glory Thofe fins fhall never make a hell for us, that are a hell to us.

Ufe 3. But it is time for me to turn my speech into an exhortation; and O that you would encourage me with your refolution to obey my message this day; that is, to make your peace with the Prince of peace, that you may be the true fons of peace, and found righteous before God, shining glorioufly in heaven, having peace of confcience, and with one another.

Well, firs, what fay you in answer to my meffage? fhall the Prince of peace be your love and Lord, your joy and delight? Will you kiss the son, and make your peace with God, and give up your fouls and lives to be ruled by him? These things I exhort you to, and God expects them at your hands; but that this exhortation may flay with you, I fhafl back it with fome preffing confiderations.

1. Confider God's goodness towards men: He hath given you rich means that you may make and fecure your peace with him. Firft, He hath given you the Lamb and the gofpel.

Secondly, He hath gracioufly given time and opportunity.

Thirdly, Mercies and afflictions; mercies to draw you, and afflictions to drive you. Fourthly, He hath given you preachers, both inward and outward; by outward prea

P

chers,

chers, I mean the minifters of Chrift, who befeech and intreat you for his fake to be reconciled to God, and make your peace with him; by inward preachers, I mean your own confcience, that judgeth and reproveth you for your fins and abominations.

Fifthly, He hath given you precepts and promises; precepts commanding you to do, and promifes affuring you of a glorious reward for your doing.

Sixthly, The fpirit and convictions, Gen. vi. My Spirit fhall not always strive with man. Oh how long will you yet ftand out against God? What have you to fay against this? How can you anfwer this, when you. and I fhall appear before God's judgmentfeat? Have you any thing to lay againft this? Oh, dreadful will be your end, unless you make your peace with God; and therefore, feeing he hath given these things to you, be fure to make, and fecure your peace with him. He that liveth in fin without repentance, fhall die in fin without forgiveness.

2. God inviteth you to come and make your peace with him, Ifa. lv. 1. Oh every one that thirfteth come ye to the water, and he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat; yea, come and buy wine and milk without money, and without price.

Beloved, here are three comes in this text, to fhew the infinite willingness of God to fave poor finners. So in Rev. xxii. 17.

The

The bride and Spirit fay come, (here are the fame again in this text) and whoever will, let him take of the water of life freely; and he that is thirty let him come. What, are there none thirfly among you? Do none thirst for Chrift, grace and heaven? If you come firs, here you may have grace, mercy and happiness: Now, for the Lord's fake confider wherefore is all this, but that you may make your peace with God? Shall the God of heaven call, and will you not hear? What will you rather flay in your fins and die, than go to Chrift for life? Oh firs, go to the Prince of peace, that you may have peace: If you do not lay your fins to your hearts, that you may be humbled for them, God will lay them to your charge, that you may be damned for them.

you

3. A third confideration is this, either must taste of God's goodness or his fury; there is not a man, woman, or child among you, but muft partake of the one or the other; your portion will be either joy or forrow, either defolation, or confolation; if you be not trees for bearing, you must for burning; if you are not for fruit, you must be for flames; if you do not fwim in the water-works of repentance, you fhall burn in the fire-works of vengeance; if you will not go and make your peace with God, that you may have heaven, you fhall go to hell, for not making your peace; one of them

you

you must do. Oh, firs, I have fet life, death, heaven and hell, bitter and fweet, before you this day, will you make your peace with God, or no? Will you ftill go on in a way of wickedness, breaking his laws, grieving his fpirit? Will you die a natural death, before you live a fpiritual life? I fay then, if you live and die fo, you fhall be damned to all eternity, and punished with the flames of hell, and be fent thither, with loads of wrath upon your backs: Ye shall have your part in that lake, which burneth with fire and brimflone, which is the fecond death. He that believes fhall be faved, and he that believeth not shall be damned, faith our Lord, Mark xvi. 16. Oh, firs, it is better to repent without perifhing, than to perish without repenting; and therefore look to it as well as you will, are you able to deal with God? Alas! alas! all the world is but a drop of water, in comparison of God, and therefore make your peace with him. Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect fo great falvation.

4. Confider what the damned in hell, would give for thofe offers of mercy, that are now offered to you: Certainly they would give ten thousand worlds if they had them, for thefe opportunities that you enjoy. Should God fay to poor wretches that are now fuffering in hell, for their drunkenness upon earth, and their whoring and abomi

nations,

ye

nations, as he doth to us, Come to me, all that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you reft: Oh, how earnestly would they run, and catch the word out of God's mouth?

Oh beloved, the devils are too well acquainted with mifery, to put by mercy, if it were offered to them. But alas! alas! poor damned wretches, there is no dram of mercy for them, no not fo much as a drop of water to cool their flaming tongues. Oh, that you would confider this, and make your peace with God before death comes, which may be the next night for ought you know; if you lofe your golden feason, you lofe your fouls, Oh therefore, make your peace with God, that it may be said to you, as it was once to Jerufalem, in Luke x. 41. Oh that thou hadst known in this day, the things that concern thy peace, but now they are hid from thy eyes. Here was a weeping, and fad word to Jerufalem. Alas! now it is hid from their eyes, their golden feafon is gone, there is no peace to be had; and therefore I beg of you, as though I were condemned, and begging for my life, fo I beg of you, in the bowels of Chrift, and for your fouls fake, make your peace with God.

5. Seriously confider the multitude of fins thou art guilty of, even more than the hairs. of my head, or the fand on the fea fhore, or the flars in the heaven, which are innumerable,