The firſt Conſideration and Motive.

THe important Conſequence of this, firſt appears, in that it ſeems to be the greateſt of Gods works, and the end of all the reſt. This our bleſſed Saviour inſinuated in his Anſwer to the people, when they thus demanded of him in St. John, [John 8. 9.] what ſhall we do, ut operemur opera Dei? to perform the works of God? he replyes, Hoc eſt opus Dei, this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he ſent. As if he ſhould have ſaid unto them, you demand what are the works of God? in the Plural number. I anſwer you in the Singular number, that there is but One, for which he doth all the reſt, and that is the Salvation of man.

Hence Tertullian conſidering all things in this world, ſaid, Horum bonorum unus eſt titulus, ſalus hominis: they all carry this Title upon them, The Salvation of man. When God had Created this ſenſible world with the Heavens, Elements, and all Creatures in it, he put this Title upon them, Salus hominis; this was the end of their being, to which they were ordered; when he Created the Angels, he placed this as a Frontiſepiece upon them, Salus hominis, The Salvation of man; this is the affair in which they are imployed, as the Apoſtle [Heb. 1.] informes us, Omnes adminiſtratores Spiritus; All of them are adminiſtrating Spirits, ſent for thoſe who are to receive the inheritance of Salvation. They labour inceſſantly in this affair, knowing it is the greateſt work of God, in which they can be imployed.

If God became Man, if he Preached, gave us examples of all Vertues, inſtituted the Sacraments, theſe and the like Marvels, have this Inſcription upon them, Salus hominis, having no other end but this.

If he dyed on the Croſs, it was for this deſign, he ſuffered Death to give us Life. It was from this conſideration that Tertullian ſaid, Nihil tam dignum Deo, quam ſalus hominis; nothing ſo worthy, or beſeeming God, as the Salvation of man: and St. Thomas gives this Reaſon of it; becauſe the whole Univerſe, with all the Orders, Diſpoſitions, and Marvels in it, do not ſo clearly and fully manifeſt his grandeurs as the Salvation of man; for here he makes appear his Attributes and Perfections, which are his Power, Wiſdome, Love, in a moſt eminent manner; which cauſed the holy Doctor to affirm, In rebus creatis nihil poteſt eſſe majus quam ſalus rationalis creaturae; In all Created things, there is not any greater than mans Salvation. God could have Created Heavens more extended, and more richly adorned, than thoſe which now rowl over our heads; an Earth more fruitful, than that which now ſupports us: Angels more intelligent, than thoſe which now ſing his Praiſes in Heaven; but he could not do any thing more Great, Noble, and Divine, than the Salvation of man: this is it, which after a ſoveraign manner, manifeſts his Attributes and Perfections. This conſideration ſhould cauſe us highly to eſteem, & inceſſantly to endeavour our Salvation which concerns ſo much the glory of God, which we are obliged to advance to our power. And ſeeing that God, on his part, ſo really and ſeriouſly deſires our Salvation, and ſo highly eſteems it, that he Created and Ordered all things in this univerſe for it; ſurely, by our neglecting it, we fruſtrate as much as in us lyes, all his deſignes, and diſſolve and reduce to nothing the Creation of the world, with all things in it; for all things have their being, and conſervation, for no other end but this; what a ſtupendious ingratitude and contempt of God and his benefits are involved in this neglect, who is ſo blind as not to diſcern it; and therefore moſt inconſiderate and inſenſible to be guilty of ſuch a crime.

The ſecond Conſideration and Motive.

The ſecond is taken from our own proper Intereſts, which is no leſs than our Salvation; the loſs of which, renders us miſerable for all Eternity.

