fcoffed at them upon this account, as if the apostles SERM. had been deceivers in this matter, and therefore faid, CLXXXIII. "where is the promise of his coming?" as it were upbraiding them, for putting men in a vain expectation of it.

And it was no inconvenience at all, that the apoftles and first chriftians had this apprehenfion of the nearness of that time; for no confideration could be more forcible to keep them ftedfaft in their profeffion, and to fortify them against 'fufferings, than a perfuafion of the approach of that day, wherein those who fuffered for CHRIST fhould be fo gloriously rewarded; and thofe who for fear of fuffering fell off from him, fhould be fo terribly punifh'd. And nothing could be more proper and powerful, to wean their affections from the love of this world, and to make them willing to part with any thing in it, than to apprehend that there would fhortly be an end of it, and then all the enjoyments of it would fignify nothing. So that their ignorance in this mat.. ter was, by the providence of God, admirably fitted for the animating and encouraging of chriftians. to a great zeal and conftancy in the profeffion of their faith, and in the propagating of it, as think ing they had but a little while to do this great

work in.

And it will be in all ages to the end of the world, a good argument to men to vigilancy and conftant preparation; because if they be remifs and careless, the great judge of the world may "come in a day "that they think not of, and at an hour when they "are not aware." But to return to the particulars I propounded to speak to from the words.

SERM.

First, here is a general caution, "take ye heed;" CLXXXIII. look heedfully to it, that ye be not furprized and

overtaken by that time: for being uncertain when it will happen, ye are always in danger. But because this general caution is only premised by our SAVIOUR, to make way for the more particular directions, therefore I shall not infist upon this, but in the fecond place proceed to them. And they are these two; "watch and pray."

I. Vigilancy, which is a large duty, and comprehends under it the whole care of a christian life; all that watchfulness and preparation which we ought to ufe, that we be not furprized by that terrible day; that we be not found in fuch a condition, as flothful and negligent fervants used to be in, when their lord comes fuddenly upon them, and finds all things in confufion and diforder. And to this our SAVIOUR alludes feveral times in his exhortations to watchfulnefs: Luke xii. 35, 36. "Let your loins be girded "about, and your lamps burning, and ye yourselves "like unto men that wait for their LORD. Bleffed. "are thofe fervants, whom the LORD when he is comes fhall find watching." And, ver. 40. " Be

66

ye therefore ready alfo; for the Son of man "cometh at an hour when ye think not." So that this watchfulness implies a continual care of our lives and actions, that we be always in fuch a pofture as we would be willing the great judge of the world fhould take us in, doing those things which we fhould not be afhamed to own, if he fhould come fuddenly upon us, and fummon us before his tribunal; and avoiding thofe things which would be matter of fhame and confufion to us at his appearance. Luke xxi. 34, 35, 36. where our SAVIOUR giveth

this caution, he inftanceth in fome particular fins, SERM. which are more directly contrary to this "vigilance;" CLXXXIII. as intemperance, and an inordinate love and care about

earthly things.
"Take heed to yourselves, left your
"hearts be overcharged with furfeiting and drunken-
"nefs and the cares of this life, and fo that day come

upon you unawares: for as a fnare fhall it come "on all that dwell on the face of the whole earth. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may "be accounted worthy to escape all those things that "fhall come to pass, and to ftand before the SON " of man."

It would be a large work to defcend to all particulars, whereby we fhould exprefs our care and vigilance. I fhall mention but a few; but fuch as will comprehend most others under them.

1. We should refolve without delay, to put ourfelves into that state and condition, in which we may not be afraid judgment should find us. It is to be feared, that a great part of mankind are in that loofe and negligent pofture, in the time of their health and profperity, in which if the great judge of the world should furprize them, and bring them to a speedy trial, it would go ill with them; their cafe would be fad and deplorable beyond all imagination, infinitely fadder than of a malefactor ftanding before an earthly judge, guilty of great and notorious crimes, and continually expecting the fentence of death to be pafs'd upon him. Such is the condition of all impenitent finners, who have lived careless and diffolute lives, without any ferious confideration of their future ftate, or preparation for it; who have in the general course of their lives neglected GoD and religion, and a great many neceffary and effential parts

of

SERM. of their duty, and have indulged themselves, either CLXXXIII. in a continual courfe of impiety and wickedness, or

of fenfual pleasures and vanity. What shall become

of those whom the judge of the world fhall find in this condition, either actually wicked, or wretchedly fecure?

Nay, those who do in fome measure and degree mind religion, how few of them live under "the 66 powers of the world to come," have " their loins. "girded about, and their lamps burning," and are habitually fo prepared, as if they were in a continual expectation of the coming of their LORD? So that in the fecure and negligent pofture that most men live, even the better fort of men, if judgment should overtake them, how few could be faved? For this caufe "GOD is long-fuffering to men, because "he is not willing that any should perish, but that "all should come to repentance." And if he should not by his merciful providence awaken many men to confideration and care of themselves, and by fome great affliction, or long fickness, put men upon ferious thoughts, and give them the space and opportunity to recollect themselves, to make up their accounts, and so make their peace with GoD, and to put themselves into a better pofture for another world, than they ufually are in the time of their health and profperity, it is very much to be feared, that the greatest part of thofe who are tolerably good, would be destroyed in their fecurity.

But this patience of GOD will not always last; but "the day of the LORD will come as a thief in "the night," and will furprize the careless world all at once, and give them no time" to trim up their

lamps," and "to get oil," if they be not pro

CLXXXIII.

vided already; but in an inftant the door will be shut SERM.
against them, and they fhall never enter into the
kingdom of GOD. This day hath not yet happen'd;
but it will certainly come, and, as our SAVIOUR
fays, "will come as a fnare upon all them that dwell
"upon the face of the whole earth." And "blef-
"fed is that fervant, whom his LORD when he
"comes fhall find ready."

So that our first care must be to get out of this
dangerous ftate of fin and fecurity; "to break off
"our fins by repentance," that we may be capable
of the mercy of GoD, and at peace with him, be-
fore he comes to execute judgment upon the world:
for 'till this be done, we are every moment in dan-
ger; and if death or judgment fhould overtake us
in this impenitent ftate, we are loft beyond recovery.

2. After this great work of repentance is over, we should be very careful how we contract any new guilt, by returning to our former fins, or by the grofs neglect of any part of our duty. A true and fincere repentance will put us into a fafe condition: but then we must take heed, that we do not repent of our repentance, and bring ourselves into danger again, by starting afide from thofe good refolutions, which we had fo folemnly taken up. For every de. liberate and presumptuous fin that we are guilty of after our repentance, does endanger our ftate, and fhake the foundations of our peace: but if we relapse into our former evil courfe, or after our repentance we allow ourselves in the habitual practice of any known fin, either our repentance was infincere before, or if it were true for the time, we are fallen from it, and all that we have done fignifies nothing, and we have the whole work to begin VOL. X.

B

again.