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drowned in earthly-mindedness, envenomed with malice, exalted in an opinion of thine own righteousness, leavened with hypocrisy and carnal ends in God's service, and imbittered against strictness; this would be a sad discovery, that all thy religion were in vain. But I must proceed.

10. Unmortified pride. When men love the praise of men more than the praise of God, and set their hearts upon men's esteem, applause, and approbation, it is most certain that they are yet in their sins, and strangers to true conversion.1 When men see not nor complain, nor groan under, the pride of their own hearts, it is a sign they are dead in sin. Oh, how secretly doth this sin live and reign in many hearts, and they know it not, but are very strangers to themselves!?

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11. The prevailing love of pleasure. This is a black mark. When men give the flesh the liberty that it craves, and pamper and please it, and do not deny and restrain it; when their great delight is in gratifying their bellies and pleasing their senses; whatever appearances they may have of religion, all is unsound. Α flesh-pleasing life cannot be pleasing to God: "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh," and are careful to keep it under, as their enemy."

12. Carnal security, or a presumptuous ungrounded confidence that their condition is already good. Many cry, Peace and safety, when sudden destruction is coming upon them. This was that which kept the foolish virgins sleeping when they should have been working, upon their beds when they should have been at the markets. They perceived not their want of oil, till the bridegroom was come; and, while they went to buy, the door was shut. And, oh! that these foolish virgins had no successors! Where is the place, yea,

where is the house almost, where these do not dwell? Men are willing to cherish in themselves, upon ever so

1 John xii. 43; Gal. i. 10. 2 Ibid. ix. 40.

3 2 Tim. iii. 4.

4 Rom. xvi. 18; Tit. iii, 3.

5 Gal. v. 24; 1 Cor. ix. 25-27.

6 Rev. iii. 17.

7 1 Thess. v. 3.

8 Matt. xxv. 5-10; Prov, xix. 15.

slight grounds, a hope that their condition is good, and so look not out after a change, and by these means perish in their sins. Are you at peace? Shew me upon what grounds your peace is maintained. Is it scripture peace? Can you shew the distinguishing marks of a sound believer ? Can you evidence that you have something more than any hypocrite in the world ever had ? If not, fear this peace more than any trouble; and know that a carnal peace doth commonly prove the most mortal enemy of the soul, and, whilst it smiles, and kisses, and speaks fairly, doth fatally smite, as it were, under the fifth rib.

By this time, I think I hear my readers crying out with the disciples, "Who then shall be saved?" Set out from among our congregations all those ten ranks of the profane on the one hand, and then besides take out all these twelve sorts of close and self-deceiving hypocrites on the other hand, and tell me then whether it be not a remnant that shall be saved! How few will be the sheep that shall be left, when all these shall be separated, and set among the goats! For my part, of all my numerous hearers, I have no hope to see any of them in heaven that are to be found among these two-and-twenty sorts that are here mentioned, except by sound conversion they are brought into another condition.

Application. And now, conscience, do thy office; speak out, and speak home, to him that heareth or readeth these lines. If thou find any of these marks upon him, thou must pronounce him utterly unclean.1 Take not up a lie into thy mouth; speak not peace to him to whom God speaks no peace; let not lust bribe thee, or self-love or carnal prejudice blind thee. I summon thee, from the court of heaven, to come and give evidence: I require thee, in the name of God, to go with me in search of the suspected house. As thou wilt answer it at thy peril, give in a true report of the state and case of him that readeth this book. Con

Levit. xiii. 44.

science, wilt thou altogether hold thy peace at such a time as this? I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou tell us the truth. Is the man converted, or is he not? Doth he allow himself in any way of wickedness, or doth he not? Doth he truly love, and please, and prize, and delight in God above all things, or not? Come, put it to an issue.

