And here, indeed, we see the reason why fuch People are fo hardly perfuaded to enter into any ferious confideration of their prefent, either State or Duty. They find that the thoughts of these are very troublesome, and mightily difquiet 'em, they are almost distracted whenever they begin to think into what dangers and difficulties they have plung'd themfelves, and how hard they have made it for them to be fav'd. I have heard of fome, who because of this, could not endure to hear any one in the Family read a good Book, that put them in mind of these things, but would order it to be thrown aside, saying, it was enough to make one mad. And, indeed, their own Confciences, did they hearken to them, would do as inuch, accufing them of fo much folly and madness, that they would begin to feel fomething of Hell in their Breafts. And therefore they ufe all the fhifts they can to filence them, that they may at least be quiet, when they can hardly hope to be fafe.

Let us all therefore take heed of going on fe curely in any finful Courfes, wafting the good things which we have from God, left when we begin to confider our ways and doings, we find that we have gone fo far from God, that it may be fear'd he is quite departed from us, and gives us no hopes of recovering the light of his Countenance any more, and we fhall not know what to do.

The wafteful Steward, after his Mafter had discover'd his wickednefs, and threaten'd him for it, fhou'd, one wou'd have thought, have, in the most humble manner, Addrefs'd unto him, befeeching his mercy, and faying, Sir, I most hum

bly

bly caft my felf at your Feet, and earnestly beg of you to pardon me what is past, and fay, what it is your pleasure that I fhall do towards making you fome fatisfaction, and you fhall fee that nothing fhall be wanting that is in my power to do. Say then, good Sir, What shall I do? But then in order to the obtaining of this favour, he should first have faid, What have I done? He fhould have Examined his whole Converfation, and laid open to his Mafter all his Faults, which he was guilty of in an humble Confeffion, declaring his deteftation of all his wicked ways, and his abhorring of himself for his great Bafeness; but we hear nothing of all this.

Men that have done very wickedly, when they begin to be afraid they fhall be punish'd for it, are not fo apt to confider their own Sins and Demerits, as to caft about for their fatety and impunity. They think of a Pardon, but not of Repentance, and fhew fome Contrivance, but no Remorfe; I hearkened and heard ( faith God) but they pake not aright; no Man Repented him of bis Wickedness, faying, What have I done? Jer. 8. 6. The Steward's care was quite another thing than how to give his Master Satisfaction, or which way he might amend his Evil Ways; no, all his Care was how to live for the future, at the fame rate he had done for the time paft; and how he might, if poffible, efcape being caft into Prison, and being made to feed on Bread and Water, after he had loft his Stewardship. And thus the habitual Sinner, when his laft Sickness comes to call him out of this World, seems mightily troubled and concern'd what to do. His trouble is not that he hath been a Sinner, but that

he

he must not now live any longer to enjoy his finful Pleasures; not that he hath difhonour'd God, and abused his Goodness, but that he fears his Wrath and Vengance, and that Hell is juft opening to receive him into Torments. And now, faith he, What shall I do? I muft live no longer, I must leave behind me all that I loved, and was delighted in. For this he weeps, and it must be called Repentance. I have (faith he within himself) but faint hopes of escaping Hell, if there be one, and what fhall I do? And for this he weeps again, and then hopes he hath repented, and fo dieth quietly. Alas, we are generally Lovers of Pleasures, more than Lovers of God; and when we think our felves in danger, we would do any thing for our own fafety, but little Regard fhew we to God's Honour and Glory. Let us take heed how we fo accuftom our felves to any fin, that we begin to love it more than God, and cannot love him unless he will allow it us. Let us beware alfo how we call every trouble and perplexity of Mind that Affliction or Fear bring us into, by the name of Repentance, and fo deceive our felves into a fatal Security. If we would not when we come to die be confounded in our Thoughts, and plunged into defpair, let us Learn to Live well, that our Confciences may not then be able to accufe us of any Sin, whereof we have not fincerely repented,

3. It may be useful yet a little more to observe on what Account it was, that this Man found himfelf at fuch a Lofs, that he knew not what to do. And we may fee that it was upon this twofold Account. 1. That he was now to be turned out

of

1

Flave lost

of his Place, which afforded him fo plentiful and pleafant a way of Living. 2. The difficulty he faw of finding any other way of Living, whereby he might hope for the like Plenty and Plea-. fure.

Firft. He was told by his Lord, that he muft be no longer Steward, and therefore (faid he) What fhall I do? For my Lord taketh away from me the Stewardship. He faith not, that he had deferv'd to have it taken away. It is his Lofs only, and not his Fault that troubles him, and vexeth his mind. This, indeed, is that which troubles most Sinners, the Lofs off any part of their Livelihood is a far greater Affliction to them, than the Lofs of their Innocence. If God deprive them of any part of their Eftates or Health; more Tears by far are ufually fhed, than for the Sins whereof they are guilty. They wring their Hands, and fret their Hearts, and cry out they are undone, and know not what they fhall do, when they hate but fome very small thing of this kind; but of the Lofs of God's Favour, and of a good Confcience, they have no Senfe at all. How little doth the Violation of our Faith given to God in our Baptifm, or the Lofs of our Integrity trouble any of us? How little do we grieve, and afflict our Souls before God for our breach of Covenant with him? We can fin all the Day long, and be very merry, and are not at all concern'd to think what we fhall do in the end thereof. So long as we fuffer not we are in no Perplexity.

Thus indeed it is with many of us, the World hath got poffeffion of our Hearts, and fo long as

ng

no part of that is torn from us, our Hearts bleed not, nor feel any grief. Let us therefore take heed of fetting our Affection on the things that are on the Earth, and of making our Lufts our Mafters. Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World, for if any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. 1 Joh. 2. 15. No Man can ferve two Mafters. Mat. 6. 24. If we once love the World, and the things thereof, fo long as we can keep it, we will not be troubled for any Want of Love to God, or for the Lofs of his Love to us. And if we ferve our felves, that is, our Lufts; we will never ferve God, nor be concern'd for any difhonour we do him. Then ferve we God, and take him for our Mafter, when whatever Miftrefs-Luft commands our Service, or howfoever the World flatters us, and courts our Affections, we turn them off with Difdain, vouchfafing them no other Anfwer, but that of Jofeph. How fhall I do this great Wickedness, and fin against God? If we be not thus refolute in God's Service, notwithstanding any Worldly Lofs, we fhew that we are more concern'd to live in pleasure on the Earth, than to live eternally in Heaven.

Secondly, Another Ground of his perplexity and trouble, is the difficulty of finding out fome other way of Life, which would afford him the fame plenty and pleafure. He could at prefent think but of two Ways of Living, when he was put out of his Stewardship, that is Digging and Begging, and he could not well hope, that either of thefe would afford him fo fine a Life as that which he had hitherto had, and therefore he lays