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of impiety, that virtue and vice seem to have shifted places; evil and good to have changed their names. is counted a gallant thing to despise all divine and human laws; and a childish scrupulosity, to forbear any thing that may gratify our lusts. A strong faith is accounted an argument of weak judgment; dependence upon providence is judged want of foresight; and that there is no wit but in deceiving others: no man is reckoned generous, unless he be extremely ambitious; and it is want of courage to forgive an injury. O Religion, whither art thou fled! In what corner of the world shall we find thee? Shall we search thee in courts and palaces of great men? Pride and luxury hath driven thee thence; and they are too much concerned in the business and pleasure of this world, to mind those of another. Shall we seek thee in the cottages of the poor? Envy and discontent lodgeth there; their outward want takes up all their thoughts, and they have little regard for their souls. Shall we go into the city? Cheating and extortion, and intemperance, are almost all we can meet with there. And if we retire into the country, we shall find as little innocence in it. We may look for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

After all that we have hitherto said, some may think themselves safe enough, being conscious of none of those vices which we have named. But, alas! what is all this? They may still be far from the kingdom of heaven. Religion stands not in negatives; and the being free from gross and scandalous vices, is a poor plea for heaven. Look how the soul is furnished with those divine graces, which ought to qualify thee for it. I shall name but one; and it is, the love of God; and every body pretendeth to it: but O how few are there in the world that understand what it means; that feel the power and efficacy of it on their own spirits! Amor est pondus animi; Love is that weight whereby a soul is carried towards the object which it loves, and resteth in it as its proper centre. Those who are acquainted with this noble passion even in its wanderings

and deviations from its proper object, when it is wholly fixed on some silly creature like ourselves: these; I say; do know what mighty effects it is wont to produce on the souls where it prevaileth; how it makes them almost forget their own interest, and only mind that of another; how careful they are of every thing that may please or advantage the person, and afraid to offend them; what delight they have in their conversation, and how hardly they endure to be absent from them. See therefore if thou findest any thing answerable to these effects of love, in the affection thou pretendest unto God. Are his glory and honour the dearest of all things unto thee; and wouldst thou rather hear thyself and all thy friends reviled, than his holy name blasphemed? Is it thy greatest care and business to please him, and art thou watchful against every sin? Is there nothing in the world so dear unto thee, but thou wouldst part with for his sake; and still desirest he should do his own will rather than thine? Is nothing so delightful as to converse with him? And doth every thing seem burdensome which detains thee long from him? If we would examine ourselves by these measures, I fear most of us would find our confidence built on a sandy foundation.

Perhaps you will tell me, that though things be not so well at present; though you have not yet attained these endowments that are necessary to fit you for heaven, nor have indeed begun to endeavour after them: yet hereafter you hope all shall be well; you will repent and amend once before you die. But consider, I beseech you, my brethren, what it is that you say.

When

think you that this promised reformation shall begin? Some two or three years after this, when you have pleased yourselves, and indulged your lusts a little more? But what assurance have you to live so long? Are not your neighbours dropping down every day about you, who expected death as little as you? And suppose you live, what greater probability is there of your reformation at that time than now? Had you not the same thoughts and resolutions several years ago, which yet have taken no effect at all? Will you not have the same

temptations and snares? Will your lusts be more easily overcome, when strengthened by longer custom? Will it be more easy to return after you have wandered further out of your way? Belike it is on a deathbed repentance you have grounded your hopes; you resolve to part with your lusts when you can keep them no longer, and serve God Almighty with the dregs of your time. I shall not stand to tell you what shrewd objections are proposed by some great and learned men against the validity and acceptableness of such a repentance: some of them perhaps have been too peremptory and severe. True and unfeigned repentance, which includeth the sincere love of God, and resignation to him, will never come too late: the foundation of heaven is laid in the souls of those that have it. But if we consider what a great matter true repentance is, the shortness of the time, and hinderances of a distempered body, and the ordinary relapses of men who have promised fair on such occasions, and have outlived that sickness they thought had been mortal; we cannot but acknowledge, that a deathbed repentance is seldom sincere; and that it is an unfit time to begin to fight with principalities and powers, when perhaps we have not strength to turn ourselves on our beds; in a word, that of those who do thus delay and put off the business, very few shall be saved.

When we have said all that we can say, there are many will never be persuaded of the truth of that which we have been proving. They cannot think it consistent with the goodness and mercy of God, that the greatest part of mankind should be damned: they cannot imagine that heaven should be such an empty and desolate place, and have so very few to inhabit it. But O what folly and madness is this, for sinful men to set rules unto the divine goodness, and draw conclusions from it so expressly contrary to what himself hath revealed! Is it not enough that he has taught us the way to be happy, and given his own Son to the death to make it possible; that he hath waited so long, and invited us so earnestly, and so frequently told us our

hazard? If all this cannot prevail; if we be obstinately resolved to continue wicked and miserable; if we despise his goodness, and turn all his grace unto wantonness; if we slight his threatenings, and will have none of his reproof; if we court damnation, and throw ourselves headlong into hell: how can we expect that he should interpose his omnipotency to pull us from thence, and place us in heaven against our will? Those blessed regions are not like our new plantations, which are sometimes peopled with the worst sort of persons, lest they should be altogether desolate. There are thousands of angels, and ten thousand times ten thousand that stand about the throne. We know little the extent of the universe, or what proportion the wicked or miserable part of rational beings doth carry to those that are happy and good: but this we know, that God was infinitely happy before he had made any creature; that he needeth not the society of the holy angels, and will never admit that of wicked and irreligious men. But, that I may haste towads a close,

The doctrine we have been insisting on, is sad and lamentable; but the consideration of it may be very useful. It must needs touch any serious person with a great deal of grief and trouble, to behold a multitude of people convened together, and to think, that, before thirty or forty years, a little more, or great deal less, they shall all go down unto the dark and silent grave, and the greater, the far greater part of their souls shall be damned unto endless and unspeakable torments. But this may stir us up unto the greatest diligence and care, that we may do what we can towards the prevention of it. Were the sense of this deeply engraven on all our minds, with what care and diligence, with what seriousness and zeal would ministers deal with the people committed to their charge, that by any means they might save some? How would parents, and husbands, and wives, employ all their diligence and industry, and make use of the most useful methods, for reclaiming their near relations, and pulling them from the brink of hell? Lastly, what holy violence would each of us

use for saving ourselves from this common ruin, and making our calling and election sure? This, I say, is the use of what we have been speaking: and may Almighty God so accompany it with his blessing and power, that it may be so happily effectual to so excellent a purpose. And unto this God, &e.

THE DUTY AND PLEASURE OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING.

PSALM CVII. 15.

Oh that men would praise the Lord. for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

.

THERE is scarce any duty of religion more commonly neglected, or more slightly performed, than that of praise and thanksgiving. The sense of our wants puts us upon begging favours from God; and the consciousness of our sins constrains as to deprecate his wrath. Thus interest and self-love send us to our prayers. But, alas! how small a part hath an ingenuous gratitude in our devotion? How seldom are we serious and hearty in our acknowledgement of the divine bounty? The slender returns of this nature which we make, are many times a formal ceremony, a preface to usher in our petitions for what we want, rather than any sincere expression of our thankful resentment for what we have received. Far different was the temper of the holy Psalmist, whose affectionate acknowledgements of the goodness and bounty of God, in the cheerful celebration of his praise, make up a considerable part of his divine and ravishing songs. How often do we find him exciting and disposing himself to join voice, hand and heart together in this holy and delightful employment? Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

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