of you when you apprehend your selves to be in trouble you then cry to God to be preserved but to what end wherefore would you be preserved wherefore would you live If we may judge of your ends according to your practise you would live that you may have more time to satisfie your lusts that you may have more time to dishonour God that you may have more time to do mischief in the places where you live There is this in the heart and God sees it God sees whatsoever will be after in your lives God sees before what was in your hearts when you cried to be preserved But now one that is gracious he desires therefore to be preserved O saith he that I might live to be of use in that place where God hath placed me If God should take me away now my conscience tells me that it is little service that I have done for him I have been of little use in the place where God hath set me O that I might be preserved for this end that what I am or have or have been might extend to the Saints on earth even the excellent in whom is all my delight Thus you have the scope of the words and the dependance of them And in them there are these two things observable 1. Observation First the high esteem of the Saints They are the excellent of the earth 2 Observation And secondly the sweet delight that Davids heart had in them in whom is all my delight For the first the high esteem that David had of the Saints the Saints that were on earth the Excellent The point is this that the Saints of God those that are godly are the excellent in the earth Then secondly from this that he saith in whom is all my delight Observe this that a gracious heart above all things in this world takes the most contentment in the Saints of God he is much delighted in them The first is but a preparation to the second therefore I shall passe it over briefly They are the excellent in the earth therefore my delight is in them They are the excellent in the earth Let them be what they will in regard of their outward meanness yet there is an excellency in them Iob scraping upon the dunghill and Ieremy sticking in the mire in the dungeon yet they had more glory and beauty upon them then the greatest Potentates of the earth when they sate upon their thrones Though they lie among the pots as the Psalmist saith yet are they as Doves their wings are the wings of Doves whose feathers are of gold and silver Psalm 68.13 beautifull and glorious You know the judgement that the holy Ghost passeth upon the Saints in old time that were outwardly mean enough there is as much meanness on them as the malice of the world could put the Text saith they had tryalls of mockings of scourgings of bonds and imprisonments they were sawen assunder they were tempted they wandred in sheepskins goats skins destitute afflicted tormented What kind of creatures were these surely they were some wretched men and women that were thus hunted up and down to wander in sheeps-skins and goats-skins destitute afflicted and tormented No such matter they were such of whom the world was not worthy v. 38. that is the judgement of the holy Ghost upon such the world was not worthy of them The men of the world would have thought and did think that they were such as were not worthy to live in the world but the judgement of the holy Ghost was such that the world was not worthy of them I remember Chrysostome hath this interpretation of the phrase they are such as are worth more then all the world more then many thousands of the world one of them is worth more then all the men of the world besides It is a truth so one Saint of God though never so mean one poor youth one servant that is truly gracious is worth more then all the men of the world besides that are not so All the Monarchs and Princes on earth have not that excellency in them that one poor child or servant hath that is gracious and belongs to God But the ordinary interpretation is thus they are such as have that excellency as that the world is not worthy to enjoy them they are not worthy of their presence that they should so much as live among them they are rather fit to be set as stars in heaven be before the Lord in his glory the world is not worthy of them But what is there in the Saints that makes them the excellent in the earth The Saints that are the excellent The word in the originall signifies the magnificent ones those that have magnificent spirits and are exceeding glorious There is this in them that I may briefly passe over this first They have the image of God upon them and therefore they must needs be the excellent on earth The image of God makes them to resemble God in that which the creature is able to conceive of That which is the height of Gods excellency though it be true whatsoever is in God is God himself yet we conceiving of God according to our manner of speaking there is something of God that appears most excellent and glorious And it must needs be in regard of that expression because grace is called the image of God Now when we draw the image of a thing we draw it as near as we can according to that which is the most proper excellency of that thing If I would draw the image of a man I do not draw the likenesse of a piece of flesh a beast hath that as well as a man or I do not draw feet or legs or the back parts of a man but when the image of a man is drawn his face is chiefly looked after to be drawn which is the most excellentest