Fix therefore this great truth in your mind, that you are made for heaven; to labour here, and to enjoy your Maker eternally hereafter. This is the bafis of all our hopes, and ought to be the end of all our actions. The Scripture declares it in a hundred places, and the whole feries of our ftupendous redemption fuppofes it. Nay, the very incapacity of all fublunary things, to fatiate the vast defires of a human heart, teaches us, that our final content dwells in a higher region; and confequently, that whofoever feeks it in this world, will in the end meet with nothing but difappointment. Our falvation therefore is our grand concern, because it is the very end of our creation; for what deferves the name of a matter of concern, but that, on which depends a great advantage, or an exceffive damage? Now what can we hope for in this world comparable to the enjoyment of God? Or what can we fear, that bears any equality with the torments of hell? Between things finite and infinite, there is no proportion.

Tho we take falfe measures in the management of temporal concerns, future care may retrieve a past misfortune: wisdom bought at our own expence is generally more useful, than that we receive from nature, or inftruction. In a word, if bad fuccefs attend one enterprife, good may crown the fecond. Fortune grows weary of perfecuting her enemies, no lefs than of favouring her friends: her frowns are as fhort-lived as her fmiles; fo that, as no man can expect a continual train of pro

Jperity,

fperity, he ought not to apprehend a conftant adverfity. But tho' all the evils, that ever befell the whole fpecies, were concenter'd in the fame perfon; if (in the end) he faves his foul, be must be pronounced happy; for those must expire with his last breath; but falvation is happiness above imagination, and (what enbances its value) without end.

But on the other fide, tho' we sparkle in filk, and glitter in filver; if we die the death of the rich glutton, and change our stately palace for a grave in hell, what will our past titles and equipage avail us? Shall we be lefs miferable, because once we were happy? Alas! nothing finks deeper into the hearts of the damn'd, than the fad remembrance, that once they might have been happy.

Remind those unfortunate creatures (the world was pleafed to file witty and prudent) of their vaft atchievements, will they not confefs, thofe encomiums were ill placed? Seeing they have neglected their great concern, and wearied themfelves in trifles, which they might have wanted without difadvantage, and could not purchase without pain? Seeing they forgot the only business, that deferved their thoughts and required their application? The doleful burthen of their eternal lamentation demonftrates, that the title of folly fuits better with their conduct, than that of prudence; and that they fling up all claim to the elogium of wits, to take that of madmen. We fools counted their life madness, Wifd, v. 4. Fools that we were! with what an air of assu

rance

rance did we laugh at thofe (as men, without brains, without reafon) who made the purchase of heaven their business, and a happy eternity the fubject of their follicitude? Who contemned temporal concerns, as trivial and childish, below the care of a wife man, and the very thoughts of a Chriftian? Chriftian? How are they reckon❜d among the children of God, ver. 5. Oh! how the scene is changed! Their folly has raised them above the ftars, and our topping parts have plunged us below the center; they fing eternal Alleluia's in the choirs of the blefed, whilst we figh and lament among the damned therefore have we gone aftray. The conclufion is admirable, but it comes too late; tho' the damned are excellent Logicians, they will remain bad Chriftians to all eternity.

Our falvation is not only our greatest concern, but our only concern. We have no bufinefs in this world, but to fecure our happinefs in the next: God had no other defign in our creation, but our felicity and his own glory. For this end he endowed us with an understanding to know him, and with a will to love him. Our only bufinefs therefore is, to tend to this end, and all those actions, that look another way, are excentrical. My bufness is not to fit at the helm of the govern ment, to make a figure in the world, to purchafe titles, or buy lordships; but to fave my foul; and if I fave it, I have anfwered the end of my creation, tho' I live in poverty, and die in contempt. But if I damn it, tho' I

gain the world, I have done nothing. For, in fine, I have only done, what I should not have done, and have neglected what I should not have deferred one moment; fo that I have been laboriously idle.

Again, our falvation is our business alone, because it is in our power alone to purchase it. We can strike up bargains, and make contracts, by proxy; but all men must work out their fal vation in perfon: for, as the enjoyment of God is perfonal, fo is the deferving of this bleffing aljo; and, as no man is damned but for his own fins, jo no man will be faved but for his own

virtues.

In fine, it is our only business, because on this alone depends eternity: other concerns look not beyond time. Grandeur and wealth, and the whole train of temporal advantages, cannot out-live fome few years; but this looks into eternity: it paffes with us into the other world, and only begins when life ends. In a word, this is the One thing neceffary of all men: they may be happy without title or efcutcheon, without beauty or applaufe; but cannot without the enjoyment of God.

I doubt not, dear Reader, but you believe thefe truths. But, alas! all the damn'd fouls are of the fame perfuafion; they believed, as we do; and by misfortune we live, as they did: and as our lives refemble theirs, God fend our death proves not a copy of theirs. If you intend to profit, leave the bare theory to come to practice. The Pagan philofophers compofed as fine panegyricks of virtue, as Christians: but

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the practice of virtue renders us virtuous, not the knowledge. What fignifies it to know the way to heaven, unless we walk in it? To believe we were made for God, unless our works anfwer our belief? Let therefore this prime article influence your whole conduct, and that it may more forcibly work upon you, have it always in view. I have a foul to fave, and this is my great, nay, my only concern. If I bring this to a happy iffue, I am made for ever; if I miscarry, all is loft for eternity; for who can be more happy, than he who enjoys God; or who more miferable, than he who feels the flames of Hell?

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