Serm, III. Mote's's Choice of afjiicted Piety, &c. 2. Another Reafon of this wrong Choice, is Want of Confideration ; for this would ftrengthen our Faith, and make it more vigorous and powerful : And in- deed a Faith which is well rooted and eftablifhed doth fuppofe a wife and deep Confiderationofthings,; and the want ofthis is a great caufe of the fatal mifcarriage of Men ; that they do not fit down and confider with themfelves ferioufly, how much Religion is their intereft, and how much it will cat them to be true to it, and to perfevere in it to the end. We fuller our felves to be governed by fenfe, and to be tranfported with prefent things ; but do not confider our future and failing Intereft, and the whole duration ofan immortal Soul. And this is the Reafon why fo many Men are hurried away by the prefent and fenfible Delights of this World, becaufe they will not take time to thinkof what will be hereafter. For iris not to he imagined, but that the Mari who hath ferioufly confidered what Sin is, theShortnefs of its Pleafure, and the Eternityof its Punifhment, fhould refolve to forfake fin, and to live a holyand virtuous Life. To conclude . this whole Difcourfe. If Men did but ferioufly believe the great Principles of Religion; the Being and the Providence of God; the Immortality of their Souls; the glorious Rewards, and the dreadful Punithments of another World, they could not poffibly make fo imprudent a Choice, as we fee a great part of Mankind to do, they could not be induced to forfake God and Religion for any Temporal Intereft and Advantage ; to renounce the Favour of Heaven, and all their Hopes of Happinefs in another World, for any thing that this Worldcan afford; nay not for the whole World, if it were offered to them. For as our Saviour rea- fons in this very Cafe, of forfaking our Religion for any Temporal Intereft, or Confideration; What is a manprofited if he gain the whole world, and lofe his own Soul ? or what (hall a mangive in exchange for his Soul ? When ever any of us are tempted in this kind; let that folemn Declaration of our Saviour and our Judge be continually in our Minds; He that confe/feth me before men, him will Iconfefs alfo before my Father which is in heaven : but who- foever(hall be afhamed of me andof ary words in this adulterous andfnful gene- ration, of him (hall the Son ofMan be afhamed, when be fhall come in theglory ofhis Father, with his holy Angels. And we have great caufe to thankGod, to fee fo many in this Day of Tryal, and Hour ofTemptation, to adhere with fo much refolution and conftaney to their Holy Religion, and to prefer the keeping ofFaith, and a Good Gonfcience, to all earthly. Confiderations and Advantages. And this very thing, that fo many hold their Religion fo fait, and are fo loth to part with it, gives great hopes that they intend to make good ufe of it, and to frame their Lives according to the holy Rules and Precepts of it; which alone can give us Peace, whilft we live, and Comfort when we come to die ; and after Death fecure to us the Poffeffion of a Happinefs large as our Wifhes, and lafting as our Souls. To which, God of his Infinite Goodnefs bring us all, for his mercy's fake, in Jefus Chr : To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghofl, be all Honour and Glory, World without end. Amen. S E R-
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