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remains but five of thirty which profefs the Chriftian religion at large; and the far greater part of these remaining five are invelopped and drowned in popifh darkness; fo that you see the reformed Proteftant religion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed. Now, if from these we substract all the grofly igno rant, openly profane, merely civil, and fecretly hypocritical, judge then in yourselves, how small a scantling of the world falls to Chrift's fhare.

Well might Christ say, Matth. vii. 14. "Narrow is the way, " and strait is the gate that leadeth unto life; and few there "be that find it." And again, Luke xii. 32. " Fear not, little "flock." The large piece goes to the devil; a little remnant is Chrift's, Rom. ix, 27. Saints in fcripture are called jewels, Mal. iii. 17. Precious pearls and diamonds, which the Latins call Uniones. Quia nulli duo fimul reperiuntur, (faith Pliny) because nature gives them not by pairs, but one by one: how many pebbles to one pearl! Suitable to this notion, is that complaint of the prophet, Mic. vii. 1, 2. "Wo is me! for I am as

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when they have gathered the fummer-fruits, as the grape"gleanings of the vintage; there is no clufter to eat; my foul "defired the firft ripe fruits; the good man is perished out of "the earth, and there is none, (i. e. none comparatively) up"right among men." The prophet alludes to a poor hungry man, that, after the gathering time is past, comes into an orchard defiring fome choice fruit to eat; but, alas! he finds none; there is no cluster; poffibly here and there one after the shaking time. True faints are the world's rarities.

REFLECTION S.

A reflection for one that follows the example of the multitude.

1. What then will be my lot, when that great ihaking time shall come, who have followed the multitude, and gone with the tide of the world? How, even when I have been pressed to strictness and fingular diligence in the matters of falvation, and told what a narrow way the way of life is, have I put it off with this? If it be fo, then wo to thoufands! Ah, foolish heart! Thousands, and ten thousands fhall be woful and miferable, indeed, to all eternity! Will it be any mitigation of my misery, that I fhall have thousands of miferable companions with me in hell? Or, will it be admitted for a good plea at the judgment-feat, Lord, I did as the generality of my neighbours in the world did; except it were here and there a more precife perfon, I saw none but lived as I lived. Ah, foolish finner! is it not better to go to heaven alone, than to hell with company? The worst courfes

have always the most imitators; and the road to deftruction is thronged with passengers.

A reflection for an abufer of mercy.

2. And how little better is my condition, who have often fathered the wickednefs of my own heart, upon the encouragement of mercy? Thus hath my heart pleaded against strictnefs and duty; God is a merciful God, and will not be fo fevere with the world, to damn fo many thou fands as are in my condition. Deluded foul ! if God had damned the whole race of Adam, he had done them no more wrong: yea, there is more mercy in faving but one man, than there is of feverity and rigour in damning all. How many drunkards and adulterers have lived and died with thy plea in their mouths, “God is a merciful God?" But yet his word exprefsly faith, "Be not deceived; fuch fhall not inherit the king"dom of God," 1 Cor. vi. 9. God, indeed, is a God of inf nite mercy; but he will never exercife his mercy to the prejudice of his truth.

A reflection for an elect foul.

3. Oh! what rich grace is here, That in a general fhipwreck mercy fhould caft forth a line or plank to fave me! That when millions perish, I with a few more should escape that perdition! Was it the Father's good pleasure to bestow the kingdom upon a little flock, and to make me one of that num ber? What fingular obligations hath mercy put upon my foul! The fewer are faved, the more caufe have they that are, to admire their salvation. If but one of a thoufand had been damned, yet my salvation would have been an act of infinite grace; but when scarce one of a thousand are faved, what shall I call that grace, that caft my lot among them!

H

The POEM.

E that with fpiritual eyes in autumn fees

The heaps of fruit which fall from fhaken trees,

Like storms of hail-ftones, and can hardly find
One of a thousand that remains behind;
Methinks this meditation fhould awake

His foul, and make it like thofe trees, to shake.
Of all the clufters, which fo lately grew
Upon thofe trees, how few can they now fhew?
Here one, and there another; two or three
Upon the utmoft branches of the tree.

The greatest numbers to the pound are borne,
Squeez'd in the trough, and all to pieces torn.
VOL. VI.

X

This little handful's left, to fhadow forth
To God's remnant in this peopled earth
If o'er the whole terreftrial globe I look,
The gospel vifits but a little nook.

