That there is fuch a thing as a life to come, and an Eternity of Joy and Torment; the one promised to a frict and Heavenly conversation, the other threatned to a loose and careless,or fenfual life, cannot be call'd into queftion by him, that fhall impartially reflect upon the premiffes: It's certain, the things which concern that other life, are not difcover'd by our fenfes, and therefore thou canst not hope to be affected with them that way. It's thy reafon only that can and must apprehend that future ftate, and fo apprehend it, as to work upon thy affections. But which way is it poffible thy reafon fhould fo apprehend it, as to fright thee from thy evil courses, except it be improv❜d by Confideration? Sinner, I do here, in the prefence of God, conjure thee by all that's good and holy, by the interest and welfare of thine own Soul,by all the Laws of felf-intereft,by the Revelations of the Son of God, by all that God ever did for Mankind,by that love which tranfcends the understandings of Men and Angels, by the groans of thofe miferable Souls which are now in Hell, by all the joys of Paradife, by the teftimony of thine own Confcience, by all the motions of God's Spirit in thy heart, by all the mercies thou doft receive from Heaven, by that Allegiance thou owest to God, by that faithfulness thou owest to thine own Soul; I do moft seriously conjure thee to tell me, whether thou art not able to confider the evil of thy courses, the beauty of God's ways, and the fad confequences of fenfuality; thou denieft thy own being, deniest

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God's favour to thy Soul, deniest the Glory of thy Creation,denieft the most visible and the most apparent thing in the World, if thou denieft thy ability in this point; and if thou art able to confider fo much, What injustice can it be in God to demand an account of this Confideration Wherein doth he do thee an injury, if he doth what thou haft done with this power? Wert thou in God's ftead, wouldst not thou require the fame accout of thy Servant, on whom thou hadst bestowed such a Talent? If thou art able, and wilt not take thy finfulness into serious Confideration, Can there be any thing more just in the World, than thy damnation? How eafie were it for thee to lay home the danger thou art in; and feeing it is fo eafie, How juft is it with God to let thee perish in that danger, thou art refolv'd, in defpight of all God's endeavours to the contrary, to fall and fink into? O Chriftian, how dreadful will it be for thee, when Christ stall depart from thee, with this doleful exclamation, How often would I have gathered thee, as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her Wings, and thou wouldst not? Wouldeft not? This is it that makes thy everlasting torments juft. O Sinner, that God should invite thee to Heaven, and thou put him off with this Anfwer, I will not! That God fhould carefs thee to become his Darling, and thou voluntarily and freely lift thy felf in the Catalogue of the Devils Favourites and Votaries! That God fhould leave no means untried, to melt thy ftubborn heart, and thou defperately fight against his Heaven! And when

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he would thruft thee into it, violently break loose from him, and lay force upon damnation! How inexcufable will this make thee? What Man, what Angel, can, or dares plead for thee, anter fuch horrid wilfulness? By it thou shuttest up all Mens Compaffion against thee. Were thy error an infirmity, or had invincible ignorance caufed thy folly, fome or other poilibly might be moved to speak in favour of thy concerns; but that thou, knowing the will of God, and having power to think what the end of thy courses will be, and power to avoid the danger, and power to pray for help, a gracious God to encourage thee, a glorious Reward to entice thee, Eternity to fright thee, the everlasting Gulph to ftartle thee, fhouldft, in defpight of all these Motives, wilfully and maliciously shun thine own cure! This is a malady, which no Creature can justly fhed a tear, or frame an Apology, for. Be aftonifhed, O ye Heavens, and tremble, O thou Earth! Ye Angels, that rejoyce at a Sinners Converfion here on Earth; O all ye that país by, behold and fee, whether there be a forrow as fuch a Sinner's forrow is? We have read of Men that have eaten their Enemies, or Monfters that have devoured their own Children; but here is one devours himself, inhuman to a prodigy! One that contrives how to fhut himself out of Heaven, plots how to undermine his everlafting Salvation, and ftudies how to fink into the dungeon of defperation.

Sirs, What is it that we are exhorting you un to? Is it to dig down Mountains? Is it to exhauft

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the Sea? Is it to pull down the Sun from his Orb? Is it to reverse the courfe of Nature? Is it to work Miracles? Is it to unhinge the Earth, or to ftop the flux and reflux of the Ocean? One would think, by the earnest and vehemency of expreffions, we are forced to ufe, that it muft be fomething beyond the power of Man: But no, all that we keep this ftir for is only, that you would confent to be happy, contrive how to inherit an incorruptible Crown, and think seriously how to efcape your own torment; and needs there any intreaty for this? One would think you fhould run to us, break down the doors of our habitations, pull us out of our Studies, interrupt us though we we never fo bufie, and importune us, as that Widow did the Judge, and follow us day and night to be fatisfied, the thing is of that importance. And Oh! did you but believe an Eternity, you would do fo. Believe! Why, what should hinder you from believing it? What Arguments can you defire that you have not? Can there be any thing furer than the Word of God? Can there be a greater Witness than the Son of God? God cannot deceive you, he cannot impose upon you, he cannot delude you; dare to believe him: Though you have not look'd into Hell, certainly there is one; though you have not feen the Joys above, yet fuch Joys there are: And, to confider, to ftudy, to ponder, how to arrive to them: is the great thing we prefs upon you, as being fenfible of your danger, fenfible that death will arreft you before you are aware of it, fenfible that many thousands are for ever

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miferable for neglecting fuch exhortations. O Sirs, we do not envy your worldly happiness; we dare affure you, that it is not any grudge we have against your profperity, that makes us put you in mind of these unwelcome Leffons; we have a God calling upon us, to ftop you in your earneftness for the World: Woe to us, if we give you no warning! Woe to you, if ye take no warning! If making provifion for the flesh, to fulfil the lufts thereof, would make you happy; if rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonnefs, and rolling in all the pleasures that your flesh does promife, and your fancy pay, could contribute any thing to your felicity; if folacing your felves in the wanton ftreams of fenfual delights would lead you into Paradife, we promife you, we would not moleft or disturb you in your ways; nay, if you had not Souls to be faved, did your Spirits die with your Bodies, we would not fint you in your jollities. But oh! can we read, how the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men, and fee you fall a prey to that indignation? Can we read how Tribulation and Anguish fhall certainly fall upon every Soul that doth evil, and not speak to you to prevent it? Can we read, how the Lord Jefus, will e'er long come from Heaven in flames of fire, to take vengeance of those who have continued to disobey his Gospel, and to punish them with everlasting deftruction from the Prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, and not call to you, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?

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