How many more perfons would have been SER M. faved than there are, if it were not for that XXIV. one prevailing luft or temptation, which they never can bring themselves to part with, that one fin which they found out feveral excufes to retain; which they palliated and disguised, and made a thousand useless pretences to bring it under the notion of infirmity, and within the conditions of pardon? But all in vain, there was but one effectual way of dealing with it, and that was what our Saviour here propofes; namely, though it were as dear to them as their limbs to cut it off and caft it from them, it had been much better for them to have done fo, than to be fhut out of the kingdom of God, and caft into that fire which shall never be quenched. That one fin, for which alone they hoped to be difpenfed with, was their trial for heaven; it was by conquering that very temptation that they were to cfcape damnation: They had refolution enough to do every thing else for heaven; and fo far they did well, but one thing more they lacked, that which was in a more efpecial manner their way of trial; and for want of that one thing all the reft of their religion is but hypocrify, and all their labour loft.

VII. The last inference I fhall make from these words is, that the happiness of heaven and the misery of hell torments are a motive of obedience strong enough to prevail with men to preserve their virtue and innocence in the most difficult cafes whatsoever; they are 0 2 able

SER M. able to make us undergo the greatest hardXXIV. fhips, and quit the greatest pleasures of this life in order to the practice of virtue and holinefs: For if we weigh the matter rightly we fhall certainly conclude with our Saviour, that it is better to part with any finful pleafures whatsoever, than lofe heaven and fuffer eternal mifery for it; and if we confider this motive enough, it could never fail to work its effects upon us. So that men have nothing more to do but to perfuade themselves that they have fuch an intereft at stake, to be thoroughly convinced of the truth and certainty of it.

Nor is it enough that people barely believe the rewards and punishments of another life; for even of those who yield a hearty affent to the truth of these things, how few are there that are wrought up by them? Because they do not ponder and confider them enough, fo as to make them ever present to their minds, till their hearts are deeply affected with them, and that they are as feelingly touched by the thoughts and mention of them, as they are by any prefent danger that threatens the body. If men would do this, nothing could poffibly influence our hopes and our fears more powerfully, infomuch that no one perfon whatever who thinks of them enough could ever mif

carry.

The word of God is quick and powerful, and the terrors of the Lord are of fufficient force to persuade men; if they will fet their

minds that way, and yield themselves to be SER M. perfuaded; otherwise these motives will lofe XXIV. all their virtue and efficacy, and be in respect of us as if there were no fuch things. Now nothing can induce more to the making of us do this, than those two confiderations the text fuggests to us.

I. First that mifery, everlasting misery, is the fure and neceffary confequence of unrepented guilt, for the custom or habit of any fin, like a spreading gangrene in any of our limbs, if it be not cut off and forfaken, proceeds till at last it becomes incurable and brings certain death. Every wilful fin you are guilty of and perfift in, forfeits heaven and puts you into a tate of damnation: And befides, nothing can be a greater evidence of that everlasting fting and horror of confcience, than the remorfe which ever accompanies guilt in this world; for no man would have any regret at the committal of a fin, if it were not for fomething within, that fuggefts a future vengeance, that tells him they who do fuch things shall have no inheritance in the kingdom of God, and that the wicked and all that forget God fhall be turned into hell. And,

II. That the one or the other of these two things must unavoidably be the final condition. of every man; there is no middle ftate, eternal happiness, or everlasting mifery, must be your lot; and therefore expect one or the other, and reckon upon it as your inheritance for ever. It would astonish most of us if we knew

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SERM. knew how foon it would be determined; and XXIV. that we shall be fealed up irreversibly to one of them: The day will come as furely, as if it were to-morrow; perhaps there may be but a few hours between, when you must either enter into the kingdom of God, or else be caft into hell fire, which shall never be quenched.

And therefore God of his mercy grant, that we may lay this to heart in time; that we may never come into that place of torment, where there is nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth to all eternity.

SERMON

SERMON XXV.

On our change at the refurrection.

PHILIP. iii. 20, 21.

For our converfation is in heaven, from whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift: Who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able even to fubdue all things unto himself.

T

HESE words of St. Paul have a pecu- SE R. M. liar force and fignificancy in the ori- XXV. ginal, which cannot be easily expreffed in any other language. And it is very obfervable, that whenever he does but touch upon this fubject, of the change our bodies are to undergo at the last day, he is warmed in an inftant; his ftile fwells, and he can hardly speak of it but in rapture. In the 15th of his 1 Cor. where he enlarges upon it, he outdoes himself; and is carried on to a height of eloquence, which

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