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fee their Faces in Reft? Do we, as Paul, tell them weeping, of their fleshly and earthly Difpofition? And teach them publickly, and from House to House, at all Seafons, and with many Tears? And do we intreat them, as for their Soul's Salvation? Or rather, do we not ftudy to gain the Approbation of critical Hearers; as if a Minifter's Bufinefs were of no more Weight but to tell a fmooth Tale for an Hour, and look no more after the People till the next Sermon? Does not carnal Prudence controul our Fervour, and make our Difcourfes lifelefs, on Subjects the most piercing? How gently we handle thofe Sins, which will fo cruelly handle our People's Souls? In a Word, our Want of Seriousness about the Things of Heaven, charms the Souls of Men into Formality, and brings them to this cuflomary, careless Hearing, which undoes them. May the Lord pardon the great Sin of the Miniftry in this Thing; and, in particular, my own!

$8. AND are the Perple more ferious than Magiftrates or Minifters? How can it be expected? Reader, look but to thyfelf, and refolve the Queftion. Afk Confcience, and fuffer it to tell thee truly. Haft thou fet thy eternal Reft before thine Eyes, as the great Bufinefs thou haft to do in this World? Hat thou watched and laboured, with all thy Might, that no Man take thy Croton? Haft thou made Hatte, left thou should come too late, and die before thy Work be done? Haft thou pressed on through Crowds of Oppofition terwards the Mark, for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Chrift Jefus, till reaching forth unts thife Things which are Lefire? Can Confcience witness your feciet Cries, and Groans, and Tears? Can your Family witnefs, that you taught them the Fear of the Lord, and warned them not to go to that Place of Torment? Can your Minifter witnefs, that he has

heard

heard you cry out, What fall I do to be faved? and that you have followed him with Complaints against your Corruptions, and with earneft Enquiries after the Lord? Can your Neighbours about you witness,

that

you reprove the Ungodly, and take Pains to fave the Souls of your Brethren? Let all thefe Witneffes judge this Day between God and you, whether you are in earnest about eternal Reft. You can tell by his Work, whether your Servant has loitered, though you did not fee him; fo you may by looking at your own Work. Is your Love to Chrift, your Faith, your Zeal, and other Graces, ftrong or weak? What are your Joys? What is your Affurance? Is all in Order within you? Are you ready to die, if this fhould be the Day? Do the Souls, among whom you have converfed, bless you? Judge by this, and it will quickly appear whether you have been Labourers or Loi

terers.

Should

$9. O BLESSED Reft, how unworthily art thou neglected! O glorious Kingdom, how art thou undervalued! Little know the carelefs Sons of Men, what a State they fet fo light by. If they once knew it, they would furely be of another Mind. I hope thou, Reader, art fenfible, what a defperate Thing it is to trifle about eternal Reft; and how deeply thou hast been guilty of this thyfelf. And I hope alfo, thou wilt not now fuffer this Conviction to die. the Phyfician tell thee, If you will obferve but one Thing, I doubt not to cure your Difeafe; wouldst thou not observe it? So I tell thee, if thou wilt obferve but this one Thing for thy Soul, I make no doubt of thy Salvation; shake off thy Sloth, and put to all thy Strength, and be a Chriftian indeed; I know not then what can hinder thy Happiness. As far as thou art gone from God, feek him with all thy Heart, and no Doubt thou fhalt find him. As unkind as thou haft

been to Jefus Chrift, feek him heartily, obey him unrefervedly, and thy Salvation is as fure as if thou hadft it already. But full as Chrift's Satisfaction is, free as the Promife is, large as the Mercy of Ged is; if thou only talk of thefe, when thou shouldft eagerly entertain them, thou wilt be never the better for them; and if thou loiter, when thou shouldft labour, thou wilt lofe the Crown. Fall to Work then speedily and seriously, and blefs God that thou hast yet Time to do it. And to fhew that I urge thee not without Caufe, I will here add a Variety of animating Confi fiderations. Roufe up thy Spirit, and, as Mofes faid to Ifracl, fet thy Heart unto all the Words which I teftify unto thee this Day; for it is not a vain Thing, becaufe it is your Life (a). May the Lord open thy Heart, and faften his Counsel effectually upon thee!