part of man and there we endeavour to expresse his life and spirit as much as can be for that is the most excellent part and though the spirit cannot be drawn and there can be no picture of it yet because it is shewen most in the face that is as near as we can go that is drawn there So the image of God is that wherein the creature resembles God in height of excellency and glory It is not every resemblance of God that is Gods image there are some things that set out some of the glory of God and they are but called Gods footsteps or his back parts All the resemblance of God in his creatures and the expressions of his power and wisedome the invisible things of God that we see in the creature they are all but his footsteps and back-parts they are not his image Why because they do not resemble God in that which he hath set out to us to be the height of his glory What is that The holinesse of God that is the height of his excellency Therefore it is
mervaile why Christ doth come and opens the great sluce of Gods infinite grace and mercy to them as for the men of the world they have but a little of the drislings of Gods generall bountie through some crannies but the floud-gates of Gods grace are opened in Christ therefore till divine justice be satisfied there can be no further good for poor man but meerely the fruits of Gods generall bountie and patience There are some creatures whom the Lord hath left to the course of justice they shall have what they earne and no more others there are whom God hath set his heart upon and whether they earn or no God intendeth eternal mercies to them here is the difference of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace and therefore the one is left to himself and the other Christ the head of the Covenant comes to undertake for him what he cannot do they who are not children and must not expect childrens portions as many of you rich men when you die you will leave your servants some legacy perhaps you 'le give every servant in your house 5. l. or so but when you come to your children to write in your will what such a son and such a daughter shall have that is another manner of businesse then 40 s or 5. l. Great things you leave to them So the world may be divided between children and servants for though the truth is all men are at defiance with God yet God maketh them servants one way or other and there is some little legacy that servants shall have but they must not expect the childrens portion therefore they have it here but must not have it hereafter Thus saith the Lord if the Prince give a gift unto any of his sons the inheritance shall be his sons but if to his servant then it shall be but till Iubilee this was Gods law that if a Prince gave a gift to his son his son should inherit it for ever but if he give it to a seruant it should continue with him but for a while Here is the difference of Gods administration of all his gifts he giveth some to servants and these shall continue for a time with in a little while all will be called for again all the good and all the comfort thou hast God will call for it again but now that which he gives to his children they shall have for ever their pleasures are durable and their mercies everlasting Again the portion that the world hath here comes from Gods patience now there will be an end of the manifestation of the glory of patience in this world as there are some graces of the Spirit of God in the Saints that shall have an end in regard of their exercise in this world so there are some attributes of God that shall have an end in regard of the manifestation of them in that way that God doth now manifest them in this life and that is the patience of God towards ungodly ones now if they hold all upon patience mark they hold all upon patience when that expires then all their good is at an end And ungodly men shall have to deal with God immediately in the world to come I beseech you observe but this answer now they have to deal with God through creatures and while they have to deal with God through creatures they may get a great deal may make shift for much but when they shall come to have to deal with God immediately then it will be otherwise with them as for example there are a great many hang-byes at great mens houses perhaps when they come to have to deal with the servants they get some bits and scraps and many things of the servants but if they know they can have nothing but from the very hand of the Knight or Lord of the house himself then they will expect no great matter so wicked men in this world they are as hang-byes and all that they have are but as scraps from the servants they have to deal onely with creatures they look no further But hereafter things shall be setled another way and all things shall be weighed by God himself in a ballance of justice distributed by the hands of God himself immediately and then things will be carried after another manner the Lord himself will come to dispose of things Then it was a speech of a German Divine though he were a good man and lived very innocently when he lay upon his sick bed and apprehended death he was in great terrours of spirit mightily troubled and some of his friends came to him asked him why should you be so troubled that have lived so good a life as you have done this was his answer The judgements of God are one and the judgements of men are another