and provide for thy felf against the Day of Judgment; at which time it will be impoffible for any one to be excus'd or defended by another; but every one's own burden will be fufficient for himself? Now is thy labour profitable, thy tears acceptable, thy groaning heard, thy contrition fatisfactory, and of force to atone and purge away fin.

II. The patient man goes through a fevere and wholfome Purgatory, even in this life, who receiving injuries, is more griev'd for another's wickednefs, than for the injury done to himself: Who earneftly prays for his enemies, and from his heart forgives their offences: Who delayeth not to ask forgiveness of others: Who is fooner provok'd to compaffion, than to anger: Who frequently offers violence to himself, and endeavours to bring the body entirely in fubjection to the fpirit. It is better to purge our fins, and to cut off our vices now at prefent, than to referve them to be purg'd away hereafter. Verily we deceive our felves through an inordinate love we have for the flesh.

III. What elfe will that Fire devour, but thy fins? The more thou now indulgest thy felf, and gratifieft the flesh, the heavier will be thy reckoning afterwards, and the more

fewel

fewel doft thou ftore up for those flames to feed upon. The exquifiteness of the torment fhall be fuited and proportion'd to the nature and quality of each man's fin. There the fpiritual fluggard fhall be awaken'd, and urg'd inceffantly with fharp fcourges and burning ftings; and the glutton fhall be racked with infupportable hunger and thirft. There the luxurious, and voluptuous fhall be overwhelmed with waves of flaming pitch and noifom fulphur: And the envious fhall howl for pain, like mad dogs.

IV. There fhall be no vice, but what fhall have its proper torture. There the proud fhall be filled with all manner of fhame, defpight, and fcornful reproach; and the covetous fhall be pin'd and griped with moft miferable want. There one hour of torment fhall be more infupportable, than here a hundred years of the fharpest and most severe penance. There is there no refpite, no confolation to the Damned: whereas here fometimes we have a truce from our labours, and enjoy the comfort of our friends. Be now follicitous and forrowful for thy fins: That at the Day of Judgment thou may'st be fecure with the Blessed. For then hall the righteous ftand in great boldness before the face of fuch as have diftreffed

diftressed and oppressed them. Then fhall he ftand up to judge, who now humbly fubmits to human judicature. Then the poor and the humble man fhall have great affurance; and the proud man fhall be compaffed about with fear on every side.

V. Then will it appear that he was wife in this world, who for the love of Chrift had learnt to be a fool and defpifed. Then fhall all tribulation patiently undergone be fweet and pleafing; And all iniquity shall Stop her mouth. Then fhall every devout man rejoice, and every irreligious man mourn. Then fhall the flesh that mortified and beat down it felf, triumph more than if it had been always nurfed up in delicacies. Then fhall the defpifed weed shine, and the foft raiment lofe all its luftre. Then fhall the homely cottage be more extoll'd, than the gilded Palace. Then fhall a steady conftant patience be of more avail, than all the power of the world. Then an honeft fimple obedience fhall be more highly exalted, than all worldly fubtilty.

VI. Then fhall a pure and good confcience rejoice a man more, than learned philofophy. Then a contempt of riches fhall

weigh more, than all the treasures of the worldlings put together. Then fhalt thou have greater comfort from having prayed devoutly, than from having fared deliciously. Then fhalt thou be better pleased to have kept filence, than to have talked much. Then good works fhall avail more than many fine words. Then fhall ftrictness of life and aufterity of penance be a greater fatisfaction than all earthly delight. Learn now to fuffer in flight matters, to the end thou mayft then be deliver'd from fufferings more grievous. Make trial of thy felf here firft, and think what thou mayst be capable of bearing hereafter. If thou art able to bear fo little now, how wilt thou be able to fupport eternal torments? If now a small fuffering make thee fo impatient, what will Hell-fire do hereafter? Confider this well: Verily thou canst not have two Paradifes; enjoy all the delights and pleasures of this life, and afterwards reign with Chrift in Heaven.

VII. Suppofing thou hadst always lived, to this very day, in honours and pleasures; yet what would all this avail thee, if thou wert to die the next moment? All therefore is Vanity, fave only the love of God, and the ferving of him alone. For he that

a

loveth GOD with all his heart, is neither afraid of death, nor torment, nor judgment, nor hell; because perfect loved miniftreth a confident accefs to GOD. But if a man take delight in fin, no wonder if he be fraid of death and judgment. Yet it were well, if love doth not yet withhold thee from fin, that at least the fear of Hell fhould restrain thee. But he that cafts behind him the fear of GOD, cannot poffibly perfevere in any thing that is good, but muft run headlong into the fnares of the Devil.

CHAP. XXV.

Of Zeal in reforming the whole Courfe of our Lives.

I.

E watchful and diligent in the fervice of GoD; and often bethink thy felf to what end and purpose thou cameft hither; and why thou haft left the world. Was it not, that thou mighteft live to God, and become a fpiritual man? Wherefore fet thy felf with fervency and zeal to proceed and advance in all godliness and virtue,

dr John-iv. 18

because