few attain the greatest good, and few will escape the greatest misery? It is because they would not choose that good, and refuse the way and cause of misery. But how cometh it to pass that men will make no wiser a choice? Is the case so doubtful that they cannot be resolved in it? Every man would have that which he thinks is best for him. Why do men follow after wealth, or pleasure, or credit in the world, but because they take it to be best for them? Why do they set so light by holiness, and Christ, and heaven, but because they apprehend them not to be best for them? Would men refuse, and obstinately against all persuasions refuse a holy life, if they took it practically to be best for them? What! will they contrive their own destruction? Do they long to do themselves a mischief, and the greatest mischief in the world? No, that is not the case; but the matter is this: Their senses draw them another way; their eye, their ear, their taste, their feeling, every sense hath a pleasure of its own, and this sense or flesh is violent and unreasonable, and would fain be satisfied; and reason that was given us to rule it, is bribed, and blinded, and perverted by it, and so is ready as a servant to obey it, and to take its part; and the fleshly mind discerneth not the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned. The will also, and the affections are, by the bias of a fleshly inclination, corrupted and habitually lean to the fleshly part. And that which men love, they will easily think well of, and are glad of any thing like reason to defend it; and that which is against the inclination of the will, will hardly be thought well of, and any thing like reason will serve against it. This depravation of the mind and will of man, enslaved and ruled by the flesh or sensuality, is the very cause that most men will not choose the better part, and so the cause of their perpetual misery. And till the Holy Ghost send in a heavenly light of wisdom into the mind, to shew them the true difference between the good and the evil; and a new inclination into the will, that shall turn their hearts from the evil to the good, they will still go on, and the matters of God will seem foolishness to them, and they will take those men for the veriest fools that follow the wisdom of the Lord, and provide carefully for eternal life; and they will take those for the wisest men, that are most contrary to the God of wisdom, and that dare leap most fearlessly into hell. Or if this

be not their opinion, but conviction force them to a wiser kind of language, yet will it be their practical estimation, and their hearts, as their choice and lives will easily déclare. For" that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit;" John iii. 6. The fleshly man will have a fleshly mind and will, and openly or secretly will live after the flesh, and such are the heirs of death; Rom. viii. 5. 7. 13. Fleshly generation cannot make a spiritual mind or heart in any, but it must be by spiritual regeneration. And therefore "except a man be born again of the Spirit," as well as of "water, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;" John iii. 3.5.

This inward difference of inclination is the true cause of the difference of the judgments, and the courses of men, about the matters of God and their salvation.

This is it that makes so many to think none wise but those that are more dangerously mad than men in Bedlam; and that makes so many others stand in doubt as men unresolved what to choose, and what course to follow. As if it were really a difficult point for a man to be resolved in, whether it be best and wisest to follow the teachings of God or of the flesh; and to seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God or to make a pudder for nothing in the world; and to tickle this itching flesh awhile, though they must smart for it for ever, or to master the flesh and live to God!

In a word, the world are half unresolved, Whether it be better to be holy with God's promise of eternal glory, or to take the pleasures of sin for a season, and neglect this holiness, though this course be threatened by the living God. with everlasting torments? This is the true state of the question, which I say one part of the world doth seem to be unresolved in, and another part are resolved on the worser side, against their souls and a holy life; and only those that the illuminating, sanctifying Spirit hath resolved, do choose the needful, better part.

The reason of this distracted judgment of the most, is within themselves. It is not because that there is any such difficulty in the case, as should put a wise man to a stand; nor is it because they have not sufficient evidence in the word, or that God denied them teachers, books, or any necessary means for their information. The light is among

them, but they love it not because their hearts and deeds are evil, and their darkness doth not comprehend it; and this is their delusion, and their condemnation; John i. 6-8. iii. 19.

