Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

-------------------~----- The C11re of Woddli11ejs. than worldly plenty which we have to feek. Its want of f•itb that makes men worldlings: They fee not what is in .~nothcr world ; They f~y their cre_ed, but do n?t heartily believe the day of Judgt.~ mtnt, the refurreUtoNof t/Je body and the life ever/aftmg. There IS not a man of them all, bm it he had one light ol Heaven and Hdl,would [,t lighter by the world than ever he did before; and would turn his coverous cares and roil, to a fpeedy and diligent care of his falvation. If he heard the joy~ ful praifes of the fainrs, and the wofullamenrations of the damned, but one day or hour, he would thi11k ever after that he had greater matters to mind, than the fcraping together a heap of we<~lrh. Remember man that thou halt another world to live in; ·and a far longer life to make proviJion for; and that thou mull be in Heaven or Hdl for ever : This is true, whether thou believe it or not: And thou,hafi no time but this to make all thy preparation in : And as thou belicvclt and liveft and la.. . . bourdt now, ir mull go with thee to all eternity : Tht[e are matters worthy of thy care: Cmtl thou Nul\n.1~ re~ have while to make fuch a pudder here in the dufi,and care and labour for a thing of nought,while thou ~~~~~ J~e:~~~~; hall fuch rl~ings as thcfe to care for, and a work of fuch tranfcc:ndent confequence to do? Can a man '!uarum ind 1chat underhands what Heaven and Hell is, find room for any ncedlefs matters, or time for fo much un.. ge_mi.l vere necdfary work ? The providing for thy falva1ion is a thing thft God hath made thy own work Imf~ros, '·fi much more than the providing for the flefh. When he fpeakt:s of thy Body, he faith, Tak_e H; ~;~~~~f~:~~~~- thought for )'Our lift, what you JhaUe/Jt or drinJt, H~r for your body wbat ) 'U jhaU pKt on --f.r rillimo~ofJci_•· yot~r f.:Jthcr k.!zowtth tb/Jt ye b.zve med of all ,befe tbmg1, Math. 6. 25, 32. Be cartful fer nothing, Pt!ra_ub. Duzl. Ph1l. 4• 6. C.2jl all yottr cure upon bim, f or he caretb f (Jr you. t·Pet. 5· 7· But when he fpeaks of 4+ ''· 2 · your talvation he bids you, work,_ it p11t with fear IJnd trembling, Phi!. 2. 12. and give diligence to Dii~oma:o:ime maJte your CiJl/htg /JJtd e/r{iion [ure, l Pet. r. 10. and jlriveto e11ttrin at tbejfrait gate, Mat. 7· 1 3. pr<,pinq~u~ Luke I3· 24· f-.abour not Jvr the meat that perijhtth, but for tbo~t which endureth to everJajii 11 g lift) Cj~1 mm1 m1~at John 6. 27· That is, Seek_ firft the Kin;.dom of G~d and bH rigbteo11fo,r[t, a;:d. aU tbtfe thing 1 JhaU bt ~gl:"at. S~Cl ·added to you: Mu 6. 33· Look up wHe-aven man, and remember that tbere IS thy Home, and there M Lt:.rrt. is thy Hnpu, or (.;\[;,: thou art a m.m undone for ever: and therefore it is for that that tholl mufi: care and labour. Bdieve unttignedly that thou mull dwtll for ever in Heaven or Hell as thou makell: thy preparation here, and con!ider of this a~ becometh a man, and then be a worldling and cove. tous if thou cantl: Richts will item duH and chaff to thee, if thou believe and confider thy ever– Jailing fiat<. Write upon the doors of thy Shop and Chamber, [I muj! be in Heaven " HeY for tver J or [ 1bUW the time 01t ~hifb ~y endlefi life dependetb J; and methinks every time thou readdi ir, thou lhouldfl: feel thy covuoufnefs ll:abbt.d at the heart. 