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us the more diligent in the profecution of it: Efpecially confidering in the next place, that we are not only as yet in a capacity of getting to Heaven, but we are all invited thither, and that by God himself; for he would have all Men to be faved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. 4. Yea, he hath fworn by himself, faying, As I live faith the Lord, I have no pleafure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live; and therefore calls upon us all, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O boufe of Ifrael? Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Hence it is that he fent his Prophets to invite us, Ho every one that thirfteth come ye to the waters, Ifa. Iv. 1. Yea he came down in his own Perfon to Earth, on purpose to invite us to Heaven, and to direct us the way thither, Come to me, faith he, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft, Mat. xi, 29. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in bim should not perish, but have everlasting life, Joh. iii. 16. Whence we may obferve, that there is no exceptions made against any Perfon whatsoever, nor by confequence against any of us. It is the will, yea and command of God too, that we all turn from our evil ways and live, and that eve

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Soul amongst us walk in that narrow way that leads unto eternal Blifs; and therefore if any of us do perifh, Our blood will be upon our own heads, our deftruction is from our felves, Hof. xiii. 9. For it is nothing but the perverfenefs of our own Wills, and the hardness, pride and obftinacy of our own Hearts, that can keep any Soul of us out of Heaven, how foever difficult it is to come thither. For God hath fhewn how defirous he is to have our Company there, in that he is still pleafed to grant us both the space and means of Repentance. If he had no mind to have us faved, he could have fhut us up long ago in Hell; but he is fo far from that, that he doth not only as yet continue our abode on Earth, and lengthen our Tranquillity here, but he ftill vouchfafes unto us whatsoever is neceffary, yea whatsoever can any ways conduce to our eternal Happiness, we have his Scriptures, we have his Sabbaths, we have his Ordinances, we have his Sacraments, we have his Ministers, we have the promise of his Spirit, we have the overtures of Chrift, and of all the merits of his Death and Paffion made unto us, and what can be defired more to make Men happy? And yet as if all this had not been enough, he still continues calling upon us, exhorting, commanding, yea and befeeching us most af

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fectionately to turn that our Souls may live; for we his Minifters, are Embaffadors to Mankind for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us; We pray you in Chrift's ftead to be reconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 20. And he hath fent me unto you that read this in a particular manner at this time, to call you back out of the broad way that leads to Death, into the narrow way that leads to Life and Happinefs; In his name therefore I exhort, yea and befeech you by the mercies of God, that you prefent your bodies a living facrifice, boly acceptable unto God, which is your reafonable fervice, Rom. xii. 1. Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate, and never leave until you have got poffeffion of eternal Glory.

NOR let us be difcouraged at any difficulties that we meet with in the way, for they will foon be over howfoever hard and difficult any Duty may feem at first, by Ufe and Custom it will foon grow eafy. The worst is at firft fetting out, when once we have been ufed a while to walk in this narrow way, we shall find it to be both easy and pleasant: For as the wife Man tells us, The ways of Wisdom or true Piety, are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, Prov. iii. 17. Though it be rough at first, by treading it will foon grow plain, we fhall foon find the words of Chrift to be

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true, that his yoke is eafy, and his burden light, Matt. xi. 39. All is, but to be wil ling and obedient, and refolved upon it, to press through all Duties and Difficulties whatsoever to get to Heaven, and then by the Merits of Chrift's Paffion, and the Affiftance of his Grace, we need not fear but we shall come thither.

AND verily although the way to Heaven should prove not only narrow, but hedg'd in with Bryars and Thorns, fo that we should meet with nothing but Croffes and Troubles in our going to it, yet Heaven will make amends for all. For we may well reckon with the Apostle, that the fufferings of this Life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, Rom. viii. 18. So that whatfoever Pains we are at, whatsoever Trouble we fuffer in order to our attaining everlasting Happiness, bears no proportion at all to the Happiness we attain by it; which is fo great, fo exceeding great that our Tongues can neither exprefs, nor our Minds as yet conceive it, confifting not only in the freedom from all Evil, but alfo in the enjoyment of whatsoever is really and truly Good; even whatfoever can any way conduce to the making us perfectly and completely happy: So that no Duty can be too great to undertake, no Trouble too hea

vy to undergo for it. Wherefore, that I may use the words of the Apostle to my Readers, my beloved Brethren, be ye ftedfaft and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, I Cor. xv. 58.

By this time I hope we are all resolved within our felves, to follow our Saviour's Counsel and Advice, even to strive to enter in at the ftrait Gate, and to walk in that narrow way that leads to Life. If we be not we have just cause to fufpect our felves to be in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity; but if we be refolved in good earnest, we cannot but be very folicitous to know what we must do in order to it? or how every one of us may enter in at the ftrait Gate, fo as to be happy for ever? A Question of the highest importance imaginable: So that it is abfolutely neceffary for every Soul amongst us to be throughly refolved in it; for it concerns our Life, our immortal and eternal Life, and therefore I fhall endeavour to resolve it in as few and perfpicuous terms as poffibly I can, that the meaneft Capacity may understand it. But I muft take leave to fay beforehand, that our knowing of it will fignify nothing, unless we practice it, neither will you be ever the nearer Heaven

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