to the interefts and pleasures of this short life, with the neglect of eternity, and chargeable with the folly and guilt of contracting those fenfual, worldly, and inordinate paffions, which difqualify us for being happy in the love of God and in goodness? Have fome present ever seriously confidered the import of everlafting life and bleffednefs, and heartily refolved to fecure them? If they have not, can they bear to continue one day longer, a conduct fo monftrously unreasonable? Or will they be able to bear in death, or after it, thofe piercing reflections, those deserved felf-reproaches, and that torturing defpair of everlafting life and felicity, which the having facrificed them to the intereft of a fhort life, and to the gratifications of a dying body, must produce?

Have we minded heaven in fome degree, but with a concern far below its worth, content with a formal fpiritless religion, while the ardor of our concern, affections, and endeavours, hath been directed to the interefts or pleasures of the prefent life? Do we often facrifice opportunities for. improvement in real devotion, and preparing ourfelves for the joys of the Divine Prefence, to the amusements of a thoughtless indolence or fenfuality, or to the pursuits of a reftlefs avarice? Do we facrifice opportunities for laying up treasures in heaven by a

generous

generous charity, to fupporting an empty fhow, or to the demands of an infatiable covetousness? Do we attend to the falvation of cur fouls as a concern of little importance, but to the interefts and pleasures of a tranfitory life, as the one thing needful? And Sirs, is this really to live as the heirs of eternal life, as perfons who have infinite interefts in the next ftate, which may be loft by negligence, but fecured by a ferious diligence, a fervent piety, and an active beneficence? You think it right to labour, and be in earnest for the meat which perisheth, and will you not do the fame, that you may make the neceffary provifion for eternai life? Is fuch a faint application as yours to the improving your minds, and the pleafing God, fit to be rewarded with eternal life? Can you feriously hope it?

Refolve therefore, that you will cherish, by daily ferious devotion in fecret, and by a devout attendance on the publick inftitutions of religion, a warm and habitual piety, as you hope to be bleft in the perfect love of God in heaven; and that you will chearfully and faithfully discharge the duties of your various relations, and do what good you can, as perfons who afpire to the never-ending rewards of diligence and fidelity. And that you will make it your great and conftant concern to regulate your paffions, correct the vices of your tempers,

and improve in goodness, integrity, meeknefs, patience, charity, in moderation to this world, and in a difpofition for the pleasures of the mind, as becomes perfons who would be found meet to join the fociety of angels and kindred fpirits, and to be bleffed for ever with them, in difinterefted friendship, unbounded benevolence, and divine love raised to perfection. You must act thus, if you will behave as becomes rational and immortal beings; for neither reafon nor revelation allows you to expect that you fhall obtain everlasting happiness in any other way. And nothing is more certain, than that we must be found meet for heaven, if we would enjoy it; and labour in the work of the Lord, if we would receive the reward of eternal life. Of this I fhall endeavour fully to convince you in treating the fecond obfervation on the text.

May a gracious God make what hath been now offered effectual, to excite us all to live as the heirs of everlafting life and bleffedness! Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XIX.

Of the Neceffity there is that we do the Work of God.

MARK X. 17.

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Mafter, what shall 1 do that I may inherit eternal life?

O

F feveral important truths, which this history, as given us by the Evangelifts, offers to our thoughts, I propofed to confider and illuftrate three.

I. 'Tis fuppofed in the question as an acknowledged truth, that we are made for eternal life. The reasonableness of this fuppofition I fhowed in the preceding difcourfes, by various obfervations on the frame of our minds, and on the prefent difpenfations of Divine Providence. I fhall now proceed to the

II. 'Tis alfo evidently implied in the queftion, and plainly declared in our Lord's anf

wer

anfwer to it, that fomething is to be done by us, if we would inherit eternal life. That we must work the work of God, before we can, with any reason, hope to be thus rewarded, and become in our difpofition qualified to enjoy an heavenly and immortal life, before we can be admitted to poffefs it. What must I do that I may inherit eternal life?

There have been perfons who would fain perfuade themselves and others, that nothing was to be done in order to attain eternal life and bleffednefs. That it would be a leffening the riches of the Divine Grace, if, in conferring the greatest favours, everlasting life and blessedness in heaven, God made a dif tinction between the grateful, the pious and obedient, and the ungrateful, lazy, fenfual and wicked; that is, if he acted with wif dom as well as with goodness. But fuch perfons neither understand the nature of the divine benignity, nor of human happiness.

The goodness of the Supreme Parent and Governor is a perfection, which determines him to confer his favours and gifts in fuch a manner as will most promote the improvement and holiness of his rational creatures, and the general good of his moral creation*. Gratitude, love, and devotednefs to God, a prevailing love of virtue or moral rectitude, and a fixed difpofition to do good,

* Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Pfal. lxxiii. 1. Rom. ii. 4. I i and