Serm.6 How muff weyip f. :ck perform? 125 to know ones malady. It is a dreadful thing to fee poor ignorant and unconverted finners,at the very brink of the pit,ready to drop into hell, and not at all affeEled`with it, &c. Ifever you mean to do them any good, you mull awaken them out of that mortal fleep or lethargy, ligh- ten their eyes with a convidlion of their danger, fell they fleep the fleep of death. 2. Willingnefs to be deluded. You may know it thus : Ifa daubing Miniher, or friend offers comfort, how greedily they catch it : They will receive comfort upon any grounds, nay upon no grounds, but up- on the bare words, it may be of a time ferving and man - pleating Mint- fer. But let a ferious and faichfúl Minifler corre to them, and Phew them their fad, and finful, and hazardous condition, and demonllrate it by irrefragable arguments, they will not yield to it. But as Sr. Peter (peaks, 2 Pet.3.5. ravedPEI elm's; s; T7 4ma-Tr s, this they willingly are ignorant of. You mull poffefs them with the folly of filch a cemper,the unavoydable mifery of felf-deludingperfons,cc. and the dread of dif- appointment when too late. 3.Carelefnefs and lihlefnefs; This is the temper of many,knowing the cifliculcy of believing, repenting, &c. and remembring their own guilt, they call off the care of that, which they think will be to no pur- pole, eh'c. You mull therefore poffefs them with the neceflity of Chri- hian carefulnefs ; what madnefs it is to be carelefs now, which is the only feafon of caring to anypurpofe,&c. What folly it is to free them- felves from thecare of a few dayes, to afcercain to themfelves everla- fling care and torment,&c. Alfo youmull poffefs them with the bene- fit of this care, and laying it to heart, &c. That it is Gods courfe in opening the heart, to (air up this care. 4. libelling in generals. Dolojuu verfatro ingeneralibta. This deceives many in Hell : You may difcourfeexcellently againl fin in the gene- ral, and raite in them force paffion againft it, vet not profit them at all, &c. For true repenrance takes notice of particular tins,&c. And as generals have no extilence, but in the particulars according to princi- ples of Philofophy : So it is fin in particular, which doch primarily of fe& the heart of a true penitent. 5.The concealment of Tome hidden way of wickednefs, I believe, bath rent many to Hell, they would never make their difeafeknown, through fear of fhame, &c. As tome perlons have died of thofe difea- fes which theyhave fmothereca. It is true, a man is not bound to make confeflion of all his fins tóa Minifler, as we. rightly affert again(i Pa- pies : but yet all Divines grant, that in many cafes it is both expedient and
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