We will begin this conſideration with thoſe remarkable words, with which the Wiſe man concluded his Eccleſiaſtes, Deum time; fear God and obſerve his Commandements: hoc eſt omnis homo; for this is every man; or as St. Jerome tranſlates it, This is the end of every mans Birth and Being; from which St. Bernard draws this Conſequence, Ergo abſque hoc nihil eſt homo; then without this, man is nothing: Popes are not in the world to be Popes, nor Kings to be Kings, nor Wiſe men to be Learned, and the like; but all univerſally to be ſaved. All the conditions and employments which poſſeſs the Spirits of men, ought to give place to this, and aime at it, as their proper object and end, without which they are in vain. This our Bleſſed Saviour affirms in thoſe words of St. Matthew, [cap. 16.] quid prodeſt homini; what will it advantage a man, to gain the whole world, and to ſuffer detriment in his Soul? what will it profit a man to have all the pleaſures of the voluptuous? all the riches the world can afford him? all the honours that men can confer upon him? if he were abſolute Monarck of the whole world, if at laſt he loſeth his Soul. If he had all the knowledg of things natural and Divine; all the beauty that the body is capable of, ſuch health for ſo long a time as he could deſire, all the advantages of the world which men ſo ardently thirſt after; all theſe, in the judgment of Chriſt, the Divine Wiſdome of his Father, will be unprofitable if he comes not only to loſe, but to ſuffer detriment in his Soul: For this reaſon, the Royal Prophet ſtiles his Soul, his Darling, or his One; Erue a framea Deus animam meam, & de manu canis unicam meam: Deliver my Soul from the power of the Sword, and my One from the hand of the Dog: He calls his Soul his One, not only becauſe as other men, he had but one Soul, but becauſe it was moſt dear unto him, he loved it, and procured the conſervation of it with all the care and diligence; which one imploys to preſerve things; the rarity and worth of which, renders them pretious and amiable. This cauſed St. Chryſoſtome [Hom. 12. de po.] to ſay, God hath given us two Eyes, two Ears, two Hands, two Feet, that if any Misfortune deprive us of the uſe of one, we may help our ſelves by the uſe of the other. Animam vero unam dedit nobis; but he hath given us but one Soul; if we loſe this, we loſe all irrevocably.

The Prophet David [Pſal. 116.] well conſidered this, when he ſaid Anima mea in manibus meis ſemper; my Soul is always in my hands, to hold it faſt, that I might not loſe it, but exerciſe it in good works, defend it from all Enemies who would ruine it, and always conſider the condition of it, according to that of St. Bernard, Non facile obliviſcimur; We do not eaſily forget thoſe things which we hold in our hands: the care of our Souls ſhould always thus be preſent to us. That Holy Father thus continues his diſcourſe about this ſubject; If thou art ſo ſollicitous as not to neglect ſmall things, ſo vigilant to preſerve thy Corn, thy Cattel, thy Money, thy Earthly poſſeſſions, ſuch inferiour and tranſitory things; art thou not then fooliſh and unreaſonable to neglect the Salvation of thy Soul, which is thy true treaſure? This as St. Gregory ſpeaks, is to pervert Reaſon into extream Folly.

The excellence of true reaſon and judgment conſiſts, in diſcerning the price of things, and eſteeming them according to their worth, and conſequently to make more acccount incomparably of the Soul than of the Body; of things Eternal than Temporal; of the affair of his Salvation, than of all other things; and he who doth not do this, is as one without ſence and judgment, ſeeing he judgeth ſo ill of things, which with ſuch an exceſs are diſproportionable in value. Plato ſaid true, that the effect of true Wiſdom, is, to be Wiſe for one's own good. Solomon affirmed [Pro. 9. 12.] as much before him, Si ſapiens fueris, tibimetipſi eris; true Wiſdom conſiſts in being Wiſe to ones ſelf. The Devil hath more knowledg than all the Learned men on Earth, but not one grain of true Wiſdom, being miſerable for Eternity, and ſo infinitely diſtant from eſſential Wiſdom, which is God himſelf. For this reaſon, Sinners unmindful of their Salvation, of what ſpirit and knowledg ſoever they be, are ſtiled in ſacred Scripture, Fools and Inſenſible Creatures; ſo great is the concern for the Salvation of our Souls, that it is ſtiled by the Apoſtle, and commended by him to the Theſſalonians [1 Theſ. 4.] as properly and particularly our affair; ut veſtrum negotium agatis, that you may do your work: as though we had but only this to attend to; for other things, about which we employ our labour and care, deſerve not this name; they are affairs in which the ſucceſs oftentimes doth not correſpond with our deſigns; affairs which paſs away with little profit, and often contrary to the grand affair of our Salvation.

