HE that ponders well this saying , and the Author of it , will stand amazed at the strange and miraculous Operation of the Grace of God . To me to live is Christ , &c. I have no other thought , no other delight but Christ . As the Hart desireth the Water-Brooks , so longeth my Soul after Christ : My life without him is worse than death , and death with him is a gain beyond life . A very passionate and wonderful Affection ! And who is this so passionately in love with Christ ? 'T is Paul the Apostle . Where 's then the Wonder ? Who more full of fervent Expressions towards Christ ? Wherefore I tell you , 't is Saul the Persecutor ; he that but even now breathed nothing but Wrath and Vengeance against the Servants of Christ , now breathes nothing but the love of Christ . Is not this a wonderful change ? But the manner of this change is yet more wonderful . For how was he reconcil'd , and so firmly united to Christ ? Was it after the manner of men , by Gifts , Honours , Advancements , Possessions , &c. This is our way , especially with men of Spirit and Resolution ; violent and compulsary ways do but exasperate and harden such ; and the Rule is general , Oderunt quem timent : Men hate whom they fear . But let us see how Christ deals with Saul , who was riding on , as furiously as Jehu , to Damascus , to oppose Christ , and destroy his Disciples . Christ at first dash tumbles him down to the Earth , strikes him blind : And though afterwards he restored him his sight , yet 't was , as a Worldling would think , on very hard Conditions ; to forsake all , Wealth , Honour , Friends , Country , and go preach the Gospel to Infidels . And what 's his Reward for his great Labour and Travel ? Reproaches , Fetters , Whips , Stones . And is this the way to beget Love , or rather to convert great Love , into great hatred ? Is it not then very true which the Lord said , Isa. 55.8 . My thoughts are not your thoughts , neither are your ways my ways ? Christ casts Saul's body to the Earth , but elevates his Soul to Heaven ; covers his corporal eyes with blinding scales , but takes the darkening veil from his spiritual eye ; discovers unto him the infinite Love and Goodness of his Saviour , whom he so blindly persecuted ; and giving him a ravishing taste of his Divine Sweetness , Saul is become Paul ; the Persecutor an Apostle ; and so zealous a Disciple , as he knows no other delight , no other joy , but Christ ; for his sake he gladly quits all , gladly suffers all . And now to him to live was Christ , and to die for Christ was a gain beyond all . To me to live is Christ , &c.

I have hitherto , by way of Preface , shewed you the wonderful love of St. Paul to Christ , which was not a languishing , idle Passion ; but , Amor efficax : An efficacious operating Love ; like active Fire , which converts every thing into the same nature : So this Divine Flame infused into the breast of Saul , converted the whole man into a new Creature . His earthly carnal Nature , is now become spiritual and divine ; for so St. Peter expresses it , That by Grace we are partakers of the Divine Nature , 2 Pet. 1.4 . This seems to carnal men a thing wonderful and incredible ; and yet we have daily before our eyes effects , in some measure , as wonderful ; but the frequency of them takes away the wonder ; and instead of admirable , renders them scarce considerable . Do not we see the same earth converted into various substances , by the diversity of Seed cast into it , and from thence spring up Corn , Tares , Flowers , Weeds , Grass , Thistles , all out of the same Earth ? Such is the efficacious power of the little Seed , as each one works such a total change in the Earth , that our Brain would never conceive it possible , were not our eyes daily convinc'd of this Truth . Should any man come and tell us , That in the Indies 't is common to file Iron into dust , and to sow it , and from thence in a short time to spring forth a plentiful Crop of Iron-bars ; should not we esteem him a large talking Traveller , and let this pass for a mere Fable ? And I pray why ? Is it not more probable from Iron-dust , to spring up Iron , than from a little , dry , black Kernel , to sprout forth a tall , moist , green Twig ; thence bud forth Leaves , then curious Blossoms , then lovely pleasant