52 S E R MO NS upon the SERM.VII. Souls, than not tb take care of our Bodies. The Soul is the man, the nobler and better part, that lhould be firft cared for ; therefore if you love your felves, you fhould look after your perfonal Intereft in Chrift. (2.) Your Happinefs is left meetly as on your own Confent : God ofFereth his Grace to you as well as to others, Ifa. 55. r. Ho. every one Mat thirjeth l come to the waters and drink : Revel. 20.22. Whofoever will, &c. If you refufe it, you wrong your own Souls, Pro: 8. 36. forfake your own Mercies, Jonah 2. 8. And if you mils of Chrift, and be {hut out of Heaven, 'tis by your own default. You have none to blame but your felves, if you do not enter into Covenant with God, and fo qualifie your felves for the great bleffrngs and favours thereof. (3.) Confider how much others have done for you in a way of Means, though they can do nothing in a way of merit. You have received as much benefit by others, as can rationally be expe&ed ; you were born of Chriftian Parents, by them de- dicated to God, and trained up in his fear ; and now, after all this, when you come to ftand upon your own bottom, you wren your felves out of the arms of Grace : your ob tinate refuting ferioufly and heartily to enter into perfonal Co- venant with God, will exclude you out out of Heaven : You are not moved by the examples of the word, and felf- denying Chriftians. If you never try to bring your Heart to content to the Lords terms, you will find your Oyl to feek when you fhould ufe it, at the Bridegrooms coming. Secondly, I now come to the Reafon alleadged, left there be not enough for us and you. 2 Do&. They that have moll Grace, have none to fpsre. I. With refpe& to our great hopes, all bur endeavours are little enough for Hea- ven ; we cannot be at more colt and pains than our bleffed hope is worth, Phil. 2. I2. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling. Work, becaufe 'tis for Salvation, 2 Thef. 2. I z. Walk worthy of God, who bath called us to his Kingdom and Glory That is the worthinefs of ¿ondecency ; walk fuitable to your high and ho- ly Calling ; walk as thole that expert fuch a Kingdom and Glory, walk as thole that are contented with a little here, Heb. 13. 5. A little here fhould ferve our . turn, but in heavenly things 'cis otherwife ; there fhould be an holy covetoufnefs, and an infatiablenefs of defiring more, and a fuitablenefs in our walking to that State of Life which we expe& : But alas 'tis otherwife with molt, for the Com- forts of this Life, which are but as a vapour, they are infatiable as the Grave ; but in Grace, every little, yea a bare nothing is thought fùfficient; furely thefe Men have not a, true fenfe of Gods Punifhments and Rewards, nor what prepara- tion is neceffary for that heavenly Happinefs they expea. z. With refpe& to our great Temptations, not a lot of Grace can be fared. We are told that the righteous are fcarcely Paved, 1 Pet. 4.18. There are fo. ma- ny tryals by the way, and our folly and weaknefs is fo great, that Otis no eafie matter to get fafe to Heaven. If we have ftrength to carry us through our pre - lent Condition, yet we know not what we may meet with before our fervice be over ; a day may come when all the Grace we have may be thought little enough, and too little for the Tryals We may be put upon : Little Grace is as no Grace when a Temptation cometh, Luk. 8. 25. Where is your Faith ? But Mark4. 4. How is it that ye have no Faitb ? And Match. 8. 26. 'tis Paid, Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of little Faith ? Little Faith in force cafes, is as if they had no Faith : Faith in the Habit they had, but they could not put it into A&, in that fuddain and great Try - al : Eph. 6. so. Be ye firong in the Lord, and the power of his might. 3. With refpe& to our Comfort, a large Meat-fire of Grace is necelfary : we are bidden to give all diligence, that we may enter abundantly, 2 Pet. a. r1. Not only make a hard fhift to get to Heaven, but to get thither with full Sails of Com- fort now this will never be, unlefs we have much Grace, and that kept in live- ly a&ion ; for otherwife it will not come into the view and notice óf Confcience, to make up an Evidence there. (r.) I do fuppofe that Confcience hash a Vote in the matters of our Peace, Rom. 8. 16. In the matters of our fenfe, Rom. g. a. The bofom witnefs is Confci- ence : the knowledge of our Eftate is not intuitive, but difcurfive. (2.) That fmall things are inconfpicuous, and not edify to be difcerned, elpeCir ally
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