him. This is one of nature's principles. It is the diligent seekers of God that he will reward. And yet dare a fleshly, negligent sinner reproach the diligent seeking of God, and take it for a needless thing, and say, 'What needs all this ado?' Are not these the atheist's seconds; even next to them that deny that there is any God, or that blaspheme him? And indeed, if he be not worthy of all the love and service that thou canst give him, he is not the true God! Consider therefore the tendency of thy words, and tremble.

Quest. 6. Doth not that wretch set up the flesh and the world above the Lord, that thinks not most of his thoughts, and cares, and words, and time, and labour for the world to be too much ado, and yet thinks less for God and heaven to be too much?' And dost thou think in thy conscience that the flesh is better worthy of thy love, and care, and labour, than the Lord? Or that earth will prove a better reward to thee than heaven? Who, thinkest thou, will have the better bargain in the end? The fool that laid up riches for himself, and was not rich to God, and shall lose all at once that he so much valued, and so carefully sought (Luke xii. 20, 21.), or he that laid up his treasure in heaven, and there set his heart, and sought for the never-fading crown? (Matt. vi. 20, 21. 33.) and counted all as loss and dung for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ? Phil. iii. 8. Do you think that there is any thing more worth your care, and time, and labour, or can you more profitably lay it out?

Quest. 7. Have you not immortal souls to save or lose?' And are not your bodies for their service, and to be used and ruled by them? And should not your souls then have more of your care and diligence, than corruptible flesh that must turn to dirt?

that you are wiser wisdom less to his, And hath not God

Quest. 8. Dare any one of you say than the all-knowing God?' Is not thy than a glowworm's light is to the sun? most plainly and frequently in his word commanded thee a holy life? Yea every part and parcel of it is nothing else but the obeying of that word; for if it be not prescribed by the Lord, it is not holiness, nor that which I am pleading for. And when the living God hath told the world his mind and will, shall a sinful man stand up and say, 'I am wise than my Maker; I know a better way than this; what need there all this stir for heaven?' What dost thou less than

thus blaspheme, and set up thy folly above the Lord, when thou condemnest or reproachest holiness which he commandeth?

Quest. 9. 'Dare you say that God is not only so unwise, but so unrighteous and tyrannical, as to give the world unnecessary laws, and set them upon a needless work?' What king so tyrannical as would require his subjects on pain of death to go pick straws against the wind? What master or parent so foolishly cruel as to command their servants or children, to weary themselves with hunting butterflies, and following their own shadows? And darest thou impute such foolish tyranny to the God of heaven, as if he had made a world, and set them upon a needless work, and commanded them to tire themselves in vain?

Quest. 10. Can a man be too diligent about that work which he was made for, and is daily preserved and maintain ed for, and for which he hath all the mercies of his life?' Thou hadst never come into the world but on this business, even to serve and please God, and prepare for everlasting happiness. And are you afraid of doing this too diligently? Why is it, thinkest thou, that God sustaineth thee? Why diedest thou not many years ago, but only that thou mightest have time to seek and serve him? Was it only that thou mightest eat, and drink, and sleep, and go up and down, and fill up a room among the living? Why, beasts, and fools, and madmen do all this, as well as thou. Why hast thou thy reason and understanding, but to know and serve the Lord? Is it only to know how to shift a little for the commodities of the world? or is it not to know the way to life eternal? Look round about thee on all the creatures, and on all the mercies which thou dost possess; every deliverance, and privilege, and accommodation; every bit of bread thou eatest, and every hour of thy precious time, are all given thee for this one thing needful. And yet wilt thou say that this one thing is needless, for which thou hast all things? Thou mayest then say, that God made the world in vain ; and preserveth and governeth it in vain. For all this is but for his service, which thou callest vain.

Quest. 11. Doth not reason tell thee, that the place in which thou must live for ever, should be more diligently minded and prepared for, than this in which thou must continue but for a while?' Alas, it is so short a time that we

must be here, that it makes all the matters of this world (as such) to be inconsiderable things, as dreams and shadows. What great matter is it for so short a time, whether we be rich or poor, well or sick, in credit or in contempt; whether we laugh or weep, when our part will be so quickly acted, and we must go naked out of the world as we came into it! For so short a time, a poor habitation may serve the turn, as well as the most splendid palace. A painful, obscure, afflicted life may do as well as the most plentiful provisions, and the greatest ease and worldly honours. The purple and fine linen, the silks and bravery will be soon forgotten; and the soul in hell will be no more the better for them than the rotten carcase in the grave. The taste of the delicious meats and drinks will quickly be forgotten; and sportful youth will be turned into cold and languid age; and the most confirmed health into dolorous sickness; and mirth and laughter into mournful groans. And is such a transitory life as this more worthy of your care and greatest diligence, than life eternal? O! one would think that the world that you must be ever, ever in, should never, never be forgotten! There is the company that you must live with for ever. There is the state that you shall never change. There is the joy or torment that shall have no end; and while you forget it you are posting to it, and are almost there. And can you be too careful for eternity?

