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"Chrift, as I have ferved it, he would not have left "me thus comfortless and hopeless." Thus they complain; and yet fucceeding Sinners will take no Warning.

$3. As for the profane Multitude, they will not be perfuaded to be at fo much Pains for Salvation, as to perform the common outward Duties of Religion. If they have the Gospel preached in the Town where they dwell, it may be they will give the Hearing to it one Part of the Day, and stay at home the other; or if the Mafter come to the Congregation, yet Part of his Family must stay at home. If they want the plain and powerful preaching of the Gofpel, how few are there in a whole Town, who will travel a Mile or two to hear abroad; though they will go many Miles to the Market for Provifion for their Bodies? They know the Scripture is the Law of God, by which they must be acquitted or condemned in Judgment; and that the Man is blessed who delights in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth meditate Day and Night; yet will they not be at Pains to read a Chapter once a Day. If they carry a Bible to Church, and neglect it all the Week, this is the moft Ufe they make of it. Though they are commanded to pray without ceafing, and to pray alway; yet they will neither pray conftantly with their Families, nor in Secret. Though Daniel would rather be caft to the Lions, than forbear praying three Times a Day in his Haufe, where his Enemies might hear him; yet thefe Men will rather venture to be an eternal Prey to Satan, the roaring Lion, than thus feek their own Safety. Or their cold and heartless Prayers invite God to a Denial: For among Men it is taken for granted, that he who afks but fightly and feldom, cares not much for what he afks. They judge themfelves unworthy of Heaven, who think it is not worth their more conftant, and

earne.

earneft Requefts. If every Door was marked, where Families do not Morning and Evening earnestly seek the Lord in Prayer, that his Wrath might be poured out upon fuch prayerlefs Families, our Towns would be as Places overthrown by the Plague, the People being dead within, and the Mark of Judgment without. fear where one Houfe would escape, ten would be marked out for Death, and then they might teach their Doors to pray, Lord have Mercy upon us, because the People would not pray themfelves. But efpecially if we could fee what Men do in their fecret Chambers, how few would you find in a whole Town that spend one Quarter of an Hour, Morning and Night, in earneft Supplication to God for their Souls? O how little do thefe Men fet by eternal Reft! Thus do they flothfully neglect all Endeavours for their own Welfare, except fome publick Duty in the Congregation, which Cafem or Credit engages them to. Perfuade them to read good Books, learn the Grounds of Religion in their Catechifm, and fan&ify the Lord's Day in Prayer, and Meditation, and hearing the Word, and forbearing all worldly Thoughts and Speeches; and what a tedious Life do they take this to be? As if they thought Heaven were not worth doing fo much for.

$4. ANOTHER Sort are formal Profeffors, who will be brought to any outward Duty, but to the inward Work of Religion they will never be perfuaded. They will preach, or hear, or read, or talk of Hea. ven, or pray in their Families, and take Part with the Perfons or Caufes that are good, and defire to be eficemed among the Godly; but you can never bring them to the more fpiritual Duties; as to be conftant and fervent in fecret Prayer and Meditation; confcientious, in Self-Examination; Heavenly-minded; to watch over their Hearts, Words, and Ways; to

mortify

mortify the Flesh, and not make Provifion to fulfil its Lufts; to love and heartily forgive an Enemy, and prefer their Brethren before themselves; to lay all they have, or do, at the Feet of Chrift, and prize his Service and Favour before all; to prepare to die, and willingly leave all to go to Chrift. Hypocrites will never be perfuaded to any of these.--If an Hypocrite entertains the Gospel with Joy; it is only in the Surface of his Soul, he never gives the Seed any Depth of Earth: It changes his Opinion, but never melts and new molds his Heart, nor fets up Chrift there in full Power and Authority. As his Religion lies most in Opinion, fo does his chief Business and Conversation. He is ufually an ignorant, bold, conceited Dealer in Controverfies; rather than an humble Embracer of known Truth, with Love and Obedience. By his flighting the Judgments and Perfons of others, and feldom talking with Serioufnefs and Humility of the great Things of Chrift, he fhews his Religion dwells in the Brain, and not in his Heart. The Wind of Temptation carries him away as a Feather, because his Heart is not established with Chrift and Grace. He never in private Converfation humbly bewails his Soul's Imperfections, or tenderly acknowledges his. Unkindneffes to Chrift; but gathers his greateft Comforts from his being of fuch a Judgment or Party.The like may be faid of the worldly Hypocrite, who choaks the Gospel with the Thorns of worldly Cares and Defires. He is convinced, that he must be religious, or he cannot be faved; and therefore he reads, and hears, and prays, and forfakes his former Company and Courfes; but he refolves to keep his Hold of prefent Things. His Judgment may fay, God is the chief Good; but his Heart and Affections never faid fo. The World hath more of his Affections than God, and therefore is his God. Though

