6p. Dirra. 6. Dir<a·7· Dird/.8. Ho1v to do Good to others i11 .otlr Sicknefs. lijl> finmrs, that for an incb of firfhly filtby plea[.m, do lnfe <orrlafliHg Rcft and j-y! What }hall it p fi them tbat win aY the world, a11d lofo their foHh l] ro, t · §. 7 . DircCl:. 6. Lakour_ al{o toconvince men of the prtt~ottfncJi. ?f Time, and tbe[oUy of put~i'~g off Repentance aJid a boly lift trU the Iaft: Say to tbem [ 0 frundi, H t1 hard foryou i1t the time of'J, I h a~d pro[p£r_iry, to judge ofTime a_ccording to itl w~rtb: ~ut n-bc~J Time it J!one, or near an end,bo:t;,:. tJOUJ dotb zt ~fmr_appear_! Now ifI had aU the ~:b~e agazn, :VInch tvN' I [pent ;,, unneccffary J!rcp, or JPnrtJ, or ctmflfitta, DT uJ/encfs, or any medlrfi thmg, how btghlyjhould I value it, andjpcndit in .2itn· ther m.amtcr than I bave done. Of aU my life that i1 pajf and r.om, I have no comfort now in the r ~ tncmbrance of one bour, but what waJ [pent in obedience to God: 0 tak_e Time to mak..e fi 1 re of y u f ~- v.;tio11~ bcfvre itJ gom, and you are left under the 'ormenting ftcling llj your lvfl.J 0 r .:; ~· 8. Direct. 7· Labour ai{o to ma~< them underjland the finfulnefi offl>th, ond of l•ryterin~ ;n the n:aJtcr~ ofGod and tbur jjlvatton; on_d jhr them ztp to d~ ." tv~th aU thezr mzght. Say ro rhen 1 , [I have. otccn he:ud ungodly pmplt", dende or bl•me the dJftgence, a~d zeal, and jfrillnrjj of chc: g 0 dly: But 1t they faw .and ~clt what I fee ~nd feel, they could ~oc do lt ; Can a man thn is going into •not~et world, unagmc that any thmg 1s fo worthy of h1s grt"atcfi zeal and labour, as hisGod and his falvJtion? Or blame men for being lorh to burn in Hell ? Or for taking more plins for their fouls, rhan for their bodies. _0 friends, let fools talk w~at they will, in their flcep and frenzr, as )'OU love your fouls, do not thm~ any care, or cofl, or pams too great for your hlvation! If rhey think not their labour too good tor tbU world, do Dot you think yours too good for a better world. f:.et them now fay what they wil1, w~en t~ey come to dye, there is none of thtrn all, thar is nor quite lorfaken of fenfc and rcafon, but w11l w1!h that they had Loved God, and fought and ferved him,not formally in hypocritic•lcomplcment, but withalltheir heart, and foul, and might. ~·g. Dinet. 8. Labottr al[o to fortifie the '!'inds of your fricndJ, ag.1injl aU ftarJ of [ufferiJJg fur Chriji, aNd allimpatience in !J11] of tluir afJlilizonJ. Say to them [ 'Ibe [ufferingJ aJ well oJf theplea~ [urn r{ thi1 life are fo {hart, that they are no~ worthy once to b~ c~mpared wich the dmable things of the lite to come. If l have pafi through a ltfe of want and to•l, 1f my body hath endured painful fickndS, if I have fuffered never fo much from men, and been ufed cruelly for the fake of Chrill what the worre am I now when all is pafi? Would an eafie, honourable , plentiful life, have mad~ my death either the fafer or rhe fwcet~r? 0 ?O! It i_s th~ things eternal that are indeed fignificant and regardable. Neither plcafute nor pam that IS jhort IS ot any great regard. Make fure ofrhc Ever– Jailing pleafures, and you have done your work : 0 live by faith, and not by fcnfc: Look not ac the remporal rhings which arc feen: It is nor your conccrnrnent .' ~~ether you ar~ _rich or poor, in honour or difhonour, in health or ficknefs, hut whether you be JU{hhed and fanCbhed, and fuall Jive with God in Heaven for ever]. Such fcrious counfds of dying men, may make their ficknefs rnor• fruitful than their health. CHAP.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=