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…

First,¹ let it be a rule of trial to know, & judge of our estate, whether we be entered into this gate of Heaven or no? our lives are very short, very uncertain; let us consider if we be in the way to Heaven; what striving, what struggling, what violence have we ever offered? There are a company that regard not the means of ⟨p. 242⟩salvation at all, either in private or public. Some come to the Word, and hear, but they do not hear it as the Word of God, to be ruled by it, but as a discourse to delight themselves for the time, to have matter to speak of, and to censure, not with a spirit of obedience to be guided by it as the Sceptre of the Kingdom. What violence is this, now and then to hear a Sermon, now and then to read a Chapter, now and then to utter a yawning prayer between sleeping and waking, perhaps when thou knowest not what thy self sayest? how then wouldest thou have God to regard it? What violence is in the lives of most Christians, what strength to enforce good actions, how do they improve the means of salvation? many means are wholly neglected: some perhaps they use that may stand with their convenience now and then, whereas there must be an universal care of all the means, there cannot one be neglected without the loss of grace; and there must be attendance on them with violence. There is none of the means can profit us without rousing, and stirring up our spirits; we cannot hear, nor pray, without drawing up, and raising up our souls; the flesh will stop the comfortable performance of any action else, and Satan will kill them in the very birth if he can.

First,¹ let it be a rule of tryall to know, & judge of our estate, whether we be entred into this gate of Heaven or no? our lives are very short, very uncertaine; let us consider if we be in the way to Heaven; what striving, what strugling, what violence have we ever offered? There are a company that regard not the meanes of ⟨p. 242⟩salvation at all, either in private or publique. Some come to the Word, and heare, but they doe not heare it as the Word of God, to bee ruled by it, but as a discourse to delight themselves for the time, to have matter to speake of, and to censure, not with a spirit of obedience to be guided by it as the Scepter of the Kingdome. What violence is this, now and then to heare a Sermon, now and then to reade a Chapter, now and then to utter a yawning prayer betweene sleeping and waking, perhaps when thou knowest not what thy selfe saist? how then wouldest thou have God to regard it? What violence is in the lives of most Christians, what strength to enforce good actions, how doe they improove the meanes of salvation? many meanes are wholy neglected: some perhaps they use that may stand with their convenience now and then, whereas there must be an universall care of all the meanes, there cannot one be neglected without the losse of grace; and there must be attendance on them with violence. There is none of the meanes can profit us without rouzing, and stirring up our spirits; we cannot heare, nor pray, without drawing up, and raising up our soules; the flesh will stop the comfortable performance of any action else, and Satan will kill them in the very birth if he can.