2. The fecond cafe that I reprefent as dangerous, is the cafe of hypocrify, diffimulation and falfhood; -and this is equal to the other. The falfe-hearted hypocrite is neither true to God nor man, but ferves himself, and his own ends of God, of the world, of truth, of religion; and all these he subordinates to his own particular ends and purposes; only he pretends otherwise, and to cover a bad defign, he doth use foft words. But how restless must this man be in his own thoughts, when he comes to confider? For can he depend upon these, that these persons or things will do him any good at all, when he knoweth he hath abused the perfons, and mifufed the things? no certainly, this man cannot think that either God or man will be true: to him, and so can have no confidence in either. For who→ foever is himself falfe, perfidious, and base, he doth not know whom he may truft: for he doth not think there may be a better man than himself, and being fenfible of his own internal bafenefs, that he doth not mean what he faith to others; he verily believes all others to be as he is ; and fo finding himself unable to defend himself, he must be in fear of all the world. Therefore it is of neceffity, that a hypocrite be in no true ftate of fatisfaction, or felf-enjoyment.

3. The cafe of Jhameless apoftacy, represented Heb. x. 26, 27, 28. For, if we fin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifice for fins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, &c. Where the fin is a wilful departure; and the finner doth despite to the spirit of grace, VOL. I.

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and he doth this knowingly, and confidering what he doth; the danger is, there is no hope of recove ry, because he hath taken his choice, and contracted fenfeleffness of mind; that he is in a condition without hope. For thus will men think with themfelves; when thefe men come to confider, they cannot but think that God fhould do with them, as he finds cause to do, fince they have done by God what they had a mind to do. Certainly, they who do worst by religion, fhall fare the worst by irreligion. Ignorance and incapacity, on any terms whatsoever, hold no proportion in malignity, with this wicked averfation from God, and the ways of righteoufnefs. The apostle puts the cafe, 2 Pet. ii. 12. Do but confider: what do men in fuch a cafe as this? If one of great acquaintance and converfe prove an enemy and become perfidious; men had rather trust a ftranger than him; for it is the maxim of the world, (I confefs it is not chriftian) never truft a reconciled friend.

4. When men take up with the world, and leave God out, give themselves up to take delight and satisfaction in their worldly accommodations, and leave God out; this, though it be far fhort in malignity, of the other three, yet this hath in it the full spirit of irreligion, and 'tis a high provocation of God; for it comes to this, God is little in their thoughts, God is far from their reins. For is it not very fit that we have a lively fenfe of God, of the benefits we receive from him? Now for a man to fit down in the world, and enjoy his affluence and abundance, and make no acknowledgment of God, this is down,

right irreligion: and this is, to make him, that is all in all to us, and better than all; nothing at all to us, and lower than all; and these men cannot but think if ever they come to a strait, that this may be God's anfwer, what come you now to me for, in your ne ceffity? as it is faid in Judges x. 14. Go and cry unto the God which ye have chofen. Relieve yourselves by these things you take delight in ; you thought not at all of me; you thought yourselves fufficiently provided for, and wherefore come you now to me? go to the idols you have chofen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. So here I have reprefented to you four defperate ftates. But,

5. There is the cafe of priviledge and exemption from outward punishment. A man that is an evil doer, and a conftant practiser of fin, hath caufe to fear, if through his power, or the advantage of the times he is not in fear of any ones ftroke; undoubtedly that man is more in danger in refpect of God, and thefe internal strokes of God difpoffeffing him of what he hath. This you must know, that it fometimes comes to pass, that the all-gracious God will not, (notwithstanding the high provocations of fome irreligious perfons) he will not disturb the outward peace, for fuch reasons as thefe; fometimes for his infinite patience, and no man knows the length of God's patience; fometimes he will forbear, for the fake of those that worship him. God hath fpecial regard to the multitude of innocent, harmless creatures, fuch as are perfons of mean estates, but harmless ; and children, yea, for the beasts themselves as in the case of Nineveh, Jonah iv. 11. Now in fuch cafes

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cafes as these, that God will extend his patience, beyond what in reason we can imagine; and that he will fpecially gratify the number of his worshipers, and that he will fufpend judgments in refpect of harmless people, and children; then in this cafe, great finners have caufe to fear God's dealing with them in private. For God hath ways to deal with men in private, by letting them fink down into darkness of mind, &c. And therefore if any man knows he is deeply obnoxious to God, and yet profpers in the world, he hath great cause to fear that he fhall hear from God, by fecret rebukes, whereby he shall melt away and come to nothing. The 6th, And last case is, the case of high fpiritual advantages, where there is powerful, and effectual means; but through a contracted hardness, they prove altogether inoperative, and without effect and this was the condemnation of Capernaum, Corai zin and Bethfaida, Luke x. 13, 15. But of this I fhall give you a further account, the next opportu» nity.

And thus have I reprefented to you, as the ways whereby these fecret rebukes of God are brought a bout; fo alfo the eminent cafes of danger.

DIS

DISCOURSE. VII.

The fecret BLASTING of MEN.

PSALM Xxxix. II.

When thou with rebukes doft correct man for iniquity, thou makeft his beauty to confume away like a moth; furely, every man is vanity.. Selah.

HENI took this scripture in hand, I thought
I had but little to offer to your confiderati-

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on, and thought, at once, to have dispatched all': but well weighing and confidering the confequence and import of the matter of these words, (than which, nothing more in all the world, tends to the laying a folid foundation of conscience, and engaging of men in respect of the secret sense of their minds, to ftand aright in the fight of God), I therefore cannot take my hands off; and though I have offered many things, yet fome few more re

main.

I have given you an account why I have explicated these words of those things that pafs immediately between God,, and the fpirit of man, whereof bystanders know but little. They may difcern the effects, fee men wither, and come to nothing; but the cause (which is in fecret between God and them) they feel not, they know not. The last day, I gave you an account how the Hebrew words in