fruit ? Certainly this in appearance is a much more improbable change , and would be less credible , were it not daily visible . So should I come to some carnal , covetous Wretches , or to some debaucht lustful Youths , and tell them , That would God be so gracious as to sow in their corrupted earthly hearts , the Seeds of his Divine Grace , there would spring forth from thence most vigorous Branches , laden with rich and lovely Fruits of Temperance , Chastity , Meekness , Mercy , Charity ; the money they now hug so close , they would then scatter abroad among the poor ; the Epicurean delights they now greedily hunt after , then offer'd , they would reject ; the painted Beauty they now adore , they would then contemn ; and in fine , it would work so strange a Transformation in them , as to make them love Lowliness and Poverty , Hunger and Thirst , Cold and Nakedness , Imprisonment and Stripes , any thing for Christ's sake ; and to rejoyce more in these , than in any carnal Pleasure they ever enjoy'd . Think you , would they not rank me with the large talking Travellers , and think this the veriest Fable in the World ? No doubt on 't . Yet , blessed be God , such is the powerful Operation of his heavenly Grace , as it hath often wrought these wonderful Conversions in men of the foulest carnal temper : Zacheus a Publican , to give half his Goods to the poor ; Matthew the Publican , to forsake all ; Mary Magdalen , the Sinner of the City , made the Saintly Penitent of the World ; the furious Persecutor Saul , the most fervent Apostle Paul ; who did neither care to enjoy , nor so much as know any thing , saving Christ and him crucified , 1 Cor. 2.2 . And to gain Christ , how readily did he quit all , even in the Infancy of his Conversion ; yea , counted all but as dung , so he might gain Christ : As dung , which with loathing , a man hastily casts from him ; far from affectionately seeking them . This was the first step of his Giant-pace , wherewith he began his course towards Christ . At the next stride he passes over Kindred and Friends , his Brethren according to the flesh ; they are all now become his Enemies , they daily plot mischief , and muster up all their Forces against him ; and though Death , like a Cannon planted in the Rear , stands ready with open mouth to devour him , yet he is less terrified with that grim Visage , than Sampson with the Lyon , which he rent in pieces like a Kid , and found honey in the jaw thereof . So far was Death from being a terrour to St. Paul , that it was his delight , and could endure to be killed all the day long , as he expresses , Rom. 8.36 . And after all crys out , We are more than Conquerers : We not only overcome , but rejoyce in that we are thought worthy to suffer for Christ . Christ is the Prize his heart is set upon , to that he hastens ; Death it self stops not his course . And now I come to that which far surpasses all I have yet said : Such was the transcendent love of St. Paul , as that Christ's glory might be encreased , and many Souls gained unto Christ , he was content to give up , not only his Body unto Death , but his Soul also , even to eternal Death , and become Anathama , a Curse for them . So high a pitch of Divine Love and Charity , as never any man before but Moses , arrived unto , nor ever any man after as we find . Hic terminus esto . Had it not been for this , the Jews might have out-bragg'd us with their great Captain and Deliverer from Egypt , Moses , who for the good of his People , was content to be blotted out of the Book of Life . How would they have triumphed , could they have out vyed us with a Saint of the Old Law ; boasting his Charity as far above any of ours , as Saul was by the head and shoulders above all the People , and insultingly cry , Toto vertice supra est . But God hath taken away this Reproach from us ; to whom he hath given not only a Chief Captain and Saviour Christ Jesus , far to surpass their Deliverer Moses ; but another also to equal him , this great Apostle of the Gentiles , St. Paul , who deliver'd more thousands from a far more miserable Thraldom , captivated under Satan , and brought them to the heavenly Jerusalem : For the Salvation of whose Souls , he was as ready as Moses , to give up his own , and be blotted out of the Book of Life .

