·~-- 1.0 1JircR.Set thyJelf to Jeek firfi the l\j11g.ojGod i11 tiJe colljlallt u{e oJIJis appointed means, think that God will have Servants, and have nothing for them to do> Will one of you commend or reward your fervant for doing nothing, and take it at the years end for a fatisfad'ory anfwcr or accounr, if he C1y, I have done no harm? God calleth you not only to do no harm, but to [ 011 e and . firve him with a1l your heart, and foul, and might: If you have a better Mafier than you had before t oft.r f::~~~~ )'ou !110uld do more worJt than youdid before. 'Will ye~ not ferve God more zealoufly than you ferveJ ~~t31rhee/o11::~d. the Devil? Will you not labour harder to fave your fouls, than you did todamn them? Will you not difred 10 1 heir be more zealous in good, than you were in evil? JVbat fruit b.1d you then in thofo things where()[ y Ju ldolatr~, a_nd are now ajhamed ? For the end of tbo[t tbings is death. Rom. 6. 21, 22· But now being made free /tom ~nwham~ m [111, and become firvants to God, you bave your fruit unto holineji, and the end everla{ling lift. If you r' t a~ e t are true Believers, you have now laid up your hopes in Heaven, and therefore will fct your felves to fee~ \\~l~:.,~or~1: it, as worldlings fet themfelves to fet:k the world. And a fluggifh wifh, with heartlefs, lazy, dull can fufficient~ endeavours, is no. fit feekJng of eternaljoyes. A creeping pace ?e~eemeth no~ a man that ~sin the way lydrclare,~ow to Heaven; efpec1ally who wentfafter tn the way to Hell. Th1s IS not runmng as for our Hvu. You.. ~~:~~~ ~hr~[ may well be diligent and make hafie, where you have fo great encouragement and help, and where rnm~formed you may exp(Cl: fo good an end, and where you are fure you Chall never in life or death, have caufe in~o ir, no to repent of any of your jufi endeavours, and where every fiep of your way is pure, and clean, and \\.h?remungcr deleCtable, and pa\"Cd with mercies, and fortified and fecured by Divine protection, and where Chrill: ~~:J"ag l~ve to is your Cond~ctor, an~ fo many have fped fo well before yo~, and the wi~eft and b~fi in the world are his Whore, as your cornpamons. Ltve then as men that have changed thetr Mafier, then end, theu hopes, their ~ay they to their and work. Religion layeth not men to fleep, though it be the only way to Refi. It awakeneth rhe ~~~:h~rf~ ttc~~ fleepy fo~l: to hi~he~ thoughts, and hopes, a.nd labours, than ever it was ~ell acquainted with before. jdlene~ or He that tJ tn Cbrijf, u a Hew creature; old thzngs are paft away, behold aU.thmgs tSte become new, 2 Cor~ their b~!i.ncfi, 5· 17. You never fought that which would pay for all your coli: and diligence till now : You never neit~er in . were in a way that you might make hafte in, without repenting of your hafi.e, till now. How glad pubhck or. mfhould you be, that Mercy hath brought you into the right way, after the wanderings offuch a finful P~~va~, ~~~~ life? ·And your gladnefsand thankfulnefi Chould now be fhewed, byyour che.erful diligence and zeal. :bi~g ,iJI l,, !s Chrifl did not raife upLazarur from the dead, to d. nolhing, or live to little purpofe (though ha~e fitfi ufed the Scripture giveth us not the hiflory of his life ) ; So did he not raife you from the death offin, 10 r~e1rSuperfb-' live idcly, or w be unprofitable in the world. He that giveth you his Spirit, to he a principle of ~'J~Ist; .Jhb;;· heav~nly life within you, ~x~eCl:eth that you fiir up the gift that he hath given you) and live ac.. will neither cordmg to that heavenly prmc!,Ple. rejoyce at Wcddin~s, or mourn :at Funerals, neither make aFeafl, or p.ur:ake of it, aer fo much as move a foor out of doors, or a hand to any work, w 1 thout this He.athenifbSacriledge: And all this tkey do with the greatefl fecrdi.e, left the Chrifiitns lhould know it. L.ib. S t 8 P· 4 6 1 . See here how nature u:acht:th all men rhat there is a Dci~y to be worlhippcd with all pofflble love and indulfry! And ~U t~c Worlhippers of the nue Gl>d then think it unnecdfary precifeHcfs to be as di!igent and hearty inhis fervice? Dirtll. 16. Direction 16. ENgage •hy [elf in 1he chearful co1t}lan1 H[t, qf rhc meanr and belprappoinled by God '{or thy confirmation and falvatjpn. ' ~· 1 • He can never expect to attain the end, that will not be perfwaded to ufe the means. Of your felves you can do nothing. God giveth bir help by the means nhich He bath appointed and fit– ted te your help. Of the ufe of thefe, I fhall treat more fully afterwards: I am now only to name them to thee, that thou maifl know what it is that thou hafl to do. How p.,; 1 , That you mufl hear, or read the Word ofGod, and other good Books which expound i't and ~~den~f of old, apply it I ihewed you before. The new born Chrifiian doth encline to this, as the new born child fr10~1 ; ;;r~1j1_ dorh to'the breafi, 1 Pet. 2· I, z. Laying a fide aUmalice, and guile, andhypocrifies, and envies, imd a/J cularfin,judge evilJpeakjngl, as new born habet that defire the'jincere mil~. "[the WQrd, that ye may grow thereby. by thefe Pfal. I• z, 3• The bleffed mans delighl i< in 1he Law of rbe Lord, aNd 1herein tkth be mediwe day ~i~~!~ ~!r:~~ and night. ~1bt~~~~~!: ;. p. 74 . [You muff notonly do tb~t'\vhich may be Ceen of the Priefi, 2nd praifed. by tb~ Bi~op-- to weep before the Church, w l:l.mem 3 Jofi or finful life in a ford1d g:umeur, to fall, pr:y, to role on the e,mh, tf any Invne yo,u to theBath ( o.r fuch. pleafu[es) to refufe 10 g\l: If any bid you to :a Fe.att, to fay, Thefe th1ngs are for the happy ; I have tinned agamft God, and am m dan– ger to pcrilh (Qt ever? What ihould [ do at B:mquets, wbo have wronged the Urd: Be.fldes thcfe you mull take the poor by the hand, yoa muA: befeecb the WiddowJ lye: at the ft:ct uf the Presby1ers~ beg of the Church to forgive you, and pray for you: YllU mull try all means .r2rhet tbaa perilh. · ~· z, 2· Another meansis the publick,_worjhipping of God in commzmion rvith hir ChKrch and people: Befides the benefit of theword therepreached, thepraym of the Church are effectual for themembm: and it raifeth the foul to holy joyes, to joyn with well ordered Affemblies of the Saints, in the Praifes of the Almighty. Th~ Affemblies of holy wotfhippers ofGod, are the places of hi1 delighr, and mufl be the places ofour deligbr, They are mofllike to theCele/lial Socicry, that found forth the pra~fes of the glorious Jebovab, with purefl minds and cheerful voice. In hi< Templt d01b every one Jpeak,. of h• glory, Pfal. 29· 9• In fuch a Chore, what foul will not be rapt up with delight, and defire to )Oyn m theconfort •nd harmony ? In fuch a flame of united defires and praifes, what foul fo cold and dull that will not be enftamed, and with more than ordinary facility and alacrity fl¥ up to God ? ~· 3• 3· Anothtr
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