"

what shall be your end, who cannot deny yourselves many less things, but are daily multiplying your inventions, to please your fleshly appetites? Certainly, much more impoffible is it to forfake the Greater. Chrift tried his love, in bidding him forfake All, because he knew, for all his brags, that his mind was rivetted therein; not that if he had enjoyed his poffeffions with Christian Indifferency, they might not have been continued: But what then is their doom, whose hearts are fo fixed in the vanities of the world, that they will rather make them Chriftian, than not to be Christians in the use of them? But fuch a Christian this Young Man might have been, who had more to say for himfelf than the ftricteft Pharifee living dare pretend to; yet he went away forrowful from Jefus "." Should I afk you, if Nicodemus did well to come by night, and be ashamed of the great Meffiah of the world? And if he was not Ignorant when Chrift fpake to him of the New Birth? I know you would answer me, He did very ill, and was very ignorant.' But, stay a while, the beam is in your own eyes; you are ready doubtless to condemn Him, and the Young Man for not doing what you not only refufe to do yourselves, but laugh at Others for doing. Nay, had fuch paffages not been writ, and were it not for the reverence fome pretend for the Scriptures, they would both be as stupid as Nicodemus in their anfwers to fuch heavenly matters, and ready to call it Canting to speak fo; as it is frequent for you, when we fpeak to the fame effect, though not the fame words: juft as the Jews, at what time they called God their Father, they defpifed his Son; and when he spake of fublime and heavenly myfteries, fome cried, "He has a devil;" others, "He is mad:" and most of them, "These are hard "fayings, who can bear them ?"

§. III. And to you all, that fport yourselves after the manners of the World, let me fay, that you are those, "who profess you know God, but in works deny him';'

VOL. II.

b John iji. 1 to 5.

Titus i. 16.

Z

living

living in thofe pleafures which flay the Juft in yourfelves. For though you talk of Believing, it is no more than taking it for granted that there is a God, a Chrift, Scriptures, &c. without farther concerning yourselves to prove the verity thereof, to yourselves or others, by a strict and holy converfation: Which flight way of Believing is but a light and carelefs way of ridding yourselves of farther examination; and rather throwing them off with an inconfiderate granting of them to be fo, than giving yourselves the trouble of making better inquiry (leaving that to your priests, oft-times more ignorant, and not lefs vain and idle, than yourselves) which is fo far from a Gospel Faith, that it is the leaft respect you can fhew to God, Scriptures, &c. and next to which kind of Believing is nothing, under a Denial of All.

But if you have hitherto laid afide all temptations to Reason and Shame, at least be intreated to resume them now in a matter of this importance, and whereon no lefs concernment refts, than your temporal and eternal happiness. Oh! retire, retire; obferve the reproofs of inftruction in your own minds: that which begets sadness in the midft of mirth, which cannot folace itself, nor be contented below immortality; which calls often to an account at nights, mornings, ⚫ and other seasons; which lets you see the vanity, the folly, the end, and mifery of these things; this is the Juft Principle and Holy Spirit of the Almighty • within you: hear him, obey him, converfe with them who are led by him; and let the glories of another • world be eyed, and the heavenly recompence of reward kept in fight.' Admit not the thoughts of former follies to revive; but be fteady, and continually exercised by his Grace, to deny ungodliness and worldly lufts, and to live foberly, righteously and godly in this prefent world. For this is the true and heavenly nature of Christianity, To be fo awakened and guided by the Spirit and Grace of God, as

d Tit. ii. 11, 12, 13, 14.

to

to leave the fins and vanities of the world, and to have the affections regenerated, the mind reformed, and the whole man baptized into purity and faithfulnefs towards God and man, as to act with reverence, juftice, and mercy. To care for very few things; to ⚫ be content with what you have; to use all as if you ufed them not; and to be fo difintangled from the lufts, pleasures, profits, and honours of the world, as to have the mind raised to things above, the heart • and affections fixed there: that in all things you may glorify God, and be as lights fet on a hill, whose fhining examples may be conducing to the happiness of others, who beholding fuch good works, may be ⚫ converted, and glorify God the Father of lights, in whom you all would be eternally bleffed.'

