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Show ( so ) we muf!: do it from the Heart, as to Goa, and not as to Men ; that neither Circumcrfion nor Uncircumcifion avails any thing, but a new Creature; that is ~ thorough Reformation of Heart and Life; that a Form of Godlincf~, without the Power of it, is hateful in the Sight of God ; that Faith without Works is dead ; and that the Hope of the Hypocrite fhall perifh. We are commanded to {hive to enter in at the f!:rait Gate; for that frrait is the Gate, and narrow the Way, which leads to Life, and few there be th•a find it; to give Diligence to make our Calling and EleClion. fure ;. to keep our Loins girded, and our Lights burning, and to be like thofe, who watch for the Coming of their Lord ; to fiand faf!: in the F'aith; to quit ourfelves like Men; to take the whole Armour of God, that we may be able to withila11d in the evil Day; fince we wreille not With Flefh and Blood, but with Principalities and Powers; to add to our Faith, Virtue, and Knowledge, and Tenwerance, and Patience, ~nd Godlinefs, and Benevolence; and to take care that thcfe and all other Virtues be in us, and abound? and increafe; to refolve to go on to Perfe-:hon, forgetting our pail Attainments, ansl reachmg forth to the Things that are before, or thofe Degrees of Virtue we have not yet attamed; to walk even as Chrif!: walked; to be Followers of God, as his Children; to be perfeB, even ~s our heavenly Father is perfeCt; not contentmg ourfel~es with ordinary Degrees of Goodnefs; but takmg Care that our Righteoufncfs exceed that of Scribes, Pharifces, and formal Profeffors of Religion ; in a word, to perfevere to the End, >n fpite of all Oppofition, fightint:; fighting the good Fight, and working out our Salvation with Fear and T rembling ; for that God will bring every W ork into Judgmcllt, with every fccret T hing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. No Man can well fu ppofc he can go to Heavenbetween ileeping and waking, or that it is an eafy thing to gain everlalling I-lappinefs, who attends to fuch DircB:ions of Scripture, as thefe .. Though it will be chiefly your own Fault, my dear Friend, if ever you experience any confidcrable D egree of Difficulty in a virtuous and religious Courfc. You have only to keep yomfclf from the wicked Ways of the World, and you will never know by Experience what our Saviour means by cutting off of right Hands, and plucking out right Eyes, to wit, mortifying Lulls ::tnd AffeClions, as dear to us as the tcndercf!: Parts of our Bodies. Therefore, as you fee fo great a n egree of Purity of Heart, and StriClncfs of ConduCt is required of us, let me advife you, whenever you are in doubt whether you may or may not do any particular AClion, to confider whether it would have been fui table for our Saviour, or his Apofiles, to have done it; for it is their Example we are to follow, and not that of a corrupt and degenerate World around us ; and that whatever would have been unworthy of the Apoille Paul, for example, is likewife unworthy of you. F or every Chrillian OU[ht to fet up for a Follower of ] efus Chrif!:, as much as the Apollle Paul himfdf. The W eaknefs and Short- fightednefs of Mankind is fuch, our Propcnfity to Pleafurcs, Riches, and Honours, is fo {hong, and the T emptations from the various OhjeCls, which are continually F 3 ful! iciting |