9. *Now do thou hunger and thirst, not for _the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life_. Trample under foot the world and the things of the world: all these riches, honours, pleasures. What is the world to thee? Let the dead bury their dead: but follow thou after the image of God. And beware of quenching that blessed thirst, if it is already excited in thy soul, by what is vulgarly called religion, a poor, dull farce, a religion of form, of outside show, which leaves the heart still cleaving to the dust, as earthly and sensual as ever. Let nothing satisfy thee but the power of godliness, but a religion that is spirit and life; the dwelling in God and God in thee; the being an inhabitant of eternity; the entering in by the blood of sprinkling _within the veil_, and _sitting in heavenly places with Christ Jesus_.
10. Now, seeing thou canst do all things thro’ Christ strengthening thee, be merciful as thy Father in heaven is merciful. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Love friends and enemies as thy own soul. And let thy love be _long-suffering_, and patient towards all men. Let it be _kind_, soft, benign: inspiring thee with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection. Let it _rejoice in the truth_, wheresoever it is found, the truth that is after godliness. Enjoy whatsoever brings glory to God, and promotes peace and good-will among men. In love _cover all things_; of the dead and the absent speaking nothing but good: _believe all things_, which may any way tend to clear your neighbour’s character: _hope all things_, in his favour, and _endure all things_, triumphing over all opposition. For true _love never faileth_, in time or in eternity.
11. Now be thou _pure in heart_; purified thro’ faith from every unholy affection, _cleansing thyself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God_. Being thro’ the power of his grace, purified from pride by deep poverty of spirit, from anger, from every unkind or turbulent passion, by meekness and mercifulness, from every desire but to please and enjoy God, by hunger and thirst after righteousness; now love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy strength.
12. In a word. Let thy religion be the religion of the heart. Let it lie deep in thy inmost soul. Be thou little and base, and mean and vile, (beyond what words can express) in thy own eyes; amazed and humbled to the dust, by the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Be serious. Let the whole stream of thy thoughts, words and actions flow from the deepest conviction, that thou standest on the edge of the great gulph, thou and all the children of men, just ready to drop in, either into everlasting glory or everlasting burnings. Let thy soul be filled with mildness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering towards all men: at the same time that all which is in thee is athirst for God, the living God; longing to awake up after his likeness, and to be satisfied with it. Be thou a lover of God and of all mankind. In this Spirit do and suffer all things. Thus shew thy faith by thy works: thus _do the will of thy Father which is in heaven_. And as sure as thou now walkest with God on earth, thou shalt also reign with him in glory.