T

§. IV. But if the impenitence of any is fo great, their pursuit of folly as earneft, and, notwithstanding what has been thus seriously offered to reclaim them, they are refolved to take their course, and not to be at leifure for more divine things, I have this farther to leave with them from the Almighty, who firft called me to this work; That tribulation, anguifh, and forrow shall make their dying beds; indignation and • wrath shall wind up their days; and trouble and < vexation of mind and spirit fhall be the miserable fruits which they fhall reap, as the reward of all their wretched folly and rebellion!' Be not deceived, God will not be mocked: It is fo irreversibly decreed; Whatsoever is fown here, fhall be reaped hereafter.' And juft is the Almighty, to make good his determinations upon fuch, who inftead of employing the time given them, to work out their falvation with fear and

trembling',' have spent it in the pleasures of the flesh, which perifheth; as if their heaven were here. Nor can it seem unreasonable, fince he hath thus long waited with REMISSION of Sins and ETERNAL LIFE in his hand, to distribute to them that REPENT; that if fuch will not, to recompence fo great obstinacy, and

* Rom. ii. 4, 5, 6, 9.

Z 2

← Gal, vi. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

love

love of this perishing world, with everlasting tribula. tion *.

§. V. But I am otherwise perfuaded of many; yes, I am affured the mercies of the everlasting God have been fo extended to many, that this will prove an effectual call to bring them out of the ways and cuftoms of this corrupted and corrupting world; and a means for establishing fuch, who hitherto have been unfaithful to what they have been already convinced of. And you, my friends, whofe minds have received the Alarm, whofe hearts have truly heard the voice of one crying in the Wilderness, where you have been straying from the Lord, Repent, Repent!' to you, in the name of the Great and Living God, I fpeak, I cry, Come away, come away; ah! what do you do there? Why are you yet behind? That is not your reft: it is polluted with the fins and vanities of a perifhing world: Gird up your loins; eye your Light (One in All) • Chrift Jefus, the fame yesterday, to-day, and forever; who hath enlightened every one: Follow him; he will lead you to the city of God, that has foundations, into which the wicked cannot enter "'

§. VI. Mind not the difficulties of your march; great and good things were never enterprized and accomplished without difficulty; which does but render their enjoyment more pleasant and glorious in the end. Let the holy men and women of old be your examples; remember good old Abraham, the excellency of whofe faith is fet out by his obedience to the voice of God, in forfaking his father's house, kindred, country, &c. And Mofes, that might in probability have been made a king, by faith in God, leaves Egypt's glory, and Pharaoh's favours, and chufes rather to fojourn and pilgrimage with the defpifed, afflicted, tormented Ifraelites in the wildernefs, than to enjoy the pleasures of that great court for a season; efteeming Chrift's reproaches greater riches than Egypt's treafures. But, above all, how great was the reproach, how many the

• Rev. iii, zo, and xxi, 27. and xxii. 13, 14, 15.

h John i. 9.

fuffer

fufferings, how bitter the mockings, which Jefus fuffered at the hands of his enemies? Yet with what patience, meekness, forgiveness, and conftancy, did he in all his actions demean himself towards his bloody perfecutors, "defpifing the fhame, enduring the cross, "for the joy that was fet before him? And hath left "us this glorious example, that we should follow his fteps';" which hath in almost every age been imitated by fome. The apoftles fealed their teftimonies with their blood, and multitudes after the example of their conftancy; efteeming it the greatest honour, as it was always attended with the fignallest demonstrations of the Divine Prefence. How memorable was that of Origen? If my father were weeping upon his • knees before me, and my mother hanging about my neck behind me, and all my brethren, fifters, and ⚫kinsfolk lamenting on every fide, to retain me in the life and practice of the world, I would fling my mother to the ground, run over my father, despise all my kindred, and tread them under my feet, that I might < run to Christ. Yet it is not unknown, how dutiful and tender he was in thofe relations. Not much unlike to this, was that noble and known inftance of latter times, in Galeacius Caracciolus, marquis of Vico, who abandoned his friends, eftate, and country, refolutely faying with Mofes, That he would rather fuffer af'flictions with the first reformers and protestants, than enjoy his former plenty, favours and pleasures with his old religion.' Nor is it poffible for any now to quit the world, and live a ferious godly life in Christ, without the like fuffering and perfecution. There are among us alfo fome, who have suffered the displeasure of their most dear and intimate relations and friends and all those troubles, difgraces, and reproaches, which are accustomed to attend fuch, as decline the honours, pleasures, ambition, and preferments of the world, and that chufe to live an humble, ferious, and self

i Gen. xii. 1, 2. Heb. xi. 24 to 27. Ifa. liv. 3. Heb. xii. 1, 2. Pet. ii. 21, 22, 23..

Z3

• deny