And now , if you please , we will erect here two Tabernacles , or two Pillars with a Ne plus ultra ; one for Moses , and one for Paul . But I pray let us take care to build them according to St. Paul's Directions , who would have all done to Edification ; that these may be not only Trophies to them , but Instructions to us ; to the end we may in some measure follow their godly example . For I fear that many look on these stately Pillars of God's Church , as we now a days look on the Ancient Colossuses of Egypt . They at first , as Pierius , and other Writers relate , were erected full of Figures and Emblems , to teach the People Morality and Divinity ; but this Emblematical Science being now antiquated and forgotten , we gaze on them as Wonders only , not one jot the better or the wiser by them . And just so these goodly Pillars of the Church we much admire , but learn very little from them , and not at all endeavour to imitate them . That 's beyond our power . And why beyond our power ? Were not Moses and Paul men of the same flesh and blood with us ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , men of like passions , subject to the same infirmities with us ? Did not St. Paul Rom. 7.18 . confess , That in his flesh dwelled no good thing : And , 2 Cor. 12.7 . did he not complain to the Lord , of a Thorn in his flesh , and Satan given to buffet him ; sharp Temptations , and great oppressions ? But what did the Lord answer him ? My Grace is sufficient for thee . Let not thy weakness make thee despond , and cause thy fall ; My strength shall be made perfect in thy weakness , and shall bear thee up against all opposition . And Paul confiding in this Promise of the Lord , was kept up , and overcame the Temptation , surmounted all Difficulties whatsoever ; and no man ever met with more . Therefore in another place , Phil. 4.13 . he boasts , THAT through Christ he could do all things . Why then may not other men of the same corrupt flesh and weak infirmities with Paul , through Christ , do the same things which Paul did ; Do all things ? Is the Grace of God infeebled , that it cannot strengthen ? Is the Arm of the Lord shortned , that it cannot save ? Or is the hand of the Lord closed , that he will not give ? Ask , and it shall be given you ; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you , Mat. 7.7 . said the same Lord that enabled Paul to do all things . And can he deceive ? Will He fail to make his Promise good ? No certainly . But we do ask and seek , we daily pray , yet we continue as frail and weak as ever : And why ? Because we do not ask in Faith : We do not believe God is now so bountiful to confer such wonderful Grace . Why not now ? Is not God the same yesterday , to day , and for ever ? God is no Changeling ; but we are , we are turned aside from the holy Commandment ; we do not love God with all our heart , nor with half of it , the World hath three quarters at least , God but a small pittance ; the Pomp and Glory of this World , the carnal desires of the Flesh , have wholly possest our hearts . Would God freely ask us , as he did Solomon , what we desired ; whether we would have Dignity and Wealth , or Grace and Vertue ; whether we would be Croesus or Paul ; Croesus , Croesus , would be the loud cry , and carry it clear from Paul a hundred for one . Can we then expect that God will pour down his precious Grace on us , to make us Pauls , who care not to be Pauls ; but would cast away his heavenly Grace , for worldly Wealth ? Really I fear there are not three persons here of all this Assembly , that would be Pauls if they might . No , no , the Pleasures , the Riches , which Paul chearfully abandoned , and counted as dung , we eagerly pursue , and highly esteem ; the Sufferings and Afflictions which he rejoyced in , we tremble at . We are a faithless and faint-hearted Generation , we will not fight the good Fight of Faith ; there is not one spark of Christian Ambition in us ; we are no way worthy to bear the name of Christian Souldiers , much less of Captains and Pauls ; but deserve rather to have our names quite blotted out of the List . It was handsomly said of Henry the Fourth of France , Did he know any Souldier in his Army , that did not hope to be a Captain ; or any Captain , that did not hope to be Captain-General , he would presently cashier him . But all can't be Captains , 't is true , but all may aim at it ; and then as Tully saith , Honestum est prima sequentem , in secundis tertiisve consistere : 'T is honorable for him who aims at the Chief , if he arrive to the second or third degree , and there sit down . This was the way St. Paul took , as he tells us , Phil. 3.13 . Forgetting those things which are behind , and reaching forth unto those things which are before , I press towards the mark , for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus . Christ was the mark he aimed at , not that he hoped to come up fully to it , yet pressed towards it . But alas ! we have no such aim , not a thought that way ; we press not towards Christ our Captain-General , nor towards this Great Captain St. Paul , nor any thing