he doth truly desire, conscionably endeavour (with some success of his endea- vour, through divine grace assisting,) to walk according to the rule of God's word. I confess all Christ's scholars are not of the same form ; all his children are not of the same stature and strength ; some foot it more nimblj^ in the ways of holiness than others, yet not a saint but is endued with a principle of life, that sets him at work for God, and to desire to do more than he is able. As the seed, though little in itself, yet hath in it virtually the bigness and heighth of a grown tree, towards which it is putting forth with more and more strength of nature as it grows ; so in the very first principle of grace planted at con- version, there is perfection of grace contained, in a sense, that is, a disposition putting the creature forth in desires and endeavovirs after that perfection to which God hath appointed him in Christ Jesus. And, therefoi-e, Christian, whenever svich thoughts of the impossibility of obtaining this holiness here on earth are suggested to thee, reject them as sent in from Satan ; and that on a design to feed thy own distrustful humour, which he knows they will suit too well, as the news of giants and high walls that the spies brought to the un- believing Israelites did them, and all to weaken thy endeavoiu's after holiness, which he knows will surely prove him a liar. Do but strongly resolve to be conscientiovis in thy endeavours, with an eye upon the promise of help, and the work will go on thou needest not fear it : ' for the Lord God is a sun and a shield : he will give grace and glor)^, and no good thing shall he withhold from them that walk uprightly,' Psa. Ixxxiv. 11. Mark that, ' grace and glory,' that is, grace unto glory : he will still be adding more grace to that thou hast, till thy grace on earth commenceth glory in heaven.
Section II. — Use 2. Secondly, For reproof of several sorts of persons.
First, All those who content themselves with their unholy state wherein they are ; such is the state of every one by nature. These, alas ! are so far from maintaining the power of holiness, that they are under the 23ower of their lust; they give law to them, and cut out all their work for them, which they bestow all their time to make up. And is not that a sad life, sirs, which is spent about such filth}', beastly work as sin and unrighteousness ? Well may the ' bond of iniquity and the gall of bitterness' be joined together. Acts viii. 23. The apostle is thought to allude to Dent. xxix. 18, where all sin and unrighteous- ness is called ' a root that beareth gall and wormwood.' He that plants sin and unholiness, and then thinks to gain any other than bitter fruit for all his labour, pretends to a knowledge beyond God himself, who tells, that the natural fi-uit which grows from this root is ' gall and wormwood.' Who would look for musk in a dog's kennel ? That thou mayest sooner find there than any true sweet- ness and comfort in unholiness. The devil may possibly for a time sophisticate, with his cookery and art, this bitter morsel, so that thou shalt not have the natural taste of it upon thy palate ; but, as Abner said to Joab, 2 Sam. ii. 26, * Knowest thou not it will be bitterness in the latter end V In hell all the sugar will be melted wherein this bitter pill was wrapped ; then, if not before, thou wilt have the true relish of that which goes down now so sweetly. O how many are there now in hell cursing their feast, and feast-maker too ! Do you think it gives any ease to the damned to think what they had for their money 1 I mean what pleasures, profits, and carnal enjoyments they once had on earth, for which they now pay those imspeakable torments that are open upon them, and shall con- tinue for ever without any hope or help. No, it increaseth their pain beyond all our conceit, that they should sell their precious souls so cheap, in a manner for a song, and lose heaven and blessedness, because they would not be holy, which now they learn, too late, was itself, however they once thought otherwise, a great part of that blessedness, and now torments them to consider they put it from them under the notion of a burden and a bondage. But, alas ! alas ! how few thoughts do imholy wretches spend with themselves, in considering what is doing in another world ! They see sinners die daily in the prosecution of their lusts, but do no more think what is become of them, that they are in hell burning and roaring for their sin, than the fish in the river do think what is become of their fellows that were caught up by their gills from them, even now with the angler's hook, and cast into the seething-pot or frying pan alive. No, as those silly creatures are ready still to nibble and bite at the same hook that struck their fellows, even so are men and women forward to catch at those
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