The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

For the Lords sake, and for your souls sake, open your eyes, and foresee the things that are even at hand, and prevent these fruitless lamentations. Judge but as you will all shortly judge, and live but as you will wish that you had lived, and I desire no more. Be serious as if you saw the things that you say you do believe.

I know this serious discourse of another life, is usually ungrateful, to men that are conscious of their strangeness to it, and taking up their portion here, are loth to be tormented before the time. This is not the smoothing pleasing way. But remember that we have flesh as well as you, which longs not to be accounted troublesome or precise: which loves not to displease or be displeased: And had we no higher light and life, we should •a•k as men that saw and felt no more than fight and flesh can reach: But when we are preaching and dying, and you are hearing and dying, and we believe and know, that you are n•w going to see the things we speak of, and death will straightway draw aside the veil, and show you the great amazing sight, it's time for us to speak, and you to hear, with all our hearts. It's time for us to be serious, when we are so near the place where all are serious. There are none that are in jest in Heaven or Hell: pardon us therefore if we jest not at the door, and in the way to such a serious state. All that see and feel are serious: and therefore all that truly believe, must be so too. Were your eyes all opened this hour to see what we believe, we appeal to your own consciences, whether ⟨p. 61⟩it would not make you more serious than we.

I know this serious discourse of another life, is usually ungrateful, to men that are conscious of their strangeness to it, and taking up their portion here, are loth to be tormented before the time. This is not the smoothing pleasing way. But remember that we have flesh as well as you, which longs not to be accounted troublesome or precise: which loves not to displease or be displeased: And had we no higher light and life, we should ak as men that saw and felt no more than fight and flesh can reach: But when we are preaching and dying, and you are hearing and dying, and we believe and know, that you are nw going to see the things we speak of, and death will straightway draw aside the veil, and shew you the great amazing sight, it's time for us to speak, and you to hear, with all our hearts. It's time for us to be serious, when we are so near the place where all are serious. There are none that are in jest in Heaven or Hell: pardon us therefore if we jest not at the door, and in the way to such a serious state. All that see and feel are serious: and therefore all that truly believe, must be so too. Were your eyes all opened this hour to see what we believe, we appeal to your own consciences, whether