Chap. 7.] THE SAINTS' REST. 109 When thou, reader, shalt come to death and judgment, O what deep, heart-piercing thoughts wilt thou have of eter- nity ! Methinks I foresee thee already astonished to think how thou couldst possibly make so light of these things. Methinks I even hear thee crying out of thy stupidityand madness. And now, reader, having laid down these undeniable arguments, I do, in the name of God, demand thy resolu- tion : wilt thou yield obedience, or not ? I am confi- dent thy conscience is convinced of thy duty. Darest thou now go on in thy common, careless course, against the plain evidence of reason, and commands of God, and against the light of thy own conscience ? Darest thou live as loosely, sin as boldly, and pray as seldom, as before ? Darest thou profane the Sabbath, slight the ser- vice of God, and think of thine everlasting state as care- lessly as before ? Or dost thou not rather resolve to " gird up the loins of thy mind," and set thyself wholly to the work of thy salvation, and break through the oppositions, and slight the scoffs and persecutions of the world, and " lay aside every weight, and the sinwhich doth so easily beset thee, and run with patience the race that is set be- fore thee ?" I hope these are thy full resolutions. Yet, be- cause I know the obstinacy of the heart of man, and be- cause I am solicitous thy soul might live, I once more en- treat thy attention to the following questions ; and I com- mand thee from God, that thou stifle not thy conscience, nor resist conviction ; but answer them faithfully, and obey accordingly. If, by being diligent in godliness, you could grow rich, get honor or preferment in the world, be re- covered from sickness, or live for ever in prosperity on earth, what lives would you lead, and what pains would you take in the service of God ? And is not the saints' rest a more excellent happiness than all this ? If it were felony to break the Sabbath, neglect secret or family wor- ship, or be loose in your lives, what manner of persons would you then be ? And is not eternal death more terri- ble than temporal ? If God usually punished with some present judgment every act of sin, as he did the lie of Ananias and Sapphira, what kindof lives would you lead ? And is not eternal wrath far more terrible ? If one of your acquaintance should come from the dead, and tell you that
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