When I am preaching to a congregation of many hundred or thousand souls, if the salvation of all that people did lie upon any other question no harder than this that we have in hand, so it were such as fleshly interest, and corrupted minds and wills had no quarrel against, how easily, how surely should I save the souls of all that heard me! Reader, let me have thy judgment. If the question were, Whether light or darkness be the better?-Whether a dead corpse be better 'than a living man ?-Whether a cottage for a day, or a rich habitation for term of life be better-Whether as much drink as will make thee drunk, or a night's lodging with a whore, be better than lands and lordships for thy lifetime, or for a thousand years?-Whether one sweet cup with shame and beggary all thy life after, or one bitter draught with perpetual prosperity, should be rather chosen?-Whether a sick man were better take an unpleasing medicine that would cure him, or a pleasant poison that would kill him?-Whether he were better pay a little to the physician, or die to save his money? Whether that prince be wise that will sell his kingdom for a cup of wine, or for children's rackets?—— Or whether that child be virtuous that cannot abide his father's sight, or house, or commands, but loveth better to do that which he knows displeaseth him, or tumble in the dirt with swine?--I say, if any of these were the question to be resolved, and the salvation of all that heard me lay upon the true resolution, I leave it to your own judgments, whether I were not like to save the souls of all that heard me? And yet in a case as clear in itself, and much more clear, how few do we prevail with! Is not the question, Whether God or the creature, holiness or sin, earth or heaven, short or everlasting pleasures should be preferred? as plain to a wise man of those that I mentioned before? Is it not as plain a case to a man of judgment, Whether holiness, with everlasting joys, be better than fleshly pleasures with damnation? as Whether a kingdom be better than a jail, or gold than dirt, or health than sickness? Yet do your salvations lie upon this question, this easy question. I must again repeat it : your salvations lie upon the practical resolution of this easy question. Be but resolved once that God is best for you,

as any

All

and heaven is best for you, and accordingly make your resolute choice, and faithfully prosecute it, and God will be yours, heaven will be yours as sure as the promise of God is true. But if you will not choose God and glory as your best, but will choose the world and simple pleasures as better for you, you shall have no better than you choose, and shall suffer a double condemnation for neglecting and refusing so great salvation.

You hear now by men's talk, and you see by their lives that the world is divided upon this question, What it is that is best for a man, and which is his best and wisest course. One part (and the greater) think in their hearts that present prosperity is best, because they think that the promised happiness of the life to come is a thing uncertain; or if there be such a thing, they may have it after the pleasures of sin: These are the infidels.

Another part have a superficial dead opinion, that heaven and holiness are best; but the love of the flesh and the world lieth deeper at their hearts, and beareth the greater sway in their lives; and these are the hypocrites; that is, Christians in opinion and profession, and so much of their practice as will stand with their fleshly interest, but infidels in their practical estimation, and at the heart, and in the reserves and secret bent of their lives.

Another part, being illuminated and sanctified from above, believe the certainty and excellency of glory, and see the vanity and vexation of this life, and taste the sweetness of the love of God, and perceive the necessity and sweetness of that holiness, which others so abhor, and hereupon give up themselves to God, and set themselves to seek for the immortal treasure, and make it the principal care of their hearts and business of their lives to escape damnation, and live with Christ in endless glory.

All the world consisteth of these three sorts of men, infidels, hypocrites, and true believers. Now the question is, Which of these three are in the right? Both the other do condemn the hypocrite that halteth between two opinions; and one thinks that Baal is God, that the world is best, and therefore he gives up himself to it; and the other thinks that the Lord is God, and heaven is best, and therefore he gives up himself to it. And if it would do any thing with those that doubt, towards the turning of the scales, to tell

you which side Christ is on, it is told you here in my text, as plain as the tongue of man can speak, "One thing is needful. Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

The doctrine which I am now to handle to you from the plain words of the text, is this:

Doct. 'That those that prefer the learning of the word of Christ, to guide them by holiness to everlasting happiness, before all the lower matters of this world, are they that choose the better part, even that which shall never be taken from them.'

If now the word of Christ alone would serve your turn, I had done my work, I needed not to go any further. You would be now resolved, that heaven and holiness is best, and would set your hearts and lives to seek it; and so it would be your own for ever. But this text hath long stood in the Gospel, and men have heard and read it often, and yet the most are not persuaded; and therefore I must try to open it a little further to you, and plead it with you, and work the reason of it upon your minds.

Reader, our business is but to inquire, What it is that is best for man to set his heart on and seek after in his life, and enjoy for ever? I say, it is the everlasting enjoyment of God in heaven. For Christ saith so. If thou think otherwise let us debate the case. If thou believe as I do, live as thou professest to believe. If men did but deeply and soundly know what it is that is best for them, it would set right their hearts and lives, and make them happy. But not knowing this, is it that keepeth them from God and holiness, and everlastingly undoes them.

Though I have often opened this heretofore on other occasions, yet my present subject now requireth. I. That I tell you what that is that here is called "The good part." II. What it is that is set against it, and by fleshly minds preferred before it. And having briefly opened these two things, I shall come to the comparison, and shew you which is the better part.

I. That which Christ calls here, that good part, is, 1. Principally the end of man, or our everlasting happiness with God in heaven. 2. Subordinately, the means by which it is attained. 3. That happiness which is the end, compre