will bring me to heaven, and make me moft happy for ever. This ONE THING fhall be infinitely more to me, than all things of theirs put together; and do that really for me, which the famed money was faid to do; that is, anfwer all things. For in securing this, I do make sure of all. And this is the highest commendation of any one living or dead; that he chofe the good part, looked to the main, and was all for the only needful thing. This is the fticking comfort, that will ftay us, when the world forfakes us and death itself cannot take it from us. To make the right choice, is as much as my foul is worth and how I ftand affected and addicted now, that is like to determine my condition for ever. O then let me mind that which is truly the main chance and never forget, never neglect the thing which is all in all. But here be refolute and intent upon it (hoc agere ;) that no person or concern may take me off. It is my life and my blifs. I muft, and I will do it: whatever elfe be left undone. There is such a neceffity in the cafe, as is indeed indifpenfible. Many other things, about which men keep fo much ado, will never go with them to heaven: it is well, if they do not help to ftop them out. But a serious religion, and godly converfation is most neceffary to falvation. And that will hold out to do me good for ever: when all elfe is gone, as if it had never been. I will make all the things of this world then, truckle to the things of God. And it is not fo much the way of thriving or flesh-pleasing, that I am to enquire after, as what is foul-faving. This concerns me moft of all. And therefore I will make every thing know its diftance, till the one thing needful be dispatched. I cannot have while to be idle; or to intermeddle with others matters, where I have nothing to do. No; I have bufinefs enough to take me up at home. And the care of my foul will not give me leisure

or

or leave, to be fo vain and impertinent. Ah, Lord! what will all the world fignify to me, if I lose my own foul! and the greatest business in the world will never be my excufe, to flight and flip over that which is of the higheft importance, and extreme neceffity. It fhall not then, be fo much my concern, to be a rich man, a noted man, a politic or plaufible man, a man of bufinefs, a man of pleasure, a man of addrefs; as to be a godly man, an upright man, an orderly religious man, a man fearing God, and efchewing evil; a man that, in the greateft earneft, minds the way to heaven, with my face ftill thitherward; and little regarding what I lofe or fuffer in the world, fo that I can but fecure the eternal falvation of my foul.

“L°

ORD! what have I to do in this world, but to get fafe and well out of it; and to prepare for the everlasting state beyond it? this "is the one thing needful, that calls for all my care, and zeal, and diligence. And the whole "world will be utterly infignificant to me, if I fe"cure not the eternal falvation of my foul: if I "let flip the only time, on which depends all that σε ever concerns me, in the infinite duration fol"lowing; and do not difpatch the great work, for "which thou didst fend me here, before thou call "me away from hence. O that I may not trifle, "in that which is of the highest neceffity! but "whatever elfe I forget or neglect; good God, I

pray thee, quicken and enable me to accomplish "the great bufinefs of life; and fo to acquit my"felf, and act my part on the present stage, that "when I fhall go off, thou mayeft fay to me, Well "done; and receive me into the joy of my Lord. "Amen."

ME

1

A

MEDITATION XL,

Of not delaying the work of falvation.

MONG all the forts of careless and ungodly finners, I cannot think there are any come to the peremptory refolution, never to be better: but that all have fome fecret referves and meanings, to turn and amend, fome time or other. Yet, O my foul, how seldom do these purposes for the future reach their accomplishment? And what they think of doing hereafter, alas, how commonly are they laid in the graves, before it be done? O let me then confider the wickedness, the folly, and the danger, of fuch delaying the great and needful work. When God commands all men, now to repent, Acts xvii. 31, and to hear his voice to-day: 'tis wicked to disobey him; to refet a declared traitor, his enemy; and to continue in fin, though it be with a purpose, once to leave it: however that thought may feem pious, 'tis indeed rebellious. And the delays are difhoneft, to fhift off our creditor; because we have no mind to pay him. Yea, the late repentance carries fufpicion, to have little or no truth in it. And when it is fo fhifted off, 'tis ufually taken up but for a fhift. And fuch as are fo dilatory, would not at all be concerned in it; if they could tell how to avoid it.

But, O how foolish is it, to truft all to uncertain futurities as if we had the command of time; and could order the fun, to ftand ftill, or death to hold his hand, till we were ready? O what should

I talk of hereafter; when I am not sure of another day! when I know not, but this night my foul may be required of me? how many younger and luftier than myself, do I often fee cut off in a very little time? And how inany now may be past all hopes for ever, who hoped and reckoned fure enough, to have all well, ere they died? O what fhould the little circumfcribed creature, determine of fuch portions of time, as may be fo far beyond its own limits?

And what hazards, my foul, do I run, in neglecting the present time? Not only, because I have no affurance of any other; and if I wait, with Felix, for a more convenient feason, it may never come: but also, because the longer I defer, it is like to be but the worse with me: and the further I run out, the more ado fhall I have, to retrieve myself. The means which I now enjoy, I may not find them ftill, prostituted to fuch contempt and scorn: and fhould that time, which is in God's hand, and not in mine, be continued: yet how do I know, that I fhall meet with the needful repentance expected? 'Tis God that gives it: and it is but a peradventure, that he will give it, to fuch as put it from them; when he gave them fpace for it. In the time of trouble, when I reckon to make all even, my head may turn, rather than my heart; and the diftemper utterly unfit me for any fuch kind of bufinefs. My ftrength may be gone, or grace withheld, and the Spirit departed, and God provoked to give me up to a reprobate fenfe, and my heart become as cold, and hard, and dead, as a stone. And what then will become of all my reckoning, to fet every thing right and ftraight at fuch a time? O my foul, now I have space to repent, and daylight to do my work: but the night is drawing on apace, when no man can work. Now I have fair opportunities and offers: and if I turn, and give

up

up myself to the Lord, every thing looking hope ful upon me, and fure on my fide. But how can I tell, what a little while this will laft with me? Shall I then madly prolong the time, till all thefe invit ing advantages will be out of my hands; and I fhall be good for nothing, but to groan under my burden, and study relief against my difeafe? If I find fomewhat now in the way to hinder; O may not I have more and worfe hindrances then? And if I cannot pluck up the leffer sprig: what fhall I do by it, when it is grown to a mighty tree? What do all these delays, but give the enemy still more advantage over me; and treasure up ftill more wrath against the day of wrath?

Do I read of fome, that came in at the eleventh hour? but I do not read, that they were called be fore: as I fo often have been. And for ought I know, it might be the firft call, which the thief on the cross had. However then, was the Lord in fuch a way of working miracles, as I am not now to look for: when he made the fun put on dark. nefs; and not only the veil of the temple, but the rocks to rend, and the earth to quake, and the dead to rife; then he converted this malefactor. But, O when is fuch a concurrence of wonderful circumstances again to be expected!

Let who will then, harden their hearts against the voice that calls them to-day: let them adjourn the good motions to another day, a fitter time: and the young think it would make them ridicu lous, to be religious: and the middle-aged think themselves fo full of bufinefs, they have somewhat elfe to mind and the old decrepit wretches think to have themselves excufed, because of their age and infirmities: O my foul, let me not run all that concerns me for ever, upon fo nice a point, as fome future happy juncture. How long fhall wickednefs lodge in me? Ah Lord, have I not given it too

too