§4S. ~, s ~Jni· er aBrute:. · I'art Ir;. in heaven wliere this myfi be your everlaning work ? And : if Heaven feem a place of toyle and trouble to you, bow jufl: will it be tb:'lt you are everlaflingly fhut out? How ca.n you for flume bet, of_ God togto:ifie you, whe~ you take the G!ery that beha rh prom1fed for a mifery? If you thtnk that there is a Heaven , of fuch fenfual pleafures as you ddire, or that any fuall be faved that only choofe Heaven .as a lefs and more tolerable mifery then Hell, yoa will ihortly find your expectations de– te.eived. · tay all thefe £ive confiderations together, and you may per..;– ireivewhat miferable fouls thofe are, that 'an find pleafure in perifbing trifles of the world, and none in a Holy and Heavenly. life. Be affured of this, whofoever thou art, that if God and Hea~·en and a Holy life, be not. a thonfand times fweeter and · more delightful to thee,then any thing that this world can afford : to thy contentment, it is not for want of matter of fuperabun., dant delight to be found in God and in his holy ways;but it is for · want of reafon, or faith, or conGderatio.n, or a futable ·Heart in thee, which may make thee fit to know and tafl:e the pleafures . which now thou art unacquainted with. And is -it not pirry , t hat fu(h infinite delights fhould be fet before men, and they · fuould.. lofe them all :fo_r, want ofa Heart and appetite to them ?·· and fhould periffi · by choofing the loweH: vanities b.efore them? · · ldo therefore ·earne£Uy befeech thee that readefl: thefe words~ , if thou be one of thefe -onhatppyfouls, that eanfl: find nr; pleafure. in God and Holincfs, that ·Ehou wouldfl: fpeedily- obferve and lament that blindnefsand wickednefs of thy heart, thnt is rhe · caufe of this infatuation and corruption ef thine apprehcnGon . a-nd rational ap_p,cti!a__: .and that thou wouldfl: prefemly apply thy · f~lfto Chrifrfor~· the cureof it; . To which end I ad.Yife thee eo·~ .thefe following means. . IJirlfl.. I. ~- .F you·wouldt;!lfleth'e pleafure of aholj life, _M think':. ·yoHbctttr of thenece!Jity and e.'t:cdl.ency of st; _anti: ·~afl~~.w-ayyour prejudice ~t1'Ja falfe conceitS., which have decetved you, and curn~d your minds a~ainfi it : A child ~ay be delud_e:d – . to take his own Father for his enemY', .if be fee h1m m an en.em1es " . ~rb3 prbe p_erf\\'aded by_ falfc fiJgge~i~~~ ~hat he. hat~th h1m~!_:·1
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