Gofpel affure me of the Fallacy, where the Cheat is of that dangerous confequence too, and borders upon Eternal Damnation: Shall I be fo degenerous, fo bafe, fo low-fpirited, as to fuffer my felf to be thus grofly abufed and deceived? AChild will not be cheated of his Puppets,a Beaft will not be cheated of his Meat, a Dog will not be cheated of his Bone; and fhall I alone be the fport of Devils? I, a Creature to whom God hath given Dominion over the Fish of the Sea, and over the Fowls of the Air, and over every thing that moveth upon the Earth? O Monster! Why fo cruel to my own Soul? Why fo barbarous to my Immortal Part? Why fo inhumane to my Spiritual Intereft? Why fo mad to run into the Fire? Why fuch an Enemy to my own good? Have not I Enemies enough, but I must make my felf my greatest Foe? Shall I join with that roaring Lion, and teach him how to devour me? Shall I give him advantages against my self? First let him deceive me, and then laugh at me? First let him feduce me into the Net, and then punish me for being taken? I believe my Children, if they tell me that they have feen fuch a Houfe on fire; and believe my Neighbours, if they affure me there are Thieves broke into my House; and believe a Phyfician, who affirms, that fuch a Powder or Herb is perfect Poifon; And fhall not I believe that God, who hath prepared and fore-ordained these everlasting Burnings I hear and read of, and must needs know the Terror of them? Shall not I believe him, when he tells me, and protests upon the Word of a God, that

if I do not betake my felf betimes to another course of Life, I fhall affuredly fall a Prey to those endless Burnings? Say not, falfe Heart, how fhall I be fure God hath faid fo? Either profefs thy felf no Chriftian, or confefs it. Haft thou lived fo long under the found of the GoSpel, and dareft thou harbour such a Thought? I believe a Servant that tells me, That fuch a Man is like to run away with the Goods I have intrusted him with; and I believe a stranger, that gives me warning not to be familiar with a certain fort of Perfons in the Country I am go¬ ing to; and I believe a Traveller, that tells me, that in fuch an Island there are Mountains of Fire, and Mines of Sulphur burning continually: Do I believe an Enemy that threatens to break my Head when he meets me; and shall not I believe that God that feeds me, and protects me, and knows all things, and can do all things, and never intended me any harm, but hath given me fuch Evidences of his kind Inclinations to me, that I must deny my own Being, if I queftion his willingness to have me come to the knowledge of the Truth? I chufe a present Agony to keep off an After-evil, and am content to prolong Torment, fo I may but prolong this mortal Life; and shall not I, to avoid thofe endless Tortures, mortify a filly Luft, fubdue my extravagant Defires, and inflict fo much Penance on my self, as to cafhire all darling and bofom Iniquities? What means my Confcience? It's not quiet under all the Pleasures of Sin; it's ready to accufe me; when it gets me alone, it twitches me, I find it a hard matter to rock it afleep;

alleep; and when I think it's faft, like a Giant it walks again, and afrights me with flashes of the next World's Flames; and fhall I break thro' all thofe Funeral Torches to invade Damnation? Do what I can it wounds me, lafhes me, tears me, and like fome Blood-hound, follows me, and I condemn my felf before any Creature accufes me; it's not to be bribed with mony, not to be hush'd with threatnings, not to tied with Cords, not be bound with Ropes; and, Lord, fhall not I fuffer my felf to be taken Captive by the King of Saints! Such Expoftulations, if the Heart be not all Rock and Adamant, cannot but startle the Sinner in his Licentioufnefs, make him stamp with his Feet, and force him into other Refolutions; which is the Third Ingredient of this great Art, Confideration.

III. Strong Refolution. This is the neceffary Confequent of the preceding Expostulations, if they be ferious, and not ufed only out of Formality; and the Soul, that is by this time flung into a sense of its danger, and cries out, Lord, what have I done? will foon fall from thence into fuch Refolutions as thefe: Does the Cafe ftand thus, and muft my finful Life expire into the Worm that dies not? Muft my Frolicks die into endless Howlings? And must my sport of Sin be crushed into never-dying Anguish? And my wilful contempt and neglect of God's Will, be turn'd into Chains of Darkness for ever? Is it fo as God hath told me? And why should he tell me fo, if it were not fo? Why should he fright me with painted Fire? And how could

it confift with his Wisdom and Integrity to deceive me with Bugbears andChimera's? If this be the Fate of a finful Life, then tell me no more of Dalilah's, tell me no more of Impediments or Excuses, or Delays. If this be the fearful Exit of Senfuality and Irreligioufness, there is no dallying with Sin; I'll get rid of it whatever it coft me; I'll hearken to its foft Airs no longer; I'll be charm'd no more with the lovely Looks of that Harlot; its curious Dresses, its treacherous Glance fhall commit a Rape upon my Affections no longer. I will not for a few jolly hours neglect my Eternal Safety; Eternity is not a thing to be made light of; I believe there is such a thing; And why fhould I be fuch a Changling as not to provide for it with all imaginable care and industry? I am gone; Farewel Applaufe and Greatnefs of the World. Farewel ye little fhooting Flames of Senfual Pleafures, which ferve only to delude not to revive or enlighten an Immortal Soul. Farewel Cards and Dice, and all thofe Trinkets of the Devil, whereby befotted Men lofe their Time and Peace. Time, What can be more coftly? Peace, What can be of greater value? Farewel fine Clothes, and richer Habits, which ferv'd only to feed Pride and Luxury. Pride, what can be liker the Devil? Luxury, what can be more unmanly? Farewel Oftentation and Vainglory, for which I have fo often facrificed, not only my Wealth, but my Reft and Quiet too, Farewel Applause and Acclamations of the gid dy Crowd, which have fwell'd and blown up my Heart fo often, and made me enamour'd with

my

my finful Self. Farewel my old Acquaintance, that cocker'd and help'd to please those Lufts I now abhor. Farewel ye dangerous Friends, that would have dragg'd me into Hell, and would have had me kind to you even unto Eternal Fire. Farewel unhappy Men, who would have made me venture on the burthen of God's Anger, which Devils cannot bear, and tempted me to be miferable for Company's fake; I must either have no peace with God, or none with. you. The Friendship of God and the World are incompatible, and would you have me leave my God, my Happiness, my Joy, my Comfort, my Refuge, my Hiding-place, my Riches, my Treafure, to follow you to a place of endless Torments? I fee through all these Cobwebs; I fee, I see what all your Follies will come to; I am convinced, that if there be a Happiness hereafter, as I am perfwaded there is, the courfe ye take cannot be the way to that Paradife. Moleft me no more, it is in vain. I'll be chous'd no more; feek out Arguments, find out Flatteries,make your Motives as ftrong as you please, as cogent as you can; but with me they fhall not prevail; here they fhall find no harbour. I'll have nothing to do with thefe Pirats. They have been ready to fink my Veffel. They had fwallowed me up quick, if God had not been on my fide. They had devoured me, if God had not watch'd over me. I thank thee, O God, that thou haft not taken away my Life with Sinners: I will climb Mount Sion, I'll afcend God's Holy Hill, I'll be kept in Mefbech, in the Tents of Kedar no longer. Lift up your Heads,