performing the Commands of his Mafter, SERM. have fuch a Character of Holiness, and III. n Promife of Reward; without Question, that which we are obliged to exert with regard to our Pofts, Profeffions, and Families, is capable of the fame; far from polluting and excluding us from Religion, unless by our own Exceffes and Mifapplications. How much foever therefore we do or ought to admire the contemplative Life, fince Providence has deftin'd the Generality of Mankind to the active; let them immediately refolve to ferve God in it and by it, and not delay the Reformation of any Error of Life till they shall relinquish that State, for which they have neither the Neceffity of Obligation, nor Probability of Event.

Now I have dispatch'd the Refutation of this too vulgar Error, I will give fome Abstract of the Obfervations in my former Sermon upon the Wickedness and Mischief of retarding the Amendment of our Lives; and then proceed to the Remainder.

SERM.

The Remainder is a Confequence of our III. evil Behaviour in this Cafe, which I am now to treat of; not abfolutely certain indeed, as the former, but highly probable, and fuch as, if it arrive, brings upon us Destruction past all Remedy. And this is dying impenitent. There are many Ways, by which, or one of them, it is likely, THAT will be the last End of fuch as, from Time to Time, neglect to make Use of their present Conviction, and flatter their Souls with the Prefumption of doing it hereafter. Some of them I fhall, mention. The firft, that of fudden Death.

That Event is well known to be frequent, and may be now making near Approaches to the very fecureft of us all. The Seeds, the Causes, and Inftruments, are fcatter'd thick throughout the World. They lurk in all our Paths unobferved, and even in our Houses, and our Food, and our very Bodies. The Young are, by manifold Experience, found no more exempt than the Aged, the Robuft than the Infirm and Sickly. He that abounds in the Neceffaries of Life, lofes it as foon or fooner than he that wants them; and the Cau

tious perifheth as well as the Bold, and SERM. often by his Caution itself. Troops of III. fharp Diseases, known and nameless, lye in Wait for us; and outward Violence, both from the Sword, and from Accidents not to be number'd nor imagin'd, is still ready to cut us off. How then is any Man fecure of the Morrow? How is the wicked Man, whofe Wickedness, his Injustice, or Intemperance, do naturally expofe him more than others to fuch Der ftruction? This, indeed, muft appear a Confideration that deferves to be infifted on, if we observe the dangerous and wild Exceffes of fuch Peoples ordinary Practice. But a much stronger Enforcement of this Hazard will be feen, when we fay, How of all Men can the Wicked live in Security from the infinite Threatenings of fudden Death: He that throws himself out of the Protection of the only Guard, the Favour of a watchful Providence, nay, provokes the Divine Indignation to fend its fecret Arrows against him? What can he expect but to bring upon himself swift Deftruction? Surely while he lingers long and fleeps over his everlasting Concern there

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SERM. there is abundant Reafon to fear, that his III. Judgment now of a long Time lingreth not, and his Damnation flumbreth not. For is it not as just as terrible, if his affected and abufive Delay meet with a fudden Vengeance? Or what can more directly provoke and haften the Day of Wrath, than to presume upon the Forbearance and Long-fuffering of God; to defpife it, to make it an Occafion of Wantonness, inftead of the Repentance to which it leads? Indeed this very Thing is threaten'd, St. Matth, xxiv. 48, &c. If that evil Servant fhall fay in his Heart, My Lord delayeth his Coming; and shall begin to fmite bis Fellow-fervants, and to eat and drink with the Drunken: The Lord of that Servant fhall come in a Day when he looketh not for bim, and in an Hour that he is not ware of, and fhall cut him afunder, and appoint bim his Portion with the Hypocrites; there fhall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth,

But though this be the Condemnation ; yet is it not actually executed upon all that are thus guilty. Nevertheless, it is to be confider'd farther, that they commonly fo order Matters, as in Effect to execute

it upon themselves. For what will it SERM. avail these Offenders, if through Divine III. Clemency, they have large Warning of their approaching Diffolution, either by Length of Days, or by a leifurely Growth of Indifpofition; while they alone are infenfible to it, as if they were resolved to be furprized. And this is their Cafe. They have been long accustomed to put far from them the evil Day, which is, with them, the Time of becoming Good; and have as great a Facility of doing that yet a little longer, as a fettled Averfion to the Work they ever fhrunk from. In this Pofture, how ready and common a Thing is it to disbelieve what we diflike? And accordingly, how many of thefe People are the very last to apprehend the Nearnefs of their own Change? It is not yet necessary to do fo disagreeable a Thing as to amend a corrupt Life, has been the grateful Determination fo long, that any Thought of the Contrary is become infupportable: So, it is not yet necessary, holds till it is grown impoffible. The End of Life prevents the Beginning (to any Purpose) of its Amendment and Death,

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