to say that might effectually persuade you to do that, which you are so abundantly convinced is so necessary.

And here I might address myself to the several ages of persons. You that are young, and have hitherto been in a good measure innocent, may by an early piety give God the first possession of your souls: you may do a glorious, I had almost said a meritorious, thing, in cleaving stedfastly to God, and resolving to serve him, when you are so hotly assaulted by the devil and the world. However, you may not live to be old; therefore, begin the work presently, and make use of the opportunity that is now in your hands.

You that are grown up to ripeness of years, are to be put in mind, that the inconsiderateness of youth is now past; that reason and consideration are in their perfection; and yours is the very age of prudence and discretion; so that now is the proper time for you to be serious, and wisely to secure your happi

ness.

As for those that are old, they, methinks, should need nobody to admonish them, that it is now high time to begin a new life; and that the time already past of their lives is too much to have been spent in sin and folly. Your sun is certainly going down and near its setting; therefore you should quicken your pace. Alas, man! thou art just ready to die,

and hast thou not yet begun to live! Are thy passions and lusts yet unsubdued, and have they had no other mortification than what age hath given them? 'Tis strange to see how, in the very extremities of old age, many go on as if they had a thousand years to live; and make no preparation for death, though it be just ready to give them the fatal stroke.

Let us not then put off this necessary work of reforming ourselves in what age of life soever we may be: to-day let us begin it, whilst it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Nay, today is with the latest to begin; had we been wise, we would have begun sooner. It is God's infinite mercy to us, that it is not quite too late; that the day of his patience is not expired, and the door shut against us: therefore do not defer your repentance: no man makes haste enough to be good, to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well. Be as quick as we will, life will be too nimble for us, and go on faster than our work does, and death will go nigh to surprise and prevent us.

Do not, sinner, abuse and neglect thyself yet longer, till the time of regarding thy soul and working out thine own salvation be at an end, and all the opportunities of minding that great concern be slipped out of thy hands, never to be recovered, never to be called back again; no, not by thy most earnest wishes

and desires, by thy most fervent prayers and tears.

To conclude: Art thou convinced that thy' eternal happiness depends upon following the advice which hath now been given thee? Behave thyself then, in this case, as all prudent men are wont to do in things which thou canst not but acknowledge to be of far less concern. If a man be travelling, so soon as he finds himself out of his way, he has no inclination to go wrong any farther, but presently stops, and makes towards the right road: if he be sick, he will be weil immediately if he can : most gladly take the first opportunity of being rich and great: who but catches at the very first offers of a great place, or a good purchase and secures them instantly? Do thou thus so much more in things so much greater. Return from the error of thy way; be wise, save thyself, as soon as possible. When happiness presents itself to thee do not turn it off, and bid it come again to-morrow. Perhaps, the day of salvation may not be again offered to-morrow; nay, perhaps to thee to-morrow may never come. But if we were sure that happiness would come again, yet why should we put it off? Does any man know how to be safe and happy to-day, and can he prevail upon himself to delay it till to-morrow?

Now the God of all mercy and patience give every one of us wisdom and grace to

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know and do, in this our day, the things that belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes; for the sake of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer: to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory now and for ever.

SERMON XI.

THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTER OF A GOOD AND BAD MAN.

1 JOHN iii. 10.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.

By the children of God, and the children of the devil, are meant good and bad men; it being usual in Scripture to call persons or things in this manner, as the reader will find in the sermon.

The text thus explained, I proceed,

I. To consider the mark of difference between a good and bad man, which is here laid down; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.

II. To show that by this mark every man may, with due care, come to the knowledge of his spiritual condition; By this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.

III. To enquire whence it comes to pass that, notwithstanding this, so many persons are at great uncertainty concerning their condition.

I. I shall consider the mark of difference between a good and bad man, which is in the text, Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God; which implies likewise, on the contrary, that whosoever doth righteousness is of God. Now, in the strict sense of this phrase, he only who lives in all the commandments of God blameless, can be said to do righteousness; but in this sense there is none that doeth righteousness, no not one; and, consequently, none can be the children of God: but the text supposes some to be so; and therefore, by doing righteousness, the apostle must be understood to mean something that is short of perfect and unsinning obedience. So that the question is, What doing of righteousness is sufficient to denote a man a child of God?

It is not my design (it being perhaps impossible) nicely to determine this question; it will be sufficient to acquaint you what degrees of holiness are necessary to give you a clear and comfortable evidence of your good estate towards God, and then to persuade you, in order to your peace and assurance, to endeavour after such degrees. To do this, I shall briefly consider who they are that in the apostle's sense may be said to be doers of righteousness, or not doers of it.