2. To people: Is it of such difficulty? O labour you to do your work in health, while time and strength last, before the evil days come, &c. It is a serious Admonition of Gregory's in his Book Decura pastorali salus corporis quando ad bene operandum accepta despicitur quanti sit muneris amissa sentitur: He that neglects the time of health for the doing of his great work, he shall feel the worth of it by the want of it. I beseech you let me reason with you: Why will you run an hazard, when you may go a safe way? Consider what woeful straits you will bring your selves too, if you do not ponder your ways, and fix your thoughts, and afflict your hearts, You kill your souls; if you do, perhaps your bodies, &c. what a dreadful Dilemma is this, &c. The Physician chargeth you not to trouble your selves with sad thoughts, lest you overthrow your bodies: and the Minister, If he will be faithful, must charge you to trouble your selves, ⟨p. 120⟩lest you lose your souls. O consider now; now you may consider, you have the use of reason, then reason maybe lost, &c. Now God will accept of you, then it may be he will reject you, as Prov. 1. Now you are at leisure to consider, then sufficient unto the day will be the evil thereof. And therefore be persuaded to improve the time of health. It is the general custom of sick persons to send for Ministers to prepare them for the future life, when they despair of the enjoyment of this present life. A learned man wittily observed, that as they say, ubi desinit Philosophus, incipit Medicus: So it may be said, Ubi desinit Medicus, incipit Theologus, where the Physician ends, the Divine begins. Thus they begin to live at the end of their life: But you, if you be wise take this counsel (and ô that my words might prevail with you) desire to speak with able & godly Ministers in the time of your health: That, that is the acceptable time; Then may they give counsel freely, and you may follow their counsel throughly. That was the course of those Converts, Acts 2. They did not tarry till their souls were ready to breath out themselves into eternity, but in the time of their health applied themselves to Peter, &c. Men and brethren, what shall we do?
2. To people: Is it of such difficulty? O labour you to do your work in health, while time and strength last, before the evill dayes come, &c. It is a serious Admonition of Gregories in his Book Decura pastorali salus corporis quando ad bene operandum accepta despicitur quanti sit muneris amissa sentitur: He that neglects the time of health for the doing of his great work, he shall feel the worth of it by the want of it. I beseech you let me reason with you: Why will you run an hazard, when you may go a safe way? Consider what woful straits you will bring your selves too, if you do not ponder your ways, and fix your thoughts, and afflict your hearts, You kill your souls; if you do, perhaps your bodies, &c. what a dreadfull Dilemma is this, &c. The Physitian chargeth you not to trouble your selves with sad thoughts, lest you overthrow your bodies: and the Minister, If he will be faithful, must charge you to trouble your selves, ⟨p. 120⟩lest you lose your souls. O consider now; now you may consider, you have the use of reason, then reason maybe lost, &c. Now God will accept of you, then it may be he will reject you, as Prov. 1. Now yau are at leasure to consider, then sufficient unto the day will be the evil thereof. And therefore be perswaded to improve the time of health. It is the general custom of sick persons to send for Ministers to prepare them for the future life, when they despair of the enjoyment of this present life. A learned man wittily observed, that as they say, ubi desinit Philosophus, incipit Medicus: So it may be said, Ʋbi desinit Medicus, incipit Theologus, where the Physitian ends, the Divine begins. Thus they begin to live at the end of their life: But you, if you be wise take this counsell (and ô that my words might prevail with you) desire to speak with able & godly Ministers in the time of your health: That, that is the acceptable time; Then may they give counsell freely, and you may follow their counsell throughly. That was the course of those Converts, Acts 2. They did not tarry till their souls were ready to breath out themselves into eternity, but in the time of their health applyed themselves to Peter, &c. Men and brethren, what shall we do?
