Holy 0 bfer"Rdrioni. tion: He muft diebefore he can live ! yet this death prefuppofes a life rhat was orice ll. ~nd fuould be. God chufes to have the difficulreft,firft:wc mull be comenrwith<he paine ofdying, ere we fcele the comfon of.life. As we die to n~tUl't', ere w~c live in .glory: fowcmull:die-w,linnc:;cn:·wecanlwctogr:lce. , ' · ~ J ' I 74• Death did nor firft llrike Adam the firtl finfull rr!an;nor C•in rhdirll hypocrit1;1buo Abtlthe innocent & righteous. The firll foulethat mer with death,Pvercamedduh:• the firll fouic that parted from earth,went to_heaven. Death argues not difpl<Jfure; I becaufe lle whom.God loved bdl,aies firll; &'tlil: munherer iS punifued"\ith liVIng. ,. ' ' ~~. 75• ). n:•· ' ! ~ ., t: t The lives ofmoll are mif-fpe~t, only for want ofa cerra'ihe en~ oftheir at!ions: wherein they do as unwife Archers,flio6t awayrhdr arrows they knowMt at what mark,They live only out of the prefent,not diredingthemft!Ves·and their proce~d- 11' inos to oneuniverf•ll fcope:whence they alter upon all changeofpccafions,and ne-' ve~ reach any pert'CCtion; ncirhercJn doe orhcr but continue in unccrt:Iincy, and end in difcomforr. Others aime at one certaine mark, bur awrong one. Some (<hough few<r) levdlat the right ~d, but amiffe. To liv~ wirh~>t one'maine and common end, is idleneffe and folly. To ltv<rol! falfeend,1• deceit anc!Ioffe. True Chnll1an wifdome both fhows the end,and finds the way.And as cunning I>oliticksh:Jvo llY.lny plots to compaffe one and rh• fame defigne by a determined fucceflion; lo the wife Chriftian failing in rh< meanes, :(et llill ferch<'th about to his fieady end with a conllant change ofendevours: futh one only lives~o purpofe, and ar !all repents not )hat he hath Jived. , . J'" 76:> The fl1ipwrack ofa good confcience,is rhe ca!Hng away ofafl otherex'cell<nci<s.. ~ Iris no rare thing to note the foulc ofa wilful finner llripped ofall hergrices\and by degrees expofedto fl1ame: (o rhofe,whom we have knowne admired, ha.-<t fallen to be level!with their fdlowes; and from thence beneath them, to;\ lnedi!!critie; and afterwards to fottifhneffe aAd contempr,below·too vulgar,Sincerhey have call away the bell, it is ju<l wirh God to rake away the 'votft; and 'ro cull offthem iniefferregards, which haverejctledhimin greater. ' 77· It hath ever been countedmore noble and fucceffefull eo fer upon an open enemie in his owne home,than to expetf till he fer upon us,whiles hemake only a defenfive warre.This rule fcrves us for our !aft enemy Doath:whenceth~t olddemand of Epiturtis eafily anfwered, Whether it be better Death n,ould come to us, or that wee fhOuld meet him in theway: meet him in ourminds, ere hc:e feize upon our bodies. P Our cowardlineffe, our unpreparation is his advantage : whereas true boldndle in confronting him,difmales and weakens his forces. Happy is that fouk, that can fend our the fcours ofhis thoughts before-hand,to difcover the power ofdearh afarreoff; and then canrefolutely encounter him at unawares upon advantage: fuch one lives wiHik:curity, die• with comfort• .: '" - 78Many a man fends others to heaven,and yet goes to hellhimfdfc: and not few ha- ~ing drawne others to hell, yetthemfelves returne by a late repentance, to life. In a good attion, it is nor good ro fcarch too deeply into the intention of rhe agent, but in fikncc ro make our bell benefit oft~ work: In anevill, ids nor fafe to regard the qurrlitie ofthe perfon, or his fucceffe, burro confider the ndion abfhatied from all circumllances, in his owne kind. So we fliall neither negled good deeds, becaufe E they fpeed not well in fome hands, nor alled a profperous evill. 79· God cloth fomc fingular aCtions,whereinwee cannor imitate him; fome) wherein we dlay not;moll,whercin he may and wouldfaine be foll (l\yed. He fcrchethgood out ofevill; fo m~y we rurnconr ownc and others finnes to private orpublikegood: we may not doev1ll fora good ufe; butwe mufhfc ourevill1rrnce done, wgood. I hope I fliall noroffend, to fay, that rpe good ufe Which is made offins, fs ·~gainfi1U . -- ~-
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