Part II. ASAint or tt 1Jruteo . l23 night jball thy jo1tl $e reqriired (}f thee] and then whofe is thy wealth? and then where is thy fport and mirth? Luk! r 2. r §>,20. As the render flowen and Rofes of the Spring, do fall before the ·nipping Frofts, and will not live in Winter fiorms; no more will your fading mirth endure the frowns of God, the face of death,' nor fcarce a feriom fore-thought of the day that you are near. And fuch matter of horrour is continually beforeyou, while you are under the wrath and curfe of God, in a carnal unregenerate ::fiate , th;tt you are beholden to folly, fecmity and fiupidity for that e4ewhich hindreth j'O!:lr everlafling eafe. So that all things confidered, I rnufi ferioufiy profefs , that (however the ungodly have fome pleafant dreams, and ·may live a while in carelefnefs and fl:upidity, or' flee re in the face, while the beginning of hell is in their confciences, yet) I mufi judge, that a life of Faith and Holinefs are unfpeakably fweet, if it were btlt for this, that they [•we the Confcience from the gripes, and fears, and terrible thoughts, that either fometime feed on the tin– godly , or are ready to devour their mir~h and them. So fad and frightful a thingle is, to be unfanctified, and in a ftate of fin, that it is an high commendation of the delights of Hfl!inifs, that they fo m1:1ch deliver m from thofe grievous terrours, and are fo . powerful an Antidote to preferve the heart from the wickeds pangs and defperation. Believe it, whe~ eon{cience, death , and judgement, are t_he meffengers to declare. your ~ndlefs forro:ws • you will then wlfh , and ten thotlfand t1mes Wifh, that you had fome of the Faith and Holinefs of the Saints, to be a Cordial to your !inking hearts ; and then you would take it as a matter of unfpeakable joy, to be found in fuch a fiotte as you now count fad and melancholy. Ask but adying man, whether fiefo.ly plea/ure or Godlinefs be thefweeter thing? Now when the delu'fions of pro– fperity are gone, which do men mofl: relifh? and which is it chat they would own ? By the confenr of all the wife men in the world, I may well conclude, that a Holy life is incomparfl6!y the mcfl pleafant. • BuT 1know there are many things that feem to crofs all rhis that I have fpoken, which will be the matter of the Objecti– om of ungodly men, and therefore mull have an anfwer, be(ore we pafs any funher. And the pri11cipal Objeflion is from the coo - -- -· 'f .t z. - ----- common • L... ' .. ·· ~ -- .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=