I have now to deal with God it is true I lived thus before men and men gave their verdict of me as good and thought I was in a good condition but O I am now to go to God and to deal immediately with him and Gods judgements and mans judgements are different things when God shall come to weigh all mens portions out as it will be then so much righteousnesse so much happinesse you 'l say then Lord what shall become of us all all our righteousnesse is as the menstruous cloth I but for the Saints the righteousnesse of Christ will be put into one scoale and their portion into the other and their portion will be weighed by the righteousnesse of Christ Now when thou comest to God thou must come to the scoale and thou wilt put in thy good servings of God and thy coming to Church and some good civill actions and morall things thou hast done thou wilt put them in the scoale God will say that thou hast had already weighs down all those Hast thou nothing to put into the scoales but this thou hast had thy reward already for all this and much more then if there be nothing to put into the scoale but this thou art undone and there is nothing for thee for eternity and these are the 2. first things now then some Corollaries from hence and then we will proceed unto the other Is it so that wicked men have a portion here and that is all they shall have 1. then we may see a reason why the men of the world are so cuning in the things of the world why they can make a better shift for themselves in the world then other men can why here is their portion their very happinesse and good is here no mervail though they speed so well as they do We have not received the spirit of the world saith the Apostle we cannot tell how to shift in the world so as other men doe for indeed we look further then these things you know a swine though it goes away abroad all day wandering up and down it knows the way to the trough at night but if a
sheep wander a little out of his place it knows not how to come back again but wanders up and down till it be lost swine are not so ungodly men though they go up and down wandering they know how to come to their trough at night they have better skill in the world they are more artificiall in the things of this life as the Scripture speaks the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light why is it why their portion is in this world Secondly here we see the reason why there are so great ones in the world that regard religion so little as they do and the wayes of God and the Church of God why it is not their portion those things that concerns another life is not any part of their portion they mind what it is that concerns the present life because this is their portion when many come into places of dignitie and power what are their thoughts why now they think of gratifying their servants now they think of respect and honour that they shall have abroad in the world and be accounted some body now they think of revenging all their wrongs of making up of all their broken titles c. this hath been heretofore very ordinary in men advanced amongst you these are all their thoughts as for doing service for God and for the Church and vindicating the truth of God and his honour that is scarce in all their thoughts for they do not look upon that as part of their portion here is the reason why so many magistrates are like to Gallio caring for none of those things they were to him but matter of words and yet they were about the great fundamentall points of religion whether Christ were the true Messias and whether he were God or no but to Gallio these things were but matter of words and so the great things of God and religion to carnall hearts are things of no great consequence yea when as Sosthenes that was the ruler of the Sinagogue for countenancing of Paul had the rude multitude of the Citie rose up to apprehend him Gallio cared for none of these things what did he care for rectifying any thing that was amisse in religion O let us say they that have their portion here what ever becomes of things let us have peace say they that we may live peaceably in our houses and enjoy that we have quietly they look no further then that because their portion is here As for truth how do they reject that and contemne it such a speech as is credibly reported hath come from a Citizen here even in cursing of truth so as had he lived amongst the Iews he would certainly have been stoned to death let us have peace and a pox of truth I say such a speech as this among the Iews would have caused him to have been stoned to death being such horrible blasphemy but how many are ready to say with Pilate when as Christ talked to him of truth truth saith Pilate what is truth as if he had said what a strange man is this the man is in danger of his life and he talks of truth what is truth saith Pilate and turns it back upon him presently just thus for all the world are the hearts of many they think what should we look at truth or at any thing now but to preserve our lives and estates and outward comforts in the world what is truth They are a company of mad-braind-fellows that are factious and seditious who talk of truth but know not what they say come let us have peace though it be upon any terms who is there in this place that desires it not the Lord knows peace it is the desire of those that are accused most for want of desires in