Dire/l. ,6. Dircll. 18. Tempt. t• How •to dye {omfortably. lafi be changfll, into rhe lil;mfs of Chrij!Jglori'"' body, by tb' working of hi1 unrefifiiblcpowe;p;;:j" 3· 20, 21. And iris aftefo that ha!h fo reb_ellcd againll the fpiric, and made your way to Hea~ ~· difficult, and put the foul to fo many confliC5ts, that we !hould the eafilier fubmit it to the wiU of"~~· 0 and Jet it perifh fOr a time, when we arc aJTured that mercy will at lafi rc:cover ir. ;u tr:e1 ~· 1 5· DireCt: 15• Remember what a w.orld i! i: that you are to. leave, tmd compilre it ,witb thJt which )'Bte art gorng to: and compare the life wbtcb u ne,:;r 4'11 end, wuh that which you are mxt 1 upo11. Was it "?[ Hmochs reward when he h.ad '!alkt with God, to be taken to him from a po~J~t:d warld ? r. Wh1le you are here, you are your felves defiled : fin is in your nature~ and graces are all imperfc6t : fin is in your lives; and your dmies are all imptrftll : You cann'ot be yfur tfot.n it one day or hour: And.is it not a mercy to be delivered from it? Is it not defirable ro ree to fin no more ? and to be perfect in holinefs? to k._now God and Love him as much and more rhou you can now defire? You are here every day lameming your darkncfS and unbelief and efirang ~n ncfs from Gcd, and want of Love to him? How oft have you prayed .for a cure of all this? ; d now would you not have it, when God would give ir you? why hath God put that fpark of Heave~ lifC into you, but to tight :1g:~inH tin, and make you weary of it! And yet had you rather comin y ti~ning, than have the vi&ory and be with Chrifi? 2. It is a life of Grief. as well as fin: And a tlfe ot C.Jrrs and dottbp and fears! whe? you are at the worn, ro.u arc ftarmg ~orfc! If it were no. thing but the feus of death 1t [elf, .u !h~uld ma~e you .rh~ w~ll.mger to fubmJt to it, that you might be pall thofe fe'.'s. 3· You ared.,ly aftluoled w1th the mhrmltlcs of that ftelh, which you are fo loth fhould be dlffolved. To fattsfie us hunger and tlmfi, to cover 1ts nakedncfs, to provide it a ha– bitation, and fupply all its Wants, what care and labour doth it coCl you ? Its infirmities, fickncffcs and p.1.ins do make you oft aweary of your felves: fo that you groan being burdened aspaul fpeak– <Jh, 2 Cor. 5· 3, 4· 6. And yet is it not defirable to be with Chrift? 4· You are compaff,d with tem– ptations, and are in continual danger through your weaknefs? And yet would you nor be pan the danger? Would you have r:nore of thofe honid and odious temptations ? 5· You are purpofc::ly turned here into a Wtlde{nt:fs, among wild bcafis; you are as Lambs among Wolves, and through many tribuhtions you mufi enter into Heaven ; You muH deny your fclvcs and take up your Crofs, and for– f,kc all d1at you have, and all that will live godly in Chritl Jefus mufi fuffcr perfecution : in the world you mutl have u oublc : the feed of the Serpent muft bruHe.your heel, before God bruife Satan un– drr your feet! And is fueh a life as ihis more defirable than to be with Chrill ? Are we afraid to land aftu fuch fiorms and tempelis? Is a wicked world, a malitious world, a cruel world, an im– placable world more plcafing to us than the joy of Angels, and the fight of Chrifi, and God himfelf in tbeMajelly of his Glory >Ha1h God on purpofe made the world fo bitter to us, and permitted it to ufe us unjufily and cruelly, and all to make us Jovc: it lefs, and to drive home our hearts unto him· felf? and )'er are we fo unwilling to be gone? §. 16. Din6t. 16. Settle yottr tflaus bttimt, tb.Jt worldly malltrl may not dijlraD or difi:QJnJm{e y~u. And if God have endowed you with Riches, difpofeof a due proportion to fuch pious or charitable uf~:s, in which thty may be moll fervicc:able tohim that gave tht:m you. Though welhould give what we can in the time of life and health, )'C:t many thac have but fo much as will fervc to their neceffuy maintenance, may well pan with that to good ufes at their death, which they could not fpare in the time of their health : efpecially they that have no Childrrn, or fuch wicl:.,ed Children a9 are like to do hurt with all that is given them above their daily bread. . · ' §. 17· Dirc6t.17· If it may be, gcrfomeablc fdithful .g~<ide andcomforttrlo be1t'itb you in your jick..,ncfs; to coun{cl you, and rtjolvt your doubt!, and]'") with )'ou, and d;fco1er[e of beavenly tbi 11 g 1, n·bcn you are dtfabltd by wcaJtncfs for {uch cxercifts your fllvts• Let net carnal perfons diflurb you wuh their vain bablings. Though the difference between good comp1ny and bad, b:: very gn:at in 1hc1ime ( f health, yet now in ficknes it will be more di£';crnab]e. And though a faith– ful friend and fpiri!Ual Palter be alwayes a great mercy, yet now efpecially in your laU neceffiry. Thacforc makeuk of them as far as your pain and weaknefs will permit? §.JS. Dirdt. ,s.. Befortifhd againj!aU rhe 1emptationJOf Saran by wbich heufeth 10 affault men in their extremity : Stand it out in the lPjt conflic:t, and the Crown is yours. I ilidl mfiance in particulars. Dircliion1 fur rrf!fling rbe 1empwion1 of s~ran, in the rimt of fick..n•fs· 9·19·1cmpr. ,, The moll ordinary Temptation againfi the Comforr of Bclimr1 (Cot I have already fpok(n of thofe that are againll: their fafcty ) is, w doubt of their own Jit;cerity, and conGquently of their parr in Chdft: Saith the Tempter [AD rhatthou haft done harh hem but in bJ•pocrifie: Thou wajlntvtr a tr~te Believer, nor never didjl truly Keptnt of fin, nor trHiy lov~ God ; and tbtrejore thou art unjuftificd, and jhalt fpeedily be condemned. J 9· 20. Againtl this Ttmptation a Btlu::ver hath two Remedies : The fidl is to confute the Tempter by thofe Evidences which will prove that he hath been fincerc ( fuch as I have often. men– tinned befor<.) And by refelling thofe rcafonings by which the Tempter would prove h•m to have been an Hypocrite : As when it is objected, Thou hajl rtpwrcd and hem humbled bur j/ightly aHd by 1he hfJivu: Anfw. Yet was it finctrtly; and weak grace is not no guce. Obj. 1/JQu ~aji /mn a /over of 1he world, and a negltfler of rhy foHI, and cold in •U rlw rhou didj! for thy falvaiZon. A•1rv· Yet did I fet more by Heaven than earth, and I firll fought the Kingdom of God and hJS Jigh:eoufnef',
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