into the condition of the of :aed. r74 me how I have abufed thofe. mercies that I did enjoy : how I did not make ufe of my eftate for God as I might have done, you who have comfortable effaces now, and you thin; because they are your own that therefore you may do with themes you 4ift,bur if God shouldby forne accident come and take your eftates from you, the firft thing that your confciences would do, would be this,to charge upon you the abuse of-your dates! And thenfecóndly to tell ydu that you did not make that ufe of your eflates for the honour of Gods name, as you might have done : $uppofe God should come upon you by the adver- fary, or fire, or any other way, and fweep away all in one night, do not you think that your cow-deuces would then tell you : ö I might have made better ufe of it for God then I have done ; It's an ordinary thing when a mercy is taken from one,for con - fcience to accule then for the abufe of that mercy that he did enjoy; as now, when a mnburies a wife, the 'firft thing that confcience will tell one, will 6e.; O I have not performed the duty that I ought to my wife which I should have done, and lo for any mercy, when the mercy is taken away, confcience then hath greater liberty to charge one for the abufe of that mercy then formerly it had, audio we fhould put our felves in their cafe, and put confcience to it and fey, fuppofe that all the out- ward comforts which I dot enjoy in this world were taken away from me,could I then have a cleete confcience, and could I be able to fay , Lord thou that knoweft all things kno .vest that while I did enjoy my eflate, it was my care to ferve thee wi.h it, and to itñprove my eflate to the uttermoft for the glo- ry of thy name : I am aifraid that there are not many which are deprived of their eftates that have their èonfciences fo free iii excufing of them, audio I feare that there are not many of you but if you would out your felves into their conditions,your cone fcience wr,uld deal more freely with you then now it doth, and chat's a fccond thing that coniience would doe if your were in their cafe. And ' henie third thing, If you would but put your felves into their condition it would be this, You would !horten your outward cotforts, but you would inlarge your duties.I verily 2 z think
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