Seasonable counsel, or, Advice to sufferers

Before I leave this, I will speak something of the way in which this commitment of the Soul to God must be. And that is in a way of well-doing, Let them commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing: or in a way of well-doing. That is therefore the course that a godly man should be found in, at, in, and after he hath committed his Soul to God to keep. And as the Apostle says in an other place, This is but a reasonable service, Rom. 12.1. For if God be so gracious as to take care of my Soul at my request, ⟨p. 42⟩why should not I also be so gracious as to be found in a way of well-doing at his bidding? Take care, Master, of me for meat and wages; and I will take care, Master, that thy work shall be faithfully done. This is honest, and thus should Christians say to God. And he that heartily in this shall mean as he saith, shall find that God's way shall be strength unto him.

A Christian is not to commit his Soul unto God to keep, and so to grow remiss, carnal, negligent, cold and worldly: concluding as if he had now bound God to save him, but set himself at liberty, whether he will longer serve him in trying and troublesome times, or no. He must commit the keeping of his Soul to him in well-doing. He may not now relinquish Gods cause, play the Apostate, cast off the Cross, and look for Heaven notwithstanding. He that doth thus will find himself mistaken, and be made to know at last that God takes the care of no such Souls. If any man draws back saith he, my Soul shall have no pleasure in him. Wherefore he that committeth ⟨p. 43⟩the keeping of his Soul to God, must do it in that way which God has prescribed to him, which is in a way of well-doing. Alas, alas! there is never such a word in it: it must be done in a way of well-doing. You must think of this that would commit your Souls to God in suffering and troublesome times.