36 Wilfull Impenitency Secondly, now thou art in Gods Vineyard, thou canft not fay, I cannot profeffe, I cannot profit by hea- ring, nor profit by praying, &c. Thou canft not fay fo ; for why doll thou not labour ? in all labour there is profit. Never did a man labour but fome profit or o- ther he did get; but thou wouldit not labour, but thou floodeft lazing and idling. Faine wouldlt thou be faved, fain efcape Hell and damnation ; and oh, that this were to labour for it! Like the fluggard, that defireth a harveft, and yet is idle; O utinam hoc effet laborare . He lies loytering and playing, and oh that this were to la- bour ! Oh that this were to plow and to foyv ! If his Bed were the Plow, and his Pillow the Teame, he would then drive it well. So doll thou, utinam hoc elet ref :pi_ fcere; thou goeft on minding the things of this life, carking and caring, &c. Vtinam hoc effet refipifcere ; O that this were to repent, and this were to go to Heaven! thou art negligent of Prayer, and Faith, and holineffe, Chrift yefuu fave me; Thus cryes the drunkard, Chrift fave me and thus the worldling, Chrift f efus forgive me. r Thus like a fluggard thou wifhell; O that this were beleeving and ferving of God ! Like the fluggard ,I, fay, O that this were to labour! thou mightlt profit if thou wouldit labour ; in all labour is profit: but thou wilt not labour, and therefore inexcufable. Owhat a fpeechleffe creature (halt thou be before God at the Taft day ! This is the fecond ground of the Dol rine ; The reafon why a wicked man does not turne unto Cod, is not becaufe he cannot, but becaufe he will not. I fay, the ground of it is this, Every wicked man is flothfull and negligent. Stir up your felves, ye whofe heart the Lord hath awa- kened; Though the wicked be flothfull,wilye be flothful. allo? O what infinite reafon bath the Lord to corred us, every one of us all ! How Wofull flothfull are our hearts! I cannot mailer my uruly heart, layes one ; and I can- not Prov. z4.z;.
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