Wayne
Tempus faciendi, Domine.
Arise my soul, and gird thyself to the cheerful, sincere, faithful obedience to God's commandment. To do the will of God is angelical preferment, a divine and heavenly exercise, the greatest freedom and perfection. Make haste, delay not to exercise His good pleasure. Lo, the angels in heaven are your examples, whom you ought to follow. Let not that seem irksome to you, that is delightsome to them. Esteem it not a burden, which is to them a heavenly solace, and refreshing. Ah, wretched man! Why should I grudge to yield obedience to my heavenly Father, or do His will negligently by the halves, when those noble spirits and heavenly soldiers do always stand in readiness to receive His commands, and execute their commission? Does the world despise the poor saints of God for their outward baseness? Yet I will honour them as the only excellent [ones], for God is their Father, the angels their attendants. We cap and bow to them that are nobly attended, gorgeously arrayed, honourably served, but herein the saints excel, if the matter is well considered. They are esteemed the scum of the world, but respected of God in such manner that he has given His angels charge over them; the guard that attends upon His throne is assigned to watch over them. Walk on courageously in the ways of piety. Fear not the assaults of Satan, the fury of any adverse power that shall oppose itself; for more are with thee, than can be against thee. If Satan with his bands endeavour your destruction, the troops of heavenly angels do watch for your defence, yea, the Lord Himself is your keeper, and stands at your right hand to save you from all those that rise up against you. How great is the clemency, and tender care of the Lord over His poor people? What tongue can express, what heart comprehend His infinite goodness? He sends from on high His mighty soldiers to encamp about us, watch over us, preserve and save us, from them that lie in wait to vex and annoy. Oh my Father, what can I render unto Thee for this Thy great kindness, and unspeakable mercy? I have nothing to give but my heart, which here I offer unto thee; and because I am weak, exposed to the temptations of Satan, and allurements of this wicked world, I pray Thee give me Thy grace, confirm and strengthen me, that I may imitate those pure spirits every day more and more, that I may praise Thy name, execute thy commandments, love Thy children, rejoice in the conversion of them that go astray, and fight Thy battles against sin and Satan.
John Ball, A Treatise of Divine Meditation, pp. 157-161.
