intereft is concerned in thine. I have told you before, that he is an Hypocrite that will not be godly without the Hypocrites reward; and that can fail no further then he is moved by the wind of mans applaufe, or of fome other worldly end.

4. Stick not in any externals of Religion, nor in notions and barren uneffectual opinions. So far art thou Religious, as thy foul is engaged unto God, and thy life imployed for him: And fo far thou dost truly worship him as thy heart is drawn up to him in love, and as thou doft fear him, admire him, truft him, and take thy pleasure in him. Think not, that it is a faving Religiousness, to be of fuch or fuch an opinion, or fuch a party, or fuch a Church, or to fay over so many words of prayer, or to keep a task of outward duties, or to be of a ready voluble

voluble tongue, in Preaching, Prayer or Difcourfe. Religion lyeth in the Heart and Life.

5. Indulge not thy felf in one known fin. Retain no grefs or willfull fin: Plead for no Infirmity, but make it the bufinefs of thy life to extirpate the relicts of the body of death. Be willing of the molt fearching Word, and of the plaineft reproof, and of all the help thou canft get against so dangerous

an enemy.

6. Stint not thy felf in any low degrees of holiness; but love, and long, and firive after the higheft. If thou bear a fecret core of diftaft against thofe that outgo thee, it is a mortal fign. Thou must be perfect in defire, or thou art not fincere.

7. Walk alwaies as in the prefence of the holy, dreadful, heartfearching God: Remember that he feeth thy ends, thine affections, N 2 and

and all thy thoughts. Be the fame therefore in fecret as thou art in publike, fincerely fearch the Word of God, and know what it is that he would have, and that refolve on, if all the world fhould be against it. Unrefolvedness is hypocrifie and temporizing or following the greater fide, for the fecurity of the flesh, is no better. Never think thou canft be too holy, or too obedient. But make it thy ftudy to do God all the fervice that thou canft, whatever fuffering or coft it put thee to. Be not ashamed openly to own the cause of Chrift. In the prefence of the greateft, remember that thy mafter is fo much greater, that they are worms and vanity to him. Take heed of culling out the easie and cheap part of Religion, and laying by the difficult and dear. Thy Religion must be as the heart in thy breast, which is alwaies working,

working,and by which thou liveft; which cannot stop long, but thou wilt die. But the Hypocrites Religion is like the Hat upon his head, for ornament and shelter from the weather, and not for life in the night when none feeth him he can iye without it, and in the day he can put it off for the fake of a friend, and perhaps ftand bare in the presence of a greater perfon that expecteth it. So can the Hypocrite too oft difpenfe with his Religion.

8. Be hearty and ferious in all thou doft. Hear, and read, and pray as for thy life. Sincerity confifteth much in ferionfaefs. Remember thou art almoft at another world! while I am fpeaking and thou art hearing, we are both hafting to our endless state. how fhould men live on earth,that must live here for fo fhort a time, and muft live for ever in heaven or

hell: These things are true, and paft all queftion and therefore for your fouls fake lofe not heaven by trifling. Pray not in jeast, and ferve not God in jeast, and resist not fin in jeaft,leaft you be damned in good fadnefs. When you are at work for eternity, its time to do it with all your might. O what unconceivable mercies are now offered you! O what an excellent price is in your hands! and nothing is fo likely to deprive you of the benefit, as dreaming and dallying, when you fhould be up and doing, as if this were not your bufinefs, but your play; and falvation and damnation were matters of sport. O do but fet your felves to the pleafing of God, and the faving of your fouls with all your might, and ply it with dili gence as your chiefeft work, and then you are out of the danger of the Hypocrite. But if ftill you