self assuring us, that by this means we shall lay up for ourselves a good foundation for the time to come, so as to lay hold on eternal life.

can.

This one argument being duly weighed, I hope I need not use any more to persuade men to do good with what they have, and to make the best use of it they For I know I write to Christians, at least to such as profess themselves to be so; and therefore to such as believe there is another world besides this we live in, and by consequence that it concerns them to provide for that, which, as I have shewn, we may do in a plentiful manner, by the right improvement of what God hath entrusted with us in this world. What then do the generality of men mean to be so slack and remiss in laying hold on all opportunities of doing good! what, do they think it possible to lose any thing they do for God! or do they think it possible to employ their estates better than for his service and honour who gave them to us! I cannot believe any think so; and therefore must needs advise the rich again and again not to lay up their talent in a napkin, but to use their estates to the best advantage for God and their own souls, that so when they go from hence into the other world, they may be received into eternal glory, with a well done good and faithful servants, enter you into your Master's joy.

But fearing lest these moral persuasions may not prevail so much upon my readers as I desire they might, they must give me leave farther to tell them, that I am here commanded to charge them that are rich in this world, to be rich also in good works: and therefore seeing, as I have shewn, there are few but who in a Scripture-sense are rich in this world, in obedience to this command which here is laid upon me, in the name of the most high God, I charge you, and not I only, but the eternal God himself, he wills and requires all those whom he hath blessed with riches in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches,

but that they put their whole trust and confidence only in the living God, whose all things are, and who gives us whatsoever we have: that they do good with what he hath put into their hands, laying it out upon works of piety towards him, and of charity to the poor, that his worship may be decently performed, and the poor liberally relieved; that they be rich in good works, striving to excel each other in doing good in their generation; that they be ready every moment to distribute, and always willing to communicate to every good work, wherein they can pay their homage and express their thankfulness to him for what they have.

THOUGHTS

UPON

SELF-DENIAL.

THE most glorious sight questionless that was ever to be seen upon the face of the earth, was to see the Son of God here; to see the supreme Being and Governor of the world here; to see the Creator of all things conversing here with his own creatures; to see God himself with the nature, and in the shape of man, walking about upon the surface of the earth; and discoursing with silly mortals here; and that with so much majesty and humility mixed together, that every expression might seem a demonstration that he was both God and man. It is true, we were not so happy as to see this blessed sight; howsoever, it is our happiness that we have heard of it, and have it so exactly described to us, that we may as clearly apprehend it as if we had seen it: yea, our Saviour himself hath pronounced those in a peculiar manner blessed, who have not seen, and yet have believed, John xx. 29. that is, who never saw Christ in the manger, nor in the temple; who never saw him prostrate before his Father in the garden, nor fastened by men unto his cross; who never saw him preaching the Gospel, nor working miracles to confirm it; who never saw him before his passion, nor after his resurrection, and yet do as firmly believe whatsoever is recorded of him, as if they had seen it with their eyes. Such persons our

blessed Saviour himself asserts to be truly blessed, as having such a faith as is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1.

Hence therefore, although we lived not in our Saviour's time, and therefore saw him not do as never man did, nor heard him speak as never man spake, we may notwithstanding be as blessed, or rather more blessed than they that did. If we do but give credit to what is asserted of him, and receive and believe what is represented to us in his holy Gospels, where by faith we may still see him working miracles, and hear him declaring his will and pleasure to his disciples, as really as if we had then been by him. And therefore whatsoever we read in the Gospel that he spake, we are to hearken as diligently to it, as if we heard him speak it with our own ears, and be as careful in the performance of it, as if we had received it from his own mouth: for so we do, though not immediately, yet by the infallible pen of them that did so. And seeing he never spake in vain, or to no purpose, nor suffered an idle or superfluous word to proceed out of his sacred and divine mouth; whatsoever he asserted, we are to look upon as necessary to be believed, because he asserted it. And whatsover he commanded, we are to look upon as necessary to be observed, because he hath commanded it; for we must not think that his assertions are so frivolous, or his commands so impertinent, that it is no great matter whether we believe the one and obey the other, or no: no, if we expect to be justified and saved by him, he expects to be believed and obeyed by us, without which he will not look upon us as his disciples, nor by consequence as Christians, but strangers and aliens to him, whatsoever our professions and pretences are.

It is true, we live in an age wherein Christianity in the general notion of it is highly courted, all sects and parties amongst us making their pretences to it, whatsoever opinions or circumstances they differ in, be sure they all agree in the external profession of the Christian

religion, and by consequence in the acknowledgment that they ought to be Christians indeed. But I fear that men are generally mistaken about the notion of true Christianity, not thinking it to be so high and divine a thing as really it is; for if they had true and clear conceptions of it, they would never fancy themselves to be Christians, upon such low and pitiful grounds as usually they do, making as if Christianity consisted in nothing else, but in the external performance of some few particular duties, and in adhering to them that profess it; whereas Christianity is a thing of a much higher and far more noble nature, than such would have it; insomuch, that did we but rightly understand it, methinks we could not but be taken with it, so as to resolve for the future to the utmost of our power to live up to it, to which could I be an instrument of persuading any, how happy should I think myself? Howsoever it is my duty to endeavour it, and for that purpose I shall now clear up the true notion of Christianity, that we may know, not what it is to be professors and pretenders to Christianity, but what it is to be real Christians, and true disciples of Christ Jesus, such as Christ will own for his in another world.

Now to know whom Christ will accept for his disciples, our only way is to consult Christ himself, and to consider what it is that he requires of those that follow him, in order to be his disciples; a thing as easily understood, as it is generally disregarded; for nothing can be more plain, than that Christ requires and enjoins all those that would be his disciples, to observe not only some few, but all the commands that he hath

laid upon us. Ye are my friends, saith he, and therefore my disciples, if ye do whatsoever I command you, John xv. 14. So that unless we do whatsoever he commands us, we are so far from being his disciples, that we are indeed his enemies. Nay, they that would be his disciples, must excel and surpass all others in virtue and good works. Herein, saith he, my Father glo