deft labour to be abundant in good workes; that is, to be fure to ferve God, whatsoever thou doeft. This is the happy condition of the Saints, that their finnes fhall be blotted out, and their good workes fhall remaine to eternitie; they are fpirituall feed fowne, which shall bring forth a fure harveft. If thou be a fervant,or a labouring man; when thou doeft, thy workes fhall remaine. So looke upon any thing that thou hast done for Chrift,all thefe things fhall remaine for ever:what faithfull prayers foever thou haft made, or whatfoever thou haft fuffered for Christ, what paines thou haft taken in preaching, or in repenting, or in advancing the caufe of Chrift,thefe fhall be had in everlafting remembrance.

On the other fide,looke what finnes unrepented of, thou haft committed; for the finnes of unregenerate men fhall alfo remaine. All the praise that comes from action, and the pleasure of it, that paffeth away, and comes to nothing: but looke what finfulneffe there is in any worke,that remaines; and if thou repent not of it,that finne fhall be reckoned upon thy score; and what uprightneffe foever there is in any worke, that alfo fhall remaine. Therefore, learne from hence to prize and value onely thofe good things that are immutable,and proportionably to feare and shun the evill.

THE

THE

FIFTEENTH

SERMON.

EXODVS 3. 13, 14.

13 And Mofes faid unto God; Behold, when I come unto the Children of Irael, and shall Jay unto them; The GOD of your Fathers bath fent mee unto you, and they (ball (ay unto me, What is bis Name? what fhall I Jay unto them?

14 And GOD faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT IAM, U.

fo

V6. To judge of

Swee are to judge of other things, by the mutabilitie of them learne to judge of thine owne fpirit, by that conftancie that thou findeft in well-doing,or that mutabilitie and unconftancie that thou art fubject to. If a man would make a cenfure of himselfe, let him confider, that the neerer hee comes to unchangeableneße in well-doing, the better hee is,

and

our owne fpi

rits, by con fancy in well. doing.

and the stronger hee is; againe, the more mutable,the weaker: Thou art to judge of thy felfe, as wee ufe to efteeme one of another: Now let a man be unconftant, one that wee can have no hold of, that is as fickle as the weather, that will refolve upon fuch a thing to day,and change his minde to morrow; what ever learning or excellencie, or what kindneffe foever is in this man, wee regard him not, because hee is an unconftant man. Now learne thou to doe fo with thy felfe, to aske thy felfe that queftion: Haft thou not had many refolutions, that never came to any endeavours? Haft thou not begun many good workes, and broke off in the middle, and never finished them? Haft thou not found that propertie of folly in thee, To begin ftill to live? Stultitia femper incipit vivere ? Haft thou not often begun,and ended; and begun againe,and still bled for our brought no fruit to perfection? If this be thy cafe, learne to abhorre thy felfe for it,and to be afhamed; for all is nothing,till we come to a conftant and unchangeable refolution: So that we come to fet it downe with our felves, as an inviolable Law; This is a dutie,and I will doe it,whatsoever it coft me, this is a finne, and I will avoid it, whatfoever come of it. Which refolution the Prophet Daniel takes up,Dan.1.8. He determined in his heart, that he would not be defiled with the Kings meate and fuch a refolution they were exhorted to in 48s 11.23. with full purpose of heart to cleave unto God. It is tranflated, full purpose but the words are, with a decree, and full refo

To be hum

unconftancie.

ABS 11.23.

lution of heart, të ❤ption vüs upėlas xjosugrain võ kupico, That is, when a man doth not lightly put himfelfe upon an holy courfe; but takes up a ftrong refolution to goe through with it fuch a refolution as Pauls was, Ads 20. 22. All:20.39i hee knew that bands by the way did waite for him as for theeves,it was no matter,hee was bound in the fpirit: All is nothing, I care not, faies he, So that I may fulfill the Miniftery committed to mee. Such a refolution we fhould have. And according as thou findeft thy felfe able to doe this, fo thou fhouldest judge of thy felfe. A man that is on and off in his wayes, Salomon compares him to a Cittie, whofe walles are broken downe,that is,if a temptation come,and fet upon him, it hath free entrance, and the temptation comes in, because his foule was without guard and ward. But on the other fide, a man that doth not ftand trifling with the Lord, to fay onely I wish I could, and I am forry that I cannot,but he that will goe through a good courfe, fuch a man is like to a Cittie which hath walles round about it; that if a temptation come,there

Simile:

is fomething to keepe it out. I fay, as thou art Conftancy in to judge of other things by the mutabilitie of evill nothing them, fo of thy felfe: for there is nothing bet- worfe ter than to have a peremptorie refolution in: well-doing, to bee conftant therein,and there is nothing worse than to bee peremptorie in c

ve 7.

vill. To goc to God If Godbee immutable, then thou knoweft whi- to get conftan ther to goe to get this conftancy, to make thy ing. Hh

felfe

cy in wel do