9 "For I was alive without the law once," &c
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ture must be reversed,which lie in full opposition to your vain hopes, Mark xvi. 16. John iii. 16. Rom. iii. 8, 9.
Either the truth of God, in these threatnings, must fail, or your vain hopes must fail .
Thirdly, I fever such as you be saved,new conditions must be set to all the promises : For there is no condition of any special promise found in any unregenerate person.
Compare your hearts with these scriptures, Mat. v. 3, 4, 5, 6. Psal. xxiv. 4.
Plal. lxxxiv. 11. Gen. xvii. I , 2.
Fourthly, If ever such a hope as yours bring you to heaven, then the saving hope of God's elect is not rightly described to us in the scriptures.
Scripture hope is the effect of regeneration, 1 Pet. i . 3. And purity of heart is the effect of that hope, I John iii . 3.
Nay, Fifthly, The very nature of heaven is mistaken in scripture, if such as you be fsubjects qualified for its enjoyment : For assimilation, or the conformity of the soul to God in holiness, is, in thefcripture account, a principal ingredient of that blessedness :
By all which, it manifestly appears that the hopes of most men are in vain, and will never bring them to heaven.
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Rom . vii. 9. For I was alive without the law once : But when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died.
Doct . 2 .THAT there is a mighty efficacy in the word or law of God, to kill vain confidence, and quench carnal mirth in the hearts of men, when God sets it home upon their consciences.
" The weapons of the word are not carnal, " but mighty through God ; to the pulling down of strong
" holds, casting down imaginations, and every thing that ex- " alteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into " captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.
In the opening of this point I shall, 1. Demonstrate the efficacy of the word or law of God.
2. Shew wherein the efficacy thereof lies.
3. From whence it hath all this mighty power and efficacy.
First, I shall give you some demonstrations of the mighty power, and efficacy that there are in the word or law of God: which will appear with the fullest evidence.
First, From the various subjects upon whom it works : The
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heartsandconfciences of men of all orders and qualities, have been reached, and wounded to the quick, by the two-edged sword of God's law.
Some, among the great and honourable of the earth, (though indeed the fewest of that rank) have been made to stoop, and tremble under the word, Acts xxiv. 16.
Mark vi. 20. Sam. xv. 24.
The wife and learned of the world have felt its power, and been brought over to embrace the humbling, and self-denying ways of Christ, Acts xvii. 34. Thus
Origen, Hierom, Tertullian, Bradwardine, and many more, came into Canaan laden with the Egyptian gold, as one speaks,
(i. e) they came into the church of God abundantly enriched, and furnished with the learned arts and sciences, devoting them all to the service of Christ : Yea, and which is as strange, the moftfimple, weak, and illiterate, have been wonderfully changed, andwroughtuponby the power of the word : " The testimonies
" of the Lord make wife the simple: " Men ofweakunderstandings, in all other matters, havebeenmade wise to salvation by the power of the word, Mat. xi. 25. 1 Cor. i. 27.
Nay, the most malicious and obstinate enemies of Christ have been wounded, and converted by the word, 1 Tim. i. 13. Acts xvi. 25.
Those that have been under the prejudice of the worst and most idolatrous education,have been the subjects of its mighty power,
Acts xix. 26.
To conclude, men of the most profligate, and debauched lives havebeenwonderfully changed, and altered by the power of the word, 1 Cor. vi . 10, 11 .
Secondly, The mighty efficacy of the law of God appears in the manner of its operation ; it works suddenly; strikes like a dartthrough the hearts and consciences of men, Acts ii . 37. A wonderful change is made in a short time : And as it works quickly, and suddenly, so it works irresistibly, with an uncontrouled power upon the spirits of men, I Thef. i. 5. Rom. i. 16.
Let the soul be armed against conviction with the thickest ignorance, strongest prejudice, or most obstinate resolution, the word of God will wound the breast even of such am an, when
Godsends it forth in his authority and power.
Thirdly, The wonderful power of the law, or word of God is evidently seen, in the strange effects which are produced by it in the hearts and lives of men.
For, First, It changes and alters the frameandtemper of the mind:
It moulds a man into a quite contrary temper, Gal . i. 23. " He "which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith,
" which once he destroyed :" Thus a tyger is transformed into a lamb, by the power of the word of God.
