27~ A Spring t)f Chrifliatz Refolution. State IV~ ' Fifthly, It may ferve as ~ jprirzg ofChrifiian refolu-tio~t, to cleave to Chrift, adhere tO his truths, and continue in _ his ways, whatever we may fuffer for fo doing. It would m·u_ch alJay the fear of man, that bringeth a fnare. _Who. 11rt thou, that thouJhou/dfl be afraid ofa man that jh.izl/ 'ii~? Ifa. li. I 2. Look on perfecutors as 'Pieces of brittle clay, that fhall be dallied to pieces : 'for then {hall ye defpife them as foes, that are mortal; whofe terrors to others in the )and of the living, fhall quickly die with themfelves. The feri.Ows confideration of the lhortnefs of our time, and the ce1 tainty of death, will te,.ch us that all the advantage we .can make by our apofiafy, in time of trial, is not worth the while; it is not worth going out of tne ·way to get it : and what we refufe to forego for Chrifl's fake, may quickly -be taken from us by death. But we can never lofe it fo ho~ nour_ably, as for the caufe of Cnrifl: and .his go{pel :- "for, what glory is ~t, that ye give up what ye have in the world; when God takes it away from you by death, whether yoll– wifl or not? This conGderatiQo may teach ,us to uodetva!ue Jife itfelf, and chufe to forego it, rather than to !in. / The worll: that men can do, is to take away that ]ife,_which we cannot long keep, tho' all the world lhould confpire to help us to retain the fpirit. And if we refnfe to offer it up to God, when he calls for it io -defence ot his honour, he can .ta1{e it from us anctber way ; ·as it fared with him, who could not burn for Cbr!ft, but was afterwards burnt hJ an acdd~nul fire in his houfe. · - Lafi!j, Jt may ferve for a fpur to incite us to prepare for death. Confider, ( 1.) Your eterna.l fiate will b .~ ~ccordiog to the fhte in which you die: death will open 1he doors of _· heaven or hell to you. As the .uee falls, fo idhall Jie duo• . eternitv. , If the infant be dead·born, the Whole world wiH uot faife it to life a,gain : and 1f one die out of.€hrift" ih ~A unregentrate Ha.te, there is no _more hope of him for ever. ~ 2.) Seriot:rfiy confider, what it i~ to go into another ~odd ; a world of fpitits; wherewith we are very little acqu.ainted, How frightfill .is converfe with fpirits to poor mortafs in this J.ife ! and, how dreadful is the cafe, when men are hurried away into an-Other world, not knowing but devils may be their com'pa'oions .for ever! Let us then give all diligence to ~ake> and advance, our acquaintance with the Lord of that · · world.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=