this thing yea we dare challenge any of you with this challenge those who have been most at the Throne of grace begging unto God for peace for England let them carry the day those that have put forth most prayers for peace before the Throne of grace we are willing they shall have the day we read that amongst all the tribes that came up in a warlike-way to help the people of God against oppression in Iudges that of all Nephtali was the onely tribe that joyned with Zebulun that jeoparded their lives in the cause of God that would take up armes to defend themselves and the people against oppression surely these 2. tribes by the others that would not venture themselves were at that time accounted very factious and very seditious what they onely Zebulun and Nephtali why yet that is observable though there where none joyned with Zebulun but onely Nepthtali there is no tribe of which it is so much spoken to be a tribe full of courtesie and civilitie of a peaceable quiet disposition as Nephtali was you shall find that if you read the 49. of Genesis there are these 2. things said of Nephtali 1. that he was as a Hinde let loose gave goodly words I but they may be but words of complement and false nay when Moses comes with the blessing you shall find these 2. places one in Genesis and the other in Deuteronomie when Moses comes with the blessing upon Nephtali Nephtali filled with favour and with the blessing of the Lord what is the meaning Nephtali was a tribe that had most courtesy and civility of all compared to a goodly Hind of a quiet disposition and courteous language one that had the favour of God and the favour of men and yet this Nepthali was the tribe that would jeopard their lives and take up armes in defence of the people of God against oppression in those times above all And Phinehas that was so zealous and would make use of the sword God said he would make a Covenant of peace with him even with Phinehas that is such a fiery hot man a Covenant of peace must be made with him by God himself for he did indeed by that way procure peace to Israel for so the Text saith there in that place of Numbers that because Phinehas was so zealous it was saith God that I might not consume them in my jealousie As if he should have said if there had not been some amongst them that had been zealous and as they account fiery I would have been zealous my self and fiery my self and consumed them and it was well they had such amongst them and one day those that cry out of them may come to see cause to blesse God for them we had such would not have the world put off and gull'd with the fair name of peace we know the divell hath made much use of words in former times and would fain make use of it as if those that desir'd truth most were not greatest friends unto peace God forbid but it should be so why though it is true we think not we have our portion here and therefore we
be otherwise but that religion should prosper too with our peace but we would not have such Sects to be maintained in the Kingdom let us have truth and religion but away with the sectaries First understand who they are you speak off do you know wherein you and they differ you cry out of them as if they were of another religion when as when it comes to be scann'd the difference between you and them will prove not to be so great But 2. further I put this to you do you spend as much breath in praying for these kind of men as you do in rayling upon them then somewhat may be said But 3. it is a vain thing to think that true religion can be maintain'd and have the liberty of it without some difference of opinion amongst us indeed the Turks have as much peace in their religion as any religion hath in all the world and there is as little difference of opinions amongst the Turks as there is in any religion weatsoever but well may that coat have no seam that hath no shape if the truth of religion comes to appear certainly it is impossible but many differences of opinion must come and it is a most intollerable pride of heart and tyrannie in any whatsoever to think by violent means to force all to be of the same opinions that they are of in matters that are not of the foundation and that may stand with the peace of a Commonwealth too you take upon you in that more then Christ doth more then the Apostles ever did But you 'l say if men be in an errour why should they not be forc'd shall every man be left to his opinion to do what he will No I plead not for that neither therefore I except all opinions 1. against the foundation of religion 2. and that are against the foundation of civill government take those 2. aside and then for other opinions that are of a lower inferiour nature I say there you take too much upon you whosoever you are if you should think to force men to be of the same opinion as you are and there is no such way to make a disturbance in Churches Commonwealths then to force men to be of the same opinion in things that are of an inferiour nature I but you 'l still say if it be an errour they must not be left to live in it if it be an errour nay stay there a man may be in an errour and yet you have nothing to do to offer violence unto him to bring him out of his errour you may seek to convince him as much as you can but to offer violence you undertake more then God hath given you commission to do what ever you are I give this Scripture for it with is