If

Quest. 12. Consider also but the infinite joys of heaven, and tell me, whether thou dost think they are not worthy the greatest cost or pains that thou canst be at to get them? Dost thou think that heaven is not worthy of the labour that is bestowed for it by the most holy saints on earth? Will it not requite them to the full? Will any that come thither repent that they obtained it at so dear a rate? now thou couldst speak with one of those believers mentioned in Heb. xi. that "lived as strangers and pilgrims on earth," as "seeking a better, even a heavenly country;" that preferred the "reproach of Christ before the treasure of the world," and chose "affliction with the people of God," before the "pleasures of sin for a season; that were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might receive a better resurrection; that had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, and of bonds and imprisonments, and were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, wandered

about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented, though men of whom the world was not worthy :" Would any one of these now tell you, that they did or suffered too much for heaven? or that it was not worth ten thousand times more? If thy tongue dare say that heaven is not worth the cost or trouble of a holy life, (or if thy life say so, though thy tongue dare not) thou judgest thyself unworthy of it, and sentencest thyself unto damnation.

Quest. 13. And are the torments of hell so small and tolerable, that thou thinkest a holy life too dear a means for to prevent them?' Dost thou believe the threatenings of the Lord, that he will "come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" 2 Thess. xviii. 9. And yet canst thou say, 'What needs all this ado to escape such endless misery?' Thou wilt take any medicine to cure but the gout or stone, if once thou have felt them. Thou wilt draw out a tooth to prevent the pain of it. And is holiness so hateful or grievous a thing to thee, that thou will venture on hell itself to avoid it? If so much of hell be in thy heart already, blame none but thyself if thou have thy choice.

Quest. 14. Why wast thou baptized into the covenant of holiness, to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, if thou think it needless to perform thy covenant? A holy life is no more than in baptism thou wast solemnly engaged to. There didst thou renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil; and tookest God for thy portion and absolute Lord, and gavest up thyself to be ruled by him, and saved by Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit; and dost thou now say, 'What needs all this ado?' Are we all by our baptismal vow engaged to a needless thing? I tell thee, there is not the most holy man on earth, that doth any more than what he is bound to by the covenant relations which he undertook in baptism.

Quest. 15. Moreover, What a hypocrite art thou to profess thyself a member of the holy catholic church, if holiness, which is the life of the church, seem needless to thee! Why dost thou profess to believe and desire the communion of saints, if the life of saints seem needless to thee, and thou

wilt not have communion with them in their sanctity? Dost thou not plainly renounce thy covenant, and faith, and duty, when thou renouncest a holy life as a thing unnecessary?

Quest. 16. Dost thou think, or darest thou say, that the bloody death, and holy life of Jesus Christ were more than needs in order to thy salvation?' Unless thou be a professed infidel, I know thou darest not say so. And if thy soul were worth the sufferings of the Lord of life, is it not worth all the cost and labour of thy duty? Christ lived a life of perfect holiness; he never sinned; he fulfilled all righteousness; he prayed all night, and with greatest fervency; preaching and doing good was his employment. Though he hated pharisaical superstition, and the teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, and serving God according to men's traditions, yet was there never so holy, and pure, and precise, and strict, and heavenly a life as Jesus Christ's. And this was for our redemption, and our example. And darest thou say that this was needless? Should we not endeavour to imitate our pattern? Are they better that are most like Christ, or they that are most unlike him? And which dost thou think is most like Christ, the holy or the unholy? Sure we that fall so short of the example that Christ hath given us, are far from being more diligent than needs, when Christ went not too far, nor was too strict, that went so very far beyond us.

Quest. 17. Look upon all the institutions of the Lord. On magistracy, and ministry, and the great works of their office. On prayer, and preaching, and sacraments, and discipline, and all other ordinances of God; and also on all the frame of the holy Scriptures; and also on all the workings and graces of the Holy Ghost; and tell me whether thou darest say, that all or any of these are in vain? and whether that holiness which all these are appointed for, can be a vain and needless thing?'

Quest. 18. Darest thou say that Christ doth more than needs in his intercession for us with the Father now in heaven?' It is he that sendeth the Spirit to sanctify us. It is he that prayeth that we may be sanctified by the truth? We have no grace and holiness but what we have from him. And darest thou say he doth too much? It is he that sends his ministers to call men to a holy life. Look into his word and see whether the doctrine which they preach be not there