same flatteries and oppositions of a base world, and despised them. Believe it, upon our experience, all these things are but scare-crows set in the ways of obedience, on purpose to affright you; but there is no danger at all in them, unless you fear them." This they tell you, with one consent.

And, therefore, if Examples are any encouragement, as indeed they are almost the greatest; if imitation hath any force to obedience, as too often we find it hath great force to sin; why should we not hereby quicken ourselves? Why do you not arise, and press upon the footsteps of them, who have gone before you, and shewed you that the way is both certain and passable?

Are you called to exercise self-denial? Abraham looks down from heaven upon you, and tells you that he was ready to sacrifice his beloved Isaac. Are you afraid of the scoffs and jeers of a fleering world? Noah builded an ark: Moses relinquished the honours of Pharoah's court; and met with as many persecutions and afflictions, and underwent as many taunts and flouts, as you are like to do. Are you called to lay down your lives for the testimony of Jesus and a good conscience? Stephen tells you a storm of stones fell upon him, and brake open the prison, and set the prisoner free: his soul escaped: it broke out of the cage; and, as a bird, took wing, and flew to heaven. Are you assaulted with temptations? St. Paul looks down, and tells you that he had much stronger temptations than you have, and yet he got safe to heaven.

Yea, our great Master and Pattern, Jesus Christ, wrought out all obedience. And what were the motives, that put him upon this mighty undertaking? It was not for his own salvation and happiness, but it was for ours. Nay, the Scripture goes yet lower, it was, to leave us an example, that we should follow his steps: 1 Pet. ii. 21. Now shall Christ do all this, not for himself, but for us, and shall we sit still and do nothing for ourselves? Shall Christ take so much pains to set us an example, and shall not we follow that example; we who have so great a happiness to work for, and so great a pattern to work by? Shall we be slothful in procuring our own good, since Christ was so laborious and expensive, not in procuring good to himself, but in procuring good for others? Methinks, these things should add some spurs to our endeavours; and excite us to follow the examples of those, that are gone before us; yea, and to leave an example unto them, that are to come after us: and, though we

You are not commanded that, which never yet was imposed upon any of the sons of men; nor that, which whoever undertook, he failed in the performance, and sunk under the burden of it. No: there are hundreds and thousands gone before you, from whom God required as much as he doth from you; and these have demonstrated, that the work is possible, and the reward certain. And, therefore, as Israel followed the cloud for their conduct into the Land of Canaan: so may you be led into a Land of better Promise, by a cloud of witnesses, of those, who have already passed through the same faith, patience, and obe dience, wherein you are to follow them.

It is superstition heightened to idolatry, to make use of the departed saints, as substituted mediators and under-advocates unto Christ, that Christ may be our advocate unto God the Fa ther. What their present prayers for us are we know not: bu this we are certain of, their past example ought to be pro pounded and improved by us for our encouragement in th ways of holiness and obedience. Hence the Apostle exhorts u that we should be diligent; not slothful: and he grounds it upo this, because in so doing, we should be followers of them, wh through faith and patience, inherit the promises. In difficult an hazardous enterprizes, every man is apt to stand still and se who will lead the way; and, according to the success of t first attempters, so either to be encouraged or dismayed. Nc what says our Saviour, Matt. xi. 12? The kingdom of heaven si fereth violence, and the violent take it by force. You are not t forlorn hope: you are not the first assailors: no; whole arm of saints have, in former ages, stormed heaven: they have her tofore planted strong batteries against it, and made wide breach in it: they have heretofore entered and taken possession; a still the passage is as open for you, and the conquest as easy for them; and you may see them beckoning out of heaven you, and hear them calling to you, "Fellow-Soldiers, bend y force hither. There is your labour: here is your rest. Th are your enemies: here is your crown and victory. Believe there are no more dangers for you to pass through, no m difficulties for you to meet with, than what we have pas through; yea, and passed with so much safety, much as one soul of us miscarried, not a soul place: we struggled against the same corrup and overcame them; against the same tem them; against the same devils, and route

as

do come after the examples of others, who are gone before us: yet the consideration of their examples, who have gone through this work, may excite us not to come behind them in any good work.

