Bates - HP BX5200 B3 1700

The Epifl:le Dedicatory. and mifery. And w~1at can be more powerful to render them tmtperate and JOber in the ufe of Jreftnt things, vigt!ant and Jerious in tkeir preparations. for their great and final Change than the rememh~ance that Death U immedtatel.J attended wsth Judgm~nt, and Judgment fPith BlejJedneji or Mijiry for ever ? I /mow this Argument i! natt~ral!j difpleaftng, but the t{efulnefl. fhould recommend it to our moft folemn and compofed thoughts, before aiL the vain entertainments of the F.mcy and fenfltal .AJJeflions. .As Herbs cf Medicinal Virtue, that are not Y,:i!Ig/Jo~;e,~gti~1{r;;~~,fr~ ,/::, v:;;~~u;:,~ :!t;:i::en~·J;::,,:{ [oe~:';~ :;:J;~; richejlluflre of Solomon'• Glory. The Body;, in acontinua/Confomption, and no Art can long preferve it' but rvhilji the outward Manu. irrecoverably declini~g. and wafting, if the inward Man_b~ afoending and. rene!V· ing to per[effton, the Advantage u mcomparable. 0 how comfortable u 1t to a holy Bduver i» the parting hour to commit his Spirit into the hands of hif Heaveni.J Father! (for thus /;e U authorize~ a".d encouraged by our Saviour1s Ex~mple) and lay down the Fl~fh eo refl in Hope : for Chrijl u the Guardian of the Grave, has the Keys of Death, and rvtllrevive the Bodpof hH SAints incorruptible And immortal, the Copte! of hU own gloriom Body. The immediate J!.ecompences of Eternal 1udgment, Heaven and Hell, are n·orth] of our moft ·Attentive and appltcative Thought!, that we obtain the one, and ejcape the other. Heaven is the true Happinefi of the reafonable Creature, and u the firjl and !aft in the order of thing• deftrable; ~he jr.ft for IIJ attrae!ive Excellence, the 1-Jl in lls_con[lll»mate_ Fruuion. ThU may be cerwnlyand perpetuaflyenjoyedbya!IJVho Jincerelyand_diltgently.fiektt. If in the ver;dijferent State! of Lt{e bere, there were any uncapable of J.:.ternal Lift, or thllt have another Objec1 for their /aft EnJ, there might be fome reafon rvh; th'.} jhortld be coldly a/fefled toward! Celejliat 1t:Pf::;bd ~ntu:0i:J!r ~1';J:.~e~'::;t;;:,f~~:; ~:g~Z,,r:};<;,,:~;~:;e;7':; i;~"':A; mofl fenfi.ble inequaltty, that Riches, Drgnity, or any temper4/ Accident mal:es betJVeen Men here, U fo true a Nothing in comparifon of Eternll~ Glory, thlll it milkes no difference of one from ll»other af to the obtaining it. For thiJ Re~fon zt mojf Nearly concerns every Perfon, Firfi to feek the Kmgdom of Heaven, and the R•ghteoufncfs thereof, as the only way to afcend to it. The ferioU< conftderation of the Everlajling Hell preptred for unreformed Sinnm, u moft necej]ilrJ And qftfui, tho c4rnai Men are e.xtream./.y averfe from thinking on that terrible Obje&1. For this i! the firft m~tive that turm Men from Sin to Holinefi. The 1op of Heaven being SptrituAI and Dwine, hilve IJO 4./traCNve influence upon the Ctfrnai Ajfeflrom, would never &on- 'Vert and reform 41lJ ; but the Torment of Fire being mofl evident And vehement to Senfe, iJ jlr~ng'; reprefented by the Imagination, a~d moves the .Ajfert~om. How many bJ fol~m» and ;h;F~:~a~:~:~:,~i:;h:':}e7~:;:'~t;;;ft;~n~ilC;,~:t ::: o~~::~ t,;;;:;~Jh~::, ~:~;;e4u~~ der, and their Powers reftor'd to the freerkm of Duty, the biijfed Liberty of Obedience? In thi! ref}efl the fear of the LQrd is the beginning of Wifdom, 1hat dmfl• 111 in the Wa] to Ble/- fedne(s. or~~~!~q. ~!:;~.:;: ~~~nz::eh;r~t~~;~r;tz:ta:f:Jr'J;;b~;'ebe[;;:r~;1e~~:a::eh;ii!: dire[{ my beJI Deftm to God, that your Famtly may be a fingular and eminent Example of tEe Divine Favour ; <hat the fading Glofs of this World may not deceive you, brtt your Heart may be above, where your Treafure is; that you may /we to God, and your Soul for Hea- "P~n and EternitJ. 1 am~ , M AD A :M, Tour Ho110111's "U,eYJ humble and faithfol Serv4nt,

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