what a number of pious Souls would appear in all places, if we could affure them that a ferious Life will for certain furnish them with an Estate anfwerable to their luxurious Appetite; and I am apt to believe,were Men confident,and could they trust to it, that they should get an eftate of 9 or10000l.per Annum,by frequent reading,praying, meditating, and obedience to Chrift's Commands, the greatest part would make a hard shift to confider how to leave their Sins and Vices,and apply themselves to reformation; we should hear no more of the excufes they now make, that they have no time, or that their condition is fuch, that they cannot ferve God as they should. The impoffibilities they now pretend, would all vanish: And they that now rack, and torment, and tire themselves for a little Profit, upon prospect of fo confiderable an advantage, would turn their pains and labour another way, and become very devout Worshippers of the holy Jefus, and find no fuch trouble in a circumfpect life, as now they do. One great reason why the Jews did not believe in Jefus, was, because he came without a Royal Train. They expected a Meffias, that fhould ride in Triumph, crush the Heathen world, make the rest of Mankind flaves to the feed of Abraham, and enrich all his Countrymen with the spoil of potent Nations: And had the Lord Jefus given them affurance, that all of them should have had preferment in his Court, and be put into gainful Offices, whereby they might enrich themselves, their Wives and Children, and live at their ease to the fatisfaction of the flesh, and pleasing their fenfual appetite; L

where

where one adhered to him, there would have been a hundred that would have flocked to his Tent, and very few stood out, or, with the invited Guests in the Gofpel, anfwered, I pray thee have me excufed.

Should Chrift appear in a visible shape from Heaven to the Swearer, or Drunkard, or Fornicator, or Adulterer,or Covetous, or any other of the finful Herd, with vaft glittering Treasures in his hand; nay, could we the Minifters of the Gofpel, fecure fucha Lordship, fucha Principality, fuch a Kingdom, fuch an Empire, to any of thefe Sinners, upon condition they would part with their Vices; fure it would be a mighty temptation to them to shake hands with their darling Impieties; for I fee they fell their Souls to the Devil for 2, 3, or 400 l. many times; and I am fo charitable as to think, they would fave them for a far more confiderable fum.

It's like fome would be fo brutish, fo fwinifh, fo fottish, (and yet but very few neither) that would rather starve, than leave their Sins; dwell rather in a Hogfty, than renounce wallowing in the mire of their follies; and live upon Bread and Water, rather than deny their luftful defires; and ftoop to the meaneft, loweft, and moft fordid condition in the World, rather than bow to the noble Commands of Chrift Jefus: But one might engage fafely for the generality of Sinners, Profit and Riches being the great Load-ftone that makes Men willing to do any thing.

Ifee how,ifaPrince,or other great Perfon,Men depend upon, or expect fomething from, dislike fuch a Sin that they are guilty of, they can for

bear

bear it, and comply with their Prince's will and devotion. Iread of Theodofius the younger, how all the Courtiers betook themfelves to Religious exercises,when the Emperor and hisSifter would encourage none but thofe that did fo; and the Court became a kind of Monaftery, foftrong an influence had the Emperor's Example, and Will, on all that depended on his favour. When Dionyfius of Syracufe applied himself to Philosophy, and countenanced none but Philofophers, moft Men, that expected any Grace from him,became Students of Philofophy. I fee how a Perfon of Quality can frown all his Family into ferioufnefs; and the most vicious Servant he hath, for fear of lofing his Master's Favour, and the good Place he hath under him, will find a way, for Profits fake, to fubdue his Inclinations, and take leave of a finful Pleasure, fince it is fo that he cannot enjoy that and his Mafter's good-will together: And therefore could we promife Temporal Crowns, and Scepters, and Estates, and were able to perform our Promife, upon Men's quitting of their Sins, it's very probable Holiness and Seriousness would be mainly embrac'd and follow'd, and what is now out of fashion, would be as much the mode then; and a perfon that would not conform to the Rules and Orders of a ferious Life, would look like an Antick, as much as he doth now that dares be truly good in a finful and adulterous generation.

But seeing all the Divinity we teach cannot increase their Trade, and make their Rocks drop with Honey, and fill their Trunks with fhining Clay, they look upon that Holiness we L 2

prefs

prefs and recommend to them, as a very beggarly business, and mind it only on the bye, when they have nothing else to do.

And this is it confirms them in their fancy,That a loose and vicious Life is the only gainful Life; a Maxim notoriously falfe, and which Confideration would foon scatter, were it but called in to do its Office: This would pull them by the Sleeve, and bid them look on the covetous Gehazi; how he got indeed by Lying, but with his gain inherited the Leprofie; and how in the fame manner the Leprofie of Sin will cleave to their Souls, harden their Hearts, make them averse from Goodness, and render their Repentance difficult, if not impoffible; and how this is bur the Devil's Policy,by thefe little things,to rob them of the greater; and deludes them with these dreams, that when the day of the last Judgment fhall dawn,they may find themselves the most miferable Creatures under Heaven; how by this their finful Gain, they arm the Enemy against themselves, and put a Sword into his hand to deitroy and kill them; this would represent to 'em, how their Gain, which hath fo ill a foundation, muft neceffarily be a Moth in their Eftates; and how promifing foever their Gettings may be for the prefent, they will foon bring a confumption on their Fortune, and prepare for their greater forrow and vexation. This would represent to them, how fuch Gain doth purchase the Wrath of God, and procures treasures of God's indignarion; how it prognofticates a more plentiful Condemnation, and is a prefage of richer flames hereafter. This will lay before them that

faying of Chrift, Mat. 16.26. What shall it profit a Man, if he gain the whole World, and lofe kis own Soul? or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? this would fhew them their ftupendious Folly, in venturing eternal Torment for a little Trash; and difcover to them, how dear they buy their Plenty.

Confideration would let them fee, That a ferious Life is (in defpite of all the fuggeftions of the Devil to the contrary) the way to the greatest Gain, and yields the moft durable Profit, and lays a foundation for Riches which grow not old, and fade not away: That Abraham's Faith made him richer than his Poffeffions did; and that God's faying to him, I am thy Shield, and exceeding great Reward, proclaim'd him more wealthy, than all the Spoil he might have taken when he returned from the Slaughter of the Kings; that nothing can be of greater value than divine Love, and that Peace with God is a far greater treasure than all the Gold of Ophir: And Reconciliation by the Blood of Jefus, a nobler Possession, than all the Jewels and Pearls of the Indian Monarchs; and that the Apostle was in the right, when he counted all things but lofs and dung, for the excellency of the Knowledge of Chrift, Phil. 3, 8.

This would fhew them, That Friendship with God, and fellowship with the Father and his Son Jefus Chrift, is worth more than ten thousand Worlds; and reprefent to them the groans of the damned in Hell, who were they to live over their days again,would fell all they had to purchase this Pearl, and give ten thousand millions of Gold, if they had them, for his Friendship, because this L 3 Friend