whofe wicked Malice exercifed fuch Patience, fhall be ftruck Dumb with fad Remorfe and Bitterness of Soul. When all, who devoted themselves to God and his Service, fhall be tranfported with Raptures of Joy; and all thofe who difregarded or defpifed them, fhall Weep and Lament. When the Afflicted and Perfecuted shall blefs his bitter Cup, and feel more refined, more fubftantial Delights from it, than fenfual Pleafures, or uninterrupted Profperity could ever bring to the most Voluptuous and Fortunate. When the plain Drefs of the Humble, and Sackcloth of the Penitent, fhall fhine glorious as the Sun; and all the gay Pomp and gliftering Jewels of the proud and gaudy Sinner fhall be trampled under Foot like Dung. When the Cottage fhall take place of the Court, Patience appear more eligible than the most boundless and arbitrary Power; the honest Obedience of an humble Faith, more Wife than the niceft Cavils of the fubtleft Wit; and a good Confcience more ufeful Learning, than the most elaBorate Systems of Philofophy. When the Contempt of Riches fhall approve it felf the greatest Treafure; Devout Prayer the molt delicious Entertainment; Silence and Caution the best Converfation. When Good Works fhall plead better than the molt accurate Eloquence; Alms prove the most prevailing Advocate Self-denial the moft exalted Pleafure: And the Conqueft of ill Habits the moft glorious Triumph.

If then this be, (and this moft affuredly is) a true Reprefentation of that decifive Day: If this the different Fate and Effect of thefe fo very different Perfons and Practices; Confider, I conjure thee, the Circumftances of thofe Damned. And harden thy felf from this Reflection, to endure a Little now, when That little will fecure thee againft enduring infinitely more hereafter. Make tryal of thy felf, and if the flight Difficulties of a Religious Life feem tedious and tirefome; turn the Argument againft thy fenfual Inclina

tion, and think, how one who finks under thefe, will be able to dwell with exquifite and Everlafting Torments. Nor is this a trifling needlefs Enquiry, but abfolutely neceffary, and of mighty Moment. For Matters are fo ordered, that perfect Eafe can be no Man's Portion in both Worlds. They who chufe theis good Things here, cannot have them hereafter too nor fhall any Man, who indulges Senfe and Pleasure upon Earth, Rejoice and Reign with Chrift in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Suppose then, that, from your Entrance into the Body, to this very Day, you had enjoyed the utmoft your Heart could poffibly defire, of all which this World calls Happiness: Honours, Riches, Pleafures, without Check, or Stint, or Interruption: Yet what Good would all this do to you, if it thould pleafe God just now to strike you with Death? Do not you plainly fee, without my profecuting this Argument any farther, that all below is Vanity and mere Nothing, and that the Love of God and a Religious Life is the only thing which can ftand you in any ftead? This will stick by you, when all the reft forfake you. This is neither deftroyed by Death, nor afraid of Punishment, but triumphs over both; fills the Man with Confidence and joyful Expectation at the dreadful Day of Judgment; and fets him above all the Terrors and difmal Apprehenfions of Hell and its Tore tures. But then, This is the peculiar Privilege of the Servants of God; for how is it poffible for the Men who practise and delight in Wickednefs, to think of Death and Judgment, without Fear and Perplexity of Heart? How fhould they enjoy Quiet, and be eafy in their Minds, if they think at all what is coming apace upon them? Let then the Love of God prevail over, that of Sin. But if thou art: not yet perfect enough to be acted by this noble Principle, Let at leaft the Love of thy felf reclaim thee, and the Fear of Hell!

Pfal. cxi. 10.

reftrain and deter thee from a Courfe, which muft end at laft in thy utter and inevitable Ruin. This, fays the Scripture, is the beginning of Wisdom; for he who is Proof against the Fear of God, cannot perfevere in any thing that is good; as having no manner of Principle that can fave him, no Curb upon his Mind that can awe, or hold him in, from running headlong into the Snares of the Devil.

مناسب

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СНАР. XXV.

Of Zeal in the Reformation of our Lives.