How long shall this soul live at uncertainties? O conscience, bring in thy verdict. Is this man a new man, or is he not? How dost thou find it? Hath there passed a thorough and mighty change upon him, or not? When was the time, where was the place, or what were the means by which this thorough change of the new birth was wrought in his soul? Speak, conscience; or if thou canst not tell the time and place, canst thou shew scripture evidence that the work is done? Hath the man been ever taken off from his false foundation, from the false hopes, and false peace, wherein once he trusted? Hath he been deeply convinced of sin, and of his lost and undone condition, and brought out of himself, and off from his sins, to give up himself entirely to Jesus Christ? or dost thou not find him to this day under the power of ignorance, or in the mire of profaneness? Hast thou not taken upon him the gains of unrighteousness? Dost thou not find him a stranger to prayer, a neglecter of the word, a lover of this present world? Dost thou not often catch him in a lie? Dost thou not find his heart fermented with malice, or burning with lust, or going after his covetousness? Speak plainly to all the forementioned particulars. Canst thou acquit this man, this woman, from being any of the two-andtwenty sorts here described? If he be found with any of them, set him aside; his portion is not with the saints. He must be converted and made a new creature, or else he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Beloved, be not your own betrayers; do not deceive your own hearts, nor set your hands to your own ruin by a wilful blinding of yourselves. Set up a tribunal in your own breasts: bring the word and conscience

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together. "To the law and to the testimony." Hear what the word concludes of your state. O follow the search till you have found how the case stands. take here, and perish. And, such is the treachery of the heart, the subtlety of the tempter, and the deceitfulness of sin, all conspiring to flatter and deceive the poor soul; and withal so common and easy it is to mistake, that it is a thousand to one but you will be deceived, unless you be very careful, and earnest, and impartial, in the inquiry into your spiritual condition. O therefore, be diligent in your work; go to the bottom; search with candles; weigh you in the balance; come to the standard of the sanctuary; bring your coin to the touchstone. You have the archest cheats in the world to deal with; a world of counterfeit coin is going; happy is he that takes no counters for gold. Satan is master of deceit; he can draw to the life; he is perfect in the trade; there is nothing but he can imitate. You cannot wish for any grace, but he can fit you to a hair with a counterfeit. Be jealous; trust not so much to your own hearts. Go to God to search you and try you, to examine you and prove your reins.3 If other helps suffice not to bring all to an issue, but you are still at a loss, open your cases faithfully to some godly and faithful minister, or christian friend.1 Rest not till you have put the business of your eternal welfare out of question." "O Searcher of hearts, put thon this soul upon, and help him in, his search."

1 Isa. viii. 20.

2 Jer. xvii. 9; 2 Cor. xi. 3; Heb. iii. 12, 13.

3 Psalm xxvi. 2, and cxxxix. 23, 24.

4 Mal. ii. 7.

5 1 Pet. ii. 9, 10.

CHAPTER V.

SHEWING THE MISERIES OF THE UNCONVERTED.

So unspeakably dreadful is the case of every unconverted soul, that I have sometimes thought if I could but convince men that they are yet unregenerate, the work were upon the matter done.

But I find by sad experience that such a spirit of sloth and slumber' possesseth the unsanctified, that, though they be convinced that they are yet unconverted, they ofttimes carelessly sit still; and what through the love of sensual pleasure, or the hurry of worldly business, or the noise and clamour of earthly cares, and lusts, and affections, the voice of conscience is drowned, and men go no farther than some cold wishes, and general purposes of repenting and amending.3

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It is therefore of high necessity that I not only convince men that they are unconverted, but that I also endeavour to bring them to a sense of the fearful misery of this state.

But here I find myself aground at first setting off. What tongue can tell them sufficiently of their misery, unless it were his, who was in that flame ?1 Where is the ready writer, whose pen can decipher their misery that are without God in the world ? 5 This cannot fully be done, unless we knew the infinite ocean of bliss, which is in perfection in God, and from which a state of sin doth exclude men. "Who knoweth" (saith Moses) "the power of thine anger ?" 6 And how shall I tell men that which I do not know? Yet so much

1 Rom. xi. 8; Matt. xiii. 15.
2 Luke viii. 14.

3 Acts xxiv. 25.

+ Luke xvi. 24.

5 Eph. ii. 12.
6 Psalm xc. 11.

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