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of Salvation? So that let the World, the Flesh, or the Devil, fpeak against a holy laborious Life, this is my Anfwer, God hath commanded it.-Nay, there never was, or will be, a Man, but will approve fuch a Life, and will one Day justify the Diligence of the Saints. And who would not go that Way, which every Man fhall finally applaud? True, it is now a Way every where fpoken against. But let me tell you, most that fpeak against it, in their Judgments approve of it; and thofe that are now against it, will thortly be of another Mind. If they come to Heaven, their Mind must be changed before they come there. If they go to Hel, their Judgment will then be altered, whether they will or no. Remember this, you that love the Opinion and Way of the Multitude; why then will you not be of the Opinion that all will be of? Why will you be of a Judgment, which you are fure all of you fhortly to change? Oh that you were but as wife in this, as thofe in Hell!--Even the best of Chriftians, when they come to die, exceedingly lament their Negligence. They then with, "Oh that I had been "a thoufand Times more holy, more heavenly, (6 more laborious for my Soul! The World accufes "" me for doing too much, but my own Confcience "accufes me for doing too little. It is far easier "bearing the Scoffs of the World, than the Lathes

of Confcience. I had rather be reproached by the "Devil for feeking Salvation, than reproved of God "for neglecting it." How do their Failings thus wound and difquiet them, who have been the Wonders of the World for their heavenly Conversation!

It is for Want of more Diligence, that Heaven icf is often left. When they that have heard the Word, and anor with Joy received it, and have done manz Twing, and heard the Minifers of Christ glady (q',

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fhall yet perifh; fhould not this rouze us out of out Security? How far hath many a Man followed Chrift, and yet forfook him, when all worldly Interefts and Hopes were to be renounced?—God hath refolved, that Heaven fhall not be had on cafter Terms. Reft must always follow Labour. Without Holiness no Man fhall fee the Lord (r). Serioufnefs is the very Thing wherein confifts our Sincerity. If thou art not ferious, thou art not a Chriftian. It is not only a high Degree in Chriftianity, but the very Life and Effence of it. As Fencers upon a Stage differ from Soldiers fighting for their Lives; fo Hypocrites differ from ferious Chriftians. If Men could be faved without this ferious Diligence, they would never regard it; all the Excellencies of God's Ways would never entice them. But when God hath refolved, that, without ferious Diligence here, you fhall not reft hereafter, is it not Wisdom to exert ourselves to the utmoft?

$15. BUT to perfuade thee, if poffible, Reader, to be ferious in thy Endeavours for Heaven, let me add more Confiderations. As for Infance, confider, Ged is in earnest with you; and why fould not you be fr with him? In his Commands, his Threatning, his Promifes, He means as He fpeaks. In his Judgments He is ferious. Was He not fo, when He drowned the World? When He confumed Sodom and Gomorrah? And when He scattered the Jews? Is it Time then to trifle with God?Jefus Chrift was ferious in purchafing our Redemption. In teaching, He neglected his Meat and Dink. In Prayer, He continued all Night. In doing Good, bis Friends thought him befide himself. In Suffering, He fafted forty Days, was tempted, betrayed, it upon, buffeted, crowned with Thorns, fweat Drops of Blood, was crucified, piercet,

(r) Heb, xii. 14.

died:

