Living Well

John Winthrop, Experiencia:

When a man leads a life secluded from the common delights of the world, and gives himself to walk wholly with God, he shall hear many saying, He will shorten his days, he will pine himself, he will be overrun with melancholy etc: But surely a man so living, shall do more honor to God, and service to his Church in a very short life, then another (although a true Christian, also) living at more liberty shall do in a much longer time: for the more differing that a mans conversation is from the common course of the world, the more occasion and matter there is of the observation of God's work in him: And since there are so many that in an overmuch respect to their own outward felicity take more liberty in these outward things then standeth with God's will, who shall forbid others (there being so few such) to tender God more fruits of their love and thankfulness, by abridging themselves in the number and measure of such outward comforts as they might lawfully enjoy. But yet I see no ground for such opinions, for besides that God hath numbered our days etc, there are many places in scripture which may make us look that holiness should lengthen our life, and sweeten it, but none to make us fear that it should discomfort or shorten it. O Lord, enable me to live righteously and holy, and I shall not be much careful of living long or happily.