gards it not; it is the hardest thing in the world to rouze and awaken a man out of his carnal fecurity. Look over fatan's kingdom, and you fhall find a general stilnefs, and quietness among his fubjects; there is no trouble for fin, no strivings after falvation, no cryings out, "What shall we do to be saved ?" Go into the crowds of carnal men and women, and you shall find them all intent and bufy about other matters. How long fhall you be in their company, before you hear one groan for fin, or fee one tear flide from their eyes on that account? Oh! what a marvellous thing is here! do not their confciences know the guilt that lies upon them? Are they not aware of a day of reckoning which approacheth? Yes, yes, these things are not hid from their confciences: What art then is used to keep them fo fill and quiet? Why, there are divers rattles to ftill the confciences of finners, and they do it effectually. There are four caufes, and occafions of this wonderful stilnefs in the fouls of finners.

1. Ignorance of the nature of regenerating grace, taking that for regeneration, which is none of it; thus did the Jews, John viii. 25. confidently affirm God to be their God, and yet they did not know him. How many poor ignorant creatures think there is no need of any other work of regeneration, but what paffed upon them in baptifm? They were born, and baptized Chriftians, and that is enough, they think, to fave them. Matth. iii. 9. "We have Abraham to our father." They thought it fufficient that Abraham's blood ran in their veins, though there were not a spark of Abraham's faith kindled in their fouls: The Lord forgive the fin of thofe men that lead poor fouls into fuch fatal mistakes. O if men were but aware of the neceffity of a greater, and farther work to pass upon their fouls than their baptifm, common powerless profeffion, or the fimilar works which appear upon formal hypocrites, heaven and earth would ring with their cries. But ignorance of the nature and neceffity of fpecial regenerating grace, like a dofe of opium, cafts the confciences of many into this deep fleep.

2. Freedom from groffer fins and pollutions of the world, fills and quiets the confciences of thousands; they have had a civil, fober, and fair education; and though there be no grace and regeneration, yet what faints do they seem to themfelves, being adorned with fobriety and civility! This stilled the confcience of the Pharifee, Luke xviii. 11. "God, I thank "thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, "adulterers, or even as this publican." Thus, like delicate Agag, they fpruce up themfelves with moral homilitical virtues,

wherein many thoufand Heathens were more gay than them felves; but justice will hew them to-pieces as Agag was, for all their moral ornaments and endowments.

3. The ftrict performance of the external duties of religion quiets the confciences of many; they question not but those that do so well shall fare well, and that God will never dama men and women that keep their church, and fay their. prayers as they do. Thus the carnal Jews deluded themselves, crying, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord: " As malefactors, in fome of our neighbouring kingdoms, fly to the church from the hand of justice, fo do thefe; but God will pluck them from the horns of the altar, and convince them that the empty name of religion is no fecurity from damnation.

4. Many confciences are still and quieted in a natural finful flate, by misinterpreting the voices of Providence; it may be God profpers your earthly affairs, fucceeds and fmiles upon your undertakings; and this you conclude must be a token of his love and favour: But, alas! this is a great mistake, the Lord give you better evidences of his love than thefe; for who profper more in the world than wicked men ? And who are more croffed than the people of God? Read Job xxi. and Pfal. lxxiii. and compare both with Eccl. ix. 1. and you will quickly find the vanity of all hopes built upon fuch a foundation.

However, by fuch things as these are, the god of this world blinds the eyes of multitudes.

Infer. 2. If every conviction be a knock of Christ, how deeply are all fouls concerned in the fuccefs and issue of them?

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Conviction is an embryo of the new creature; if it go ont its full time, and come to a perfect new birth, it brings forth falvation to your fouls; if it mifcarry finally, you are finally loft. It is of infinite concernment therefore to every man and woman to be tender over those convictions of their confciences. It is true, conviction and converfion are two things; there may be conviction without converfion, though there can be no converfion without conviction. The bloffoms upon the trees in the fpring of the year cannot properly be called fruit, they are rather the rudiments of fruit, or fomething in order to fruit: If they open kindly, and knit or fet firmly, perfect fruit follows them; but if a blaft or frofty morning kill them, no fruit is to be expected. Thus it is here, great care therefore ought to be taken about the preservation and fuccefs of convictions, both by 1. The foul itself that is under them.

2. And by all others that are concerned about them. 1. What care should the foul itself have, upon whom con

victions are wrought: have a care friends how you quench them, divert or hinder the operations of them, left you hinder as much as in you lies, the very conception of Christ in your fouls by them. I remember it is faid, Exod. xxi. 22. "If men ftrive and hurt a woman with child, and mischief "follow, life fhall be given for life." The life of your fouls is bound up in the life of your convictions. I know it is hard for men and women to dwell with their own convictions ; guilt and wrath are fad fubjects for mens thoughts to dwell upon; but yet it is far better to dwell with the thoughts of fin and wrath here, than to lie fweltering under them in hell for ever. You may be rid of your convictions and your falvation together; be not too eager after peace, a good trouble peace. And on the other fide, beware that your convictions and troubles turn not into difcouragements to faith; this will cross the proper interion of them: they are Christ's knocks for entrance, and were never intended to be bars or ftumbling-blocks in your way to him; not stops, but steps in your way to Christ.

is better than a false

2. Let all others that are concerned about convincing fouls, beware what counfels they give, and what rules they prefcribe, left they render them abortive, and destroy all in the bud. There are two errors too commonly committed, one in excess, perfuading fouls under trouble of confcience that there is no coming for them to Christ, unless they be so and so prepared, humbled just at fuch a degree; this is dangerous counfel, it overheats the troubles of confcience, and keeps the foul from its proper present duty and remedy. I am fure Paul and Silas took no fuch course with the convinced jaylor, nor Peter with the three thousand wounded confciences, Acts ii. Nor do I find where God hath ftated the time and degree of spiritual troubles, fo that there must be no addreffes to Chrift in the way of faith, until they have fuffered them fo long, and to fuch an height: if they have imbittered fin to the foul, and made it fee the neceffity of a Saviour, I think they cannot move too soon after Christ in the way of faith. Let no man fet bounds where God fets none.