like it ; we had far rather be Pioneers , to dig and moyl in the Earth , to cast up Banks , and raise Bulwarks of earthly Riches , that we may skulk under them , and avoid all Gun-shot ; or be Wagon-Drivers to attend on the Carriages of Provision : Like the base Israelites , that drew back , and would not follow their Noble Captain Moses ; but still hanker'd after the Flesh-pots of Egypt , the Belly-comforts , as most of us do . Our Ambition reaches no higher than to arrive to a full measure of those lustful , sordid delights , which the meanest and foulest Beasts enjoy as fully as any man can do . What wretched thoughts are these for Men of Honour ? The steam of these Flesh-pots have so blinded our eyes , so stupified and besotted our brain , that like men bereft of common sense , we can't discern betwixt Light and Darkness , Vertue and Vice , Honour and Shame ; but all is turn'd into a Chaos of Confusion . For shame let us rouse up our selves out of this deadly Lethargie , let us shew we have some sparks of Honour and true Nobility in us . Nobilitas sola est atque unica , virtus : Vertue is the only true Nobility ; a Heathen said it . Consider then the high price of our Calling , far above Heathens : We are called Christians , Sons of the Ever-living God , Fellow-heirs with Christ , Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven : Let us walk worthy of this Vocation wherewith we are called ; not in Rioting and Drunkenness ; not in Chambering and Wantonness , not in Strife and Envy , worse then Heathens : But in Sobriety , Chastity , Charity , as good Christians . If we can't walk with St. Paul , Passibus aequis , and keep up close with him ; yet let us , Corde fervido , hasten after , and press towards him . We serve a gracious God , who will accept of desires for deeds : A bruised Reed shall he not break , and the smoaking Flax shall he not quench , but rather enflame it . Take a Candle newly put out , and yet smoaking , bring it near a flaming Candle , the flame of that will descend by the smoak of the other , and set it on fire : So would we but with hearts , like smoaking Flax , draw near unto God , his Holy Spirit would descend and set them a flaming . Oh then let us earnestly desire at least , and endeavour with St. Paul , to live to Christ , and the infinite mercy of God will accept us , and enable us to live to Christ , and then doubtless our death will , like St. Pauls , be gain unto us ; whereof I am now to treat , To die is gain .

Many in times of Paganism , considering the small and momentary pleasures men enjoy in this life , the grievous and durable miseries men suffer , all which death delivers them from ; did thereupon conclude , death to be a great advantage , and a wonderful gain : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . So Plato in Apo. Socr. And Cicero de Fin. ( who in all things followed Plato ) called death , Portum malorum , perfugium aerumnosae vitae : A Haven and Shelter from a tempestuous miserable life . But Zeno the Stoick-master shall make answer to this ; affirming , That there is no misery in this life , but as we make it so ; and that a wise Philosopher is always happy in all conditions . And a Disciple of his Seneca ; discourses the same at large , shewing how the riches of the mind are much improved by noble Sufferings ; and these being of a far greater value than any earthly riches , the noble Sufferer is happy by enlarging these , though his Body or Estate suffer detriment . And then the Conclusion must be , That death can be no gain : First , because it deprives a man of life , which is a good thing of its self ; and secondly , it robs us of the opportunity to encrease the riches of the Soul , which true Philosophers improve by Sufferings . I doubt Plato and Cicero , and such Academicks , would be foully pusled to answer from Natural Reason , these Arguments of Zeno and Seneca , and the rest of the Stoicks . But I will leave them to canvas and justle one another in the dark ; for truly I can't approve the Opinions of either party , or their Principles . For life being a natural pleasing thing , I can't think it any gain to quit it , without the assurance of a better life , which Philosophers had not : Nor can I think there 's any happiness merely in Sufferings , though ever so gallant . 'T is true , a man should bear them like a man , but this makes not a happy man , if no recompence follow . And though the Stoick Anaxarchus pun'd in a large Morter , affirm'd , he was there happy , and defied the Tyrant Nicocrean , saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Bruise the Case of Anaxarchus , thou canst not bruise nor touch the hidden Jewel therein , my Soul : Yet I believe could he have leap'd out of the Morter , and escaped the Tyrant , he would not hastily have leapt into it again to renew that happiness . These are brave flourishes of the Pen , whilst men sit at ease in their study ; or a good face put on the matter , when a man is so fettered in an evil , as he sees no possibility to escape ; then 't is better to brave it gallantly like a Lyon , than to dye sneakingly like a Cur.

