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gives the wisdom of this world its utmoft due, when he fays, The children of this world are wiser for their generation; for this is the very best that can be faid of it, it feldom looks fo far, and holds out fo long. Many men have furvived their own pro jects, and have lived to fee the folly and ill fate of their covetous and ambitious defigns. So the Prophet tells us, Jer. xvii. 11. As the partridge fitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; fo he that getteth riches, and not by right, fhall leave them in the midft of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

This is wifdom, to regard our main intereft; but if we be wrong in our end, (as all worldly men are) the fafter and farther we go, the more fatal is our error and mistake. The children of this world are out in their end, and mistaken in the main; they are wife for this world, which is inconfiderable to eternity; wife for a little while, and fools for ever.

2dly, From what hath been faid, we may infer, that if we lose our fouls, and come fhort of eternal happiness, it is through our own fault and grofs neglect; for we fee that men are wife enough for this world; and the fame prudence, and care and dili gence applied to the concernments of our fouls, would infallibly make us happy. Nay, our Saviour here in the text tells us, that ufually lefs wifdom and industry than the men of this world ufe about the things of this world, is exercifed by the children of light, who yet at laft, through the mercy of God, do attain eternal life.

So that it is very plain, that if men would but take that care for their immortal fouls, which they generally do for their frail and dying bodies, and be as heartily concerned for the unfeen world, and for eternity, as they are for things visible and temporal, they would with much more certainty gain heaven, than any man can obtain worldly riches and honours. And can we in confcience defire more than to be happy for ever, upon as eafy and upon more certain terms than any man can be rich or great in this world? For we may mifs of these things after all our travel and pains about them; or if we get

them,

them, we may lose them again: But if we feek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; if we be fincerely good, we are fure to have the reward of it, even that eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, hath promised; if we lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, they will be fafe and fecure there, where no moth can corrupt, nor thieves break through and Steal.

If we would feriously think of the other world, and were thoroughly poffeft with a firm belief of the eternity of that happiness or mifery, which remains for men after this life, we fhould pray to God, and hear his word, and perform all the duties of religion with the fame care and concernment, with the fame fervour and intention of mind, as men profecute their worldly bufinefs. Were we fully perfuaded of the unfeen glories and torments of the other world, we fhould be much more affected with them, than with all the temptations and terrors of fenfe; because in reason they are much more confiderable. The difgrace of the pillory will fright men from perjury; and will not everlafting fhame and confufion? The fear of death will deter many men from robbing and ftealing, who would perhaps venture upon thefe crimes, if there were no danger in them; and will not the horrors of the fecond death, of the worm that dies not, and the fire that is not quenched, have as great an awe and influence upon us? If they have not, it is a fign that we do not equally believe the danger of human laws, and the damnation of hell.

Surely men have not the fame belief of heaven, and affection for it, that they have for this world. If they had, their care and diligence about these things would be more equal. For we are not fo weak as we make ourselves: we are not yet fo degenerate, but if we would fet ourfelves feriously to it, and earneftly beg the affittance of God's grace, we might come to know our duty, and our wills might be engaged to follow the directions of our understandings, and our affections to obey the command of our wills, and our actions to follow the impulfe of

our

our affections. Much of this is naturally in our power; and what is wanting, the grace of God is ready to fupply. We can go to the church, and we can hear the word of God, and we can confider what we hear; we can pray to God, and fay, we believe, Lord help our unbelief, and enable us to do what thou requireft of us; and we can forbear a great many fins which we rafhly and wilfully run into : A great prefent danger will fright us from fin, a terrible form will drive us to our devotion, and teach us to pray; a fharp fit of the gout will take a man off from drinking; the eye of a matter or magiftrate will reftrain men from many things, which they fay they cannot forbear. So that we do but counterfeit, and make ourselves more cripples than we are, that we may be pitied: for if fear will reftrain us, it is a fign that we can forbear; if the rod of affliction will fetch it out of us, and make us do that which at other times we fay we are unable to do; this is a demonstration that it is in us, and that the thing is in our power.

It is true, we can do nothing that is good with out the affistance of God's grace; but that affiftance, which we may have for the asking, is in effect in our own power. So that if the matter were fearched to the bottom, it is not want of power that hinders us from doing our duty, but floth and negligence; for God hath given us exceeding great and precious promifes, whereby we may be made partakers of a divine nature; and by virtue whereof, if we be not wanting to ourfelves, we may cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holinefs in the fear of God.

3dly, and lastly, What a fhame and reproach is this to the children of light! Our Saviour fpeaks this by way of upbraiding, as we may judge by the terms of comparifon which he ufeth, that the children of this world fhould be wifer than the children of light, that is, than wifdom's own children; and that they fhould be wifer in their generation, that is, for the concernments of a fhort and inconfiderable time, than the others are for all eternity.

How

How fhould it make our blood to rife in our faces, and fill us with confufion, that the men of this world fhould be more prudent and skilful in the contrivance and management of their little affairs; more refolute and vigorous in the profecution of them, than we are about the everlasting concernments of our fouls! That a worldly church fhould ufe wiser and more effectual means to promote and uphold ignorance, and error, and fuperftition, than we do to build up the true church of Chrift in knowledge, and faith and charity! That the men of the world fhould toil and take more pains for the deceitful riches, than we do for the true; and be contented to hazard more for a corruptible crown, than we for an incorruptible! That they fhould love pleafure more than we do God, and mind their bodies and temporal eftates more than we do our fouls and our eternal happiness!

Do but obferve the men of the world, what a pace they go, what large and nimble steps they take in the purfuit of earthly things; they do not feek riches as if they fought them not, and love the world as if they loved it not; and enjoy the prefent delights of this world, as if they poffeffed them not; though the fashion of this world pafleth away but we feck heaven as if we fought it not, and love God, as if we loved him not, and mind eternity and the world to come, as if we minded them not; and yet the fashion of that world doth not pafs away,

But to all this it may be faid, you have already told us, that the children of this world have to many advantages above the children of light, that it is no wonder if they excel and outstrip them: And it is very true, that in many refpects they have the advantage of them. But if the children of light would look about them, and take all things into confideration, they might fee fomething very confiderable to balance the advantages on the other fide. It is true, the things of this world are prefent and fenfible; but fo long as we have fufficient affurance of the reality of a future ftate, and of the rewards and punishments of it, the greatnefs and eternity of thefe is

fuch

fuch an amazing confideration, that no distance can render them inconfiderable to a prudent and thinking man. And though the men of the world have an entire principle which is not divided between God and the world; whereas in good men there is a great conflict of contrary principles, the flesh and fpirit: yet this difadvantage is likewife balanced by that powerful affiftance of God's grace, which is promifed to all good men, who heartily beg it of him, and are fincerely refolved to make use of it. And, lastly, though the men of the world have many ways to compafs their ends, yet the children of light have one great and infallible one. All the means which the men of the world ufe to accomplish their defigns, may fail and mifcarry; for the race is not to the fwift, nor the battle to the: ftrong; nor yet bread to the wife, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to all but he that fincerely ferves God, and ufeth the means for the attaining of everlasting falvation, is fure to attain it; if we feek the righteoufnefs of God as we ought, we shall certainly be admitted into his kingdom. And this furely is an unfpeakable advantage, which the children of light have above the chidren of this world, that if we faithfully ufe the means, we cannot fail of the end; if we have our fruit unto holiness, our end fhall be everlasting life; which God of his infinite goodness grant to us all, for his mercies fake.

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