to fubmit to, for mortifying their Vanities, and amending their Lives.

For, (which is of all others the laft and dreadfulleft Aggravation,) thofe Miferies and Tortures have no End, no Refreshment, no Intermiffion. But the sharpeft Afflictions we endure in this Life, will quickly have a Period: They have their Interval of Eafe and Comfort; and thofe Sorrows, which we feel upon a Religious Account, are largely recompenfed with Spiritual Confolations, and fweet Peace of Mind. Do not then grudge a little prefent Grief; but mourn earnestly for thy Sins, and bend thy utmoft Thoughts and Care to the Subduing and Reforming them; that this fhort Anxiety inay deliver thee from eternal Defpair, and Anguifh unconceivable; and those few Tears of Repentance, may fecure to thee a Portion of Everlasting Joy with the Bleffed.

O happy Reverse of all their Griefs and Sufferings, which the Righteous fhall find in that Day! when they shall stand full of Hope and humble Confidence before that Judgment-Seat, from which their Haughty and Mercilefs Oppreffors, confounded with Fear, and amazed with Guilt, fhall ftrive and wifh in vain to hide their trembling Heads. When he, who now ftands tamely at the Bar of Men, and innocently suffers, fhall then be advanced to a Throne, and placed among the Saints and Martyrs, to affift at the Tryal of his, once infulting, Judges. When the Poor and Meek fhall have great Boldnefs, while the Proud and great Sinner quakes at the Prefence of God and the Lamb. When that Piety and godly Fear, that Abftinence and severe Virtue, that patient Enduring for Christ's fake, which is now thought juft Matter of Derision and Contempt, and counted Folly and Religious Madness, fhall then be acknowledged by its moft fatyrical Scorners, to be indeed the True, the Only Wisdom. When the Remembrance of paft Miferies fhall be fweet, and They,

whofe

whose wicked Malice exercised fuch Patience, fhall be ftruck Dumb with fad Remorfe and Bitterness of Soul. When all, who devoted themselves to God and his Service, fhall be transported with Raptures of Joy; and all those who difregarded or defpifed them, fhall Weep and Lament. When the Afflicted and Perfecuted shall blefs his bitter Cup, and feel more refined, more fubftantial Delights from it, than fenfual Pleafures, or uninterrupted Profperity could ever bring to the most Voluptuous and Fortunate. When the plain Drefs of the Humble, and Sackcloth of the Penitent, fhall fhine glorious as the Sun; and all the gay Pomp and gliftering Jewels of the proud and gaudy Sinner fhall be trampled under Foot like Dung. When the Cottage fhall take place of the Court, Patience appear more eligible than the most boundless and arbitrary Power; the honeft Obedience of an humble Faith, more Wife, than the niceft Cavils of the fubtleft Wit; and a good Confcience more ufeful Learning, than the most elaborate Systems of Philofophy. When the Contempt of Riches fhall approve it felf the greatest Treafure; Devout Prayer the most delicious Entertainment; Silence and Caution the beft Converfation. When Good Works fhall plead better than the most accurate Eloquence; Alms prove the moft prevailing Advocate; Self-denial the most exalted Pleafure; and the Conqueft of ill Habits the moft glorious Triumph.

If then this be, (and this most affuredly is) a true Representation of that decifive Day: If this the different Fate and Effect of thefe fo very different Persons and Practices; Confider, I conjure thee, the Circumstances of thofe Damned. And harden thy felf from this Reflection, to endure a Little now, when That little will fecure thee against enduring infinitely more hereafter. Make tryal of thy felf, and if the flight Difficulties of a Religious Life feem tedious and tirefome; turn the Argument against thy fenfual Inclina

