ENPages
(seq. 11)
10)
the same unhappy men that we were before with the Addition of a vexa :tious Disappointmt that has cost us much toil and fatigue. The unprofitableness of Such Care and Toil than effects of either Ambi tion or Avarice are implicitly Con sidered in the Answer of Pyrrhus to the Queries of Cyneas his chief Minister and is plainly taught in the hand. Some reproof offered by the prime Mi: nister to his prince "When Pyrrhus" had shown the utmost Fondness" for his Expedition against the" Romans. Cyneas - asked him" what he proposed to Himself by" this War? Why says Pyrrhus to" conquer the Romans and reduce" all Italy to my Obedience. What" then" says Cyneas. To pass over into" Sicily says Pyrrhus and then" all the Sicilians must be our" Subjects. And what does your Majesty" intend next? Why truly Says" the king, to conquer Carthage &" make my Self Master of all Africa." And what tis says the Minister" is to be the end of all your expe:" ditions? Why then says the king" for the Rest of our Lives We'll" Sit down to good Wine. How tis" replied Cyneas to better than we" have now before us? Have we not" as much already as we can drink?" if we were to examine the End we propose and carefully weigh the utmost profits we can imagine will finally result from our anxi: :ous Cares our Aspiring Tempers & Avaritious pursuits. We may find that they are far from being adequate to the Tranquility & Advantage all forego and the fatigue and Trouble in which we involve ourselves & this we may do well to consider in
(seq. 12)
11)
Order to Suppress and free our Selves from immoderate earthly Cares. I shall add here some more
4. Let us Consider the constant Care & Influence of divine Providence over All the Events of Time and commit our Way unto the Lord praying God to discover to us more of the Vanity of the World and Im :portance of the One Thing needful. Let us remember that our Times are in God's hands, that a Sparrow falls not to the Ground without our heavenly Father, and that the very hairs of our heads are all numbered and we cannot make one hair of them white or black; And the Consideration of our Weakness and the perfection of God displayed in the thing don of his Providence might have an happy Tendency to excite us to quit all anxious Care and put our trust in Him To Trust in the Lord and do good depend :ing upon the [L..pnise?] of God that (we shall) dwell in the Land and be fed
In the Morning we Should sow our Seed and in the Evening not withhold our Hand, not being an :xious about ye Event, tho' we cannot tell which Shalt prosper whether This or That or whether both shall be alike good –– And Let our DependanceDependance upon God, and our Trust in him be confessed in the Lan :guage of prayer to Him (on whom all Eyes wait and who giveth Meat in due season.), Let us seek for what we need and ren :der prayer for what we do en :joy & Let us beg of him to give us Suitable Apprehentions
(seq. 13)
12)
Things. Help us to See them as they are, and justly to estimate them. To give us a lively Ap: :prehension of the Importance it is - unto us to work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trem :bing that we Seek first the Kingdom of God and his Right depending upon his Providence and Promise for the Addition of all necessary Things; carefully obs Serv! of these Directions we may by the divine Blessing Suppress disquieting Cares and learn to use the World as not abusing of it being in whatever State we are content looking not So much at the Things which are seen which are tempo:ral as at the Things which are not Seen which are eternal. I now proceed to 5th & last thing [?]
To Consider the Wisdom and Hap: (V.) :piness of such as chuse the good Part. And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. Here we may observe their Choice is applauded and applauded & It is freely granted & this seemed to them in ye's pplace their choice is approved and (1) applauded. It is to Marys tho:hour that our Saviour bases records that She had chosen ye good part But one thing is needful, And Mary hath chosen that good part when God said to Solomon in Vision What shall I give thee? and he asked for (Knowledge) Wisdom and an undertand :ing heart. We read that the Speech pleased the Lord that So: :lomon had asked this Thing.
(seq. 14)
13)
When men choose the Ways of Wisdom or true Religion they choose Those Things which please the Lord; and those who are thus wise shall be applauded as 'oy are approved. I have no Pleas ure in the Death of a Sinner Saith God but had rather he would burn?and live; When shal How long shall vain Thots dwell within you; when wilt thou be made clean; O when shall it once be? Is the Lan:guage of God unto men and wh they chuse Life when they chuse, the way to Happiness. They chuse that which is pleasing to God our Saviour Who will have all Men come to the Knowledge of the Truth, and be Saved. Their Choice will be approved by all ye wise and good Men and there is Joy in the Presence of the An:gels of God, over Ones Sinner that repenteth The glorious Judge at the last Day will approve and applaud them and they shall be welcomed to Regions of Happiness. Well done good and faithful ser: :vant, ye have been faithful over a few Things. I will make you Rulers over many Things & endless ly into the Joy of your Lord. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungred & ye gave me meat etc. Such Honour have all the Saints All that chuse the good part are approved & applauded for their Choice.
2. Their choice is freely granted the good part is freely offered unto
(seq. 15)
14)
Men and they are invited to chuse life that they and their Souls may live and God never Said to the Seed of Jacob, Seek ye my Face in Vain but he hath Said unto the Seed of Space Seek ye me and ye shall live illegible him that come the unto Me p. 7) I will no wise call out God had declared Himself willing to give his holy Spirit unto them that ask Him for he giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and very great is the hap: :piness of Those, to whom this grant of the good part is made, who are made Heirs of Salvation. The price of this Wisdom is above Rubies. It cannot be gotten for Gold neither shall Silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir, with the precious Oynx, or the Sapphire. The Gold and the Chrystal cannot equal it illegible and the exchange of its Shall not be for Jewels of fine Gold. But the Excellen :cy of it has been considered under the Heads of the Necessity of this one Thing needful The Consideration of which may confirm us in the happiness of those who have chosen the good part in that their Choice is granted and they have more granted than t heir Hearts can conceive of as God says to Solomon in answer to his Prayer before mentioned Behold I have done according to thy Words: so I have given the a wise and an un :derstanding Heart and I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour. So Godliness hath the promise of the Life that now is as well as that which is to come. - God