times people look fo well when attending upon ordinances, we would almost think it was a pity they should ever go from them; but when they are away, and the communion-frame has wore off, they look fo ill, that one would think it was a pity that ever they fhould come to them again. We would fhew you how to prevent this; and, that things may apply the more closely to your confciences, I fhall,

I. SHEW who they are whom we may call to

follow on.

II. I fhall fhew what it is to follow on, or how you must hold your hand to religion, that you may thrive in it, now that your hand is in it.

III. I fhall confirm the doctrine, and fhew you, that it is the true way to thrive, and the belief of it would be a great fpur to diligence. Then,

IV. Conclude with the improvement of the subject.

WE are then,

I. To shew who they are whom we may call to follow on.

There are fome we cannot call to follow on, because they have not yet stirred a foot in religion. There are fome who, for all that they have heard and feen, are quite stupid and unconcerned, lying afleep in their chains; they have no good motions on their spirits, and feel no concern for the want of them. Our text calls us to leave you, but a word or two before we part.

1. What would you think, if you saw the showers of heaven, after a great drought, fall all around your land upon your neighbour's ground,. but not one drop on yours? would you not think you were the mark at which God aims his arrows?

Now,

Now, what can you think of yourselves, wher God touches the hearts of others about you, but never touches yours? when he goes by you, and comes by you, speaks to those on your right hand and on your left, but not a word to you ? Does not that look very like what is in Hof. iv. 17. "Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him alone." To fee a tree in the winter without leaves, is nothing; but in the fpring, when all is flourishing about it, fuch a tree is fit for the axe, and is near to the fire.

2. Do you think the world will always laft with you? will you always fleep in a found fkin? Nay, fooner or later you fhall get an awakening, in mercy, or in wrath: Ifa. xxxii. 9. 10. " Rife up, ye women that are at eafe; hear my voice, ye carelefs daughters, give ear unto my fpeech. Many days and years fhall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage fhall fail, the gathering fhall not come." If you should fleep it out all your days, you fhall at laft awaken, Luke, xvi. God will one time or another take the filthy garments of your fins, wrap them up in brimstone, and fet them on fire about your ears.

But there are several forts of perfons, whose hands we may fay are now in their work; and their business is to purfue.-Such as,

1. There may be fome whom the King has brought into his chambers, and affured them of his love, and they have got the covenant sealed, not only with the public feal of the facrament, but the privy feal of the Spirit. Your bufinefs is to follow on, and improve the precious feason for the church of God, and for yourfelves: Exod. xxxiv. 8. 9. " And Mofes made hafte, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he faid, If now I have found grace in thy fight, O

Lord

Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us." Follow on to know. There is more in that God, that Chrift, that covenant manifefted to you, than feen. There are,

you have

yet

2. Others that have got but fome glimmerings of folid hope from the Lord. It may be that they come here in a dark night of desertion, faying, "My hope is perished from the Lord," Lam. ii. 18. But now the day begins to break, and they have fome hope, that there may be yet room for a backflider. Follow on, his going forth fhall be as the morning, which grows lighter and lighter to the perfect day.-There may be,

3. Some who, it may be, Christ has treated, as Joshua did his captains, when he made them fet their feet upon the necks of the captive kings, Jofh. x. 24. Some luft that has long kept them under, they have now got fubdued, the bonds of wickednefs are broken, and the gates of brafs pulled down; fo that now they are conquerors over their fpiritual foes. To fuch we would fay, Beftir yourselves, and purfue. Wounded lufts, when they get time to recover, have made fad work at a fecond onfet; you are not yet there, where the gates fhall not be fhut at all by day. You are, however, ftrong for the prefent; follow on, and you will be yet ftronger: Zech, xii. 8. "In that day fhall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerufalem; and he that is feeble among you at that day, fhall be as David; and the houfe of David fhall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them."-There may be,

4. Some who have not come fo far forward yet, though they are come the length to be heartily content that they and their lufts were freely parted, though they cannot tell how it will be accomplished. Follow on, pursue, you have them at a fair

advantage.

advantage. The throne of fin in the heart is fhaken. Lufts fit loofer than they did. Preis hard upon the tottering fabric, and it may come to fail altogether; so that you may foon be ready to fay with Ephraim, "What have I any more to do with idols ?" Hof. xiv. 18.-There may be,

5. Some who have not come fo far, but yet they have fome defires after Chrift and religion. They have a hungering after him, and they are more fqueamish as to their lufts than they were; though they cannot as yet fee, if they forego the world and their lufts, how their lofs will be made up. Truly this is not rauch; but every thing muft have a beginning. Follow on; that cloud, like a man's hand, may come to darken the heavens at length. The converfion of Zaccheus had as flender a beginning, Luke, xix. 3. You have fecu, you were touched, look on, take a better look of the Plant of Renown, and ye may come to be affected, allured, and captivated.-There may be,

6. Some who have not come even fo far, but they have got some convictions of fin; and though they have no will to part with their lufts, yet, they cannot fee how to live with them, and as little can they fee how to live without them. Their confcience is awakened, but their heart is juft where it was. It is a fmall length this indeed; but follow on. If the confcience has got the first touch, the heart may get the next. If fin is become uneafy to the confcience, it may become a burden to the heart next, and fo the fweet morfel may be vomited up.--There may be,

Laftly, Some who have not come so far as to have any particular conviction, or quick touches of confcience, only they have a fort of uneafiness with refpect to the cafe of their fouls, a fecret diffatisfaction with their ftate and cafe, which they VOL. II. T

fee

fee is not good. This is even as little as can reafonably be concluded to be any beginning of good; yet follow on, pursue this, think more attentively upon it. If the dry bones be but beginning to move, they at laft may come together, and live. We now proceed,

III. To fhew what it is to follow on, how you muft hold your hand to religion, that ye may thrive in it, now that your hand is in it. The word imports a violence and eagernefs, such as men have in pursuing an enemy, perfecuting the people of God, or in hunting for prey.-Wherefore, when following on,

4. You must make religion your great end. As every man who pursues has fomething in view, fo your great defign muft be to know the Lord: "Not," fays Paul," as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus." There was a profpect which mifgave at firft with Adam, because Satan laid the measures for it, Gen. iii. 5. But you must take it up again, as the Lord himfelf will have you: Matth. v. 48. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect." When once grace touches the heart, it produces a certain reftleffness there, till the foul be perfectly united with God. You will never make any good of religion, till you make it your grand object in the world. You must not be merely occafional customers to religion, of which fee an instance, Judges, xviii. 5. but stated and conftant.-When following on,

2. You must be perfuaded of the weight and worth of religion; for no wife man will pursue what he thinks not worth the pains. What is

the