This great affair of our Salvation would make us admire that manner of ſpeech ſo frequent amongſt us, when ſeeing any one buſied amongſt the intrigues of Courts, in the commerce of Merchandize, in the negotiation of treaties and alliances, and the like; we uſe ordinarily to ſay, that he is a man of great buſineſſe and affairs; it is an improper ſpeech to give this name to imployments, which are but petite amuſements, in which one for the moſt part loſes his time, and often Heaven. We do not give the name of affairs to the employments of Children; as when they build their little houſes of dirt, when they ride upon a ſtick, and contend with ſuch earneſtneſs to carry away the glory, and to be Kings in their ſports; theſe puerilities and paſtimes deſerve not the name of affairs, being in themſelves ſo little, and ſo momentary: In like manner the enterpriſes of men, to build houſes, to purchaſe honours, to amaſs riches and the like; being not much more greater and durable than thoſe of Children, deſerve not the name of affairs: All men in the world have but one affair, about which they ought continually to imploy themſelves, which is their Salvation; and if they mind this, then one may ſay, they are wiſe and able men, and buſied about a grand affair.

This Tertullian well conſidered, when he ſaid, In me unicum negotium: I have but one buſineſs in the world to attend unto, which is the Salvation of my Soul: I abandon what the world calls affairs, I decline the intrigues of the Court, the School of Philoſophy, the company of Friends, to be vacant to this one affair, which I treat of with my ſelf, and concerning which I am intereſſed. Our Bleſſed Saviour confirms all this, in calling the young man in the Goſpel to follow him; for when he required leave, firſt to go bury his Father, our Bleſſed Saviour replyed, Dimitte mortuous ſepelire mortuos; let the dead bury the dead: as if he ſhould have ſaid, as St. Peter Chryſogolus obſerves, to bury the body of your Father, is not the moſt important affair you have to do; it is to follow me, and to look after your Salvation, which ought to be the firſt in execution, as it is in worth and merit; Terrenus pater poſt ponendus eſt patri coeleſti, as that Holy Father concludes, The care of a Temporal Father is to come after that of our Heavenly.

The third Conſideration and Motive.

We may diſcern the importance of our Salvation, by the many crafts and endeavours the Devil uſeth to hinder it, which are ſo many and ſo great, that he hath his name given him from them, being called the Tempter; and as Tertullian ſpeaks, Everſio hominis, operatio ejus; his only work is the ruine of man. The Prophet Hab. ſaith, that cibus ejus electus; his food is very choice, he deſires to devour the Elect: he loves theſe delicate morſels; he labours not, but to reſiſt the Salvation of men, and to procure their Damnation; this is his joy and triumph: And in the eſtate of miſery, in which he is plunged, if he be capable of any ſatisfaction, it is the Damnation of man; for which reaſon, he is ſtiled by our Bleſſed Saviour in the Goſpel, Inimicus hominis, the Enemy of man; for being not able to revenge himſelf on God, he turns his fury againſt his Servants; and thinks he commits a great outrage againſt him, if he can reverſe the deſign he hath for the Salvation of man, and deface Gods Image in our Soul. He is the Enemy of man, becauſe he knows man is to poſſeſs the place he left vacant by his revolt. He is the Enemy of man, becauſe by this, he thinks to find ſome ſolace in his miſery, having Companions with him in his ſufferings, and ſubjects upon which to exerciſe his fury; he uſeth all artifices, employs all his power; he is Prodigal in promiſes to compaſs this, and to be an Uſurper of Souls. He ſpeaks as the King of Sodom did to Abraham, Da mihi animas, caetera tolle tibi; Give me the Souls, and take all the reſt.

