WE being Men, and bearing about us this Body of Flesh, the steps where­of are so unstay'd; and walking in this World, the ways whereof are so slippery: Not to fall, not to erre, not in the least to do amiss, is an higher Perfection than humane Nature can attain to. It is an Apostle that saith it, In many things we offend all, Jam. 3.2. And another tells us, 1 John 1.8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the Truth is not in us.

It is too too evident, we cannot avoid the Of­fence, but we may shun the Woe; tho' we can­not be free from Sin, yet we may get freed from God's Wrath ensuing it: The Text puts us in a way, Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for Repen­tance. Is not the whole Race of Mankind, by the Fall, degenerated? Are we not all in some Sense, [Page 2]Prodigals? Have we not erred and strayed like lost sheep? Have we not left our Father's house; that is, by Sin set him at a distance from us, Elongat nos à Deo Peccatum: Sin is a Cloud of Se­paration, or a Wall of Partition 'twixt our God and us. Now there is nothing like Penitency to break down this Partition-Wall, and dissipate this Cloud.

Believe it, Christian Brethren! There is no­thing so advantageous to fallen Man; nothing so becoming a returning Prodigal; nothing so pro­per for a Convicted Sinner; nothing so accepta­ble to GOD, nor to Man, so satisfactory, as a genuine and free Confession, a sincere and hear­ty Repentance; a Repentance big and fruitful in good Works: (I mean) accompanyed with Amendment of Life. The best and truest Re­pentance is a New Life. Humiliation is to no Purpose, without Reformation; Repentance for Sin, without Repentance from Sin: There must be Fruits meet for Repentance; (that is) answera­ble to Amendment of Life, Tantamount as Re­pentance; and that weigh just as much as it: Bring forth, &c. These Words will bear a four­fold Division.

[Page 3]1. Here is the Act of Production enjoyn'd, Bring forth.

2. Here is the Matter of this Production, Fruit.

3. Here is the Qualification of this Fruit, Fruit meet for Repentance.

4. Here is the Reason of this Duty: There­fore bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance.

First. As to the Act of Production, Bring forth. The chiefest end of God's Creating Man, was for His own Glory; but one great end, why God Created Male and Female, was for the Pro­pagation of Mankind. Man must bring forth his, as other Creatures bring forth their Kind: God therefore had no sooner made an Help-meet for Man, but His Command was, Increase and Multiply. Now as the Production of Children was one thing enjoyn'd the First Adam and, his Sons, Gen. 1.28. so is Production also enjoyn'd the Sons of the Second Adam by this His Harbin­ger St. John Baptist: Bring forth; and if you ask, What? In the

Second Place you are resolved, Fruit. In that the Two Kidneys, and the Fat that is upon them, and the Cawle over the Liver, and the other inward Parts were reserved for the Altar, and Dedica­ted [Page 4]to God, Lev. 4.9. Doth it not teach us (as Pellican noteth on the Place) that we should offer the use of all our Members in Obedience to God? Good Men should abound in good Works; and Christians in Name, should be Christians in Deed. Hence is that of St. Paul, Phil. 1.27. Onely let your Conversation be, as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Onely, As much as to say, it is [...]: It is the main and chief Charge I lay upon you; it is the upshot and sum of all my Exhortations to you: Let this therefore sink deep into your hearts, mind this, and above all things remember it; that your Conversation be Christian like, and suitable to the Gospel.