clear in the Romans One believeth that he may eat all things another eateth hearbs let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth for who art thou that judgest another who art thou that judgest certainly one of these was a sin at that time but yet though one were a sin yet they that were in the right must not by violence force those that were in the vvrong to their opinion but they must leave them to God I say in matters of such consequence as these it is a point of Antichristian tyranny and notorious pride in men that have taken so much upon them as to force all to be of the same opinion this is not the way certainly for true peace but thus much for the 2. Corollary The 3. follows If men have their portion in this world here is the reason why there is such a stir in the world by men to maintain this their portion what rending and tearing is there among men to preserve their estates especially if they have a higher portion in the world then others O what a deal of stir is there to keep up their honour and reputation There was such striving for the Popedome in Henry the fourth his dayes that it cost many thousand mens lives Such blustring men make to be great in the world it cost the bloud of twenty thousand persons meerely to satisfy the wills of a few certainly one day the world will be wiser and understand that they are men and not dogs to be subject to the humours and lusts of others and that no man hath now any further power over them but what they have by agreement from them I hope men will be wise enough to understand this and not sacrifice their lives for the satisfying of the wills of a few men in the world it is their God and do you say what ayles me when you have taken away my Gods here is the ground of all the stirs and combustions in the world because carnall hearts look upon what they enjoy as their portion But how comes it thus to passe that men should be so greedy of this their portion it is such an excellent portion that they are so greedy of it is it worth so much that they contend so about it this maketh way for me to slip into the 4. particular to enquire what kind of portion this is that these men of the world have therefore consider 1. what poor things they are that they make such a stir about secondly consider the tenure upon which they hold what ever they enjoy and thirdly consider the mixture of evill that there is in that they enjoy and fourthly the blessed portion that they loose and lastly the dreadfull end that there will be to such men that have their portion here First the poor things that men have here in this world what are they their comforts for the most part are but imaginary in the 8. of Hosea Ephraim feeds upon the wind and when a bladder is full of wind one prick lets it quite out so when death comes it lets out all their comforts wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not it is not it hath no realitie in it in the 25. of the Acts when Bernice and Agrippa came in great pomp to the assembly that which you have in your books translated great pomp it is in the Greek great fancie all the pomp and jollity of the world is but a meer fancy this is their portion And 2. that they have is of a very low nature this would be an argument we might Philosophize in if it were fit or if we had time but I 'le quickly passe over these things it is of a very low nature and not much concerns the soul all the portion they have here therefore saith the Text here thou fillest their belly it is but a belly full and what is that to the soul indeed the rich man in the Gospell could say Soul take thy ease eat and drink c. Soul take thy ease because you have goods laid up and because you may eat and drink what is all this
to the soul Ambrose hath such a speech upon the place if the man had had the soul of a swine what could he have said otherwise for indeed these things were suitable to the soul of a swine you shall find that a man is not the better because of outward things not a whit the heart of the wicked is little worth his estate may be somewhat worth his house may be somewhat worth his lands may be somewhat worth but the hears of the wicked is little worth saith Solomon And would not you think that to be a great evill that when you go up and down abroad you should certainly know that there is no man gives you any entertainment or any respect but it is for your servants sake that tends upon you would not that trouble you indeed you come to such a mans house he seems to make you wellcome and you have entertainment I but you come to know afterwards that it was not for your sake but for your servants sake that he loved you would not this discourage you the truth is so all that you have in this world it is for your servants sake for your goods your house and lands it is not for any worth that is in you It was aspeech that Socrates spake once to one when he had a fine house and a many brave things what saith he there are many come to see thy house and thy fine things there but no body comes to see thee they know there is a worth in thy fine house and in thy fine furniture but they see no worth in thee indeed all these things are not souls meat it is not mans meat they feed upon it is but ashes it is nothing to the soul of a man And further suppose it were for thy soul what thou hast here is but a very poor pittance thou hast not all the world neither though