Security agatnftDeath. 221 will feize upon me, and draggme before theJudgement feat ofGod, where IHeall be Rented away withamaledi &ion and curie, and be forced to take my place with the Devil and his Angels in unquenchable flames?Oh,what (hall I do then to fccure my felf from the great, from the ftrong, arm of death ? I will repent, now I will begin, Lorddrawme, help me that Imay do it. I will believe now ; Lord do hou work Faith that requireft it.. I will obey, Lord inable me to perform fuch needful duties as thou commandeftme. Shall this be your pra&ice when you come home? Will you thus Rudy to pra&ife Repentance, and Faith, and Obedience? and Rudy to cry andcall for it, and ufeall your endeavour ? Or what will you do ? will you be as idle and carelefs, as negligent and flothful inmaking after thele gracesas before ? Will you be as greedy of the tranfrtory vanities of this life, as in former times ? Oh abufenot the word ofGod. If thou go out of the Church without a full purpofe to apply thy felffrom henceforward, either to begin, or to proceed in the pra&ife of thePaying of Cbriff ; Curfed be thou in thy hearing, curfed be that hour that thou haft (pent, and curled be thy misbeftowed labour , thou dif femblinghypocrite. But if thou labour to pradife this ofChrift, namelyto keep bitfayingt, the Doéïrine ofthe Gomel, to repent, to believe, and to obey, bleffed art thou in thy hearing, and in thy doing, and in thy obedience, happy is the time nd the place,andall things thatconcurtogether to draw thee to fo needful a Work. I pray (Brethren) fetnot yourlabour upon goldand filver, and money, midtrail, not upon the pleafures and delights, and contentments of the world, not on any other thing ; but mainly and principally above all things let your chief care be for Faith, and Repentance, andObedience. If you strivefor thefe things earneftly,and heartily, and conftantly, as fore as theLord is in heaven, be will beltow them upon you, and with them, the benefit ofbenefits, Fredomefrom Death. And now I (hall fpcak comfort to chofe few that are in the world, that keep thefe fillings ofChrift. Let them be of good comfort ; iftheir capital enemy the Kingoffears, and the King ofAl$i&ions be held from a poffibilityof doing them harm, nothing. can harm them. He that Death cannot hurt, pain cannot hurt; poverty and difgrace cannot hurt, nothing can hurt him. You know ifthe King of an Army be reconciled to a place, he will keep hisSouldiers from fpöyling, and burning, and deftroying that place. IfDeath be put out ofpower to do thee htírt, and God bereconciled inChrift, becaufe thou keepef£ thefayingofChrift, nothing can hurt thee, thou art the happieft man under the Sun. Why fhouid the poor, fad, affli&cd, grieved, mourning, lamenting Saints of God envy them that are rich, and jolly, and merry worldlings, any of their pleafures and profits ? any of thole things wherewith they like Idioti makethemfelveslaugh at ? What ? halt not God given thee better things than he, that thou ihouldeft murmur and whine, and weep for want of them ? art thouRill complaining forwant of them? Remember what Saint fames faith, Let the brother of low degree ( that is abafed and defpifed in the world) rejoyce, yea, rejoycewithgreat bo.ú?ing, andglory, in his Exaltation. This is the exaltation of the Saints , Chrift writing 'his fayings in their hearts, and inclining them through the operation of his Spirit, and the powerful work ofhis Word,to repent and believe, bath freed them from the danger Ilof Death, and intereffed them into eternal happinefs, and that biifs that no tongue can exprefs, nor no heart conceive. This is thy happinefs: it hnot to be rich, or to begreat; for thefe cannot deliver the owner from the hurt ofDeath natural, nor from the danger ofDeath eternal. But tóhave Faith, and Repentance, and Obedi- ence ; this is riches and exaltation : for he that hath them full not alone efcape the Dungeon of eternal darknefs, but be advancedto the Palace of everlafting felicity. The Saint is the happyman: the penitent believer, and true pra&ifer ofChriftian obedience, he is the foleànd only happy man under the Sun: for whatfoever form he futfereth in this prefent World, he (hall certainly efcape Death, and ob- tainGlory: Biefs God, and biefs thy felfinGod, Magnifiehim, rejoyce in him, takecomfort in thy lot andportion; Death that devoureth Kings, that deftroyeth Emperors, that conquers Captains, and men ofvalour , fhall not be able to ap_ proach thee for thy hurt, for thou keepefitheflingofthe LordJefess Cbrifi. Re- joyce vf4 Confolation.
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