and hath made our duty, and that ends at length in eternal life. But you will say, Shall all then, that live under the Gospel, obtain this grace and holy life? Or if they shall not, or, if so far as can be collected, multitudes do not, or, perhaps, in some places that enjoy the Gospel, very few do, in comparison of them that do not, what am I better? when, perhaps, it is far more likely that I shall perish notwithstanding, than be saved? In answer to this, it must be acknowledged, that all that live under the Gospel do not obtain life and saving grace by it. For, then, there had been no occasion for this lamentation of our blessed Lord over the perishing inhabitants of Jerusalem, as having lost their day, and that the things of their peace were now hid from their eyes; and by that instance it appears too possible, that even the generality of a people living under the Gospel, may fall at length into the like forlorn and hopeless condition. But art thou a man that thus objectest? A reasonable understanding creature? or dost thou use the reason and understanding of a man in objecting thus? Didst thou expect, that when thine own wilful transgression had made thee liable to eternal death and wrath, peace and life, and salvation should be imposed upon thee whether thou wouldst or no, or notwithstanding thy most wilful neglect and contempt of them, and all the means of them? Could it enter into thy mind, that a reasonable soul should be wrought and framed for that high and blessed end, whereof it is radically capable, as a stock or a stone is for any use it is designed for; without designing its own end or way to it? Couldst thou think the Gospel was to bring thee to faith and repentance, whether thou didst hear it or no? or ever apply thy mind to consider the meaning of it, and what it did propose and offer to thee? or when thou mightest so easily understand that the grace of God was necessary to make it effectual to thee, and that it might become his power (or the instrument of his power) to thy salvation, couldst thou think it concerned thee not to sue and supplicate to him for that grace? when thy life lay upon it, and thy eternal hope? Hast thou lain weltering at the footstool of the throne of grace in thine own tears, (as thou hast been formerly weltering in thy sins and impurities,) crying for grace to help thee in this time of thy need?" And if thou thinkest this was above thee and without thy compass, hast thou done all that was within thy compass in order to the obtaining of grace at God's hands? But here, perhaps, thou

wilt inquire, Is there any thing, then, to be done by us, whereupon the grace of God may be expected certainly to follow? To which I answer,

1. That it is out of question nothing can be done by us to deserve it, or for which we may expect it to follow. It were not grace if we had obliged, or brought it, by our desert, under former preventive bonds to us. And,

2. What if nothing can be done by us upon which it may be certainly expected to follow? Is a certainty of perishing better than a high probability of being saved?

3. Such as live under the Gospel have reason to apprehend it highly probable they may obtain that grace which is necessary to their salvation, if they be not wanting to themselves. For,

4. There is generally afforded to such that which is wont to be called common grace. I speak not of any further extent of it, 'tis enough to our present purpose that it extends so far, as to them that live under the Gospel, and have thereby a day allowed them wherein to provide for their peace. Now, though this grace is not yet certainly saving, yet it tends to that which is so. And none have cause to despair, but that being duly improved and complied with, it may end in it.

And this is that which requires to be insisted on, and more fully evinced. In order whereto let it be considered, that it is expressly said to such, they are to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, for this reason, that God works (or is working or b Evepywv) in them, i. e. statedly and continually at work, or is always ready to work in them, to will and to do of his own good pleasure, Phil. ii. 12, 13. The matter fails not on his part. He will work on in order to their salvation, if they work in that way of subordinate co-operation, which his command, and the necessity of their own case, oblige them unto. And it is further to be considered, that where God had formerly afforded the symbols of his gracious presence, given his oracles, and settled his church, though yet in its nonage, and much more imperfect state, there he, however, communicated those influences of his Spirit, that it was to be imputed to themselves if they came short of the saving operations of it. Of such it was said, Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them, Nehem. ix. 20. And to such, Turn ye at my reproof, I will pour out my Spirit unto you. I will make known my words unto you. Be

cause I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no man regarded, but ye set at nought my counsel, and despised all my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity, &c. Prov. i. 23, 24. We see whence their destruction came; not from God's first restraint of his Spirit, but their refusing, despising, and setting at nought his counse's and reproofs. And when it is said, they rebelled and vexed his Spirit, and he therefore turned and fought against them, and became their enemy, Isa. lxiii. 10. it appears, that before his Spirit was not withheld, but did variously, and often, make essays and attempts upon them. And when Stephen, immediately before his martyrdom, thus bespeaks the descendants of these Jews, Ye stiff-necked, and uncircumcised,-ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your Fathers did, so do ye, Acts vii. 'tis implied the Holy Ghost had been always striving from age to age with that stubborn people: for where there is no counter-striving there can be no resistance, no more than there can be a war on one side only. Which also appears to have been the course of God's dealing with the old world, before their so general lapse into idolatry and sensual wickedness, from that passage, Gen. vi. 3. according to the more common reading and sense of those words.