But let us now see St. Pauls Philosophy , we shall find it much better : Thus far he agrees with the Stoicks , that there is no such misery in this life , but that men may receive benefit by it : All things work together for good , Rom. 8.28 . But to whom ? To all men ? No : But to them that love God ; who for God's sake bear it patiently , and by God shall be rewarded liberally ; and thus all things work together for good to them that love God : But not to them who know not God , much less love him . For if there were no gracious God to recompence our Sufferings , no other life after this to receive the reward ; then , saith St. Paul , were we Sufferers of all men most miserable , 1 Cor. 5.19 . Sure very miserable , to be made the filth of the World , the off-scouring of all things , 4.13 . And though St. Paul agrees likewise with Plato , That death is a wonderful gain : Yet not in it self , as in putting off this house of Clay ( for any house is better than no house ; ) but as death is a passage to a better house : A house not made with hands , eternal in the Heavens , 1 Cor. 5.1 . And he desires to depart , not so much to be rid of the present Misery , as to be with Christ the only true Felicity . And though life here be good ; yet , To be with Christ is far better , Phil. 1.23 . Thus you see how much wiser and better Christianity is , than Heathen Philosophy , which at best is but Gallant Folly .

But we have some Christian Philosophers , who endeavour to lessen much our gain by death ; telling us a fond Dream of their own Brain ( viz. ) The Souls sleeping at death till the day of Judgment , and then to rise again with the Body to receive the reward of good or evil . They were as good tell us in plain terms , the Soul dies with the Body ; for this sleep is so like death , as I know not how to distinguish it from Death . How a pure Spirit ( as the Soul divided from the Body is ) can fetch a sleep of one or two thousand years , I cannot understand , and I believe they as little . Let them shew us what kind of sleep this is , and some warrant in Scripture for it , and then I shall willingly hearken to them , and submit my Soul to sleep with theirs , not otherwise . For I shall not easily quit the comfort St. Paul gives us at death , That we shall depart hence , and be with Christ , for which he desired to be dissolved ; not to enter into so dead a sleep , as would make his condition no better than of a dead block . He tells us also , he was in a streight betwixt two , Whether to stay and preach the Gospel to others , or to depart and be with Christ , which was far better for himself . Surely he that had so passionate a zeal to gain Souls unto Christ , would never have thought it far better to sleep a thousand years , than to gain a thousand Souls . Thus to dye was a dull stupid gain , much disagreeing with his Active Soul , and as much disagreeing with the clear current of Scripture . What can be clearer than those words of our Saviour unto the Thief on the Cross ? This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise . Which must needs be understood of his Souls living after the death of his Body on the Cross . For sure our Saviour took not the Thiefs Soul into Paradise to sleep with him , but to rejoyce with him there : Had Christ intended sleep , he would rather have said , This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise . I suppose the main cause that moves them to this sleepy Imagination is , Their Wisdom thinks it not reasonable that the Souls of men should at death receive the Recompence of Good or Evil , in Heaven or Hell , and thence come out again to the General Judgment , having before past their Particular Judgment . I wish these over-wise men would leave these matters to the Wisdom of God to determine ; for my part , I shall determine no more than the Scripture plainly declares , ( viz. ) That the Souls of good men after death have some happy being , where with St. Paul they enjoy Christ , frequently at least , if not always : The Souls of wicked men some miserable Being , at a vast distance from the godly , divided by an unpassable Gulf , as Dives was from Lazarus ; but whether these places be the Heaven of heavens , and the Hell of hells , I will not now dispute , but shall in a short time certainly know : In the interim , I rest satisfied with S. Paul's Assurance , That death will be a gain , and convey me to some place where I shall enjoy Christ my Blessed Redeemer .

