once to be afraid. O then I befeech you let us think on these things now in the days of mercy, now the remedy is to be had, now we may avoid this fearful mifery, now we may escape this woful Torment and Wrath to come.

If we will now repent, and leave our Sins, and beg Pardon of Almighty God for them, we may efcape: But after death there is no time of Mercy, but only Judgment, and Torment, Fire and Brimstone, and the Wrath of God for evermore. And therefore let us repent and bewail our Sins, while we have Time and Breath to repent, and live as the Servants of God, and not as the Slaves of Sin and Satan any longer, and the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail against us, nor the Second Death triumph

over us.

Our Bleffed Saviour tells us, that the Soul of the poor Beggar is more worth than many Thoufand Worlds. And therefore the lofs of a Soul is greater than the lofs of the whole World: What benefit were it for a man to win the whole World, and presently to lose both Bodyand Soul.

If a Man fhould lofe Houfe, Land, Wife, Children, and all that he hath, yet it is nothing in comparison of his Soul, that is a lofs of all loffes, to be fevered from God, and Chrift, and to be in Hell Torment for ever. Q then let us confider the worth of our Souls and what Christ paid for the ransom of them, and learn to prize them above the whole World. But alafs, men will not fo esteem of them: But

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will

will for one Penny with Judas, or an hours pleasure, hazard lofs of Soul and Body for ever.

Ah poor Man, thou didst never yet know the worth of thy Soul Chrift Jefus faith, it is more worth than all the World. Olet us efteem of it, and value it, and account all Riches, Pleafures or Profits as Dung, fo that our poor Souls may be fav'd in the Day of our Lord. For a conclufion to this purpofe; let us remember the Words of St. Peter, 2 Pet 3. 6. The World that then was, being overflowed with Water, Perifhed Again St. Peter gives us here a good Leffon, and tells us, that the Aeavens and the Earth which are now by the fame Word are kept in ftore, and referved unto Fire againftthe Day of Fudgment, and Perdition of ungodly men, Ver. 9.The Lord is not flack, but Pa tient, Ver. 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night, in the which the Heavens Shall pass away with a great noife,and the Elements fball melt with Fervent Heat, the Earth alfo, and the Werk that are therein fhall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye tobe in Holy Converfation and Godliness,looking for, and bafting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the Heavens being on Fire fhall be diffolved? but we look for new Heavens and a new Earth, according to his Promife wherein dwelleth Righteoufnefs. Wherefore, Beloved, feeing you look for fuch things,be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without Spot, and blameless, and account that the long fuffering of the Lord is Salvation. Now the end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore fober, and watching

watching in prayer, Luke 21. 34. Take heed to your felves left at any time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness; and Cares of this Life, and fo that Day come upon you unawares. For as a Snare Jhall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to efcape all these things that fhull come to pafs, and to fland before the Son of Man: For it is he that will fay, Arife ye dead and come to Judgment. Now I have done with the Text, and have fhewed you the way to get a good *Confcience, and the benefit of it, and likewife the Reward of an evil Confcience, which is the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone for ever. I will not leave you in Horror and Dread in the conclufion of the Text, being the laft words of it, but I will comfort you with the defcription of Heaven, and the Joys thereof. as St. Paul relates in 1 Cor. 2. 9. The things Which Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the Heart of Man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

If the Holy Apoftle St. Paul being take r up into Paradife, heard fuch words which cannot be fpoken, and are not poffible for a man to utter; as he teftifieth of him1tlf, 2 Cor. 12, 13. How Should I be able to exprefs the greatness of thefe Foys, which neither Eye hath Jeen, nor Ear beard, nor ever entred into the Heart of Man?

Herein 1. know Mens Minds will run upon needlefs curiofities, which is no part of my duty to fatisfy and to thew you mine one linagiG 5 nations

nations would fhew my own folly. For Man's Reafon in Spiritual Affairs is altogether foolish. nefs; But fo far as the Scripture doth inftruct us, we may be defirous to learn and alfo be content, altho' many things be hid from us. Let it therefore be fufficient, if we have a tafte of thofe Joys, and that it pleafeth God in a meafure to grant us fome knowledge of them.

Adam being in the Earthly Paradife, knew not all the Secrets thereof: And how fhall we think to attain the full knowledge of the Hɩavenly Paradife; But feeing God doth grant us the understanding of thefe matters in part, he doth it for our good, that feeing thefe Joys which we can conceive, are furpaffing excellent, yet the Heavenly Joys doth furmount our conceits, many degrees further, we might the more be drawn into love with God himself, who hath ordained fuch Unfpeakable, Incomprehenfible, and endless Excellencies, for them that love him, and live in his Obedience.

I will first fhew you what a bleffed Life is, and what they enjoy in Heaven. A bleffed Life, is the fruition of God himfelf, which is our chiefelt good, the moft plentiful Fountain and Treasure of all Goodness, in whom all Godly Men that die in a true and lively Faith, and invocation of the Son of God, are raifed from the dead, and delivered from all evil, and united to the Quire of Angels, are Saints in Hea ven; and there behold God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; not as in a Glafs or darkly, but Face to Face, and live free from all Calami

ties, Miferics, Difeafs, Labours, and Griefs; and with ineffable Joy and Comfort, celebrate God's praife to all eternity. For the world is but a Vale of Tears, and this Life is full of all for s of Miferies, but God in the Life to come will wipe them all away, and Death fhall be. fwallowed up in Victory, and he will take a way the reproach of his People from off the Earth, faiah 25: 8. He will fw low up Death in Victory, and the Lord God will wipe away. Tears from off all Faces, and the Rebuke of his People fhall be take away from off all the Earth; for the Lord hath spoken it. Info great Felicity fhall the righteous live for ever, and receive a Kingdom of Glory; for which Saint Paul faith, That we must thro' much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: And of this Kingdom we are Heirs, and the Sons of the most high God: For David affirms as much, Thou, O God, baf made him to have Dominion over the Works of thy Hands; thou haft put all things under his Feet. In Heaven we fhall be free from the thoughts of Sin, and affaults of the Devil, and be fo fecure, that we shall fear no evil, for the Lord will rula us with his Right-Hand, and defend us with his Holy Arm. Alfo confidering our own greatunworthiness, we might with the Prophet-David break forth into the Praifes of God, Pfalm 144. 3. and fay, Lord, what is Man that thou takef Knowledge of him, or the Son of Man that tho makest account of him? Now as the Prophets do ftir up the peoples minds to Serve and Ho nour God, by fetting before them the Tempo