Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they…Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they…

It is a strange thing that persons should persuade themselves that they are Christians, and yet go from day to day without refreshing themselves with Christ, and with the meditation of the blessed estate they are in by him, both in respect of this world and that which is to come, without getting strength from Christ against tentations and against corruptions: Christ is food, and the promises and prerogatives we have by him are food, we should labour after it every day, feed on it every day: If a man should ask a man in his calling, why do you take such pains Morning and Evening, rising early and going to bed late? He would answer it is to get bread, it is to get food to maintain my family: So should it be our answer to any that wonder why we take such pains for our souls, why we labour so after Christ, Oh remember we take pains for life, to get and maintain life, and what is so necessary as life? And if life be so necessary, food which preserves it must be necessary: we see the Patriarchs for food left their country, and the poor Egyptians sold themselves and ⟨p. 195⟩their cattle and all to get food to keep life. We famish eternally except we feed on Christ, except we have so much Faith as makes us one with him, except by Faith we digest him and get nourishment and strength from him: it will appear to be so when it is too late, ere long nothing in the world will relish us, and then if we have not Christ and the things of another life to relish us what will become of us? J beseech you consider what opinion and judgement we shall have ere long of these earthly things and of the better things of another world, at the hour of death our judgements will be convinced that the things of Heaven are the best things: and if it be true that they will be so then, why is it not true that they are so now? Labour to have the same judgement now.

It is a strange thing that persons should perswade themselves that they are Christians, and yet goe from day to day without refreshing themselves with Christ, and with the meditation of the blessed estate they are in by him, both in respect of this world and that which is to come, without getting strength from Christ against tentations and against corruptions: Christ is foode, and the promises and prerogatives we have by him are food, wee should labour after it every day, feede on it every day: If a man should aske a man in his calling, why doe you take such paines Morning and Evening, rising early and going to bed late? Hee would answer it is to get bread, it is to get food to maintaine my family: So should it bee our answer to any that wonder why wee take such paines for our soules, why wee labour so after Christ, Oh remember we take paines for life, to get and mainetaine life, and what is so necessary as life? And if life bee so necessary, food which preserves it must be necessary: we see the Patriarks for food left their country, and the poore Aegyptians sold themselves and