1. Let us Live expecting a period to be ere long put to our Life on Earth For remember, there are Keys put into a great hand for this very purpose, that holds them not in vain. His Power is of equal extent with the Law he is to proceed by. And by that ⟨p. 75⟩it is appointed for all once to Die. 1Therefore as in the Execution, he cannot exceed, so he will not come short of this appointment: When that once shall be, it belongs to him to determine. And from the course we may observe him to hold, as it is uncertain to all, it can be very remote to none. How short is the measure of a Span! 'Tis an absurd vanity •o promise our selves that which is in the power of another. How Wise and Prudent a thing to accommodate our selves composedly to his pleasure, in whose power we are! And to live as Men continually expecting to die! There are bands of Death out of which, when they once take hold, we cannot free our selves. But there are also bands of Life, not less troublesome or dangerous. ⟨p. 76⟩'Tis our great concern to be daily by degrees, loosening and disentangling our selves from these bands; and for preventing the necessity of a violent Rupture, To be daily disengaging our Hearts from an ensnaring World, and the too close embraces of an over indulged Body. Tell them resolutely, I must leave them, whensoever my great Lord turns the Key for me, and I know not how soon that may be. It is equally unhappy and foolish to be engaged in the pursuit of an impossibility; or in a War with necessity, the former whereof cannot be obtained, the latter cannot but overcome. We owe so much to our selves, and to the ease and quiet of our own Minds, to be reconciled, at all times, to that which may befall us at any time. How confounding ⟨p. 77⟩a thing is surprisal by that which our selves regret and dread! How unaccountable and ignominious must it be to pretend to be surprised with what we have so great reason always to expect! And whereof we are so oft forewarned! Is it no part of Christian watchfulness to wait for such an hour? Tho' that waiting all the days of our appointed time, mentioned John 14.14. refers to another change than that of Death, viz. (as the foregoing and following verses show) That of the Resurrection, yet it cannot but be equally requisite, upon a no less important reason.
1. Let us Live expecting a period to be ere long put to our Life on Earth For remember, there are Keys put into a great hand for this very purpose, that holds them not in vain. His Power is of equal extent with the Law he is to proceed by. And by that ⟨p. 75⟩it is appointed for all once to Die. 1Therefore as in the Execution, he cannot exceed, so he will not come short of this appointment: When that once shall be, it belongs to him to determine. And from the course we may observe him to hold, as it is uncertain to all, it can be very remote to none. How short is the measure of a Span! 'Tis an absurd vanity •o promise our selves that which is in the power of another. How Wise and Prudent a thing to accommodate our selves composedly to his pleasure, in whose power we are! And to live as Men continually expecting to die! There are bands of Death out of which, when they once take hold, we cannot free our selves. But there are also bands of Life, not less troublesome or dangerous. ⟨p. 76⟩'Tis our great concern to be daily by degrees, loosening and disentangling our selves from these bands; and for preventing the necessity of a violent Rupture, To be daily disingaging our Hearts from an ensnaring World, and the too close embraces of an over indulged Body. Tell them resolutely, I must leave them, whensoever my great Lord turns the Key for me, and I know not how soon that may be. It is equally unhappy and foolish to be ingaged in the pursuit of an impossibility; or in a War with necessity, the former whereof cannot be obtained, the latter cannot but overcome. We owe so much to our selves, and to the ease and quiet of our own Minds, to be reconciled, at all times, to that which may befal us at any time. How confounding ⟨p. 77⟩a thing is surprizal by that which our selves regret and dread! How unaccountable and ignominious must it be to pretend to be surprized with what we have so great reason always to expect! And whereof we are so oft forewarned! Is it no part of Christian watchfulness to wait for such an hour? Tho' that waiting all the days of our appointed time, mentioned John 14.14. refers to another change than that of Death, viz. (as the foregoing and following verses shew) That of the Resurrection, yet it cannot but be equally requisite, upon a no less important reason.
- 1Heb. 9.26.
