z o DireRtio isforgetting andkeeping Godnow ; and the dearerit co(ceth you, the more Peace and Protec` ion , and the larger bleiliing may youexpel fromGod : For you do ( as it were)obe ligeGod themore to flick to you ; as youwill take, your Pelfobliged to own, and bear out, and reward thofe that hazard Rate and credit , and life for you. And ifyou cannot obey God in fuch a Tri- al! , it is a fad fign of a falfe.hearted Hypocrite : except your fall be only in a temptation, fromwhich you rife with renewed Repentance and Refoluti- ons, which will conquer for the time to come. As Peter, who being left to hìmfelf for an example of humane frailty,and that Chrift might have no friend to flick by himwhenhe fuffered for our fin, yet pre- fently wept bitterly, andafterward fpent his ilrength and time in preaching Chrift, and laid down his life in Martyrdom for him. So perhaps many a poor fervant,or hard labourer, bath fcarce any time except the Lords day toPray, or Read, Let fuch pinch the flefh a little the more (fo they do not overthrow their health ) and either work theharder, or fare the harder, or be cloatbed themore meanly, orefpccially break a little of their (leep, that they may find forme time for thefeduties ; aad trywhether thePeace and Comfort will not Re- compenfe it. Never any man was a lofer for God. So private Chriftians cannot confcionably difcharge the great plainduty of Reproof and exhortation ; lovingly, yet plainly telling their freinds and neigh- bours oftheir fins,anddanger,and duty, but theywill turn friends into foes, and pofïibly fet all the Town on their heads. But is it a Duty , or is it not ? If it be,then trufl God with the Iffue, and doyoúr work, and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=