he does not run after Opinions and Novelties, like the former, yet he will be of that Opinion which will best ferve his worldly Advantage. And as one whofe Spirits are enfeebled by fome peftilential Disease; so this Man's Spirits being poffeffed by the Plague of a worldly Disposition, how feeble is he in fecret Prayer! How fuperficial in Examination and Meditation! How poor in Heart-Watchings! How nothing at all in loving and walking with God, rejoicing in him, or defiring him!—So that both thefe, and many other Sorts of Hypocrites, though they will go with you in the eafy Outfide of Religion, yet will never be at the Pains of inward and spiritual Duties.

5. And even the Godly themselves are too lazy Seekers of their everlafting Reft. Alas! what a Difproportion is there between our Light and Heat? our Profeffion and Profecution? Who makes that Hafte, as if it were for Heaven? How ftill we ftand? How idly we work? How we talk, and jeft, and trifle away our Time? How deceitfully we perform the Work of God? How we hear, as if we heard not; and pray, as if we prayed not; and examine, and meditate, and reprove Sin, as if we did it not; and enjoy Chrift, as if we enjoyed him not; as if we had learned to use the Things of Heaven, as the Apofile teacheth us to use the Things of the World? What a frozen Stupidity hath benumbed us! We are dying, and we know it, and yet we ftir not; we are at the Door of eternal Happiness, or Mifery, and yet we perceive it not; Death knocks, and we hear it not; God and Chrift call and cry to us," To-day, if ye « will hear my Voice, harden not your Hearts; work, "while it is Day, for the Night cometh when none can

work. Now ply your Bufinefs, labour for your "Lives, lay out all your Strength and Time; now or never;" and yet we flir no more than if we were

half

half asleep. What Hafte do Death and Judgment make? How faft do they come on? They are almost at us, and yet what little Hafte we make? Lord, what a fenfelefs, earthly, hellifh Thing is a hard Heart! Where is the Man that is in earnest a Chriftian? Methinks Men every where make but a Trifle of their eternal State. They look after it but a little by the bye; they do not make it the Business of their Lives. If I were not fick myfelf of the fame Disease, with what Tears fhould I mix this Ink? With what Groans should I express these Complaints? And with what Heart-Grief fhould I mourn over this univerfal Deadness?

$6.Do Magiftrates among us feriously per form their Work? Are they zealous for God? Do they build up his Houfe? Are they tender of his Honour? Do they fecond the Word? And fly in the Face of Sin and Sinners, as the Difturbers of our Peace, and the only Cause of all our Miseries? Do they improve all their Power, Wealth, and Honour, and all their Influence, for the greatest Advantage to the Kingdom of Chrift, as Men that must shortly give an Account of their Stewardship?

$7. How thin are thofe Minifters that are ferious in their Work! Nay, how mightily do_the very best fail in this! Do we cry out of Men's Difobedience to the Gospel in the Demonftration of the Spirit, and deal with Sin as the deftroying Fire in our Towns, and by Force pull Men out of it? Do we perfuade our People, as thofe fhould, that know the Terrors of the Lord? Do we prefs Chrift, and Regeneration, and Faith, and Holinefs, believing that, without thefe, Men can never have Life? Do our Bowels yearn over the ignorant, carelefs, and obftinate Multitude? When we look them in the Face, do our Hearts melt over them, left we fhould never

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