370 Thatye may be able tofiand,&c. of thy affections from the world, and the tree will fall more eafily. Secondly, be careful to approve thy Pelf with diligence and faithfulnefle to God in thy place and calling. The clearer thou [land& in thy own thoughts concerning the uprightneffe of thy heart in the tenure of thy Chrifiian courfe, the more com- pofure thou wilt have when the evil day comes. 1 belied) thee, 0 Lord,(faith good Hotekiah at the point ofdeath as he thought) remember now how I have walked before thee in trath, and with a pe?.feel heart, and have done that Vrkieb it good in thy fight. This cannot be our confidence, but it will be a better companion then a fcoulding confcience; if the blood be bad, the fpirits will be tainted alfo ; the more our life has been corrupted with hy- pocrifie and unfaithlulneffe, the weaker our faith will be in a el} ing houre. There is great difference between two children that come home at night, one from the field, where he.hath been diligent and faithful about his fathers work, and another that bath played the Truant a great part of the day ; the former comes in confidently to Rand before his father, the other fneaks to bed, & is afraid his father fhould fee him,or ask where he bath heen.0Sirs,look to your walking.Thefe have been trying times as ever came to England. It has required more care and courage to keep fincerity then formerly. And that is the reafon why it is in rare to finde Chriflians (efpecially thole whole place and calling bath been more in the winde of temptation,) go off the fiage at death with fuch a Platidite of inward peace in their bo- fornes. 3. Thirdly, familiarize the thoughts of the evil day to thy foul; Handle this rerpent, often walk daily in the ferious meditations of it, do not run from them becaufe they are unpleafing to flefh; that is the way ro increafe the terrour of it. Dowith your fouls, when thy of and fcaredavith the thoughts of affii6tion or death, as you ufe todo with your beafl, that is given to bogie and Dart as you ride on him. When he flies back and Darts at a thing, you do not yield to his fear and go back, that will make himworfe another time, but you ride him up clofc to that which he is a- fraid of, and in time you break him of that quality. The evil day is not fuch a fcareful thing to thee that art a Chriftian, as thou fhouldeil Dart for it, bring up thy heart dole to it. Shew thy
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