followed? Whether the Holy Ghost or the devil should dwell in us, and guide us? Whether the saints of God, or the servants of the devil should be our chosen company? Whether the word and ministers of Christ, or the examples and words of wicked men, should more prevail with us? Whether heaven or earth should be more carefully sought after? Whether a holy, or a careless, wicked life be more to be desired? Or whether it be better to turn to God or not? I say, to make such a question as this, or one of these is little better than to put a scorn upon the God of heaven; and savoureth of such malice as is more like a devil, than a reasonable man; or else of such folly as is below the devil, and as none of you would be guilty of in the matters of this world. If one should but make a comparison between you and some deformed monster, or between your house and a swinestye, though he gave you the better, I think you would take it as a scorn, that he should make such a comparison or question; much more may God so take it, when you make a question betwixt sin and him. There is but one infinite, unconceivable, perfect God, and shall he be abased by such a question? There is but one thing that is contrary to God in all the world, that is worse than the devil himself, and that is sin; and shall this be put in question or comparison with God? There is but one that hath loved us to the death, but with a matchless, unconceivable, saving love, and that is Jesus Christ; and there is but one thing that is a deadly enemy to us and him, and that would damn us, when he is endeavouring to save us, and that is sin; and must there be a question or comparison between these? There is one sanctifying Spirit, that would cleanse, and heal, and save us; and there is a malicious spirit that would deceive us, defile us, and destroy us; and must there be any question or comparison made between these? There is but one eternal happiness, and one holy way to it; and there is but one everlasting misery, and fleshly, filthy, sinful way to it; and must there be made any question which of these should be preferred? Consider I beseech you, what you do: and if it be so vile a thing to make any question of it, what is it then to be still unresolved? Yea, and to choose the worse part, and stick to it in your heart and life?

12. Consider also, that present resolution would put an end to a great many fruitless, troublesome deliberations and

delays. If a man had but a weighty business of the world upon his hand, that his estate or life lieth on, it is a perplexity to him as long as he is unresolved what course he should take. It will be troubling him when he should rest, and break his sleep. It will fill him with musings, and disturb and distract his mind, and even make him melancholy. And how can it choose but be a troublesome, distracting thing to your mind, to be unresolved what course to take for your everlasting state? I know some hearts are so desperately hardened and past feeling (Ephes. iv. 19.), and some men's consciences so seared as with a hot iron (1 Tim. iv. 2.), that they can throw away all thoughts of resolution, and never be much troubled. But I hope that many are not so desperate. It is not thus with all that are unconverted. How long have some of your minds been troubled whether to turn or not? Resolve man, if thou love thy soul, and put an end to such troubles.

13. Consider also, that resolving will put an end to a great many of troublesome temptations that do assault you, and will break the heart of satan's hopes. As long as you are unresolved, he hath still possession of you, and is still in hopes to keep possession. And as long as he hath any hope, he will never give over, but will be repairing his garrison, and making up all the breaches that the ordinances of God had made. When one temptation takes not, he will be offering you another, and will be following and disquieting you day and night. But if once he see you firmly resolved, his hopes will fail him, and you may be much freer from his temptations than you were before. I do not say he will give over. For even when you are broken away from him, he will make after you again. But it is a greater advantage to you to fight against him in the open field, under such a captain as Jesus Christ, that will assure you of the victory, than to be in his own prison with his fetters on your heels. You know the way to be troubled with an unwelcome suitor, is to delay your answer, and take time to consider of it; and the way to be eased of him, is to give him a peremptory resolute answer. And when he seeth you resolved, he will

cease.

14. Moreover, till you are resolved of your conversion, you cannot rationally resolve of any one word or action of your lives. Nay, till then they are all misemployed to their

hurt. For no man can resolve of the means till he is resolved of the end. You must resolve whither to go, before you can resolve which way to go. Before conversion men's end is wrong. Their intention and business is to please the flesh, and all their thoughts, and words, and actions, that have such an end, are wicked and pernicious. Till you are resolved by conversion to be for God, you have never a right end (in a prevailing sense), and, therefore, you cannot order one thought, nor word, nor deed aright. I tell you, every thought you think, and every word you speak, and every deed you do while you are unconverted, are so many steps towards hell, except only those that tend towards conversion, and some way further it. Resolve, therefore, of this, or you can resolve of nothing.

