ven I am be, and there is no God with me; I kill, and I make alive, I wound and I heal: neither is there a my that can deliver out of my hand. God killeth, and God makes alive, I Sam. ii. 6. by these internal rebukes, by these impreffions that God makes upon the mind in case of offence; in cafe of confenting to iniquity. These are called God's killing a man's foul for no man can bear up against God; neither can he live under the reproofs of God. This is a true account, that man cannot be happy in the world though he may call never so much of the world his own; tho' he hath eftate, friends, power, authority, &c. unlefs God be with him in fome measure, he is not fure to have content; fo true is this, that when God with rebukes, &c.

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But to prevent mistakes, I here fuggeft two things to you, which being taken into confideration I cannot be misunderstood in any thing that I have faid.

1. This notion doth concern the two oppofite ftates; reconciliation with God, and the contrary : if men trifle in religion, or if they continue profane and irreligious. None can be himself longer than God is with him; or at least will suffer him.

2. Which I must take in (for I muft difcourage no body) you must give great allowance for the mind's misapprehenfion through mistaken notions, and to persons that are under the power of melancholy. He that is melancholic, believes nothing from any body; he faith nothing right to any body, and he is too fevere in his measure of himself and then there are fome good people, who are under false apprehenfions, and under the power of mistaken no

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tions; and till they be rid of thefe, their peace is not well fecured.

This is the first inference. The fecond thing that I infer upon the former difcourfe, is this; if men would be true to themselves, and not depart from their own mercy; if men would, in a true fense, favour themselves, not do themselves that mifchief that the devil and the world cannot do ; let them then keep within compafs, let them not be tray themselves; let them not give voluntary confent to known evil; let them not become obnoxious to God, but let men have God greatly in regard, and above all things, keep in good terms with him, and endeavour by all means, to approve themselves to him. Undoubtedly a man is altogether infecure, unless there be terms of right understanding between God and him. If a man have not a confcience free from guilt, he is in danger, obnoxious to God, and is not fecure against the malignity of the world. This for certain, the fecurity and folidity of our peace, is fettled upon the reality of the terms that are betweeen God and us. But, if men are obnoxious to God, by having knowingly confented to iniquity; for that is the characteristical form of the degenerate state, that they do voluntarily confent to known iniquity: if men become obnoxious to God, by giving their voluntary confents to that which their judgments tell them is evil; if men contract guilt to their confciences, and repent not, and ask pardon, in and through the blood of Chrift; then they are in fear and danger every moment: for at God's fentence, our fouls live, or die: by his judg

ment,

ment, they are abfolved or condemned. Wherefore it is fundamental to our intereft, that God be obferved. It is a very lamentable cafe, that many men have religion to very forry ends and purposes; not for this great end of fettling folid fobriety, not for the laying a foundation of right and equity, not for the determination of good and evil, not for rectifying of conscience, not for directing them in all cafes and particulars of life; but it is taken up for a profeffion in credit; and it hath no regenerating power on men, inwardly to fanctify them, and make them Godlike : in which cafe, as they have not the effect of it, fo they have not the comfort of it; for they are never fafe, never fecure. Whereas, where religion is in fincerity, perfons are provided for, as to all cafes, and for all times: and these perfons never think of God but with great complacency and delight; and have great expectations from him, and they converse with great fatisfaction. Our weal and wo depends upon our intereft with God. This is the fecond thing I infer from the words.

Thirdly, Upon this confideration how liable we are to God's demand and challenge, through failings and miscarriages in our lives, what cause have we to think ourselves beholden to God, that we have encouragement to go to him, and that we find in ourfelves any difpofition God-ward; any confidence in him. For we have reason to think that God may. have taken offence, and justly refuse us, and remember against us our former offences, when we make application to him: for as guilty persons are in danger, fo are they alfo full of jealoufies, and

fufpicions

fufpicions and fears, &c. The wicked flee when note purjue but the righteous is as bold as a lion Prov. xxviii. I. So that it is the wonderful grace of God to fortify and encourage our minds to come to him ; and to caft ourselves upon his mercy; whereas we know we have given him offence. We find it fo in our fellow creatures; where we have given offence, we have no confidence. We are therefore as much beholden to God for this, as for any thing elfe in the world? let us therefore think of ourselves modestly, how fhort, and unworthy we are ; and think of God ingenuously, and be thankful to him for his goodnefs. What cause have we given to God to dispos fess us of ourselves, and to difaffect our minds towards worldly contentment, or to fufpend the virtue of the creatures to us, or to withdraw his bleffing from our endeavours, or to awaken the guilt of fin upon our confciences, or to let fall fome drops of his own wrath upon us; and yet notwithstanding all our faultiness, through his great compaffion, none of these evils have befallen us: but we continue in life, and health, and strength, and power of self-enjoyment, &c. and (which is more than all the reft, and fettles all the reft) confidence in God, and boldness to make application to him.

Laftly, What value then fhould (we put upon the grace of the gospel, which hath declared to us a new and living way to approach to God. That for us, who have fruftrated the first contrivances of wifdom, and loft the confidence of creatures, there is a new and living way through the grace of the gospel, to approach to God; in which we may

come

come to God with affurance and confidence. It is a mighty place of fcripture, Heb. x. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in affurance of faith, &c. The grace of the gospel doth contain in it, as well the difpofition qualifying the subject, as warranty for the authorifing of the perfon. So that there is remedy against all manner of exception; either the incapacity of the perfon, because he is guilty; or the indifpofition of the party, because of malignity : fo fovereign is the ufe of repentance and faith in the Lord Jefus.

Thus have I finished this great point: and that which hath made me fo long upon this argument, is, because I have not found a more solid foundation to fettle and establish confcience toward God upon, than this is fince finners become obnoxious to God; and no power, no priviledge, no wit nor cunning, no friendship, no worldly intereft, nor advantage can give defence against the strokes of God, to whofe eyes all that is done, lies open. Therefore it is apparent, no man's eftate hath settlement, unless a man be in reconciliation with the rule of righteousness. If men be inwardly guilty, though no man be privy, yet they are unfafe and Infecure. If men be obnoxious to God, if he once come to reprove, the foundation of their confidence will fink, and all that they think to shelter themfelves by, will fail and difappear, and come to nothing. Therefore it is very neceffary for men, to fear God, and have him in due regard and be in reconciliation with him. ̧

VOL. I.

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IV. The