heat for religion. The company of the wicked will sooner cool you, than your company will heat them. Vinegar will sooner sour the wine, than the wine will sweeten the vinegar. How often do carnal friends the same to our souls, as infected persons do to our bodies, convey the plague. the plague. The wicked are still dissuading us from this violence; they will say, it is preciseness and singularity. As Christ's friends laid hold on him when he was going to preach, Mark iii. 21. They went out to lay hold on him; for they said, he is beside himself. Such as are unacquainted with the spirituality and sweetness of religion, judge all zeal phrenzy; and therefore will lay hold upon us to hinder us in this sacred violence. When we

are earnest suitors to piety, our carnal friends will raise some ill report of it, and so endeavour to break the match. Galeacius marquis of Vico, being resolved for Heaven, what a block in his way did he find his carnal relations! and what ado had he to break through that impediment! Take heed of a snare in your bosom. This is one of the Devil's great subtilties, to hinder us from religion by our nearest relations, and so to shoot us with our own rib.He tempted Adam by his wife, Gen. iii. 6. Who would have suspected the Devil there? He handed over a temptation to Job by his wife, Job ii. 9. Dost thou still retain thine integrity? What, notwithstanding all these disasters that have befallen thee, dost thou still

pray, and serve God? Throw off his livery, curse God and die. Thus would the Devil have cooled Job's violence for Heaven; but the shield of his faith quenched this fiery dart. Spira's friends stood in his way to Heaven, for advising with them about Luther's doctrine; they persuaded him to recant, and so openly abjuring his former faith, he felt an hell in his conscience: Take heed of such tempters; resolve to hold on your violence for Heaven, though your carnal friends dissuade you. 'Tis better to go to Heaven with their hatred, than to hell with their love. It was a saying of St. Hierom, if my parents should persuade me to deny Christ; if my mother should shew me her breasts that gave me suck; if my wife should go to charm me with her embraces, I would forsake all and fly to Christ. If our dearest friends alive would lie in our way to Heaven, we must either leap over them, or tread upon

them.

Take heed of setting up your stay in the lowest pitch of grace. He that hath the least grace, may have motion but not violence. It is a pitiful thing to be contented with just so much grace as will keep life and soul together. A sick man may have life, but is not lively.Grace may live in the heart, but is sickly, and doth not flourish into lively acts. Weak grace will not withstand strong temptations, or carry through great sufferings: it will hardly follow Christ upon the water. Little grace will not

do God much service, A tree that hath but little sap, will not have much fruit. It may be said of some Christians, though they are not still-born, yet they are starvelings in grace: They are like a ship that comes with much ado to the haven. Oh labour to grow to further degrees of sanctity. The more grace, the more strength; and the more strength, the more violence.

If you would be violent for Heaven, take heed of this opinion, that it is not so hard to get the kingdom; less violence will serve turn. He that thinks he need not run a race so fast, will be apt to slack his pace. This hath undone many. Who will take pains for Heaven, that thinks it may be had at a cheaper rate? But if it be so easy, what needs Christ say, strive as in an agony. What needed Paul beat down his body? Why doth the text speak of taking the kingdom by force? Is not conversion called a new birth? John iii. 7. a creation, Psalm, li. 10. and is that easy? O take heed of fancying that work easy which is both above nature, and against it. 'Tis as great a wonder for a soul to be saved, as to see a mill-stone to be lift up into the middle region.

2. Use those means which will promote this holy violence.

1. Keep up daily prayer. Prayer is the bellows that blows up the affections; and a Christian is most active, when his affections

are most violent. Prayer keeps the trade of religion agoing. Prayer is to the soul, as the animal spirits are to the body; the animal spirits make the body more agile and lively; so doth prayer the soul. That the motion of a watch may by quicker, the spring must be wound up. Christian, wind up thy heart every day by prayer. Prayer fetcheth in strength from Christ; and when his strength comes in, it sets the soul a working. Prayer leaves the heart in a good frame: As the morning sun leaves a warmth in the room all the day after. When Christians lay aside prayer, or leave off fervency in it, then by degrees they lose their holy violence.

If you would be violent for Heaven, get under lively preaching. The word is quick and powerful, Heb. iv. 12. It puts life into a dead heart. It is both a sword to cut down sin, and a spur to quicken grace. The word is a fire to thaw a frozen heart, Jer. xxiii. 29. Is not my word fire? As good almost be without preaching, as be under such preaching as will not warm. It is a part of the word, not only to inform, but to inflame, Psalm cxix. 50. Thy word hath quickened me. 'Tis the lively dispensation of the oracles of Heaven must animate us, and make us lively in our operation.

If you would be violent for Heaven, get your hearts filled with love to religion. This is like the rod of myrtle in the traveller's

hand, (Pliny speaks of) which makes him fresh and lively in his travel, and keeps him from being weary. When a man hath warm ed himself at the fire, now he is fittest for work. If you would be violent in working out salvation, warm yourselves at this fire of love. A man will be violent for nothing but what he loves. Why are men so eager in their pursuit after gold, but because they love it. Love causeth delight, and delight causeth violence. What made St. Paul labour more than all the other apostles? The love of Christ constrained him, 2 Cor. v. 14, Love is like oil to the wheels. Get love to religion, and you will never be weary; you will count those the best hours which are spent with God. He that digs in a silver vein sweats, yet love to the silver makes his labour delightful.

If you would be violent, be vigilant. The prophet stood upon his watch tower, Hab. ii. 1. Why are Christians so listless in their work, but because they are so careless in their watch. Did they but watch to see how their enemy watcheth, they would be violent to resist him: Did they but watch to see how their time runs, or rather flies, they would be violent to redeem it: Did they but watch to see how their hearts loiter in religion, they would spur on faster to Heaven, The reason there is so little violence in religion, is, because there is so little vigilance.