Now whereas the Gospel is eminently said to be the ministration of the Spirit in contradistinction not only to the natural religion of other nations, but the divinely instituted religion of the Jews also, as is largely discoursed 2 Cor. iii. and more largely through the Epistle to the Galatians, especially chap. iv. and whereas we find that, in the Jewish Church, the Holy Ghost did generally diffuse its influences, and not otherwise withhold them, than penally, and upon great provocation; how much more may it be concluded, that under the Gospel, the same blessed Spirit is very generally at work upon the souls of men, till by their resisting, grieving, and quenching of it, they provoke it to retire and withdraw from them.

And let the consciences of men living under the Gospel testify in the case. Appeal, sinner, to thine own conscience; Hast thou never felt any thing of conviction, by the word of God? hadst thou never any thought injected of turning to God, of reforming thy life, of making thy peace? have no desires ever been raised in thee, no fears? hast thou never had any tastes and relishes of pleasure in the things of God? whence have these come? What! from thyself, who art not sufficient to think any thing as of thyself? i. e.

not any good or right thought. All must be from that good Spirit that hath been striving with thee; and might still have been so unto a blessed issue for thy soul, if thou hadst not neglected and disobeyed it.

And do not go about to excuse thyself by saying, that so all others have done too, 'tis like, at one time or other; and if that therefore be the rule and measure, that they that contend against the strivings and motions of God's Spirit must be finally deserted and given up to perish, who then can be saved? Think not of pleading so for thy neglecting and despising the grace and Spirit of God. 'Tis true that herein the great God shows his sovereignty: when all that enjoy the same advantages for salvation deserve by their slighting them to be forsaken alike; he gives instances and makes examples of just severity, and of the victorious power of grace, as seems him good, which there will be further occasion to speak more of hereafter. In the mean time the present design is not to justify thy condemnation but procure thy salvation, and therefore to admonish and instruct thee, that, though thou art not sure, because some others that have slighted and despised the grace and Spirit of God are notwithstanding conquered and saved thereby, it shall therefore fare as well with thee; yet thou hast reason to be confident, it will be well and happy for thee, if now thou despise and slight them not. And whether thou do or not, it is however plain that by being under the Gospel thou hast had a day, wherein to mind the things of thy peace, though it is not told thee it would last always, but the contrary is presently to be told thee.

And thou mayst now see 'tis not only a day in respect of light but influence also; that thou mightest not only know notionally what belonged thereto, but efficaciously and practically; which you have heard is the knowledge here meant. And the concurrence of such light and influence has made thee a season wherein thou wast to have been at work for thy soul. The day is the proper season for work: when the night comes working ceases, both because that then light fails, and because drowsiness and sloth are more apt to possess men. And the night will come. For, (which is the next thing we have to speak to,)

III. This day hath its bounds and limits, so that when it is over and lost with such, the things of their peace are for ever hid from their eyes. And that this day is not infinite and endless, we see in the present instance. Jerusalem had her day; but that day had its period, we see it

comes to this at last, that now the things of her peace are hid from her eyes. We generally see the same thing, in that sinners are so earnestly pressed to make use of the present time. To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, Psal. xcv. quoted and urged Heb. iii. 7, 8. They are admonished to seek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is nigh. It seems some time he will not be found, and will be afar off. They are told this is the accepted time, this is the day of salvation.

This day, with any place or people, supposes a precedent night, when the day-spring from on high had not visited their horizon, and all within it sat in darkness, and in the region and shadow of death. Yea, and there was a time, we know, of very general darkness, when the Gospel day, "the day of visitation," had not yet dawned upon the world; "times of ignorance," wherein God as it were winked upon the nations of the earth; the beams of his eye did in a sort overshoot them, as the word inepidèv imports. But when the eyelids of the morning open upon any people, and light shines to them with direct beams, they are now commanded to repent, (Acts xvii. 30.) limited to the present point of time with such peremptoriness, as that noble Roman used towards a proud prince, asking time to deliberate upon the proposal made to him of withdrawing his forces that molested some of the allies of that state; he draws a line about him with the end of his rod, and requires him now, out of hand, before he stirred out of that circle, to make his choice, whether he would be a friend or enemy to the people of Rome. So are sinners to understand the state of their own case. The God of thy life, sinner, in whose hands thy times are, doth with much higher right limit thee to the present time, and expects thy present answer to his just and merciful offers and demands. He circumscribes thy day of grace; it is enclosed on both parts, and hath an evening as well as morning; as it had a foregoing, so hath it a subsequent night, and the latter, if not more dark, yet usually much more stormy than the former! For God shuts up this day in much displeasure, which hath terrible effects. If it be not expressly told you what the condition of that night is that follows your Gospel day; if the watchman being asked, "What of the night?" do only answer it cometh as well as the morning came; black events are signified by that more awful q Isa. lv.

r Isa. xlix. 2 Cor. vi.