Sad is it, when our Lives answer not our Profes­sion: When our Practices bear no proportion to our Speeches. Such as say, Lord, Lord, but are Work­ers of Iniquity, they are like coarse Cloth with a fine List: They look white like Silver, but draw black Li [...]es. They are meer Impostures, such Christians, that would cousen God of Heaven, if they could; putting upon Him false Coin a little silver'd over, and circumventing Him, if it lay in their power. But as St. Bernard speaketh truly, Sapiens Nummula­rius Deus est, Nummum fictum non recipiet: God is a wise Mint-man, there is no beguiling Him with [Page 5]Counterfeit Coin. Let us therefore, I beseech you dear Christians, weigh well what we do: Shall a­ny of us presume to impose upon Wisdom it self? Who has such a stock of Impudence, as dares to give God the Lye? Now for a Man to say he is a Christian, and not follow Christ's Example, is to lye, and contradict himself. There is a Lye in Works, as well as in Words, Hos. 11.12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes, and the House of Israel with deceit. That is, they profess one thing, they do a­nother. They have the shell of Godliness, but want the kernel; they have the form, but deny the power. The form of Religion (which at best is but a slight Mark) is not that God will be satisfy­ed with: He requires a deep stamp and impressi­on. The Mark is a seeming to be Religious; the deep stamp is the bridling of the Tongue, the vi­siting of the Fatherless and Widows, and the con­tinuing unspotted from the World. These, and the like Works, formal Christians have no mind to: Who will be God's Servants, but they will chuse their Labour. My Meaning is, they are mighty busie about the means and instruments, but neglect its end: They are hugely zealous in matters of Devotion, and Religious Ordinances; but utterly careless of all manner of Vertue and [Page 6]Moral Goodness. Now abating the Hypocritical Abuses of religious Ordinances; supposing Men to be as serious in them, as their Importance re­quires; yet as instrumental Duties, and command­ed only in Order to something of greater Excel­lency: Whensoever they are separated from their end, they must be also separated from their Good­ness, and are as empty of all solid Piety, as were all the carnal Services of the Pharisees, without an inward and spiritual Obedience.

What is it to be curious to wash our Hands, if incurious to purifie our Hearts? What is it to starve and fast away our Corpse, if we feed and pamper our Lusts? What is it not to rob, if we defraud and oppress our Neighbours? Or while we relieve our Brother; at the same time to hate and despise him? It is no better all this, than to let go the Bo­dy and Substance of Religion, to pursue its Sha­dow and Appearances: 'Tis no other in God's repute, than to make the Means of Grace become a Servant to Impiety; the outward Form of Religi­on, a Disguise for Hypocrisie; and the Instruments of Piety, engines to undermine what they were ordain'd to advance. In the Scripture Phrase, such profess they know God, but in Works deny him, Tit. 1.16. Fye Christians! How is God's Name dishonoured, [Page 7]by such Professors of his Name? The sincere Chri­stian sets himself to a serious minding of true and real Goodness: He values his Devotions, not by his Zeal and Frequency, but by their Success and Efficacy; and as they influence his Life, so he esti­mates them; according to that of St. Jerome, Inter Christianum & Gentilem, non Fides tantum debet, sed Vita distinguere, & diversum religione, per diversa opera mon­strate, Hier. ad Celantiam. Not only Faith but Life, must distinguish between a Christian and a Gentile; and we must shew a diverse Religion, by diverse Works. The Rules of Christianity are Modesty, Justice, bearing of the Cross, Constancy in the Pro­fession of Godliness: Yet what confident Boldness is in our Streets? What Injustice is in our Land? What Pampering of the Flesh? What Intempe­rance? What Lukewarmness in Religion?

We profess a Gospel of Mortification, of Hu­mility, of Self-denyal: Yet how vain? How proud? How fashionable are we? How little Regard have we to answer this Gospel Profession?

Think you, Beloved! That the bare read­ing the Scriptures, and the frequent having the Book of Christian Learning in your Hands, is enough to denominate you Christian Men and Women? May you call your selves the Disciples [Page 8]of our Saviour, because you turn over some good Books, and hear good Sermons? No such matter; there is more in it than so: For our Actions, our Lives, these must shew what we are.

Covetousness and Love of Pleasure, tells us plainly, that we are Idolaters and dead in Sin: Our Murmurings and Discontent bespeak us ra­ther (with that prophane Cardinal) to prize our part in Paris, above that in Paradice: Or with ungrateful Israel, to prefer Aegypt before Canaan. Pride and Study to be admired in the World, proclaim us Devilish and Vain-glorious.

To give a Proof of our Humanity and Chri­stianity too; to convince the World, that we are not turned unreasonable Creatures: We must live according to our Reason; we must practice our Religion; we must prefer our Souls before our Bodies; and the Concerns of our immortal Be­ing, before the Trivial Enjoyments of a few Mo­ments. What else means that of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 3.3. that we should not be carnal, and walk as Men; but spiritual, and walk like Christians? Christians are not distinguished from others by outward Fashi­ons and Modes; not by their external Forms and Molds into which they are cast, not by profes­sing [Page 9]a Body of Notions differing from others in the World; but they are distinguished by the re­newing of their Minds, by the Peaceableness of their Thoughts, by Charity and Heavenly Love, by pious and Holy Lives. Christianity binds us to live answerably to the Gospel of Christ. The two Disciples thought it enough to live as Elias did, and to seek for Vengeance on their Enemies: But Christ tells them they are called to another Spirit.

