and Earneft of their futureGlory; they Vol. II. discourse at large of the Variety, the Ufe, the End and Regulation of these Gifts, and this in Epiftles directed to those very Men who were endowed with fuch Gifts, to be read in all Churches, and to lye open to all the World, as well Infidels as Believers; for this miraculous Effufion of the Spirit, was to be the great Inftrument, as well of Converting the Infidel,as Confirming the Faithful. Now had there been no fuch Spirit, had there been no fuch Gifts, I appeal to any Man, whether it could ever have entered into the heart of Man to write after this rate, things fo monftroufly impudent, abfurd and falfe too. This must have expofed the Gospel, and the Propagaters of it, to the laft degree of Contempt, and instead of Converting the Nations, have forc'd those who had already embrac'd it, to renounce and explode it. But I will pursue this Argument no longer, for I perfwade my felf, you are ready to fay there is no need I fhould; you all believe a Life to come,and a Heaven for righteous humble Souls: I rejoyce in it, and hope you demonftrate your Faith by yourWorks; but alas! there is N 4

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2. Another Objection against a Heaven, which does very much chill and damp the Influence of it in those that fay they believe,and this is,that it is remote and diftant,Temptations are prefent, the things of this World court us with immediate Poffeffion and Enjoyment; but the Reward of Selfdenial, the Crown of Righteousness is remov❜d from us, by a long Tract of Time.

To this I answer, that fuppofing the Veracity of God, and the Truth of Revelation being prov'd, this way of talking is very idle and extravagant; 'tis well known that Temptations do but deceive, not fatisfie the Sinner, that even in this World we owe more to Hope than Poffeffion, and live more upon Expectation than Fru ition. And why should we not be content, as well to rely upon God, as on the falfe and flattering Promises of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil? But fuppofe the thing were otherwise, and that the Pleafures of Sin were all real, folid, and in poffeffion, yet how natural is it to remember what the Scriptures minds us of, That they are but for a feafon; what is prefent will foon

be

be past, and what is to come will foon Vol. II. be prefent; and then the things of this World, when once paft, will return no more for ever; but the things of the other, when once come, will never leave us, nor we them; The World paffeth away, and the Lufts thereof; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever, 1 John 2. Laftly, How contradictory is this Objection to our daily Practice; we complain that Life is fhort, and yet object against Heaven, that it is at too great a distance. Alas! we have not too much time upon our hands; by that time we can be prepared to meet our God, God will call us to himself; as foon as we can have drest and adorn'd the Soul, it will be time for us to put off the Body. There are few that are fit for Heaven, who think it too long e're they go to it.Nay rather, 'tis fo little we do, and there is fo much to be done, that we want time to give God proofs of our Faith and Love, and our felves of our Integrity, and happy fhall we be if Death and Judgment do not come too foon at last. The Scripture reprefents our Judge as standing at the Door; tells us, That Chrift is ready to judge both the quick and

the

Vol. II. the dead; and that a little while, and be that fhall come will come, and will not tarry, Heb. 10. 37,

3. The last thing that obftructs the Efficacy of the great Motive I am talk ing of, an incorruptible Crown, is this, That the Pleasures of Heaven feem too Spiritual and refin'd. But to this 'tis eafie to answer; All the fault is, we are too grofs and carnal; let our Minds be but once enlightened and purified, and we fhall difcover unspeakable Beauty and Perfection in the Scripture defcriptions of a Heaven; we cannot be fo dull as not to fee, that the more raised and perfect our Nature is, and the more excellent the Object, the more divine and ravishing will be our Pleasure let us but take care to be renew'd and transform'd from glory to glory; let us be fure that we become Saints here, and equal to Angels hereafter; and then how far foever the Joys and Glo ries of Heaven be above us now, we then shall be fit for them, and they for us; in the mean time let us endeavour to refine our Tafte, to improve and exalt our Minds, and then we may af fure our felves, that the Satisfaction of

an

an immortal and incorruptible and glo- Vol. II. rious Nature, will have as much more Life and Guft in it, then what we meet with in any Enjoyment now, as fuch a Nature is above a crazy, carpal, fluggish, mortal one.

I fhould now pass on to the fecond Motive taken from this Confideration, That So many run in vain, and fall short of the prize. I should lay before you the Matter of Fact, invite you to reflect on the difmal Confequence of it, I fhould enquire into the Reasons of it, and befides the Dangers which are common to us, with Chriftians of all Ages, I should put you in mind of two or three peculiar to this, fuch are Atheism and Deism, and a general loofnefs in our Principles, a general Neglect and Contempt of the Scriptures, and the open Confidence of Senfuality and Vice, the number and obftinacy of our Divifions, and much Ignorance joyned with our Vanity on the account of Superficial Knowledge, but my time will not permit this; I will conclude therefore with befeeching you that you would prepare your felves to run with patience the race that is fet before you, that you would lay afide every

weight,