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the very felf-fame thing for a man to obferve God and fulfil his will, and to do that which reason doth require. For right is determined by its agreeablenefs with the reason of things; and things are driven by force and violence, that are not done with reafon and therefore will return back again, as foon as that force is taken off. As if by power you bend a ftick, it will return to its ftraightness, as foon as that force is taken off. If you draw a bow by ftrength never so much, it will return to its former latitude, when the hand is taken off. Things will not hold long, if under force and violence; but if they be according to the right of the cafe, and according to reason, they will hold when they are done. And this is that which God expects, that a wicked man fhould turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right; by which he fhall fave his foul alive. Which brings me

V. To the beneficial part of the words, the happiness that follows upon renovation, repentance, and turning to God. He that doth fo, fhall fave his foul alive. Where you have the principal part put for the whole : not that the body fhall be neglected; for God that takes care of oxen, will take care of it alfo. He shall fave his foul alive; not as if we were not to look upon the foul as immortal : but this is the account I give of that. Mifery is worfe than death: to live, is to be well and in good health. I am fully satisfied, that it is better not to be at all than to be miserable; and for this I will take our Saviour's warrant Mat. xxvi. 24. where he faith, that it had been good for that man if he had not been

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been born, that should betray the fon of God. And the apoftle tells us, of the woman that liveth in wantonnefs, that he is dead even whilft fhe liveth. If any man be under guilt, he is dead while alive. Whofoever doth amifs, doth abuse himself, and wrong his own foul: and he that doth continue in ill doing, doth take a course finally to undo himself. It is the cafe of us men, even of us, fometimes in life to have done amifs, and to have perverted our way. But thanks be to God, through the grace of the gofpel, there is a way of recovery: repentance is a plank after fhipwreck, whereby a man may fave himself; we are therefore not to despair; but to turn from our wickedness; and we have God's declaration and promise that we shall fave our fouls alive. 'Tis a great word, but God hath spoken it, and shall not he make it good? He shall fave his foul alive, Ezek. xviii. 27. It is God that hath spoken it, in whofe hands are the iffues of life and death, who hath power to kill and to make alive. In the five books of Mofes you have often these words that foul fhall be cut off from among his people that is the punishment shall be inflicted by the hand of God himself. And therefore it is said to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. This fometimes, yea, very often, is the cafe of thosewhich fin fo fecretly, that they escape the cognizance of men. But the more are fuch men in danger of falling by the hand of God; if by the fecretnefs of the fact, the judgment of man cannot lay hold of it. For this is most certain, that none fhall finally prevail.in wickednefs: though hand join in

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hand, yet the wicked shall not go unpunished, Prov xi. 21. And where the hand of the magistrate, either because of power or fecrecy, cannot reach, God himself will judge in thofe cafes; and he will proceed according as things are. Though before men not to be proved, and not to be, are the fame thing yet God fearcheth the heart, and he cannot be deceived. God hath given us double fecurity for our lives, and we have just expectation from both the firft is from innocence, for God made us in his own image. But because we have failed, here is a fecond provision that God hath made by the motion of repentance, and this is God's after-grant. The firft was the ftate of God's creation: the next was that of restoration, and recovery by repentance, which is declared by the gofpel. So that now having loft our innocence, let us look after falvation by the motion of repentance, which through God's grace is fufficient, and will be effectual to prevent punishment which is the true explication of remiffion of fins. For if fin be committed, no power can make that not to have been done. Nor, fecondly, if a thing hath been done amifs, can it be made not to be worthy of punishment. But the forgiveness of fin doth prevent the deserved punishment of fin. Therefore, fince we have all of us loft the fnow-like whiteness of innocence, which was the beauty of our creation : let us now look after that whiteness which is by blood. For fo you have the expreffion in the Revelations that they were washed white in the blood of the lamb, Rev. vii. 14. The faith of the Lord Jefus Chrift conjoined with our

repentance and reformation, is now the only way to obtain pardon and forgiveness. Now unless a man repent, he cannot be fenfible of the impurity of the act, nor of his danger thereby; and till this be done, he will not feek after his remedy, no moi e than a man will seek after a physician, that is not fenfible of his disease, nor of his danger by means thereof. No man will go to Christ for pardon, unlefs he be fenfible of the evil of fin and of which he doth repent, and condemn himself, and refolve against it; for no true penitent doth allow himself in fin.

But farther, fhall fave his foul alive. From this we may understand of how great benefit the good use and improvement of our time is. Time, though it be of the flendereft entity, yet 'tis of the most moral confideration, because improveable to the highest advantage. Our time is a day of grace, for we are in a probation ftate: fo that now it fairly lies before us, to make ourselves happy for ever. And we may alfo by the abufe of the grace of God, undo ourfelves for ever. Therefore I fay unto you in the words of Mofes, Deut. xxx 19. I set before you this day life and death, blessing and curfing, choose life. For when a wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall fave his foul alive. But if he continue in wickedness, he shall surely die.

How many are there that overlook the business, purpose and intention of life! We are here to run a race, and fo to run that we may obtain : and therefore we are to watch over ourfelves, both as

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to the things of our mind, and body; and fo to keep under our bodies, and bring them into subjection, that we may not ruin and undo ourselves. Now this is another thing, than to gratify our sense, and live in a humour.. No, no, we must run the race that is fet before us, and as those that strain for the mastery, must be temperate in all things. This is our business, to ferve the intereft of our fouls, in the ftate that is before us. Therefore I advise e

very man that is ferious, to ask himself these questions.

ft. Will this that I have done, or am doing, be accountable, when God fhall call me to a reckoning? When any thing doubtful is propofed, or of a bad quality, then ask this question; shall I be able to give an account for this, when I fhall ftand before the tribunal feat of Chrift? The

2d. Question is that which Abigail put to David 1 Sam. xxv. 31. This will be no grief of heart, nor offence unto thee.

3d. Question is, what shall I think of this, when I fhall lie upon my death bed? What judgment of apprehension shall I have of it then? The

4th. Question is, how remediless will the confequence of evil be, when I fhall have the least relief by my reason, and be least capable of advice; and when I fhall have the leaft affiftance of God's grace and Spirit? How fhall I be then able to bear up against the intolerable burthen of evil and guilt too? Let us confider that we die daily in a threefold respect; in respect of age, in refpect of diseases, and in respect of hazard and danger. In refpect of age,

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