fhall be ready to launch into Eternity. I beseech thee 1735(O Soul) feriously to consider, before it be too late.

The great Saviour of the World fays, The Kingdom of God is within you, Luke xvii. 21. That is, inwardly and fpiritually, to be known and perceived. He alfo fays, I am the Light of the World, John viii. 12. He, by his divine and fupernatural Light, lights us through this dark World to his fpiritual and glorious Kingdom, where he rules and reigns in tranfcendent Majefty and Brightnefs; of which his faithful Subjects are in fome Measure fenfible: Glory to the King of Kings for ever.

And that eminently wife Apostle Paul fays, He was Sent to turn Men from Darkness to Light. Darkness he calls the Power of Satan, and Light the Power of God. Now as a Man walking in outward Darknets is in continual Danger of falling, not knowing whither he goeth; fo alfo a Man living and walking in 1piritual Darkness (which is the Power of Satan, where the wonderful Power and Works of God cannot be feen nor understood) muft needs be in the greatest Danger of falling into the bottomless Pit of Perdition, where horrible Darkness and unutterable Mifery prevails for

ever.

The many bitter Cries, dreadful Shrieks, and heavy Groans, which my Ears have heard from fuch dark Souls, ready to depart the Body, have been enough to convince me of the Judgment of another World, tho' there had been no other Demonftation of it to me. May our fine Wits, and fprightly Youths concern'd, re ent in Time. Oh, my Heart is pain'd for them; anu my Soul mourns in fecret for many of my former and latter Acquaintance, as I have alfo tender Defires for the Well-doing and Well-being of Mankind in general.

If any, by duly thinking of thefe Things, fhould be awaken'd and convinc'd of their State, and their former Lives and wicked Practices; and have so much

1735. Light as to fee the Danger of living without God in the World; but be ready to conclude, that if there be indeed a righteous God, who will reward every Man according to his Works, there can then be no Hope for them, fuch wretched Sinners. Oh Souls (if this be the Cafe of any) look not at fuch Thoughts, which (in the midst of your juft Apprehenfions) Satan taking Advantage, may thus fuggeft to you; who having got you deep already in the Mire of Sin, wou'd by fuch Infufions plunge you deeper both into Sin and Despair.

Be it remembered that Chrift died for Sinners, even the Chief (as Paul fays) and he can make a chief Saint of a chief Sinner, as appears in the Cafe of that Apoftle by his own Teftimony: God hath, and can do it, though it be wonderful!

Wherefore abide not in Darknefs, but repent, and turn to the Light of Life! ftrive and ftruggle for Life, the Life of God in the Soul of Man! turn ye to the Divine Light, turn to God, who is Light, and in him is no Darkness at all! live and walk in the Light of God, which is far above the Light of human Reason; therein fhall we have Fellowship with the Father of Lights, and his Son Jefus Chrift; whole Religion is Spiritual: God is a Spirit, and they that worship him (aright) must worship him in Spirit and Truth.

God must be worshipped in Thought, Word, and Deed; that is, in all Things we ought to express an humble Reverence and Adoration to the Sovereign Being, frequently meditating on his great Name; but all Evil and finful Thinking we must refrain from with Abhorrence, as difpleafing to him; and is of the Devil that evil Spirit; and which indeed is contrary to the Nature and End of Free-Thinking; which is a fincere Exercife of the rational Faculty, in order to diftinguish between Good and Evil, Truth and Falfhood, that we may chufe and acknowledge the one, and avoid

and

and reject the other. And here it may not be unfit to 1735. recommend the Care of all our Thoughts, from whence proceed our Words and Actions as naturally, as good and evil Fruit from the different Seed fown in the Earth.

And as the trueft and moft fublime End of thinking (which is the reasonable Service of every intelligent Creature) is the Contemplation, Fear, and Adoration, of the Almighty Creator; fo are we thereto greatly encouraged by that Scripture of Mal. ii. 16, 17, 18. which I am concern'd here to tranfcribe and recommend, and is as follows, Then they that feared the Lord, fpake often one to another, and the Lord bearkued and beard it, and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name. And they shall be mine, faith the Lord of Hofts, in that Day when I make up my Jewels, and I will fpare them as a Man fpareth bis own Son that ferveth bim. Then fhall ye return and difcern between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that ferveth God, and him that ferveth him not.

