obeying the precept of his Saviour, by doing good to them that hate him, Matt. v. 44. Let us therefore resolve that all actions of kindness are to be performed to our enemies; for which we have not only the command, but also the example of Christ, who had not only some inward relentings towards us-his obstinate and most provoking enemies, but showed it in acts, and those no cheap or easy ones, but such as cost him his dearest blood. And surely we can never pretend to be either obeyers of his command, or followers of his example, if we grudge to testify our love to our enemies, by those so much cheaper ways of feeding them in hunger, and the like, recommended to us by the apostle, Rom. xii. 20. But if we could perform these acts of kindness to enemies in such a manner, as might draw them from their enmity, and win them to peace, the charity would be doubled, and this we should aim at; for that we see the apostle sets as the end of the forementioned acts of feeding, &c. that we may heap coals of fire on their heads; not coals to burn, but to melt them into all love and tenderness towards us and this were indeed the most complete way of imitating Christ's example, who in all he did and suffered for us, designed the reconciling of us to himself.

Self-love an

XVIII. I have now showed you the several parts of our duty to our neighbour, towards hindrance to the performance whereof I know nothing this charity. more necessary, than the turning out of our hearts that self-love which so often possesses them, and that so wholly, that it leaves no room for charity, nay, nor justice neither, to our neighbour. By this self-love, I mean not that true love of ourselves, which is the love and care of our souls (for that would certainly help, not hinder us in this duty) but I mean that immoderate love of our own worldly interests and advantages, which is apparently the root of all injustice and uncharitableness towards

others. We find this sin of self-love set by the Apostle in the head of a whole troop of sins, 2 Tim. iii. 2. as if it were some principal officer in Satan's camp; and certainly not without reason, for it never goes without an accursed train of many other sins, which, like the dragon's tail, Rev. xii. 4. sweeps away all care of duty to others. We are by it made so vehement and intent upon pleasing ourselve ves, that we have no regard to any body else, contrary to the direction of St. Paul, Rom. xv. 2. which is not to please ourselves, but every man to please his neighbour for his good to edification; which he backs with the example of Christ, ver. 3. For even Christ pleased not himself. If therefore we have any sincere desire to have this virtue of charity rooted in our hearts, we must be careful to weed out this sin of self-love; for it is impossible they can prosper together.

XIX. But when we have removed this hindrance, we must remember, that this, as all Prayer, a means other graces, proceeds not from our- to procure it. selves, it is the gift of God; and therefore we must earnestly pray to him to work it in us, to send his Holy Spirit, which once appeared in the form of a dove, a meek and harmless creature, to frame our hearts to the same temper, and enable us rightly to perform this duty.

of

Christian duties both possible and pleasant.

XX. I have now passed through those several branches I at first proposed, and showed you what is our duty to God, ourselves, and our neighbour which I may say, as it is, Luke x. 28. This do, and thou shalt live. And surely it is no impossible task to perform this in such a measure as God will graciously accept; that is, in sincerity, though not in perfection; for God is not that austere master, Luke xix. 21. that reaps where he has not sown: he requires nothing of us which he is not ready by his grace to enable us to perform, if we be not wanting to our

selves either in asking it by prayer, or in using it by diligence. And as it is not impossible, so neither is it such a sad and melancholy task, as men are apt to think it. It is a special policy of Satan to do as the spies did, Numb. xiii. 28. bring up an ill report upon this good land, this state of Christian life, thereby to discourage us from entering into it, to fright us with I know not what giants we shall meet with: but let us not thus be cheated, let us but take the courage to try, and we shall indeed find it a Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. God is not, in this respect, to his people, a wilderness, a land of darkness, Jer. ii. 31. His service does not bereave men of any true joy, but helps them to a great deal; Christ's yoke is an easy, nay, a pleasant yoke: his burden a light, yea, a gracious burden. There is, in the practice of Christian duties, a great deal of present pleasure, and if we feel it not, it is because of the resistance our vicious and sinful customs make, which, by the contention, raises an uneasiness. But then, first, that is to be charged only on ourselves, for having got those ill customs, and thereby made that hard to us, which in itself is most pleasant; the duties are not to be accused for it. And then, secondly, even there the pleasure of subduing those ill habits, overcoming those corrupt customs, is such as vastly outweighs all the trouble of the combat.

XXI. But it will, perhaps, be said, that some parts of piety are of such a nature, as will be very apt to expose us to persecutions and sufferings in the world; and that those are not joyous, but grievous.

I answer, That even in those there is a matter of Even when they joy. We see the Apostles thought it expose us to out- So; they rejoiced that they were ward sufferings. counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name, Acts v. 41. And St. Peter tells us, That if any man suffer as a Christian, he is to glorify God for it, 1 Pet. iv. 16. There is such a force and

virtue in the testimony of a good conscience, as is able to change the greatest sufferings into the greatest triumph; and that testimony we can never have more clear and lively, than when we suffer for righteousness' sake: so that you see Christianity is very amiable, even in its saddest dress, the inward comforts of it do far surpass all the outward tribulations that attend it, and that even in the instant while we are in a state of warfare upon earth. But then, if we look forward to the crown of our victories, those eternal rewards in heaven, we can never think those tasks sad, though we had nothing at present to sweeten them, that have such recompences awaiting them at the end. Were our labours never so heavy, we could have no cause to faint under them. Let us, therefore, whenever we meet with any discouragement in our course, fix our eyes on this rich prize, and then run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb. xii. 1. follow the Captain of our salvation through the greatest sufferings, yea, even through the same red sea of blood through which he hath waded, whenever our obedience to him shall require it. For, though our fidelity to him should bring us to death itself, we are sure to be no losers by it; for to such he hath promised a crown of life, the very expectation whereof is able to keep a Christian more cheerful in his fetters and dungeon, than a worldling can be in the midst of his greatest propensities.

XXII. All that remains for me further to add is, earnestly to entreat and beseech the The danger of dereader, that without delay he put him- laying our turning self into this so pleasant and gainful to God.

a course, by setting sincerely to the practice of all those things which, either by this book, or by any other means, he discerns to be his duty; and the farther he hath formerly gone out of his way, the more haste it concerns him to make to get into it, and use the more diligence in walking in it. He that hath a long journey to go, and finds he has lost a great part

of his day in a wrong way, will not need much entreaty, either to turn into the right, or to quicken his pace in it. And this is the case of all those that have lived in any course of sin, they are in a wrong road, which will never bring them to the place they aim at; nay, which will certainly bring them to the place they most fear and abhor: much of their day is spent: how much will be left to finish their journey in, none knows; perhaps the next hour, the next minute, the night of death may overtake them. What a madness is it then for them to defer one moment to turn out of that path, which leads to certain destruction, and to put themselves in that which will bring them to bliss and glory? Yet so are men bewitched and enchanted with the deceitfulness of sin, that no entreaty, no persuasion, can prevail with them, to make this so reasonable, so necessary a change; not but they acknowledge it needful to be done, but they are unwilling to do it yet: they would enjoy all the pleasures of sin as long as they live, and then they hope at their death, or some little time before it, to do all the business of their souls. But, alas! heaven is too high to be thus jumped into, the way to it is a long and leisurely ascent, which requires time to reach. The hazards of such deferring are more largely spoken of in the discourse of repentance: I shall not here repeat them, but desire the reader seriously to lay them to heart, and then surely he will think it seasonable counsel that is given by the wise man, Eccles. v. 7. Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day.