Serm.2. towards their own Co>iverjZ,n ? 43 converted perlons may attain unto. Herod reformed many things, the foolifh Virgins went far,as was raid before,theywere Virgins free from fpor and nollucion,they had Lamps,vifible profeflîons, they wentforth to meet the Bridegroom ; they had force faith in him,and affection to him, fe they would not have gone forth. 5. They may juflifie the Law and theLord ; fhould hecondemn them, deal feverely with them ; what (hall we do fay there perlons ? we are guilty, we have broken the Law, which is holy, righteous, and good, and fo is God likewife, who is the Author thereof, if therefore webe condemned,and muff bear the curie and punit11ment of the law, we mull both juflifie the Lord and ir. Men may accept the punifhment oftheir iniquity, and juflifie the inflictors thereof, man hath no caufe to complain of the punifhmenc of his fins. Its brought in by way of objurgation ; Wherefore doth a laving man complain for the poi/knew= of Lan; bis rims ? He may complainof his tins, not of his puni(htxenr. Many Malefators after fentence paled on tlsem, do ju(Iifi.e both Judge and Law. 6. Men may ferioufly confider the nature of their fin, what circurud fiances it is cloathed with, what aggravations it admits, what crimfon and skarlec is in it; what light, love, mercies, means, ingagements iris again(} What (hall we do fay there troubled fouls ? We have finned againli the light of nature,the Lawof Mofes, our own confc;ences, the love of God and Chriti towards finners,in that wehave crucified Chri(I: a man approved of God, whom we knew had done many miracles, wonders and figns,Aas 2.22. and defervednot death, oh what (hall the do, our fins are fo dreadful ? It's in mens power to lay to heart what wrong an infinite !plead holy God hath by their fins, what mercies they keep from them, how greatly they defile them, what miferies and mifchiefs they bring upon them, what a weight of wrath hangs over their heads for them. They may confider what checks ofconfcience they have (rifled, what moti. ens of the Spirit they have wirhflood, what precious feafons of grace theyhave negle6led and fl ghted,whar pains they have taken to fatisfie a lull, how dear is bath cofi them, how carelefs they have been oftheir fouls, what a reparation their fins have made between God and them. They may mind and meditate on it,that mans life is fhort,the pleafìras of fin butfor afeafon, that there is abfolure neceffity of turning toGod: Except you repent, you[hall allperifb. That turning is acceptable to God, elîe he would not call for it, nor make fuch gracious prp,nifes to it, aC are in holy Writ. G 7.They
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