4s6 of Converfon, or Turning roteGod. S 8 C r. IX. 4ittttlIttdAtaditt11004tMA SERMON LXX.. tnfivering fime Prejudices and Cavils of un- godly. men, again eqflverfion, or turningunto god. EZFK.33.Ir. Turnye, turn ye, Why willye dye, o hour` oflfrael ? THisfubjeft of Converfion, is like Ezekiel! waters, that rife higher and higher; thereforemarvel not, if we continue long upon it, for themat- ter willkill benew, though it be the fame Text. The laft day our en- deavor was, to ufe all thofe forcible Reafons, that might perfwadeyou to turn fromyour fins to God ; although indeed,the very naming of it, dothcarryfo much light and truth with it,thac it argneth incredible ftupidity and obftinacyin all thofe,who yet wilfully continue in their iniquities:that thereforeeverymoun- tain maybe made level,& every valley raifed,to make.a prepared way for Chrift, Jfha11anfwerthofe Objeftions, or Prejudices, or Cavils, which are as a great gulfbetween them and converfion. The Objections thatarife from a carnalvain heart, Iwill call The mountains that waft be made low ; theobjer°ions from a difcouraged or dejected heart, that doubtethof its acceptance with God, if it doth return, or imagineth Orange impoffrbili ties for its own particular; this call The valley that muff be exalted: And firft, let us endeavor toprevail with the carnal man, tohave fo much faith, as to throw this mountain into thefea; That objection which I fhall begin with, is this r To tarn untoGod, is to leave all thofe pleafares, that delight and carnal mirth, Carnal Ob- ] have had inmyfinal Ways :If fobe I were to be aCloiliered Monk,ora folitary jeltions a- Hermit ; If I were perfecuted,flying intocaves anddens,that it would deprive me gainll ofall my pleafure,then fuch contemplations, and holy meditations might be im- íron. braced; but for me, that findefuch pleafure, fuch jollity in mywicked ways, to turn to God withmourning and humiliation,is to bid me be no more Naomi, but Mara', : Thus the voluptuous man,the unclean man, the drunkard, the glutton, the earthly and coveteous man ; yea, all who finde iniquity,like honey in their mouth; thefe all fpeak like the Fig-tree andOlive-tree in judge, ShoedJleave my farmers, and my fwietmefì and forfabe allmy former pleafares., to mourn and faß,and reform, and to live a pal life ofmortification ? Thus everyman is drawn alide by pleafure. To take you offin thisrefpal: Anfw I. Firti confider, That the Scriptures judgement about fin, is wholly e/n- tradfEfory to thine: The word of God acknowledgeth no pleafure, no de-- fireablenefs in fin ; but the clean contrary,Gall,and Wormwood, andBictemefs, and Death, Wrath, andTerror, and Curfes, andTorments : How then cornett thou to fpeakof pleafures anddelight in fin, whenGods wordknoweth no fuck thing? Now theScripture is thewifdom of anAll-knowing God,and we are to believe that, more then our own fenfe and apprehenfion: We fe.e difeafes do fo mich the palate, that it many times judgeth bitter fweet, andfweet bitter, but
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