fion of fin, to caufe quarrels betwixt God and man, and betwixt a man and himself. And this enmity, though it doth not continually fhew itself, because the confcience is not always clamorous, but fometimes is filent, and at other times only murmurs a little, yet it works always fecret unquietness to the heart. The guilty man may have a feeming truce, but a true peace he cannot have. Look upon him who hath a guilty heart, and you fhall fee his face pale and ghastly, his fmiles and laughters faint and heartless; his fpeeches doubtful, and full of abrupt ftops and unfeasonable turnings; his purpofes and motions unfteady, and favouring of much distraction; arguing plainly, that fin is not so smooth at its firft motions, as turbulent afterwards.

Hence are those vain wearyings of places and companies, together with ourselves; that the galled foul doth, after the manner of fick perfons, feek refreshing in variety; and after many toffing and turned fices, complains of remedilefs and unabated torment. Alas, what avails it to feek for

outward

outward reliefs, when a man hath his own. executioner within him? If he could fhift from himself, he might have some hope of eafe; but wherever he betakes himself, his confcience attends him..

But there are fome firm and obdurate finners, whofe refolution can laugh their fins out of countenance. But can any man believe, that fuch a man's heart laughs with his face? Will not he dare to be an hypocrite, who durft be a villain? Such a man can grieve when none fees it, though he puts on a chearful countenance when men's eyes are upon him. The man's heart bleedeth, when his face counterfeits a finile. He wears out many waking hours, when we think he is at reft: yea, as his thoughts afford him not fleep, fo his very fleep affords him not reft; but while his fenfes are tied up, his fin is loofe, reprefenting itself to him in horrible appearThe fire of the confcience may lie fmothered for a time, but it will break out at length with the greater fury.

ances.

Let no man therefore hope to stop the mouth of his confcience from exclaiming,

whilft his fin continues; for that endeavour is both vain and hurtful. Time, which remedies all other evils of the mind, increaseth this; which, like to bodily diseases, proves worse with continuance, and grows upon us with our age.

There can be therefore no peace without reconciliation. A man cannot be in friendship with himself, whilst he is at enmity with God. And there can be no reconciliation without remiffion. God can neither forget the injury of fin, nor diffemble hatred. And yet there can be no fatisfaction by any recompence of ours. An infinite juftice is offended, and an infinite punishment is deferved by every fin. When we have exerted our beft endeavours, we are still but unprofitable fervants. Where then shall we find a payment of infinite value, but in him only who is of infinite dignity? who took our nature upon him, and emptied himself of all his glory, that he might put on our fhame and mifery. Let us therefore, by faith and obedience, apply ourselves to our divine and eternal Peace-maker, the Saviour of mankind, the E Mediator

Mediator between God and man, whom heaven and earth obey, and the angels adore with perpetual praises and rejoicings. In short, there is no other way but this: Our confcience must have either fatisfaction or torment. Therefore let us discharge our fin betimes, and be at peace.

Hitherto I have fpoken concerning the most inward and dangerous enemy of our peace, namely, our fins; which if we have once mastered, the conqueft of the other enemy to our peace will be more easy, namely, our croffes, or afflictions. Thefe difquiet us either in their prefent feeling, or their expectation. And when they meet with weak minds, they do fo extremely diftemper them, that the patient for the time is not himself. How many have. there been, that, preffed down by affliction, and weary of their lives, have made their own hands their executioners? How many,. meeting with a headstrong grief, which they could not manage, have by the violence of it been carried quite from their wits? How many millions, either for incurable

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curable maladies, or for loffes, or for defamations, or for fad accidents to their children, wear out their lives in perpetual difcontent, therefore living, because they cannot yet die, and not because they like to live? If there could be any human receipt prescribed to avoid evils, it would be purchased at an high rate; but it is impoffible that earth fhould redress what is fent from heaven; and if it could be done, even the want of miferies would prove miserable : for the mind, cloyed with continual felicity, would grow a burden to itself, loathing that at last, which intermiffion would have made pleasant. Summer is the most agreeable season of the year, wherein the earth is both moft rich with increase, and moft gorgeous for ornament; yet if it were not received with interchanges of cold frofts and piercing winds, it would lose much of its pleasantness: Summer would be no fummer, if winter did not both lead it in, and follow it. We may not therefore either hope or strive to escape all croffes: fome we may: What we can, let us fly from: ;

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