142 SERMONS upon Serm. XXII. Vfe. Often think of the End : men would be much more wife , if they would more ferioufly think of the end of things. For the prefent a Sinner may bear it out confi- dently, and with foie degree of pleafare 5 but what will the end be ? that quite fpoil- eth fins market, Prov. t. 17. In vain the net is fpread in the fight of any bird. The fillieft creature would not run into the de(truflive fnare , if he did fee it. But we are guilty of two faults, either we believe it nor, or we confider it not. Firft, We believe it not. The Apoftle tells us, All men have not faith, a Theft: 3. 2. few have it, and the belt have too little of it. Would they live filch a carelefs life , if they were perfwaded, that all would end in Hell- torments ? No, they would think, they could not loon enough get out of the fnare, they would flee from the wrath to come, Mat. 3.7. they would fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before them; but alas ! the other World feemeth little better than a Fable to molt men. Secondly, They confider it not, Prov. 9. 18. He lseoweth not that the dead are there, and that her guefbs are in the depths of hell: it is rendred as a Keafon , why the Fool counteth fioln waters Tweet, and bread eaten in fecret pleafant : thefe carnal delights are taken by ftealth, neither allowed by God, nor approved by found Keafon. How come men to be thus infatuated, they do not confider that thefe Pleafures are faired with a Curie, and that after all their free and licentious Life, they (hall be turned into Hell. To conclude the whole. Since there is no profit to be found in the ways of fin, and they will certainly bring (haie and eternal deltruétion, (haute for the prefent, and con - fulson of face for evermore : Let all the people of God ferioufly think of thefe things t s. That they may be more thankful for their deliverance by Chrilt. Pliny tells us of a Wood, though of an unpleafant finell , that recovers the pleafure of the Senfes again : So that we may not be Golpel glutted, it is good to review the evil of the carnal Elate, that we may the better give thanks for our recovery. 2. That we may walk more humbly and watchfully. You ( hould be fo far from run- ning into your paft fins, that you ( hould never remember them without (hame and fell - loathing , and confidering the fruits of fin, we ( hould meddle with this forbidden fruit no more. SERMON XXII. ROM. VI. 22. `Z3ut now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holinef, and the end everlafling life. H E Apoftle having (hewed , how miferable their Ellate pali was , when They ferved fin, he (heweth now the Happinefs of the oppofite (late, into which Grace had tranflated them 5 But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holinefe, and the end ever- lofting life. In which words obferve, r. The Change wrought in them. 2. The Effefk of ir. s. Their Change of State, which is fet forth: r. Partly from the Terms from what to what they were turned , from fin to God. Obferve he had called them before Servants of Righteoufnefs, now Servants of God. To ferve God is heartily to obey his Will, which is called the Service of Righteoufnefs, becaufe of the equity of his Commands , and the ftrength of the obligation upon us, it is right and equal, it is a due debt. So that the Service of God, and of Righteoufnefs is all one. a. The
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