make us double our Diligence, and put on the harder in our Walk or Race, that fo we may come in Time to our Place of Reft; and that fame should make the Paffenger give an overly and paffing Look to all Things that are by the Way, and which he muft of Neceffity leave behind him. Seeing thefe Things then are fo important, let us draw our Hearts together to confider what the Lord fpeaks to us in this Word, for in it you have two Ways, and two Ends, oppofite and contrary Ways and Walks, and as contrary Ends; the Ways are, walking after the Flefb, and walking after the Spirit; the Ends to which they lead, are Death and Life. We spoke something of the Ways, and the wide Difference that is between them, what Excellency is in the one beyond the other; but truly it is hard to perfuade you to leave off your accustomed Ways and Walks, because your inward Senfe, and the Inclination of your Hearts is wholly perverted and corruped by Nature. You know the moving Faculty is fubordinate in its Operations unto the knowing, feeling, and apprehending Faculties: The loco

End, that we may pafs through into an as a paffing Bird, that is pleasant to the unchangeable eternal Estate; truly, of all Eye, gets of a Beholder, while it is in its Things it is moft concerning and weigh-Flight: The Shortness of the Day should ty, what Way we choose to this Journey's End Seeing the Time is fhort, in which we have to walk, and it is uncertain too, we ought, as the Apostle Peter fpeaks, give all Diligence; as long as the Day remains, we fhould drive the harder, left that eternal Night overtake us. The Shortnefs and Uncertainty of - Time fhould constrain us to take the prefent Opportunity, and not to let it flip over as we do; seeing it is not at all in our Hand, either what is paft, or what is to come, the one cannot be recalled, the other is not in our Power, to call and bring forward, therefore the prefent Moment that God hath given us, fhould be catched hold on, and redeemed, as the Apoftle Speaks, Eph. v. 16. We fhould buy it at the dearest Rate of Pains and Expences, from all thofe vain, impertinent, and trifling Diversions, that take it up, that we may imploy it as it becomes, fuitable to Eternity that is pofting on. And then, as the Shortnefs of it makes it the more precious and confiderable, in regard of the End of it, Eternity; as the Scantinefs of a Thing increases the Rate of it, fo that fame Confideration should make all world-motive Power is given for a Subsidiary and by Things, that are confined either in their Being, or Ufe, within it, to be inconfiderable, as Paul, 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31. fhews, feeing the Time is foort, it remaineth, that we should rejoice, as not rejoicing; weep, as not weeping; buy, as if we poffeffed not; ufe the World, as not abufing it: Seeing all its Worth is to be efteemed from the End of it, Eternity, never ending; then certainly whatfoever in Time doth not reached Good,or to the efchewing and Averfion that End, and hath no Connexion with it, of any conceived Evil. Thus, when we should give it but fuch Entertainment, Beafts favour or fimell that Food which

Help to the apprehenfive and appetitive Powers, because Things are convenient and difconvenient, good or evil, to the Nature of the living Creature, without it; and it could not by meer Knowledge, or Defire, or Hatred of Things, either come into Poffeffion of them, or efchew them; therefore God hath given them a Faculty of moving themselves to the Profecution and Attainment of any apprehend

is fit for them, their Appetite ftirs them, up to Motion after it, to obtain it. Now, I fay, if this inward Senfe be corrupted, then Things that are destructive will be conceived good, because they are suitable to that corrupt Humour or Quality that poffeffes the Senfes; and thus all the Motion and Walk will be difordered. The Truth is, my Beloved, our Spirits and Minds are infected with a poisonable Humour, fleshly Paffions and Lufts are predominant naturally; and, as in them that are in a Fever, their Organs being diftempered with a bitter unfavoury Humour, the pleasantest Things seem unfavoury, because not fuitable to that predominant Humour; even fo it is with you by Nature. That which puts all upon Motion is out of Course, fince the firft Distemper of Man; your Spirits and Minds are fleshly and carnal, they have strong and deep Impreffion of all the Lufts that are in the Body, and are accordingly affected; and therefore you cannot fitly judge what is good or evil for you, but according to thefe, Ifa. v. 20. You muft call evil good, and good evil, bitter Sweet, and fweet bitter, because you are already prepoffeffed thus. And therefore the Ways of the Flefh, thofe Paths that lead to Destruction, you cannot but look on them as pleasant, because they fuit and please your corrupted Sense or Spirit; and 15 this difordered Savour or Smell of fome fragrant Perfume in the Ways of the Flesh, puts you upon walking in these Ways; and being thus poffeffed and engaged, you cannot but stop your Ears to all contrary Perfuafions; you think it a gainst your Senfe and Reason, to tell you that thefe are loathfome and unfavoury, and that he other Ways of Wisdom and Spirit, are Pleasantnefs and Peace. Ifay, you cannot believe this, till your Hearts

