Chap. V_I_. ___ O.::_f_E_t_er_n_al_:J:_u_:dg:::._m_e_nt_. ______ ___:4-.;_7.:-3 aneceffary fubordination to it, rct ~either the enforc~~ent ~f_Dury, no: incitations ofL~we prevail upon the mofl, confctentiOuily to employ It tn Sptntual Aifms. If they aflord their prcfcnce at the Publick Woril1ip, 'tis thought enough ; and as tf the refl of the Day was unlantlified Time, they wafle it either in Cor:nplemental V 1lirs, or fecular Bufinefs, 111 Recreations, or things impertinent to their. Salva~1on. . . Riches are an exccllcm Inflrument of dotng good : Gold IS the moft preciOus and extenfive Metal, and by a marvellous Art ~n Ounce may be bea ten out into fome hundred Leaves: but 'tis a more happy Art by gtvtng tt, to enrteh our own Souls, and fupply the Neceffitics of many others. But great Eflates are often ufcd to foment mens vicious guilty ~~~~a/~f~'m~~~~~s ~~ni~i~~.fua~~~Ja~~~ ;ri1~t~:?!e{a~e~:~~ab~~~uf~~tll~a~,~fi~~t~~~;oabu3r~d ic1~~{:~~~ttiii~~ . to the difhonour of the Donor. If the ilothful Servant that lud Ius fingleTalent tn a Nap- 1'/i,.hb.~; . J<in, and returned it without advantage to his Lord, was c~fl into 011ter dt~rkilefs, JVhere there i~~~~;;~~r~"~fi~~~;~gfc~~~~t; ~/e!t~'f~ra,e~~t'~~:~, '~~~::~~:~~~~~~~sfi:~~~a~r~f~'~:i~· carnal Appetites, and betray theBieflingsofGod to his Enemy the Devil? Only th~ wife and good Servant, that with prudent Contrivance, and zealousEndeavors, improves his, Ta~ lents, iliall fromthe gracious Lord, in whom are all Attractives and Remunerativesof our Set;~,';;ty:·e~~~~~~~- e~~l~e~~ ~~~v~~~eptance at the laft Day is, That we m'ufl with Cou; rage and Zeal maintain in our rank and places the Caufe of Chrifl. For thus he declares expreOy, Whofoe'Uer jha/1 eonfefs me before men, htm alfo will I eonfe(s before my Father ivhicrl_ is in hea'Uen, But whofower jha/1.deny me before men, htm a!JO wt!l I deny before my Father which ts in heJt'Ven. Mat. zo. 33, 34· When the Truth, Punty, and Power of Religi<?n, in Do8rine, Wodl1ip and Praaice, is difcounten'anc'd and overborn, our Saviour corn.. mands, and will reward our undifcouraged vifible Conftancy in it. He. will not only reian in our Hearts, but be honored With our Ltps, and 111 our Converfauons. Rom. zo. W~ ufurp the title of Chriftians, unlefs we adhere to our Duz in defpite of all oppofi- ~~~nfuc:;:e,;:~k~~~~l:etl;:ffi~~~~~f~~~rd~~~ ~~~;.om~~t~h~11fo~~;:~ti~t~f ~~]~~ Judgment will fortify us againfi both. 1 • Sometimes Religion expofes the Profeffors of it to the lofs of. all temporal enjoyments, and of Ltfe tt felf. And when the Honour of our Savtour reqUires fuch a Servtce of us, when that ConfirmatiOn IS neceffary to recommend Dtvme Truth to the Belief and Affellions of others, when our chearful and couragious Example in fuifering would animate thofe that are fearful to Conflancy and Confeffion, then from Cowardife to withdraw our Tellimony, isto betray him again. When our Duty is attended with extream Dangers then the fincerity and perfection of our Love to Chrifi is brought to the ftricteft trial. A; true Carbuncles are difcove;ed in the. Night, for the Darknefs redoubles .their Splendor; fo the fideltty of \=hrtfltans IS evtdent 111 Perfecutwns, that enflame and exctte their Zeal to magnify the Name of Chriftin the fight of the World.. There is no fear in/o,e, butperfert lo'Ve cajls Ottt fear , I John 4· I8. But Fearfulnefs hm~ers the expreffing acts of Love to Chnfl, and betrays to Apoflacy. For as every Paflion IS a pe;turbatton, fo efpecially carnal Fear, that bltnds and dtflurbs the Mtnd, and hmders the fenous confideration of the Reafons of our Duty, and thofe Motives to perfevere in it, that are the Fountains of our Strength. From hence the timorous are often treacherous, and Faith lies buried under the cold pale Allies of Fear. Now the irregularity of this Paffion is beft cured by directing it_ to the moft powerful ObJect. As the Rod of Mofes fwallowed up the Rods of the Ma- ~h~~~f~;e ~~r~~~~~f~~Z~h~~~; {~~fe~~ ~r"~~ic?1~h}n"~ b~~~af~)· ,%:f~~;j d?r~rn~~v~~~~ and defend his Truth and Caufe, that he will ;enounce them before his Father in the great Day, the tmmedtate confequence of whtch wtll be the dejlruflion of body and /offl in heU. Mat. 10. p,,J2, H· If Earthly Potentates ~ad a .Jurifdillion over Heaven, if Men were to be trted by thetr Lawsatthe laftDay, If thetr Power extended to Eternity they :~l~!r~f~~~~~~~et11~b~~i~~e !~,:~f/~!~~~~1 ~:ifu~~j~i~~ef~b~r~~~~ed~d~~c~~~~a~ ble to the fupream and eternal : there is one Lawgi.,er and 'Judg, who is able to flwe, and to dejlroy for e'Ver. It IS the worft Perdtt1on to fecure our felves by the neglect of our fo{e7,: when-we ought toperiili for the Glory of our Saviour. He that fa,., his !ife,jhail 2. Sh~me. wounds deepe; the Breafts of fome than Violence. ~dekiah would rather expofe hiS Kmgdom and Ltfe to the Fury of the Chaldean Armies than be himfclf expofed as an Object of Derifion by furrendring it. And Satan, who u;1derflands the temper - Q.q q 2 of
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