48 Of Conffancy in the Profeffion ofthe True Religion. Vol. Ió Preferment; and they are eafily perfwaded,'that that is the belt Religion, which is attended with the greateft Worldly Advantages, and will raife them to the higheft Dignity. The Devil underftood very well the Force of this Temptation, when he fet upon our Saviour, and therefore referved it for the laft Affault. He 'hewed him all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and the Gloryof them ; and fail to him, All this will Igive thee, if thou wilt fall down and ívorfhip me. And when he faw this would not prevail, he gave him over in Defpair, and left him. But though this be a very dazling Temptation, yet there are Cònfiderations of that Weight to be fet over-againft it, from the Nature of Religion, and the in- finite Concernment of it to our immortal Souls, as is fufficient to quench this fiery Dart of the Devil, and to put all the Temptations of this World out of Countenance, and to render all the Riches and Glory of it, in comparifon of the Eternal Happinefs and Mifery of the other World, but as the very frnall Duff upon the Balance. What Temptationof this World can Rand againft that Argu- ment of our Saviour, if it be ferioufly weighed and conldered ; What is a Man profited, ifhegain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul; or what(hall aMangive in exchange for his Soul? If we would confider Things impartially, and weigh them in a tuff and equal Balance ; the Things which concern our Bodies, and this prefent Life, are of no Confideration, in comparifon of the great and vaft Concernments of our immortal Souls, and the happy or miferable Condition of our Bodies and Souls to all Eternity. And Religion is a Matter of this vaft Concernment ; and therefore not to be bargained away and parted with by us for the greateft Things this World can of- fer. There is no greater Sign of a fordid Spirit, than to put a high Value upon Things of little Worth ; and no greater Mark of Folly, than to make an equal Bargain, to part with Things of greateft Price, for a (lender and trifling Confide- ration : As if a Man of great Fortune and Eftate, fhould fell the Inheritance of it for a Pitture, which, when he hath it, will not perhaps yield fo much as will maintain him for one Year. The Folly is fo much the greater in Things of in- finitely greater Value ; as for a'Man to quit God and Religion, to fell the Truth and his Soul, and to part with his Everlafting Inheritance, for a convenient Ser- vice, for a good Cuftomer, and force prefent Advantage inhis Tradeand,Profeffion, or indeed for any Condition which the foolifh. Languageof this World calls a high Place, or a great Preferment. The Things which thefe Men part with upon thefe cheap Terms, God, and his Truth, and Religion, are, to thofe who under- ftand themfelves, and the juft Value of their immortal Souls, Things of inefti- mable Worth, and not to be parted with by a confiderate Man for any Price that this World can bid. And thofe who are to be bought out of their Religion upon fuch low Terms, and fo ealìly parted from it, -'tis much to be feared that they have little or no Religion to holdfait. Secondly, As we are to holdfall the ProMion ofour Faith without wavering, againft the Temptations and Allurements of this World ; fo likewife againft the Terrors of it. Fear is a Paffion of great Force ; and, if Men be not very refolute and con- ffant, will be apt to ftagger them, and to move them from their Stedfaflnefs And therefore when the Cafe of Suffering and Perfecution for the Truth happens, we had need to bold fait theProfefon ofour Faith. Our Saviour, in the Parable ofthe Sower,, tells us, that there were many, that heard the Word, and with Toy received it : but when Perfecution and Tribulation arofe becaufe of the Word, prefently they were offended. ' And though, bleffed be God, this be not now our Cafe ; yet there was a Time when it was the general Cafe of Chriftians, in the firft beginning of Chriftianity, and for feveral Ages after, though with fotne Intermifíion and Intervals of Eafe. It was then a general Rule, and the còmmon Expettation of Chriftians, That through many Tribulations they mull enter into the Kingdom of God; and that if any Man will live godly in Chri/f yefus, be muff fuller Perfecution. And in feveral. Ages fince thofe Primitive Tunes , the fmcere Profeffors of Religion have , iii divers Places, been expofed to moft grievous Sufferings and Perfecutions for. the
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