and Spirits be purged, and your Tafte be pure and uncorrupted. It is certainly upon this Ground, that our Saviour puts fuch Charaters upon the Way to Heaven and Hell, to Life and Death; the one is trait and narrow, and few walk in it, the other broad and easy, and many walk in it, Mat. vii. 13. Certainly, it is not the Way in itself fimply, that admits of fuch a Motion, to fpeak properly, as the Thing is; the Way to Life, by the guiding of the Spirit, is eafieft, plaineft, shortest and broadeft: It hath all the Properties of a good Way, none so pleasant and plain; how sweet and pleasant Sights all the Way! "Tis an Alley of Delight; the Way of his Commandments it wants not Accommodation in it to refresh the Traveller; the most delightful Company is here: the Father and the Son, who fought no other Company from all Eternity, but were abundantly fatisfied and rejoiced in one another: This Fellowship the Christian hath to folace himself with, and he is admitted to be Partaker of that Joy. There is nothing that doth disburden the Soul fo of Care and Anxiety, nothing doth rid a Man of fo many Perplexities and Troubles as this Way. But the Way of Sin in it felf is moft laborious, moft difficult: It hath infinite By-ways that it leads a Man into, and he must turn and return, and run in a Circle all the Day, all his Time, to fatisfy the infinite Lufts and infatiable Defires of Sin. O! how painful and laborious is it to fulfil the Lufts of the Flesh? How much Service doth it impofe? How serious Attention? What perplexing Cares and tormenting Thoughts? How many Sorrows and Griefs are in every Step of this Way? Do you not perceive what Drudges and Slaves Sin makes you? How much Labour you have to fatisfy your Lufts? And

you

inordinate Lufts, that have swelled fo immeasurably towards narrow and scanty Things? The true Latitude of the Way of the Flesh is not great, for it is all inclosed within poor, lean, narrow, created Objects; but because the Imagination of Men fupplies what is wanting really, and fancies an infinite or boundless Extent of Goodnefs in thefe Things; therefore the Sinner walks easily, without straitning to his Flesh, it is not pinched in this Way of fleshly Lufts. But alas! the Spirit is wofully ftraitned, fettered and imprisoned, though it be not fenfibly found.

you are always to begin, as near that which you feek in the End of your Years, as in the Beginning. How thorny, how miry is the Way of Covetoufnefs? Are you not always out of one Thorn into another, and cut afunder, or pierced through with many Sorrows, 1. Tim. vi. 10. Mat. xiii. 22. Is that a pleasant and eafy Way, I pray you, that makes all your Sorrow and your Travel Grief, and fuffers not your Heart to take reft in the Night? Eccl. ii. 22, 23. What Pains of Body? What plotting of Mind? What Labour and Vexation of both, muft a Sinner have as his conftant Attendance in this What is the Reason then that so many Way? The Way is intricate, deep, unpaf- walk in the Way to Death; but becaufe fable, that leads to that Satisfaction you their Flesh finds no ftraitning, no Preffure defire to your Lufts; your Defires are in it? It is an easy Way to their Natures, impotent and impatient, the Means to because fuitable to the Corruption that is carry you on are weak and lame, noways in them; therefore Men walk on without accommodate or fit for such a Journey; Confideration of what follows: 'Tis like and this puts you always, as it were, on the a Defcent, or going down a Hill, and fo Rack, tormented between the Impatience eafy to our Flesh. On the other Hand, of your Lufts, and the Impotency of the Way to Life, after the Spirit, is an Means, and Impoffibility to fulfil them. Afcent upward, and it is very difficult to Defires and Disappointments, Hopes and our earthy and lumpish Flesh. Our SpiFears, divide your Souls between them: rits, by Communion with and Subjection Such is the Way after the Flesh, an end-to the Flesh, are made of an earthly Qualefs Labyrinth of Woes and Miferies, of Pains and Cares, ever while here.

