Surely
Abraham, David, Paul, and the rest of the saints of God, were as
wise as any are now, and yet they lost all for this glorious
kingdom.
7. To encourage thee a little further, set to work, and when thou
hast run thyself down weary, then the Lord Jesus will take thee up
and carry thee. Is not this enough to make any poor soul begin his
race? Thou perhaps criest, "O, but I am feeble, I am lame;" well,
but Christ has a bosom; consider, therefore, when thou hast run
thyself down weary, he will put thee in his bosom. "He shall gather
the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom." This is the
way that fathers take to encourage their children, saying, Run,
sweet babe, until thou art weary, and then I will take thee up and
carry thee.
8. Or else he will convey new strength from heaven into thy soul.
9. Again, methinks the very industry of the devil, and the industry
of his servants, should make you that have a desire to heaven and
happiness, run apace. Why, the devil he will lose no time, spare no
pains, also neither will his servants, both to seek the destruction
of themselves and others; and shall not we be as industrious for our
own salvation? Shall the world venture the damnation of their souls
for a poor corruptible crown, and shall not we venture the loss of a
few trifles for an eternal crown? Shall they venture the loss of
eternal friends, as God to love, Christ to redeem, the Holy Spirit
to comfort, heaven for habitation, saints and angels for company,
and all this to get and hold communion with sin and this world, and
a few base wretches like themselves? And shall not we labor as hard,
run as fast, seek as diligently, nay, a hundred times more
diligently, for the company of these glorious eternal friends,
though with the loss of such as these, nay, with the loss of a
thousand times better than these poor, low, base, contemptible
things? Shall it be said at the last day, that wicked men made more
haste to hell than you did make to heaven; that they spent more
hours, days, and that early and late, for hell, than you spent for
that which is ten thousand thousand of thousand times better? O let
it not be so, but run with all might and main.
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