us, leave himself but just enough to live on, and ftudy how to do good with the reft? Have not 1 reason to believe, that the Laws of Chrift would feem very facile and practicable to him? Can I think he would fay, A little more fleep, and a little more flumber, and delay his obedi ence? He that hath felt the mifery of another World, would think nothing too good, nothing toodear, nothing too costly to facrifice to him, who is the King Immortal, Invisible, Bleffed for evermore. O how glad would he be that God would accept of it! That God would fmell the fweet Savour, and caft a gracious look upon it? God, that gave me thefe Laws, and hath entail'd everlasting Bliss on my fincere obedience, certainly knew best what was fit and expedient for me; and he that is acquainted with my fitting down, and my uprifing, and had a hand in my Frame; can I think he would prescribe me any thing prejudicial to my Happiness? These Precepts as they are effects of the greatest Wisdom, fo they cannot but be highly beneficial, and promote my Spiritual Intereft; for they drop from a God that's infinitely Good, as well as infinitely Wife; fo that not to fubmit to them, is not only to stand in my own light, and to hinder my Soul from its proper food and nourishment; but to make my felf wifer than the Almighty, and to extol my Reason above his Omniscience, and to accufe his immenfe Wisdom of rafhness and folly. And fhall I add Blafphemy to my Difobedience? Am I afraid God is not enraged enough against me? Or, that his Anger is

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not red enough? Shall I throw Brimstone into the flame, to make that confuming Fire more terrible? Is it fuch a pleasure to have God for my Foe? Is it fuch a fatisfaction to have him that can destroy both Soul and Body in Hell, for my Adverfary? Such Labyrinths, fuch Inconveniencies do I caft my self into by my finful Life: And, are thefe Encouragements to continue in it? Is this the Wedding-Garment I may triumph in? Shall I fing in Chains, rejoyce in Fetters, glory in my Shackles, be proud of the Devil's Service, boast of my Slavery? When is it that I intend to be clean? Shall I delay it one moment longer, that know not but I may be in Hell before the Clock do ftrike again? Dull, blockifhHeart! what dost thou mean? Doft thou see how all these outward things do fade, and leave the owners miferable, and wilt thou take no warning? Doft not thou fee how Judasdroops, tho' his Purse be full of Money; and Cain trembles, tho' he is Master of a spacious Country? Doft not thou fee how their Hearts fail them for fear, because they have not made God their friend? Look down into the fatal Gulph; Doft thou stand upon the brink of Destruction, and art thou not afraid? Doft thou see a crucified Jefus ftretching forth his Arms to embrace thee, and doft thou feel no Warmth, no Heat, no Zeal, no Affection? Doft thou fee the great burning Lake before thee, and doft not thou Quake and Tremble? Doft thou fee the Revenge of Blood upon thy Heels, and wilt not thou run into the City of Refuge? Doft thou fee the Angel of the Lord preparing to rain

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down Fire and Brimftone on thee, and wile thou not fave thy felf in Zoar? Wouldst thou itay till the door of Grace be fhut? Why fhouldst thou tarry till all the Oil in thy Lamp be spent? Why shouldst thou fold thy Arms till Death takes the Fort, and leaves thee in no poffibility of Mercy? Why shouldst thou stand still till the Enemy lays thy Confcience wafte? Why fhouldft thou Sleep till all the Field be over-run with Weeds? Why shouldst thou be Idle, till the Eleventh Hour is paft? Run, run for thy Life; There is danger near; The Enemy is at hand; The Fort is like to be taken; The Citadel is almost loft; Thou art almost at the last Gafp: Look up,Doft not thou fee thy Saviour fly down from Heaven to lay hold of thee, and wilt not thou make hafte and meet Him? Behold the Bridegroom comes, and wilt not thou bid him welcome? Doft not thou see how the Martyrs, how the Primitive Chriftians fly to Heaven, and wilt thou stay behind? Doft not thou fee how contented they are under Trials of cruel Mockings and Scourgings; yea, moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments? Doft not thou fee how willing they are to be ftoned, to be fawn afunder, to be tempted, to be flain with the Sword, and all, that they may obtain a better RefurreЯtion? Doft not thou fee how they croud in at the Gate, and wilt thou not fee what they are doing there? Doft thou think they were all out of their Wits, to break thus refolutely through all Cloggs and Obstacles to Glory? If they were not wife Men, why do we celebrate their Memories? And if they were wife, wilt

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not thou learn Wifdom of them? If they were Fools, why do we commend them? Why do we write Panegyricks on their Names? Why do we admire them? Why do we wish that we might be as happy as they? If they were fo, why wilt thou not be a follower of them? Doft thou fee them concerned, and canst thou fland like a Statue? Doft thou fee with what life and zeal they fall on, and art thou fenfelefs? Doft thou fee them bufie, and inquifitive, and active about God's Kingdom, and can they inspire no induftry into thee? Doft thou fee how they prize and value the incorruptible Crown, and is all too little to perfwade thee into a practical Efteem of it? What hinders thee? What is it ftops thy progrefs? Art thou ftill in love with that which will undo thee? Why fhould Father and Mother, Wife and Children, Brethren and Sisters, Lands and Houses, make thee lofe a Crown? Hath God's Favour no temptation? Is there no charm in his Love? Hath Heaven no Beauty? If thou must be miferable, hadit thou not better be fo here, than hereafter? Shall the prefent Food flatter thee into eternal Hunger? And because the Tree is pleasant to the Eye, wilt thou prepare for being expelled out of Paradife for ever? Will a few pleafant Cups counterbalance thy everlasting Thirft? Wilt thou venture an everlasting Storm for a prefent Calm? And run the hazard of an endlefs Tempeft for a few Months Recreation? Behold how Mofes runs away from the World to be faved, and wilt thou plunge thy felf into that dangerous Sea? Behold how Elijah, Elisha, and St. John

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the Baptift retire into the Wilderness, that their Eyes may not behold thefe fublunary Vanities, and doft thou long to be in the Croud which wifer Men defire to be rid of? Good Lord! Whom do I intend to pleafe, God, or the Devil? God I cannot please by it, for he calls to me, Come out from among them, my People, and be ye feparate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you; and fhall I gratify the Devil then? O Wretch that I am! the Devil was never crucified for me; never fpilt one drop of Blood for me; never endured Agonies for me: He never wore a Crown of Thorns for me; he never ta→ fted of the fhameful Death of the Crofs for me; And fhall I fly into his Arms? How often hath he disappointed me in my hopes and defires, and fhall I fawn upon the Enemy? Lay Force upon his Kingdom of Darkness, in defpight of all the Bars, and Bolts, and Guards which the great King of Heaven puts between me and Damnation? I have been abused and cheated by Sin these many years, and shall I be cheated still? Does not my Blood rife at the very thoughts of it? I that will not be cheated in my Trade or Dealings with Men, fhall I fuffer my felf to be impofed upon by a lying Devil? And when I study how to be revenged on him that hath fold me a Pebble for a Pearl, a Bristol Stone for a Diamond, and endeavour to prevent the like deception for the time to come: Shall lin thefe great concerns of my Soul, where the Cheat is fo apparent, where to difcover it Ineed do no more but open my Eyes, where God and his holy Angels, and all the Minifters of the Gospel