1Lroktng unto jtfus>. Book ·I. 7 S E C T. Ill. Dire8ions how to look.. off aU other things; r. sTudy every day more ~and more the vanity of the creature: Read over the book of , Eccle{iajfcs well ; it is enough, through the aflitbnce of Chrill:, to teach you that Jdfon. A terious and fruitful meditation ofchat word, Yanity ofvanities ,fAith the Prea- Ecc!cf. ' ·'– cher, vanity ofvanities, all is ,;aniry, what work might it m1ke in your 1\earts; men ufually look on thefethings through fome falfe glafs, or at a dcll:ance, wlmhmakes them fo admire them; bur if they could fee them truly in t'hemfelves, ob how uncomely would they be ? or if they could fee them as compued to Clu ell:, oh how vam would they be? honours and great~efs in that refpect would appear as bubbles, pleafures and delights in that refpeCl: would appear as fi1adows. 2. Converfe but a little with any evil thing on this fide Cbrill:; Have as little to do with the world, the finful pleafures, profits, riches, manners of it, as pofiibly you can; the leffer thebetter; things of this world have a glutinous quality, if you let the heart lie any while among!\ them, it will cleaveumo them, and if it ooce cleave tO them, there will he noway but e;tber repentance or hell-fire mut1 part them. 3. Be more and better acqmimed with Jefus Chrill; get 11earer to him. be more in communion with hlln, get more taftes of ChriCt and h.aven, and eJnb will relill1 the worfe for them. Oh wti<n I loo!f.;.,_on Chrilt, and confider, that he riJat was the Lord ofheav~n and earth, pu~ himfelf into fo poor and low a condition, meerly for the rede.ming of his Elect, how lhould this bwt deaden my hean to the world ? I ac<ount all things Phil. 3 s. but iofs for the excel/eacy of the kz10wledge of Chrift Je(m my Lord, and account them bite dung tbt I "'ay win Chrijf. If Chrill be in view, all tbe world then is but dung, and drofs, and lofs in comparifon ; the glory of Chrift will darken all other things in the world. 4· Set before you the enmpies of fuch Saints, who accounted themfelves pilgrims and ftrangers upon earth. The Apoftle gives you aCatalogue of fuch, who confef!ed that they were jfrangers and pilgrims on.the earth, and fee how they are ufed, they were Heb. u. 1 :- ftontd, they werefawn afunder, were tempted, 1~ere flain with the [word, they wandred 31• abo"t i·1 jhrrp-skins, andgoae-;kjns, being deftiwtt, affli&ed, tormented; who were thefe? 3 ' tney were thty of who"' the 1Wrrld w~..- not worthy. Oh when you read, or hear how joyfMlly thefe fervanrs of the moll: high went th:·ough their wildernefs-condicion, methinks thi, lhould rake off your heans from earthly things. 5. Go in your meditations to heaven, and keep there a while; the mind that JS m heaven cannot ><tend thefe earthly rbings; would amln leave his plough and harvell in the field to run with children a hunting after butter-flies? no more will a foul thlt is taking a furvey of heaven and heavenly things, fix his eyes on fuch poor things @elow: non vacat exigui; , 6-c. is the chaudcr of a nul~. prudent man; the .children of that Kmgdom above ll1Ve no wlule for qlfles, and efpeccally when they are 1mployed in the affairsof the Kingdom. Oh when a Cbriftianhath but aglimpfeufeternity, Jnd then looks down on the world again, how doth he contemn ond vilipend thefe things? How Eccl:r. t.t. dorh h, fay of laughter, th,u art mad, and of minh, what u thts thou doeft.? whilll the Sa•ms arc tJihng he.ven, clley fetl fnch fwret, tlllt they care not for other things: Chnf\1aos I how would this medi<acion we>n your hearts? and make you laugh at the foolmes ol the world? and fcorn to he cheoted with fuch childifh toys? If the devil hld fet upoc: Prter m the mount, wllfn he fato. Chri[l in his tran,figuration, and Mofes and E!ta; tatkmg with him, would he fo ea!ily have been drawn to deny his Lord? what, with all that glory in his eye ? fo if the devil tlwuld f<t upon abelieving foul, :u:d perfwade hsbean ro ~rofits, or pleafurcs, or honours of the world, when he is ,a,eo "i' l11 1 t!le Mount wt.h Clmfi, wl1at would futh a foul fay , get thee behind me Sar,m, n·ou.djf tho1' per(rv:;de rne from htnce nmh 7J'it,mJ triflmg toys? H. 1 0Hld'Jfthou have m~.fdlthc[c: ,o}'sfor t;otht:.~'!. ? is :ht",-c ar.Y h.1nowr · (J/ dr/i~f9t ld..f thi.s ? or can that be profit '":(;eh !of'rh m: rh.s? S<>me fuch anfwrr woulJ the foul return. or, if we could keep the rate of our f.>U!' contc'n"!ly delighted with the fwcetncf,of heaven; as~nun would l:'.'t om aloes atter boney, fo thould we fpit out all rhcfc baits of the world with aJfJ:::n. 6. Lry mishtily t">to God, tliat he would take off your bean' and eyes, wm away l';at.u 9 37 • rmue
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