what thou haft done, or to fall under the Hand of Juftice. And fince thou canst not attempt the one, be affured the other waits for thee.

NAY, but for any thing thou canst do to the contrary, thou wilt always continue finful, and therefore not for thy past only, but for thy prefent iuftant Iniquity, thou must be for-ever the immediate Object of Justice and Wrath. The Sinfulness of Satan, this Moment as much challenges the Justice and Indignation of GoD, as did his firft War in Heaven, when his Place was not found any more there; and as long as he remains the evil Spirit he is, which he will do for-ever, the like Continuation of Justice and Displeasure fhall light upon him, as a prefent, as well as an old Apoftate.

SEE now the Iffue of the Whole. God is ready to do himself Justice upon you, and to vindicate his Glory in your eternal Punishment. While you also, now and eternally unable to quit your Sinfulness, eternally are unfit for his Prefence, and eternally remain the Object of his immediate Juftice and Vengeance.

SAY then, vain Man, where are thy Hopes funk? What is become of that con fident Boafting? Which Way canft thou fave thyfelf? For ought thou canft do, thou haft no other Expectation but Judgment and fiery

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Indignation. Would GOD thou wert welb aware of this thy deplorable, helpless State! Then I fhould bring to thee glad Tidings indeed, in the Offers of Mercy obtained for and proposed to thee in Jefus Christ, our only Lord and Saviour.

AND truly, as we are never fo near Glory and Immortality, as when we are struggling with Death, and forely befet in the dark and melancholy Paffage of a departing Hour; fo it is an awful and importunate Concern about the Confequences of Sin, which leads a Man to the Gate of Mercy. And you may be fure you are never fo near Salvation, as when, through the Grace of GOD, finding yourself loft and undone, you are well-difpofed to throw yourfelf upon Mercy.

I MUST intreat therefore, if you will be profited by the Meffage of Peace I have next to offer, that you will be at Pains with your felf upon all the former Particulars. Inquire Into the Reality of your Sinfulness; and weigh attentively the Confequences of Sin; and caft in your Mind, how unable you are to rescue yourself out of them. All this let Confcience and Reason fpeak: For I truft, you have heard nothing which is not as confiftent with Reason, as it is with Scripture.

AND now I will draw this one ConcluGon, which I will with you to be deeply convinced

convinced of, from all which hath been advanced; namely, that "Sin is your greatest Enemy." The Confideration of which, poffibly may help you to greater Seriousness in the Inquiry I am recommending. For

whilft I remark these three Points as evidently rifing out of the Subject, that Sin (by which I would principally be understood to mean Man's erecting his Will for his Guide inftead of God's fovereign Pleafure, this being truly the Root of all other Sin, and that which carries the highest Measure of Guilt in it) difhonors GOD, as the excellent Governor of the World,-defiles the Soul of Man, and brings Mifery with and after it ;-I fhall hope that you will be led more folemnly to confider the Confequences of Sin, and the Concern you have in them; and also that you are grown displeased and tired with it, and heartily willing to be rid of fuch a Monster and Enemy.

SIN is your greatest Enemy.

1. SIN difhonors GOD, as the Governor of the World. We fpeak not of the Glory which God hath in himself; of that effential Honor which he poffeffes, as a moft mighty, all-perfect, eternal, and independent Being: but we fpeak of the Manifeftation of this moft refpectable Glory of the Godhead thro' the Submiffion of his Creatures. When GOD is obeyed and his Will meets with no

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Oppofition or Backwardnefs in the Soul, but the Creature flies with Joy to execute the Almighty Command, knowing no other Defire, nor wifhing any other Happiness, than this Service of the moft High; when a Race of Beings, whom God hath made, do thus wait upon his fovereign Will with one univerfal, uninterrupted Readiness of Obedience, then GOD is known among them to be what he is; then the Creator is glorified, and the Creature is bleffed.

But when Sin comes in, this beautiful and lovely Order is disturbed. The Things formed forget their Station, will not, do not any more obey: They flight their Maker, and pafs on with an infolent Difregard of the divine Will, to act as they please, and God in the mean-time lofes his Dominion: The Glory which fhould accrue to him from the Obedience of his Works is gone; and instead of one univerfal Monarch, as many as there are of Creatures, fo many felf-worshipping Idols are fet up in his Place. Then Confufion follows and every evil Work.. Every one making his own Will his GOD, will bear no Control. And while from hence, Envyings and Refentments, and Hatred and Violence grow and spread, the Honor of GOD is deeply wounded, and his Government fuffers Damage, even to Defolation. In fuch Circumstances, the Glory of GoD is like

the

the Sun in the Night: It fhines indeed with its proper and effential Brightness; but then it is not feen; the Face of the World is turned away from it. Though God ruleth the Earth, his Dominion is covered and unfeen through the Darkness which Sin hath brought upon it. And, I befeech you, how horrid a Thing, that the Creature, the Subject, the Dependent, fhould thus rob GOD of his Glory! That the Maker should be rejected and difowned by those very Works which his Hands have made, and which he fails not to preferve and bless! Great GOD! Thou feeft it; daily thou beboldeft this Ungodliness, and confidereft the Wrong we are doing thy awful Majefty; Thou feeft thyself flighted, thy dread Command unnoticed and difobeyed, thy glorious Name forgotten. Almighty King! we are afhamed, yea even diftreffed, for the Dif grace which is brought upon thy Glory, The Remembrance of our Rebellions pain us: O when shall we be rid of this Sin, the Enemy that hath done thee this Difbonor!

2. SIN defiles the Soul of Man. Was it not a defirable State, that of Innocence and Purity? Was not the Soul of Man a lovely Being, when it was ftored with those Tempers, which can alone endear it to its Creator? While Humility, without the least

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