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argue, that what Excellencies foever we may fancy in them, yet He who gave them Being, and can be under no Mistakes concerning them, fees nothing there fo valuable, as fhould incline him to fpare them from Ruin and Diffolution.

But, befides that unalterable Decree, which hath doomed these things to cease in themselves, there is another no lefs unavoidable, which brings them under a neceffity of ceafing to Us. For, How continually do we feel them perifh in the ufing? How often flip through our Fingers, and leave us, at once bereaved of a Poffeffion, we fondly thought fixed and certain, and astonish'd which way we came to be fo? Suppofing them, yet farther, to escape the common Methods of deceiving us in that point too; Yet, how short is Our stay with Them, if They were never fo firmly disposed to stay with Us? Death, 'tis beyond all doubt, must make an entire Separation. And This is in fuch fwift, fuch conftant Motion towards us, that every one hath so much lefs behind to enjoy the World in, as I have now been employing time to prepare him for the leaving it.

And Who that is wife, would place his Affections and Happiness, in That which must forfake him one day, which may do it this very day; In That, which every Moment cuts off a part from, Which often, makes it felf Wings, and flies away from Him, and which he himself is flying from, as faft as Time can carry him; flying from it, at the very instant, that he purfues and careffes, and fettles his Heart upon it? How vain are fuch fugitive Objects, in comparison of a certain and enduring Substance? How miferably infatuated thofe unthinking Creatures, who allow fuch Trifles, fuch empty Bubbles, to over-balance a Treafure in Heaven, a Crown incorruptible, and that fadeth not away for ever? Oh that Men were wife, that they would understand this, that they would confider their latter end!

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3. Thirdly,

3. Thirdly, From the Two foregoing Reflections, 'tis eafy to difcern the Reasonableness of those Virtues, which are ufually thought fo extremely hard of Digeftion, Liberal Charity to the Poor, and Suffering for a good Confcience, when God calls us to it. The abridging our Selves even of Superfluous Expences and Pleasures, but more of the common Comforts and Supplies of Human Life, and efpecially the Giving up All, even that Life it felf, for the fake of Religion, are, by the Carnal, the Vain, the Worldly-minded, (that is, in truth, by much the greater part of Mankind) look'd upon as moft extravagant Inftances of Zeal, and, to speak tenderly, a pious Madness. But, what Abfurdity foever Flefh and Senfe may apprehend in This, the Gofpel fets the matter in a quite different Light; and all the Hardship that affaults us in it, is merely from a Forgetfulness of our Condition in the Prefent World, and of our Profpects and Hopes in the Next.

1. Suppofe, as to the Former of thefe Cafes, the fame Command laid upon Each of us, as on the Rich Young-man in the Gofpel; Go, fell that thou hast, and give to the Poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven. This may, at firft, found like a hard Saying. But, if we will fit down, and weigh it nicely, what in truth does it amount to, more than this, that we fhould do, what every confidering Man would defire, and esteem himself happy in a fit Opportunity, to do? To make a Virtue of Neceffity, and part with that by Choice, which we muft otherwife part with by Conftraint: That we would freely give back to Chrift, what He firft gave Us; what is not in our Power always to keep, and for which, if this be done, he will give fomewhat in exchange, better, and not liable ever to be taken away. Were thefe Earthly Poffeffions abfolutely at our own Will, the Joys of Heaven fhould infinitely outweigh them. But, when

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the Question is not, Whether we will hold them fast, but, in what manner we will quit them. Whether a Fire, or a Tempest, Deceit or Violence, shall wreft them from us; Or whether we will convert them to generous and holy Ufes. Whether a profufe Heir fhall fquander them away in Riot and Luxury, and Folly; Or, Whether we will profit our Selves of them, by feeding the Hungry, and cloathing the Naked, Members of our Common Head. To difpute this, is to question, whether Good or Evil, Lofs or Improvement, ought to be chofen. For this is a fort of noble Avarice, thus to put Money out to Intereft, and, with the perishing Drofs of this World, to purchase an everlafting Settlement in the Next.

