Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
7. And as for the world and the things thereof, though you may pray for much, yet you must be content with little. The way to have a mercy or blessing is to be content to go without it, & the way to avoid any evil is to submit to it, & to remove it, is to bless God over it, as Joh did.
8. Let your Recreation, O my Children, be sparing, for they are but Condimentum your sauce, and not nutrimentum, your nourishment, your Cordial and not your diet.
9. Of all Books study the Bible, of all duties be much in prayer, of all graces exercise faith, of all days observe the Lords day, and of all things in Heaven or Earth be sure that you get an interest in God by Jesus Christ.
9. Of all Books study the Bible, of all duties be much in prayer, of all graces exercise faith, of all dayes observe the Lords day, and of all things in Heaven or Earth be sure that you get an interest in God by Jesus Christ.
10. And by any means, O my Children and Friends, let brotherly love continue, for love is the fulfilling of the Law: who can break a faggot where the sticks are joined together by the common Band? but if the sticks be parted, how easily are they all broken? and what is the reason that such judicial breaches are made upon us, but because our pride and want of love doth make such sinful breaches among us. Cyprian tells us that the divisions and dissentions of the Churches was the cause of the persecution in the primitive times, for, said he, Those evils had not come to the brethren, if the brethren had been united or animated into one. But I am sure that our Saviour Christ saith, By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if you love one another, and John the Disciple of love saith, By this shall you know that you are translated from death to life because you love the Brethren See therefore that you love the Brethren, and that because they are Brethren. For possibly a man may love those that are good, yet not because they are good, for then he would love them better that are better, and those best that are best: if you love those that are good it is well, yet this may be from some self concernment, and your love then will be narrowed and your affections monopolized by some only of your own persuasion or; relation, but if you love those that are good, because they are good, this is better, for then you will love all that is good, though of some different persuasion from you: for, a quatenus ad o••ia. from all to all, is a good consequence. Thus therefore, O my Sons, let your love be stated, continued, and increased, towards men, but above all be sure that you love Jesus, also for Jesus. Jesus is hardly loved for Jesus, but do you love Christ for himself, and let the only measure of your love be to know no measure. Thus let
⟨p. 18⟩
the old man do and dye, and as he lived by Faith, he shall dye in the Faith.
10. And by any means, O my Children and Friends, let brotherly love continue, for love is the fulfilling of the Law: who can break a faggot where the sticks are joyned together by the common Band? but if the sticks be parted, how easily are they all broken? and what is the reason that such judicial breaches are made upon us, but because our pride and want of love doth make such sinful breaches among us. Cyprian tells us that the divisions and dissentions of the Churches was the cause of the persecution in the primitive times, for, said he, Those evils had not come to the brethren, if the brethren had been united or animated into one. But I am sure that our Saviour Christ saith, By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if you love one another, and John the Disciple of love saith, By this shall you know that you are translated from death to life because you love the Brethren See therefore that you love the Brethren, and that because they are Brethren. For possibly a man may love those that are good, yet not because they are good, for then he would love them better that are better, and those best that are best: if you love those that are good it is well, yet this may be from some self concernment, and your love then will be narrowed and your affections monopolized by some only of your own perswasion or; relation, but if you love those that are good, because they are good, this is better, for then you will love all that is good, though of some different perswasion from you: for, a quatenus ad o••ia. from all to all, is a good consequence. Thus therefore, O my Sons, let your love be stated, continued, and increased, towards men, but above all be sure that you love Jesus, also for Jesus. Jesus is hardly loved for Jesus, but do you love Christ for himself, and let the only measure of your love be to know no measure. Thus let ⟨p. 18⟩the old man do and dye, and as he lived by Faith, he shall dye in the Faith.
4. That it may be it was late ere he came into Gods work, and if you played away the forenoon of your age, will you not work the harder in the afternoon.
6. That Gods promise is very full, for he hath promised and said, Thou shall come to thy grave in a full old age, and as a shock of corn cometh in his season, Job. 5. 26. yea, he hath promised that those that are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the Courts of our God, they shall bring forth fruit in old Age, they shall be fat and flourishing, Psal. 92 13, 14.
7. That thus they shall not be afraid to dye, but shall say, with that good man dying, I have not so lived that I am afraid to dye, but I have so learned Christ that I am not afraid to dye.
8. Yea, and thus shall his old Age be a good old Age, and he so number his days (it is not said his years, nor his months, nor his weeks, out days, for his life is so short, that it is rather to be numbered by days then by years, or months, or weeks,) that he should apply his heart unto wisdom.
8. Yea, and thus shall his old Age be a good old Age, and he so number his dayes (it is not said his years, nor his moneths, nor his weeks, out dayes, for his life is so short, that it is rather to be numbred by dayes then by years, or moneths, or weeks,) that he should apply his heart unto wisdome.