The reft with horrid darkness overspread,
Are faft afleep, yea, in tranfgreffion dead.
Whole droves to hell the devil daily drives
Not one amongst them once refifts, or strives
And in this little heaven-enlightned spot,
How fast an intereft hath Satan got?
But few of holiness profeffion make;
And if from those that do profess, I take*
The felf-deluding hypocrites, I fear

To think how few'll remain that are fincere.
O tax not mercy that it faves fo few;

But rather wonder that the Lord fhould fhew
Mercy to any. Quarrel not with grace;
But for thyfelf God's gracious terms embrace.
When all were fhipwreck'd, thou fhould't wonder more
To find thyself so strangely caft afhore,
And there to meet with any that can tell
How narrowly they also scap'd from hell.
The fmaller number mercy faves, the higher.
Engagements lie on thee still to admire.
Had the whole fpecies perish'd in their fin,
And not one individual faved been,
Yet every tongue before him must be mute,
Confefs his righteoufnefs, but not difpute.
Or had the hand of mercy which is free,
Taken another, and pafs'd over me;
I ftill must justify him, and my tongue
Confefs my maker had done me no wrong
But if my name he please to let me fee
Enroll'd among thofe few that faved be,
What admiration fhould fuch mercy move!
What thanks, and praise, and everlasting love!

CHAP. IV.

Upon the Cutting down of dead Trees.

Dead barren trees you for the fire prepare ;
In fuch a cafe all fruitless perfons are.

A

Fter

OBSERVATION.

many years patience, in the use of all means to recover a fruit tree, if the husbandman fee it be quite dead, and that there can be no more expectation of any fruit from it, he brings his ax, and hews it down by the root; and from the orchard it is carried to the fire, it being then fit for nothing elfe; he reckons it imprudent to let fuch a useless tree abide in good ground, where another may be planted in its room, that will better pay for the ground it ftands in. I myself once faw a large orchard.of fair but fruitlefs trees, all rooted up, rived abroad, and ricked up for the fire.

T

APPLICATION.

Hus deals the Lord by useless and barren profeffors who do but cumber his ground, Matth. iii.10. "And now ❝alfo the ax is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every "tree that brings not forth good fruit, is hewen down and cast "into the fire." And Luke xiii. 7. "Then faid the dreffer of the vineyard, Behold, thefe three years I came seeking "fruit on this fig-tree, and find one; cut it down; why "cumbereth it the ground?" These three years, alluding to the time of his ministry, he being at that time entering upon the last half year, as one obferves, by harmonizing the evangelifts; fo long he had waited for the fruit of his ministry among thofe dead-hearted Jews; now his patience is even at an end cut them down (faith he) why cumber they the ground? I will plant others, (viz. the Gentiles) in their room. This hewing down of the barren tree doth, in a lively manner, fhadow forth God's judicial proceedings againft formal and empty profeffors under the gofpel; and the refemblance clearly holds in these following particulars:

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1. The tree that is to be hewn down for the fire, ftands in the orchard among other flourishing trees, where it hath enjoyed the benefit of a good foil, aftrong fence, and much culture; but being barren, thefe privileges fecure it not from the fire. At is not our standing in the visible church by a powerless pre

feffion among real faints with whom we have been associated, and enjoyed the rich and excellent waterings of ordinances, that can fecure us from the wrath of God, Matt. iii. 8,9. "Bring "forth fruits meet for repentarice, and think not to fay within "yourselves, we have Abraham to our father." Neither Abraham, nor Abraham's God, will acknowledge fuch degeuerate children; if Abraham's faith be not in your hearts, it will be no advantage that Abraham's blood runs in your veins. It will be a poor plea for Judas, when he thall ftand before Chrift in judgment, to fay, Lord, I was one of thy family, I preached for thee; I did eat and drink in thy prefence. Let these scriptures be confulted, Matth. vii. 22. Matth. xxv. 11, 12. Rom. ii. 17, and 25.

: 2. The husbandman doth not presently cut down the tree because it puts not forth as foon as other trees do; but waits as long as there is any hope, and then cuts it down. Thus doth God wait upon barren dead-hearted perfons, from fabbath to fabbath, and from year to year; for the Lord is long-fuffering to us-ward, not willing that any fhould perifh, but that all fhould come to repentance, 2 Pet. iii. 9. Thus the long fuffering of God waited in the days of Noah upon those dry trees, who are now fmoaking and flaming in hell, 1 Pet. iii. 29. He waits long on finners, but keeps exact accounts of every year and day of his patience, Luke. xiii. 7. "Thefe three years.' And Jer. xxv. 3. thefe twenty-three years,

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3. When the time is come to cut it down, the dead tree cannot poffibly resist the stroke of the ax ; but receives the blow, and falls before it. No more can the ftoutest sinner resist the fatal ftroke by death, by which the Lord hews' him down; Eccl. viii. 8. There is no man that hath power over the spirit "to retain the fpirit; neither hath he power in the day of "death; and there is no difcharge in that war." When the pale horse comes, away you must into the land of darkness. Though thou cry, with Adrian, O my poor foul! whither art thou going? Die thou muft, thou barren profeffor; though it were better for thee to do any thing else than to die. What a dreadful fhriek will thy confcience give, when it fees the ax at thy root, and fay to thee, as it is Ezek. vii. 6. "An end is

come, the end is come; it watcheth for thee; behold it is "come." Oh! faith Henry Beauford, (that rich and wretched cardinal, bishop of Winchester, and chancellor of England, when he perceived whereto he muft), wherefore must I die? If the whole realm would fave my life, I am able either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it. Fie (quoth he) will not death

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