Let them remember, that they are not difciples of Chrift, till they have, like him, offered their whole body and foul as a reasonable and lively facrifice unto God; that they are not members of Christ's myftical body, till they are united unto him by a new fpirit; that they have not entered into the kingdom of God, till they have entered with an infant fimplicity of heart, till they are fo born again as not to commit fin, fo full of an heavenly spirit, as to have overcome the world.

NOTHING less than this great change of heart and mind can give any one any affurance, that he is truly turned to God. There is but this one term of falvation, He that is in Chrift, is a new creature. How infignificant all other attainments are, is fufficiently fhewn in the following words: Many will fay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name? And in thy name have caft out devils? And in thy name bave done many wonderful works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (a)

So that there is no religion that will ftand us in any ftead, but that which is the converfion of the heart to God; when all our tempers are tempers of piety, fpringing from a foul that is born again of the Spirit, that tends with one full bent to a perfection and happinefs in the enjoyment of God.

LET us therefore look carefully to ourselves, and confider what manner of fpirit we are of; let us not think our condition fafe, because we are of this or that church or communion, or because we are strict obfervers of the external offices of religion; for these are marks that belong to more than belong to Christ. All are not his, that prophefy, or even work miracles in his name; much less thofe, who with worldly minds and corrupt hearts, are only baptiz'd in his name.

(a) Matth. vii. 22.

IF religion has rais'd us into a new world; if it has filled us with new ends of life; if it has taken poffeffion of our hearts, and alter'd the whole turn of our minds; if it has chang'd all our ideas of things, given us a new fet of hopes and fears, and taught us to live by the realities of an invifible world; then may we humbly hope, that we are true followers of the holy Jefus, and fuch as may rejoice in the day of Chrift, that we have neither run in vain, nor labour'dˇin vain.

CHA P. III.

Christianity requireth a renunciation of the world, and all worldly tempers.

THE

HE Chriftian religion being to raise a new, fpiritual, and as yet invisible world, and to place man in a certain order amongst thrones, principalities, and spiritual beings, is at entire enmity with this prefent corrupt ftate of flesh and blood.

IT ranks the present world along with the flesh and the devil, as an equal enemy to those glorious ends, and that perfection of human nature, which our redemption propofes.

Ir pleafed the wisdom of God to indulge the Jews in worldly hopes and fears.

IT was then faid, Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments, which I command you this day, that ye may be ftrong, and go in and poffefs the land whither to poffefs it.

you go

THE gofpel is quite of another nature, and is a call to a very different fate; it lays its first foundation in the renunciation of the world, as a ftate of falfe goods and enjoyments, which feed the vanity and corruption

ruption of our nature, fill our hearts with foolish and wicked paffions, and keep us feparate from God, the only happiness of all spirits.

MY kingdom, faith our bleffed Saviour, is not of this world; by which we may be affured, that no worldlings are of his kingdom.

WE have a farther reprefentation of the contrariety that there is betwixt this kingdom and the concerns of this world. A certain man, faith our Lord, made a great fupper, and bade many, and fent his fervant at fupper-time, to fay to them that were bidden, come, for all things are now ready; and they all with one confent began to make excufe. The first faid, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and fee it; another Jaid, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them, I pray thee have me excufed; another faid, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

WE find that the mafter of the house was angry, and faid, None of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my fupper. (a)

OUR Saviour, a little afterwards, applies it all in this manner, Whosoever he be of you, that for faketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my difciple. We are told, that when the chief priests and pharifees heard our Saviour's parables, they perceived that he spoke of them. (b)

If Chriftians, hearing the above recited parable, are not prick'd in their hearts, and don't feel that our Saviour speaks of them, it must be own'd that they are more harden'd than Jews, and more unfincere than Pharifees.

THIS parable teaches us, that not only the vices, the wickedness and vanity of this world, but even its moft lawful and allow'd concerns, render men unable to enter, and unworthy to be received into the true ftate of Christianity.

(a) Luke xiv. 16.

(b) Mat. xxi. 45.

THAT

THAT he, who is bufied in an honest and lawful calling, may on that account be as well rejected by God, as he who is vainly employ'd in foolish and idle pursuits.

THAT it is no more pardonable to be lefs affected to the things of religion, for the fake of any worldly business, than for the indulgence of our pride, or any other paffion it farther teaches us, that Chriftianity is a calling that puts an end to all other callings; that we are no longer to confider it as our proper ftate or employment to take care of oxen, look after an eftate, or attend the most plaufible affairs of life; but to reckon every condition as equally trifling, and fit to be neglected, for the fake of the one thing needful.

Men of ferious bufiness and management, generally cenfure those who trifle away their time in idle and impertinent pleasures, as vain and foolish, and unworthy of the Chriftian profession.

BUT they don't confider, that the business of the world, where they think they fhew fuch a manly fkill and address, is as vain as vanity itself; they don't confider, that the cares of an employment, an attention to bufinefs, if it has got hold of the heart, renders men as vain and odious in the fight of God, as any other gratification.

FOR tho' they may call it an honest care, a creditable industry, or by any other plaufible name; yet it is their particular gratification, and a wisdom that can no more recommend itself to the eyes of God, than the wifdom of an Epicure.

FOR it fhews as wrong a turn of mind, as false a judgment, and as great a contempt of the true goods, to negle& any degrees of piety, for the fake of bufinefs, as for any the moft trifling pleasures of life.

THE wisdom of this world gives an importance, and air of greatness to feveral ways of life, and ridicules others as vain and contemptible, which differ only in their kind of vanity; but the wisdom from above condemns, all labour, as equally fruitless, but

that

that which labours after everlasting life. Let but religion determine the point, and what can it fignify, whether a man forgets God in his farm, or a fhop, or at a gaming-table? For the world is full as great and important in its pleasures, as in its cares; there is no more wisdom in the one, than in the other; and the Chriftian that is govern'd by either, and made lefs affected to the things of God by them, is equally odious and contemptible in the fight of God.

AND tho' we diftinguish betwixt cares and pleasures, yet if we would fpeak exactly, it is pleasure alone that governs and moves us in every state of life. And the man, who in the business of the world would be thought to pursue it, because of its ufe and importance, is as much govern'd by his temper and taste for pleasures, as he who ftudies the gratification of his palate, or takes his delight in running foxes and bares out of breath.

FOR there is no wisdom or reason in any thing but religion, nor is any way of life lefs vain than another, but as it is made ferviceable to piety, and conspires with the 'defigns of religion, to raise mankind to a participation and enjoyment of the divine Na

ture.

THEREFORE does our Saviour equally call men from the cares of employments, as from the pleafures of their senses; because they are equally wrong turns of mind, equally nourish the corruption of our nature, and are equally nothing when compared to that high ftate of glory, which by his fufferings and death he has merited for us.

PERHAPS Christians, who are not at all asham'd to be devoted to the cares and business. of the world, cannot better perceive the weakness and folly of their defigns, than by comparing them with fuch ftates of life, as they own to be vain and foolish, and contrary to the temper of religion.

SOME people have no other care, than how to give their palate fome fresh pleasure, and enlarge the hap

piness