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SERM. virtue and holiness and labour to be as good as we CLXXXII. can in this world, that in the next our happiness

may be the greater; that when the day of recompence shall come, we may receive an ample reward, and GOD the righteous judge may fet a bright and glorious crown upon our heads.

We ought likewife to confider, that if any man can be content only to be faved, and defire no more but just to get heaven, that fuch a degree of holiness and virtue as will fave a man that can attain no more, will perhaps not fave that man who lazily refts in the lowest degree, and defires no more. To be "leaft " in the kingdom of GOD," is next to being shut out of it. It is not to be expected that God fhould bestow heaven and happiness upon those who are fo indifferent about it, as to defire heaven for no other reason, but because they would not go to hell. Men must not think to drive fo near and hard a bargain, in fo defirable and advantageous a purchase.

And then on the other hand, it is matter of great terror to great finners. "The wages of every fin "is death," eternal death; and every degree of hell and damnation is dreadful: but there are fins more heinous in themselves, and fome that are attended with heavier aggravations in fome perfons; thefe do inflame hell, and heat that furnace feven times hotter. There are fome moderate finners in comparison; these fhall have a moderate doom, and a cooler hell but there are others, who are extravagant and enormous finners, that "drink up iniquity, as "the ox drinks up water; and let themselves loofe "to commit all wickednefs with greedinefs;" fuch as fin above the common rate of men, with full confent, and upon deliberation, with great defign and contrivance, in defpite of the clearest convictions,

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of the best counfels and reproofs; these make hafte SER M. to ruin, and take hell by violence. Now fuch "migh. CLXXXII. "ty tranfgreffors fhall be mightily tormented;"

they shall not be punished at the common rate of finners, their confciences will breed more and sharper ftings, and wilder furies to torment them, and they shall fink into a deeper mifery.

More particularly this concerns us Chriftians, who continue impenitent, and live in our fins, notwithstanding the clear revelation of the gofpel, and "the wrath of God revealed from heaven, against "all ungodliness and unrighteoufnefs of men; not

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withstanding life and immortality fo clearly brought "to light by the gofpel. How fhall we escape, if "we neglect fo great falvation?" What condemna-tion will be heavy enough for thofe, who wilfully refuse to be faved? This is the condemnation, fays our SAVIOUR," that light is come into the world, and "men love dark nefs rather than light." All the fins which we now commit, are infinitely aggravated above the fins of thousands in the world, who never enjoyed that light, and those advantages and opportunities which we have done. "The ignorance of

thefe GOD winked at, but now he expects, he "commands all men every where to repent; be"cause he hath appointed a day, in which he will

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judge the world in righteousness." What stripes do we deserve, who have "known our master's "will, but have not prepared ourselves to do accord

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ing to it?" All that light and knowledge which we have, all thofe counfels and inftructions which we have read and heard out of GoD's word, will inflame our account, and heighten our condemnation, and the very means of our falvation will be the faddest aggravation of our ruin. What our SAVI

SERM. OUR faid of the impenitent and unbelieving Jews, CLXXXII. holds as well concerning impenitent Chriftians; that

"it fhall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, for "Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, "than for them. But, beloved, I hope better things "of you, and things that accompany falvation." Let us but remember and ferioufly confider, that "we must all appear before the judgment-feat of "CHRIST, to receive the things done in the body, "according to what we have done, whether good "or evil;" and this will certainly have a mighty awe and influence upon our lives, and all the actions of them.

"Now the GOD of peace," &c.

The END of the NINTH VOLUME.

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PROV. xxviii. 13.

He that covereth his fins, fhall not profper: but whofo confeffetb and forfaketh them, fhall have mercy.

SERM. CLXI.

Of confeffion and forrow for fin.

PSAL. xxxviii. 18.

p. 56.

I will declare mine iniquity, and be forry for my fin.

SER M. CLXII.

P. 79.

The unprofitableness of fin in this life, an argument for repentance.

Preached on Afh-Wednesday, 1689.

JOB xxxiii. 27, 28.

He looketh upon men, and if any fay, I have finned,
and perverted that which was right, and it profited
me not; he will deliver his foul from going into the
pit, and his life fhall fee the light.
p. 96.

SERM. CLXIII, CLXIV, CLXV, CLXVI.
The fhamefulness of fin, an argument: for repentance.
The final iffue of fin, an argument for repentance.
The prefent and future advantage of an holy and
virtuous life.

ROM. vi. 21, 22. What fruit bad ye then in those things, whereof ye are now afbamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to GOD, ye have your fruit unto bolinefs, and the end everlasting life.

P. 117, 134,

147, 165. SERM,

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