The Life of Faith. .La(ìly, Idlenefs is fern by the Workrhat is undìne,Pro,24.3m. The fluggards Vineyard is overgrown with weeds. If your fouls be unrenewed, and your affurance of falvation, and evi- dences yet to get, and few the better for you in the world,and you are yet unready for death and judgment, you give too full a proof of idienefs. The diligent woman, Prov. 31. 16, &c. could fh:w her labours in her treafures, her Vineyard, the cloathing and provitions ofher family, &c. thew yours by the good which you have done in the world, and by the prepara- tionof your fouls for a better world. Let everyman prove hio own work, that he may have rej+ycing in bimfeifalone, and nor in aacther; Gal. 6. 3, 4. What cafe are your children in ? Are they taught, or untaught ? What cafe is your foul in ? your fruit mutt judge you. III. Themifchiefs ofthis Sodomitical Idlencfs, and the rea- rms again!i it, are (briefly) thefe. a. It it contrary to the atIive nature ofmans foul; which in a&ivity execedcththe fire it fell. It is as natural for a foul to be atliv, as for ahone or clod of earth to lie ti ll: And this alive nature animateth the paf{ive body, tomove it, and ufe it in it's proper work. And tho.uld this heavenly fire be itnpri- Coned in the body, which it 1houid command andmove ? Pfal, ío4.23. Mangoetbforth to hír work, and to bis labour till the 'evening. 2. It is contrary to the common courfe of nature. Doth the Sun thine for you as well as for others ? or Both it not? Doth all the frame of nature continue in its courfe (the air, the wat:rs, the famm °r and winter) for you as well as for others, or not ? Ifno!,then you take not your felves beholden toGod for them: And ifyou have no ufe for the San and other creatures, you have no ufc for life : for by them you live. But ifyea, then what is it that they ferve you for ? Did G.?dever frame you fo glorious a retinuue, to attend you only to deep, and laugh, and play, and to be idle ? what, is all this for no higher an end ? or rather do you not by your idlencfs forfeit lift, and all theft helps and maintainers ofyour lives ? 3 Ie,is an unthankful reproach and blafphemy againff the P p p 2 God 413
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