gain from them: and as God would not affift the Ifraelites to fubdue the Canaanites at once, Deut. 7.22. fo neither ordinarily do's he us to mafter perfectly our corruptions. Now a process of this difficulty is not to be dispatcht on a sudden. And yet this is not all our task, for we have not only ill habits to extirpate, but we have also good ones to acquire: 'tis not a mere negative vertue will ferve our turns, nor will emty lamps enter us into the marriage chamber, Mat. 25.10. We must add to our faith vertue, and to vertue knowledg, and to knowledg temperance, &c. 2 Pet. 1. 5. No link must be wanting of that facred chain, but we muft (as the fame Apostle advises) be holy in all manner of converfation, 1 Pet. 1. 15.

4. AND now I would defire the Reader seriously to confider, whether he can upon good grounds tell himself that this fo difficult (and yet fo neceffary) a work is effectually wrought in him. If it be, he is a happy man, and can with no pretence complain of any external want: (he that is fed with Manna, must be strangely perverse if he murmure for a belly-full of leeks and onions, Num. 11. 15.) But on the contrary he owes infinite thanks to God,

that

that has spared him time for this important business, and did not put a period to his natural life, before he had begun a fpiritual. For I fear there are among the best of us few of so entire an innocence, but they may remember fome, either habits or acts of fin, in which it would have bin dreadful for them to have bin snatcht away. And then how comprehenfive, how prolific a mercy has life bin to them, when it has carried eternity in its womb, and their continuance on earth has qualified them for heaven? Neither are fuch perfons only to look on it as a blessing in the retrofpect, as it relates to the past, but alfo in the present and future: which if they continue to employ well, do's not only confirm, but advance their reward. Befides God may please by them to glorify himself, make them inftrumental to his fervice; which as it is the greatest honor, so it is also the greatest satisfaction to a good heart. He fhews himself too mercenary that fo longs for his reward, as to grow impatient of his attendances: he that loves God, thinks himself bleft in the opportunity of doing work, as well as in receiving wages. Thus we fee how life is under all these afpects a mercy to a pious

E

man

man, and fuch as not only obliges him to contentment, but gratitude.

5. Bur fuppofing a man cannot give this comfortable account of his life, but is conscious that he has spent it to a very different purpose, yet do's not that at all leffen his obligations to God, who meant he fhould have emploi'd it better, and that he has not don fo is merely his own fault.

Nay indeed the worse his ftate is the greater mercy it is, that God has not made it irreversible, that he has not cut him off at once from the earth and the poffibility of heaven too, but affords him yet a longer day,if yet he will hear his voice, Pfal. 95.7. This long-suffering is one of the most tranfcendent acts of divine goodnefs, and therefore the Apostle rightly ftiles it the riches of his goodness and longfuffering and forbearance, Rom. 2. 4. and fo at last we commonly acknowledg it, when we have worn it out, and can no longer receive advantage by it. What a value do's a gafping defpairing foul put upon a fmall parcel of that time, which before he knew not how fast enough to fquander? Oh that men would fet the fame eftimate on it before: and then certainly as it would make them better husbands of

it, fo it would also render them more thankful for it, Accounting that the longSuffering of our Lord is Salvation, 2 Pet.

3. 15.

6. INDEED did men but rightly.compute the benefit of life upon this score, all fecular encumbrances and uneafineffes of it would be over-whelmed, and ftand only as Cyphers in the account. What a fhame is it then that we should spend our breath in fighs and out-cries? which if we would employ to thofe nobler ends for which 'twas given, would fuperfede our complaints, and make us Confefs we were well dealt with, that our life (tho bare and ftript of all outward acceffaries is given us for a prey, Jer. 45.5. And indeed he that has yet the great work of life to do, can very ill fpare time or forrow to bestow upon the regretting any temporal diftrefs, fince his whole ftock is little enough to bewail and repair his neglects of his eternal concerns. Were our lives therefore deftitute of all outward comfort, nay were they nothing but a scene of perpetual difafters, yet this one advantage of life would infinitly out-weigh them all, and render our murmuring very inexcufable.

E 2

7. Bur

7. BUT God has not put this to the utmost trial, has never plac'd any man in such a state of unmixt calamity, but that he still affords many and great allaies: he finds it fit fomtimes to defalk fome of our outward comforts, and perhaps imbitter others, but he never takes all away. This must be acknowledged, if we do but confider how many things there are in which the whole race of mankind do in common partake. The four Elements, fire and water, air and earth, do not more make up every mans compofition, then they fupply his needs: the whole host of heaven, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, Mofes, will tell us, are by God divided to all nations under the whole heaven, Deut. 4. 19. Those refplendent bodies, equally afford their light and influence to all. The fun fhines as bright on the poor Cottage, as on the most magnificent Palace; and the ftars have their benign Afpects, as well for him that is behind the Mill, as for him that fitteth on the Throne, Ex. 11.5. Propriety (the great incendiary below) breeds no confufion in thofe celestial Orbs, but they are every mans trefure, yet no mans peculiar (as if they meant to teach us, that our love of appropriation defcends not from