him, invade his neighbour's Countries, deprive the innocent and peaceable of their liberty, fack Cities, plunder Provinces, depopulate Kingdoms, and almoft put the foundations of the earth out of course; to what purpofe is all this? Thou fool, fays our bleffed Saviour, this night thy foul shall be required of thee; and then whofe fhall those things be which thou haft provided?

There is certainly nothing in all nature so strange and unaccountable as the actions of fome men. They fee, as the Pfalmift speaks, that wife men also dye and perish together as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for others, and yet they think (at leaft act as if they did) that their houses shall continue for ever, and that their dwelling places fhall endure from one generation to another, and call their lands after their

awn names.

This they think is their wisdom, but the Pfalmift affures them 'tis their foolishness, and fuch a foolishness too as makes them comparable to the beasts that perish, however their pofterity (who should be wifer) may praise their faying. And certainly the learned Apoftle was of the fame mind, when from this principle, the time is short, he deduces the very fame conclufion we have hitherto pleaded for, that we should be very indifferent and unconcern'd about any worldly good or evil, That they that have wives fhould be as though they had none; and they that weep as though they wept not; they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not; they that buy as though they poffeffed not; and they that use this world as not abufing it, for the fafhion of this world paffes away. It does fo, and for that reafon there is nothing in this life to be very much lov'd, or very much fear'd; efpecially if we confider what a grand intereft we have all of us at ftake in the other world. For as 'tis with the fufferings, fo is it with the enjoyment of this present time, they are neither of them worthy to be compared with the glory that fall be revealed.

We have feen how frivolous and unconcerning the greatest affairs of this world are, how unworthy to be made the objects of our folicitude, much

more

more to be the business of our lives; we have weigh'd them in the balance, and they are found wanting. But man is a creature of brisk and active faculties, and is there no employment for him? Yes, as God has furnish'd him with powers, fo alfo has he affign'd him a work; and fuch a one too as is to be perform'd with fear and trembling. There is a good fight to be fought, there is a whole body of fin to be deftroy'd, there are paffions to be mortify'd, habits to be unlearnt, affections to be purify'd, virtues and holy difpofitions to be acquired, acts of virtue to be oppofed against acts of fin, and habits against habits: In a word, there is a Heaven to be obtain'd, and a Hell to be avoided. This indeed is a great work, and of great concernment to be done, and fuch as calls for our principal, (I could almost fay our whole) care and diligence. The great neceffity of which, for more diftin&tnefs fake, I fhall reprefent in a few confide

rations.

And firft, it highly concerns us to be very careful concerning our final intereft, because of the vaft, the infinite moment of the thing. For certainly it can be no lefs, whether a man fhall be damned or faved, eternally happy, or eternally miferable. No man certainly that thinks at all, can think this an indifferent matter; or if he does, he will one day be fadly convinc'd of the contrary, when he fhall curfe the day of his birth, and wish for the mercy of annihilation. The lowest conception we can frame of the condition of the damn'd, is an utter exclufion from the bearifick prefence of God. And tho' the non-enjoyment of this be no great punishment to sensual men in this ftate and region of exile; who perhaps would be content that God fhould keep Heaven to himself, fo he would let them have the free use of the earth; yet hereafter, when the powers of their fouls fhall be awaken'd to their full vigour and activity, when they fhall have a lively and thorough apprehenfion of true happiness, and of the infinite beauties of the fupreme Good, there will arife fuch a vehement thirst,

fuch an intenfe longing in the foul, as will infi nitely exceed the moft exalted languifhments of love, the highest droughts of a fever. The foul will then point to the centre of happiness with her full bent and verticity, which yet the fhall find utterly out of her reach; and fo full of defire, and full of defpair, the fhall lament both her folly and her mifery to eternal ages. And who is able to dwell even with thefe everlafting burnings?

But fecondly, As an argument for our great care, we may confider, that as the intereft is great, fo a more than ordinary care is neceffary to fecure it. And that upon feveral accounts. 1. Becaufe our redemption by Chrift is not our immediate and actual discharge from fin, (as fome who are for an cafie Chriftianity feem ro conceive of it) but only an inftating us into a capacity of pardon and reconciliation, which is to be actually obtain'd by the performance of conditions; without which, we fhall be fo far from being the better for what has been done and fuffer'd for us, that our condemnation will be fo much the heavier, for neglecting to finish fo great falvation. Finish it, I mean, by fulfilling the conditions upon which it depends. So that the greatest care and concern is now neceffary, not only that we may be the better for what our Redeemer has done for us, but that we may not be the worse.