The pleaſures of the Fleſh are not for me; I miſpriſe Riches, I leave Honours to the Ambitious; but for Souls, I continually thirſt, and can never be ſatisfied. He was ſo bold, as to attempt againſt our Bleſſed Saviour himſelf, and to perſwade him to adore him; he promiſed to give him Honours, Riches, Pleaſures, all the Kingdoms of the Earth to do it; haec omnia tibi dabo; All theſe will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me. See here the eſteem he makes of one Soul, from which Salvianus takes an occaſion to condemn the ſtupidity of men, who truly conſider not the price of their Souls; Quis furor? viles habere animas, quas diabolus putat eſſe pretioſas? What madneſs, to have a vile eſteem of our Souls, which in the opinion of the Devil are judged ſo pretious? To ſell that for a little money, for a momentary pleaſure, for a blaſt of Honour, which the proper Enemy of it, valued above the whole world, ſeeing he preſented that to purchaſe it. This extream folly moved the ſaid Salvianus, thus to exclaim, Novum genus emptionis & venditionis! A ſtrange kind of buying and ſelling! the Devil gives nothing, and takes all! man receives nothing, and parts with all! When a Merchant contracts for any Ware, he receives the price agreed upon for it, and the buyer receives the Merchandize: But here is the contrary. See the fooliſh traffick of Sinners, the Devil ſells them the pleaſures of the ſences, he promiſeth them Honours, which are but ſmoak; Riches, which a Theif, a Violence, an Injuſtice may deprive them of; and in ſelling theſe, he gives them nothing, becauſe theſe are not at his diſpoſal, he being not Lord of them; and for theſe, he receives from us all the pretious things which concerns our Salvation. What a deplorable blindneſs is this of Sinners, to eſteem ſo little of their Souls? I earneſtly deſire, that every one of them would follow that Counſel of the Wiſe man, [Eccleſ. 10. 31.] Serva animam tuam & da illi honorem ſecundum meritum ſuum: Save thy Soul, and give it that honour which is due unto it, according to its worth and dignity. And he adds, Quis honorificabit? Who ſhall honour him, who diſhonours his Soul? and who can defend or excuſe him againſt the juſtice of God, who offends againſt his own Soul?

The laſt Conſideration and Motive.

We may clearly diſcern the worth of our Soul, and the eſteem and care we ought to have of the Salvation of it, by what Chriſt did do, and ſuffer, for this end.

The Salvation of our Soul avails as much as it coſt; but it coſt the Blood, the Merits, the Life of Chriſt, which are infinite; from which we muſt neceſſarily conclude, that it is of an infinite value. I advance in this further; for ordinarily we value a thing, more than the price we paid to make it ours, if we be not deceived in it; but the Son of God, who hath an infinite Wiſdome, and ſo cannot be deceived in the eſteem and valuing of things, gave his Life and Merits to purchaſe the Salvation of our Souls; may we not then ſay, that in ſome manner, he eſteemed them more than the price he gave for them.

I can declare unto you a clearer manifeſtation of this; Having redeemed our Souls with his pretious Blood and Merrits, he eſteemed this infinite price ſo little, as he eſteemed them given him gratis by his Heavenly Father, Quos dediſti mihi, [John 10] whom thou haſt given me. Again, to know what eſteem the Son of God had of our Souls, after having purchaſed them with ſo great a price, he calls the Angels • o Feaſt and Congratulate, not only man, but himſelf, as St. Thomas obſerves, [Opuſc. c. 63.] and to ſpeak with him, as if man were the God of God, and that the felicity of the Soveraign Majeſty depended on the Salvation of man; as if he could not be happy, if man were miſerable.

