because you know the way to it, unless you alfo walk in it.

AND therefore the first thing that I fhall propound, in order to our eternal Salvation, is, that we would refolve immediately in the Prefence of Almighty God, that we will for the future make it our great care, ftudy and business in this World, to feek the Kingdom of God and the Righteoufnefs thereof in the firft place, according to our Saviour's advice and command, Matth. vi. 33. that we would not halt any longer between two Opinions, and think to feek Heaven and Earth together, things diametrically oppofite to one another. If we really think Earth to be better than Heaven, what need we trouble our felves any farther, than to heap up the Riches, and to enjoy the Pleafures of this World: But if we really think Heaven to be better than Earth, as all wife Men muft needs do, then let us mind that, and concern not our felves about this. We know what our Saviour told us long ago, No Man can ferve two Mafters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else be will hold with the one and defpife the other: you cannot ferve God and Mammon, Matth. vii. 24. that is, in plain English, we cannot mind Heaven and Earth both together; for we can have but one grand and principal design in Q

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the World, and therefore if our principal defigu be to get Wealth or any earthly Enjoyment, we deceive our felves, if we think that we mind Heaven at all. For that we can never properly be faid to do, until we mind it before all things whatsoever in the World befides; and let us not fay, or think within our felves, that this is an hard faying, for we may affure our felves it is no more than what we fhall all find to be really true, and that never a Soul of us fhall ever know what Heaven is, that doth not firft prefer it before all things here below, and by confequence make it his principal, if not only defign to get thither.

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SUPPOSING us therefore to be thus refolved within our felves, my next Advice is, that we break off our former Sins by Repentance and fhewing Mercy to the Poor, and that for the future we live not in the wilful commiffion of any known Sin, nor yet in the wilful neglect of any known Duty. Where it is evident I advise to no more than what all Men know themselves to be obliged to do; for I dare fay, there is none of us knows fo little, but what if he would but live up to what he knows, he could not but be both holy and happy. Let us but avoid what we our felves know to be Sin, and do what we know to be our Duty, and though our knowledge may not

be

be fo great as others, yet our Piety may be greater and our Condition better. But we must still remember, that one Sin will keep us out of Heaven as well as twenty; and therefore if we ever defire to come thither, we must not only do fome or many things, but all things whatsoever is required of us, to the best of our knowledge. I fpeak not this of my felf, but Chrift himself hath told us the fame before, even that we must keep the Commandments, all the Commandments, if we defire to enter into eternal Life, Matth. xix. 16, 17. Not as if it was indifpenfably' neceffary to obferve every Punctilio and Circumftance of the Moral Law, for then no Man could be faved; but that it must be both our stedfaft Refolution, and our chief Study and Endeavour to avoid whatsoever we know to be forbidden, and to perform whatsoever we know to be commanded by God.

AND though by this we fhall make a fair progrefs in the narrow way to Life, yet there is ftill another ftep behind, before we can enter in at the ftrait Gate, and that is to believe in Jefus Chrift, as our Saviour himself hath taught us, Matth. xix. 21. The fum of which Duty in brief is this, That when we have done all we can in obedience to the Moral Law, yet we must still look upon our felves as unQ 2 pro

profitable Servants, and not expect to be juftified or faved by vertue of that Obedience, but only by the Merits of Chrift's Death and Paffions; humbly confiding, that in and through him, the defects of our Obedience fhall be remitted, our Perfons accepted, our Natures cleanfed, and our Souls eternally faved. This is not only the principal but the only thing which Paul and Silas directed the Keeper of the Prifon to, in order to his Salvation, as comprehending all the reft under it, or at leaft fuppofing them, Acts xvi. 31.

THUS therefore though Obedience be the way, Faith is the Gate through which we must enter into Life. But feeing the Gate is ftrait as well as the Way narrow, and it is as hard to believe in Chrift as to obferve the Law, we must not think to do either by our own ftrength, but ftill implore the Aid and Affiftance of Almighty God, and depend upon him for it. For Chrift himself faith, No Man can come to me except the Father which hath fent me, draw him, John vi. 44. But we can never expect that he fhould draw us, unless we defire it of him. And therefore it must be our daily Prayer and Petition at the Throne of Grace, that God would vouchfafe us his efpecial Grace and Affiftance, without which I cannot fee how any one that knows his own Heart,

can

can expect to be faved. But our Comfort is, if we do what we can God will hear our Prayers, and enable us to do what otherwife we cannot; for he never yet did, nor ever will fail any Man that fincerely endeavours to ferve and honour him.

LASTLY, Although we are to trust in God for the answer of our Prayers in this particular, yet we must not expect that he Thould do it immediately from himself, but we must use those means which himself hath appointed whereby to work Faith, and by confequence all other Graces in us. Now the Scriptures tell us that Faith comes by hearing, Rom. x. 17. Wherefore if we defire to believe, fo as to be faved, we muft wait upon God in his publick Ordinances, and there expect fuch influences of his Grace and Spirit, whereby we may be enabled to walk in the narrow way, and enter in at the ftrait Gate that leads to life.

THUS I have fhewn you in few terms, how to do the great Work which you came into the World about, even how to get to Heaven. For how foever hard it is to come thither, let us but refolve, as we have seen, to mind it before all things elfe, fear God and keep his Commands to the utmost of our Power, believe in Chrift for the pardon of our Sins, and the acceptance both of our Perfons and Performances; pray fincerely Q 3

unto