(7j) ' ~en thoii;'ondcmnefi or reproacheft the holinefs whichhe eo m~ mandeth ? · · - -· r. :r ,_ r. ., __ ~eft 9· Dareyon fay that God iJ not only 1 ouwwt-; c, vRt; otm- ·,.;ghuoUJ and tyranical, tU to give thcworl~ unnecejfar~ La:wJ, ~~~~ [et them upon a neediefs w~rk.. ? What Kmg ~o t~ranJcal :1s.wou reqnire his ubjeds on pam of death to. go p1ck :firaws agamfi the wind? What Mafter or Parent fo foolijhly cruel as t? comm~nd .. ·their ferva1o:. ts or children, to weary themfelves-wlth huntmg butter-flies, and following their own ihadows ? And da~cfi thou impute fuch fooli!h tyrannie to the God of heaven? as 1f he had ·made a world,and fe t them upon a needlefswork?and command":'. cd them to tire themfelves in vain? · ~eH•. _IO. Ciln A man be too diligent about that work.. which he :wMmade for, and is daily preferved ttnd maintained for; a;,d fo1' which he hathall the mercies of his life 1 Thou hadfi never come into the worldbt~t on this bufinefs, even to ferve and pleafe God,. and prepare for everlafHng happinefs : And are you afraid ofdo– ing thu too diligently? Why is it, thinkeH thou, that God feflain~ eth thee ? Why dyedft thou not many years ago? -but only tha~ tllou mightefi have time to feek and fervc him. Was it only that thou mightdl: eat, and drink, and fieep , and go up and down· ~ and fill up a room among the living? Why beafis, and fools, and mad-men do all this, as well as thou. Why hail: thou thy Rea[6n ttndunderJ.anaing, bat to i{laowand ferve the Lora? Is it only to know.how to fruft a little for the commodities of the world? Or is it not t~ know the way to life eternal ? Look round about thee on all t~e creatures, and on all the mc:rcies which thou dofr pof. fefs; every deliverance, and priviledge, and accommodation. e:very bit of b.read th~u eatefr, and every hoer of thy preciou; t1me, are all gtven thee for this One thing needful: And yet wilt thou fay that this Om thing u needle/s., for which thou haft all thiklfJ•? Thou mayefi then fay, that God made the world in 'tMin; and preferverh and governerh it in vain. For all this is but for his fervice, which thou callefi vlflin. ~cfi. 11. Doth netReafon tell thee, thttt the place in which thou muft lwe for ever ,/hould be more diligently minded ( andprepared fo~) then thi& ~n which thou mu ft continue bllt for a wh:lc? Alas, It 1s fo ./hort a time that we muft be here that it makes all the mat m ters of this world (as fnch) to be i~confiderable things, a~ dreams and fuadows~ What great matter is it fQr fojhort ~t time, L - -- - whether
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