Having ſhewed the price of thy Salvation, the great eſteem the Son of God had of it, that as St. Chryſoſtom ſpeaks, Nihil indignum ſe putat, quod nobis proficiat ad ſalutem; He thought not any thing unworthy of him, which might conduce to our Salvation. If thou comeſt now to neglect this, by this Crime thou committeſt two grand outrages, One againſt the Son of God, the Other againſt thy ſelf: for the firſt St. Auguſtine obſerves, [St. Aug. Sermo. 37. de temp.] qui dat pro modica delectatione: He who gives to the Devil for a ſhort pleaſure or tranſitory ſatisfaction, that, for which Chriſt gave no leſs than himſelf. Stultum reputat Chriſtum mercatorem; By that very action, condemns Chriſt as a fooliſh and ignorant Merchant. Who hath not light to diſcover, nor wiſdome to eſteem the true value of Souls, ſeeing he did give an infinite price for the Salvation of them, which thou eſteemeſt as a thing of nothing. What an affront is this offered to Chriſt? it is no leſs, as the Apoſtle affirms, than to trample his ſacred Blood under our feet; of which he complained by the Pſalmiſt, Sicut aqua effuſus ſum; I am poured out as water: as a thing of no eſteem, trampled under the feet of all.

Ah Sinner! this outrage againſt the Son of God will fall heavy upon thy ſelf, when thou comeſt to loſe thy ſoul, and to ſell it to the Devil for a tranſitory pleaſure: Haſt thou any thing ſo pretious wherewith to purchaſe it again, as the price that was given for it, and is ſo contemned by thee? St. Chryſologus aſſures thee, no. Quando eam tanti emptam perdideris, quomodo poteris eam deinceps emere? When thou loſeſt that which was bought with ſo great a price, how can'ſt thou purchaſe it again? O Chriſtians! after we have ſeen the eſteem that God makes of our Salvation, the price he hath given for it, the labours and ſufferings that his only Beloved Son did undergo to procure it for us; the crafts and endeavours the Devil uſeth to deprive us of it, what remains but to conclude? that this is the only thing in which you ſhould be employed; the grand affair which deſerves the application of your Spirits; the affections of your wills, the force of your bodies: when you have effected this, you have done all; if you miſcarry in this, all is loſt though you ſhould gain the whole world by it.

The firſt Manner or Condition.

We muſt labour in it ſeriouſly, according to the example of our Bleſſed Saviour, who out of zeal to convert the Samaritan Woman, travelled half a day in the heats of the Sun, with great wearineſs and thirſt to be at the place whither ſhe was to come, to meet with an opportune occaſion for her Converſion: To make, of another Sinner, a Penitent, he went to a banquet, and expected there her coming; and he travelled up and down, and frequented the company of ſinners to effect this great buſineſs, which was the end of his coming into the world. St. Paul had the perfect knowledg and practice of this truth, and therefore travelled ſeriouſly with the whole application of his Spirit, for the Salvation of his Brethren. Hear how he ſpeaks unto them, [2 Corinth. 12.] Ego autem libentiſſime impendam, & ſuperimpendar, pro animabus veſtris; I will gladly ſpend, and be ſpent for your Souls ſake: There is not any thing which I will not do, to advance your Salvation, which is ſo dear and pretious to me, that I am ready to give my ſelf to procure it. Upon which, is that of St. Ambroſe; Non ſolum ſua, pro eis impendere paratum ſe dicit, ſed etiam ſeipſum pro ſalute animarum: He is not only content to give thoſe things which are his, but alſo to expoſe and give himſelf for the ſalvation of their Souls. This Zeal of his, he more fully expreſſed in that to the Romans, [Cap. 9.] Optabam, ego ipſe, Anathemaeſſe a Chriſto, pro fratribus meis. I did deſire to be ſeparated from Chriſt, for the Salvation of my Brethren. His own intereſts drew him to be with Chriſt as his Cupio diſſolvi, I deſire to be diſſolved, ſufficiently teſtifies; but for the Salvation of his Brethren, he was content for a time, to be ſeparated from the glory of Chriſt, and to remain here on Earth, to labour in this work.

