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most part good men are called fools and dullards. Let me be so derided. The reproaches of the ignorant (or unskilful) must be patiently heard, and this contempt of one that followeth virtue, must be contemned.' Yea, it is the highest honour to be content to be counted bad, that we may not be so; and the greatest trial whether we be indeed sincere, to be put to it, to be either accounted hypocrites, or to be such. Methinks I can scarce too oft recite that excellent saying of Seneca, Epist. 72. Nemo plus videtur æstimare virtutem, nemo magis illi esse devotus, quam qui boni viri famam perdidit ne conscientiam perderet :' No man seems to set a higher price on virtue; no man seems to be more devoted to it, than he that hath lost the reputation of being a good man, lest he should lose his conscience.'

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But perhaps you will ask, ' May not a man be righteous overmuch?' as is intimated, Eccles. vii. 17.

I answer, it is making a man's self over wise or righteous, that is there reproved. And no doubt but, 1. Many take on them, or make themselves more wise and righteous than they are; that is, are hypocrites. 2. As righteousness is taken materially and in common estimation, so a man may be too righteous. He may be too rigorous; which is called justice; and too much in grief, or fear, or trouble: and too much in any outward act that goeth under the name of duty. But it is not then truly and formally duty and righteousness, but sin. As to fast to the disabling the body for God's service. To pray when we should hear. To hear when we should be about some greater work of mercy or necessity. To neglect our outward labour and calling on pretence of religion. To set up sacrifice against or before mercy. To sorrow when we should rejoice. To meditate, and fear, and grieve, beyond what the brain can bear, till it distract us. This is called, being righteous overmuch. As also to make us a religion of our own inventions, and to overdo with willworship, and the traditions of men, as the Pharisees and Papists. But indeed this is not righteousness, but sin. To be formally overmuch righteous, is a contradiction and impossible. For to go beyond the rule is unrighteousness. And to do too much, is to go beyond the rule. Unless you dare imagine, that God hath erred, and the rule itself is over strict, and the law is unrighteous. But then how shall

God judge the world?" saith the apostle. Judge of all the world do righteouslyd." should he be God?

"Shall not the Nay, how then

And is there any thing now left but ignorance or wickedness to stand up against thy speedy diligence? Away then with thy delays and slothfulness: if thou wilt serve God with all thy might, let it be seen. If thou wilt be a Christian indeed, let deeds declare it. Christianity is not a dead opinion. If really thou live in hope of heaven, such hopes will make thee stir for the attainment. Why standest thou idle, when thou art born for work, and all thy faculties are given thee for work, and thou art redeemed for work? (for evangelical work.) If thou be sanctified, thou hast the Spirit of Christ, a quickening, working principle within thee; which way canst thou look, that thou mayst see that which would shame a slothful soul, and fire a cold and frozen heart, and call thee up to a speedy industry? What quickening words shalt thou find in Scripture, if thou wilt but bring thy heart thither, as one that is willing to be quickened? What powerful commands, what promises, what threatenings, what holy examples of exceeding diligence of Christ and his apostles! See how the godly about thee are at work, though the world oppose them and deride them! How earnestly they pray! how carefully they walk! how sadly they complain that they are no better! And hast thou not an immortal soul to save or lose as well as they? See what a stir the proud, ambitious person makes for less than nothing! what a stir the covetous and the voluptuous make for a sweetened draught of mortal poison! And shall we be idle that are engaged for heaven? Is it reason that we should do less for God and our salvation, than they do for sinful pleasure to damnation? You cannot mock them out of their pride or covetousness: and shall they mock thee out of thy religion, and thy hopes of heaven? All the commands, and promises, and threatenings of God, the most powerful preaching, that, as it were, sets open heaven and hell to them, doth not prevail with fleshly men, to leave the most sordid and unmanly sin and shall the words or frowns of creeping dust prevail with thee against the work for which thou livest in the world, when thou hast still d Gen. xviii. 25.

c Rom. iii. 6.