Efervent in Prayer, ferving the Lord, fays the Apo-
Itle. And fuch indeed it highly concerns every
one to be in his Service. For what is the

Rom. xii. II. End we propose, by dedicating our felves
in folemn Vows to Chrift? Or to what purpofe do we
renounce the World and its Vanities; but that thefe
facred Ties may engage our utmost Watchfulness and
Diligence, to confecrate our Perfons and Actions, to
conform our felves to the Image of God, by living to
him, and like him, and much above the Rate of com-
mon Men? Let not therefore thefe good Refolutions
cool upon your Hands; but be zealous in Piety and
Virtue. Confider that you fhall fhortly receive an am-
ple Recompence for all your holy Labours, and fee a
happy End of Grief, and Fear, and Hardfhip. Be con-
tent with Travel and Pain for a very little while, and
you shall be fure to find Reft, and Peace,
and Foy to your Souls. The Yoke is easy, and
the Burden is light, but the Weight of Glo-
ry is far more exceeding and eternal. Be
but you careful to difcharge your part, and then you need

Matth. xi. 28.

30.
2 Cor. iv. 178

never doubt God's making good his. Support and encourage your felf with the full Affurance of obtaining the Crown, but take heed, that Affurance do not de generate into Prefumption; nor the Profpect of Blifs which should excite a more active and chearful Obedience, become an Occafion of Spiritual Security and Sloth.

I remember an Inftance of a Perfon irrefolute and wavering in the Concerns of his Soul, divided between Hope and Fear, who in his Prayers was earneftly intreating, to be affured of his own Perfeverance; and expreffing, how happy he should think himself, could he but be fatisfied in this Point. Whereupon he was immediately anfwer'd from within, Well, and Suppofing you could be affured of this, how would you proceed then? Do but act now, as you would think your felf obliged to do in that cafe, and never queflion your perfevering. This comfortable Reply fettled his Mind; and, inftead of indulging any curious Enquiries into Events, or anxious Doubts concerning the Succefs of his Endeavours; he immediately applied himself to confider what God expected from him, and to fet about the Performance of That, without more to do. Truft in the

Lord, and be doing good, fays the Pfal- P. xxxvii. 5,6. mift; commit thy way to him, and he shall bring it to pass...

The great and common Obstacle to vigorous Virtue, is the dreadful Notion Men form to themselves of the Difficulties attending it, and how laborious a thing Religion is. And true it is, Exalted Piety will coft many a fore Conflict. But even this Confideration may be fome Encouragement too; when we confider, that the Hardfhip of the Undertaking, and the Violence of the Oppofition, add to the Glory of the Fight; and entitle the Conqueror to a Crown fo much brighter, as the Toil and Hazard of the Day he won, was greater. For the more a Man fubdues hint

felf,

felf, and does Honour to the Divine Grace, by rendring it victorious over Flefh and Blood, the larger Meafures of that Grace he fhall obtain from God, and become more exemplary in the World.

There are not, 'tis confefs'd, in every Man, the fame Paffions, or not the fame Degrees of them, to master and mortify. But tho' a Man, whofe Affections are vehement, and his Difpofition by Nature or Custom more stubborn and averse to Virtue, hath more to make his way through: Yet if this Man's Refolutions be firmer, and his Vigor be proportionably greater, he shall be able to advance farther, than others of a quieter Temper, and lefs rebellious Paffions, if that Sedatenefs at the fame time difpofe them to Eafe and Inactivity.

Now in this Undertaking, Two Things there are, of mighty Moment for promoting it. The Firft is, To obferve the Tendencies of one's Temper and Conftitution; and take care to bend Nature the contrary way, by keeping aloof off from all thofe Temptations and Occafions of finning, with which we feel our felves moft eafily befet, and ftrongly inclined to comply. The Other, to discover our peculiar Defects, and labour with all our Might to attain thofe Virtues, which we chiefly want.

And as this Knowledge of our Own Frailties and Neceffities is greatly inftrumental to our Improvement, fo we shall do well to profit by what we fee in Others, and to be particularly concern'd for avoiding and. fubduing thofe Habits, which we find moft ufual and offenfive, in them with whom we converfe. For the Commonnefs of any ill Thing is fo far from extenuating the Blame of thofe who copy after it, that it is the direct contrary; and fuch Examples fhould be. look'd upon, as Marks which difcover to us where the Rocks and Sands lie; fuch as are fet to warn us off, not to invite us in. Indeed a wife and good Man wil! turn Examples of all forts, to his own Advantage.

The