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fall of our first parents, who, although they had been fashioned with God's own hand, and instructed by him, have lost both themselves and their posterity, by listening to the deceitful suggestions of the old serpent. Cast your thoughts upon the first wicked world, which was destroyed by a deluge; and upon the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, upon whom fell the fire and brimstone of God's hot displeasure. Look upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, overwhelmed with all their pride, in the waves of the Red Sea. Consider the three thousand that were killed with the Levites' sword, because of the idolatry of the golden calf; and the four and twenty thousand, whom a sudden death swept away, because they went a-whoring after Baal-Peor. Look with fear upon the burning serpents in the wilderness, that cast their poison upon the murmurers against God, and their superiors; upon the earth that opened its mouth to swallow Corah, Dathan, and Abiram; upon those heavenly flames that consumed Nadab and Abihu, who offered strange fire unto the Lord; upon the bears who went out of the forest to devour two and forty young rascals who mocked Elisha; upon the lion that devoured the prophet that disobeyed God's command, and hearkened to a lying brother. In short, cast your eyes with astonishment upon Nebuchadnezzar feeding among the beasts of the field, Jezebel eaten up by dogs, Herod consumed with worms, and the rich miser burning in the flames of hell, Dan. iv. 2 Kings ix. Acts xii. Luke xvi.

56. Above all things, think upon the last judgment, and consider this last day, in which we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive in our bodies that which we shall have done, whether it be good or evil. Remember, that in this dreadful day God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, the secret contrivances and thoughts of the heart. Before this throne of fire the books shall be opened; not only God's books, where all our sins and impieties

are

are registered, but also the books of our consciences, where the frightful image of all our crimes shall appear. In the day of his glorious coming. the heavens shall melt, the elements shall be dissolved, the earth and all its works shall be burnt with fire, and every man shall give an account of every idle word; how much more of every wicked action and profane discourse! Matt. v. 12.

57. That we may not be confounded nor ashamed in the dismal day, in which God will judge the world by the Man whom he hath ordained; let us be inwardly persuaded that it is not sufficient to abstain from outward sins, but we must also hate and inwardly abhor them, Acts xvii. For as the leopard in chains leaves not his skin nor his spots, and changes not, for all his restraint, his rapacious and cruel nature, for he continues still a leopard; and as a thief in fetters, shut up in a dungeon, remains a thief in his heart; likewise such as abstain from exterior sins only for fear of man and the severity of the laws, are nevertheless esteemed vicious and abominable in the sight of God and of his holy angels, if every time that he thinks upon his crimes, he is not moved with a true contrition, and abhors them with all his heart. The best means to render our conscience whole, is, to tear it in pieces with the sorrow of repentance.

58. It is not sufficient to abstain from thoughts, words, and actions, that God prohibits; but we must also apply ourselves to the study of true piety, of virtue, and generally to all the good works that God requires: for as the praise and honour of a good bowman is never bestowed upon one who hath only the skill of not breaking his bow, his arrows, and his quiver, but to him who strikes the mark, and aims well; and as he is not able to become a good artist, wh works not ill, because he doth nothing at all; but he who works well, and shews excellent pieces of workmanship : likewise he is not to pass

for

for a good and religious Christian, who only abstains from evil, and commits no outward sins; but he that doeth good, and applies himself to virtue. Every tree that bringeth not forth fruit, although it bear no evil fruit, is hewn down. and cast into the fire, Matt. ii. Our Saviour cursed the figtree, not because it brought forth evil fruit, but because it brought forth no good fruit, but was altogether barren. The wicked servant was cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, not because he had lost or mis-spent his talent, but because he had not employed it well, and turned it to his Lord's advantage, Matt. xxv. Not only such shall be condemned to the flames prepared for the devil and his angels, who inflict God's children on earth, and spill the blood of his servants; but such as have not clothed his members, visited and comforted them, and given them to eat and drink. In short, if you inquire from the rich miser, how he comes to be condemned to hell, or tortured in the flames, he will not tell you, it was because he took what was not his own, or because he committed murders, violences, and other horrid deeds, but he lived without charity, and had not pity on the poor.