Secondly, It makes the soul, upon which it works, to forego,
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and quit the dearest interest it hath inthisworldfor JesusChrift, Phil. iii . 7, 8, 9.
Riches, honours, self-righteousness, dearest relations, are denied and forsaken: Reproach, poverty, and death itself, are willingly embraced for Christ's fake, when once the efficacy of the word hath been upon the hearts of men, 1 Thel. i. 6.
Those that were their companions in fin, are declined, renounced, and cast off with abhorrence, I Pet. iv. 3, 4.
In such things as these the mighty power of the word discovers itself.
Secondly, Next, let us fee wherein the efficacy of the word, upon the souls of men, principally consisteth: and we find in scripture itexerteth its power, in five distinct acts upon the soul; by all which it strikes at the life, and kills the very heart of vain hopes.
For, First, It hath an awakening efficacy upon secure and sleepy sinners: It rouzes the conscience, and brings am an toa sense, and feeling apprehension, Eph. v. 13, 14.
The first effectual touchoftheword ftartles the drowsy conscience. A poor sinner lies in his fins, as Peterdid in his chains, fast asleep, though a warrant was signed for his executionthenextday: but the Spirit in the word awakens him, as the angel did Peter: And this awakening power of the word is in order, bothoftime, and nature, antecedent to all its operations, and effects.
Secondly, The law of God hath an enlightening efficacy upon the minds of men : It is eye-salve to the blinded eye, Rev. iii.
18. A light shining in a dark place, 2 Pet. i. 19. A light shining into the very heart of man, 2 Cor iv. 6. When the word comes in power, all things appear with another face: The fins that were hid from our eyes, and the danger which was concealed by the policy of Satan from our souls, now lie clear and open before us, Eph. v. 8 .
Thirdly, The word ofGodhath a convincing efficacy : It sets fin in order before the soul, Psal. 1. 21. As an army is drawn up in an exact order, so are the fins of nature and practice, the fins of youth and age, even a great and terrible army is drawn up before the eye of the conscience; the convictions of the word are clear and full, 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25.
The very secrets ofa sinner's heart are made manifest : his mouth is stopped; his pleas are silenced; his conscience yields to the charge of guilt, and to the equity of the sentence of the law.
So that the soul stands mute, and self-condemned, at the bar of conscience : It hath got nothing to say why the wrath of God should not come upon it to the uttermoft, Rom. iii . 19.
Fourthly, The law of God hath a soul-wounding, anheartcutting efficacy : It pierces intotheveryfoul and spirit of man,
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Acts ii . 37. " When they heard this, they were pricked at their hearts, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles ; men and brethren, what shall we do ?" A dreadful found is in the sinner's ears; his soul is in deep distress ; he knows not which way to turn for ease; no plaisterbut the blood of Christ can heal these wounds which the word makes : No outward trouble, afflic. tion, disgrace, or loss, ever touched the quick as the word of God doth.
Fifthly, The word hath a heart-turning, a soul-converting efficacy in it: It is a regenerating, as well as convincing word,
1 Pet. i. 32. 1 Thef. i. 9.
The law wounds, the gospel cures ; the law discovers the evil that is in fin, and the misery that follows it; and the Spirit of God, working in fellowship with the word, effectually turns the heart from fin. And thus we fee in what glorious acts the efficacy of the word discovers itself upon the hearts of men ; and all these acts lie in order to each other : nor until the soul be awakened, it cannot be enlightned, Eph. v. 14. Till it be enlightned, it cannot be convinced, Eph . v. 13.
Conviction being nothing else, but the application of the light that shines in the mind to the conscience ofa sinner; till it be convinced, it cannot be wounded for fin, Acts ii. 37. And until it be wounded for fin, it will never be converted from fin, and brought effectually to Jesus Christ. And thus you fee what the power of the word is.
Thirdly,In the last place,it will concern us to enquire, whence the wordofGodhath all this power: And it is most certain, that it is not a power inherent in itself, nor derived from the instrument by which it is managed; but from the Spirit of the Lord, who communicates to it all that power, and efficacy which it hath upon our souls.
1. Its power is not in, or from itself: It works not in a phy. ficalway, as natural agents do; for then the effect would always follow, except it were miraculously hindered : But this spiritual efficacy is in the word, as the healing virtue was in the waters of Bethesda, John v. 4. "An angel went down at a cer
" tain season into the pool, and troubled the water : Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water ftept in, was
" made whole of whatsoever disease he had."