Ch. 7. died: There was no Jefting in all this. And fhould not we be ferious in feeking our own Salvation? The Holy Spirit is ferious in folliciting us to be happy. His Motions are frequent, preffing, and importunate. He friveth with us. He is grieved, when we refift him. And fhould not we be ferious then in obeying, and yielding to, his Motions?God is ferious in hearing our Prayers, and beftowing his Mercies. He is afflicted with us. He regar deth every Groan and Sigh, and puts every Tear into his Bottle. The next Time thou art in Trouble, thou wilt beg for a ferious Regard of thy Prayers. And fhall we expect real Mercies, when we are flight and fuperficial in the Work of God?The Minifters of Chrift are fericus in exhorting and inftructing you. They beg of God, and of you; and long more for the Salvation of your Souls, than for any worldly Good If they kill themfelves with their Labour, or fuffer Martyrdom for preaching the Gofpel; they think their Lives are well beftowed, fo that they prevail for the faving your Souls. And fhall other Men be fo painful and careful for your Salvation, and you be fo carelefs and negligent of your own? How diligent and ferisus are all the Creatures in ferving you? What Hafte makes the Sun to compass the World? The Fountains are always flowing for thy Ufe; the Rivers ftill running; Spring and Harveft keep their Times. How hard does thy Ox labour for thee from Day to Day? How fpeedily does thy Horfe travel with thee? And fhalt thou only be negligent? Shail all these be fo ferious in ferving thee, and thou fo careless in thy Service to God?The Servants of the World and the Devil are ferious and diligent. They work, as if they could never do enough. They make Hafte, as if afraid of coming to Hell too late. They bear down Minitters,

Sermons,

Sermons, and all before them. And fhall they be more diligent for Damnation, than thou for Salvation? Haft thou not a better Mafter, fweeter Employment, greater Encouragements, and a better Reward?

Time was when thou waft ferious thyfelf in ferving Satan and the Flesh, if it be not fo yet. How eagerly didft thou follow thy Sports, thy evil Company, and finful Delights? And wilt thou not now be as earnest and violent for God?You are to this Day in earnest about the Things of this Life. If you are fick, or in Pain, what ferious Complaints do you utter? If you are poor, how hard do you labour for a Livelihood? And is not the Business of your Salvation of far greater Moment?There is no jefting in Heaven or Hell. The Saints have a real Happiness, and the Danned a real Mifery. There are no remifs or fleepy Praises in Heaven, nor fuch Lamentations in Hell. All there are in earnest. When thou, Reader, fhalt come to Death and Judgment, O what deep, Heart-piercing Thoughts wilt thou have of Eternity! Methinks I foresee thee already aftonifhed, to think how thou couldft poffibly make fo light of thefe Things. Methinks I even hear thee crying out of thy Stupidity and Madness.

§ 16. AND now, Reader, having laid down thefe undeniable Arguments, I do, in the Name of God, demand thy Refolution; Wilt thou yield Obedience, or not? I am confident thy Confcience is convinced of thy Duty. Darett thou now go on in thy common carelefs Courfe, against the plain Evidence of Reafon, and Commands of God, and against the Light of thy own Confcience? Dareft thou live as loofely, fin as boldly, and pray as feldom, as before? Dareft thou profane the Sabbath, flight the Service of God, and think of thine everlafting State as carelessly

as

as before? Or doft thou not rather refolve to gird up the Loins of thy Mind, and fet thy felf wholly to the Work of thy Salvation, and break through the Oppofitions, and flight the Scoffs and Perfecutions of the World, and lay afide every Weight, and the Sin which doth to easily befet thee, and run with Patience the Race that is fet before thee? I hope thefe are thy full Refolution. Yet, becaufe I know the Obftinacy of the Heart of Man, and because I am folicitous thy Soul might live, I once more intreat thy Attention to the following Queftions; and I command thee from God, that thou ftifle not thy Confcience, nor refift Conviction; but anfwer them faithfully, and obey accordingly.If, by being diligent in Godliness, you could grow rich, get Honour or Preferment in the World, be recovered from Sicknefs, or live for ever in Profperity on Earth; what Lives would you lead, and what Pains would you take in the Service of God? And is not the Saint's Reft a more excellent Happiness than all this?

If it were Felony to break the Sabbath, neglect fecret or Family-Worfhip, or be loofe in your Lives; what Manner of Perfons would you then be? And is not eternal Death more terrible than temporal?

If God ufually punifhed with fome prefent Judgment every Act of Sin, as he did the Lye of Ananias and Sapphira, what Kind of Lives would you lead? And is not eternal Wrath far more terrible?If one of your Acquaintance should come from the Dead, and tell you, that he fuffered the Torments of Hell for thofe Sins you are guilty of; what Manner of Perfons would you afterwards be? How much more fhould the Warnings of God affright you?--If you knew that this were the laft Day you had to live in the World, how would

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