is the bafis, on which stands the hope of future rewards, and the fear of torments: it withdraws men from criminal exceffes, and animates them to the practice of the moft fublime virtues. For who would bridle paffion and baulk appetite, did he not fear an after-reckoning? And who would be at the charge of purchafing chriftian perfection (fo contrary to the bent of corrupt nature) did not the expectation of a glorious refurrection embolden him? The faint, who is the most happy of men, would be the most miferable, did his foul expire with his body, and his hope and fear fleep eternally in the grave together. But feeing we only begin properly to live, when we die; and that we fhall then receive the bleffed fruit of our paft labours; what man in his wits will not embrace all the hardships in this world, for a happy eternity in the next?

But the apoftles underfood none of these things: they were fo prepoffefs'd with the perfuafion that their master would mount the throne of Judæa, and that they should share in his temporal greatness, that they fuppofed he talked of whips and death, to try their fidelity, or to experience whether they loved his perfon more than his fortune, and their own intereft.

However, I wonder not, that men of mean capacities, brought up in a law that promised milk and honey, that is, temporal blessings; who had not feen the refurrection of their Mafter, nor received the Holy Ghoft; who had but faint views. of the other world, and dull perceptions of those high and abftrufe myfteries; fhould not comprehend how God could fuffer the immortal to die, or dying rife again the third day. But it is ftupendous, that Chriftians in our age, who have fuck'd almost with their nurfes milk the belief of the chriftian fundamentals, fhould notwithstanding live, as if they neither understood, nor believed them. Who would

would not think Chrift's paffion were a fcandal to Christians, as it was in St. Paul's time to the Jews? That the refurrection of the flesh appeared as fabulous to us, as it did to the magiftrates of Athens ? And that it is a doctrine more proper to raise laughter, than to deferve belief?

For if Chrift had fuffer'd for us, and entred into his glory, by the mortifying fatigues of a laborious life, and the violence of a moft ignominious death would not one imagine that Chriftians courted croffes here both out of gratitude and interest? That if they received them not with joy, they bore them at leaft with refignation? But alas! We are fo far from accepting them with patience, that we break out into the most unbecoming transports of impatience. We blafpheme Providence, and rack confcience to ease our bodies. We make wry faces at the lightest touch; as if our fins deferved no punishment, and patience no reward. Would not one imagine, that the practice of piety were their only employment, who expected a refurrection? That they contemned all the falfe glittering of this world, to find a recompence in the other? Yet it is certain, our thoughts dwell eternally upon earth; for the purchase of a few acres, we often violate all the laws of nature and humanity. We charge through all the decencies of this life, and all the terrors of the next. So that at beft we must confefs, our belief of thofe myfteries is faint and drowfy; it goes no further than fpeculation; which is infignificant, unless it prompts us to practice. We must therefore continually befeech God to open our eyes and inflame our wills, that we may dif cover thefe truths, and model our actions by their direction.

Whilft our Saviour was on his way, he met a blind man. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man fat by

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the way-fide begging. He begged a relief, to fupport a wretched life, without a thought of recovering his fight. He no fooner heard our Saviour was paffing by, but, railing his voice, he cried out, not for money, but mercy, Jefus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And tho' the multitude chid his importunity, and commanded filence, he urged his petition with more vehemence. And his perfeverance obtain'd the favour defired with fo much earnestness, and afk'd with so much eagerness. And immediately be receiv'd his fight.

Our Saviour was haftening to his paffion: He never returned from Jerufalem; fo that had this blind man neglected this occafion, he had in all probability died as blind as he lived. This paffage discovers a terrible truth, that there are certain moments in the courfe of our lives, on which our All depends; that, if well managed, they fecure heaven; if ill, hell. And what ought most to awake our fear and care, is, we know them not. There are ways that lead to life, and others that lead to death. And that we take one rather than the other, depends upon a cafualty, an accident, viz. upon hearing, or not hearing a fermon; upon reading, or not reading a book; upon fpeaking, or not speaking to fuch a perfon. I do not fay, our falvation, or damnation, depends on fuch actions, or omiffions, as on the immediate caufes of either; God forbid. For falvation is not the immediate effect of hearing (for example) a fermon, nor damnation of not hearing one; but they either put us into the way that leads to life, or into that which conveys to death. To make this truth intelligible to the weakest capacity, give me leave to mention an adventure, the great St. Auftin thought fit to recommend to poftefity.

When the emperor gave the people of Trevers famous fpectacles of the Circus, two gentlemen

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of the court, either difgufted with the frequent fights of thofe pompous, but vain amufements, or apprehending their length, left the theatre, to breathe the fresh air of the country. They walked from one place to another, till they fell upon a little grove; the pleafant folitude of the place invites them to enter; they find an hermitage, and in it the penitent inhabitant of the poor cottage. Whilft they admire the modesty of the hermit, the ftraightnefs of the lodging, the poverty of the furniture, one of them efpies a book on a little table; he opens it; it was the life of the great St. Anthony: Curiofity tempts him to run it over; he reads it with pleasure firft, then with transport, and in the end with a refolution to imitate it. He lays the book down, and turning to his companion with a figh, Pray tell me, faid he, what is it we pretend to obtain by these our fatigues? What are we in search of? Life is fhort, youth frail, ftrength uncertain; rivals are many, and offices few. What is there that is not fleeting, and full of danger? continued he. I am refolved this very moment, and in this very place, to devote myfelf wholly to God; and if you, my dear friend, will not imitate my example, endeavour not to hinder my resolution. In a word, they both lock'd themselves up in this fmall cell, flung up all pretenfions to the grandeurs of this world; never greater, never more famous in the very efteem of the world, than when they contemned it.

Now what was the occafion of these two gentlemens converfion, the beginning of that happy way, that led them to heaven? Nothing but their retiring from the plays of the Circus. Hence to pafs their time, and to breathe the fresh air, they refolved to take a turn in the fields. This led them to an hermitage; here they found a book; the reading of it inflamed their hearts with extraordinary fentiments of devotion; these grew into a defire of imitating

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the faint, and that into an efficacious refolution. Hence followed the practice of virtues, fuitable to the ftate of penitents; and this ended in a neverending felicity. Had they entertained their curiofity with the gaudy amusements of the theatre, it is more than probable this good fortune had never befallen them. For, as the fcripture affures us, all things are tied to certain opportunities. There is a time for all things. It is ten to one, they had followed the court, and embraced its maxims; they had run on in the quest of honour and employments, in amorous intrigues, and the practice of all thofe vices that wait on courts, and flow in upon us with plenty and titles. Thefe gentlemen therefore owed their falvation to the abfenting themselves from the theatre: this was the first step, that set them in the narrow path, that convey'd them to heaven; and, if we could trace the wickedness of the damned, and the virtues of the bleffed, up to their fource, we fhould find the mifery of thofe, and the happiness of thefe, to be occafioned by a meer accident. By chance I fall into the company of a woman; her perfon pleases; her difcourfe charms; her wit fparkles: thefe qualities force efteem; this paffes into love; and love into diforders: one crime treads on the heels of another. Jealoufy begins the tragedy; rivals carry it on; and a duel puts an end to the criminal commerce, to begin its punishment in hell. Now what puts this man into the way of death, but an accidental converfation? Another, wedded to the world, funk in fin, entangled in ill habits, either to criticife the preacher, or fave appearances, fits at a fermon; he hears by chance thefe emphatick words of our Saviour; What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul, Matth. xvi. 26. They flash immediately light, and fire; that in his understanding, this in his heart. In a moment he fees and feels the