It is not a power naturally inherent in it at all times, but communicated to it at some special seasons. How often is the word preached, and no man awaked or convinced by it !
2. The power of the word is not communicated to it by the instrument that manageth it, I Cor. iii. 7. " Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth."
Ministers are "
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nothing to such an effect and purpose as this is; he doth not mean that they are useless and altogether unnecessary, but insufficient of themselves to produce such mighty effects : It works not as it is the word of man, 1 Theff. ii. 13. Ministers may say of the ordinary, as Peter said of the extraordinary effects of the Spirit, Acts iii . 12. " Ye men ofIfrael, why marvel ye at this ?
" or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own pow- " er or holiness we had made this man to walk ?" If the effects of the word were in the power, and at the command of him that preacheth it, then the blood of all the souls that perish under our ministry must lie at our door, as was formerly noted.
3. If you say, whence then hath the word all this power?
Our answer is, It derives it all from the Spirit of God, * 1 Thef. ii. 13. " For this cause thank we God without ceasing, because
" when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye " received it not as the word of man, but (as it is in truth) the " word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that be- " lieve."
It is a successful instrument, only, when it is in the hand of the Spirit, without whose influence it never did, nor can convince, convert, or save any foul. Now, the SpiritofGod hath a sovereignty over three things in order to the conversion offinners.
1. Over the word which works.
2. Over the soul wrought upon.
3. Over the time and season of working.
First, The Spirit hath a glorious sovereignty over the word itself, whose instrument it is, to make it successful or not ; as itpleaseth him, Ifa. lv. 10, 11. " For as the rain cometh down,
" and the snow from heaven, &c. so shall my word be thatgo- " eth out of my mouth:" as the clouds, so the word is carried and directed by divine pleasure.
It is the Lord that makes them both give down their blessings, or to pass away fruitless and
empty : yea, it is from the Spirit that this part of the word works, and not another.
Those things upon which ministers bestow greatest labour in their preparation, and from which $
accordingly they have the greatest expectation;thesedonothing, when, mean time, something that dropped occasionally from them, like a chosen shaft, strikes the mark, and doth the work.
Secondly, The Spirit of the Lord hath a glorious sovereignty over the souls wrought upon: it is his peculiar work " to take
* What is commanded by the word, is given by the Spirit. Aug.
Ep. 157.
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66 away the stony heart out of our flesh, and to give us an heart " of flesh," Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
We may reason, exhort, and reprove, but nothing will abide tilltheLord set it home.
The Lord opened the heart of Lydia under Paul's ministry : he opens every heart that is effectually opened to receive Christ in the word: if the word can get no entrance, if your hearts remain dead under it still, we may say concerning such fouls, as Martha did concerning her brother Lazarus ; " Lord, if thou
" hadst been here, my brother had not died.", So, Lord, if thou hadst been in this sermon, in this prayer, or in that counsel, these fouls had not remained dead under them.
Thirdly, The Spirit hath dominion over the times and seasons of conviction and conversion.
Therefore the day in which fouls are wrought upon is called " the day of his power," Psal. cx. 3.
That shall work at one time, which had no efficacy at all at another time; because this, and not that, was the time appointed.
And thus you fee whence the word derives that mighty power it hath .
Now this word of God, when it is set home by the Spirit, is mighty to convince, humble, and break the hearts of sinners,
John xvi . 9. " The Spirit when it cometh shall convince the " world of fin." The word signifies conviction by such clear demonstration as compelleth affent : it not only convinces men in general that they are sinners, but it convinceth men parricuJarly of their own fins, and the aggravations of them.
So in the text, Sin revived, that is, the Lord revived his fins, the very circumstances and aggravations with which they were committed: and fo it will be with us when the commandment comes; fins that we had forgotten, committed so far back as our youth or childhood; fins that lay flighted in our consciences, shall now be rouzed up as so many sleepy lions to affright and terrify us : for now the soul hears the voice of God in the word, as Adam heard it in the cool of the day, and was afraid, and hides itself : but all will not do; for the Lord is come in the word: fin is held up before the eyes of the conscience in its dreadful aggravations, and fearful consequences, as committed against the holy law, clear light, warnings of conscience, manifold mercies, God's long-suffering, Christ's precious blood, many warnings of judgments, the wages anddemeritwhereof,by the verdict ofa man's own conscience, is death, eternal death, Rom. vi. 23. Rom. i,
32. Rom. ii. 9.
Thus the commandment comes, sin revives, and vain hopes gives up the ghost .
