If a man would sit down and call his thoughts together but for one half hour, and consider this seriously, I have but a little time to live here, it is another place where I must live for all eternity, and it shall be with ••e for all this eternity, as I spend this short time. I say if this were thoroughly considered, I wonder that any thing else should take up the intentions and thoughts of a mans heart, but only how to make sure his salvation. But alas we are robbed of our selves through worldly delights, and do magno conat•, magnas ••gas agere, and so we spend our lives. But if we would not have with the Merchant, Forturam rudentibus ap•am, that is, an estate hanging upon ropes, and depending upon uncertainties, especially seeing grace whence repentance proceedeth, is as you see received, and not in our power. But we mistake repentance, and that is the cav•e we defer it, it is not as it is commonly thought, a sorrow for our sins only, nor a ••cere leaving of sins out of fear of hell, and desire to be saved, which ⟨p. 14⟩a man may do out of the strength of natural wisdom, providing for his own safety, but it is a much different thing, viz. putting life into a dead man: Ephesians 2. 1. Making a man a new Creature, 2 Corinthtant 5. 17. A change of the whole frame of the heart. As if another soul dwelt in the same body, as he saith; Ego non ego. In a word, when a man is clean another man, then he was serving of God out of an inward propenseness and having the whole bent of his disposition turned to delight in the Law of God without these by-respects. And that this may yet be made clearer, and put out of all doubt, I would ask but this question; That repentance which men take up in age, or in times of extremity, whence proceedeth it, if from self love, as it usually doth in such cases, because the soul is then strongly possessed with an apprehension of death and hell, and another life, then there is no more then nature in it, for the stream riseth not higher then the fountain. A beast would do as much, which sinking into danger, would struggle to save it self. But if it proceed from love to God, why was it not done sooner, why not in the flower of our youth, yea when it is done soonest, would we not be heartily sorry that it was not done sooner, if it proceeded out of love to him.
If a man would sit downe and call his thoughts together but for one half hour, and consider this seriously, I have but a little time to live here, it is another place where I must live for all eternity, and it shall be with ••e for all this etern•ty, as I spend this short time. I say if this were thoroughly considered, I wonder that any thing else should take up the intentions and thoughts of a mans heart, but only how to make sure his salvation. But alas we are robbed of our selves through worldly delights, and doe magno conat•, magnas ••gas agere, and so we spend our lives. But if we would not have with the Merchant, Forturam rudentibus ap•am, that is, an estate hanging upon ropes, and depending upon uncertaineties, especially seeing grace whence repentance proceedeth, is as you see received, and not in our power. But wee mistake repentance, and that is the cav•e we defer it, it is not as it is commonly thought, a sorrow for our sinnes onely, nor a ••cere leaving of sinnes out of feare of hell, and desire to be saved, which ⟨p. 14⟩a man may doe out of the strength of naturall wisedome, providing for his owne safety, but it is a much different thing, viz. putting life into a dead man: Ephesians 2. 1. Making a man a new Creature, 2 Corinthtant 5. 17. A change of the whole frame of the heart. As if another soule dwelt in the same body, as he saith; Ego non ego. In a word, when a man is cleane another man, then he was serving of God out of an inward propensnesse and having the whole bent of his disposition turn'd to delight in the Law of God without these by-respects. And that this may yet be made clearer, and put out of all doubt, I would aske but this question; That repentance which men take up in age, or in times of extreamity, whence proceedeth it, if from selfe love, as it usually doth in such cases, because the soule is then strongly possessed with an apprehension of death and hell, and another life, then there is no more then nature in it, for the streame riseth not higher then the fountaine. A beast would doe as much, which sinking into danger, would struggle to save it selfe. But if it proceed from love to God, why was it not done sooner, why not in the flowre of our youth, yea when it is done soonest, would we not be heartily sorry that it was not done sooner, if it proceeded out of love to him.
