drive me to Heaven to feek a better. I have a Soul defcended from above, a Soul that can foar above Senfe, and Flesh; a Soul capable of the noblest Operations, fitted for the greatest and moft Spiritual Employments: But I let that mighty Intellectual Fire go out: I fuffer that Light to be clouded and darkned, by following the Dictates of a fenfual Appetite: I take no care to fubdue my unruly Paffions; Good Lord! How do they Tranfport me upon all Occafions! If this be not to Dishonour God, to despise him, to mock his threatnings, to undervalue his Promises, to labour after my Ruine, to flight the offers of Grace and Mercy, I underftand nothing. O dreadful! that a Creature, as I am, fhould have a Soul to look after, and mind it no more! An everlafting Empire to gain, and make no more matter of it! Endlefs Tor ments to fhun, and be no more afraid! Eternal Wrath and Indignation to avoid, and be no more concerned ! Rivers of Joy to inherit, and fpeak and think of it fo little! My Confcience blushes at my wilfulness, and yet I walk in the light of mine own fire, and in the sparks that I have kindled. And must I perish thus tamely? Must I be loft after all the intreaties of my Maker? Must outward Darkness be my Habitation? and the bottomlefs Gulph my Dwelling-place? Tell not me, vain Heart, that I am fafe enough; Can I be fafe without the favour of God? Can I be happy, without having my Name written in the Book of Life? Go tell a Man, that he may fafely fleep on the Pinacle of a Steeple in a

Storm.

Storm. Go tell him, that he may fafely walk like Queen Emma, upon Plough-fhares glowing hot. Tell him, that he may fafely let a Viper bite him. Tell him that he may fafely play with a Crocodile. Tell him, that he may safely walk with Peter on the Water, and try whether thou canst perfwade him; and wilt thou delude me,that I need fear no danger when God defpifes me? What do I do? If I have preferred my Secular Interest before God's Honour and Glory, I do fo ftill. If I have feared Men more than God, I do ftill. If I have been loth to do good with the Temporal Bleffings God hath conferred upon me, I am fo ftill. And what Sins I leave, it's more because I have no inclination to them, or because I am afraid they'll spoil and blemish my Reputation in the World, than because I love that God who made me, and hath obliged me by a thousand Favours to esteem and prize him above all. And is this the Coat of the Sons of God? Is this the Livery of a Chriftian indeed? Is this done like a Man that lives upon God's Bounty, is fed by his Charity, fupported by his Alms, and maintained from his Storehouse, and cannot fubfift one moment without his Concourfe, and hath not a better Friend in all the World than him, who is the Fountain of Living Waters? Who can believe this? What Man that understands any thing, can think well of this condition? Will it cure my Disease, to believe that I have it not? Will believing, that I am not in Prison, bring me out of it? What if I was never in Heaven? What if I never faw the Book of Life?

What if I never viewed the lift of those that shall be damned, and those that shall be Saved? Doth not the Word of God tell me, who they are that shall be happy, and who fhall be miserable? And if the marks of those that shall feel his everlafting wrath are upon me, have not I reason to look about me, and feek more diligently after Grace, than ever I have done? Confideration, one great defign of it being to know how the Cafe ftands between God and our own Souls; such a felf-Examination muft of neceffity be the corner ftone of this Spritual Building, and comparing our Lives with the Rules of the Gofpel, and the proper Characters of fuch as are in a likely way to enjoy God for ever, may juftly challenge the firft Seal in this intellectual Paradise. But then, as building of a ftately Gate, without a Houfe answerable to it, doth but expose the Builder to derifion and contempt; fo felf-examination, without a ferious Expoftulation with our own Hearts, is but to make the Accufer of our Brethren laughat our vain Attempts, and God fcorn the Endeavour, that could be crushed in the Bud, and tired before half its Race is run,

II. Expoftulation roufes the Soul from her flumber, and drives it away from the foft Down it would have rested and repofed it felf upon, and gives the first blow (for felf-examination only threatens it to that Tree of Death, I mean, the reigning power of Sin; and I fee not, how Sin can fhelter it felf any longer, or what excuses it can make for its stay and continuance, where the

Soul

Soul doth fummon it to appear before the Bar of Confcience, and enters into fuch reasoning and interrogations, as thefe: Are these things fo, and do I ftand trifling with my falvation? Am I in danger of everlasting Flames, and do I lie playing in the Suburbs of Deftruction? Hannibal is at the Gate, and do not I run to my Arms? The Philistines are upon thee, Sampson, and doft thou lie ftill? The Deluge is coming, and do I talk of Marrying, and giving in Marriage? I fee the Waters rife, and come up to my ankles, to my Knees, to my loyns, to my neck,and am not I frighted? O Lord! The fnares of death incompafs me, and the pains of hell are ready to lay hold of me! Either I believe an Eternity of Torments, that fhall attend a careless finfull Life, or I do not; if not, why dare not I profefs my denial? Why do I play the Hypocrite and make the World think I do believe it? What's the reason that I cannot shake off the fears of it, if I would never so fain? Why does fome thing within me check me when I would be fo prophane as to deny it? Can I ever be ferious, and not believe it? But then if I believe it, what a mad Man am I to loiter, when the Candle, I am allowed to work by, is almost burnt out, and I know not how foon it may please my Great Master to extinguish it? Do I lead a Life which is the rea diest way to Eternal Vengeance, and fhall I not step back and prevent it? Can I imagine God will blot out that everlafting Fire, to gratifie my vicious Temper ; or destroy that Tophet out of tenderness to my Lufts and Corruptions? Can

I conceive it poffible, that God will go from his word, to please a stubborn Sinner; or prove a Liar, that I may go with greater ease to Heaven? What great matter have I done for God, that I fhould expect fuch Favour? How have I obliged him? What, by my walking after the Flesh? By my greediness after the Meat which perisheth? By my contempt of his Exhortations and Admonitions? Is God to be obliged by Sin? Is the AImighty to be made kind by folly? Is he to be rendred propitious by Affronts? What Fellowship hath Righteoufnefs with Unrighteousness? Or what Communion hath Light with Darkness? Or what Concord hath Chrift with Belial? Do I not know, that I fhall be miferable, if I continue in that course I have held on hitherto; and am I in love with Eternal Ruine? Am I certain that Iniquity will be my confufion; and am I refolved to dye? I have all the Reason in the World to believe, that it was the Son of God that was the Author of those Threatnings and Comminations I find in the Gospel: Do I believe him to be the Son of God; and can I imagin that the least tittle of his words will perish? I have run up and down' in the World these many years, and hunted after those Vanities which fenfual Men do doat upon: But will these fave me when I die? Will not the remembrance of my eager purfuit after thefe Butterflies and Gaudes, fill me with the Anguish and Sorrow? Have I lived in the World all this while, and am not I nearer Heaven than I was fome years ago? Muft my Body engross all my endea vours, and must my Soul be ftarved I have a

Soul