Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life,…

That thou wouldst spend some time in secret before God, whereas before thou wast use to waste it in thy pleasures, and taking of thy worldly delights.

Deal plainly, man, with thy self, and do not flatter thy soul, and daub with thy conscience, Was there not some such thoughts and purposes, and resolutions as these in thy heart at such a time? And didst thou promise and resolve in jest, and not in earnest; God did afflict thee by the plague in good earnest, and thou waste then afraid of death, and the grave, and judgement, in good earnest! And didst thou only purpose in jest, and resolve in jest, and play with holy things when thou wast near another world? and dally with God, when thou didst not know but within an hour thou mightest have appeared at his Bar? and been set before the terrible tribunal of the great heart-searching God? But if thou wast in earnest with God, when God was in earnest with thee; if thou wast in earnest in promising, be earnest in earnest to perform; if thou didst indeed resolve to reform when thou shouldst be well, then reform indeed according to thy resolution, since God hath made thee well, and saved thee from the Grave, to which thou wast so near, so very near.

Deal plainly, man, with thy self, and do not flatter thy soul, and daube with thy conscience, Was there not some such thoughts and purposes, and resolutions as these in thy heart at such a time? And didst thou promise and resolve in jest, and not in earnest; God did afflict thee by the plague in good earnest, and thou waste then affraid of death, and the grave, and judgement, in good earnest! And didst thou onely purpose in jest, and resolve in jest, and play with holy things when thou wast near another world? and dally with God, when thou didst not know but within an hour thou mightest have appeared at his Bar? and been set before the terrible tribunal of the great heart-searching God? But if thou wast in earnest with God, when God was in earnest with thee; if thou wast in earnest in promising, be earnest in earnest to perform; if thou didst indeed resolve to reform when thou shouldst be well, then reform indeed according to thy resolution, since God hath made thee well, and saved thee from the Grave, to which thou wast so near, so very near.