The saints everlasting rest

2. As for duty to others, and service to the church, it is not thy duty when GOD doth disable thee. He may call thee out of the vineyard in this respect, even before he call thee by death. If he lay thee in the grave, and put others in thy place, is this any wrong to thee? So if he call thee out before thy death, and set others to do the work, shouldst thou not be as well content? Must GOD do all the work by thee? Hath he not many others as dear to him, and as fit for the employment? But alas, what deceitfulness lieth in these hearts! When we have time, and health, and opportunity to work, then we loiter, and do our Master but poor service: but when he layeth affliction upon us, then we complain that he disableth us for his work, and yet perhaps we are still negligent in that part of the work which we can do. So, when we are in health and prosperity, we forget the public, and are careless of other men's miseries and wants, and mind almost nothing but ourselves; but when GOD afflicteth us, though he excite us more to duty for ourselves, yet we complain that he disableth us for our duty to others: as if on a sudden we were grown so charitable, that we regard other men's souls more man our own! But is not the hand of flesh in all this dissimulation, ⟨p. 193⟩pleading its own cause? What pride of heart is this, to think that other men cannot do the work as well as we! Or that GOD cannot see to his church, and provide for his people, without us!

2. As for duty to others, and service to the church, it is not thy dety when GOD doth disable thee. He may call thee out of the vineyard in this respect, even before he call thee by death. If he lay thee in the grave, and put others in thy place, is this any wrong to thee? So if he call thee out before thy death, and set others to do the work, shouldst thou not be as well content? Must GOD do all the work by thee? Hath he not many others as dear to him, and as fit for the employment? But alas, what deceitfulness lieth in these hearts! When we have time, and health, and opportunity to work, then we loiter, and do our Master but poor service: but when he layeth affliction upon us, then we complain that he disableth us for his work, and yet perhaps we are still negligent in that part of the work which we can do. So, when we are in health and prosperity, we forget the public, and are careless of other men's miseries and wants, and mind almost nothing but ourselves; but when GOD afflict•th us, though he excite us more to duty for ourselves, yet we complain that he disableth us for our duty to others: as if on a sudden we were grown so charitable, that we regard other men's souls more man our own! But is not the hand of flesh in all this dissimulation,