A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

Make no more words then, but Resolve and stir when it ⟨p. 52⟩is a matter that must be done. It is pity and shame that the Amiableness of God and Holiness will not prevail with you of themselves: But if you cannot yet perceive them to be Delectable, acknowledge them to be Necessary. Be ashamed that pretended Necessity for the Body, should be more powerful with others, then real Necessity for salvation is with you. Look upon almost all the travel and labour that is under the Sun, and all the diligence that is used here in the world, and consider Whether it be not a thousand fold smaller Necessity then I am now pleading with you, that setteth almost all on work? The Rich will not toil and labour, but will take their ease, because they think they are under no Necessity: but the poor will labour, because they must: Though the command of God to Rich and poor should make them equally diligent in their several callings, in obedience to their Creator, yet many thousands that labour all the year in obedience to their own Necessities, would soon give it over and take their ease, if they could but be well maintained without it, notwithstanding the commands of God: And the poor that reproach the rich for idleness, would be idle themselves if they were but rich. The Tradesman followeth his trade, and the Husbandman his hard labour all the year: and What reason will they give you, if you ask them why they do it, but this, We cannot live else: We must do it to maintain cur selves and families. And is not the reason thousand times stronger for our souls? May we not better say, [We must please God, and set our hearts on the life to come, and mind and seek the One thing needful, whatever becomes of other things; for me cannot live else; we cannot be saved else.]

Make no more words then, but Resolve and stirre when it ⟨p. 52⟩is a matter that must be done. It is pitty and shame that the Amiableness of God and Holiness will not prevail with you of themselves: But if you cannot yet perceive them to be Delectable, acknowledge them to be Necessary. Be ashamed that pretended Necessity for the Body, should be more powerful with others, then real Necessity for salvation is with you. Look upon almost all the travel and labour that is under the Sun, and all the diligence that is used here in the world, and consider Whether it be not a thousand fold smaller Necessity then I am now pleading with you, that setteth almost all on work? The Rich will not toil and labour, but will take their ease, because they think they are under no Necessity: but the poor will labour, because they must: Though the command of God to Rich and poor should make them equally diligent in their several callings, in obedience to their Creator, yet many thousands that labour all the year in obedience to their own Necessities, would soon give it over and take their ease, if they could but be well maintained without it, notwithsanding the commands of God: And the poor that reproach the rich for idlendss, would be idle themselves if they were but rich. The Tradesman followeth his trade, and the Husbandman his hard labour all the year: and What reason will they give you, if you ask them why they do it, but this, We cannot live else: We must do it to maintain cur selves and families. And is not the reason thousand times stronger for our souls? May we not better say, [We must please God, and set our hearts on the life to come, and mind and seek the One thing needful, whatever becomes of other things; for me cannot live else; we cannot be saved else.]