phyfician or any friend; he hits an ulcer, lets it out, and faves his life the enemy thought he was deftroyed, but he was fecure. Thus death, which was the contrivance of the 'devil to bring man into his state, into his condemnation; by this means, death lets our fouls out of our body, that is our dif folution; and our fouls benefit and advantage by it for the death of the righteous, is a paffage to life, it is a paffage, it is not a going out of being, it doth enter us into life"; it doth not take away life wholly, for it is a departure unto God; it is the fhaking off a burden; it is loofing of the bonds; it is the accomplishing of all defires. So that what to the mariner, that has been toffed up and down at fea, is their defired port; fuch is death to us, that are wearied and tired out, with the incumbrances of our mortal life. Now as thofe that have finished their voyage, and made an end of travelling, are at reft, and hearts-eafe; whereas thofe that are at fea, or in a journey, have still their work to do : fo when we are come to our heavenly inn, we have no more trouble; none of that trouble which they had, who have the hazardous journey of this life' to pass through. Therefore the death of the righteous, it doth them the greatest kindness ; the death of the righteous is precious, for it is adorned with the crown of righteousness; with the admirable comeliness and beauty of virtue, so more sparkling than any precious stone.

2. But to the wicked it is quite otherwise, in refpect of their state and sense; for how dreadful and terrible is death to them that are unprepared; to

them

them that have no faith, nor no ground or folid ex. pectation, no foundation of hope? How do they tremble, as one expreffes it, in great ftraits, which way foever he looks. On the one hand, fin rifes up and accufes; on the other hand, the righteoufnefs of God, for revenge of impenitency in wickednefs, that terrifies. Look downward, there is nothing but the open mouth of that vaft chaos, the bottomlefs pit, that gapes upon them; upward, God, an angry judge; within, a tormenting, burning, accufing, condemning confcience; abroad the world a-fire about their ears. The fcripture reprefents this ftate by weeping and gnashing of teeth, by whatfoever is confounding, aftonishing and moft terrible, a lake burning with fire and brimstone. But little caufe in comparison have these good men to fear the worst, that the wicked world can do for fear not them who can kill the body, and when they have done that, can do more, Mat. x. 28. But as St. Bernard says, a man that is in reconciliation with God; let all the world break upon him, put him into a neceffity to part with his God, or to part with his foul, invent all varieties, all forts of exquifite tortures; when they fo do, they do but prepare a crown for the martyr. But then the wonder is, why men, where this knowledge is, are not fuitably affected; fince death may be quite, altered, and prove an advantage, and the gate of life; the horror of death may be abated according to the gofpel direction, when they come to gofpel terms.

Here is the account, it is happy to die well; therefore the worst of men defire it, even fuch as

Balaam

Balaam who is so branded in holy fcripture. But there is fomething of pains-taking in a holy life; therefore thofe decline it, to whom profit, pleafure and the guife of the world, are a temptation. But this is that which I will fay, with which I will conclude. A man's death depends upon his life: he is like to die, as he did live. Eternity holds a proportion to the ftate that a man dies in; but to perifh once, is for ever, he is loft irrecoverably.

DISCOURSE XXXIV.

The Worth of RELIGION, and fuffering for it.

PHIL. iii..
7,8.

But what things were gain to me, thofe I counted lofs for Chrift. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jefus my Lord, for whom I have fuffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Chrift.

I

SHALL at this time give you an account of these words, and fhew you, That the knowledge. of Chrift is an excellent knowledge; and this I will make appear three ways.

1. In its fufficiency, and the operation that it hath

upon us.

2. Materially, in refpect of itself: and.

3. Finally, in its intentions and iffue. And if any man enquires into a fourth cause ; I anfwer, the formal, and final cause in morals, are always the

fame.

I. The knowledge of Chrift is an excellent knowlege in way of efficiency, because of that operation it hath upon us. For it raiseth mens spirits, and makes them truly noble and generous. Looking to Jefus (faith the author to the Hebrews) who defpifed the fhame, and endured the cross, Heb. xii. 2. They that look unto Jefus, are too hard for the world, and defpife all that it can do against them; they fit down with him that fat down at the right hand of God whereas on the other hand, the spirits of those that favour not the things of God, are low, mean, and base; there is no high ends, nor gallant defigns in their minds at all. It is obferved that the noble acts upon raised objects do improve the powers of the foul, and establish a refined temper and state, and cherish free and liberal difpofitions; whereas remifs and fluggish acts about low and ordinary objects, do depress, debase, and imprifon mens powers and faculties. Therefore we are wont to observe, that government is the proof of a man. Mofes, Joshua, the Judges, Saul, David, Elifba and the other prophets, and the apostles, after they were raised up to their places and employment became other perfons, than they were before. Another spirit attends upon men in ways of goodnels and generous employment, than the ways of selfishnefs and fin. All contentions of mind, all iffuing

forth

forth to act, all layings out of mens felves upon any account whatsoever, which are not motions upward, and reach after God, or at leaft, are not in conjunction with, or in fubordination unto thefe ; are but to the lofs, and tend to the narrowing of their hearts, to the contracting of their fpirits, and debafing of their principles. You find, when God came to take an account of man's apoftacy, he did curfe the ferpent. And the Lord God faid unto the ferpent, because thou hast done this, thou art curfed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly fhalt thou go, and dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life, Gen. iii. 14. This curse did fink the ftate of this creature, whereas it was faid before, that he was the wifeft among the creatures. Now the learned it cannot be refolved what creaamong ture that is; but fee how this curfe expreffeth it felf, he was condemned to grovel upon the ground, and to eat duft. This is dull motion, the meanest employment, and the basest food; all which fignify that he was made base, and ever to continue base. For neither food that mends the temper, nor em. ployment that draws out the spirit, had he to relieve him. So doth all bafe employment, fin and corrup tion fink a man, spoil his temper, and contract his spirit that he becomes useless and unprofitable. These are the effects of the bafe nature, and that which carries on the apoftacy; whereas there is no fuch proof of the virtue of any principle in the world, as of the energy of divine knowledge. Wherefore you have two forms of words in scripture, that are the worst character, and fhew the greatest degeneracy VOL. II.

I

and