2 G The 2Vfefulnefr of Vol. II: be unprovided for the main Chance, for that which may happen at any Time and which will concern us for ever. III. The Meditation of our latter End Mould put us upon minding the great Bufinefs of our Lives with all our Might, and make us very vigorous and in duftrious in it; I mean the Bufinefs of Religion, and the Salvation of our Souls. And if we fet up this,as in Reafon weought, for the greatEnd and Delign ofour Lives, and the mainScope of all our Actions, it will make our Lives ofa Piece, and every Part thereof agreeable to it Pelf; becaufe our Mind will hand conti- nually bent one Way, and all our Thoughts, and Cares, and Endeavours, will be united in one great End and Defign. And it will oblige us to great Diligence and Induftry, and make us work hard, to think how great a Work we have to do, and how little Time to doit in, perhaps much lets than molt of us do imagine. Itis not an eafy Work for a Man to become good, and fit for Heaven; it requires Time and Care, and great Watchfulnefs over our felves, great Strugglings, and many-a Confli&with the evil Inclinations of our Minds, which after wehave conquered'em. will often tally and make Head again a flout Refiftanceof Temptations, a ftiff and obfti nate Refolution not to yield to them, and a patient Continuance in welbdoing. The Conlderation whereof should make us very careful and diligent to get Oil into our Lamps ; that'. is, all thofe Graces and Virtues, all thofe good Difpofitions which may fit us for another World, and prepare us. for Eternity; it thould make us very vigorous and induftrious to do all the Goodwe can, while theOp- wportuni.ty of doing it is in our Hands, and to make our felves as good as we gán, becaufe this is.the Time and Seafonof laying the Foundationofour future Happinefs, and encreafing the Degrees ofit ; for as wefora, fb fhall roe reap; he that fow.r flaringly, fhall reap flaringly ; and he that fans plentifituy; shall reap plentifully. ;Every Degree of Virtue and Goodnefs that we attain to in this World, will meet with a fuitableReward,. and a more refplendent Degree ofGloryand Hap- pinefs in the next Life. And we (ball have thisAdvantage by a great Induftry andDiligence inwork- ing out our own Salvation, that if we have.;made Religion the great Care and Bu- finds of our Lives, we Mall have nothing to do when we come to die, but to renewour Repentance for the Errors and Mifcarriages of our Lives, and tobeg God's Pardon-and Forgivenefs of them, for the fake of the meritorious Obedi- ence and Suffering of our. Bleffed Saviour; to comfort our felves in the Good- nefs and Promifes of God, and in the glorious Hopes of the Happinefs which we are ready to enter upon; and in the mean time to exercife Faith and Pa- tience for a very little while, 'till Death put an End to the Sorrowsand Miferies of Life.. .. IV. The Meditation of our latter End fhould make us much in the Exercife of Repentance, and to renew it frequently ; becaufe wecontinually offend God, and provoke him every Day, if not by.Sins of Commiffion, yet of Omiflion and Negleer in one Kind or other, and by the Imperfeûion ofour bell Aetions and Services; if not by prefumptuous Sins and againft Knowledge, yet by ma- pifold Sins of Ignorance and Infirmity; fo that the bell of us may fay with David every Day, Who can underfland his Errors? Cleanfe thou me from fecret Sins. ;If thou fouldit be extteatn to mark what is done amifr, 0Lord, who can Hand? à,. Thus, by exercifing a daily, or at leaft à very frequent Repentance, we may keep our Accounts in good Meafure even, and not be in a Hurry and Confu- liiou when we come to die, neither knowingwhere to begin our Repentance, nor bow to go thro' with fo great a Work in fo fhort a Time, and in Circumftances tàffo much Weaknefs and Diftraetion. There are hardly any of us, efpecially of us who. are Miniflers, and have frequent Occafion to attend uponSick-beds, but have fear' feveral in thofe wretched noes, not knowing what to do, defirous to repent, but what through Weaknefs of Body, and Horrour and Confulionof Mind, not knowing howtm,go about it, lamenting their Neglect of it in the Time of their Health, and defpairmg of doing it nowWith arty Suc- cefs and-Acceptance. There are fad.SpeElacles indeed, and ought to be -loud VZ'arn-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=