Infer. I. Is therefuch a mighty power in the word? then certainly the word is of divine authority.
There cannot be a more
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" of us, ye received it not as the word of man, but (as it is in " truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in " you that believe."
Can the power of any creature, the word of a mere man, so convince the conscience, so terrify the heart, so discover the very secret thoughts of the soul, as to put a man into such tremblings ? No, no, a greater than man must needs be here : none but a God can so open the eyes of the blind, fo open the graves of the dead, so quicken and enliven the conscience that was feared, so bind over the soul ofa sinner to the judgment to come, fo change and alter the frame and temper of am an's Spirit, or so powerfully raise, refresh and comfort a drooping dying foul : certainly the power of God is in all this ; and, if there were no more, yet this alone were sufficient to make full proof of the divine authority of the scriptures.
-Infer. 2. Judge from hence what an invaluable mercy the preaching of the word is to the world: It is a blessing far above
- our estimation of it: little do we know what a treasure God committeth to us in the ordinances, Acts xiii. 25. " To you is
" the word of this salvation sent."
It is the very power of God to salvation, Rom. i. 16. And salvation is ordinarily denied to whom the preaching of the word is denied, Rom. x. 14.
It is called the word of life, Phil. ii. 16. and deserves to be valued by everyone of us as our life: the eternal decree of God's election is executed by it upon our souls : as many as he ordained to eternal life shall believe by the preaching of it.
Great is the ingratitude of this generation, which so flights, and undervalues this invaluable treasure: which isafad presage of the most terrible judgment, even in the removing our candlestick out of its place, except we repent.
Infer. 3. Howfore and terribleajudgment lies upon thefouls of those men to whom no wordofGod is made powerful enough to convince and awaken them ! Yet so stands the case with thousands, who constantly fit under the preaching of the word; many arrows are shot at their consciences, but none goes home to the mark, all fall short of the end: the commandment hath come unto them many thousand times, by way ofpromulgation, and ministerial inculcation, but yet never came home to their souls by the Spirit's effectual application .
O friends ! you have often heard the voice of man, but you never yet heard the voice of God :
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your understandings have been instructed, but your consciences to this day were never thoroughly convinced. "We have
" mourned unto you, but ye have not lamented," Mat, xi. 17.
" Who hath believed our report ? And unto whom is the arm " of the Lord revealed ? " Alas ! we have laboured in vain, we have spent our strength for nought, our word return unto us empty: butO what astupendousjudgment is here! Heb. vi. 7,
8. " The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon " it, andbringth forth herbs meet for them by whom it isdref.
" sed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth " thorns and briars is rejected, and isnigh unto cursing, whose
" end is to be burned." Whatsorejudgment,and sign of God's displeasure would you account it, if your fields were cursed ; if you should manure, dress, plough, and sow them ; but never reap the fruit of your labour ; the increase being still blasted ?
And yet this were nothing, compared with the blasting of the word to your souls : that which is afavour of life unto life, unto some, becomes the savour of death unto death, to others, 2
Cor. ii . 16. The Lord affect our hearts with the terrible strokes ofGodupon the souls of men !
Secand use ofexhortation.
I shall conclude this point with a few words of exhortation to three forts of men, viz.
1. To those that never felt the power of the word, 2. To those that have only felt some flight and common effects thereof, 3.Tothoseuntowhoseveryhearts the commandment is come, in its effectual aud saving power, First, You that never felt any power in the word at all, I beg you inthenameofhim that made you, and by alltheregardand value you have for those precious souls within you, that now at Jast such considerations asthesemay find place inyo your souls, and that you will bethink yourselves.
Consideration I Whose word is that which cannot gain entrance into your hearts ? Is it not the ward of God which you despise and flight ?
" Thou castest my word behind thy back," Psal. 1. 17. Owhat an affront and provocation to God is this ! You despise notman, but God; the great and terrible God, in whase hand your breath and foul is ; this contempt runs higher than you imagine,
Consideration 2.
