VII.

ever little Progress we make in it. Though SERM. we move but flow it is a Comfort to think we are right. And it is much better to be flow and cautious in the right way, than to be fwift and confident in the wrong.

Well, thus far then I am fenfible we are convinced. We acknowledge this is true. That thus the Mind ought always to be fet and directed. That this is our grand Concern, and ought to be our leading Principle; and that we act not a wife and rational, but a moft abfurd and inconfiftent Part, unwor thy our Name and Character as reasonable Creatures, if we do not make it fo. And this Conviction were fomething, if it were lafting. But, alas! the very next Bait the World throws out, we greedily catch at, and quite forget again that we have immortal Souls, and have no Happiness in this World, and are living for Eternity. This therefore brings me to the fecond thing I propofed in the Application of the Subject,

viz.

II. To confider how this Conviction may be fixed. Or what it is that is most like to engage us to make the Service and Honour

of

SERM. of GOD, and the Happiness of our Souls, VII. our great and governing View through Life, and all other Ends fubordinate to this; or what Confiderations have moft power to fix the Mind to this point, to prevent it's being fo wavering and unstable as we too commonly find it is.

Now here I might mention many Directions and Confiderations which might be helpful to you in this Affair. But I fhall mention but one, for this reason, because if it hath no Force or Effect upon you, I utterly despair that any elfe will. And it is this, Think every Day you live of that Eternity to which you are every Day haftening.

This Thought well weighed, furely must make us serious, and awaken all the Powers of our Souls in good earnest to make our immortal Interefts our chief Care. At least if this do not, nothing can. Nothing but an almighty and fovereign Act of divine Grace overpowering all Oppofition, which we can never expect, if we will not, as reasonable Creatures, think and act for ourselves.

Think, I beseech you, what Eternity is,

and how near you are to it.

And be amazed that you have thought of your eternal

Intereft

Interest fo little, and that you have neglect- SERM. ed it so long. The World you are going VII. into must be for ever in; this you are

you

now in, you are going out of, and muft foon for ever leave. And to spend all your Time and Care to heap up Riches in it, or to enjoy the Pleasure of it, is the vaineft and very emptieft Delusion that ever the filly Heart of Man was cheated with, and fhews an Infenfibility shameful to the Dignity of a thinking Soul.

The Thoughts of Eternity will convince you of this Folly, and fix your Views for your best Interefts, if any thing can. But thefe Thoughts must not be tranfient, cold, and defultory, but fixed, intent, and frequent. The Soul must be wrapped up, and wholly poffeffed with the Contemplation, and be carried forward by it to infinite Ages to come.

Suppofe now, Death hath done his Office, the Soul diflodged and launched into the eternal World, Judgment past, and it's state fixed for ever, ten thousand Ages past and goneten thoufand Millions more and Eternity but ftill beginning-Ah, what will you think of the few Moments VOL. II. N

of

VII.

ever.

SERM. of bufy Vanity which you must remember you once spent on Earth!——Shall you not many Millions of Ages hence even quite forget that little momentary Duration you had on Earth? forget that you ever lived here?Or if you fhall remember it for ever, what will you. think of it? Shall you think of it in the fame manner you do now? And think the things of it to be as important as you do now? It is most certain you will not. No, no, your Eyes will be then opened for And if you are happy, you will not help upbraiding yourself in the midst of all your Blifs, that you did no more for your GOD, and your dear Redeemer, and your immortal Soul, during that very little space of time which was allowed you on Earth to prepare for Eternity in. And if you are miferable, your inceffant Self-reproaches will be infupportable, that with all your affected Wit and Wisdom you fhould ftill be that ftupid Fool, to fuffer yourself to be fo gulled by vain Appearances and the false Images of Fancy, as to forget Eternity, and neglect your everlasting Interefts; though you was often importuned, called called upon, and

moft

most earnestly intreated to think of, and pro- SERM, vide for them in time.

Reader, I know not how these Thoughts may affect your Mind; they have often af fected my own: and have placed the vain Views and wrong Pursuits of Mankind in the most amazing Light. So that I am fully convinced, it is for want of admitting thefe thoughts more frequently, and more feriously, that Men are generally fo divided in their Minds, and fo inconftant in their Ways; fo hankering and fufpended between this World and another and that nothing tends more strongly to bring the Soul to a Point, and give it a right Bias, than frequently to think with ourselves, what that other World is into which we are paffing: and above all, that whatever it is, it will be eternal.

:

3. I fhall conclude all now with a short expoftulatory Addrefs to the double minded Man; who hath hitherto been unstable in all his Ways, or wavering and unsteady in his regards to his immortal Interests.

Haft thou lived now like a reasonable Creature? Can thy own Confcience or Reafon acquit thee?For fhame, never vaN 2

lue

VII,