There is another error committed in defect, when promises and comforts are presently applied, before the nature of faith is known, or one act of recumbency put forth towards Chrift: thefe hafty comforts come to nothing; they will not, they cannot stand. It is a dangerous thing to apply gofpel-cordials, and pour out the precious ointment of the promifes upon VOL. IV. Sff

them that were never heart-fick for fin; when upon every flight trouble, which is but an early dew, the peculiar confc lations of penitent and believing fouls are hand over-head ap plied to them: how many fuch unskilful emperics are there in every place? fuch as the prophet Jeremy complains of, They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people "flightly, crying peace, peace, where there is no peace. Remember the foundation is now laying for eternity, and that is the time of deep confideration; men and women must pon der the terms, and count the coft, and deliberately accept and clofe with Chrift, before the confolations of the promises can be regularly adminiftred to them...

Infer. 3. What a fingular blessing is a rouzing faithful miniftry among the people? By fuch a miniftry Chrift knocks powerfully; this is one of the greatest bleflings God can be ftow upon a people, next to the faving effects of it, when he fends among them powerful, judicious preachers of the gospel, under whofe miniftry their confciences cannot fleep quietly These are the proper inftruments Christ knocks at mens hearts by: and as for thofe prophets that fow pillows for drowsy finners to fleep quietly upon, the Lord owns them not for his, Lam. ii 14. Thy prophets (not mine, but thine) have seen "vain and foolish things for thee, they have not discovered "thine iniquity."

It is true, thofe minifters that give men no reft nor quietnefs in their fins, muft expect but little reft and quietnefs themfelves. What is it for minifters to preach home to the confciences of others, but to pull down the rage of the world upon their heads? But certainly you will have caufe to blefs God to eternity, for cafting your lot under fuch a miniftry; and the Lord accounts fuch a mercy fufficient to recompenfe any outward affliction that lies upon you, Ifa. xxx. 20. You fare richly under fuch doctrine, though the Lord fhould feed you with the bread of affliction, and give you the waters of adverfity to drink; this makes amends for all, Thine eyes shall

behold thy teachers, and they fhall be driven no more into "corners." O bleffed be God that England's corners are this day emptied, that its pulpits may be filled with laborious, faithful minifters. O that the knocks of Chrift might this day be heard in all the cities, towns, and villages of this nation! the kingdom of God is come nigh unto us, this mercy istinvaluable; pray that the Lord would continue it, and make all your minifters and means, whether' more public. or private, fuccessful.

Infer. 4. And then, laftly, let all men beware of those things that deafen their ears, and drown the found of Christ's knocks and calls in the gospel.

What pernicious enemies to the fouls of men are those perfons, and things, that turn away men's ears from attending to the knocks and calls of Christ in his word? Such are, (1.) Prophane, wicked men, who, like Elimas the forcerer, make it their business, by wicked infinuations, flouts, and jeers, to turn away men's ears from the gofpel. Acts xiii. 19. "O “full of all fubtilty, and all mifchief, thou child of the devil, "thou enemy of all righteoufnefs; wilt thou not cease to "pervert the right ways of the Lord ?" All oppofition of godlinefs hath a fpice of devilifhnefs, and no child more refembles his father, than a fcoffing enemy resembles his father, the devil. But bleffed be God for that good providence which, in a great measure, hath ftopt the mouths both of the father and his children, this day. (2.) Take heed of carnal, and ungodly relations, which difcourage and threaten their chofen fervants, and all that depend on them, from attending upon the means, or giving way to the convictions which God by them hath fat upon their hearts. Cruel parents, who had rather fee their children turned into their graves, than turning to the ways of ferious godliness. O that any fhould dare to quench the beginnings of spiritual life, in those to whom they were inftruments to convey natural life. (3.) Take heed of the world, its distracting cares, and charming pleafures; what a din, what a confufed buz, and noise, do these things make in the ears of men! Mark iv. 19. "The cares of this world "choak the word, and it becometh unfruitful." Tell not them of getting Chrift, they must ftudy how to get bread. These are some of thofe diftracting and diverting founds, which drown the voice of Chrift's knocks and calls in the gofpel. As you value your fouls, beware of them.

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II. Ufe, for Exhortation.

Chrift is now come near us in the gofpel," Behold he ftands at the door and knocks" and I am here this day to demand your answer, and in his name I do folemnly demand it; what fhall I return to him that fent me? What fayest thou, finner? Wilt thou open to Chrift, or wilt thou fhut him out; and with him thy own pardon, peace, and falvation? Once more let me try the force of a few more arguments upon your hearts, and refute your vain pleas to the contrary; methinks