must hold much more, when it is taken in the most strict and close fenfe, for a man's felf.

2. The neceffary confequence of this defire of felf-prefervation, is an utter abhorrence unto every thing that is contrary to nature, or that appears deftructive of it; and every thing appears more or less terrible, as it is more or lefs hurtful to nature. These things which threaten us with utter ruin, cannot but fill the mind with terrible horror. Hence it is that death is called the king of terrors; because it threatens nature, not with fome alterations of lefs importance, but with entire diffolution. Death of all things is the most oppofite to nature; and every other thing is more or lefs terrible, as it has more or lefs of death in it.

3. An awakened foul, a folidly convinced fin ner, fees, by that light that God has let into his foul, the wrath of God, the fecond death, ready to lay hold upon him, and ruin him eternally; therefore cannot but have the greatest averfion poffible to it. What will put a man to flight, if not the fight of inevitable death behind him? Then, if ever, will a man flee, when he fees himfelf brought to that lamentable pinch, that he muft either flee or die.

4. Hence it inevitably follows, that fuch a man who fees himself in danger of utter ruin, in the cafe he is in, will, nay, of neceffity muft, lay himfelf out to the utmost, or be concerned above all, for falvation from threatened ruin or mifery. That principle of felf-prefervation, and that abhorrence of what is hurtful to nature, which are the spring of all a man's actions, cannot but carry the whole man, and all the powers of the man, to its affiftance, when it fees that the whole is endangered.

Hay

Having thus fhortly difcuffed what belongs to the explication of this truth, we proceed now to make fome practical improvement of it. And among many uses that might be made of it, we fhall only make one, and that is of trial.

Is it fo, that a foundly convinced finner will lay falvation to heart above all things elfe? Then here is a touchstone whereby ye may try whether or not ye be indeed convinced of fin, and whether foundly or not; and in the name of God we obteft you to put this to trial; for,

1. Unless ye know whether ye be convinced of fin or not, ye cannot know whether ye have got good of all that we have difcourfed to you former ly. This we know, that ye are either bettered or worsted by it; for as the rain cometh down, and the fnow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give feed to the fower, and bread to the eater: fo fhall my word be, faith the Lord, that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I pleafe, and it fhall profper in the thing whereto Ifend it, Ifa. lv. 10, 11. We have spent many fermons on this defign of conviction; and now ye are concerned to try, and we are concern. ed to try what has been the fruit of them. If ye be not yet convinced of fin, then ye have loft the advantage of all that has been faid on this head.

2. Try this fairly, we obteft you; for if ye be not convinced, ye are like to lose the advantage of all that is to be faid from the text we are now entering upon. We fhall, if the Lord will, from this fcripture hold forth and make offer of Christ Jefus our Lord, as the only Saviour of loft finners: and if ye be not convinced foundly of fin,

ye

ye are like to lose the advantage of fuch offers; for none will welcome or entertain them, fave only fuch as are convinced of fin.

3. Try, for the Lord's fake, whether ye be convinced of fin or not; for not a few wofully deceive themselves in this matter. They take that general and unconcerned acknowlegement of fin, which every one is led to by custom, education, or fome fuch way, for that folid conviction which is neceffary in order to our cordial acceptance of the gofpel: and this deceit is of moft dangerous confequence, because it lies near the foundation; and a crack there muft of neceffity be fatal and ruining.

That ye may be at a point in this matter, we fhall again run over the feveral parts of that defcription we gave of this concern about falvation, which we would now have you to try yourselves by.

But before we enter upon this trial, there is one fort of perfons we would fet by, as not concerned in it; and that is, fuch as are openly profane, drunkards, fwearers, liars, whoremongers, thieves, and the like. It were grofs folly to make a trial of fuch who have their mark upon their foreheads. These monsters are so far from being concerned about falvation, that they feem concerned to make-their own damnation fure; in as far as they take the plaineft, the furest and straighteft course to ruine their own fouls. As their damnation lingers not, fo it will be juft, because they run upon a feen evil. They deferve fcarce compaffion, who can tell that he who doth fuch things is guilty of death; and yet not only do, but take pleasure in them that do them. To endeavour to make a difcovery of fuch perfons, by an application of narrow and

fearch

fearching marks, were as if we did bufy ourselves in feparating huge ftones from corn by a fine five, when it were much more easily done with the hand. These we fet afide in the entry, because their fins go before them into judgment. But befides thefe notorious finners, there are others who are no less strangers to folid conviction than they, upon whom nevertheless it is fomething more hard to prove it. And therefore for the discove. ry of fuch, we fhall now proceed to deal a little more closely with your confciences; and fince your concernment in this matter is fo great, as we juft now did fhew it to be, we obteft you to be ferious in this matter, which is, past all peradventure, to turn either to your eternal advantage, or to your eternal disadvantage.

Ye all do profefs yourfelves convinced of fin. But now if it be fo, I demand of you in God's, name, Have ye ever to this day been concerned about falvation, or laid it to heart above all things? If ye have not, then to this day ye have never been foundly convinced of fin, whatever your pretences are: and fo ye are found liars in this matter, and deceivers of your own fouls. If ye fay ye have been, or are seriously concerned about falvation, then,

1. I pose your confciences, and I demand ye may pose them with this question, Can ye be fatisfied with other things while ye are at an utter uncertainty about falvation? If fo, if ye can be well pleased, and have reft in your mind, and live contentedly at an uncertainty about falvation, provided ye be in health of body, and your worldly concerns thrive, then we fay, ye have never yet been concerned about falvation, and therefore are

yer

"

yet ftrangers to that found conviction, without which none will be content to accept of Chrift.

2. I pofe you in God's name upon it, What thoughts do ye spend upon this fubject? Perfons who can spend whole days and nights, and weeks, and never have a serious thought about falvation, they certainly are not laying it to heart: but that I may bring this fecond question yet a little closer to the confcience, I fhall break it into one or two others; and, (1.) I pose you on it, What thoughts de ye choose? Perfons may fometimes be opprest with thoughts that they entertain the uttermoft averfion to; or they may be forced from the thoughts they would for ever defire to dwell upon. A man that is throughly awakened may by the impetuous violence of temptation, or the inevi table occafions of life, be obliged, as it were, fometimes to intermit thoughts of falvation, and entertain thoughts about other things: but when he has leave to make choice, then he will choose to think of falvation. Now, if you choose ordinarily to think of other things than of falvation, then there is no fuch force upon you, it difcovers you unconcerned about falvation, and confequently ftrangers to that folid conviction, that iffues always in fuch a ferious concern as we have been fpeaking of. (2.) I further pose you, whether or not do the thoughts about falvation frequently prefs in upon you, when ye are bufied about the ordinary occafions of life, when employed in your ordinary occupations, when ye are working, or converfing? If fuch thoughts are never wont to vifit you even then, it is a fad fign that ye do not lay falvation ferioufly to heart; for certainly that which the mind is much concerned about, will frequently drive the thoughts that way. (3.) I

put