them, but they love it not because their hearts and deeds are evil, and their darkness doth not comprehend it; and this is their delusion, and their condemnation ; John i. 6—8. iii. 19.

When I am preaching to a congregation of many hundred or thousand souls, if the salvation of all that people did lie upon any other question no harder than this that we have in hand, so it were such as fleshly interest, and corrupted minds and wills had no quarrel against, how easily, how surely should I save the souls of all that heard me! Reader, let me have thy judgment. If the question were, Whether light or darkness be the better?-Whether a dead corpse be better than a living man ?—Whether a cottage for a day, or a rich habitation for term of life be better-Whether as much drink as will make thee drunk, or a night's lodging with a whore, be better than lands and lordships for thy lifetime, or for a thousand years?-Whether one sweet cup with shame and beggary all thy life after, or one bitter draught with perpetual prosperity, should be rather chosen ?-Whether a sick man were better take an unpleasing medicine that would cure him, or a pleasant poison that would kill him ?—Whether he were better pay a little to the physician, or die to save his money?-Whether that prince be wise that will sell his kingdom for a cup of wine, or for children's rackets?— Or whether that child be virtuous that cannot abide his father's sight, or house, or commands, but loveth better to do that which he knows displeaseth him, or tumble in the dirt with swine?-I say, if any of these were the question to be resolved, and the salvation of all that heard me lay upon the true resolution, I leave it to your own judgments, whether I were not like to save the souls of all that heard me? And yet in a case as clear in itself, and much more clear, how few do we prevail with! Is not the question, Whether God or the creature, holiness or sin, earth or heaven, short or everlasting pleasures should be preferred? as plain to a wise man as any of those that I mentioned before? Is it not as plain a case to a man of judgment, Whether holiness, with everlasting joys, be better than fleshly pleasures with damnation? as Whether a kingdom be better than a jail, or gold than dirt, or health than sickness? Yet do your salvations lie upon this question, this easy question. I must again repeat it: All your salvations lie upon the practical resolution of this easy question. Be but resolved once that God is best for you,

and heaven is best for you, and accordingly make your resolute choice, and faithfully prosecute it, and God will be yours, heaven will be yours as sure as the promise of God is true. But if you will not choose God and glory as your best, but will choose the world and simple pleasures as better for you, you shall have no better than you choose, and shall suffer a double condemnation for neglecting and refusing so great salvation.

You hear now by men's talk, and you see by their lives that the world is divided upon this question, What it is that is best for a man, and which is his best and wisest course, One part (and the greater) think in their hearts that present prosperity is best, because they think that the promised happiness of the life to come is a thing uncertain; or if there be such a thing, they may have it after the pleasures of sin : These are the infidels.

Another part have a superficial dead opinion, that heaven and holiness are best; but the love of the flesh and the world lieth deeper at their hearts, and beareth the greater sway in their lives; and these are the hypocrites; that is, Christians in opinion and profession, and so much of their practice as will stand with their fleshly interest, but infidels in their practical estimation, and at the heart, and in the reserves and secret bent of their lives.

Another part, being illuminated and sanctified from above, believe the certainty and excellency of glory, and see the vanity and vexation of this life, and taste the sweetness of the love of God, and perceive the necessity and sweetness of that holiness, which others so abhor, and hereupon give up themselves to God, and set themselves to seek for the immortal treasure, and make it the principal care of their hearts and business of their lives to escape damnation, and live with Christ in endless glory.

All the world consisteth of these three sorts of men, infidels, hypocrites, and true believers. Now the question is, Which of these three are in the right? Both the other do condemn the hypocrite that halteth between two opinions; and one thinks that Baal is God, that the world is best, and therefore he gives up himself to it; and the other thinks that the Lord is God, and heaven is best, and therefore he gives up himself to it. And if it would do any thing with those that doubt, towards the turning of the scales; to tell

you which side Christ is on, it is told you here in my text, as plain as the tongue of man can speak, "One thing is needful. Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

The doctrine which I am now to handle to you from the plain words of the text, is this:

Doct. That those that prefer the learning of the word of Christ, to guide them by holiness to everlasting happiness, before all the lower matters of this world, are they that choose the better part, even that which shall never be taken from them.'

If now the word of Christ alone would serve your turn, I had done my work, I needed not to go any further. You would be now resolved, that heaven and holiness is best, and would set your hearts and lives to seek it; and so it would be your own for ever. But this text hath long stood in the Gospel, and men have heard and read it often, and yet the most are not persuaded; and therefore I must try to open it a little further to you, and plead it with you, and work the reason of it upon your minds.