In which Scripture we may obferve how great and glorious a Reward is promifed to thofe that fanctify the Name of the Lord; the Confideration of which muft needs raife their Love and Admiration, and add to their prefent Delight in fuch holy Thoughts.

But, on the contrary, it is to be feared, that evil Thinkers and Actors, when the Divine Spirit and Light wou'd infpire them with good Thoughts, or convince them of their Sins, endeavour to stifle or overcome fuch Thoughts or Motions as would awaken them to Righteousness, or reftrain them from Sin; and ftrive, by their natural Wit, to reafon the good Spirit out of their Souls; at the fame Time opening their Heart to the evil Spirit and his Suggeftions, which they hug, to their own Deftruction. But indeed to judge rightly of thefe Things, if a Man have ever fo much natural Wit, and Strength of Reafon, it must

be

1735. he fanctified through his faithful Subjection to the divine Will, and rais'd by divine Inspiration; which as far furpaffes human Reafon, as Heaven is above the Earth. May our Men of bright natural Thought think clearly and feriously of this. This is evident in the Cafe of that great Apoftle Faul, who was educated at the Feet of Gamaliel, in the perfect Manner of the Law, yet by all his Knowledge, could not juft. ly diftinguish concerning Religion, but was a Perfecuter of the Church of Chrift: But when his Knowledge and Spirit came to be fanctified by the Grace and Spirit of our Lord Jefus Chrift, then, and not till then, he became of great and good Ufe and Service to his Maker and Mankind. Then his Reafon and Religion became Spiritual," who had not conferred "with Flesh and Blood, but had been obedient to the "heavenly Vision," Gal. i. 16. And he fays (1 Cor. xv. 19.) If in this Life only we have Hope in Chrift, we are of all Men moft miferable. So that his Hope and Expectation (as of all faithful Believers) must have been of another Life, and the Kingdom of God hereafter; For bere (fays he) we have no continuing City, but feek one to come, Heb. xiii. 14. And though the Condition of fuch, in this Life, is often expofed to much Perfecution and Trouble for their Faith's Sake, towards the Name of God, and Teftimony against this World, and the evil Spirit ruling therein; yet, bleffed be the moft High, he gives them Strength, and the Afsurance of his Favour, whereby they endure to the End, as well as that he refreshes them with his outward Bleffings and Comforts: So that they may well fay with his ancient Servant Job, Shall we receive Good at the Hand of the Lord, and not Evil? Job ii. 10. Thus Afflictions have been indeed usually call'd, but they often, in the Hand of God, are Means of redeeming the Soul, and raifing up many excellent Virtues, when they are rightly fubmitted to.

But

But to return. I would enquire what Subject we can 1735. poffibly chufe fo worthy of our Meditation, or from whence fo great Benefit can redound both to Spirit and Body? The Fear and Thoughts of Almighty God, which are infpir'd by his Grace, fanctifying our Hearts, thereby render us more fit to receive his Favours both to Spirit and Body, which he multiplies according to his Wifdom and good Pleafure; and all our Faculties and Paffions being redeem'd and govern'd by the Spirit of Faith, we fhall poffefs and enjoy all Things in a more regular and excellent Manner. But who is there that hath not been fo great a Partaker of the many Bleffings, with which the infinite Creator filleth the World, and in an efpecial Manner encompaffeth Mankind, as not to be thereby oblig'd to a continual Acknowledgment thereof, and Remembrance of the great and bountiful Author? The State therefore of the Wicked and Rebellious, is ftigmatiz'd in Holy Scripture, with this Character in particular, that God is not in all their Thoughts, Pfalın x. 4. And indeed for this

came his Judgment upon the old World of the Ungodly, who cannot be fuppofed ever to have thought of the adorable Lord, fince every Imagination and Thought of their Hearts were only Evil continually, as the Almighty himfelf hath complained, Gen. vi. 5.

But instead of the Returns of Faith and Love, how fad a Confideration is it, that there fhould among Men be found any fo vile and foolish, as even to deny the divine Existence, and the Effects of his infinite Power in the external Creation, and to affirm that all Things have come by Nature, without God, or any fupernatural Power; which evil Tenet, fome have endeavoured to justify and fupport by natural Reafon : ("Where

in the Name thereof may indeed be abufed; but Reafon itself, which concludes nothing without "Evidence, can never declare in Favour of a Propo"fition, for which, not only none can appear, but against which the whole World is full of it. But

R

" let