58 The Life of Faith. others that are now honoured as glorified Saints, did live as you do, or rather as thole that you think are too precife ? Did they Upend the day infettling and fports, and idle talk ? Did they (wagger it out in pride and wcalth,& hate their brethren that were not in all things of their conceits ? Did they come to Heaven by a worldly, formal, hypocritical, ceremonious Religion ? or by faith, and love, and (elf denial, and unwea- ried labouring for their own and, other mens falvation, while they became the wonder and the fcorn of the ungodly, and as the off-fcouring and refufe of the world ? Do you like holi- nefs, when it is far from you ? in a dead man, that never troubled you with his pretence or reproofs, or in a Saint in Heaven, that conies not near you ? Why then do you not like it for your (elves? If it be good, the nearer the better. Your own health, and your own wealth, do comfort you more than another mans ; And fo would your own holinefs, if you had it. If you would (peed as they that are now beholding the face of God, believe and live, and wait, as theydid. And as the righteous God did not forget their world and labour of love for, hu Name ; fo he will remember you with the fame re- , ward, ifyou Phew the faire diligence to the full affurance of hope unto the end, and be not Artful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the f'romifes, Hcb. 6. log I I, 12. O didyou but fee what they now enjoy, and what they fee, and what theyare, and what theyd, ; you would never lure fcornor perfecute a Saint more ? Ifyou believe,youfee,th6ugh not as they, With openface. If you believe not, Yet it it not your unbelief, that [hall make Gods Word of none effete, Rom. 3. 3. God will be God if you be Athens. Chrifl will beChrifi if you be Infidels. Heaven will be Heaven if you by defpifing it go to Hell. Judgement flecpeth not when you fleep : l'is coming as fail when you laugh at it, or queflion it, as ifyour eyes were open to forefee it. If you would not believe that you mutt die, do you think that this would delay your death one year or hour? If ten or twenty years time more be allotted you, it pafloth as fw.iftiy, and death and judgement come as furely, if you (pend it in voluptuoufnefs, and unbelief, as if yoi watcht and waited for your change. We
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