tion, and think, how one who finks under thefe, will be able to dwell with exquifite and Everlafting Torments. Nor is this a trifling needlefs Enquiry, but abfolutely neceffary, and of mighty Moment. For Matters are fo ordered, that perfect Eafe can be no Man's Portion in both Worlds. They who chufe their good Things here, cannot have them hereafter too; nor fhall any Man, who indulges Senfe and Pleasure upon Earth, Rejoice and Reign with Chrift in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Suppofe then, that, from your Entrance into the Body to this very Day, you had enjoyed the utmost your Heart could poffibly defire, of all which this World calls Happinefs; Honours, Riches, Pleasures, without Check, or Stint, or Interruption: Yet what Good would all this do to you, if it fhould pleafe God just now to ftrike you with Death? Do not you plainly fee, without my profecuting this Argument any farther, that all below is Vanity and mere Nothing, and that the Love of God and a Religious Life is the only thing which can ftand you in any ftead? This will stick by you, when all the reft forfake you. This is neither deftroyed by Death, nor afraid of Punishment, but Triumphs over both; fills the Man with Confidence and joyful Expectation at the dreadful Day of Judgment; and fets him above all the Terrors and difmal Apprehenfions of Hell and its Tortures. But then, This is the peculiar Privilege of the Servants of God; for how is it poffible for the Men who practise and delight in Wickedness, to think of Death and Judgment, without Fear and Perplexity of Heart? How fhould they enjoy Quiet, and be eafy in their Minds, if they think at all what is coming apace upon them? Let then the Love of God prevail over that of Sin. But if thou art not yet perfect enough to be acted by this noble Principle; Let at leaft the Love of thy felf reclaim thee, and the Fear of Hell

re

Pfal. cxi. 10.

reftrain and deter thee from a Course, which must end at laft in thy utter and inevitable Ruin. This, fays the Scripture, is the begin ning of Wisdom; for he who is Proof against the Fear of God, cannot perfevere in any thing that is good; as having no manner of Principle that can fave him, no Curb upon his Mind that can awe, or hold him in, from running headlong into the Snares of the Devil.

CHA P. XXV.

Of Zeal in the Reformation of our Lives.

E fervent in Prayer, ferving the Lord, fays the Apo

Bfle. And fuch indeed it highly concerns every

Rom. xii. 11.

one to be in his Service. For what is the

End we propofe, by dedicating our felves in folemn Vows to Chrift? Or to what purpose do we renounce the World and its Vanities; but that these facred Ties may engage our utmost Watchfulness and Diligence, to confecrate our Perfons and Actions, to conform our felves to the Image of God, by living to him, and like him, and much above' the Rate of common Men? Let not therefore thefe good Refolutions cool upon your Hands; but be zealous in Piety and Virtue. Confider that you fhall fhortly receive an ample Recompence for all your holy Labours, and fee a happy End of Grief, and Fear, and Hardship. Be con-tent with Travel and Pain for a very little while, and you shall be fure to find Reft, and Peace and Foy to your Souls. The Toke is eafy and the Burden is light; but the Weight of Glory is far more exceeding and eternal. Be but you careful to discharge your part, and then you need

Matth. xi. 28. 30.

2 Cor. iv. 16.

never doubt God's making good his. Support and encourage your felf with the full Affurance of obtaining the Crown; but take heed, that Affurance do not degenerate into Prefumption; nor the Profpect of Blifs, which fhould excite a more active and chearful Obedience, become an Occafion of fpiritual Security and Sloth.

I remember an Inftance of a Perfon irrefolute and wavering in the Concerns of his Soul, divided between Hope and Fear, who in his Prayers was earneftly intreating, to be affured of his own Perfeverance; and expreffing, how happy he should think himself, could he but be fatisfied in this Point. Whereupon he was immediately answer'd from within, Well, and fuppofing you could be affured of this, how would you proceed then? Do but aft now, as you would think your felf obliged to do in that cafe, and never question your perfevering. This comfortable Reply fettled his Mind; and, instead of indulging any curious Enquiries into Events, or anxieus Doubts concerning the Succefs of his Endeavours; he immediately applied himself to confider what God expected from him, and to fet about the Performance of That, without more to do. Trust in the Lord, and be doing good, fays the Pfal- Pfal. xxxvii. mift; commit thy way to him, and he shall bring it to pass.

5. 6.

The great and common Obstacle to vigorous Virtue is the dreadful Notion Men form to themselves of the Difficulties attending it, and how laborious a thing Religion is. And true it is, Exalted Piety will coft many a fore Conflict. But even this Confideration may be fome Encouragement too; when we confider, that the Hardship of the Undertaking, and the Violence of the Oppofition, add to the Glory of the Fight; and entitle the Conqueror to a Crown fo much brighter, as the Toil and Hazard of the Day he won, was greater. For the more a Man fubdues himF

felf