would you spend it? And you know not but it may be your laft, and are fure your laft is near.

If you had feen the general Diffolution of the World, and all the Pop and Glory of it confumed to Afbes; what would fuch a Sight perfunde thee to do? Such a Sight you fhall certainly fee. -If you had feen the Judgment' fet, and the Books opened, and the Wicked stand trembling on the left Hand of the Judge, and the Godly rejoicing on the right Ifand, and their different Sentence pronounced; what Perfons would you have been after fuch a Sight? This Sight you fhall one Day furely fee.If you had feen Hell open, and all the Damned there in their cafelefs Torments; alfo Heaven opened, as Stephen did, and all the Saints there triumphing in Glory; what a Life would you lead after fuch Sights? Thefe you will fee before it be long.If you had lain in Hell but one Year, or one Day, or Hour, and there felt the Torments you now hear of; how feriously would you then speak of Hell, and pray against it? And will you not take God's Word for the Truth of this, except you feel it?

Or if you had 'poffèffed the Glory of Heaven but one Year; what Pains would you take, rather than be deprived of fuch incomparable Glory?--Thus I have faid enough, if not to ftir up the Sinner to a ferious working-out his Salvation, yet at leaft to filence him, and leave him inexcufable at the Judgment of God. Only as we do by our Friends when they are dead, and our Words and Actions can do them no Good, yet to teftify our Affections for them we weep and mourn; fo will I alfo do for thefe unhappy Souls. It makes my Heart tremble, to think, how they will ftand be

. fore

fore the Lord confounded and fpeechlefs! When He fhall fay, "Was the World, or Satan, a better Friend to you than I? Or had they done for 66 you more than I had done? Try now whether "they will fave you, or recompence you for the "Lofs of Heaven, or be as good to you as I would "have been." What will the wretched Sinner answer to any of this? But though Man will not hear, we may hope in fpeaking to God. "O "thou that didft weep and groan in Spirit over

a dead Lazarus, pity thefe dead and fenfelefs "Souls, till they are able to weep and groan in Pity "to themselves! As thou haft bid thy Servant fpeak, "fo fpeak now thyself; they will hear thy Voice "fpeaking to their Hearts, who will not hear mind "fpeaking to their Ears. Lord, thou haft long "knocked at these Hearts in vain; now break the "Doors, and enter in."

$17. YET to fhew the Godly why they, above all Men, fhould be laborious for Heaven, I defire to afk them: What Manner of Perions thould thofe be, whom God hath chofen to be Veffels of Mercy? Who have felt the Smart of their Negligence in their new Birth, in their Troubles of Confcience, in their Doubts and Fears, and in other sharp Aflictions? Who have often confeffed their Sin of Negligence to God in Prayer? Who have bound themselves to God by fo many Covenants ? What Manner of Perfons fhould they be, who are near to God as the Children of his Family? who have tafted fuch Sweetnefs in diligent Obedience? who are many of them fo uncertain what fhall everlaftingly become of their Souls? What Manner of Perfons fhould they be in Holinefs, whofe Sanctification is fo imperfect?

perfect? Whofe Lives and Duties are fo important to the faving or deftroying a Multitude of Souls? and on whom the Glory of the Great God fo much depends? Since thefe Things are fo, I charge thee, Chriftian, in thy Mafter's Name, to confider, and refolve the Queftion, What Manner of Perfons ought we to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness? And let thy Life answer the Queftion as well as thy Tongue.

CHAP.

How to difcern our Title to the Saint's Reft.

$1. The Folly of Men in not enquiring after a Title to the Saint's Reft; § 2. and their Caufe for Terror, as long as they are deftitute of a Title. § 3. SelfExamination is urged upon them; § 4. (1) from the Poflibility of arriving at Certainty; § 5-9 (2) from the Hindrances which will be thrown in our Way by Satan, Sinners, our own Hearts, and many ather Caufes; $10. (3) from confidering how eafy, com. min, and dangerous it is to be mistaken; that trying will not be fo painful as the Neglect, that God will foon try us, and that to try ourselves will be prefitable; $11. and therefore the Reader is intreated no longer to delay the Trial. § 12. Then (4) Directims are given how to try; $13. and (5) Marks for Trial are added; particularly, § 14 Do we make God our chief Good? § i5. Do we heartily accept of Chift for our Lord and Saviour? § 16, 17. The Chapter concludes with illuftrating the great Importance of these two Marks.

"I

S.TS there fuch a glorious Reft fo near at Hand? And fhall none enjoy it but the People of God? What mean most of the World then, to live fo contentedly without Affurance of their Intereft in this Reft, and negleft the trying of their Title to it? When the Lord hath fo fully opened the Bleffednels of that Kingdom, which none but obedient Believers fhall

fhall poffefs; and fo fully exprefs'd thofe Torments, which the reft of the World muft eternally fuffer; methinks they that believe this to be certainly true, fhould never be at any Quiet in themselves, till they were fully affured of their being Heirs to the Kingdom. Lord, what a ftrange Madness is this, that Men, who know they muft prefently enter upon unchangeable Joy or Pain, fhould yet live as uncertain what fhall be their Doom, as if they had never heard of any fuch State; yea, and live as quietly and merrily in this Uncertainty, as if all were made fure, and there were no Danger! Are these Men alive, or dead? Are they awake, or afleep? What do they think on? Where are their Hearts? If they have but a weighty Suit at Law, how careful are they to know whether it will go for or againft them? If they were to be tried for their Lives at an earthly Bar, how careful would they be to know whether they fhould be faved or condemned, especially if their Care might furely fave them? If they be dangerously fick, they will enquire of the Phyfician, what think you, Sir, fhall I escape, or no? But in the Bufinefs of their Salvation, they are content to be uncertain. If you atk moft Men a Reason of the Hope that is in them, they will fay," Becaufe God is merciful, and Christ "died for Sinners," and the like general Reafons, which any Man in the World may give as well as they: But put them to prove their Intereft in Chrift, and in the faving Mercy of God, and they can fay nothing to the Purpofe. If God or Man fhould fay to them, What Cafe is thy Soul in, Man? Is it regenerate, fanctified, and pardoned, or no? He would be ready to fay, as Cain of Abel," I know not, am I my Soul's Keeper? I hope well; I truft. God with my Soul; I fhall fpeed as well as other Men do; "I thank God, never made any Doubt of my Sal"vation."