Confider, that however the word hath no power upon you, the commandment cannot come home to your hearts ; yet it doth work, and comes home with power to the hearts of others a
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413. whilst you are hardned, others are melted under it; whilst you Deep, others tremble ; whilst your hearts are fast locked up, others are opened., How can you choose but reflect with fear and trembling uponthesecontrary effects of the word; especially when you consider that the eternal decrees, both of election and reprobation are now executed upon the souls men, by the preaching of the word? Some believe, and others are hardned.
Consideration 3.
That no judgment of God, on this side hell, is greater than a hard heart, and stupid conscience under the word : it were much better that the providence of God should blast thy estate, take away thy children, or destroy thy health, than harden thy heart, and fear thy conscience under the word: fo much as thy soul is better than thy body, fo much as eternity is more valuable than time, so much is this spiritual judgment more dreadful than all temporal ones. God doth not inflict a more terrible stroke than this upon any man in this world.
O therefore as you love your own souls, and are loth to ruin them to all eternity, attend upon every opportunity that God atfords you ; for you know not in which of them the Lord may work upon your hearts.
Lay aside your prejudices against the word or the weaknesses and infirmities of them that preach it; for the word works not as it is the word of man, as it is thus neat and elegant, but as it is the word of God.
Pray for the blessing ofGodupon the word; for except his word of blessing go forth with it, it can never come home to thy soul.
Meditateuponwhatyou hear ; for, without meditation, it is not like to have any effectual operationuponyou.
Search your souls by it, and consider whether that be not your very case and state which it describes : your very danger whereof it gives warning.
Take heed left after you have heard it, the cares of the world chokewhatyou have heard, and cause those budding convictions which begin to put forth, to blast and wither.
Carefully attend to all those items, and memorandums your consciences give you under the word, and conclude that the Lord is then come nigh unto you, Secondly, Let this be matter of serious consideration, and caution to all such as have only felt some flight, transient, and ineffectual operations of the gospel upon their souls : The Lord hath come nigh to some of our souls; we have felt a strange power in the ordinances, sometimes terrifying, and sometimes transporting our hearts ; but, alas ! it proves but a morningdew, or an early cloud, Hos. vi. 4. We rejoice in the word, but it is but for a season, John iii. 25. Gal. iv. 14, 15. They
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arevanithing motions, and come to nothing.
Look, as in nature there are many abortives, as well as perfect children, so it is in religion ; yea, where the new creature is perfectly formed in one soul, there be many abortives and miscarriages in others : and there may be three reasons assigned for it, viz.
First, The fubtilty and deep policy of Satan, who never more effectuallydeceives and destroys the souls of men, than in such a method, and by such an artifice as this: for when men have once felt their consciences terrified under the word, and their hearts at other times ravished with the joys and comforts of it, theynowseem to have attained all that is necessary to conversion, and conftitutive of the new creature : these things look fo well like the regenerating effects of the Spirit, that many are easily deceivedbythem.
The devilbeguiles the hearts of the unwary by such false appearances ; for it is noteveryman that can distinguish betwixt the natural, and spiritual motions of the affections under the word : it is very frequently seen that even carnal, and unrenewed hearts have their meltings and transports, as well as spiritual hearts . The subject-matteruponwhich the word treats, are the weighty things of the world to come heaven and hell are very awful and affecting things, and an unrenewed heart is apt tothaw and melt at them: now here is the cheat of Satan, to persuade a man that these must needs be spiritual affections, because the objects about which they are converfant are spiritual : whereas it is certain, the object of the affections may be very spiritual and heavenly, and yet the workings of am an's affections about them, may be in a mere natural way.
Secondly, The dampening efficacy of the world is a true and proper cause of these abortions and miscarriages under the word,
Luke viii. 12, 13 , 14.
There are hopeful and promising beginnings and buddings of affections in some persons, especially in their youth; but when once they come to be engaged in the world, how soon are they damp'd and quenched ! As the cares of a family grow on, so does the care of salvation wear off.
'Tis not as it was wont to be, what shall Ido to be saved ? How shall I get interest in Christ ? But what shall I eat, and drink, and wherewithal shall I, and mine, be maintained ? Thus earth justles out heaven, and the present world drowns all thoughts of that to come. Good had it been for many men, they had never been engaged so deep in the world as they are; their life is but a constant hurry of business, and a perpetual diversion from Christ, and things that are eternal, Thirdly, and lastly, The deceitfulness, and treachery of the heart,which too easily giveswayto the designs of Sat an, suffers
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Pride,and self-love are very apt to over-rule every little good,and flight, or under-value every evil that is in us ; and so quickly choke those convictions that begin to work in our souls.
