381 J*1 Hugh Peters last Legacy to Ms Daughter, 4q1 
sinner in his course, and makes him to 
see sin in ihe very nature of it, not in tlie 
hell only, and consequence ; but in that it 
separates the soul from the greatest good, 
Romans, 7, 7. And secondly, makes 
the soul bear the burden and weight of 
it, which makes David himself cry out 
often, and so others. It pincheth hard 
where sin hath got time and strength, 
&c. Thirdly, it lets the soul to know 
that he is not able to satisfie dicine jus¬ 
tice, and so the law may be called a 
schoolmaste?' to Christ, though the text 
ieads to the ceremonial ; the ceremonies 
being the gospel of the Jews. 
27. But whilst I speak to you of free 
grace, I must let you know that in the 
next place I must commend unto you, 
accurate walking, as the fruits thereof; 
aird for your better understa)iding I com¬ 
mend unto you divers of the aforesaid 
books; so my own thoughts are, that it 
consists in ail manner of Christian cir¬ 
cumspection, Ephes, 5, 15. to look with¬ 
in you, without you, about you, beneath 
you, to all and every duty; and the ra¬ 
ther, because God’s eye is over, and every 
where upon, you. 
28. And that all this may be carried 
en, and is properly the life of faith, re¬ 
member, that the hardest thing in the 
world id,’ io believe in Jesus Christ to these 
and (ill other good ends: faith is a short 
word and easily spoken; but Oh ! how 
liard is it i-n the nature of it! when, if ever 
the Lord works it in us, he finds nothing, 
not a spark of it, till he comes; nay, he 
finds us opposite to the wmrk of it; nay, 
he finds us unwilling to be made willing 
to close with the olfer of Christ, though 
made so freely; hypocrasie and all evil 
hath its fountain iiere; we believe not; 
ail the ocher graces sink when this fails, 
all must have its cure: we bind the lame 
arm, we anoint it, we warm it, and yet 
notiiing helps, because it is out of joynt. 
2d. In tlie next, (which looks like the 
last) indeed, I must give you my thoughts 
about death; which certainly must be 
your portion (though young) and I must 
tell you, it is a gieat word to say, 1 dare 
dye: many books and funeral sermons 
you may read about it. I say, life is 
sweet, and death terrible: many in seve¬ 
ral distempers may call for it, neither 
minding what it is, nor whither it leads. 
Job descriljes it in his agony ; and hea¬ 
thens could say, the first good was, not 
to be horn, and the next, to dye quickly: 
Eaul (above any) desires it upon right 
grounds. Yea, the last words in the 
Canticles, and the last in the bible, are, 
tor the Lord Jesus to come quickly ; yea, 
come to judgment ; as tf it were tiie 
breathings of the spirits of the just in tlfe 
last times; of which spirit if you be, these 
will be your reasons, as theirs. 
SO. They say, and truly, where death 
leaves you, there judgment finds you; 
nothing flies so swiftly than as the soul 
out of the body: and you know eternity 
hangs upon a moment; and such is our 
life; and especially such is the last groan 
and pang, and thither it leads. It is a 
vast ocean, hath neither bound nor bot¬ 
tom; where you are to come before an 
impartial judge, with a naked and open 
breast: it is unavoidable, and the mis¬ 
carriage there intolerable. Many books 
are written by many about these last 
things, and Apotkegmes not a few. Call 
that good that holds for ever: l^t but the 
judge be your husband, and fear nothing. 
The ever-living God love you, and keep 
you to all eternity, my child ! 
31. And, because I have brought you 
so far’as the great day, give me leave to 
awaken you with the condition of the 
place, heaven, and to let you know it in 
the particulars, which are the presence 
of all good, and the absence of all evil; 
the former commends itself unto you in 
these: 
First, In the universality of it: whereas 
all things here below are but partial : so 
in the suitableness of it, they are there 
spiritual, and suitable to the spirit. 
Secondly, For their continuance: the 
good things are not like cherries drawn 
by the lips, or comforts tasted, and gone ; 
but they stay and are good for ever. 
Thirdly, Evil knows no place there sin 
cannot dwell with that holiness, sorrow 
cannot mingle itself with that joy: no 
more fading riches, dying friends^ 
changing honors, perishing beauty: no 
more aking heads, nor languishing dis-» 
eases: no more hearing the chain of the 
prisoner, nor anger of the oppressor: no 
cry of what do you lack ? every bottle is 
full, and every bed easie, being of never 
blasting roses and sweets. 
Union with Christ, and knowledge sound, 
Tlie scriptures read, in pray’r be found. 
A constant watch, and grow'th in grace,. 
Good conscience, time short work apace. 
Contentment in condition low. 
No trifling spirit in you grow. 
Nor busie, nor pragmatical. 
Truth still appearing in your all. 
Wisdom directing soon and late. 
In calling, and in marriage-state. 
The world describ’d in its bad ways, 
A friend indeed beyond all praise. 
And sin the mother of all grief, 
Grace often ijuestion’d for relief. 
3 N 2 
WIfh 
