argue, that what Excellencies foever we may fancy in them, yet He who gave them Being, and can be under no Mistakes concerning them, fees nothing there so valuable, as should incline him to spare them from Ruin and Diffolution.

But, besides that unalterable Decree, which hath doomed these things to cease in themselves, there is another no less unavoidable, which brings them under a necessity of ceasing to Us. For, How continually do we feel them perish in the using? How often flip through our Fingers, and leave us, at once bereaved of a Poffession, we fondly thought fixed and certain, and astonish'd which way we came to be so ? Supposing them, yet farther, to escape the common Methods of deceiving us in that point too; Yet, how short is Our stay with Them, if They were never so firmly disposed to stay with Us? Death, 'tis beyond all doubt, must make an entire Separation. And This is in such fwift, such constant Motion towards us, that every one hath so much less behind to enjoy the World in, as I have now been employing time to prepare him for the leaving it.

And Who that is wife, would place his Affections and Happiness, in That which must forfake him one day, which may do it this very day; In That, which every Moment cuts off a part from, Which often makes it felf Wings, and flies away from Him, and which he himself is flying from, as fast as Time can carry him; flying from it, at the very instant, that he pursues and caresses, and settles his Heart upon it? How vain are fuch fugitive Objects, in comparison of a certain and enduring Substance? How miferably infatuated those unthinking Creatures, who allow fuch Trifles, fuch empty Bubbles, to over-balance a Treafure in Heaven, a Crown incorruptible, and that fadeth not away for ever? Oh that Men were wife, that they would understand this, that they would consider their latter end! 3. Thirdly,

3. Thirdly, From the Two foregoing Reflections, 'tis easy to difcern the Reasonableness of those Virtues, which are usually thought fo extremely hard of Digestion, Liberal Charity to the Poor, and Suffering for a good Confcience, when God calls us to it. The abridging our Selves even of Superfluous Expences and Pleasures, but more of the common Comforts and Supplies of Human Life, and especially the Giving up All, even that Life it felf, for the fake of Religion, are, by the Carnal, the Vain, the Worldly-minded, (that is, in truth, by much the greater part of Mankind) look'd upon as most extravagant Instances of Zeal, and, to speak tenderly, a pious Madness. But, what Abfurdity foever Flesh and Sense may apprehend in This, the Gospel fets the matter in a quite different Light; and all the Hardship that affaults us in it, is merely from a Forgetfulness of our Condition in the Prefent World, and of our Profpects and Hopes in the Next.

1. Suppose, as to the Former of these Cafes, the fame Command laid upon Each of us, as on the Rich Young-man in the Gospel; Go, fell that thou hast, and give to the Poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Hea

ven.

This may, at first, sound like a hard Saying. But, if we will fit down, and weigh it nicely, what in truth does it amount to, more than this, that we should do, what every confidering Man would defire, and esteem himself happy in a fit Opportunity, to do? To make a Virtue of Neceffity, and part with that by Choice, which we must otherwise part with by Conftraint: That we would freely give back to Chrift, what He first gave Us; what is not in our Power always to keep, and for which, if this be done, he will give somewhat in exchange, better, and not liable ever to be taken away. Were these Earthly Possessions abfolutely at our own Will, the Joys of Heaven should infinitely outweigh them. But, when

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the Question is not, Whether we will hold them faft, but, in what manner we will quit them. Whether a Fire, or a Tempest, Deceit or Violence, shall wrest them from us; Or whether we will convert them to generous and holy Uses. Whether a profuse Heir shall squander them away in Riot and Luxury, and Folly; Or, Whether we will profit our Selves of them, by feeding the Hungry, and cloathing the Naked, Members of our Common Head. To dispute this, is to question, whether Good or Evil, Loss or Improvement, ought to be chosen. For this is a fort of noble Avarice, thus to put Money out to Intereft, and, with the perishing Dross of this World, to purchase an everlafting Settlement in the Next.

