4. So as will become compassioners of precious and immortal souls, for whom Christ died, souls that must live for ever in heaven or heU. Oh, mind them of their duty, warn them of their danger ; they are ready to tumble into the flames of hell every moment, therefore with all earnestness set life and death before them. We should use the more compassion to souls, because God himself, who hath employed us, hath expressed so much of his compassion. He doth not only tell them they will die, but expostulateth with them, ' Why will you die, 0 house of Israel ?' Ezek. xxxiii. 11 ; and Ezek, xviii. 23, ' Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, and not return from his ways and live ?' The greatest quarrel Christ hath with sinners is be- cause they will not come to him for life : John v. 40, ' Ye will not come to me that ye might have life.'
Two reasons make this more evident : —
1. This is God's will.
2. This is of great profit to the souls of men.
First, This is God's will, that his law should be propounded with the sanction of it ; that is, with penalties and rewards. God might rule us with a rod of iron, require duty out of mere sovereignty ; but he will ' draw us with the cords of a man,' Hosea. xi. 4, with such arguments as are fitted to man's temper, as he is a reasonable creature ; that is, by promises and threatenings. We are best moved and induced to any- thing by those two affections of fear and hope; the one affection serveth for aversion and flight, the other for choice and pursuit. Therefore he that knoweth the wards of the lock accordingly suiteth the keys, and doth not only require an exact duty, but also promiseth good and threateneth evil. Sovereigns, in their public edicts, do not
^ Qu. ' warmed ' ? — Ed,
366 THE se\t:n'teenth sermon. [Deut. XXX. 15.
ari^iie with tlieir suljects, but only interpose tlieir authority ; but God contlescenJc'th to reason with his creatures, lie doth not say, as some- times, Thus shall ye do, I am the Lord ; but, If you do thus, this will be your ruin ; and ' Obey these statutes for your good,' Deut. vi. 24 ; and 60 doth persuade as well as command.
Secondly, It is of great profit to the souls of men.
1 . It is of profit that they should often be minded of the issues of things. Israel's want of wisdom cometh from this: Deut. xxxii. 29, ' Oil, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end ;' that is, how obedience and disobedience will succeed with them. Lam. L 9. David's trouble at the prosperity of the wicked arose from want of this: Ps. Ixxiii. 17, ' Then I understood tlieir end.' Pujm. vi. 21, ' The end of these things is death.' Fufjientes respice, what will they leave in their farewell and departure ? — Jer. xvii. 11, 'At his latter end he shall be a fool.' The first addresses of sin smile upon us, but ' the sting is in the tail.' So the beginning of godliness is bitter, but afterward it yieldeth everlasting peace and comfort.
2. That they may reflect on both combined : either of them single is of great force, but both joined together come in upon the heart wiili greater power. We need a bridle and a spur ; a bridle because of our lironeness to evil, and a spur because of our backwardness to good. We have both, we are compassed and hedged in with our duty on every side. If we look back, there is death to affright us ; if forward, heaven to allure us. There is eternal life to draw us, there is eternal death to drive us. If God had only terrified us from sin by inexpres- sible pains and horrors, and made no promise of unspeakable joys, this were enough to engage us to live without blame and blemish, that we might not be cast into the prison of hell ; or, if only to quicken our diligence, he had propounded hopes and happiness as the privilege of those tliat live virtuously and holily, and evil men did utterly perish when they die, this were enough to draw us. If God had only promised heaven and no hell, there would not be so strong a motive ; but can wo be cold and dead when both life and death are laid before us, and both for ever ? This is very unreasonable. Solomon telleth us, Trov. xv. 24, ' That the way of life is above to the wise, to avoid hell beneath.' Every step they tread is a going from eternal death, and an approach to eternal life. Therefore, as we would escape the torments of hell, and possess the joys of heaven, we should be serious. We are undone for ever if we be not blessed for ever ; and tlie nearer we draw to the one, the more we avoid the otlier ; so that we have a double reason not to go back, and much to engage us to go forward.