perfuaded of the certainty of eternal life and eternal death, you would not ftand fo long hovering betwixt heaven and hell. If once you had the firm impreffions of eternal death, you would prefently, "flee from the wrath to come ;" and if you had a due sense of eternal life, you would “ run to take hold of the hope fet before you," Heb. vi. 18. But alas! nature is half blind, and cannot fee afar off, 2 Pet. 1. 9. To carnal hearts. and eyes, there feems to be a mift upon eternity; they cannot fee into another world, and they cannot believe things not feen. But, O if you would be happy, you muft ftedfaftly believe the "immortality of the foul, and a future life; that the Bible is the true word of God, and that the bleffed God, fent his eternal Son Jefus Chrift into the world to affume man's nature, and die for to redeem him from fin and hell." With abhorrence renounce all doubting or unbelieving thoughts of thefe great truths; rather doubt of your own being than of thefe; believe that what now you hear with your ears concerning a future life and judgment-feat, you will fhortly fee with your eyes: If you do it not, you rub the higheft affront on God that a creature is capable of; for you make your Creator a lyar, 1 John v. 10. This is a fin that devils are not chargeable with, for" they believe and tremble." O finner, what further confirmation of the truth wouldest thou have from God, than he hath already given thee? Thou haft his word, yea, his writ, ratified by his oath, confirmed by his miracles, and fealed by his Son's blood, which is far more, and far furer than either a voice from heaven, or a messenger, from hell, according to 2 Pet. 1. 19. Luke xvi. 31.

II. Ignorance of the truths you hear this day, greatly hinders the fanctification of it. You cannot prize Christ, close with him, or follow him, till fuch time as you know him. How can fuch hear the gospel, or em brace Chrift offered therein, that know not their ruined natural condition and their remedy through Chrift? Many they know not Chrift's love and beauty, his ability, fufficiency and fitnefs, in his natures, offices, relations, graces, Spirit and fulness: They know not the defign of his coming into the world; the manner

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of his thorowing our redemption by his obedience and fufferings, and the manner of applying it, and our getting an intereft therein, and the neceffity and nature of faith in order thereto. For as oft as many have faith in their mouths, they know not what it is; they are ignorant what it is to receive Chrift as a Surety and Saviour, as a Prieft and King; and therefore many gofpel. fermons and Sabbaths are entirely loft to them.

O finners, confider the danger of ignorance, it is a foul murdering fin, Hof. iv. 6. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Do not think your ignorance will excufe you at a tribunal, or fave you from hell: No, it will rather aggravate your fin and condemnation, to be found ignorant, in a land where the lightfhines fo plentifully about you. Ignorance, will be fo far from keeping off wrath from you, that God tells you it is a fpecial procuring caufe of wrath, and makes you more miferable than others, according to Ifaiah xxvii. 11. "This is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will fhew them no fax vour."

Again, as ignorance is a damning fin in itself, fo it is the fruitful mother of many other fins and lufts, according to 1 Pet. i. 14. What is the reafon why many. fwear, lye, cheat, break the Sabbath, drink drunk, commit uncleannefs, flight ordinances, neglect prayer in their families and clofets, and go on in their fins, without repenting or fleeing to Chrift? It is because of their ignorance: They are ignorant of God, his infinite juftice and holy nature, the evil of fin, and what Chrift hath fuffered for finners; they know not what regeneration, repentance and faith are, for all they fpeak of them; and how then can they practife them, or cry to God for them?

Object: "O (fay fome ignorant creatures) many have knowledge that make no good ufe of it; yea, they are more graceless and profane than we."

Anf. All this is too true, and thefe will have a fad account to make one day for finning against fo much light. But this will be no help to you, for profanity VOL. IV.

Ii

kills

kills them, and ignorance, kills you; they die of one difeafe, and you die of antoher; and your disease is as fure to kill as theirs. For you to reject knowledge, because fome who have it abuse it and perifh; is as ridiculous as for you to fay, because many die who have both food and phyfic, and plenty of means for preferv-,, ing life, I will ufe no means for preferving my life at all; for, whoever die, you are fure to die: They that have both food and phyfic may die, but they that have none of them cannot live. So, whoever perish, ignorant perfons are fure to perish; for they know not their remedy, they cannot make use of the means of life. O ignorant fouls, you are nearer hell than others; your ftate is darkness, and it borders upon utter darkness; fo that you are, as it were, lodging in the next room to hell, having but a weak partition betwixt you and it, which death may break down in a moment, and let you pafs into it. When an ignorant finner dies, there goes not only duft to duft, but darkness to darkness; the darkness of ignorance to the darkness of hell: And is not this a fearful ftate for you to continue in? What madness is it for you to do it, when Chrift is daily inviting you to come to the light?:

