(-! in the evil day. 6 Secondly, a wife man labours duly to time his care and endea- vour for the attaining of what he propofeth. s fis the fool that comes when the market is done as the evil day is of great con= cernment in refpea of its event, the placing of our care for it in the right feafon is ofchief importance, and that Pure be before it comes. There are more doors then one, at which the meffenger may enter that brings evil tydings to us , and at which he will knock we know not ' we know not where we (hall be arrefted, whether at bed or board, whether at home or in the field, whether among our friends that will counfel and comfort us, or among our enemies that will adde weight to our forrow by their cruelty. We know not when, whether by day or night, (manyof us) not, whether in the morning, noon, or evening of our age. As he calls to work at all times of the day, fo he doth to bed ; may be while thou art praying or preaching,and it would be fad to goawayprofaning them and the Name of God in them; poffibly when thou art about worse work, death may ftrike thy quaffing cup out of thy hand, while thou art fitting in the Alehoufe with thy jovial mates or meet thee as thou art reeling home , and make fome ditch thy grave, that as thou livedft like a beaft, fo thou thouldett die like a beaft. In a word, we know not the kinde of evil God will ufe as the inflru- ment to flab us ; whether fome bloody hand of violence (hall do it , or a diteafe out of our bowels and bodies i whether fome acute difeafe, or ionic lingring fickneffe ; whether fuch a fickneffe as (hall flay the man while the body is alive, (I meane take the head and deprive us of our reafon) or not ; whether fuch noifome troubles as (hall make our friends afraid to let us breath on them, or themfelves look on us; whether they than be affliet ions aggravated with Satans temptations, and the :ter- rours of our own affrighted confciences or not ; who knowes where, when,or what theevil day than be ? therefore doth God conceal thefe, that we thould provide for all, Cefar would never let his fouldiers know , when or whither he meant to march. The knowing of thefe would torment us with diftraet- ing fear, the not knowing them fhould awaken us to a providing care. It is an ill time to calk the {hip, when at fea, tumbling up and down in a ftorme, This fhould have been look% to, when onher feat in the harbour, And as bad it is to begin to trim a A a a foul 2.
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