Examine: Dost thou labor after those qualifications that the
Scriptures describe a child of God by-that is, faith, yea, the right
faith, the most holy faith, the faith of the operation of God? And
also, dost thou examine whether there is a real growth of grace in
thy soul, as love, zeal, self-denial, and a seeking by all means to
attain, if possible, to the resurrection of the dead; that is, not
to satisfy thyself until thou be dissolved and rid of this body of
death, and be transformed into that glory that the saints shall be
in after the resurrection-day?
And in the mean time, dost thou labor and take all opportunities to
walk as near as may be to the mark, though thou knowest thou canst
not attain it perfectly? Yet I say, thou dost aim at it, seek after
it, press towards it, and hold on in thy race; thou shunnest that
which may any way hinder thee, and also closest in with what may any
way further the same, knowing that that must be, or desiring that it
should be, thine eternal frame; and therefore, out of love and
liking to it, thou dost desire and long after it, as being the thing
that doth most please thy soul.
Or how is it with thy soul? Art thou such a one as regards not these
things, but rather busiest thy thoughts about the things here below,
following those things that have no scent of divine glory upon them?
If so, look to thyself; thou art an unbeliever, and so under the
wrath of God, and wilt for certain fall into the same place of
torment that thy fellows have fallen into before thee, to the grief
of thy own soul and thy everlasting destruction.
Consider and regard these things, and lay them to thy heart before
it be too late to recover thyself, by repenting of the one and
desiring to close in with the other.
Oh, I say, regard, regard; for hell is hot, God's hand is up, the
law is resolved to discharge against thy soul. The judgment-day is
at hand; the graves are ready to fly open; the trumpet is near the
sounding; the sentence will ere long be past, and then you and I
cannot call time again.
Reckon with thy own heart every day before thou lie down to sleep,
and cast up what thou hast received from God and done for him, and
where thou hast also been wanting. This will beget praise and
humility, and put thee upon redeeming the day that is past; whereby
thou wilt be able, through the continual supplies of grace, in some
good measure to drive thy work before thee, and to shorten it as thy
life doth shorten, and mayst comfortably live in the hope of
bringing both ends sweetly together.