30.

go,

Mat. 21. like him that faid, He would and did not. Sometimes they fly to Sports and Company, to drown the Reprover's Voice, and blunt his Arrows, to chase away troubled Thoughts, and fecure themfelves out of the Reach of the Difquieter of their Pleafures: But the Almighty, firft or laft, is fure to overtake them. There is no flying his final Juftice, for those that reject the Terms of his Mercy. Impenitent Rebels to his Law may then call to the Mountains, and run to the Caves of the Earth for Protection, but in vain. His all-fearching Eye will penetrate their thickeft Coverings, and frike up a Light in that Obfcurity, which shall terrify their guilty Souls; and which they shall never be able to extinguifh. Indeed their Accufer is with them, they can no more be rid of him, than of themfelves; he is in the midst of them, and will stick clofe to them. That Spirit which bears Witnefs with the Spirits of the Juft, will bear Witness against theirs. Nay, their own Hearts will abundantly come in 1 John 3. against them; and, If our Heart condemn us, fays the Apostle John, God is greater, and knows all Things: That is, there is no escaping the Judgments of God, whofe Power is infinite, if a Man is not able to efcape the Condemnation of himfelf. 'Tis at that Day, proud and luxurious Chriftians fhall learn, that God is no Refpecter of Perfons; that all Sects and Names fhall be fwallowed up in these two Kinds, Sheep and Goats, Juft and Unjuft: And the very Righteous must have a Trial for

20.

I

it: Which made that holy Man cry out, f1 Peter 4 the Righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the 18. Ungodly and the Sinner appear? If their Thoughts, Words and Works muft ftand the Test, and come under Scrutiny before the impartial Judge of Heaven and Earth, how then fhould the Ungodly be exempted? No, we are told by him that cannot lie, many shall then even cry, Lord, Lord; fet forth their Profeffion, and recount the Works that they have done in his Name, to make him propitious, and yet be rejected with this direful Sentence, Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity, I know Mat. 7.23As if he had faid, Get you gone, you you not. evil Doers; though you have profeft me, I will not know you: Your vain and evil Lives have made you unfit for my holy Kingdom: Get you hence, and go to the Gods whom you have ferved; your beloved Lufts, which you have worshipp'd, and the evil World that you have so much coveted and ador'd: Let them fave you now, if they can, from the Wrath to come upon you, which is the Wages of the Deeds you have done. Here is the End of their Work that build upon the Sand, the Breath of the Judge will blow it down; and woful will the Fall thereof be. O, 'tis now, that the Righteous have the better of the Wicked! Which made an Apoftate cry in old Time, Let me die the Death of the Righteous, and let Numb. 23my laft End be like unto his. For the Sentence 10. is chang'd, and the Judge fmiles: He cafts the Eye of Love upon his own Sheep, and

invites

Mat. 25.

34.

invites them with a Come ye bleffed of my Father, that through patient Continuance in Well-doing, have long waited for Immortality: You have been the true Companions of my Tribulation, and Crofs, and with unwearied Faithfulness, in Obedience to my holy Will, valiantly endur'd to the End, looking to me, the Author of your precious Faith, for the Recompence of Reward, that I have promised to them that love me, and faint not: O enter ye into the Joy of your Lord, and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World!

§. X. O Christendom! my Soul most fervently prays, that after all thy lofty Profeffion of Christ, and his meek and holy Religion, thy unfuitable and un-Chrift-like Life may not caft thee at that great Affize of the World, and lofe thee fo great Salvation at laft. Hear me, once, I beseech thee: Can Christ be thy Lord, and thou not obey him? Or, canft thou Gal. 6. 7. be his Servant, and never ferve him? Be not

deceived, fuch as thou fowest, shalt thou reap. He is none of thy Saviour, whilft thou rejectest his Grace in thy Heart, by which he should fave thee. Come, What has he faved thee from? Has he faved thee from thy finful Lufts? Thy worldly Affections, and vain Converfations? If not, then he is none of thy Saviour. For though he be offered a Saviour to all, yet he is actually a Saviour to those only, that are faved by him; and none are faved by him, that live in thofe Evils, by which they are loft

from

from God, and which he came to fave them from.

'Tis Sin that Chrift is come to fave Man from, and Death and Wrath, as the Wages of it; But those that are not faved, that is, delivered, by the Power of Chrift in their Souls, from the Power that Sin has had over them, can never be faved from the Death and Wrath, that are the affured Wages of the Sin they live in.

So that look, how far People obtain Victory over thofe evil Difpofitions, and fleshly Lufts they have been addicted to, fo far they are truly faved, and are Witneffes of the Redemption that comes by Jefus Chrift. His Name shews his Work: And thou shalt call his Name Mat.1.2 1. JESUS, for he hall fave his People from their Sins. And lo! faid John of Chrift, the Lamb John 1.29of God that takes away the Sin of the World! That is, Behold him, whom God hath given to enlighten People, and for Salvation to as many as receive him, and his Light and Grace in their Hearts, and take up their daily Cross, and follow him: Such as rather deny themfelves the Pleasure of fulfilling their Lufts, than fin against the Knowledge he has given them of his Will; or do that, they know they ought not to do.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

1. By this, Christendom may fee her Lapfe, how foul it is; and next, the worst for her Pretence to Chriftianity. §. 2. But there is Mercy with God upon Repentance, and Propitiation in the Blood of JESUS. §. 3. He is the Light of the World, that reproves the Darkness, that is, the Evil of the World; and he is to be known within. §. 4. Chriftendom, like the Inn of old, is full of other Guests: She is advised to believe in, receive and apply to Chrift. §. 5. Of the Nature of true Faith; it brings Power to overcome every Appearance of Evil: This leads to confider the Cross of CHRIST, which has been fo much wanted. §. 6. The Apoftolick Miniftry, and End of it; its blessed Effect; the Character of Apoftolick Times. §. 7. The Glory of the Crofs, and its Triumph over the Heathen World. A Measure to Chriftendom, what she is not, and should be. §. 8. Her Declenfion, and Caufe of it. §. 9. The miferable Effects that followed. §. 10. From the Confideration of the Caufe, the Cure may be more eafily known, viz. Not faithfully taking up the daily Crofs; then faithfully taking it daily up, must be the Remedy.

§. I.BY all which has been faid, O Chriftendom! and by that better Help, if thou wouldeft