VII.

What the Slaves to their corrupt Affections SERM would conceal from others, they cannot hide from themselves. They must feel and be fenfible, that the that the Advantage, which any finful Indulgence affords, is mean and pitiful, fhort-lived and perifhing; but the Anguish of Soul, which the bitter Reflection occafions, is fubftantial and lafting, fharp enough to render the most fortunate Sinner wretched, nauseous enough to pall the Enjoyments of the Great and Wealthy, and a Burden too heavy for Man to bear.

YET thefe Evils are only like fmall Payments, the compleat Sum is ftill behind: For the full Wages of Sin is Death, not fo much as it is the Difunion of the Soul and Body, as the utter Separation of both from God,---not fo much as it is a temporal Diffolution, as an eternal Destruction. Then, is fecond Death, fubfequent to the first, which, whofoever is not found written in the Book of Life, is not enrolled among God's Servants,---behaves not with the obfequious Fidelity of a true Chriftian, when he enjoys the happy Privilege of becoming one, fhall not escape: And it will confift in the

being

SERM. being cast into the Lake of Fire (p), where VII. the Servants of Sin fhall be eternally tormented.

WHILST on the contrary, the Servants of Obedience unto Righteoufnefs are engaged in a Work equally honourable, easy, advantageous.

THE Credit of the Service always rifes in Proportion to the Dignity of the Master; the Grandeur of the one reflects a Brightnefs on the other. Men glory, and very justly in their Attendance on earthly Princes: But much more noble is it to ferve the fupreme Lord of the Universe: To fulfill whofe Commands the most exalted Creatures think it their highest Honour; and shall not we poor defiled Mortals be ravish'd at fo vaft an Advancement, as to be admitted to minifter unto him in the meanest Offices!

AND, yet to serve him cannot, properly fpeaking, be in any Refpect mean, and the devout Pfalmift had great Reason for faying, that he had rather be a Door-keeper in the Houfe of his God, than to dwell in the Tents of Ungodliness (q).

BESIDES,

) Rev. xx. 15.

(9) Pf. lxxxiv. 10.

BESIDES, as there is nothing low or unbecoming, fo is there nothing hard or painful in God's Service: It is, what it is reprefented to be, perfect Freedom,---not indeed a Liberty of doing what our corrupt Nature may incline to (for that is only another Name for Slavery) but a Liberty of following Truth and Reafon, of exercising Virtue and Righteoufnefs, and of obeying the Will of God by their own. If fuch Work can give Uneafinefs, this is an accidental Effect, occafioned, not by any Hardfhip in the Service, but by the Incapaciy of the Servants: Who have contracted bad Habits, and impaired their Strength in their former Employ; and therefore, whatever Difficulties, they meet with in the new one, ught in Juftice to be imputed to Sin and not to Obedience.

AND be thefe Difficulties never fo great at first, yet they foon vanish: They are found only at the Entrance into God's Household, a little Time and Application will conquer them, and all afterwards will become eafy, pleasant, happy,

SERM.

VII.

WHICH brings us to the concluding Circumstance moft powerfully recommending God's Service to us, viz. That it is advantageous, being profitable unto all Things, baving Promife of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come (a). There is no living one Moment comfortably out of it, nor can we otherwife be exempt from the Anguish of Mind, and the Apprehenfion of Punishment, which Sin produces. To be free from thefe Evils is no fmall -Advantage in itself; though fmall in Refpect of that inward Quiet and Satisfaction, that Self-Approbation, and thofe glorious Hopes, which fill the Heart of the Obedient: For the Work of Righteousness is, what the Prophet foretells it shall be, Peace, and the Ef fect of Righteoufnefs, Quietness and Afurance for ever (b).

THEY, who are confcious of having ferved God acceptably, must enjoy that blissful Complacency of Soul which the World can neither give to, nor take from them. So long as their Reafon juftifies and their Confcience applauds, what they have done, how infignificant will be the Frowns of Men, how

(a) 1 Tim. iv 8,

(b) Ifai. xxxii. 17.

how light will the Storms of Adversity fall SERM. on them? Whom can they fear, or what VII. fhall they dread, who have an Almighty Protector? How can they want any thing, who dwell under the Patronage of the Giver of all Goodness, under the Eye and Favour of the most indulgent Lord? When he provides for them at prefent, better than they can even defire, and will at laft do for them infinitely more than they deferve. For the Gift of God is eternal Life (c), in which is included every thing that is glorious and bleffed, and to which this most ravishing Sentence will introduce them, Well done, ye good and faithful Servants,---enter ye into the Joy of your Lord (d).

TOWARDS the obtaining whereof, let us now and always offer up our Petitions to our great Mafter in Heaven in these approved Terms of our Liturgy, Almighty and merciful God, of whofe only Gift it cometh, that thy faithful People do unto thee true and laudable Service, grant, we beseech thee, that we may fo faithfully ferve thee in this Life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly Promises, through the Merits of Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

S 2

SERMON

(c) Rom. vi. 23.

(d) St. Matth. xxv. 21,