Reader, our business is but to inquire, What it is that is best for man to set his heart on and seek after in his life, and enjoy for ever? I say, it is the everlasting enjoyment of God in heaven. For Christ saith so. If thou think otherwise let us debate the case. If thou believe as I do, live as thou professest to believe. If men did but deeply and soundly know what it is that is best for them, it would set right their hearts and lives, and make them happy. But not knowing this, is it that keepeth them from God and holiness, and everlastingly undoes them.

Though I have often opened this heretofore on other occasions, yet my present subject now requireth. I. That I tell you what that is that here is called "The good part.' II. What it is that is set against it, and by fleshly minds preferred before it. And having briefly opened these two things, I shall come to the comparison, and shew you which is the better part.

I. That which Christ calls here, that good part, is, 1. Principally the end of man, or our everlasting happiness with God in heaven. 2. Subordinately, the means by which it is attained. 3. That happiness which is the end, compre

hendeth in it these particulars, which if you distinctly apprehend, you will much the better understand the nature and excellency of it.

1. The true believer hath the small beginnings and earnests, and foretastes of the everlasting blessedness in this life in his approaches to God, and living upon him by faith and love, and in his believing apprehensions of the favour of God, the grace of Christ, and the happiness which in heaven he shall enjoy for ever.

2. At death the souls of true believers do go to Christ, and enter upon a state of happiness.

3. At the last day, the body shall be raised and united to the soul, and the Lord Jesus Christ will come in glory to judge the world, where he will openly absolve and justify the righteous, when he condemneth the ungodly, and will be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that do believe, and the saints shall also judge the world, and be themselves adjudged to everlasting glory.

4. Their everlasting habitation shall be in the heavens, even near unto God, and in the presence of his glory.

5. Their company will be only blessed spirits, even the holy angels and glorified saints, with whom we shall be one body, and constitute the new Jerusalem and be perfectly one in God for ever.

6. Their bodies shall be perfected and made immortal, spiritual, incorruptible, and glorious bodies, shining as the stars in the celestial firmament. No more subject to hunger, and thirst, or cold, or weariness, or shame, or pain, nor any of the frailties that now adhere unto them, but be made like the glorified body of Christ.

7. The souls of the saints united to these bodies shall also be perfected, having far larger capacity to know God, and enjoy him than now we have; being freed from all ignorance, error, unbelief, pride, hardheartedness, and whatsoever sin doth now accompany us; and perfected in every part of the image of God upon us.

8. The eyes of the glorified body shall in heaven have a glory to behold that is suitable to their bodily capacity. Heaven being not a place where the essence of God is confined, but where a prepared glory will be manifested to make happy the angels and saints with Christ. And whatever other senses the glorified bodies shall then have (whether for

mally or eminently, we cannot now conceive what they will be) they will all be satisfied with suitable delights from God.

9. The blessed person of our Redeemer in our nature glorified, will there be the everlasting object of our delightful intuition and fruition. An object suitable to the eye of the glorified body itself. We shall for ever live in the sight of his face, and in the sense of his unspeakable love.

10. The glorified soul (whether mediately or immediately) shall behold the infinite, most blessed God, and by knowing him, be perfected in knowledge. As we shall see the person of Jesus Christ, and the glory of God with open face, and not as in a glass, as now we do, so we shall know so much of the essence of the Deity as we are capable of, to our felicity.

11. With the knowledge of God, and the beatifical vision will be joined a perfect love unto him, and closure with his blessed will. So that to love him, will be the everlasting employment of the soul.

12. This love will be drawn forth into everlasting praise; and it will be our work before the throne of his glory, to magnify the Lord for ever.

13. In all this love, and praise, and glory, and in the full fruition of the eternal God, we shall rejoice with full and perfect joy, and we shall have full content, delight, and rest.

14. In all this blessedness and glory of the saints, the glory of God himself will shine, and angels shall admire it, and the condemned spirits with anguish shall discern it, that God may be glorified in our glory.

15. In all this happiness of believers, and his own glory, the Lord will be well pleased, and that blessed will which is the beginning and the end of all, will be accomplished, and will have an eternal complacency, as the saints shall have an endless complacency in God.

This is the glory promised to the saints; this is that good part which they choose. I cite not the texts of Scripture that prove all this, because the things are all so plainly and frequently expressed in the premises. And I shall have occasion to do somewhat of this anon. And so (in brief) I

have told you what the good part is.

II. We are next to inquire, What it is that is put by worldly, carnal men, into the other end of the scales, and is set up in comparison with all this everlasting glory? Yea, what it is that is preferred by ungodly men before it? What it is