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

I have been longer on this then I thought to have been, because men think that we call them from all Mirth, & Joy, & pleasure, to a sour heavy, melancholy life, when we call them to serious diligence for their salvation. As if levity & folly were the only friends to Pleasure, and it were only to be found in childish, worthless, transitory things. And as if the ⟨p. 216⟩greatest everlasting Happiness were no matter of true Delight, nor Seriousness, or Diligence of a friend to Joy.

I have been longer on this then I thought to have been, because men think that we call them from all Mirth, & Joy, & pleasure, to a sowre heavy, melancholy life, when we call them to serious diligence for their salvation. As if levity & folly were the only freinds to Pleasure, and it were only to be found in childish, worthless, transitory things. And as if the ⟨p. 216⟩greatest everlasting Happiness were no matter of true Delight, nor Seriousness, or Diligence of a friend to Joy.

9. Moreover, as to the manner, God will be served with absolute self-resignation, without Exceptions, Limitations or Reserves: Not with the leavings of the flesh, nor with a Proviso that you may not suffer by your Religion, or be poor, or despised, or abused by the world: But with self-denial you must lay down all the fleshes interest at his feet; and you must take up your Cross, and follow a suffering Christ to Glory. You must serve him as those that are wholly His, and not your own, and have nothing but what is his, and therefore nothing to be excepted, reserved or saved from him; but must be content that you and all your interest be in his hands, and saved by him, if saved at all. I know these terms seem hard to flesh and blood (and should Heaven be the Crown and reward to them, that have undergone ⟨p. 217⟩no trial for it?) But here is nothing but what is past all controversy, and all Christians do confess is the Word of Christ.