he tells us. I will whet my sword: He hath bent his bow, and made it ready: He hath prepared his inftruments of death, Pfal. 7. 12, 13. He could fhoot thee presently, and inftantly run thee through, but he threatens thee, that fo he may not strike thee. See what the Prophet A mos denounces from the Lord, Cap. 11,12. I have given you cleanneffe of teeth, I have with holden rain, v. 6,7,8. I have fmitten you with blafting and mil dew, v. 9. I have fent amongst you the Peftilence, v. 10. yet have you not return'd unto me. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O' Ifrael, and because I will do thus unto thee, prepare to meet thy Godo Ifrael, v. 12. What judgments have befallen us, have befallen us for our own ufe if fo be we will be warned by. them. The reafon why God faith he will overthrow us, is not because he meanes to do it, but that we may prevent him by repentance. Look

away

into Jer. 3.1. and see what wonderful paffages are to this purpose: Ther's a Law-cale. If a man put his Wife, and she go from him, shall be return unto her again? fhall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou haft plaid the harlot with many lovers. And in the 20v. As a wife treacheronfly departeth from her husband, fo have you dealt treacheronfly with me, O houfe of Ifrael. And yet fee Gods unspeakable mercy. Return again unto me. And 23. v. Return ye back-fliding children, and I will heal your backfliding: turn to me, and Ile not cause mine anger to fall upon you. Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thon haft tranfgreffed against the Lord thy God, v. 13. See God makes us the worst and vileft of all, and yet as it were intreats us to return. See then the Conclufion of the second Point; how, if God give us but grace to repent, let our former evils be what they will, the danger is past.

But I leave this and come to the Third, for which I chiefly chose this Text. You have seen how dangerous a thing hardness of heart is, how it brings certain death: and that if we have the heart to repent, we are fafe. As to make it appear in an instance. It's not the falling into water, but the lying under it that drowns a man. Art. thou faln into fin? only lift up thy head: if thou canft be but thus happy, the promise of salvation belongs to thee. The main thing then is

this.

3. It behooves us to fet about the work of repentance presently.

God is angry with us, and we know not whe

ther