536 How muff we retake Religion our bufinefs ? Serm. 23 fpeetacles of cenfure to fee anothers fault : he playes the Critc; upon himfelf, he fearcheth what finne is in his heart unrepented of and having found it out, he labours by his tears, as by the water of Numb 5 22. jealoufie, to make the thigh of finne to rot : He fearcheth whether he have grace or no, and he tryes whether it be genuine orfpurious ; he is as much afraid of painted holinefs as he is of going to a paint- ed Heaven :He traverfeth things in his foul, and will never leave till 2 Cor.13.5. that queflion whether he be in the faith, be put out ofquefion : Here is the man making Religion his bufinefs ; he is loath to be a fpirituall bankrupt, therefore is fill calling himfelf to account, and wherein he comes fhort, he gets Chrifi to be his fùrety. 9. Cb..;act. 9. He who makes Religion his bufinefs, will be religious what- ever it cofi him : He is a refolved man, Pfah i r6.to9, I have fworn I will keep thy righteous judgments. There are forre who will be rich, i Tim. 6.9. and there are fome who will be godly, z Tim. 3.12. He that makes Religion his bufinefs, will not (as Luther faith) be put off with other things, he can want health, riches, friends, but he cannot want Chrifi or grace ; he will be godly : let the times be what they will, they (hall not take him off the work of Religion, he will follow Chrif upon the water, the flouds of perfecution cannot drown his zeal ; he cloth not fay, There is a Lyon in the way, he will wraftle with difficulties march in the face of death. The Chrifians Vre,rwnde,di- of the Primitive Church cryed out to the P rfecutor, Hew us in pieces, z41 e, d el rwa burn us, we will never wor(hip your Idols : thefe were in good nin nutf. Tema. earnef for Heaven. There is a great deal of difference between them who go to fea for pleafure, and thofe mariners who are to go a voyage to the Lail. Indies ;The firfi upon the leafs form retreat back to (bore ; but they who are imbarqued for a voyage, hold on their conrfe though the fea be rough and formy, and will venture their lives in hope of the golden harvefi at the Indies. Hypocrites feem religious when things are ferene and calm, but they will not fayl in a form : Thofe only who make Religion their bufinefs, will hold out their voyage to Heaven in the midi of tempefis and death - threatning dangers. l o. Charsrt, i o. He that makes Religion his bufinefs, lives every day as his laft day ; he prayes in the morning as if he were to die at night ; he lives as if he were prefently to be called to Gods barr ; he walks fo. Tir. 2, 14. berly, righteotsfly, godly ; he girds his loyns, trims his limp, fets his houfe in order, that when death comes for him with an Habeas Corpus, he may have nothing to doe but to die. Behold here the man
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