earthly, than in the Days of Christ, we muft of neceffity be proportionably wanting in all other Virtues. For heavenly Affection enters fo far into the being of all christian Virtues, that an Abatement in that, is like an Alteration in the firft Wheel that gives Motion to all the reft. I WILL now a little appeal to the Imagination of the Reader.

LET it be fuppofed, that rich Men are now enjoying their Riches, and taking all the common ufual Delights of Plenty, that they are labouring for the Meat that perifheth, projecting and contriving Scenes of Pleafure, and fpending their Estates in proud Expences.

AFTER this Suppofition, let it be imagined, that we faw the Holy Jefus, who had not where to lay his Head, with his twelve Apostles, that had left all to follow him; let us imagine that we heard him call all the World to take up the Crofs and follow him, promiling a Treasure in Heaven, to fuch as would quit all for his Sake, and rejecting all that would not comply with fuch Terms, denouncing Wo and eternal Death, to all that lived in Fulness, Pomp, and worldly Delights. Let it be imagined that we heard him commanding his Difciples to take no Thought, faying what fhall we Eat, or what fhall we Drink,

or

or wherewithal fhall we be Cloathed, and giving this Reafon for it, because after all thefe Things do the Gentiles feek.

LET it be imagined that we saw the first Christians, taking up the Cross, renouncing the World, and counting all but Dung, that they might gain Chrift.

I Do not now appeal to the Judgment or Reafon of the Reader, I leave it with his Imagination, that wild Faculty, to determine, whether it be poffible for these two different Sorts of Men, to be true Difciples of the fame Lord.

To proceed.

LET us suppose that a rich Man was. to put up fuch a Prayer as this to God.

"O LORD, I thy finful Creature, "who am born again to a lively Hope of "Glory in Chrift Jefus, beg of thee, to "grant me a thousand times more Rich

es than I need, that I may be able to "gratify Myfelf and Family in the De"lights of Eating and Drinking, State and "Grandeur, grant that as the little Span "of Life wears out, I may ftill abound cc more and more in Wealth, and that I

may fee and perceive all the best and "fureft Ways of growing Richer than any " of my Neighbours: this I humbly and "fervently Beg in the Name &c.

SUCH a Prayer as this should have had no Place in this Treatife, but that I have Reason to hope, that in proportion as it offends the Ear, it will amend the Heart.

THERE is no one, I believe, but would be ashamed to put up fuch a Prayer as this to God, yet let it be well Obferved, that all are of the Temper of this Prayer, but those who have overcome the World.

WE need not go amongst Villains and People of fcandalous Characters, to find out thofe, who defire a thousand times more than they want, who have an Eagerness to be every Day richer and richer, who catch at all Ways of Gain that are not fcandalous, and who hardly think any thing enough, except it equals or exceeds the Eftate of their Neighbours.

I BEG of fuch that they would heartily condemn the prophane and unchristian Spirit of the foregoing Prayer, and that they would fatisfy themselves, that nothing can be more odious and contrary to Religion than fuch Petitions.

BUT then let them be affured also of this, that the fame Things which make an unchristian Prayer, make an unchristian Life.

FOR the Reason why thefe Things appear so odious in a Prayer, is because they

are

are fo contrary to the Spirit of Religion. But is it not as bad to live and act contrary to the Spirit of Religion, as to pray contrary to it?

AT least must not that Manner of Life be very blameable, very contrary to Piety, which is fo fhocking when put into the Form of a Prayer?

BUT indeed whatever we may think, as we live, fo we really pray, for as Christ faith, where our Treasure is, there will our Heart be alfo; fo as the Manner of our Life is, fo is our Heart alfo, it is continually praying, what our Life is acting, tho' not in any exprefs Form of Words.

To purfue this Argument a little, is this Prayer too fhocking? Dare we not approach God with fuch a Spirit? How dare we then think of approaching him with fuch a Life?

NEED we any other Convinction, that this Manner of Life is contrary to the Spirit of Christianity, than this, that the praying according to it in Chrift's Name, comes near to Blafphemy?

DOES not this alfo fufficiently convince us of the Reasonableness of Chrift's Command, to forfake the Fulness, the Indulgence, and Pride of Eftates, since it is a State of Life, that our Reafon dare not ask God to give us?

LET

LET it be confidered how we fhould abominate a Perfon, whom we knew to ufe fuch a Prayer, and let that teach us how abominable a Life that is like it, must make us to appear in the Eyes of God, and with this Addition of Folly joined to it, that we call the Prayer Prophane, but think the Life, that answers to it, to be Chriftian.

PERHAPS there cannot be a better way of judging of what Manner of Spirit we are of, than to fee whether the Actions of our Life are fuch, as we may safely commend them to God in our Prayers.

FOR it is undeniable, that if they are fuch as we dare not mention to God in our Prayers, we ought in all Reason to be as fearful of acting them in his Prefence.

We may indeed do feveral innocent Things, which on account of their Littlenefs, are unfit to be put into our Devotions, but if the chief and main Actions of our Life are not fuch, as we may juftly beg the Affiftance of God's Holy Spirit in the Performance of them, we may be affured, that fuch Actions make our Lives as unholy, as fuch Petitions would make our Prayers.

FROM all that has been above obferved, I think it is fufficiently plain, that the prefent Difciples of Jefus Chrift are

to