The Spirit of the Gospel is a Spirit of Meek­ness, it is a Spirit of Patience, it is a self-resign­ing Spirit, it is a Spirit of Love; of Love to God, even to the Loss of our Lives; of Love to our Neighbours, even to the Love of our Ene­mies. In short! The Spirit of the Gospel is a Spirit of Holiness; and all that partake thereof are holy. They grow in Grace, (as St. Paul speak­eth) or according to the Baptist's Injunction in my Text; They bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance. Give me Leave a little to expatiate on the Chri­stians Fruitfulness, grounded on a two-fold Foun­dation. 1st. Their Name. 2d. Their Relation. As to their Name,

First, They are sometimes called Believers, sometimes Christians; two distinct Denominati­ons [Page 10]we grant them, but in Substance they are the same thing.

However, If there be any Difference, in this they are alike, they both require Fruitfulness; and as in that which is evil, not to go backward, is to go forward: So here; not to go forward, is to go backward. Believing Christians must not be at a stand, till fixt in Heaven: For,

1. Whence have they their Name? Is it not from their Faith in Christ? Now Faith, if it be not operative, it is not at all. We read, Lev. 9.17. that the people were to burn their own Sacrifices, besides the burnt Sacrifices in the Morning. Their own Sacrifices! What can this import, if not, as Dr. Willet on the place, That we should not relye upon the Speculation of Faith only; but must also labour to bring forth the Fruit thereof? St. Paul beseecheth the Corinthians, Not to receive the Grace of God in vain, 2 Cor. 6.1. And St. Peter ex­horts us, 2 Pet. 1.5. To add to Faith, Virtue; to Virtue, Knowledge; to Knowledge, Temperance; to Tem­perance, Patience; to Patience, Godliness; to Godliness, Brotherly-kindness; to Brotherly-kindness, Charity. Inti­mating thus much to us; that a Faith without vir­tuous Works, is but dead and fruitless. A Faith that worketh not, is a Faith that saveth not; as [Page 11]St. James insinuates, when he calls it vain. True Faith, as it is a Grace most needful; so it is a Grace most fruitful. Fruitful on our side in good Works; fruitful on God's side in a plentiful Re­ward; for it is no sooner given of God, but it gives God. So soon as thou believest, O Chri­stian! Christ is thine, and all else whatever is his: The Merits of his Passion; the Virtue of his Resurrection; the Comfort of his Ascension: He being gone before, to prepare Celestial Man­sions for you. He that gives us Christ, will al­so with him give us all things, Rom. 8.32. Faith doth identifie God, and the godly: My God, saith Daniel, when he declares his Deliverer; and a Believing Thomas crys out, My Lord, and my Christ. Seeing now, that Faith doth thus identi­fie God and Believers, it necessarily follows, that they must have God-like Qualities, and abound in doing good. They must bring forth Fruit as Believers. This the First.

As Christians, we must be Fruitful; and that not only because we bear the Name of Christ, but because we were purchased with the Blood of the Holy Jesus. We were his before; for he made us, and upon this very Account, we owe him our Service: But we are now more his [Page 12]than before; for he hath made us, and payd for us: We therefore much more owe him our Service for that. The great Benefit of our Re­demption, Oh how should it oblige us? The Apostle urgeth it as a Matter of great Equity, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. What? know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a Price. Therefore glorifie God in your Body, and in your Spirit, which are Gods. Christ dyed for us, that we should not henceforth live unto our selves, but unto him, 2 Cor. 4.10, 11. When Christ redeemed us by his Blood, his pur­pose was to redeem us unto God, Rev. 5.9. His design then was to redeem us from our vain Conversation, not to it. 1 Pet. 1.18. God there­fore delivered us from the hands of our Enemies, that we might the more securely, and without fear, serve him in Holiness and Righteousness, all the days of our Life, Luk. 1.74.

