Twenty itetsfons for denying Life. 219 nor is it esteemed felf-denying. It is aleffon therefore that is ex- ceeding neceffary to be learnt and worthy all your time and diligence , even to deny your Lives for the love of Chrift. Perhaps youwill fay, We live in days of peace andliberty,and therefore are not like to becalled to Martyrdom ? what need then have we to learn this lefon ? I anfwer, r. You are uncertain what changes youmay fee:but if you never fuffer,yet you muff be fure that you have a heart that would fuffer if God did call you to it : For though you may be favedwithout fuffering, where youare not called to it, yet you cannot be favedwithout a heart that would fuffer if you were put upon it. 2. And if you cannot denyyour lives for Chrift, you will not lincerely denyyour pleafures,or profitsor honours for him.Ifyou would not fuffer death for him if he calledyou to it, you will notfin- ;lardy fuffer loffes and wrongs and reproaches for him, which almoft, everyChriftian mutt expect. So that to try your own fincerity, you fhould look after it. 3 . And it is certain that deathwill fhortly come ; and then if you havenot learnt this leffon, to deny your felves even in cafe of fife, youwill die un- willingly and uncomfortably. At leaft me thinks, I might reafon thus with any manofyou, good or bad. Either death is indeed terrible, or not. If it be not,why doyou fo fear it when it comes'. If it be, why do you not as well fear it before it comes,even in your youth and health ? For you are fure then that you muff die , as if it were upon you. A wonderful! thing it is, that mans heart Ihouldbe fo unreafonably infenfible ; and that there fhould be fo great a difference in the affeftions of molt in regard of death. Its no matter ofdoubt or controverfie whether they shall die. He is a blockand not a man, that knoweth it not as certainly now, as he (hall do in his ficknefs. And yet, in health thefe wretches will not be awakened fo much to fear it, as may retrain them from fin, and help them to prepare for it. Its troublefome precife talk with them, to talk ofmaking ready to die : Either they flight it, or love not to hear or think of it. And yet the fame men when death is coming, and they fee they muffaway, are even amazed with fear and Ff z horror :
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=