The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

And, methinks if we have no love for our better and more noble self, we should not be altogether unapprehensive of an obligation upon us, to express a dutiful love to the Author of our beings doth it consist with the love we owe to him, to desire always to lurk ⟨p. 411⟩in the dark, and never come into his blessed presence? Is that our love that we never care to come nigh him? Do we not know that while we are present in the body, we are absent from the Lord? should we not therefore be willing rather to be present with the Lord, and absent from the body? should we not put on a confidence, an holy fortitude (as 'tis there expressed we are confident, or of good courage, and thence willing, &c.) that might carry us through the Grave to him. As is the brave Speech of that last mentioned Philosopher.¹ God will call thee ere long, expect his call.² Old age will come upon thee, and show thee the way thither, and death which he that is possest with a base fear,³ laments and dreads as it draws on; but he that is a lover of God, expects it with joy, and with courage, meets it when it comes.

And, methinks if we have no love for our better and more noble self, we should not be altogether unapprehensive of an obligation upon us, to express a dutiful love to the Author of our beings doth it consist with the love we owe to him, to desire always to lurk ⟨p. 411⟩in the dark, and never come into his blessed presence? Is that our love that we never care to come nigh him? Do we not know that while we are present in the body, we are absent from the Lord? should we not therefore be willing rather to be present with the Lord, and absent from the body? should we not put on a confidence, an holy fortitude (as 'tis there exprest we are confident, or of good courage, and thence willing, &c.) that might carry us through the Grave to him. As is the brave Speech of that last mentioned Philosopher.¹