nitely more than if all the world besides should see us, and we must still remember, that prayer is the greatest work that a creature can be engaged in, and therefore to be performed with the greatest seriousness, reverence, and earnestness that possibly we can raise up our spirits to. And besides our daily devotions which we owe, and ought to pay to God whensoever we set upon any great and weighty business, we must be sure to follow our Saviour's steps, in setting some time apart, proportionably to the business we undertake, wherein to ask God's counsel, and desire his direction and blessing in the most serious and solemn manner that possibly we can. I need not tell the reader what benefit we shall receive by this means; none of us that shall try it but will soon find it by experience.

I shall observe only one thing more concerning our Saviour's devotion, and that is, that although he took all occasions to instruct or admonish his disciples and followers, whether in the fields or upon the mountains, or in private houses, even wheresoever he could find an opportunity to do it; yet upon the sabbath-days he always frequented the public worship of God; he went into the synagogues, places appointed for public prayers, and reading and hearing of the word, a thing which I fear many amongst us do not think of, or at least not rightly consider it; for if they did, they would not dare, methinks, to walk so directly contrary to our blessed Saviour in this particular; for St. Luke tells us, that when he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day. Luke iv. 16. From whence none of us but may easily observe, that our Saviour did not go into a synagogue, or church, by the by, to see what they were doing there; neither did he happen to go in by chance upon the sabbath-day, but it was his custom and constant practice to do so, even to go each sabbath-day to the public ordinance, there to join with the congre

gation in performing their public service and devotions to Almighty God.

And here I must take leave to say, that was there no other law, nor any other obligations upon us (as there be many) to frequent the public worship of God, this practice and example of our blessed Saviour doth sufficiently and effectually oblige us all to a constant attendance upon the public ordinance. For as we are Christians, and profess ourselves to be his disciples, we are all bound to follow him; he commands us here and elsewhere to it; and certainly there is nothing that we can be obliged to follow him in, more than in the manner of his worshipping God. And therefore, whosoever out of any humour, fancy, or slothfulness, shall presume to neglect the public worship of God, he doth not only act contrary unto Christ's example, but transgresses also his command, that enjoins him to follow that example. What they who are guilty of this will have to answer for themselves, when they come to stand before Christ's tribunal, I know not. But this I know, that all those who profess themselves to be Christians, should follow Christ in all things that they can, and by consequence in this particular, and that they sin who do not.

But in whatsoever other things we may fail, I know the generality of us do herein follow our Saviour's steps, that we are usually present at the public worship of God; but then I hope this is not all that we follow him in, but that as we follow him to the public ordinances, so we do likewise in our private devotions, yea and in our behaviour both to God and man. Which that we may the better do, I have endeavoured to shew wherein especially we ought to follow Christ, in being obedient to our parents, subject to our governors, lowly to the lowest, loving and charitable unto all; as also, in growing in wisdom and the knowledge of God, in contemning the world, in devoting ourselves wholly to the service of God, in resigning our wills to his, in loving of him, in

trusting on him above all things else, in daily praying unto God, and frequenting his public ordinances; to which I may also add, in denying ourselves, and taking up our crosses, which himself hath done before us, as well as required of us.

What now remains, but that seeing the steps wherein our Saviour walked, we should all resolve to walk together in them. And I hope that I need not use arguments to persuade any to it; it is enough one would think, that Christ himself, whose name we bear, expects and commands it from us. And in that the sum of all our religion consisteth in obeying and following Christ, the circumstances of whose life are recorded on purpose that we may imitate him unto the utmost of our power, not only in the matter but manner of our actions, even in the circumstances as well as in the substance of them.

But this I dare say we all both know and believe, even that it is our duty to follow Christ; and therefore it is a sad, a dismal thing to consider, that amongst them that know it, there are so few that do it: but even those that go under the name of Christians themselves, do more generally follow the beasts of the field, or the very fiends of hell, rather than Christ our Saviour. For all covetous worldlings that look no higher than earth, and all luxurious epicures that labour after no other but sensual pleasures, whom do they imitate but the beasts that perish. And as for the proud and arrogant, the deceitful and malicious, seducers of their brethren, and oppressors of their neighbours, all backbiters, and false-accusers, all deriders of religion, and apostates from it, they are all of their father the devil, and his works they do. And if all such persons should be taken from amongst us, how few would be left behind that follow Christ? very few indeed! but I hope there would be some. And oh that all who read this would be in the number of them, even that they would all from this day forward resolve to come as

near our blessed Saviour in all their actions both to God and man, as possibly they can; which if we once did, what holy, what happy lives should we then lead? how should we antedate both the work and joys of heaven? and how certain should we be to be there ere long, where Christ that is the pattern of our lives here, will be the portion of our souls for ever.

Thus I have shewn what Christ requires of those who would be his disciples, enjoining them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. And now I have done my duty in explaining these words, it is all my readers as well as mine to practise them, which I heartily wish we would all resolve to do; and I must say, it highly concerns us all to do so; for we can never be saved but by Christ, nor by him unless we be his disciples; neither can we be his disciples, unless we do what here is required of us. And therefore if we care not whether we be saved or no, we may think no more of these things, nor trouble our heads about them; but if we really desire to come to heaven, let us remember he, who alone can bring us thither, hath told us, that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him.

MANY are called, (saith our Saviour, Matt. xxii. 14.) but few chosen. Oh dreadful sentence, who is able to hear it without trembling and astonishment! If he had said, that of all the men that are born into the world there are but few saved, this would not have struck such a fear and horror into us; for we might still hope, that though Turks, Jews, and Heathens, which are far the greatest part of the world, should all perish, yet we few in comparison of them, who are baptized into his name, who profess his Gospel, who enjoy his ordinances, who are admitted to his sacraments, that all we who are called to him, might be chosen and saved by him; but that of those very persons who are called, there are but few chosen: what a sharp and terrible sentence is this! who can bear it? especially considering by whom it was pronounced, even by Christ himself. If a mere man had spoken it, we might hope it was but an human error; if an angel had uttered it, we might think it possible he might be mistaken; but that Christ himself, the eternal Son of God, who is truth and infallibility itself, that he should assert it, that he who laid down his own life to redeem ours, that he who came into the world on purpose to call and save us, that he in whom alone it is possible for us to be chosen to salvation, that