14 The Lije of Faith. portion of a believer, without which all is nothing to him and for which he trades and travels here, as worldlings do for worldly things, Matth. 6. 20, 21. Col. 3. t, Phil, 3. 20. 5. A truc Believer dotb all his life prepare for a day that is yet to come, and for an account of all the paffages of his life, though he hath nothing but the Word of God, to affure him of it. And therefore he lives as one that is hafting to the pretence of his Judge ; ancfhe contriveth his affairs, and dif= pot th of his worldly riches, as one that looks to hear of it again, and as one that remembreth the Judge is at the door, James 5. 9. He rather asketh, [what life, what words, what aftions, what way, of uting my citate and interef{, will be fweettit tome in the review, and will be heft, at laft when I mutt accordingly receive my doom ?] than [what is malt pieafant to my flefh ? and what will ingratiate me moil with men ? and what will accommodate me belt at prefcnt ? and fee me higheft in the world ? ] And therefore it is, that he pittieth the ungodly even in the height of their profperity; and is foearnest (though it offend them) to procure their re- covery, as knowing that how fecure fosver they are now, they muff give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead, I Per. 4.5. and that then the cafe will bealtered with theprefumpruous world. 6. Lailly, A true believer is careful to prevent a threatned mifery which he never felt ; and is awakened by holy fear to /lye front the wrath to come, and is induftrious toefcape that place of torment which he never taw, as if he had teen it with his eyes. When he heareth but the found of the trumpet, he takes warning that be may fave his foul, Ezek. 3 3.4. The evils that are herefelt and feen, are not fo dreadful tohim, as thofe that he nevertaw or felt. He is not fo careful and refolute, to avoid the ruine of his citateor name, or to avoid the plague, or (word, or famine, or the fcorching flames, or death, or tor- ments, as he is to avoid the endle& torments, which are threatned by the righteous God. It is a greater mifery in his ellcem, tobe really undone for ever, than f emingy only for a time, and tobe catsoff by God, than by all the world ; and to lie in Hell, than to luffer any temporal calamity. And thereforehe fears it more, anddothmore to avoid it ; and is more
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