By this we may eaſily apprehend how we ought to employ the things of this world, and expoſe our life too, if it be neceſſary for our Salvation, our great affair in this world. But this which concerns us ſo much is ſo ſlightly paſſed over, that we may juſtly complain with thoſe Prophets, [Jerem. Daniel. Oſee.] Deſolatione deſolata eſt omnis terra, quia non eſt qui recogitet corde; The whole Earth is become deſolate, becauſe there is not any one who ſeriouſly conſiders in his heart. We may find many who think of their Salvation, but it is only ſuperficially, not with the heart, and ſo their thoughts are cold and barren; cold, becauſe they produce not an ardent deſire to execute what they think; they are barren, becauſe they produce not holy motions and actions. The Devil and Reprobate have the like; the thought of their Beautitude loſt, is continually preſent to them, they know the excellency of it, by ſuffering the privation thereof; but this is not with the heart, with a conſideration which is affective, ardent, effective: When we Will a thing efficatiouſly, it doth not only buſie our thoughts, but employs our hands, and induſtry, to labour, our tongues frequently to ſpeak of it; the heart, the hand, the tongue, are joyned in this work; the heart to meditate, the hand to execute, the tongue to publiſh it. Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur: Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth ſpeaketh.

The ſecond Manner or Condition requiſite in this work.

From the Zeal and ſerious conſideration of our Salvation, ordinarily proceeds an exquiſite diligence for the procuring of it; which is the ſecond Condition neceſſarily required in this work.

Our B. Saviour hath given us an admirable example in this kind; the ſacred Scripture [Heb. 10.] ſaith of him, that entring into the world by the miſtery of his Incarnation, he ſaid unto his Heavenly Father, You Will not the Sacrifices of the Law, therefore I offer up the body you have given me for a Victime, to honour your Majeſty, to ſatisfie your Juſtice, to appeaſe your Anger. He did not delay his ſufferings to the end of this life, but the firſt moment he entered into the world as Man, he preſented himſelf as a Victime. And when he was then adored by the Angels, at the command of his Heavenly Father, even then he would honour him as his Servant and Victime. In the whole courſe of his life, he travelled in this affair with ſuch diligence, as the Pſalmiſt reſembles him to a Gyant exulting to run his courſe, with an incredible vigour in all the wayes, wherein he might work our Salvation. His Eſpouſe admiring this in her Canticles, [Cant. 2.] compares this courſe of his to the ſwiftneſs of a Roe and Hart. The Angels deſcended and aſcended in Jacobs Ladder without repoſe, in the exerciſe which they continue indefatigably for the Salvation of men. Job by his own example ſhewed us with what fervour and diligence we ſhould proceed in this affair, [Job 29.] Cauſam quam ignorabam diligentiſſime investigabam: If I did not underſtand the rights between parties to accord them, I uſed moſt exquiſite diligence to underſtand it.

I did not defer till to morrow what I could do to day, but apply'd my ſelf without delay to all the good works I could perform for the advance of my Salvation.

Tobias did often riſe from the Table, left his refection, quitted the Company of his Friends; to bury the dead, and to exerciſe works of mercy towards the poor and needy. Abraham ſtood in the common ways, to find and invite Pilgrims to his houſe, where his Wife and Domeſticks were buſied in preparing a refection for them. St. Paul [Acts 5.] proteſted to the faithful, that he uſed all poſſible diligence in his Apoſtolical function. That which the examples of the Saints inform us, the Wiſe man Councelled in his Proverbs, Diligenter exerce agrum tuum; diligently cultivate thy field. We muſt not imagine that he ſpeaks here of good Husbandry, but under the ſymbol of a field, he inſinuates that we ſhould labour with diligence to extirpate vices, to acquire vertues; to increaſe in grace which God beſtows upon us, to work out our Salvation by: Beſides the Examples and Inſtructions of the Saints for our diligence in this affair, reaſon perſwades alſo this truth; we ſee that a man applyes himſelf with diligence, to affairs of importance, and to things of conſequence, which have an indeterminate and uncertain time, of which he knows not the length or ſhortneſs: Our Salvation hath theſe two circumſtances, the thing is moſt pretious, and of the greateſt concern; the time to compaſs it, is altogether uncertain; Death, after which we cannot work, often ſteals upon us, as a Thief in the Night, when we think our ſelves moſt ſecure of life; and therefore it concerns us to attend to our Salvation with all diligence, leſt we be ſurpriſed unexpectedly, as the fooliſh Virgins were, and the rich Glutton in the Goſpel.

