$ 54. Mr. Penning: Prayer before Sermon. time in the world, ifit were only to havepleafire andhonour, andgratifie ourfelves to eat and to drink and to be merryphis is not worth our while, what would it be 0 Lord to dye in our fin, and be eafedof ourmiferies ofthis world, andbe lent to theplace oftorment ! butfeeiug thouhaft provided for our li- ving and dying well: give us to improve thefe means, and that we may liveand dye well : let not our affeaiont, though our body be upon theearth, though me converfe with f1-113 yet let not our converration be after the fli2.17e,but let us be-like ;hem which have fent their hearts up to heaven; and do but tarry here tofinifb their i'Llatiers bufinefr, and then we fhall goo where curbearts are, andwhere our Lord jefus Chrifi is. indeedLordwe have caufe to complain ofour hearts : bow we mind this world as if it never would have an end: and the world to come, as ifit would never have any beginning, as ifwe bad no fouls to mind, or had no mind to look to our fouls: Vre live as ifall thofe glarious reports thou hemade, were but et tale that is told : we have canfe tobe afbamed that we have the means and the name ofChriflians,and havenot lived anfwerable to thediflovery ofthe Lord 7efus chrtfl. Indeed we havecaufe to bear ourflame : andyet howfewof us know what it is to be afliamecl, to figh over °tallies, andgroanover our iniquities ! how few out of tendernefs do mouru for fin, but as ifit wereindiferent to us whether we have ourfins Par- de 'led, or the Grace that we beg to be granted. And ifwe do beg tobe pardoned, where are thefonls tbat defire to bepurged ! Ifthou fhouldfi let us have our wills, o then wefliould thiukthou inert a good God : where as it if thy great love that thou doll deny us our trills ; we poor wretches we are up and down as the things of this worlddo come into us andgoefrom us. IfGodgive u; great thingt,then we thinkour relves in Pari dire,6(''' ifGod takefrom us5then wefall out with God himfelf. oh how ill do we take it at thy hands, if thou doff not give us what we would! The Darien of felf:denyal is a meer riddle to us 5 we wouldfain fpendthe firength ofouryouth in follow.
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