The crucifying of the world

Quest. 3. Is it the course of their lives that you judge by? or is it some one particular action? He that is not blind may see, that the course and drift of their lives, is less earthly and more heavenly then other mens. And God judgeth of a man by the scope of his life, and not by one single action: and so must we. The very bent and drift of your lives is worldly. If a man come into your family, what shall he see but worldliness? If one fall into your company, what shall he hear from you, but about this world? If one observe what you do from year to year, he may see that you lay out your selves for the world: You cannot refrain upon the Lords own day; but you are minding it, and talking of it. You savour not any other discourse. The very talk, and labour that is laid out about another world, is troublesome to you, and its this that makes you dislike the godly. You cannot say so of the course of their lives. If once any of them have fallen by temptation into a miscarriage; will you judge of all their lives by that? Do they not lament and bewail it as long as they live after? and avoid it more carefully for the time to come. ⟨p. 196⟩What if Noah were once drunk in his life: will you judge of his whole life by it, or say, that he is as bad as the rest of the world? What if Lot be given over to a temptation? What if Abraham did once tell a lye or equivocate, and Isaac do the like in a fear? What if Moses did once provoke God? What if David did once commit an heinous sin? Or Peter did deny his Master in his fear? Will you either judge of all other godly people by them? Or will you judge of the course of their lives by one action, which they bewail and lament as long as they live? And can you see no difference between a Worldly action, and a Worldly life?

Quest. 3. Is it the course of their lives that you judge by? or is it some one particular action? He that is not blind may see, that the course and drift of their lives, is less earthly and more heavenly then other mens. And God judgeth of a man by the scope of his life, and not by one single action: and so must we. The very bent and drift of your lives is worldly. If a man come into your family, what shall he see but worldliness? If one fall into your company, what shall he hear from you, but about this world? If one observe what you do from year to year, he may see that you lay out your selves for the world: You cannot refrain upon the Lords own day; but you are minding it, and talking of it. You savour not any other discourse. The very talk, and labour that is laid out about another world, is troublesom to you, and its this that makes you dislike the godly. You cannot say so of the course of their lives. If once any of them have fallen by temptation into a miscarriage; will you judge of all their lives by that? Do they not lament and bewail it as long as they live after? and avoid it more carefully for the time to come.