We have yet another Generation of men , who call themselves Christians , and would be called Wits ; but I can call them neither , they having no belief in the Promise of Christ for a future life , but make a mock of this as an idle Dream . 'T is strange that men , who have so high a conceit of themselves , should make use of their wit thus to debase themselves . Certainly this is great folly . God hath made Man but a little lower than the Angels , by giving him an eternal Soul ; but they by denying the Eternity of the Soul , make themselves as low as Beasts , their Soul dying with their Body , without hope of future life . If you ask them a reason for their Opinion , their Sense is their Reason ; they see no other life , therefore they believe no other . ( Really I could never yet hear any thing else objected . ) Thus they believe according to Sense , and live according to Sense ; very Beasts in all , but stupendious Wits . 'T is true , when a Man dies , and a Beast dies , we see no more of man remaining than of the Beast . But shall we be such Beasts , as to make no use at all of our Reason ? Doth not our Reason evidently shew us , that there is a vast difference betwixt our Soul , and the Soul of Beasts , by the many wonderful Arts and Sciences which man arrives unto , of which Beasts are not capable in the least degree ? And we may farther urge the Metaphysical Speculations and Spiritual Contemplations of the Soul , wholly independant of the Body ; which strongly proves the subsistency of the Soul independant of the Body , as the Learned well understand : For , an Action presupposes the being of the Actor . But this is an Argument too Scholastick for this Assembly , therefore I shall not here enlarge upon it : Though methinks these men , who would be thought Masters of Wit and Reason , should be ashamed of their Ignorance in this , the Master-part of Reason . But Beasts they would be , and so let them be , unfit to consort with knowing wise men ; who in all Ages all the World over , had this belief of a future life ; which being so universal , must needs proceed from the instinct of Nature , which is nothing else but an inner light infused into the Soul of Man by God the Creator , together with a feeling and pleasing expectation of future Felicity . Thus far Heathens went . But we Christians have a farther and much clearer light from our Saviour Christ , who plainly taught this , and evidently confirmed it by innumerable Miracles which he did in his life , and chiefly by his rising again after death , so fully attested . Do not the Laws of God and Man in all Nations , receive for truth whatever is witnessed by two or three ? But if twenty persons affirm upon Oath , what they themselves have seen , all twenty being men of unsuspected credit ; who then doubts the truth thereof ? Had any one of these perverse faithless Wretches an Estate to recover , witnessed for them by twenty , or ten , or two sufficient Witnesses , and should be deprived of it ; would they not make great out-crys of Injustice ? Have not we then most just cause to cry out against these unjust Judges , that would deprive us of our heavenly Inheritance , attested for us by twenty , a hundred , five hundred most credible persons , who all at once were eye-witnesses of our Saviours being risen from the dead ; most whereof testified the same , not with Oaths , but with their Deaths , and joyfully died in full assurance of this heavenly Inheritance ? And what these men were eye-witnesses of , they declared unto others , and so from hand to hand conveyed it for many hundred years together , and in every year downwards from the Apostles , hundreds and thousands continually attested the same , by suffering many grievous Torments , and cruel Deaths . Was there ever any thing so attested in the whole World ? or was there ever any thing so perversly , so madly denied ? Are not these men , as St. Austin saith , Miracles of Unbelief ? For really it seems impossible in nature , that men should so unnaturally deny a thing attested by thousands of reasonable and credible men ; so that to reject their evidence , is to reject the Evidence of Mankind . And that which makes these Infidels most notoriously ridiculous is , that they undoubtedly believe many things which have not the tenth part of this Evidence , or scarce any at all . But as it is , 2 Thess. 2.11 . God shall send them strong delusion , that they should believe a lye , and not believe the truth . Should I ask these men , what farther Evidence they would have for a future life ? Doubtless they would require a sight of some half a score to come from the dead and assure them of it . Our Saviour said it , and therefore I believe it , That if they will not hear Moses and the Prophets , the Apostles and Martyrs , neither will they hear , though one , or ten , rose from the dead . But put the case some should come from the dead to assure them of another life , and these men having many children of their own , should tell them what they saw and heard ; and their children should answer , They would not believe , unless they themselves also saw and heard the very same : Would they not have great indignation at their childrens unbelief ? No doubt on 't . And yet their children have the same reason for themselves to deny it . And so by their Rule , some must be daily coming from the dead into all parts of the World to satisfie men , or else no belief . Is not this a most extravagant thing ? We have had great patience to talk with these , so unreasonable men , so long . I shall now make a short Reflexion on what I have said in this matter .