2dly. God holds out to us the Light of his Gospel-Truth and Ordinances, whereby to help us in our work.

What Christ saith of himself is applicable unto all: We must work the works of God, while it is day: the night cometh, wherein no man can work: John ix. 4. You are not shut up in darkness: you are not muffled up in the clouds of error and ignorance; or, if you are, it is not because you have not light shining about you, but because you shut it out when it is breaking in upon you. It is not a double labour, that is put upon you; first to find out your duty, and then to perform it: no; the light shines about you; and, unless you will seal up your eyes against it, it is impossible but that it will sometimes flash in upon you, and discover both what you have mis-done and what you ought to do. The Mahometans have a tradition among them, that Moses's Law and Christ's Gospel were written, at first, with ink made of pure light this conceit of theirs, though it be fond and ridiculous, yet carries a mystic truth in it: the Scripture is as plain for matter of duty, as if it had been written with a sun-beam: ordinances are dispensed freely and powerfully so great the throng of teachers, and such the variety of Gospel-Administrations, that men must take almost as much pains to keep themselves ignorant of their duty, as would suffice to perform their duty. And wherefore think you is all this glorious light given you? is it not that you may work by it? doth a master light up a torch or candle, only that his servants may play about it? And wherefore doth God light up the sun of truth in the firmament of his Church? is it, only that you should dally and trifle with it? no it shines, that you may work by it. And, truly, work by it you do: but, alas! how many do work the works of darkness, by the glorious light of truth! how many have light enough, to see that they are notoriously wicked and profane swearers, drunkards, despisers of ordinances, revilers at religion and the professors of it, enemies to what is sober and sacred in Christianity! this light they have flashing in their faces, from the clear evidence of the word of God; and yet, still, they continue to work the works of darkness. What shall I say to such as these are? truly, I can say nothing worse to them, than what their own consciences already thunder against them; for they

are self-condemned persons. But, truly, this complaint may too too justly be taken up against all, that do not walk worthy of the light vouchsafed to them: their sins are revealed clearly: and duties are revealed as clearly, as the Scripture can possibly express them; and yet they live in a gross neglect of them. Believe it, this light will not always shine to be gazed at only : the day is drawing to an end: the night is hastening upon us; the darkness of the night of death, and the darker night of judgment: and, oh! that then it may not be the condemnation of any of us, That light is come into the world, but we loved darkness and the works of darkness better than light, because our deeds were evil.

3dly. God hath, to this end, set apart his Ministers, that they might be helpers to you in this great work of working out your salvation.

And therefore they are called, Helpers of your faith and joy : 2 Cor. i. 24. they are said to watch for your souls, as they that must give an account: Heb. xiii. 17: 'they are said to be co-workers with Jesus Christ: yea, they are said to save your souls: Jude 23. Ministers are set in the Church, to admonish with all meekness, to beseech with all earnestness, to rebuke with all authority. Yea, and we have done it: have we not called upon you, "Sinners, Sinners, why will you die? the way, wherein you now walk, leads down to the chambers of death and destruction the wages of that work, which you are now doing, is shame, death, and hell." Have we not thus often called upon you? yes, so often have we thundered terrors in men's ears, that they now disregard them out of custom; and, when we speak of sin, and death, and hell, and judgment to come, men think we are fallen into a common-place, and we must talk dreadfully to keep in our road: these are the apprehensions which men have of the great and fearful denunciations, that are daily discharged in their ears by the ministers of the Gospel. And have we not also displayed Jesus Christ in all his excellencies, so far forth as his infinite excellencies can be displayed with a few short-breathed words? Have we not set forth holiness in its beauty and lustre; and done as much as we could do, to reconcile you to the ways of obedience, and to remove the unjust prejudices that men have taken up against them? What could. we have done more than we have done, to inform men's judgments, to satisfy their consciences, to answer all their doubts,