438 LIFE OF "FAITH. For the Lord's sake,.and for tour souls' sake, open your eyes, and foresee the things that are even at hand, and prevent these fruitless. lamentations. Judge but asyou will shortly judge, and live but as you will wish that you had lived, and I desire no more. Be serious, as if you saw the things that you say you do believe. I know this serious discourse of another life is usually ungrate- ful to men that are conscious of their strangeness to it, and, tak- ing up their portion here, are loath to be tormented before the time. This is not the smoothing, pleasing way. But remember that we have flesh as well as you, which longs not to be accounted troublesome or precise ; which. loves not to displease or be displeas- ed : and had we no higher light and life, we should talk as men that saw and felt no more than sight and flesh can reach ; but when we are preaching and dying, and you are hearing and dying, and we believe and know that you are now going to see the things we speak of, and death will straightway draw aside the veil, and show you the great, amazing sight, it is time 'for us to speak, and you, to hear, with all our hearts. It is time for us to be serious, when we are so near the place where all 'are serious. There. are none that are in jest in heaven or hell. Pardon us, therefore, if we jest not at the door; and in the way to *such a serious state. All that see and feel are serious, and therefore all that truly believe must be so too. Were your eyes all opened this hour to see what we believe, we appeal to your own consciences, whether it woultl not make you more serious than we. Marvel not if you see believers make another matter of their sal- vation than those that have hired their understandinga in service to their sense ; and think the world is no bigger or better than their globe or map; and reacheth no farther than they can ken. As long as we see you serious about lands and lordships, and titles and honors, the rattles and tarrying irons of the cheating world, you must give us leave (whether you will or no) to be serious about the life eternal. They that scramble so eagerly for the bonds of worldly riches, and devour so greedily the dregs of sensual delights, methinks should blush(if'such animals had the blushing proper- ty) to blame .or deride usfor :being a little (alas ! too little) earnest in the Matters of God and our salvation. Can you not pardon us if we love God a little'more than you love"your lusts; and if we run as fast for the crown of life as you run after a feather or a fly? Or, if we breathe as hard after Christ in holy desires as you do in blowing the bubble of vain-glory ? If a thousand pounds a year in passage to a grave, and the chains of darkness, be' worth your labor, give us leave to believe that mercy in order to ever- lasting mercy, grace in order to glory, and glory as the end' of grace, is worth our labor, and infinitely more.
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