344 ( V e CA V .. Y. ----fend! Give Go:! but what you have; heexpetls no more: This is enough to honour lA him, and crowneyou. Take hc<d while you complaine ofwam, ldl pridefhroud it fdfe under the skirtsofmode fly: How many are thankful! forldfc ~You have more then the mo01yet thiscontents younot;it is nothing unldfe you may equall the ben, if not excc<d. yea, Ifeare how this may fatisfie you, tmldfe you may thinke your fdfe fuch as y'ou would he. What is this but to grudge atthe beOower of grae<s~ · I tell you without flattery, God hath grtat gaines by fewer talents: f.t your heart to imploy thcfe, and your advantage.Oull be more then your maO<rs. Neither doe now repent you of the unadvifedndfe of your enmnce1 God called you ro it up0n an eternall dt!.beration1 and meant to make ufe of your fuddcnneffe, a1 amean<s to fetch you into this wotle, whom more kifure wo,,td h~ve found refrac1ary: Fldl littledid the one S•ulthinke ofakingdomc,whcn he went to fecke hisl.1thers firayes in the llnd of Shalithah1orthe other Saol ofan Apofilcfllip, when be went with his B! Cornmillion to D•m•(c~~<: God thought of both; and effetled what they meant not. Thus hath he done to you, acknowledge this hand, and follow it.He found and g~ve both facultie and opporrunitytoentet: find you but a will toproetcd, I dare pro· mife you abundance of comfort. How many of the Ancients, afccr a forcible ordi. nation, b<ea!Jle not profitable only, but f.1mous in the Churck Bur,as ifyou fou~ht I thifts to difcourage your fdfe, whm you fee you cannot maintamc this hold ofin. fuffici<ncy, you fli<to alienation of afldlion; in the truth whereof, none can con· I troll you but yourowne heart; in the ju!lice ofit, we both may, and muO. This plea i< not for Chri0ians1 we mull affetl what we ought,in fpight ofour fdves: wherefore frrves n ligion, ifnottomake us Lords ofour owne affcClionS! If we mufl be ruled C byourlhves, wbatgood 010uld we doe~ Can you more diOike your !lation, then we all naturally diOa!l~oodneffe ~Shall we negletl the purfuit of vmue, becaufe it pleafes not1 or rather dcfpleafe, and negl<tl out fdves, till it•may pleafe us~ Let me not aslte whetheryour affetlions be eflranged,but whetefo(e ~Divinity is a miOretre worthy your fervic<: All other Arts are but drudges to her alone: Fooles may con. temne her; who cannot judge oftrue intelletluall beauty: but if they had our eyes, they could not but be ravithed with admiration: You have learned(! hope) to contemne their contempt, and to pity injutious ignorance. She bath chofen you as aworthy client,yeaa favourite;•nd hathhonoured you with her commands,and her accep· tations; who but you would plead firangoneO< of:(fleClion ~ How many thoufands fue to her; and cannot be lookt upon~ Yon are happy in her favours, and yet corn· D pbine; yea fo fJrre,as that you have not fiucke to thinkeofochangc. No word cculd have fallen from you more unwelcome. This is Satans policie, to make us out of love with our callings,that our labours may be unprofitable,andour !landing tedious. H~ knowes that all changes are fruitldl'e,and that while we. alf<Cl to be other,we mull nreds be weary ofwhat we are: That there is"" fucceffe in any endeavour withoUt pleafure; that there can be no pleafure,where the mind longs afctr alterarions.Ifyou rfpienot this craft of the common enemie, you are not acquainted with your fdfe. Under what forme foever it come, repellir; and abhorre the fir!! motion ofit,as you love your peace, as you hope for your rewarc. It is the mifery ofthe moll men,that they cannot fee when they are happy; and while they fee bunhe om-fide ofothen conditions, _preferre that which their experience teaches rhem afterwards to con- E demne, not without loffe and teares. Far be this un!lableneffe from you, which have be,c:nefolong taught ofGod.AII vocations have theirinconvenicnces; which ifthey cannot be avoided,mu!l bedigefied. The more diffieulties, the greater glory :Stand fallthereforc,and refolve thattbis calling is the bell, both in it felfe,and for you:and know that it cannot !land with your Chti!lian courage to run away from thefeinci. dent evils, but to encounter them. Your handisattheplough: ifyou mcetwith fome tough clods, that will noteafily yeeld to the thare, lay on more !lrength rather; fccke not remedy in your feet by flight, but in your hands bya con!lant endeavour. Away with this weake timoroufndfe, and wrongfu\1 humility. Be cheer<fullan~ couragious in this great worke of God; theend lhall beglorious, yout fdfe happy and many in you. . THE
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