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Ch:1p.2.Secr.
r.
Looking unto :}efas.
Book
I.
k_pow ye mt that the
Fiend~ip
of. the world is enmity with q od ?
James
4•
.;.
Covetoufneffe in Chnihans 1s fpmtual adultery , when we have
enough in God and Chrifi , and
ye~ w~
defire _co make up. our
happineffe
in
the creature,
th1s
1s
plame whoremg.
Now
there
are degrees
in
this
fpiritual whoredome :
as---
' 'r .
The minding of thisworld; ye know there may be adul–
tery in affection, when the body is not defiled ; undeane glances
are a degree of luft,fo the children ofGod may have fome world–
ly · glances, firagling
thoughts; when ·the temptation is
firong , the world rnaybe greatned in their efteem and imagina-
tion.
,
·
2 .
Thefettingof the heart upon the world; this is an high_er
degree ofthis fpiritual adultery; our hearts are due and proper to
Chrift now to fet them on the world, which,fhould be chaft:e
and loyal to Jefus Chrift, what adultery is this
{
Ye
can;:ot ferve
Ma h
6
·
God
and lVfnmmon:
that woman .that is not contented with one
tt • •
14
husband, mufl: needs be an harlot.
3.
The preferring of the world before Chrift himfelf. This
is the height ofcovetoufneffe, and the height of this adultery;
what,
to mak_e the members of Chrift the members
of
an harlot
?
Why worldlings
!
thofe admiring thoughts are Chrifts , thofe
paines are Chrifis, that love is Chrifts, that time, that care, that
earneftneffe is Chrifts; they are all Chrifts, and
will
you give
that which
is
Chrifts unto the world
?
and preferre the world
before Chrift with his own? What, live as profeffed profti–
tutes, that preferre every one before their husbands? how will
this expofe you to the fcorne ofmen and Angels? at the lafi day
they will Come pointing, andfay,
This is the man that made not
Na!mc
p.
7
God his ftrength, but trufted in the abundance ofhis riches
;
this is
the Gadaren that loved his[wine more then Chrift
{efus.
Love not
JJohn,z.IS
the
wor!d,faith 'John;
Chrift is never precious in mans apprchen-
' .
.
. ,
fion, fo long as the world feems glorious to him.
As
we begin to
C~t.
cbrifttu
zn•
relijb fweetnefJ in Chrifl,(o the world begins to fe hitter to us:
the
~:~::a~~ftc~~~~
more fweetnefs we tafte
tn
the one,the more b1tternefs we tafte in
rcfcerc mund11m
the other.
,
Bern,
3·
We
muft
look_off
the world in refpect ofits !inful honours,
-
what is this honour but a certaine inordinate deiire to be well
thought of, or
well
fpoken
of,
to be praifed, or glorified ofmen?
,
'-
C
As