thou hast thy portion in this world if thou hadst the whole world at command yea if God should make a 1000. worlds more for thee to command that were all but a poor pittance to put off an immortall soul with all but what thou hast is but a little minuin in the world All the nations of the earth are but as the dust of the ballance and a drop of the bucket to God what is thy dust then what is thy house and land then as Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades when he was very proud that he had so much land lay together he brought the map of the world to him and saith he pray shew me where your land â—ies here one prick of a pen would make a description of all England Ireland and Scotland are but 3. little spots unto the world and what are your farmes and your mannours you have but a little portion if you had all it were no great matter the truth is all you have in this world cannot be enough to make you live in fashion in the world like a man it is not enough I say for to live like a man in the world to live like one that hath an immortall soul like one that hath the image of God upon him and was sent hither into the world to do so great services as every one of you were sent hither to do and therefore it is but a mean thing little cause you have to rejoyce in it It is true they that are godly account themselves unworthy of the least thing they have here in the world but I 'le tell you a mistery of religion now a practicall maxime of religion that is a great mistery to the world which is this that a gracious heart though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread yet all the creatures in heaven and earth will not serve him to be his portion will not satisfy him though he hath a heart that will be satisfied with any thing as counting himself unworthy of the meanest condition in this world as a present gift of God but if God should give him heaven and earth he had such an unsatisfying heart as he would not be satisfied with heaven and earth except God gives him himself too therefore certainly thy portion it is a but a very little portion Besides those things thou hast are things that will vanish and quickly come to nothing it is said of the whole world that it hangs upon nothing so all the things of the earth do therefore it is said of Abraham that he sought a City that had foundations all other things are as things that have no foundation at all there is a worm in every creature that will consume it in time and the Scripture calls all our riches uncertain riches Christian thou art made for an eternall condition these things are fading when thou comest to enter in upon thy eternall estate if thou shouldst then ask what shall I have now I have now thus much and thus much in my whole life but what shall I have now I come to enter in upon my eternall estate truly nothing at all If a man were to go a great voyage to the Indies and all the provision he makes is this he gets a vessell that can make shift to carry him as far as Gravesend that he will do and what need he hath of provision to Gravesend or perhaps to the Downs he provides for he goes on should go on now from the Downs and begins his voyage to go to the Indies and is gotten into the Ocean alas his vessell is a rotten vessell were not this an unwise man truly this is the condition of thousands in the world man woman thou art made for an eternall condition God intendeth eternity for every mothers child that is here this day and God expects that thy life should be spent in making provision for this eternall estate of thine and thou thinkest of nothing but that thou mayst provide for a few years here live in some fashion and be some body in the world O when thou comest to enter upon the Ocean of eternitie thou wilt give a dreadfull shrik cry out I am undone I am undone I have nothing provided for eternall life Again consider whatever thou hast in this world it is no other but what may stand with the eternall hatred of an infinite God towards thee it may be the portion of a reprobate and will this serve thy turn will this satisfie thee will that satisfie thy soul that may be the portion of a reprobate there are many that are now sweltring under the wrath of the infinite God that have had 20. times as much as any of you have that are here before the Lord this day they have had greater estates then you and lived merrier lives then you yet are now under the wrath of God will a reprobates portion serve thy turn therefore consider that to enjoy the dominion of all the world may stand with Gods eternall hatred but to have the least
