Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life of Faith. The luxuriances of profperity, bring us fo frequently un- der the pruning hook. The Turfits and fummer fruits of fulnefs andcarnal cozaentments and delights, do put us to the trouble ofour ficknef ,:s and oar Phylick. [How hardly Pall rich raen enter into Heaven 1] faith he that well knew who thould cuter. Saith A:guitine [Di cile, immo impoftbile eft, ut prefentibw&' futuris quo fruatur bonis : ut hie ventrem, & ibi mentem impleat : ut à deliciis ad delicias tranfeat; 6 in utroque feculo primes fit ; ut in terra & in corlo appareat alo- riofur ?] Thehope is, that [withGod fuch humane impoffbi- lities are peffible] But it's more terrible, than definable to be put upon fo great adifficulty. Sweet dillies will have warps and flies ; but molt of them are drowned in their delights. Saith Meths ofProfperity and Advcrfity; Ida faifir, b.ec inftruit : j fa mendacium fpecie bonorum mentes fruentium ligat : hat cogi- Cationefragilis falicitatis abfolvit : Iraque 111am videas ventrofam fluentem, fuique femper ignaram : bane fobriam, fuccinílamque ac iplus adverfitatis exercitationepruderrtem., A full meal Teems belt in the eating; but a light meal is better thenext day. More thankGod in Heaven for adverfity, than for profperity : And more in Hellcry out of the fruit of profperity, than ofadver. City. Many did never look towards Heaven, till atilt&ion call them on their backs, fo that they could look no other way. [It le goodfor me that I have been afflilled, that I might learn thyfbatutes] faith David, Pfal. 019.71. [Before I was aßlifled, Iwent affray.] v.67. [In very faithfulneß thou haft afltedme] v. 75. One fight of Heaven by faith will force you to reckon that thefuierings of this prefens time are unwor- thy to be comparedwith the glory which (hall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18. To fuller for Chritt and righteoufncfs fake, is but to turn an unavoidable fruitlefs pain, into that which being voluntary, is the more eafie, andhuh a great reward inHea- ven, Match. 5. t r, i a. And to part with that for a Crown of Life, which elfe we muff part with for nothing. Worldly friends, and wealth, andhonour, are fummer fruit, that will quickly fall. Hungry fowl know where it's harvett [At fimul intonuit fugiunt : Thole that moil dwell with you in Heaven., are your lure and ftcdfati friends [Ceterafortuna, &c.] Thofe that are now higheft, and lcalk acquainted with the tongue of

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