Helps for holy Zeal and diligmce. ~- 22 • 6. To remember how rm:ny millions are undone already by their f!Jtb and negligence; bow many are in Hell lamenting their tlorhfulnefs on earth, while I am hearing, or reading, or praying ro prevent it, one would think fh?uld waken ~e from my Cloth : :vhat if I faw them, and hca~d their t cryes ! would it not make me fcnous? wh:a1f one of them had time and leave and hope agam as I have? would he be cold and care/eft l , 9. 2 3. 7· To think how many millions are now in Heaven, that all came thither by holy zeal and di/igcn.;r, and arc now enjoying· the fruit of ~ll rheir labour and fufferit_lj;S! To think of th~ blcfTt:d 'end of a:ll their pains and patience, and how far they are now from rcpemi.ng of it! rnethinks fhouid llir ns up to ze.ll and diligence. 459 9· 24· 8. To forefee what thoughts all the world will have of holy diligence at la(\ I how the bell: will wifh they had been better, Jnd had done much more for God and their &lvation !. and ho-.v the worfi will wi01 when it is too late tha~ they had been as zealous and diligent as the bc:fi! How earnclt· Jy they will the)\\ knock and cry, L~rd opm to JU when it is all in vain! a_nd fay to the watchful diligent flmlJ, Gjve ur ofyour Oyle, for our Lamp I are gom out, M..uh. 2 5• To thmk how glad the mail: ungodly would then be, if they might but have dytd the deatb of the rig~teout, a,td their lattn tmd might be Num. :t3. 1~~ m bi1! And what heart-tearing grief will feize upon them for ever, to think how madly they Jofl their fouls, and flug~i01ly went tO Hell ro (pare their pains of that fwect and holy work that fl1ould havcprcvenred it; Will not fuch forethoughts awaken the moll fluggi(h fiupid fouls, that will but follow them till they can do their work ? §. 2 5· 9• Remember rhatthou mull: be zealout and dili.gem in thi-1 or Hotbing: For there is nothing elfe that is wor~h thy ferioufmfs in comparifon of this : To be-earnefi and laborious for perifhing. va. nicies, is the di{gr.1ce of thy mind, and will prove thy difappointment, and leave thee at lail in fhamc and lorrow: when holy diligence will rccompence all thy pains. 9· 2 6. 10. Remember allo that thou haft been flothful and negligent too long! And how doll thou repent of thy former floth, if thou wilt be as flothfu! fiill? Art thou grieved to think how many duties llothfulnefs hath put by, and how many it harh murdered and frufirated aud made norhingat; and how much Grace and Mercy and Comfort ir hath already deprived thee of? and how much better thy cafe were, if thou hadlllived in as, much ho(y diligence as the bell thou knowefi ! And yet wilt thou be flothful 1\ill? 9· 27· 11.Remember that thou haft thy Life and health and wit and parts, for nothing elfe but by thy pre[ent duty ro prcplre for everblling joyes :that all Gods mercies bind thee to be diligent; :md every Orditur.ce, and all his hdps and means of. grace, arc given to furcher thee in the work! and Sun and Moon and AP 1nd Earth, and ~11 attend th<e with their help: And yet wilt thou be dd and flothful, and fruHrate all thefe means and mercies ? ' §· 28. 12. Remember how diligl.'nt thy Enemy is: Satan gocth about cvw night and day li!ze a 1 Pet. s. 8. roaring Ly.;n fcik.i~g to devmr! And wilt thou be ltfs diligent to reGfl: him? 9· 29• 13. Thmk what an example of diligence Chrifi himfelf hath lefc thee ? And how labori– oufly blctfed Paul and all the holy Servants of Chrill did follow their Mallcrs work? Did they Pray and watch and work as t1othfully asthou doll? ~. 30. r4. Remember how hot and eam;ft thou wall fe>rmerly in thy fin? And wilt thou now be coldand uegligent in thy duty, when God hath fer thee in a better way? ~· 3r. 15· ObfeiVC how eager and diligem worldlingt are for the world, and A.efh-pleafcrs for their fpotts and pleafures~md proud plrfons for thtir greatne15 and honour, and malignant pcrfons to oppofe r:hc Gofpe\ of Chrifi:, and their own and other mens falvations : Look on them ; and think what a {hame it is to thee, to be more cold and remifs for God. ·§. 32· 16. Ohfervc how an awakening p:mg of Confckm:e, otthe fight of death when it feems to beat hand, can wakeni:he very wicked to fOmc kind of ferious diligence at the prefcnt; fo that by their confeOions, and cq·es and promifes and amendments while the fit was on thc:mJ they feemed more zealous than many that were fincere. And 01all nor hving grace do more with you, than a fit of feat can do with the ungodly l , 9· 33• '7· Remember of how fad importance ic is, and what it fignificth to be cold and flothful! If ir: be predorninat~t fa as ro keep thee from a h:~ly life · ic is dammble. The JPirit of {lumber is a mofi dreadlul judgement. But if it do not fo prevail, yet though thou be a Child ol God it fignificth a great debility of foul, and foretellech fome rharp affiitl:ion to befall thee, if God mea~ to do thee good by a recovc::ry. The decay of natural heat is a fign of old age, and is accompanied with the decay of all the powerS. And ficknetfes and pains do follow fuch decays of lile. And as you will make your Horfe feel the rod or fpur when he grows dull and heavy, expeCt when you grow cold and dull to feel the fpur of fame affliction, to make you 1\ir and mend your pace. . 9· 34· rS. Remember that thy Jloth is a finning a~>,ainfi rhy lznowledgt, and againfl thy experience and againfi thy own Covenants, promi[es and profeffion:, and therefore an aggravated fin. Thef~ and fuch like ferious thoughts, will do much to fiir up a flothful foul, to Zeal and Dili– genc(', ~· 35· Direct. 4• Drown not your heom .in worldly lujincfr or d<iightr : for thefe breed a Direl.l. 4 , lo.1tlm~g, an~ averfneft aJtd wearmefs of boly t}mtgt. TheX are. fo con'trary one, to the other, that Luk, s. 14 , the mmd will not be eagerly fee on boch at once:, but as 1t rehfheth the one it more and more difrclilheth rhe other. There is no heart left for God, when other things have carryed it away.
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