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MERCURIUS
CHRISTIANUS

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Confiderations of the general Instruments and Means serving to a Holy Life, by way of Introduction.

T is necessary that every Man should confider, that since God hath given him an excellent nature, wisdom and choice, an understanding

foul, and an immortal spirit, having made him Lord over the beasts, and but a little lower than the Angels; he hath also appointed for him a work and a service great enough to employ those abilities, and hath also design'd him to a state of life after this, to which he can only arrive by that service and obedi ence. And therefore as every Man is wholly God's own portion by the title of Creation: So all our labours and care, all our powers and faculties must be wholly employed in the service of God, even all the days of our life, that this life being ended, we may live with him for ever.

Neither is it sufficient that we think of the service of God as a work of the leaft neceffity, or of small em ploy

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ployment, but that it be done by us as God intended its that it be done with great earnestness and paffion, with much zeal and defire; that we refuse no labour, that we bestow upon it much time, that we use the best guides, and arrive at the end of glory by all the ways of grace, of prudence and Religion.

And indeed if we consider how much of our lives is taken up by the needs of nature, how many years are wholly spent before we come to any use of reason, how many years more before that reason is useful to us to any great puposes, how imperfect our discourse is made by our evil education, false principles, illcompany, bad examples, and want of experience, how many parts of our wisest and best years are spent in eating and fleeping, in necessary businesses and unnecessary vanities, in worldly civilities and less useful circumstances, in the learning arts and sciences, languages or trades; that little portion of hours that is left for the practices of piety and religious walking with God is so short and trifling, that were not the goodness of God infinitely great, it might seem unreafonable or impoffible for us to expet of him eternal joys in Heaven, even after the well spending those few minutes which are left for God and God's service, after we have served our selves and our own occafions.

And yet it is confiderable, that the fruit which comes from the many days of recreation and vanity is very little, and although we scatter much, yet we gather up but little profit: but from the few hours we fpend in prayer and the exercises of a pious life, the return is great and profitable; and what we sow in the minutes and spare portions of a few years, grows up to crowns and scepters in a happy and glorious Eternity.

1. Therefore although it cannot be injoin'd, that the greatest part of our time be spent in the direct actions of devotion and religion, yet it will become, not only a duty, but also a great providence, to lay afide for the services of God and the businesses of the Spirit as much as we can: because God rewards our minutes with long and eternal happiness; and the greater

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