0 blinded mortals ! that love like worms to dwell in eanh! would Qod but give you an eye of faith, to forefee your end, and where you mull: dwell m all eterniry, what a change would it ma~~ upon your earthly minds? Either faith or fen(e will be your guides. Norhing but Reafon fanchhed by F•itb con govern finfe. Remember that thou art not a beafi, that harh no life: to live but this: Thou hall a RcaJonable Jmmorral foul, that was made by God for higher [hings; ·even ror God himfelf, to admire him, Love him, ferve him and enjoy hun. If an Angel wtre to dwell a while in flelh, fhould he rurn an earth·worm, and forget his higher life of glory? Thou arr like iO an incarnate Angel ; and maifi b:: equal with the Angels when thou art freed trom this fintul fl.(h. Lre/r,! zo. J6. 0 beg of God a Heavenly light, and a Heavenly mind, and look often into the word of God, which tells thee where thou mult be for ever:. and worldiint[t will vaniili away in fhame. DireU. 3• 9· 24· DireCl:. 3· Remember bow foort • time thou mu{! k._eep and enj"Y the wraltb wbicb thou haft gotten : How quickly thou mull be tiript of all. Can!\ thou kcr.p it when thou hafl it? Cant\ thou 1 Cor~r; make a covenant with De~tb, that ic fhall not call away thy foul? Tnou knowelt beforehand that thou art of fhort cominbance, and tht: world is but thy Inn or p,.tfJge, ; nd that a narrow grave for thy flelh to rot in, is all that thou canH h cp of thy largefi poffdlions, fav. what thou !aiel\ up in Heaven, by laying it out in obedience to Gud. How fh01·t is lite? How ~quickly gone ? Thou att allmofl dead and gone allready. What is a few days or a few years more [-·.<\nd wilt thou make fo much ado for fo fhort a life:? And {0 careful a provifion for fo ibort a.thy ?ey.ea how unctrtain is thy time as well as fhort? Thou canH not fay what world thou lhalt be in to m6how. R~crcmber man, that 1hou mujl die, 1hou muft die, 'IhoHm11j! q•ick!y die ; 'Ihou i(_Howejl not how foon ; breath yet a few breaths more and thou art gone: And yet canll rhou be covetous, arid drown thy foul with earthly cares ?Dofi thou" foberly read thy Saviours waming, Luk._e I 2· 19, 20, 21. Is it not rpoken as to Remember thee? 1ho" p,,/, thir night thy foul _p,,U be required ,f tbte, then wh6}'t )h•U thofe thingr be which Gche,i,Acb';z~, thoK haft providtd? So i1 every one that la)'etJJ up Riclu.1 for bimfilf, and i1 mt Rich toward! G.d. If Judai, Ana~'- If thou be rit;h to day, and be in another world to morrow, had nor povury been as good? DiHratt• ;~, 2~~,!:tt,:;, ed foul! Dofi thou make fo great a matter of it, whether thou have much or little for fo fho!t a Dunas. rime ? and takefi: no more care either where thou fhalt bt', or what thou fhalt have to all eurn1ty? Jer. 6. IJ. Dofi: thou fay, thou wilt caft this care on God? I tell thee, he will m1~e thee care thy felf, and care ~:~i~~e•:itu- again before he will favc thee~ And why canft thou not ea!\ the ca_re of finaller matters o~ him, per.1ndaeft: when he commandcth thee? Is Jt any great.matrer wheth~r. th~u be Rtch or P?Or, that art gomq fo :~.va.ritia fentli$, fafi unto another world, where thefe are thmgs ol no fign1hcattOn ? Tell me, 1f thou were fure tnat Quid _enim thou mufi die to morrow, ( yea or the next month or year,) wouldfi.-thou not be more indiffe.. abfurd,us .. rent whether thou be Rich or Poor? And look more;: after greater things. 1'ben thou wouldft be of ~~:~;:ur~~~: the ApofiJes mind, 2 Cor.4·18.iYe look._no; at the thi11gl which arcJcen,hut at the thingi which tJre not [t~n : ~0 plus vi.uic 1 for the things which are [em are tem;>oral, but tht thing! whicl; are not feen are ctern~l, Our eye offauh q:.~:r~ere? cj.. (hould be fo fixed on invifible eter~l things,that wt fhould fcarce have leifureor mmd to look,.at or once '"'!'cat. regard the things that are vitible and temporal. A man that is going to cx<cution fcarce looks at all the ~ Q ~ "'!f

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