If we have not brought absolutely convincing proofs for a future Life , yet sure they are very probable proofs : So that considering our Assertion and Proofs , and their Denial and no Proofs , the Judgment stands fair for us . But the more to confute them , I will yield that we are upon equal terms ; nay , what if I yield 't is two to one on their side , and yet shew these great Wit-pretenders are Witless in their ways . I propose to them a Parable . A certain man brings them a Bottle of curious Wine to drink ; there come in presently three more , wereof one crys out , Sirs , take heed what you do , this man comes to poyson you , I saw him put most deadly poyson into the Bottle : The other two laugh at it as a Fable , affirming both stood by when the Wine was drawn , and they saw no poyson put in . Some of my brave Youths say , Come , the Wine looks very clear , tastes very pleasant , away with these foolish fears , Let us drink and be merry . Others answer , Hold my Masters , let us not be so mad as to venture our lives for a glass of Wine ; though there be two Witnesses to one , that there 's no poyson in it , yet this is but a Negative proof , poyson might be put in and they not see it ; and then , the loss of our lives is an hundred to one more , than the gain will be in drinking it ; the pleasure is but for the twinkling of an eye , the loss great and for ever . I beseech you tell me , which of these talk Reason , which Madness ? Is it not then far greater Madness , for the small and momentary pleasures of this life , to venture the loss of an eternal Life , of unspeakable Felicity ? And not only so , but to plunge themselves headlong into eternal misery ; and all this , not having two to one for them , but an hundred to one against them . If this be not desperate Madness , I beseech you tell me what is ? Who can chuse but sadly lament the dangerous condition of these men ? My only comfort is , That the mighty power of the Divine Grace is able from stones to raise up children to Abraham . And therefore I will never cease to pray and hope , that God of his infinite Goodness and Mercy , will in his good time give a sensible Touch to their Faithless stony hearts .

And now for a Conclusion , I will in few words address my self to all you who have faith in the promise of Christ for a future life , and hope that death may be unto you gain . The day is at hand , when we are to celebrate the Resurrection of our Blessed Saviour , which is the ground of this our hope , and raises up in us fervent desires to live with St. Paul unto Christ , that we may die in Christ , rise again and reign with Christ . And for the encouragement and encrease of your desires , I beseech you remember , that St. Paul was by nature of the same flesh and blood with us , of the same infirmities and weakness , and of himself could do nothing , no more then we ; but by Grace could do all things , and so may we .

I beseech you also remember the faithful Promise of Christ . That if we ask , seek , and knock , this Grace will be given unto us . And never more seasonable than now to seek it ; for you know , Lent is the holy time appointed by the Church for Fasting and Praying , and this ensuing Week is the Holy of Holies , and more especially requires it . How you have spent the former part , God and your own hearts best know ; but if amiss , I , with St. Peter , beseech you , That the time past may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles , when we walked in Lasciviousness , Lusts , excess of Wine , Revellings , Banquettings , and such like , 1 Pet. 4.3 . Very unfit for Christians at any time , much more in the holy time of Lent . We must therefore , according to St. Paul's Directions , Ephes. 5.15 . earnestly endeavour to redeem the time past by great Humiliation , and fervent Devotion , this Week yet to come ; that so we may be meet partakers of the holy Mysteries , at the approaching Feast , and thereby partakers also of that powerful Grace which transform'd Saul into Paul ; and will likewise transform us Sinners into Saints , if we receive those holy Mysteries worthily : But if unworthily , it will transform us great Sinners , into great Devils , eating and drinking our own Damnation , which God forbid . I have heard of some that have made a Covenant with the Devil , and signed it with their own blood : Who doth not abhor the Fact ? Surely then much more abhor to make a Covenant with the Devil to continue in sin , and sign it with the precious blood of Christ . The very thought of it is dreadful ! Wherefore I most humbly and earnestly beseech you all with fear and trembling , to consider the King of Glory , the Judge of quick and dead we are to receive into our breasts , and that you would with repenting tears , so wash and make it clean , with chastising Mortification so rub and polish ; with fervent Love and zealous Devotion so deck and adorn it , that it may become a fit Tabernacle to receive the King of Glory , our Saviour Christ , and invite him to come in and sup with us , and we with him , as it is Revel. 3.20 . That our Souls may be so refreshed and strengthened by this heavenly Food , that henceforth we may live in Christ , and Christ in us , and then we shall be sure to die in Christ ; and that death will be unto us an unspeakable gain , conveying us from a World of Misery , to a Kingdom of everlasting Glory ; which Christ hath faithfully promised us , and God of his infinite Mercy will give us . And therefore unto him be ascribed , as is most due , all Honour , Praise and Glory , for ever and ever . Amen .