Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

And seeing God hath thus inclined your heart to himself, be for ever established in your choice: seeing God hath shown to you his ways, say, as Pilate in another case, That I have written, I have written; so, That I have chosen, I have chosen. If any temptation come to tempt you from your choice, as flesh and blood would be ready to mutter, and think, I might have lived as brave a life as such a one, & might have had as much pleasure as such a one; I have lost so many friends, and so much means, and brought my self into a great many straights; indeed, they spake much of Gods Ordinances, and I was taken with it, and I ventured, and I have brought my self into troubles: and upon the mutterings of flesh and blood, you are beginning to bethink your selves again, and examine things again, and think whether you did wisely or no: O take heed of that first degree of Apostasy, namely, that suspicion of your choice.

And seeing God hath thus enclined your heart to himself, be for ever established in your choice: seeing God hath shewn to you his ways, say, as Pilate in another case, That I have written, I have written; so, That I have chosen, I have chosen. If any temptation come to tempt you from your choice, as flesh and blood would be ready to mutter, and think, I might have lived as brave a life as such a one, & might have had as much pleasure as such a one; I have lost so many friends, and so much means, and brought my self into a great many straights; indeed, they spake much of Gods Ordinances, and I was taken with it, and I ventured, and I have brought my self into troubles: and upon the mutterings of flesh and blood, you are beginning to bethink your selves again, and examine things again, and think whether you did wisely or no: O take heed of that first degree of Apostacy, namely, that suspition of your choice.

Many in their young time are very zealous in the ways of Religion, while all is well with them, and now they meet with other things then they looked for, and they begin to think they were too forward, and wish they were not so far engaged as they are: ⟨p. 143⟩they begin to repent, as chapmen who have out-bid themselves: Many go on in a profession, and suffer much, because they are engaged in that way, and they know not how to get off; if they could get off, they would: take heed of repentings of your choice, lest God lead you out with the workers of iniquity, do not listen to the reasonings of flesh and blood. Cassianus reports of a young man, that had given himself up to a Christian life, and his Parents misliked that way, and they wrote Letters to him, to persuade him from it; and when he knew they were Letters come from them, he would not open them, but threw them into the fire: and so flesh and blood will come and say, Do thus and thus, you may do well enough at last; throw away these letters, these suggestions of flesh and blood, and do not answer them, but be resolved in thine own heart, I know in whom I have believed, I know whom I have chosen, I did not choose rashly, but I felt the power of God upon my heart, before I made my choice, and I had grounds and arguments of my choice; and what, shall I by such an argument as this be persuaded to the contrary? Therefore go on, and be established in your choice, and the Lord confirm you in it, and give my soul part with you in that choice you have made: let flesh, and the world, and temptations say what they will, peace will be in the end.