448 DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS Nay, more than so ; even while you forget him, the Lord doth daily consider you, and supply your wants, and save you from dangers : and should you then cast him out of your thoughts ? if he did not think on you, you would quickly feel it to your cost and sorrow. 11. Moreover, the nature of the matter is such, as one would think should force a reasonable creature to consider of it, and often and earnestly to consider. When all these things concur in the matter, he must be a block or a madman that will not consider. 1. When they are the most excellent, or the greatest things in all the world. 2. When they are our own matters, or nearly concern us. 3. When they are the most necessary, and profitable, and delightful things. And, 4. When there is much difficulty in getting them, and danger of losing them. And all these go together in the matter of your salvation. 1. If you will not think of God, and your souls, of heaven and hell, what then will you think of? All other things in the world are but toys and jesting mat- ters to these. Crowns and kingdoms, lands and lord- ships, are but chaff and baubles, dirt and dung, to these everlasting things. The acts of renowned kings and conquerors are but as puppet -plays in comparison of the working out of your salvation. And yet will you not be drawn to the consideration of such astonishing things as these? One would think that the exceeding greatness of the matter should force you to consider it, whether you will or no: when smaller objects affect not the senses, yet greater will even enforce their way. He that hath so hard a skin that he cannot feel a feather, methinks should feel the weight of a mill- stone; and if he feel not the prick of a pin, methinks he should feel a dagger. He that cannot hear one Whisper, methinks should hear a cannon, or a clap of thunder, if he have any such thing as hearing left to him. He bath bad eyes that cannot see the sun. One would think that so glorious an object as God should so entice the eyes of men, that they should not
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