t g 77sr right rray life, and health, that yemaybefore yedie,abolifh the firength ofdeath. A man may put a ferpcnt in his bofomewhen the fling is out: and we maylet deathcreepe intoour bofoms, and gripe vs with his legges,and ílabbe vs at the heart,fo long as hebrings not his venime andpoyfon with him. And becaufe the formerduties are fo neceffatie, as none canbe more,I will vie Tome reafons yet further to inforce them. VVhatfoeuer a man would doe whenhe is dying,the fame heought todoeeueryday while he is lining: now the moll notorious andwickedperfon that euer was, when he is dyingwill pray &defire others to pray for him, and promife amendment oflife,protetting thatif he might liue,he wouldbecome a praftitionetinall the goodduties offaith,repentance,and reformationoflife.Oh thereforebe careful' todoe this cuery day. Againe, the laying is true, he that would line when he is dead,muft diewhile he isaliue,namely tohis finnes.VVoulde1 thou then hue eternally ? fue to heauen for thy pardon, and fee that now in thy life time thou die to thine owne finnes. Laftly wicked Balaamwould faine diethe deathofthe righteous : but,alas,it was tofmall purpofe : for he would by nomeanes line the life of the righteous. For his continual) pur- pole and meaningwasto follow hisoldwaies in forceries andcouetoufnes. Now the lifeofa righteous man flandes in the humblingof himfelfc for his finnes pafl,and in acareful reformationoflife tocome.VVouldeft thou then die thedeath ofthe righteous,then looke vnto it , that thy life be the lifeof the righteous: ifyewill needes line the lifeofthevnrighteous, ye mulllooke to die thedeathofthe vnrighteous. Remember this and content not your kph4,z,s=, feluestohearc the word,but be doers of it : for ye learnenomore indeede, what meafureofknowledge foeuer ye haue,then yepraélife. The third dutie in our generali preparation, is in this life to enter into the firft degreeoflifeeternal'. Foras I haue faid,thcrc be threedegrees of life e uerlafling,and thefirft oft hem is in this prefent life. For he thatwould line in eternal happines for euer,mufl begin in this world to rife outofthe graue ofhis owneGnnes,inwhich by naturehe lies buried, and line in newnefleof life,as it is laid in the Revelation, Be that will efcape thefeconddeath,muftbe Rev .o6. madepartaker ofthefirf refurreEtion. And Paul faith to the Colollians, that they were in this liredelivered from the power ofdarknes,andtranflatedinto Cal.ia3. the kingdomofChrsrft. And Chit faith to theChurch ofthe Iewes,rhek?ng. domealbumen is arnon îtyou.Now this fire degree (life is,whena man can faywithPaul,Ilruenot,but Chrfl lines in me: that-i# tflndepartly by the te- flimonieofmy fanaified confcience,and partly byexperience, that ChriPt my redeemerbyhis fpìrit guideth and gouerncthmythoughts,wili,affeóli- ons,and all the powers ofbodieand foule ,according to thebleffed direLi- on ofhis holywill. Now that we might be able to fay this, We mutt haue three gifts and gracesof God, wherein efpeciaily this firft degreeof life conhifls. The firPt is fatting knowledge,whereby we doe truly refolueour (-clues that God the fathcrofChriftisour father,Chain his fonne our Redeemer, and the holyGhofi our comforter, That thisknowledge is one part of life e. ternall,
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