However much profit or pleasure they have brought you, away they must go; they must be devoted to destruction and mortification, or you can have no interest in Christ; you must bid adieu for ever to all your sinful courses and companions. His servants ye are to whom ye obey." Rom. 5:16. Be they as pleasant and profitable as your right eye or hand, they must be plucked out and cut off. Matt. 6:29, 30. Does this sound harsh and unpleasant to your ears? Does this cause you to demur? O consider what it is to part with sin; it is but to part with the disease of your souls, and the instruments of your everlasting ruin. Which of you would not be glad to part with a fever, the stone, or dropsy? What is passion, but the fever of the soul? What is a hard heart, but a stone? What is covetousness or earthly-mindedness, but the insatiable dropsy of the soul? Now, if men would be glad to be rid of such dreadful diseases in their bodies, and to be restored to soundness, ease, and health; how much more should you be glad to be rid of your corruptions, and have the rectitude, ease, `and pleasure of your souls restored again? yea, instead of the impure,. vicious pleasures you have taken in sin, you shall enjoy the pure, suitable, and everlasting pleasures of holiness. Consider now, and accordingly make your choice, whether you will take the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season, in exchange for the everlasting joys which are at God's right hand for ever.

1

(2.) There are other things which you may be called to part with, and give up for Christ. It is uncertain whether God may call you to part with your liberty, estate, relations, and life for Christ. Many are never actually called forth to such sufferings; but because many are, and every one of you may be so called, you must realize them, ponder them, and subscribe to those very terms, making full account of these things as if they were now before you, for so Christ hath propounded them. Luke 9:23. But then weigh

these troubles with the advantages you shall have by them, and not alone by themselves; for so Christ has presented them to you. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matt. 19:29.

Now, if you think such gainful troubles, such soul-enriching losses are worth accepting for Christ's sake, then close the union with Christ and bring the matter to a conclusion. Do not befool yourselves by a fond and groundless presumption that these things will never befall you. I fear many flatter themselves with such vain hopes; the Lord knows how soon these suppositions at a distance may be turned into realities before your eyes. You have much reason to expect them, and much more to embrace them, whenever Christ shall call you to them. This is the great work you have now to do, and you cannot safely demur any longer; this matter must come to a conclusion, and the sooner the better.

For,

You know that your lives are uncertain, and it is madness to let the great concerns of your salvation lie one day at hazard; your breath is continually coming and going, and must at last be gone. James 4:14. Your souls hang over everlasting dangers by that feeble breath which plays in your nostrils, and every disease is like the flame of a candle held under that thread; and can it either be safe or comfortable to delay so great a work as this, upon which all your expectations of eternal blessedness depend?

Not only your lives are uncertain, but the enjoyment of the gospel, and all the opportunities and means of your conversion, are as uncertain as they. It is true, and to the glory of God be it acknowledged, we now enjoy the freedom and fulness of gospel-mercies; but where has God made any such settlement of these blessings upon you, as puts the enjoyment of them out of hazard? The rain is over, but the clouds

may return after the rain. If your privileges bring forth good fruit in your conversion, well; if not, the axe lieth at the root of the tree. Matt. 3:10. And if God remove the gospel from us, as our delays and triflings may provoke him to do, then the treaty is ended, and there is little probability that any thing further will be done between Christ and you. Luke 13:25.

Bring this matter to an issue with all due speed, because you are not able to give one sound reason for a moment's delay of so great and weighty a concern. Can you be safe too soon? Can you be happy too soon? Certainly you cannot be out of the danger of hell too soon; and therefore why should not your closing with Christ upon his own terms be your very next work? If the main work and business of every man's life be to flee from the wrath to come, as indeed it is, Matt. 3:7, and to flee for refuge to Jesus Christ, as indeed it is, Heb. 6: 18, then all delays are highly dangerous. The man-slayer, when fleeing to the city of refuge before the avenger of blood, when his heart was hot within him, did not think he could reach the city too soon. Set your reason to work upon this matter; put the case as really it is: I am fleeing from wrath to come; the justice of God and the curses of the law are closely pursuing me; is it reasonable that I should sit down in the way to gather flowers, or play with trifles? for such are all other concerns in this world, compared with our salvation.

Bring this treaty to an issue with all due speed, because most souls that perish, perish by delays; men think they have time enough before them and that to-morrow will be as to-day, and so Satan gets, part by part, what he had not confidence to demand in the whole lump. Most that perish under the gospel had convictions upon their consciences, and vain purposes in their hearts; but not bringing them to a speedy execution, that was their undoing. "He beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner

of man he was." James 1:24. It is an allusion to a man that looks in the morning into a glass, where he discerns a spot upon his face, and resolves with himself soon to wash it off; but some diversion or other falls in, other matters take up his thoughts, and so the spot remains all day and he carries it to bed at night. O these delays in closing with Christ are the undoing of millions.

Delay not to close this treaty with Christ, because all delay increases the difficulty; and the longer you neglect, the more will your hearts "be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Heb. 3:13. Continuance in sin and quenching convictions insensibly harden the heart and make the will stubborn. Under the first convictions the heart is tender, the affections flowing; if this advantage were apprehended and pursued, how soon might the work come to a comfortable conclusion; but after a while, those soul-affecting words, sin, Christ, heaven, hell, death, and eternity, will become words of a common sound.

And lastly, beware of delays in this matter, because you can never expect a fairer opportunity for the dispatch of this great concern than, by the special indulgence of Heaven, you enjoy this day. "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. You have the wind and tide with you; if you will not weigh anchor now, you may lie wind-bound to your dying day. What advantage can you reasonably expect, which God has not furnished you with at this day? You have the means of grace among you, and you have freedom to attend on those means without fear. Say not, I have such or such troubles and encumbrances in the world; for you must never expect to be without them, except you shall find the world another thing than all others find it. Have you health? O what a precious season and advantage is that. Art thou sick? O what a spur is that. What is to be done must be done quickly.

But it may be some will plead ignorance, that they know not how to transact so great a concern with Christ, and therefore set not about it; and it is likely there may be truth in that plea. For the help of such souls, I will gather up the sum of what has been spoken about this matter, in the following DIRECTIONS; so that nothing but your unwillingness shall remain to hinder you.

DIRECTION 1. If ever you bring the treaty between Christ and your souls to a happy conclusion, you must sit down and count the cost, Luke 14: 28, else it will be vain to engage yourselves in the profession of religion. It is not Christ's design to draw you under a rash, inconsiderate engagement, and so to reap more dishonor by your apostasy than ever he shall have glory by your profession. He would have you foresee and seriously bethink yourselves of all the troubles and inconveniences you may afterwards meet with for his sake. You are to embark yourselves with Christ, and abide with him in storms as well as in sunshine; you must "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev. 14:4. There is no retreating after engagement to Christ: "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Heb. 10: 38. It is eternal death by the law of heaven, to desert Christ's colors in the day of battle. Well, then, retire into the innermost closet of thy soul; sit quiet and patiently there, till thou hast debated this matter fully with thy own thoughts, and hast balanced the good and the evil, the profits and losses of religion. For want of this the church is filled with hypocrites, and hell with inconsiderate and rash professors: the more we deliberate, the better we shall conclude.

DIRECTION 2. Having debated the matter over and over in thy most serious thoughts, let not Satan discourage thee from casting thy soul at Christ's feet, with a hearty consent to all his terms, for want of such qualifications as thou canst not find in thy own soul. It is usual for Satan to suggest,