Christian letters full of spiritual instructions tending to the promoting of the power of…

The Lesson is, To be entirely devoted unto the Lord, that I may be able to say after the Apostle, To me to live is Christ. I would not be serving God only for a day in the week, or an hour or two in the day; but every day, and all the day. I am ambitious to come up towards that of our Lord and Master, To do always those things that please God. I plainly see, that self-seeking is self-undoing; and that then we do promote our selves best, when we please God most. I find, that when I have done all, if God be not pleased, I have done nothing; and if I can but approve my self to God, my work is done: I reckon I do not live that time I do not live unto God.

I am •ain to cut off so many hours from my days, and so many years from my life (so short as it is) as I have lived unto my self. I find no enemy so dangerous as my self, and O that others might take warning by my hurt! O that I had lived wholly unto God! then had every day and every ⟨p. 140⟩hour that I have spent, been found upon my account at that great day of our appearing before God: then I had been rich indeed, in treasure laid up there, whither I am apace removing; then I had been every day and hour adding to the heap, and increasing the reward which God of his mere grace hath promised, even to the meanest work that is done to him, Col. 3. 24. I verily perceive I am an external loser by acting no more as for God; for what is done to my self, is lost; but what is done for God, is done for ever, and shall receive an everlasting reward. Verily, if there be another world to come, and an eternal state after this short life, it is our only wisdom to be removing, and, as it were, transplanting and transporting what we can, from hence, into that Country to which we are shortly to be removed, that what we are now doing, we may be reaping the fruit of for ever more. The world think themselves wise; but I will pawn my soul upon it, that this is the true wisdom.

I am •ain to cut off so many hours from my days, and so many years from my life (so short as it is) as I have lived unto my self. I find no enemy so dangerous as my self, and O that others might take warning by my hurt! O that I had lived wholly unto God! then had every day and every