out a way to be saved without conversion, you have done that which never was done before.

3. Yea, this is not all, but the wicked are unwilling even of salvation itself. Though they may desire somewhat which they cail by the name of heaven, yet heaven itself,considered in the true nature of the felicity, they desire not; yea, their hearts are quite against it. Heaven is a state of perfect holiness, and of continual love and praise to GOD, and the wicked have no heart to this. The imperfect love, and praise, and holiness, which is here to be attained, they have no mind of; much less of that which is so much greater: The joys of heaven are of so pure and spiritual a nature, that the heart of the wicked cannot desire them.

So that by this time you may see on what ground it is, that GOD supposeth that the wicked are willing of their own destruction; They will not turn though they must turn or die; they will rather venture on certain misery than be converted; and then to quiet themselves in their sins, they will make themselves believe that they shall nevertheless, escape.

2. And as this controversy is matter of wonder (that even men should be such enemies to themselves, as wilfully to cast away their souls) so are the disputants too. That GOD should stoop so low, as thus to plead the case with man: and that men should be so strangely blind and obstinate, as to need all this in so plain a case; yea, and to resist all this, when their own salvation lieth upon the issue.

No wonder if they will not here us that are men, when they will not hear the Lord himself: As GOD saith, Esck. iii. 7. when he sent the prophet to the "Israelites," "The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee, for they will not hearken unto me: For all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted." No wonder if they can plead against a minister, or a godly neighbor; when they will plead against the Lord himself, even against the plainest passages of his word, and think that they have reason on their side: When they weary the Lord with their words, they say, Wherein have we wearied him? Mal. ii 17. The priests that despised his name durst ask, Wherein have we despised thy name? And when they polluted his altar, and made the table of the Lord contemptible, they durst say, Wherein have we polluted thee? Mal. i. 6, 7. "But woe unto him, saith the Lord, that striveth with his Maker, Let the postheards strive with the postheards of the earth; shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? Isa. xiv. 9."

Quest. But why is it that GOD will reason the case with man?

Ans. 1. Because that man being a reasonable creature, is accordingly to be dealt with, and by reason to be persuaded and overcome. GOD hath therefore, endowed them with reason, that they might use it for him. One would think a reasonable creature should not go against the clearest and greatest reason in the world, when it is set before him.

2. At least, men shall see that GOD did require nothing of them that was unreasonable, but that whatever

be commandeth them, and whatever he forbiddeth them, he hath all the right reason in the world on his side; and they have good reason to obey him, but none to disobey. And thus even the damned shall be forced to justify GOD, and confess that it was but reason that they should have turned to him, and they shall be forced to condemn themselves, and confess that they had little reason to cast away themselves by the neglecting of his grace in the day of their visitation.

USE.

Look up your best and strongest reasons, sinners, if you will make good your way: You see now with whom you have to deal. What sayest thou, unconverted sensual wretch? Darest thou venture upon a dispute with GOD? Art thou able to confute him? Art thou ready to enter the lists? GOD asketh thee, Why wilt thou die? Art thou furnished with a sufficient answer? Wilt thou undertake to prove that GOD is mistaken, and that thou art in the right? O what an undertaking is that! Why, either he or you are mistaken, when he is for your conversion, and you are against it. He calls upon you to turn, and you will not; he bids you do it presently, even to-day, while it is called to-day, and you delay, and think it time enough hereafter. He saith it must be a total change, and you must be holy, and new creatures, and born again; and and you think that less may serve the turn and that it is enough to patch up the old man, without becoming new. Who is in the right now, GOD or you? GOD calleth on you to turn, and to live an holy life, and you

will not by your disobedient lives it appears you will not. If you will why do you not? why have you not done it all this while? and why do you not fall upon it yet? your wills have the command of your lives. We may certainly conclude that you are unwilling to turn, when you do not turn. And why will you not? Can you give any reason for it that is worthy to be called a reason?

I that am but a worm, your fellow-creature, of a shallow capacity, dare challenge the wisest of you all, to reason the case with me, while I plead my Maker's cause, and I need not be discouraged, when I know I plead but the cause that GOD pleadeth, and contend for him that will have the best at last. Had I but these two general grounds against you, I am sure that you have no good reason on your side.

1. I am sure it can be no good reason, which is against the GOD of truth and reason. It cannot be light that is contrary to the sun. There is no knowledge in any creature but what it has from GOD; and therefore none can be wiser than GOD. It were [fatal] presumption for the highest angel to compare with his creator: What is it then for a lump of dirt, an ignorant sot, that knoweth not himself, nor his own soul, that knoweth but little of the things which he seeth, yea, that is more ignorant than many of his neighbors, to set bimself against the wisdom of the Lord? It is one of the fullest discoveries of the horrible wickedness of carnal men, and the stark madness of such as sin,that so silly a mole dare contradict his Maker, and call in question the word of GOD: Yea, that those people in your par

ishes, that are so ignorant, that they cannot give us a reasonable answer concerning the very principles of religion, are yet so wise in their own conceit, that they dare question the plainest truths of GOD, yea, contradict them and cavil against them, when they can scarce speak sense, and will believe them no further than agreeth with their foolish wisdom.

2. And as I know that GOD must needs be in the right; so I know the case is so palpable and gross which he pleadeth against, that no man can have reason for it. Is it possible that a man can have any reason to break his master's laws? and reason to dishonor the Lord of glory? and reason to abuse the Lord that bought him? Is it possible that a man can have any good reason to damn his own immortal soul? Mark the Lord's question, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Is eternal death a thing to be desired? Are you in love with hell? what reason have you wilfully to perish? If you think you have reason to sin, should you not remember that death is the wages of sin, Rom. vi. 23. and think whether you have any reason to undo yourselves body and soul forever? You should not only ask whether you love the adder, but whether you love the sting? It is such a thing for a man to cast away his everlasting happiness, and to sin against GOD, that no good reason can be given for it: but the more any one pleads for it, the madder he sheweth himself to be. Had you a lordship or a kingdom offered you for every sin that you commit, it were not reason but madness, to accept