If we have a Suit in Law, for the gaining of a poſſeſſion, for the reparation of an injury, or the like, we apply all our endeavours, we regard not the rigour of the ſeaſons, nor the ſuffering of our bodies, nor length of ways; we move every ſtone that might obſtruct or further our deſigns; but for our Salvation, which is the greateſt concern we have in the world, we think much to ſpend an hour at a Sermon, where we may be inſtructed in this, and the means to obtain it; to ſpend half an hour in a day to hear Maſs, or to Pray where we may receive grace to carry on this affair with fervour; we are loath to give an Alms to a poor body, to merit the divine ſuccours; ſuch is our blindneſs and ſtupidity. When we ſuffer any maladies in our bodies, as St. Chryſoſtom [Hom. 22. ad pop.] affirms, we preſently ſend for Phyſitians, we think no coſt much for the cure of them, Animam vero vitiis laborantem negligimus; But we ſuffer our Souls to corrupt and putrifie in ſin. To procure a remedy, and to purchaſe an immortal life, for them we are extream negligent.

This unreaſonable preferring of the Body before the Soul, the immortal and divine part of us ought to cover us with Confuſion in this world, where we would appear judicious & wiſe; & in the mean time, we ſhew our ſelves to be unreaſonable and ſenceleſs.

It was a complaint of St. Bernard, Aſpicio genus humanum; I behold mankind walking from the riſing of the Sun, to the going down of it, through the ſpatious Mart and Market of the world, where ſome hunt after Riches, others gape for Honours, many purſue Pleaſures, moſt ſpend their time in Vanities and Impertinencies; few mind the eternal good of their Souls, for which they came into the World. Seneca diſcovered this truth, ſi volueris attendere; if thou wilt conſider, thou maiſt diſcern that a great part of mens lives paſs away in doing Ill, the greateſt part in Idleneſs and nothing, the Image of Death, and pomp of Vices; the whole in minding and doing another thing than which they came for. We read of a Phyloſopher, who buſied himſelf thirty years in obſerving the Oeconomie of Bees, of a Graver who ſpent his whole life in Carving and Polliſhing one Statue of Iſocrates, who ſtudied ten years to compoſe an Oration which he was to pronounce at the Olympick Exerciſes; of many Phyloſophers, who Travelled divers Countries, with many dangers and inconveniences to acquire humane knowledg and experience; ſhall not theſe riſe up in judgment and condemn us, if we think any time tedious to imploy in the affair of our Salvation?

The third and laſt Condition, neceſſary for this work.

If we deſire efficatiouſly to be ſaved, we muſt labour with perſeverance, according to the example of our B. Saviour on the Croſs, who would not deſcend from thence to put an end to his ſufferings, and to the incredulity of the people who deſired it; but as he ſays himſelf, he would there finiſh and conſummate the work his Father had recommended to him; which was the Salvation of men for his glory. The Wiſe-man ſaid, that omnia tempus habent, there is a time for all things; a time to Sow, and a time to Reap, and the like; and out of theſe Seaſons, they are not to be done.

But the affair of our Salvation hath no certain time aſſigned for it; but the whole courſe of our life, from the firſt moment that we have the uſe of reaſon, to the laſt, is to be employed in it. Reaſon perſwades us this truth, and gives us to underſtand of what importance the aſſiduity of this work is; becauſe our Salvation depends on the laſt action of our life; if that be good, meritorious and agreeable to God, it will ſave us; if bad, ſure enough we ſhall be damned, for as the Tree falls, ſo it ſhall lie: But here our death is uncertain, and every moment of our life may be the laſt, and the fatal ſtroke may ſurpriſe us when we think leaſt of it: have we not reaſon then to travel inceſſantly in the affair of our Salvation, to ſecure it as much as poſſibly we can? for unleſs we perſevere unto the end in it, we cannot be ſaved. And the breaking off this work, and declining out of the right way, though it be but for a time, may be the cauſe of our not perſevering to the end, and conſequently of our eternal perdition.

Many examples in this kind, Sacred and Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory afford us; and happy are we, if we become ſo wiſe by them, as at all times to be vigilant about this affair.