This, this is our Duty; it is our reasonable Service, and we have much to Answer for, if we make not conscience of it, to perform it accor­dingly. How doth the Prophet Jeremy upbraid the Jews? Jer. 7.10. Will ye say, we are deliver­ed [Page 13]to commit all these Abominations? Do ye thus requite the Lord, ye foolish People, and unwise? Is not he thy Father which hath bought thee? Thy Father, not by Creation only, but by Re­demption too: Now our Redemption, our Ho­ly Calling, what doth it but call unto Holiness? Our Adoption, and being made not only Servants but Sons, Doth it not require a suitable Conver­sation? It should beget in us St. Pauls Resolu­tion, Whether we live, that we live unto the Lord; and whither we dye, that we dye unto the Lord. God hath done his Part in Creating us, and Christ in Redeeming us; Let us Christians do ours, in faithfully serving the Lord, which nothing can better prompt us to, if we have any Ingenuity in us, than oft thinking of our Redemption by Christ; for this end we make use of the means of Grace. Do we not partake of the Lord's Supper, as it is a strengthening Ordinance to fortifie us against Sin, and corroborate our Gra­ces? Do we not go to hear the Word of God, to improve our selves by it, and walk according thereunto? We must hear to do, or we do no­thing: For if we be barren Christians, what­ever we talk of our Profession, whatever we boast of our Knowledge, or our Honourable Names, [Page 14]all is to no effect or purpose. Christians must live answerably to their Names; we must in Gospel-Times live up to the Benefits of the Gospel, we must be fruitful Christians. So much of the Name.

In the next place, our relation to Christ calls for Fruitfulness: And that

First, As we are Branches of him the Vine: What more fruitful than the Vine is? Is it not fruitful among the fruitfulest? Every one knows it, I shall not need discourse of it: Nor need I insist on the

Second neither; which is, that we are the Spouse to him our Husband: For, for the Spouse of Christ to be fruitful, what can be more natural? And so I have done with this Particular, We must bring forth Fruit. I pass now from the Fruit to its Qualification, which was the

Third in course: Bring forth Fruits meet for Re­pentance; that is, Fruits of Righteousness and of Ho­liness: Fruits contrary to the Sins and Unrighte­ousness we have lived in before, Rom. 6.19. Like As ye have given over your Members to the Service of [Page 15]Uncleanness, from one Wickedness to another: So now also give over your Members to the Service of Righ­teousness unto Holiness.

To this end, Christ was born into the world; to this end, Christ lived here amongst us; to this end, Christ preach'd his Gospel to us: E­ven that we by his Example, and the Doctrine of the Gospel, might lead an upright and pious Life. Newness of Life becomes new Creatures, such as the reclaimed Penitent is. If we have been passionate, we must now be patient, and bear one anothers Burthens, as the Holy Ghost does ours, Rom. 8.26.

[...], is the Word in the Original; He helpeth our Infirmities: that is, he worketh to­gether with us, and strengthens us being weak. If we have been Envious, if Defrauded any, we must now make Restitution, and be Charitable. If we have been Earthly, we must be the more Hea­venly; and if Covetous, we must be the Freer to do good.

If we have been Profuse, we must be the more Sparing; and if Careless of our selves, we must be the more Watchful. If we have been Proud, we must be the more Humble; and if In­continent, we must be the more Chast. Have [Page 16]any sinned through excess of Luxury? Let them not run themselves more into Temptation: Let them not purposely open their eyes, (those Case­ments of Uncleanness) to let in every Object that may provoke to it; Let them not frequent such Company that they know will heighten it: But let such take some holy Revenge upon them­selves by Abstinence, and bring under their Bo­dies. We should all do as St. Paul did, not pam­per, but pluck down our Bodies: [...] (saith he). The Expression is of great Import. I beat it down, I club it down, I beat it black and blew: So emphatical is the signi­fication of the Word. St. Augustine after his Con­version, was tempted by his bad Companions; he retracted his Errors, and reformed his Life: He shook them all off, with an Ego non sum Ego; I, am not I. Such my Brethren were the Life of Christians in the beginning of the Church; they subdued their Flesh, they mortified their Members, they gave them over wholly unto Christ. As they had before yeilded their Mem­bers Servants of Unrighteousness unto Sin; so af­terwards they much more yeilded them Servants of Righteousness unto Holiness.

To have the Name, and not the Goodness of Christians, is odious in the Eyes of an Holy God: Therefore in short, to be really what we our selves profess, and our Christian Names bespeak us: We must be as fruitful in Holiness, as ever we were in Wickedness; we must double our Dili­gence for the time lost, and must bring forth fruits answerable to the most precious Opportunities God graciously affords us: This for the Qualification of the Fruit we are to bring forth; Bring forth fruit meet for Repentance.

