The Saints' Everlasting Rest

Reader, it is, under God, in thine own choice now, whether thou wilt live thus blessed, or not; and whether all this pains, which I have taken for thee, shall prosper or be lost. If it be lost through thy laziness, (which God forbid) be it known to thee, thou wilt prove the greatest looser thy self. If thou value not this Heavenly Angelical life, how canst thou say that thou valuest Heaven? And if thou value not it, no wonder if thou be shut out. The power of godliness lieth in the actings of the soul: Take heed that thou stick not in the vain deluding form. O man! What hast thou to mind, but God and Heaven? Art thou not almost out of this world already? Dost thou not look every day, when one disease, or other, will let out thy soul? Doth not the Bier stand ready to carry thee to the Grave? and the Worms wait to feed upon thy face and heart? What if thy Pulse must beat a few strokes more? and what if thou have a few more breathes to fetch, before thou breathe out thy last? and what if thou have a few more nights to sleep, before thou sleep in the dust? Alas, what will this be, when it is gone? And is it not almost gone already? Very shortly thou wilt see thy glass run out, and say thy self, My life is done! my time is gone! its past recalling! there's nothing now, but Heaven or Hell before me! O where then should thy heart be now, but in Heaven? Didst thou but know what a dreadful thing it is, to have a strange and doubtful thought of Heaven; when a man lies dying, it ⟨p. 841⟩would sure rouse thee up. And what other thoughts, but strange, can that man have, that never thought seriously of Heaven, till then? Every mans first thoughts are strange about all things: Familiarity and acquaintance comes not in a moment, but is the consequent of Custom, and frequent Converse. And strangeness naturally raiseth dread, as familiarity doth delight. What else makes a Fish or a wild Beast fly from a man; when domestic Creatures take pleasure in his company? So wilt thou fly from God (if thou knewest how) who should be thy only happiness, if thou do not get this strangeness removed in thy life time? And is it not pity, that a child should be so strange to his own Father, as to fear nothing more, then to go into his presence? and to think himself best, when he is furthest from him? and to fly from his face, as a wild Creature will do from the face of a man?

Reader, it is, under God, in thine own choice now, whether thou wilt live thus blessed, or not; and whether all this pains, which I have taken for thee, shall prosper or be lost. If it be lost through thy laziness, (which God forbid) be it known to thee, thou wilt prove the greatest looser thy self. If thou value not this Heavenly Angelical life, how canst thou say that thou valuest Heaven? And if thou value not it, no wonder if thou be shut out. The power of godliness lieth in the actings of the soul: Take heed that thou stick not in the vain deluding form. O man! VVhat hast thou to minde, but God and Heaven? Art thou not almost out of this world already? Dost thou not look every day, when one disease, or other, will let out thy soul? Doth not the Bier stand ready to carry thee to the Grave? and the VVorms wait to feed upon thy face and heart? What if thy Pulse must beat a few strokes more? and what if thou have a few more breathes to fetch, before thou breathe out thy last? and what if thou have a few more nights to sleep, before thou sleep in the dust? Alas, what will this be, when it is gone? And is it not almost gone already? Very shortly thou wilt see thy glass run out, and say thy self, My life is done! my time is gone! its past recalling! there's nothing now, but Heaven or Hell before me! O where then should thy heart be now, but in Heaven? Didst thou but know what a dreadful thing it is, to have a strange and doubtful thought of Heaven; when a man lies dying, it