2. Nor is the Cafe very different with regard to Suffering for Religion. For, here too the whole turns upon This, Whether we will dedicate to God a Life expofed to Accidents innumerable, and perpetual Decay; and fo, by a Free-will Offering make that parting with the World a Martyrdom, which must be a Death however; Or, whether we chufe to prolong a Life, which every Moment may put an end to, at the Expence of a polluted Confcience, and everlafting Pains. Whether we will die like Chriftians, and enter upon certain Happiness to Day; Or whether we will run the Hazard of being unfpeakably and eternally miserable, by taking up with a bare Poffibility, (for 'tis but a Poffibility) of living till to mor

row.

But, God be thank'd, this, in Our Age, is feldom the Cafe. And therefore I have a farther Design in vindicating the Equity of Commands, which oblige, even when Matters are come to an Extremity. It is to put you in mind, how juftly thofe Men are condemn'd to Mifery hereafter, who refufe to be happy, upon much eafier Terms. For, If it were Wisdom even to leave all and follow Chrift; how fenfe

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lefs, how ungrateful is it, not to allow him part of our Abundance, and give to Piety, what, if with-held, would only minifter unto Vanity and Sin? If even Dying for Him, who hath already died for Us, cannot in ftricteft Reason be declined; How wretched, how wilful must their Condemnation be, who will not be perfuaded to live to Him; and devote their Bodies and Souls a holy Sacrifice, acceptable, and zealous in good Works?

Let us, my Brethren, confider the glorious Hope, that is fet before us, of being like him, and feeing him as he is and let this effectually prevail with us to purify our felves even as he is pure. As knowing very well, that fuch a resemblance to him in this present World, is the only poffible way of attaining to be made like him, when he shall appear, in his eternal and glorious Kingdom: where with Thee, O Father, and Thee, O Holy Ghoft, he liveth and reigneth ever one God World without end. Amen.

The Sunday called Septuagefima; Or, the Third Sunday before Lent.

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The COLLECT.

Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the Prayers of thy People, that We, who are juftly punished for our Offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy Goodness; for the Glory of thy Name, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, World without end. Amen.

PARAPHRASE.

24. The Zeal I urge 24.

upon you, and exprefs

in my own Practice, is no more, than what the

The EPISTLE.

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1 Cor. ix. 24.

Νότι ye not, that they which run in a race run all, but one obtaineth the prize? fo run that ye may obtain.

Corinthians have frequent Inftances of, upon much flenderer EncourageFor in the Ifthmian Games, celebrated with you, all the Racers

ments.

obferve

obferve the Rules prefcribed them, and exert their utmost Vigor, though of all these but One gets what All aim at. Let these Men be your Pattern, and do you run your Chriftian Race, with an Eagerness that ftrives to be foremoft, and would not be outdone by any engaged in the fame Course.

25. And every man that friveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown, but we an incorruptible.

25. Again, Thefe who contend, in those Games, at Wrestling and Cuffing, fubmit to

Difcipline, debar themselves many Liberties, and undergo great and long Hardfhips, to prepare them for the Combat. And if they are content to do and fuffer fo much for a Garland of Boughs, that quickly withers; ought we to decline fome Abridgments and Self-denials who expect to be rewarded with a Crown that fadeth not away ?

26. I therefore fo run, not as uncertainly: fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

keep my Goal in view, like those Grecian Runnners. my Arms in the Air, and act imaginary Conflicts:

27. But I keep under my Body and bring it into fubjeEtion, left that by any means, when I bave preached to others, I my felf fhould be a caft-away.

26. This is it which invigorates me, I know the Course I make, and Nor do I only brandish

27. But, like thofe Wrestlers and Cuffers, fight in very good earneft with my Adver

faries; this Body of mine, its Appetites and Paffions; and fubdue them by Mortification and ftrict Difcipline. Left otherwife I, who (like the Herald in those Games,) proclaim the Terms and the Rewards to Others, fhould at length, through Sloth or irregular Behaviour, lofe all, and have the Prize given at last against my self.

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COMMENT.

HE better to difcern our Apoftle's true Scope in the Paffage now before us, we fhall do well to begin our Meditations upon it, with obferving the Occafion which introduced this Argument, and the Propriety of thofe Allufions, wherein the Force of it confifts.

1. For the Occafion, First, This feems to have been given, by thefe Corinthians having confulted St. Paul about fome Points of Chriftian Liberty. In thefe, he fets himself to refolve and direct them, from the beginning of the Seventh Chapter. Among Others, That of eating Meats Sacrificed to Idols is

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