SE 4 ¡0 Of Converon, or ttarningunto God. c r.IX. fuch a bitter-fweet as fin is : Take up then at laft principles of wifdom, lay up creature for an evil day, provideagain ft a fad form arife, and what will thatbe? The hour of death, the hourof Gods judgements : Oh I then tohave an Ark to run into, then tohave a mark upon thee,that thedeflroyingAngel maynot con- fumethee, is a great mercy : But this will never beobtained in a finful way; fo that if thouturn to God, and art confiant in the daily exercifeof grace, then thou haft the onely Cordial, the onely OyI to be poured in thy wounded foul. q Fifthly, Neverpretendprofit, for all the While thou doeßnot turn to God, thou art in every thing a lofer : Who can enumerateall thy loffes which come through fm ? There is the lofs of all true joy and peace of confcience ; there is the lofs of eternity in happinefs, of heaven, and all theglory therein, which is more then can enter into the heart of man to conceive; there is lofs of thy immortal foul, which is moreworth then all the world ; and laffly, there is the lots ofGod,the fountain of all good and happinefs, Boning in quo omnia bona, That Ocean of good, inwhich all the feveral ftreams of goodnefs empty themfelves: Oh then that ever thou fhouldit beCo (educed, as to fay, Itsbetter to live in myfins as I do, then to turn unto God ! for what ? is it better to have thatprefent profit, then Heaven, Happinefs, and God to all eternity? Oh fay rather ! Thefe my fins will never make fatisfaélion for the lofs I incur by them; thefe my corrupti- ons will never get me as much, as I lofe through them : I keepcoals anddung, and part with gold and precious pearls.Its the great ignorance and gravity ofour corrupt natures, that knoweth not how to put a right prize and efteem upon things. 6. Sixthly, If thyprofit keepthee from turning to God, and thou thinkeftit a great part of wildom and prudence to continue in this Paving way,as thou calleft it : Then how doth this condemn all the holy Martyrs and Confefforsfor thefaith of Chrifl, ofthegreatcJifolly and madnefs that ever Was; They may then layaliide thole Robes ofGlory they are adorned with ; For what did not they lofe? their wealth, their riches, theirpleafures, their lives to followGod; they thought turning to Chrift more profit, then turning toasty carnal fafe way in the world. Did not the Martyrs take the fpoiling of their goods joyfully? Did not they as willingly lay down their bodiesat the flake, asmen do their cloathes to Beep? Certainly, fin and the world did then tempt them to turn out of Gods way,but they wouldgo forward ; and thereby ourSaviour had given them an excellent Antidote, He that Will lavehis life, fball lofe it ; and he that Will lofe it, {gallfave it : And thuswe have calf this mountain down, thatexalted it fellagainft our converfron. The third Cavil is, Theenflera and habit they have in fin : That now they fay, The cuftom It is vain to attempt this work ; had they in their yongeryears fec themfelves up- and habit they on fuch courfes, there might have been hope ; but now, none can make this have in fin, crooked thing Itraight, they are too far gone, ever to turn again, To remove añich items this Bone : Confider unpoßïble co Fiat, That God is ready tofiretchforth his hand to thee, whoart willing tofwim Overcome. Aojv.t. cur of thisfea of corruption : This very thought or delireat !aft to turn to him, cometh fromGod : Thou art as unableof thy Pelf, tohave a good thought of turning to God, as to turn unto God. The women could not remove the lion fromour Saviours Sepulchre, and there comes an Angel, who did it : Thou canftnot removeor fir thy heart, but God can : And Therefore in the fecond and fait place (becaufe this may be more fpoken to, when we come to remove the difcouraging Objeftions that are in Tome mens hearts;) Although tochange this cuftomof fin, and to make the Blacka- more white, be impoilibleto fiefs and blood, yet with God all things are pof- fible ; and therefore fay, Though the work be too hard for me, yet it is not to God, Lrzarku was many days dead in the grave, yet Chrilt railed him tolife, as
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