59. And as God requires that we should proceed daily forward, until we come to the measure of the perfect stature in our Lord Jesus Christ, we must very frequently take a view of our former life, and feel the pulse of our lusts, to see whether they be not more fervent and violent than before, whether the old man continues to decline, and how much we have gained upon our wicked affections, and reformed our corrupt dispositions: for as those that swim against the stream, if they slack but a little, are carried downwards by the violence of the current ; likewise if we employ not all our strength to swim up to our heavenly source, integrity and perfection, the torrent of our lusts and of evil customs will force us down into the deep abyss of death and eternal destruction.

We

We must therefore examine, every day, what progress we have made in piety and holiness; and whether, since so many years that God speaks to us, and instructs us to discover what is pleasing to him, if we have more piety, zeal, and charity, and more holiness, than before: we must imitate the solicitous care of such as have transplanted some rare plant of the East into this northen climate; they have always their eye upon it, to take notice of every thing that happens to it. We must propose for our example a steward, having a great account to make up, who looks often on his memorials and registers. An Heathen philosopher was highly praised, because he never laid himself down to sleep, until he had well examined what progress he had made in philosophy and moral virtue likewise a good Christian should never cast himself upon his bed to sleep at night, until he hath seriously considered how he hath proceeded forward in piety and the love of God. In a word, a true Christian by this means shall never be less alone than when he is alone; for then he shall entertain himself with his God, and shall discover unto him his heart, and his most secret thoughts. Then he shall speak seriously unto his soul, and shall examine exactly his conscience. Then he will look to his wicked deeds, to weep and lament for them with tears of sincere repentance. Then he will cast himself upon the infinite mercy and goodness of God, to embrace it with a lively faith and assurance. Then he will make a reflection upon God's commands, to walk in them with an holy zeal and earnestness all the days of his life.

60. Amongst the directions that I intend to give him that desires to apply himself to the practice of piety, and to abandon vice, I must not forget this advice, that he must never satisfy his carnal lusts and pleasures, but he should rather check and bridle them; for when we grant them what they crave, we are so far from extinguishing these feverish flames, and satisfying these hellish longings, that we do but increase

and

As he that loves money is

and encourage them the more. not satisfied with money, and as the ambitious is never exalted high enough in honour; thus the lustful worldling is never contented with the fullest enjoyment of carnal pleaIt is a fire that kindles another, and a flame that never saith," It is enough." These filthy lusts are like the serpent that stings the bosom of the person who warms it in his breast; or as the furnace of Babylon, that burnt up those who first kindled it: so such as entertain the flames of their fleshly lusts, keep in their bosoms a fire, that will at last burn and totally consume them.

61. We must resist the first motions of the flesh with the shield of faith; extinguish the first inflamed darts of the devil: for it is very easy to put out the first sparkle of an increasing fire; but if we neglect to cherish it, it may come to be a fearful burning. And as we can without pain pluck up with one hand a young tree planted but a few days; but if we suffer it to take root and to get strength, we should not be able to pull it with both hands; but must be forced to employ the axe, the wedge, and the saw: likewise, if we resist sin in its beginning, we shall easily overcome and tame it; we shall extinguish without difficulty these first beginnings of a strange fire, and we shall pluck up with ease this bitter plant that will grow up to our sorrow. But if we suffer this infernal fire of lust to increase, all the water of the sea will not be able to extinguish it; and if we give leave to this cursed plant to grow, it will never be plucked up without much sweat and labour. Sin never begins as it ends, and discovers not all its poison at once. As the child in its mother's womb is not made in an instant; thus this monster of Satan is formed by degrees; one chain of hell is linked into another. When Just hath conceived, it brings forth sin. From the thoughts proceed the suggestion; and from the suggestion, pleasure and delight; and from delight, consent; and after delight follows

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