O ignorant finners, why fhould you continue in your ignorance, more than these of your rank in other places, who can difcourfe moft fenfibly of the principles of religion, and the concerns of their fouls, and can pray to excellent purpofe? Have you not rational fonls as well as they? Have you not the fame helps and advantages that they have, if you would but make use of them ? Are you not as capable as they? You are as fharp and knowing about worldly affairs as others: You know well enough the rent of a piece of ground, the value of corn or cattle; but, alas! know nothing of the worth of your fouls, of Chrift and pardon to them: You are well versed in the art of plowing, fowing and reaping, and know the right feafons for them; but, alas! you know not your feasons of mercy: You know your almanack, the fairs and changes of the moon, you know your story books and ballads; and why might you not know your bibles as well, if you would employ the fame

parts

parts and abilities to get fpiritual knowledge? Have you not great plenty of the means of knowledge, if you would but attend them, and make use of them.

Object." But I cannot read the bible, how fhall I learn knowledge ?".

Anf. You are at a very great lofs indeed, it is hard to get ignorant perfons inftructed that cannot read : You ought to lament your lofs, and be the more in prayer for the spirit of God to teach you, and make up that lofs; and the more defirous to hear others read, and to wait upon the public catechifing: And alfo, lày' out yourselves with all care yet to learn to read.

Object. But I am too old to learn."

Anf. Are you too old to feek after Chrift and falvation? Will your age fave you from hell and wrath, if you die Chriftlefs? will God fpare old folk dying in ignorance, more than the young? Many have learned to read, who have been as old as you were you but willing and defirous, you would foon conquer all difficul ties. I have heard of fome fervants, who have been fo fond to learn, that they have offered to their masters or miftreffes to quit part of their meat and fee, upon condition they would teach them to read: And, are not your fouls as dear to you as theirs were to them?

Object." It was my parents fault that did not teach, me when I was young."

Anf. Alas! that parents fhould be fo cruel to their children when young! But, wilt not thou be merciful to thyself, because they have been cruel? Their neglect will not excufe thine. As it was their fau't that did not learn you in youth, fo it is yours now if you remain in ignorance, and will be your eternal ruin if you continue wilfully fo: Yea, you will thus not only bring your own blood on your head, but alfo the blood of your children and fervants when you get families; for you will not be capable to inftruct them yourselves, nor will you, in all likelihood, be at pains to caufe others do it; and fo you will be guilty of the fame neglect to your children, that your parents were guilty of to you, Object.

Object. "But I am ashamed to be learning at this "age."

Anf. It is indeed a fhame for old people to be ig norant, but no fhame to learn: Yea, though one foot were in the grave, and the other following, you should ftill be learning fomething for your foul. For, what is the world's fhame and derifion to that woful confufion of face that will befall the ignorant, Christless finner at a day of judgment, and efpecially fuch as flight knowledge, and will not be at pains to learn? Read that fearful and thundering threatening, Prov. i. 26. 27. 28. "I will laugh at your calamity, when diftrefs and anguish cometh upon you; when ye call upon me, I will not answer; when ye feek me early, ye shall not find me." Oh! these words threaten against the ignorant, who refufe to learn, "punishment without pity, mifery without mercy, crying without comfort," and 66 torment without cafe." O what is the cause, say you, of all that fad vengeance? See verse 29. "For that they hated knowledge," &c. As then you love your own fouls, and would efcape eternal damnation, as you would honour God and his Sabbath, see that you learn to read, feek inftruction, and wait carefully upon all the means of knowledge.

III. Earthly-mindedness doth greatly hinder the fanctification of the Lord's day; for, when the vanities of the world are entertained, they fo poffefs the mind, that there is no room left for other thoughts: The thoughts of the world shut out the thoughts of God: The dust and smoke of this world fo blind the eyes of many, that they cannot difcern the beauty of Chrift or holiness, though the brighteft difcoveries be made thereof this day in the ordinances: Thus, alas! fatan defeats the whole defign of the gofpel as to many; fo that, though

minifters tell them from God's word of their foul's worth, hazard, and only refuge in Chrift, yet they are fo hot in pursuing the world, they do not hear or think on what is faid. This man hath his farm, the other his merchandize, the other his trade, to look after, Luke xiv. 18. fo that there is no time in their lives, no room in their hearts left for Chrift. It is in vain to tell many

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