2. Nor is the Cafe very different with regard to Suffering for Religion. For, here too the whole turns upon This, Whether we will dedicate to God a Life exposed to Accidents innumerable, and perpetual Decay; and fo, by a Free-will Offering make that parting with the World a Martyrdom, which must be a Death however; Or, whether we chuse to prolong a Life, which every Moment may put an end to, at the Expence of a polluted Confcience, and everlafting Pains. Whether we will die like Christians, and enter upon certain Happiness to Day; Or whether we will run the Hazard of being unspeakably and eternally miferable, by taking up with a bare Poffibility, (for 'tis but a Possibility) of living till to mor

row.

But, God be thank'd, this, in Our Age, is feldom the Cafe. And therefore I have a farther Design in vindicating the Equity of Commands, which oblige, even when Matters are come to an Extremity. It is to put you in mind, how justly those Men are condemn'd to Mifery hereafter, who refuse to be happy, upon much eafier Terms. For, If it were Wisdom even to leave all and follow Chrift; how senselefs,

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lefs, how ungrateful is it, not to allow him part of our Abundance, and give to Piety, what, if with-held, would only minister unto Vanity and Sin? If even Dying for Him, who hath already died for Us, cannot in stricteft Reason be declined; How wretched, how wilful muft their Condemnation be, who will not be perfuaded to live to Him; and devote their Bodies and Souls a holy Sacrifice, acceptable, and zealous in good Works?

Let us, my Brethren, confider the glorious Hope, that is fet before us, of being like him, and feeing him as he is: and let this effectually prevail with us to purify our felves even as he is pure. As knowing very well, that fuch a refemblance to him in this present World, is the only poffible way of attaining to be made like him, when he shall appear, in bis eternal and glorious Kingdom: where with Thee, O Father, and Thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth ever one God World without end. Amen.

The Sunday called Septuagefima; Or, the Third Sunday before Lent.

The COLLECT.

Lord, we befeech thee favourably to hear the Prayers of thy People, that We, who are justly punished for our Offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy Goodness; for the Glory of thy Name, through Jesus Chrift our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, World without end. Amen,

PARAPHRASE.

24. The Zeal I urge 24.

The EPISTLE.

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1 Cor. ix. 24.

Now ye not, that they which run in a race run all, but one obtaineth the prize? fo run that ye may obtain.

observe the Rules prescribed them, and exert their utmost Vigor, though of all these but One gets what All aim at. Let these Men be your Pattern, and do you run your Christian Race, with an Eagerness that strives to be foremost, and would not be outdone by any engaged in the fame Course.

25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown, but we an incorruptible.

25. Again, These who contend, in those Games, at Wrestling and Cuffing, submit to

Discipline, debar themselves many Liberties, and undergo great and long Hardships, to prepare them for the Combat. And if they are content to do and fuffer so much for a Garland of Boughs, that quickly withers; ought we to decline fome Abridgments and Self-denials who expect to be rewarded with a Crown that fadeth not away?

26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly : so fight I, not as one that beateth the air :

keep my Goal in view, like those Grecian Runnners. my Arms in the Air, and act imaginary Conflicts :

27. But I keep under my Body and bring it into fubjeEtion, left that by any means, when I bave preached to others, I my self should be a caft-away.

26. This is it which invigorates me, I know the Course I make, and Nor do I only brandish

27. But, like those Wrestlers and Cuffers, fight in very good earnest with my Adver

faries; this Body of mine, its Appetites and Passions; and subdue them by Mortification and strict Discipline. Lest otherwise I, who (like the Herald in those Games,) proclaim the Terms and the Rewards to Others, should at length, through Sloth or irregular Behaviour, lose all, and have the Prize given at last against my self.

T

COMMENT.

THE better to difcern our Apostle's true Scope in the Passage now before us, we shall do well to begin our Meditations upon it, with observing the Occasion which introduced this Argument, and the Propriety of those Allusions, wherein the Force of it confifts.

1. For the Occafion, First, This seems to have been given, by these Corinthians having confulted St. Paul about some Points of Christian Liberty. In these, he fets himself to refolve and direct them, from the beginning of the Seventh Chapter. Among Others, That of eating Meats Sacrificed to Idols is Ο 3

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