free from Calumny? What Court or Palace is there without Envy? What Church without its Sects and Divisions?

Is this the Condition we so court? and are we so much in Love with Life. The Religious and Devout are suspected of Hyprocrisy; The Free and Open are censured as Loose and Vain. If we are Wealthy, we are envy'd; If Poor, we are despised. Vain Life of Man! Ill worth the Care and Concern we bestow upon it! And well said Solomon, Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly up; that is, Naturally.

Was there but one part in Man's Body liable to be wounded; and was there but one Distemper to lay Siege to that tender Part; yet I am perswaded, busy Fate would find some Way to strike that Part, and thereby bring the Body to Destruction: What shall we say then! If every single Attom about Us is Mortal, and ten Thousand Distempers lye waiting around to assault those Mortal Parts; with truth may we All say, That it is less strange that we have not escaped Misfortunes and Pains, than that we have so long escaped Death.

The Use we are to make of this Doctrine, is,

First, To have an humble Thought of our Selves to whom Misery is thus Natural. St. Peter indeed says of Christians, that, They are a chosen Generation, a Royal Priesthood, an Holy Nation; 1 Pet. 2. 9. But this Honour Christ has procured Us, and the Glory he'll raise us to, should make Us the more humble; if 'twas only because our Benefactor has commanded it.

2d Use is, To prevent our being, too much in Love with Life and the World; and to make us in God's good time with St. Paul desire, rather to be dissolv'd and to be with CHRIST. Hereby we shall be led to set our Affections on things Above and not on things in the Earth. Therefore, pass the time of your sojourning here, in fear. Forasmuch as ye know that ye are not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold; But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19.

3d Use; and not to repine at Afflictions while we are in the World; which are the Natural Portion of All Men. Consider Him who endured such Contradiction of Sinners against himself, lest you be weary'd and faint in your Minds, ye have not yet resisted unto Blood. Heb. 12. 3, 4.

Second General Head, The Woe of Sinners in particular.

The better to illustrate this, We need only take a View of the Sinner at the Day of Judgment. Will not our Redeemer then ask the impenitent Sinner; Did you so closely pursue your Wickedness, because I dyed to free You from it? Did I suffer so much pain upon Earth, That you might indulge yourself in every voluptuous Pleasure? Certainly, the Sinner will not only have the Abhorrance of the Angels, but the Sport and Hiss of Evil Spirits. Beneath him will be the Lake of Hell; and over his Head the Hand of Justice. If this will be the Case, Then Woe unto Us that ever we have Sinned.

The Sinner will find it difficult to stand the Shock; yet more difficult to fly. Not unfitly may his Exclamation be represented, by the Howls of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, when the Earth open'd to swallow them alive.

The Glutton will find the more pain in Hunger, for his former epicurean Feasts and Banquets. Misers will be the more Uneasy at Want and