at hand unanswerable arguments from God, from thyself, from heaven and hell, to put thee on? Were it but for thy life, or the life of thy children, friend, yea, or enemy; or for the quenching of a tire in thy house, or in the town, wouldst thou not stir and do thy best? And wilt thou be idle when eternal life lies on it? Let satan bawl against thee by his instruments: let senseless sinners talk awhile of they know not what, till God hath made them change their note: let what will be the consequent to thy flesh: these are not matters for a man much to observe, that is engaged for an endless life. Owhat are these to the things that thou art called to prosecute! Hold on then, Christians, in the work that you have begun. Do it prudently, and do it universally. Take it together, both works of piety, justice, and charity; but do it now without delay, and do it seriously with your might. I know not what cloud of darkness hath seized on those men's minds that speak against this, or what deadly damp hath seized on their hearts that hath so benumbed and unmanned them. For my own part, though I have long lived in a sense of the preciousness of time, and have not been wholly idle in the world; yet when I have the deepest thoughts of the great, everlasting consequents of my work, and of the uncertainty and shortness of my time, I am even amazed to think that my heart can be so slow and senseless, as to do no more in such a case. The Lord knows, and my accusing, wounded conscience knows, than my slothfulness is so much my shame and admiration, that I am astonished to think that my resolutions are no stronger, my affections no livelier, and my labour and diligence no greater, when God is the commander, and his love the encourager, and his wrath the spur, and heaven or hell must be the issue. O what lives should all of us live, that have things of such unspeakable consequence on our hands, if our hearts were not almost dead within us? Let who will speak against such a life, it will be my daily grief and moan, that I am so dull, and do so little. I know that our works do not profit the Almighty, nor bear any proportion with his reward; nor can they stand in his sight, but as accepted in the Lord our righteousness, and perfumed by the odour of his merits. But I know they are necessary, and they are sweet. Without the holy employment of our faculties, this life will be

but a burden or a dream, and the next an inexpressible misery. O, therefore, that I had more of the love of God, that my soul could get but nearer to him, and more swiftly move upward by faith and love! O that I had more of that holy life, and active diligence, which the serpentine, Cainish nature doth abhor, though I had with it the scorns of all about me, and though they made me, as they once did better men, as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things! O that I had more of this derided diligence, and holy converse with the Lord, though my name were cast out as an evil doerf: and I were spit at and buffeted by those that do now but secretly reproach! Might I nearly follow Christ in holiness, why should I grudge to bear his cross, and to be used as he was used? knowing that "if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; and the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us h."

If when we have done all, we are but unprofitable servants, and must say we have done but our duty 1, have we not all more need of monitors to humble us for doing so much less than our duty, than to be reprehended for being too diligent and exact?

I again protest, that it is not any works of supererogation, or human invention, superstition, or self-appointment that I am defending, but only the accurate obeying of the laws of God, and the utmost diligence in such obedience, for the obtaining of everlasting life. Either God hath commanded these works of holiness, justice, and charity, or not. If he have not, then I have done, and yield the cause: it is only what he hath commanded that I plead for. O that before you either speak against any holy duty, or yourselves neglect it, you would but come to us, and soberly join in searching the Holy Scriptures, to see whether it be required there or not; and resolve but to obey it, if we prove it thence and if it be but a matter of human imposition, we leave you to yourselves, and should desire that you may be much left to yourselves in such things; and that you place not too much of your religion therein. But if indeed it be commanded in the word of God, I beseech you, as you are

e 1 Cor. xiv. 13.

h Rom. viii. 17, 18.

Luke vi. 22.

i Luke xvii. 10.

s Matt. xxvi. 27. Luke xviii. 32.

Christians, and as you are men, remember that whenever you blame or scorn a holy duty, it is God himself that you blame or scorn. If it be naught, it is long of him that did command it: the subject must obey. Should not such worms as we obey the infinite God that made us? If it be a fault to obey, it is a duty to rebel, or disobey; and that must be because that God hath no authority to command, and that must be because he is not God. See whither you bring your opposition to a holy life. And dare you stand to this? Dare you as openly mock God for making these strict and holy laws, as you do men for obeying them? None but a professed atheist dare.

Alas, sirs, it is nothing but intoxicating prosperity, and sensual delights, and worldly diversions, that turn your brains, and leave you not the sober use of reason, that makes you think well of ungodly slothfulness, and makes you think so contemptuously or senselessly of a heavenly life. I tell you (and remember another day that you were told of it), that there is not the boldest infidel in the world, nor the bitterest enemy to holiness in this assembly, but shortly would wish they had rather been saints in rags, with all the scorn and cruelty that malice can inflict on such, than to have braved it out in pride and gallantry, with the neglect of the great, everlasting things. I tell you again, there is not an ungodly wretch that heareth me, but ere long would give a world if he were owner of a holy heart and life, that he had spent his days in holy, watchful preparations for his change, which he spent for that which will deceive him and forsake him.

Methinks I even see how you will passionately rage against yourselves, and tear your hearts with self-revenge (if grace prevent it not by a more safe repentance), when you think too late how you lived on earth, and what golden times of grace you lost, and vilified all that would not lose them as foolishly as you. If repentance unto life made Paul so call himself foolish, disobedient, deceived, and exceeding mad, you may imagine how tormenting repentance will make you call yourselves too late.

O sirs, you cannot now conceive, while you sit here in health, and ease, and honour,what different thoughts will * Tit. iii. 3. Acts xxvi. 11.

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