A

2. Because the conditions of our falvation, tho' temper'd with much mercy and accommodation to human infirmity, are yet fo difficult, as to engage us to put forth our whole might to the work. great part of chriftianity is very harsh to flesh and blood; however,to the habituated difcipline, Chrift's yoke may be eafie, and his burden light. And accordingly, the path that leads to life is call'd nar row; and the gate (tho' open'd by our Saviour) is yet fo ftrait, that we are bid to trive to enter in at it. And the righteous fcarcely are fav'd.

Again, because there is a ftrong confederacy againit us among the powers of darkness. We have a very potent and malicious enemy, who envies

.

man

man fhould arrive to thofe happy manfions from whence himself by tranfgreffion fell; and accordingly there is a great woe pronounc'd by the Angel against the inhabitants of the earth, becaufe the Devil is come down among them, having great wrath. And this is made by the Apostle himself, an argument for more than ordinary care and circumfpection: Be faber, fays he, be vigilant, because your adverfary the devil, walks about as a roaring lion, fecking whom he may devour.

Again, because we have but a little time for this our great work, and that too very precaricus and uncertain. Our glafs holds but very little fand, tho 'twere to be all spent, and drawn out in the running. But there are alfo feveral accidental impediments that may intercept its paffage And therefore as this was alledg'd as an argument for indifferency about the things of this world, fo for the fame reafon, it concerns us to be eminently careful, in the grand business of the next. He that duly confiders how many perfons dye fuddenly, how many more may, and that none can engage for it that he himself fhall not, muft needs confefs hunfelf extremely concern'd to improve this fhort, this uncertain opportunity, this only time of probation; and to work with all his might while 'tis day, before the night come, when no man can work.

Laftly, It concerns us to ufe a more than ordinary care and diligence in fecuring this our great intereft; because after all our care and vigilancy, all our ftri&tneffes and feverities, we don't know the juft and precife measures of qualification; and how much trimming of our lamps is requifite, to fit 'em for the fanctuary of God. For tho' we are well affured in general, from the terms of the evangelical covenant, that if we repent we fhall be forgiven, yet there is a great latitude in repentance; and what degree in fome cafes will be a*vailable, is a feciet God has kept to himself. For we don't know the full heinontnefs of our fins, nor how far God was provoked by 'em; nor confequently, by what degrees of forrow and amend

ment

And

ment he will be appeas'd. And 'tis moft certain there is a mighty difference. To Simon Magus 'twas almoft a defperate cafe: If peradventure the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee, A&s viii. 22. fome are faid to be fav'd with fear, and as it were, pull'd out of the fire. And we know what the great Apoftle has faid, I knew nothing by my felf, yet I am not thereby justify'd. All which argues a great latitude and variety, even in neceffary preparation; and how to ftate the matter exactly we don't always know; and therefore as far as we are able, fhould be fure to do enough; for we may eafily do too little, and can never do too much in a matter of fuch high importance.

From all which I conclude, firft, That those who withdraw themselves (as far is consistent with charity, and the profecution of the publick good) from the noife, hurry and business of the world, that they may apply themfelves more ferenely and entirely to a life of devotion and religion, and more freely and undistractedly attend upon the grand concern of another world, act very wifely and prudently. For this is wisdom, to take a right eftimate of things; to proportion our care to their value; and to mind that moft, which is moft concerning. This is what the Apostle commends, to lay afide every weight, that we may be the furer to win the great prize, and fo to run as to obrain. This, laftly, is the very part which Mary chofe; and which our Lord affures us fhall never be taken away from her.

Again I conclude, That all thofe, who are either wholly negligent of this their grand intereft, or that do not principally regard it; and as our Saviour fpeaks in the firft place, seek the kingdom of God; that are more intent upon this world than the next, that will venture to play the knave for a little preferment; that make ufe of religion as an inftrument for fecular defigns: In one word, that in any kind forfeit their great intereft in the other world, for a little in this, are the greatest fools in mature. This measure, I confefs, will take in a

great