may repeat in your ears I heard such a day there were a generation of men that have their portion in this world and now I am afraid I am one of them and there is an end of my portion onely I must go to my other portion that will be very dreadfull I but who have you spoke too all this while who is the man that hath his portion in this world it is a poor portion as you have set out to us but every one will go away and say I hope it is not I I hope God hath a better portion for me then this therefore give me leave to speak in the name of God to you and out of his word to point out the man and woman that is like to have their portion here living and dying in such a condition First that man to whom God gives in this life nothing but what belongs to this life that is the man apparently if God give thee thy estate and if he gives thee not somewhat besides thy estate that is a principle that is a seed of eternall life in thee certainly he never intends good to thee in the world to come There are many men have a great deal in this world they say they hope God will be mercifull to them in the world to come Now this is a certain truth that man to whom God denies spirituall mercy in this world God will deny eternall mercy to him in the world to come this therefore should be thy care doth God increase my estate in this world O that the Lord would give a proportionable measure of grace or else it is nothing Lord thou givest me here a great estate if thou givest not to me together with it a proportionable measure of grace to use it to thy name I had better have been without this Is this thy care I put it to thy conscience as thy estate encreases art thou solicitous at the Throne of grace that the Lord would give thee a proportionable measure of grace to manage thy estate for his glory then peace be to thee thou art not the man You may further examine it by the workings of your hearts about your present portions As. 1 whether you enjoy what you have for it self and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy one that is godly hath his portion beyond these things he enjoyes the creatures I but it is God that he enjoyes in them that is sweet to me that I can see and taste the love of God in I but a Carnall heart enjoyes the creatures and runs away and is terminated there looks much at the creature but at little in God as divers of your hospitall children here look more at the men that were their friends to bring them into the hospitall when they were Fatherlesse and Motherlesse and shiftlesse then they look at the founders of the Hospitall they little think of them to thank God for them but if they meet with him that was the next cause to bring them in they will thank him for his kindnesse so it is with most men they look at outward means and secondary causes but a godly heart looks at the root of all things I remember one that came into the Treasurehouse of Venice where he saw Tables of gold and silver and he pointed down looking at the bottom of the Table whereupon one asked him why is your eye so at the bottom O saith he I am looking at the root of all this Alas it is a small matter for a man that hath a great trade to have a great stock A godly man though he hath but a little yet he looks at the root at the love of God and the Covenant of grace which is the spring of all and the chief thing that satisfies his heart it is the goodnesse of God that satisfies a gracious heart and not the bare creature Therefore examine how your hearts are set upon these things of the world whether your hearts go out with full strength to them if you make your bellies to be your God then your end will be destruction That man that hath his heart swallowed up in the world like Corah Dathan and Abiram that were swallowed in the earth if the things of the earth be a gulfe to swallow thy heart up there is another gulfe to swallow thee up hereafter Consider how do the losse of the things of the world take thy heart dost not thou account thy self an undone man when thou had lost some comforts dost thou not come home to thy wife and children I say I am an undone man why what is the matter I have lost some part of my estate O carnall heart one that is Gods child may have some crosses but no losses at all because he enjoyes all in God and hath God still The truth is if thou wert truly Godly whatever afflictions thou meetest with all as we say a man may put all his gain in his eye so you may if you be godly put all your crosses in your eyes you are so far from being undone Examine then whether these things of the world be not the onely suitable things to your hearts whether you blesse not your selves in these as in your happinesse the Ivie will claspe about a rotten tree and cannot be taken off it without tearing and so the heart of a worldling will clasp about these rotten comforts as the onely agreable things You may hear them sometimes tell with joy that we were in such a place and were so merry had the bravest meeting and what was there there was singing and drinking and blaspheming of the name of God yet it was the bravest meeting that could be When did you ever come from an ordinance of God and say O it was a brave day to me the Lord hath spoken to my heart this day did you never go from the word with as merry a heart and rejoyce of it amongst your friends as you did from a merry meeting you may fear you are the man that have your portion here If I were to give but one evidence whether a man hath grace or no I would give this assoon as any one Suppose thou hast got some estate in the word I put this to thee what dost thou account to be the chiefest good of thy estate more then thou didst before A man that hath got an estate more then he had before thinks with himself now I may live at a better fashion then I could now I may have more freedom then before now I may have more credit in the world then I had now I may have my own mind and satisfie my lust more then I did or then another man can do is not this the thing thou most rejoycest in nay is not this a truth that some of your hearts if your hearts were ripped up this would be the language of them most rejoyce in because hereby you have most fewel for your lusts a