is coming, and what a fad preparation you are making, and how little a while the mufick, the feast, the cards and dice, the filthy lufts and wanton dalliance will continue? and what a damp of felftormenting defperation will feize upon those careless fcornful hearts, that now will not be wakened and warned, nor underftand any further then they fee or feel! In compaffion to those that are paffing hence to another world, I befeech you fometime withdraw your felves from fenfual divertisements, and foberly bethink you, whether this be the place and company that you must be with for ever? how long this merry life will laft! and whether this be the work that the God of heaven did fend you about into the world? and whether it would be more comfortable to your review when time is gone, to think of. of your dayes of fenfual delight, or of a holy, and humble, and heavenly converfation and to hear with Dives, Luk. 16. 25. [Son,remember that thou in thy life time receivedft thy good things, and Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.] O then you would wish that you had never heard thofe aery titles, and never poffeft thofe fumptuous houses; nor never tafted those delicious feafts; nor never worn that gay attire, nor never known that deceiving company; been polluted and bratified with thofe beaftly lufts! Then confcience will force the now befooled Dives to cry out, [O that I had been the most defpifed man on earth, while honour did befool me? that I had lain in medicinal poverty and rags, when I took this mortal furfeit of profperity? nor that I had lain in tears and for row. ཐ row, when I was infatuated by flefhly mirth and pleasure! and that I had been among the Saints that forefaw and provided for this day, when I drown'd the voyce of Chrift and confcience, with the laughter of a fool, and the noife of worldly bufinefs and delights!] O then how revengefully will you befool your felves, that had time and knew no better how to use it And how fenfibly will you juftifie the wisdom of believers, that bent their care for things. eternal! I am ashamed of my heart, that melts not in compaffìon in the forefight of your wo! and that I beg not of you with tears and importunity, to prevent it, and to have mercy on your felves. Paul had a better heart then I, that ceafed not to warn every one day and night with tears, 'Act. 20. 31. and fpeaketh thus of fuch as you [Phil. 3. 18, 19, For For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, the enemies of the Crofs of Chrift, whofe end is destruction, whofe God is their belly, and whofe glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.] When the converfation of believers is in heaven,from whence they look for the Lord their Saviour. I fuppofe you are afraid of the aufterities of Religion; and the Devil would perfwade you, that it is but a felf-tormenting, or hypocritical life, that we commend to you under the name of godlinefs: efpecially when you fee the fadnefs of fome honeft fouls, that are abused by Satan through the advantages of melancholy. But I must profefs, it is forrow that I call you from and would prevent: It is no unneceffary grief that I would perfwade you to, but to a life of heavenly peace and joy. If If Satan have abused any fervants of Chrift, by darkening, and troubling, and difcomforting their minds (which is his ordinary endeavour, when he can no longer keep men quiet, and careless, and prefumptuous in their mifery;) this is clean contrary to the nature of Religion, and the commands of Chrift, that chargeth them alway to rejoyce. Do you think that I cannot have more folid joy with my daily bread, in the apprehenfions of the love of God, and the belief of his promifes of eternal life, then foolish mirth comes to, that's likened to the crackling of thorns in the fire? Ecclef. 7.6. you are for mirth; and we are for mirth: but its a hearty, folid, fpiritual, grounded, lafting mirth that we invite you to and its a beaftly fenfual pleasure that ungodly men defire. For my part, its almost half my work, to pro mote |