now to acknowledge him to be the Son of God as the Pharifees did heretofore. The Generality of his Followers regard his Kingdom as a Kingdom of this World, they look upon his Rules of Life as a Syftem of Politicks, they establish various Societies and Conftitutions of Government upon the Plan of his Doctrine, and the whole Drift and Design of their Behaviour is calculated and laid out to advance themselves, and fit at his right Hand and his left, in this his supposed Kingdom. The Scriptures are wrested into a thousand wild inconfiftent and contradictory Schemes; whereas the the Words of Christ are barely the Words of eternal Life, they are not defign'd to inform us in any other Particular, and he that is not with him in this one Point, is against him. 'Tis in this Particular he teaches as never Man taught; in other Matters there's no fuch Form, Beauty nor Comeli ness ness in him, he passes over other things as not worthy his Notice, nor our Care and Concern. 'Tis eternal Life he fets forth and recommends to us, and inftructs us in; eternal Life! the most curfory Contemplation of which, has enough in it to obliterate every other Care, and inhance the whole Solicitude of our Souls. The Things of this Life, are the Things which must pass away, and are consequently such Things as we cannot reasonably take Thought for, feeing there are Things at the very Door which must abide for ever. Were any of us affured that we should be removed from a mean and indigent, and painful, to a great and happy State of Life; had we the Promife of fuch a Favour from fome great Man that we could rely upon, that he would confer it when he faw it most convenient for us; furely we fhould overlook our present State: Our Expectations would be raised, our our Souls would be wrapt up in, and our whole Behaviour would be one continued act of Preparation for this happy Advancement. How is it then we are fo little influenced by the Promises of an unchangeable God, by the bright Prospect of Eternity held forth to us? Had Eternity once made its Impreffions upon our Souls, and turned our Faces Heavenward, and did we apply ourselves to the Words of Chrift, fimply as the Words of eternal Life, our Delight would be in them, and they would be dearer to us than thousands of Gold and Silver; neither would it be in our Power to depart from him. To whom should we go to be better inftructed in this Particular, or what Particular of Inftruction could we prefer before this? But if being regardless of Life eternal, we read them with other Views, no wonder we are offended at him, no wonder they appear foolish things to us, ΠΟ no wonder we find not those things in them which they were never defign'd to inftruct us in. . Bleffed are they who have Eyes to fee, and Ears to hear, and Hearts to understand, that is, who have Difpofitions to receive and improve the Words of Eternal Life: They, tho', when measured by the Wisdom of this World are thought Fools and Madmen, yet being wife unto Salvation, fhall be approved and applauded in the Prefence of God and all his Angels, and receive a Crown of Glory which shall never fade, and be admitted to a Happiness that will know neither End nor Interruption. VOL. II. I DIS ; DISCOURSE VI. The Univerfality of the future 2 COR. V. IO. For we must all appear before the Fudgment-Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. I T is very evident, that the of Virtue, and to discourage and within |