DIRECT. II. Think not that all is done when once you are Converted; but remember that the work of your Christianity then comes in, and must be as long as the time of your lives.

OF this also I shall say but little, because it is the drift of all the moving Considerations before-going. I doubt it is the undoing of ma∣ny to imagine, that if once they are sanctified, they are so sure in the hands of Christ, that they have no more care to take, nor no more danger to be afraid of, and at last think that they have no more to do, as of necessity to Salvation: and Page  90 thus prove that indeed they were never sanctifi∣ed. I confess when a man is truly Converted, the principal part of his danger is over: he is safe in the love and care of Christ, and none can take him out of his hands. But this is but part of the truth: the other part must be taken with it, or we deceive our selves. There is still a great deal of work before us; and Holiness is still the way to happiness: and much care and diligence is required at our hands: And it is no more certain that we shall be saved by Christ, than it is that we shall be kept in Faith, and love, and holy obedience by him. It is as true that none can separate us from the Love of God, and from a care to please him, and from a holy diligence in the work of our Salvation, as that none can take us out of his hands, and bring us into a state of con∣demnation. He that is resolved to bring us to Glory, is as much resolved to bring us to it by perseverance in Holiness and diligent obedience; for he never decreeth one without the other; and he will never save us by any other way.

Indeed when we are Converted we have esca∣ped many and grievous dangers; but yet there are many more before us, which we must by care and diligence escape. We are transl•ted from death to life, but not from earth to heaven. We have the life of Grace, but yet we are short of the life of Glory. And why have we the life of Grace but to use it, and to live by it? Why came we in∣to the Vineyard, but to work? And why came we into the Army of Christ but to fight? Why came we into the race but to run for the prize? or why turned we into the right way, but to tra∣vel in it? We never did God faithful service, Page  89 till the day of our Conversion, and then it is that we begin: And shall we be so sottish as to think we have done, when we have but begun? Now you begin to live, that before were dead: Now you begin to awake that were before asleep: And therefore now you should begin to work that before did nothing, or rather a thousand fold worse than nothing. Work is the effect of life; it is the dead that lye still in darkness, and do no∣thing: If you had rather be alive than dead, you should rather delight in action than in idleness. It's now that you set to Sea, and begin your voy∣age for the blessed Land; many a storm, and wave, and tempest must you yet expect. Many a combat with temptations must you undergo: many a hearty prayer have you yet to pour forth. Many and many a duty to perform, to God and man. Think not to have done your care and work, till you have done your lives. Whether you come in at the first hour or at the last, you must work till night if you will receive your wages. And think not this a grievous do∣ctrine. It is your priviledge, it is your joy, your earthly happiness, that you may be so employed; that you that till now have lived like swine, or moles, or earthly vermine, may now take wing and fly to God, and walk in heaven, and talk with Saints, and be guarded by Angels; is this a life to be accounted grievous! Now you be∣gin to come to your selves; to understand what you have to do in the world; to live like men, that you may live like Angels! And therefore now you should begin accordingly to bestir you. I would not have you retain the same measure of fear of Gods displeasure, nor the Page  90 same apprehensions of your misery, nor the doubts and perplexities of mind, which you were under at your first conversion; for these were occasioned by the passage in your change, and the weakness of your grace in that begin∣ning, and your former folly made them necessa∣ry for a time: But I would have you retain your fear of sinning, and be much more in the love of God, and in his service, than you were at first. Temptations will haunt you to the last hour of your lives: If therefore you would not fall by these temptations, you must watch and pray to the last. Give not over watching till Sa∣tan give over tempting, and watching advan∣tages against you. The promise is still but on condition, that you persevere and abide in Christ, and continue rooted and stedfast in the faith, and overcome and be faithful to the death, as you may see in Joh. 15. throughout. Joh. 8.31. Rev. 2. & 3. Col. 1.22, 23. Work out therefore your salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2.12. If you have begun resolvedly, proceed resolvedly. It's the undoing of mens souls to think that all the danger is over, and lose their apprehensi∣ons of it, when they are yet but in the way: when their care and holy fears abate, their watch goes down: the soul's laid open as a common wilderness, and made a prey to every lust. And therefore still know, your work's not done, till your life be done.