SER M. Calm of Peace, against a Day of Service; XII. and form well and truly, the Refolution neceffary, not to bear Death only upon his

S

Call, but thofe hideous Maims too, lefs fupportable to many a Nature; when our Hands, our Feet, and our Eyes, our loving and beloved Friends, will plead hard not to be cut off and torn from us. But we cannot, upon any eafier Terms, be preferv'd from Apoftafy, and what is due to it; even our own cutting off from God and from our Part in his everlasting' Kingdom. Good People then, to be fure, (and especially those much at their Eafe) that are poffefs'd with Gratitude and Zeal towards God, and afpire to the highest Rewards of well-doing, ought to be jealous of Security and Surprize; they ought' frequently to figure in their Minds these difficult and very poffible Circumftances and confidering them Point by Point, work themselves into that Spirit that may conquer in the Midft of them. Hereby they will prevent all fudden Amazement and Disorder, if the Cafe arrive; and, if it do not, obtain of him, that fees their Hearts

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as well as their actual Services, a Crown SERM. not unlike that of Martyrdom itself.

But, Secondly, The general Obligation is now chiefly to be confider'd; whereby we are warned and commanded to break' all Society, extinguifh and tear in funder every Engagement, and every Affection, to whomfoever, that we perceive has the Power to lead us into Difobedience and Infidelity towards our Heavenly Benefactor, our Sovereign Lord and Father. And here we may diftinguish the Hold that others have upon us according to the fe veral influencing Caufes of Efteem or Admiration; as, Abilities and Utility to our Advantage, or Dearnefs and Affection, proceeding from Agreeableness and Friendfhip, or from the Ties of Blood, or the yet nearer Conjunction: Which is done! meerly to keep fomething of Method; for in Deed, feveral of these often, and fometimes all, meet together in the fame Perfon, and produce an Effect the more confiderable. But if that happen, it will be eafy, against fuch an united Strength, to draw together and unite alfo the Force and Encouragement of those Meditations,

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XII.

SERM. which I lay down fingle, as adapted to an

XII. fwer each Difficulty diftinctly put.

Now, firft; As for the Cafe of Intereft; where we fuffer ourselves to be corrupted by the Conversation of one recommended only by that, this I look upon as the fmalleft Difficulty to be overcome, if it relate only to the Defire of Increase or Plenty of worldly Goods. For what Christian Spirit, (indeed what Spirit at all) for fo mean a Confideration; would perfistin a Commerce oppofite and ruinous to Worth and Virtue? What is this, but to imitate the Crime of Judas, to fell our Lord, at least renounce his Authority, and fell, what he hath bought, for fordid Lu cre? Such a Temptation can alleviate very little the Guilt; nay, it may. be thought rather an Aggravation. But if the Concern be that of Neceffity, the real Want of Suppprt and Maintenance; fuch an Intereft may indeed form a great and pitiable Streight For without Doubt, it must appear hard to cut off the Hand that feeds us Yet where this really, comes to pass, it will not exempt any one from that Du ty; or excufe for continuing in the Way

of

of thofe Shares that daily overthrow his SERM. Goings. No This is the Time to res XII. member, and fhew our Faith in, that divine Declaration, which our Lord füftain' himself with, when he was tempted namely, That Man fhall not live by Bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. It is not theres fore to be purchased at the Price of Sing but Life, with the Means of it, muft be refigned chearfully to his Providence, who feedeth the Fowls of the Air. And whos foever embraces this Extremity for Confeience Sake, may well comfort himself in a joyful Confidence, that fuch a try'd Conftancy, and full Truft in God, will be highly accepted and gloriously recom pensed by him; and fo much the more, as it stands upon pure abftracted Chriftian Courage and Truth, obfcure and unobferved in the World, and excited or fuftained by no human Applaufe or Admiration: And, by the Way, give me Leave to make a general Application of this Remark, for the needful Confirmation and Comfort of all that are exercifed with fuch fore, though fecret, Trials of their Faith and

A

Obe

SERM. Obedience. For if we duly confider, and XII. allow for the different Tempers Nature

hath form'd in Men; it will be judged, I am confident, that many a one, to preserve his Innocence, endures as great a Fight, unknown, and without deriving any Support from Abroad, as they that glorify God by their Sufferings on the most publick Theatre of the Earth. But their own Heart is Witnefs, and he that is greater is Witness to this abfolute Proof of Sincerity. He is the Beholder of the Refolution for his Sake in these folitary Encounters; though, no other Eye threaten Shame,or promife Reputation. Call therefore upon Him, and he will certainly both furnish the neceffary Strength, and crown the Victory with the most tranfcendent Rewards.

These are Meditations that may.be very neceffary to fome People; and we know not how many. But I will not enlarge, because it is certain, that for the most part by far, the good Providence of God fo orders Things, that our temporal and our eternal Interefts go Hand in Hand together, with the fulleft Agreement and Se

curity.