But oh ! that such men would confider that the dying away of their convictions, is that which threatens the life of their souls for ever ; now is the bud withered, the blossom blasted : and what expectation is thereof fruit after this, except the Lord revive them again ? The Lord open men's eyes, to discern the danger of such things as these are ! Jude 12. Heb. x. 58.
Yet I deny not, but there are many stands, and pauses in the work of conversion; it seems to die away, and then revives again ; and revive it must, or we are lost. But how many are there who never recover it more ! This is a fore judgment of a most terrible consequence to the souls of men.
Thirdly, In the last place, let it be a word of counsel, and advice to them, upon whom the word works effectually, and powerfully ; to whose hearts the commandment is come home, to revive sin, and kill their vain hopes; and these are of two forts.
1. Embryo's, under the first workings of the spirit.
2. Compleat births of the spirit, regenerated fouls.
First , Embryo's that are under the first workings of the spirit in the word. O let it not seem a misery, or unhappiness to you, that the commandment is come, and fin revived, and your former hopes overthrown.
It must be thus, if ever God intend mercy for you. Had you gone on in that dangerous security you were in before, you had certainly been loft forever: God hath stopt you in that path that leads down to hell, and none that go in there do ever return again, or take hold of the paths of life. O it is better to weep, tremble, and be distressed now, than to mourn without hope for ever. Let it not trouble you that fin hath found you out; you could never have found out the remedy in Christ, if you had not found out the disease and danger, by the coming of the commandment.
And I beseech you carefully to observe, whether the effects, and operations of the word upon your hearts be deeper, and more powerful, than they are found to be in such fouls as mifcarryunder it : the commandment comes to them, and shews them this or that more gross and starthng fin.
Doth it come to you, and shew you not only this, or that particular fin, but all the evils of your heart and life; the corruption of your natures, as well as the transgressions of your lives ? Iffo, it promises
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well, and looks hopefully, and comfortably to you.
The commandment comes to others, and startles them with the fears of damnation for their fin: it puts them into a grievous fright at hell, and the everlasting burnings: but doth it come to thee and discover the infinite evil that is in thy fin, as it is committed against the great, holy, righteous, and good God, and fo melts thy heart into tears for the wrong that thou hast done him, as well as the danger into which thou hast brought thyself?
This is a hopeful work, and may encourage thee.
It comes to others, and greatly shakes, but never destroys and razes the foundation of their vain hopes : if it so revive sin, as to kill all vain hopes in thee, and send thee to Christ alone, as thy only door of hope, fear not; these troubles will prove the greatest mercies that ever befel thee in this world, if thus they work, and continue to work upon thy soul.
Secondly, Others there are upon whom the word hath had its full effect as to conversion.
O bless God for ever for this mercy ; you cannot sufficiently value it! God hath not only made it a convincing, and wounding, but a converting, and healing word to your souls; he hath not only revived your fins, and killed your vain hopes, but begotten you again to a lively hope; fee that you be thankful for this mercy. How many have fate under the fame word, but never felt such effects of it ? As Christ said in another case, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, but unto none of them was the prophet sent, save unto Sarepta, a city ofSidon, to a certain widow there, Luke iv. 46.
So I may say, in this case, there were many fouls in the fame congregation, at the fame time ; but unto none of them was the word sent with a commission to convince and save, but such a one as thyself; one as improbable to be wrought upon as any foul there. O let this beget thankfulness in your souls; and let it make you love the word as long as you live : " I will never forget thy precepts, førby them
" thou haft quickened me," Psal. cxix. 93 .
But above all I beseech you make it appear that the commandment hath come home to your hearts, with power to convince you of the evil off in,by your tenderness and care to thun it as long as you live.
If ever you have seen the face off in, in the glass of the law of God; if your hearts have been humbled and broken for it in the days of your trouble and distress, certainly you will choose the worst affliction rather than fin : It would be the greatest folly in the world to return again to iniquity, Psal. lxxxv. 8.
You that have seen so much of the evil that is in it, and the danger that follows it; you that have had