15. Moreover, if you would presently and firmly resolve, you would ease your friends and the ministers of Christ of much of their sorrows, and fears, and cares for you; and of much of the most troublesome part of their work. As long as you are unconverted, they can look on you but as the heirs of hell, that will be quickly in those torments, if conversion prevent it not; and, therefore, their hearts are full of sorrow for you, when you sorrow not for yourselves ; and their care is, how they might prevent your damnation, which they know, without conversion, can never be done. Many a groan doth your misery cost them, and many a thought have they of your danger, which you are not aware of. Ο what a grief is it to believing ministers, to see so many of their people in the power of satan, and the highway to hell, after all their care and labour for their recovery. We cannot say that the unconverted shall certainly perish, because we have yet hopes that they may be converted, though they be not. But we know that if they die in the case that they are in, there is no hope of them at all, and we know they are uncertain to live an hour. And, therefore, as long as they are in this condition, how can we choose but be filled with fear, and grief, and care for them? All the troubles that befal a faithful minister in his worldly affairs, by crosses and 'persecutions, are nothing to the trouble that your sin and misery bringeth to their minds. O what a comfortable life were it for a minister to live with bread and water among a people that would obey the Gospel, and give us hopes that we should live with them in heaven! O how cheerfully may

we study for them, and preach to them, when we see that it is not lost upon them! How willingly should we prepare them the bread of life, when we see they feed and live upon it! How joyfully may we pray and praise God with them, when we think how much they must join with us in the celestial praises. O, sirs, I beseech you, grudge not your ministers this comfort. Do not destroy yourselves to grieve and trouble them. O put them once out of their fears and grief for you, by your resolving and speedy return to God. That they that have many a time thought in their hearts, ' I am afraid this poor sinner will never be recovered; I am afraid he will be a firebrand in hell,' may now rejoice with you when they see you coming home, and may meet you as the Father himself doth meet his prodigal children, and weep over you for joy, as they were wont to do in sorrow. You would ease our hearts of abundance of sad thoughts, if we could but perceive you once resolved, and see you come home. Now you think our preaching harsh to you, because we tell you so much of sin and damnation; and you think our discipline more harsh, when we refuse to have communion with you. But if you would once resolve and turn, how gladly should we open our doors and our hearts to you; and how gladly should we turn the stream of our preaching, and tell you of nothing but Christ, and heaven, and peace, and comfort, further than your own necessities should require it. What say you, sirs, to this reasonable request? Will you resolve without any more ado, and ease us of our grief and fears, and give us but leave to preach more comfortable doctrine to you?

16. Moreover consider, that you have much work to do when you are resolved and converted, and a great way to go when you have begun your journey towards heaven. And till you are resolved, none can be done. You can go no farther, till conversion have set you in the right way. Till then, the farther you go, the farther you are out of the way. Will you be unresolved till the night come on? Shall all the rest of your work be undone? Will you begin your race when you should be at the end? Alas! you should be able to say as Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness;" 2 Tim. iv. 8. when as you cannot yet say, "I have begun my course; I am set in the right way.'

17. Consider also, that resolution maketh work easy and successful. The resolute army is seldom conquered. A resolute traveller will go through with his journey, and it is easier to himself: his spirits are excited; and doing it with vivacity, he findeth less trouble in it. A slow and lazy pace doth sometimes soonest weary us. A slow motion is most easily stopt, when a swift one bears down that which would resist it. A man that resolvedly sets himself to the work of God, and is past any further deliberating of the matter, and is at a point with all the world, will make a pleasure of that which will stop and stall an unresolved professor. Resolve therefore, for your own success and ease.

I tell you, by resolving it is that you must conquer, and by conquering, you must obtain the crown. The unresolved are wavering at every assault, like cowardly soldiers, even ready to run before they fight. They will not be at the cost or labour; they are soon weary; they cannot say nay to an old companion, or a tempting bait. But the resolved breaks through all, and treads that under his feet as dirt, which another sells his soul for. If he meet with reproaches and scorns from men, he remembereth that Christ foretold him this, and suffered much more of the like before him. If his friends turn enemies for the Gospel's sake, he saith, I was told of this before, even that I must be hated of all men for Christ.' If he be enticed by lewd and wanton company, he saith as David, " Depart from me, ye evil doers, for I will keep the commandments of my God;" Psal. cxix. 115. If he be tempted with rewards and honours in the world, he will not stand wavering and longing after it, as Balaam; but he will say the same Balaam was forced to do: “ If you will give me a house full of gold and silver, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord." And 'let their money perish with them, that think all the gold in the world worth the peace of a good conscience, and the favour of God.' If he be threatened by men to move him to forsake his duty, he saith, "Whether it be better to obey God or man, judge ye." If he hear seducers, he is rooted in the Spirit, and the infallible word, and is not shaken by every wind. If he see never so many fall off by backsliding, he saith, 'It was not only for their company that I chose the holy way: God is still the same, and heaven and earth is the same; and Scripture is the same; and, therefore, I am resolved to be the