Ten Direaions toget felf-denyal. are in thehands of that invifible God whom you abufe by yourfill:reeking. You woulddrop into Hell if he with- drew the hand of his patience and fupport,as fure as a { }one would fall to the earth that were loofe in the air 1 As truly as the earth beareth you, fo trulydoth he bear the earth and you. It is eafier for houfes and towns and mountains to {land in the air without the earth; then for youor any thing to fubfift a moment without the Lord. Who keeps your heart and pulfe {till beating, and your blood and fpirits in continual motion, and warm your veins ? Is it God or you ? who is it that caufethyour lungs to breath, your Ito- mack to turn your meat to nourifhment ; and that nourifh- ment into blood and fpirits and firength ? Is is God er you? Who is it caufeth theSun to rife upon you in the Morning to light you to your labours, and to fet upon you at night, that the Curtains of darknefs may be drawn about you, and you may quietly repofe your felves to reit? Who giveth you firength to labour in the day, and refrelhethyou with fleep at night, and provideth all the creatures for your affiftance? Is it you or God ? 0 Sirs, methinks fuch filly worms,that cannot live a minute of themfelves , and cannot fetch a breath of themfelves Ihould eafily fee that they fhould notiive to thensfelves, but to him from whomand bywhom they live. Diret. 7. If you would live in felf-denyal, be furs that you keep the weliftery of your Mole, : and do not let them be ungoverned, but ihuothem up when reafon doth require it. It isyour Appetite and fenfes that feed this carnal felfifh vice : but reafon and faith are both againft it. When ever you confult withfenfe , youmay know what brutifh advice you may expel. Ask not therefore what is delightful!, nor what is for your carnal eafeand peace ; but what is neceffa- ry to pleafe the Lord and for your everlafting peace. And if the tempter tell yon, [ This is the eafier and the broader way] tell him that it is not the honefter nor the fafer way : And the queftion is isnot which is the faireft way? but,which theway to heaven ? Itsbetter go the hardeft way to glory, then thefmootheft to damnation. If you cannot keep un- U u der 329
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