Now or never the holy, serious, diligent believer justified, encouraged, excited and directed, and…

I would not have distressed souls to use these considerations merely to disquiet themselves for their infirmities, and so live in heaviness and self-vexation, because they cannot be as good as they desire, or do as much and as well as they should do: It is not despair that will mend the matter, but make it worse: But I would wish the lazy slothful soul to plead these Questions with it self, and try whether they have no quickening power, if closely urged, and seriously considered.

I would not have distressed souls to use these considerations meerly to disquiet themselves for their infirmities, and so live in heaviness and self-vexation, because they cannot be as good as they desire, or do as much and as well as they should do: It is not despair that will mend the matter, but make it worse: But I would wish the lazie sloathful soul to plead these Questions with it self, and try whether they have no quickning power, if closely urged, and seriously considered.

Believe it, Sirs, it is the deceitfulness of prosperity that keeps up the reputation of a slothful life, and makes holy diligence seem unnecessary. When affliction comes, awakened reason is ashamed of this, and seeth it as an odious thing.

Believe it, Sirs, it is the deceitfulness of prosperity that keeps up the reputation of a slathful life, and makes holy diligence seem unnecessary. When affliction comes, awakened reason is ashamed of this, and seeth it as an odious thing.

BY this time you may see, what difference there is, between the judgement of God, and of the world; and what to think of the understandings of those men, (be they high or low, learned or unlearned) that hate or oppose this holy diligence. God bids us love, and seek and serve him, with all our heart, and soul, and might: And these men call them Zealots, and Precisians, and Puritans that endeavour it; though, alas, they fall exceeding short, when they have done their best. It is one of the most wonderful monstrosities and deformities that ever befell the nature of man, that men, that learned men, that men that in other things are wise, should seriously think that the utmost diligence to obey the Lord and save our souls, is needless; and that ever they should take it for a crime, and make it a matter of reproach: That the serious diligent obeying of Gods Laws, should be the matter of the common