Hee standeth and
knocketh: if nothing will arouze us, a time will come, when heaven and
earth shall burne with fire, and Christ shall come in flaming fire, to
render vengeance with fire unquenchable. Wee therefore that know the
terrour of that day, What manner of persons ought we to bee?
From God turne thine eyes unto man: set before thee the pillar, and
clowde of fiery examples, that have led us the way into Canaan. Hee is
but a dull lade that will not follow: The stories of the Scriptures, the
lives of the Fathers, the acts and monuments of the Church, have a
speciall vertue for this effect. The very pictures of the fires, and
Martyrs, cannot but warme thee. If thou canst meete with any living
examples, follow them, as they follow Christ, frequent their company:
even _Saul_ amongst the Prophets, will prophesie. No bangling hawke,
but with a high flyer will mend her pitch: the poorest good companion,
will doe thee some good; when _Silas_ came, _Paul_ burnt in the spirit:
a lesser sticke may fire a billet; If thou findest none, let the
coldnesse of the times heat thee, as frosts doe the fire; Let every
indignation make thee zealous, as the dunstery of the Monkes, made
_Erasmus_ studious: one way to bee rich in times of dearth, is to
engrosse a rare commodity, such as zeale is: now, if ever, _they have
destroyed thy Law_; It is now high time to be zealous.
Consider and emulate the children of this generation, to see how eager
every _Demas_ is for worldly promotion.
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