The Reason follows in that Illative therefore; Bring forth therefore fruit meet for Repentance. Which refers to a cogent Argument, drawn

1. From the Approach of the Kingdom of God, verse 2.

2. From the Wrath of God at the Day of Judg­ment.

3. From the present Judgement hanging over their Heads, ver. 10. Time will not permit me to discuss these particulars; therefore briefly some­what by way of Improvement, and I have done.

First, Is it so, that we must Bring forth fruits meet for Repentance? Then this teacheth us, that only that which is Spiritual and Holy can be possess't of Heaven: There's no Happiness without Holi­ness. [Page 18] Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God, Matt. 5.8. As God is of pure Eyes, and cannot behold Iniquity with the least of Approba­tion; so Sin is of dim and dark eyes, and cannot behold God with eyes of Joy. Sinners can look upon God no otherwise than as the Bat, the Owl, or weak eyes do on the Sun, at which they are much grieved. Sin is contrary to the Nature of God; He therefore cannot harbour Sinners in his Bosome. Know ye not, that no unrighteous Man shall inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6.9.

Tho' we abstain from foul Sins, if we wilful­ly commit any, we shall never get to Heaven without this genuine Repentance. By this the Children of God become victorious, and triumph over Sin. As a King (who may have Rebels, and may be wounded too, yet) keeps his Power still: So the Saints and Children of God may have ma­ny Infirmities, many Failings, many Slips, nay some sound Falls; yet in the end they Rise again, and get the Victory. Nor marvel at it, for Eph. 2.9. They are God's Workmanship, created to good Works. The expression is worth our Note, Crea­ted to them; that is, not only purposed and intend­ed to abound in good Works, but also enabled and fitted for them. In the Creation every thing was [Page 19]enabled to live after their kind. 'Tis true, the best of Men may sin (indeed as Men, they cannot a­void it;) but the Godly Man's heart (like a trou­bled Fountain) tho' muddy, it having a Spring with­in, worketh it self pure again, and purgeth out all the Mud. He is not to learn, that God hath coupled together Grace and Glory, Holiness and Happiness, a spiritual Birth, and a spiritual Inhe­ritance.

Many would be happy hereafter, but will not be Holy here▪ Many would be glorified Saints in Heaven, but will not be mortified (not to say) cru­cified Saints on earth; but this is far from right: The reason is, because we cannot be justified, if not sanctified; nor glorious, if not gracious. Heb. 12.14. Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness, without which no Man shall see the Lord.

Alcibiades was too timorous, who being called from Banishment, refused to return; and being asked, if he durst not trust a Country, answered, [...]. In every thing else he would, but in the Question of his Life, he would not trust his Mother, least igno­rantly she should mistake the black Bean for the white, and intending a Favour, should do him a [Page 20]Mischief. Such a slavish Fearfulness as this towards God our Heavenly Father, would greatly mis-be­come Christians; for there can be no better Securi­ty in the World, than they have, for the Hope and Confidence of a future well being.

As God is our Creator, He is faithful; as our Redeemer, He hath purchased our Souls at a dear rate; and as our Lord, they and we are his own. But yet, this expectation of divine Mercy (as to the Issue of our Souls and final Interest) must be in the Ways of Piety, 1 Pet. 4.19. Commit your Souls to God in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. We must live to Him, if we will live with Him.

Oh let us at length live holily and blamelessly! Let us consider, that it is Purity of Life that God requireth of us. Let our Bodies be a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, Rom. 6.3, 4. And as the same blessed Apostle adviseth in another place; Make no Provision for the Flesh, whereby to fulfil the Lusts thereof; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ; that is, a­dorn his Doctine by a Conformity to his Life.

Put on his Modesty and his Temperance, in a perfect Opposition to Rioting and Drunkenness; put on his Chastity and Purity, in opposition to Chambering and Wantonness; put on his Bowels and his Mercy, in opposition to Scrife and Envy.