lity, near the Element of the Flesh, and fo they bow naturally downward; but if But these Ways receive fuch Names once they were purified and purged, and from the common Opinion and Appre- unfettered by the Spirit of God, and rehenfion of Men, because of our Flesh, ftored to their native Purity, they would which is predominant; the Way after more eafily and willingly move upward, the Flesh being fuitable to it, though in as you fee the Flame doth: And till this itself infinitely more toilfome, feems eafy be done in you, we cannot expect that you and plain; but the Way after the Spirit will willingly and pleasantly walk in these feems ftrait, narrow, toilfome and la-pleafant Walks after the Spirit; your borious. Though there be infinite more Walk will never be free and unconstrainRoom in the Way to Life, because ited in the Paths of Godliness. You may, leads to that immenfe univerfal Good, it expatiates towards the All-fulness of God; yet to Flesh, how narrow and trait is it, because it cannot admit of thefe

from fome external Motives and Impulfes, move upward for a Seafon, in fome particular Duties of Religion, as a Stone caft up; but as that Impreffion is not from an

difingage them from lower Confolations. This World is like the peftiferous Lake of Sodom, that kills all that flies over it, and makes them fall down into it. If we fly low upon the Surface of it, we cannot think but that the fpiritual Life will be much extinguished. But to prevent this, we would take our Flight ftraight upward after the Spirit, (for that is the proper Motion of the more pure and fpiritual Part of this World) and give no reft, till we be out of the Reach of that Infection, till you be fully escaped the Pollutions of the World.

But if you cannot be perfuaded to come off this Way, that feems fo pleasant to your Flesh, that Way which is the very Course of the World, (for these are joined, Eph. ii. 2.) Then I beseech you, ftand ftill, and confider whither it will lead; do but ftop a little, and bethink your felves fadly and seriously, whither this will take you, where it shall end. And truly that is dreadful, the End, of it is Death, a never-ending Death. Iam fure, if you were walking by the Way, and one came and told you gravely and seriously, that that Way is full of dangerous Pits, that there are many Robbers in it, waiting to cut your Throat, you would count

inward Principle, fo it will not be constant and durable, but you will fall down to your old Bvals in other Things, and move quite contrary, when the external Impreffion of Fear or Favour, of Cuftom or Education, or fuch like, wears But the true Chriftian hath a Spirit within him, the Root of the Matter in him; this carries him upward in the Ways of Obedience, after the Motions and Directions of God's Spirit. At the Beginning, indeed, it is ftrait and uneafy to his Flesh, but the Difficulty is overcome, if once you begin well: The Beginning (as you use to fay) is the Half of the Whole. Truly, to be well entred, is half Progrefs, afterward the bulkfome and burdenfome Lufts of the Flesh are ftript off, at least in a greater Measure, and then the Spirit moves easily and willingly; this Walk becomes a Recreation, that at first was a Labour. Now Delight and Defire are as Wings to mount the Soul aloft: Now 'tis the good Pleasure of the Soul to Walk to all Well-pleasing. Indeed the Way of this World is dirty and filthy; and therefore a Chriftian had need to watch continually, and to gird up his Loins, that his Thoughts and Affections hang not down to the Earth, elfe they will take up much Filth, and cannot but clog and bur-the Admonition worthy of fo much Noden the Spirit, and make it drive heavily and flowly, as Pharaoh did his Chariots when the Wheels were off. We had need to fly aloft above the Ground, and not to come down too low near it, thinking withal to double out our Journey, for wenition 'to you, fends out many Ambaffashall find, that because of the Remnants of Flesh within us, that this World hath a magnetical attractive Vertue to draw us down to it, if we be within the Sphere of its Activity. It is not good coming near Fire with Flax; we would endeavour to keep our Hearts at much Distance, and

tice, as to halt and confider what to do: But now, when the Lord himself, that deferves infinite more Respect and Credit than Men, gives you Warning once, and often, Day after Day repeats this Admo

dors to call you off, makes this Word to found daily in your Ears, Oh! why will you die? Such Ways lead down to the Chambers of Death and Hell; to be carnally minded, in the Iffue, is Death, whatsoever you may promise to your felves. I fay, when he makes a Voice to

accompany