Serin. LXXII. Chriftian Life confìder'd. 53. St. Matthew expreffeth it, Many (hallfay to me that day, Lord, Lord, which is moil probably meant of the day of Judgment, when their Cafe is brought to the lait extremity ; and next to that is the day of Death, when Men are entring into a fiate of endlefs Happinefs or Mifery. And no wonder, if the Sinner would then be glad, when he can no longer continue in thisWorld, to be admitted intoHap- pinefs in the next : but the Door is then (hut to moft Sinners, and it is a Miracle ofGod's Grace and Mercy, ifany Repentance that Men can then exercife, (which at the, belt mutt needs be very confuted and imperfect) will then be accepted ; if any Importunity which Men can then ufe, will be available. For with what Face can we expeâ, that after all the evil Actions of a long Life, God fhould be mollified towards us by a few good Words, and accept of a forc'd and conftrained Repentance for all our wilfuland deliberate Crimes, and that he fhould forgive us all Our Sins upon, a little Importunity, whenwe can fin no longer, and would re- pent no fowler. Let us then by all that bath been Paid, be effeótually perfwaded to mind the bufinefs of Religion in good earneft, and with all our might, efpecially the Pra- ûice. Of it in the exercife of all the Graces and Virtues of a good Life. Let us heartily repent of all the Sins of our.pail Life, and refolve upon a better courfe for the future ; and let us not delay and put off this neceffary Work to the molt unfit and improper time ofold Age, and Sicknefs and Death : but let us fet about it prefently, and enter upon a good Courfe, and make all theSpeed and Progrefs in it we can. And let us.remember, that whatever we do in Religion will not bring us to Heaven if we do not do the will of our Father which is in Heaven ; if we do not give up our felves. to a confiant -and univerfal Obedience to his Laws. This is to firive to enter in at the flrait Gate : And tho' wefirive to enter in a Thoufand other Ways, we "hall not be able ; and after all our Confidenceand Conceit of our felves; and our own Righteoufnefs, and Security of our Salvation from the Privi- leges -of any Church, it will be a ftrange Damp and Difappointment to us, to fee the fincere Chriflians, who have done. ttie Will of God, and lived in Obedience to his Laws, to come from all quarters, and Churches in the World, andfit down with Abraham,, Ifaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of God, when we who thought our felves the Childrenof the Kingdom, (hall be call out, becaufe we have been Workers of Iniquity. I will conclude all' with thofe plain Words of theApoftle, Rom. a. 7, 8,. y. To them, who by patient continuance in well doing, feek for glory and honour, and Immortality ; eternal Life : But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the Truth, but obey Unrighteoufnefs ; indignation and wrath, tribulation and angui/h upon every Soul of Man that loth evil ;; in the Day when Godfhall judge theSecrets of Men by lefus Chrifl according to the Gofpel. SERMON LXXII. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. L u x E XVI. 19, 2O. F='riser. mon on hhere was a certain Bich Man, which was cloathed in Purple andfine thisText. Linen, and fared "fumptuoufly every day : And there was a certain Beggar, named Lazarus, whichwas laidat hisGate full ofSores. IIntend by God's Af6ftance to go over this Parable, than whichI think there is none in the whole Gofpel, which is more apt to aired Men, or which" is more artificially contrived, and in the Circumflances whereof a greater De- corum is obferved. Y y y a. it
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