$10. Confider how reasonable it is, that our Diligence fhould be anfwerable to the Ends we aim at, to the Work we have to do, to the Shortness and Uncertainty of our Time, and to the contrary Diligence of our Enemies.

-The Ends of a Chriftians Defires and Endeavours are fo great, that no human Understanding on Earth can comprehend them. What is fo excellent, fo important, or fo neceflary, as, the glorifying of God, the Salvation of our own and other Men's Sculs, by efcaping the Torments of Hell, and poffeffing the Glory of Heaven? And can a Man be too much affected with Things of fuch Moment? Can he defire them too earneftly, or love them too ftrongly, or labour for them too diligently? Don't we know, that if our Prayers prevail not, and our, Labour fucceeds not, we are undone for ever?--The Work of a Chriftian here is very great and various. The Soul must be renewed; Corruptions must be mortified; Guftom, Temptations, and worldly Interefts, mult be conquered; Fle

(a) Deut. xxxii. 46, 47.

muft

muft be fubdued; Life, Friends, and Credit muft be flighted; Confcience on good Grounds be quieted; and Affurance of Pardon and Salvation attained. Though God must give us thefe without our Merit, yet he will not give them without our earnest Seeking and Labour. Befides, there is much Knowledge to be got, many Ordinances to be used, and Duties to be performed: Every Age, Year, and Day; every Place we come to; every Perfon we deal with; every Change of our Condition; ftill require the renewing of our Labour: Wives, Children, Servants, Neighbours, Friends, Enemies, all of them call for Duty from us. Judge then, whether Men that have fo much Bufinefs lying upon their Hands, fhould not exert themfelves; and whether it be their Wifdom either to delay or loiter. Time paffeth on. Yet a few Days, and we fhall be here no more. Many Difeafes are ready to affult us. We that are now preaching, and hearing, and talking, and walking, muft very thortly be caried, and laid in the Duft, and there left to the Worms in Darknefs and Corruption; we are almoft there already; we know not whether we fhall have another Sermon, or Sabbath, or Hour. How active fhould they be, who know they have fo fhort a Space for fo great a Work? And we have Enemies that are always plotting and labouring for our Destructions How diligent is Satan in all Kind of Temptations! 'Therefore be fober, be vigilant; because your Adverfary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about, fecking whom be may devour. Whom refift stedfast in the Faith (b). How diligent are all the Minifters of Satan! Fafe Teachers, Scaffers, Perfecutors, and our inbred Corruptions, the most bufy and diligent of all! Will a feeble Refiftance ferve our Turn? Should not G 3

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(b) 1 Pet. v. 8, 9.

we

we be more active for our own Prefervation, than our Enemies are for our Ruin?

11. IT fhould excite us to Diligence, when we confider our Talents, and our Mercies, our Relations to Ged, and the Afflictions he lays upon us.--The Talents which we have received are many and great. What People breathing on Earth have had plainer Inftructions, or more forcible Perfuafions, or more constant Admonitions, in Seafon and out of Seafon? Sermons, till we have been weary of them; and Sabbaths, till we profaned them? Excellent Books in fuch Plenty, that we knew not which to read? What People have had God fo near them? or have seen so much of Christ crucified before their Eyes? or have had Heaven and Hell fo opened unto them? What Speed fhould fuch a People make for Heaven? How fhould they fly that are thus winged? And how fwiftly fhould they fail that have Wind and Tide to help them? A fmall Meafure of Grace befeems not fuch a People, nor will an ordinary Diligence in the Work of God excufe them.All our Lives have been filled with Mercies. God hath mercifully poured out upon us the Riches of Sea and Land, of Heaven and Earth. We are fed, and cloathed with Mercy. We have Mercies within and without. To number them, is to count the Stars, or the Sands of the Sea-Shore. If there be any Difference betwixt Hell and Earth; yea, or Heaven and Earth; then certainly we have received Mercy. If the Blood of the Son of God be Mercy, then we are engaged to God by Mercy. Shall God think nothing too much, nor too good, for us; and fhall we think all too much that we do for him? When I compare my flow and unprofitable Life, with the frequent and wonderful Mercies received, it fhames me, it filences me, and leaves me inexcufable.Befides our Talents and Mercies, our Relations to God

are

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