A King's Court is no common Receptacle for ragged Rogues: Joseph, in the forlorn Fashion of a Prisoner, was not fit for Pharaohs Presence. Tho' the Serpent might come into the earthly Paradice; yet no unclean thing shall enter Heaven: There is no Room for the Serpent there. It is an Inheritance undefiled, 1 Pet. 1.4. Sin hath a defiling Nature; so that if Sin might enter Heaven, it would soon pollute it: Hereupon the Angels in the very first Act of Sin were thrown out with a Vengeance. Now can we think to come thither with our Ini­quities? The Irish Air will sooner brook a Toad, or a Snake to live therein, than Heaven a Sinner; the Air of the Place cannot indure it. Oh what horrible Presumption is it? What Sauciness unspeak­able? When gross Sinners shall think themselves fit Companions for the most Holy Trinity. For us, dear Christians! To have God in the end, say, Come and reign with me: We must now say to him, Come and reign in us. Oh let it be the con­tinual Breathing of our Souls, our serious Option, and most ardent, as also daily Prayer, this: Lord, rule thou over us! For we may assure our selves, if we in this our day bid God depart; He will in his send us packing to the Devil and his Angels: But if we live as becometh the Gospel of Christ, Bliss shall follow Piety.

In the Composition of the World, the higher Place any thing hath, the Purer it is: As Water is purer than the gross Earth; Air than the Water; Fire than Air. Now the third Heaven being above all, shews the Purity that must be in those that dwell there. Fair as the Moon, pure as the Sun, Cant. 6.9. Is not this more than insinuated by the Apo­stle, Col. 1.9. in these Words? Who hath made us meet to be Partakers with the Saints in Glory. Oh let us not fondly think, that a pure Place will receive impure Sinners! Was Satan once banished Heaven, to re-enter again in his wicked Members? Did Hea­ven spue out the disobedient Angels; and shall it lick up its Vomit again? The gross and heavy: Earth, which to Heaven is but as Sodom to Jerusa­lem; shall it be impatient of bearing such Burthens as filthy Sinners? Shall it cast them out? And shall Heaven, all pure and clear, receive the Refuse of the Earth? No, onely that, that is Pure and Holy, can enter the Coelestial Paradice. Those that have Admittance there, must bring forth fruit meet for Repentance. This the 1st. Use.

2. Must we bring forth fruit meet for Repentance? Then let us dung the Ground, that it may be fruit­ful. Let us be diligent in the means appointed by God for this end. Give all Diligence to make your cal­ling [Page 23]and Election sure, so St. Peter, 2 Pet. 1.10. It is our present Business to make sure of [...]uture Happi­ness; which cannot be done (as hath been all along instill'd) but in the Ways of Piety. This the 2d.

3. Must we bring forth fruit meet for Repentance? Then let us labour more for inward Purity, than outward Prosperity. Labour not for the Meat that perish­eth, but for that which indureth to everlasting Life, John 6.27. Let us labour to be truly Pious, to be truly Godly.

While we live, we shall find Godliness gainful; and nothing so sure, as that when we die we shall find it needful. Let us therefore set our Affections on things that are above, and not on things that are below, Col. 3.1. And as the Apostle proceeds, ver. 2. Let our Conversations be in Heaven. Inward Piety is the best Friend to outward Prosperity, but it is not con­vertible. Very rare it is, if ever; that outward Prosperity is other than an enemy to inward Piety. The things of this Life have not the Promise of Godliness; but Godliness hath the Promise of the things of this Life, 1 Tim. 4.8. And as to the Con­cerns of another, a better World, we have heard before; that Faith, Vertue, Knowledge, Tempe­rance and Patience, without Godliness, are all vain: What an excellent Jewel then must Godliness needs [Page 24]be? And who would not part with all for it? Who would not with St. Paul count all things but dross and dung in Comparison of it?

Oh, what is Darkness to Light? What is Sin to Holiness? What is Gold to Grace? What is Earth to Heaven? That we silly Creatures should forfeit the one, by too much prizing and dotage on the other? Is it not beneath a rational Being to neglect great and weighty things, and busie themselves in Toys and Trifles?

When we have a Crown to look after, an Hea­ven to enjoy, a Kingdom to be made Heirs of: Shall we employ our selves about catching [...]lies, and picking Cockles?

To conclude: I beseech you all dear Christi­ans, as you tender the Welfare and eternal Hap­piness of your truly precious and immortal Souls: Labour more for inward Holiness, than outward Grandure: Labour more for Piety, than Plenty: Labour more for the Seeds of Grace, than the Mass of Gold: And Labour more for an heavenly Con­versation, than an earthly Possession. The Earth is for a Saints Passage, but Heaven is for his Inheri­tance: Which to enjoy, We must bring forth fruit meet for Repentance.

Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, in Persons Three, in Essence One, be ascribed and given as is most justly due, All Honour, Glory, Praise, Dominion, Obedi­ence, and Thanksgiving, now and for evermore, Amen.

[...].