First, Remembrance, or a minding of our duty. Heb. 2. 1. Give the more earnest heed ⟨p. 31⟩to the things that you have heard, lest at any time you let them slip. The memory of man is a leaking vessel, apt to let out as fast as God pours in. It is like a grate in the water-course; still the trash doth stick by us; but the pure water, the things of God and of another world are soon out and gone. Beloved, it is very strange, and yet very true, those things that we are most affected with, which are most fresh in our minds, that our thoughts do most naturally run upon, in a few weeks or months, the savour of them dye, and the things are buried in oblivion: and perhaps scarce ever come to mind again. Concerning this excellent course that we have been directed to, I pray God that I may never live to see it dead and buried: and thus I pray for you all. I confess, I am afraid of myself, lest time should wear out the sense or remembrance of so great a duty: but the Lord be better to me than my fears, and to all others whose fear this is. Neither is it implied only that we should never forget this duty, or think upon it only now and then, but that our thoughts should run upon it. That which a man sets his heart upon, he will often mind. The voluptuous man sets his heart upon his pleasure, and therefore will mind his pleasure. The Covetous man sets his heart upon his riches, and therefore minds his riches. Their thoughts are so taken up with those things that they scarce think upon any thing else. So it should be with us. When we are sitting at our tables, lying down, rising up, alone, in company, going to any duty, in our shops, about our callings, ⟨p. 32⟩we should remember this course. We should be as well able to forget to eat as to forget the rule by which we should eat. We should be as well able to forget to sleep and speak, and follow our callings, as to forget the rule by which we should do it. I shall shut up this particular with the prayer of David, so full to this purpose, 1 Chron. 29. 18. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel our fathers, keep this for ever in the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee.
First, Remembrance, or a minding of our duty. Heb. 2. 1. Give the more earnest heed ⟨p. 31⟩to the things that you have heard, lest at any time you let them slip. The memory of man is a leaking vessel, apt to let out as fast as God poures in. It is like a grate in the water-course; still the trash doth stick by us; but the pure water, the things of God and of another world are soon out and gone. Beloved, it is very strange, and yet very true, those things that we are most affected with, which are most fresh in our minds, that our thoughts do most naturally run upon, in a few weeks or months, the savor of them dye, and the things are buried in oblivion: and perhaps scarce ever come to mind again. Concerning this excellent course that we have been directed to, I pray God that I may never live to see it dead and buried: and thus I pray for you all. I confess, I am afraid of myself, lest time should wearout the sence or remembrance of so great a duty: but the Lord be better to me than my fears, and to all others whose fear this is. Neither is it implyed only that we should never forget this duty, or think upon it only nowand then, but that our thoughts should run upon it. That which a man sets his heart upon, he will often mind. The voluptuous man sets his heart upon his pleasure, and therefore will mind his pleasure. The Covetous man sets his heart upon his riches, and therefore minds his riches. Their thoughts are so taken up with those things that they scarce think upon any thing else. So it should be with us. When we are sitting at our tables, lying down, rising up, alone, in company, going to any duty, inour shops, about our callings, ⟨p. 32⟩we should remember this course. We should be as well able to forget to eat as to forget the rule by which we should eat. VVe should be as well able to forget to sleep and speak, and follow our callings, as to forget the rule by which we should do it. I shall shut up this particular with the prayer of David, so full to this purpose, 1 Chron. 29. 18. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagnations of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee.
