~5_I_6 _______::0f_H_E_A_V_E_N_. ___ C--'-ha.p. XI. 1. 'Tis moll: unreafonable in this Affair of fa vafl: moment to be under the direaion of the Multitude. For the malt are fottifh and fenfual, govern'd by the uncertain motions of a g1ddy voluble Fancy, and rovmg impetuous Paffion; fa that to be led by their example, and difregard the folid immortal Rules of Heavenly Wifdom, is as pertea madnefs as for one to follow a Herd of Swme through the Mire, and leave a clean Path that lie; before him. If there were but few in an Age or Country that were deluded with falfe Appearances, it would be a difgrace to imitate the praaice of the Foolifh: and D101l the great numbers of the Earthly-minded give Reputation and Credit IQ their Error? He wer~ a lhange Fool indeed, that fhou!d refufe a fingle piece of counterfeit Money, and rece1ve a great Heap m payment: as If the number added a real value to them. 'Tis •Nu.nq~•mn;· therefore a necenary point of Wifdom to devefl: all .. vulgar Prejudices, IQ feparate our f~~;rdl~~i~ felyes from the Multitude, that we .may fee the vanity of Things, that dazle inferior tur,fanabimur,Mmds. 1i modi fepa- 2. Confider the univerfal Judgment even of worldly Men in their !all aod ferious ~~~-u~c ... i~tU: Hours, w~en the Profpetl: of Eternal Thin.gs is.open befo~e them. How vafiJy differ. Beat. ~h~i~r:i~~~~ ~~r.;::l?n~~~ 0!fJ~~r~h~J~~~~k 1fo~~ ri~Vl~b~' f!~~:vf~!a::~:Xs '~?~~~~ Apofl:le, We have been toiling aU Night, and caught nothing ? When there are but a few remaining Sands in the Glafs of time, and Death fhakes the Glafs before them, how powerfully do they preach of the emptinefs and uncertainty of things below, and figh our , in Solomon's Phrafe, .AU is Vanity? And this is more fingularly obfervab!e in thofe who have had the fullefl: enjoyment of Earthly Things. How do they complain of the vain World, and their vainer Hearts, when Experience has convinc'd them of their woful Folly? Solomon who was among other Princes, as the Sun in the midfl: of the Planets, that obfcures them by his illufl:rious Brightnefs; He that had furveyed this Continent of Vanity, to make an Experiment whet he~ any fatisfaaion could be found in it, at !all fadly declares, that all things here below are but feveral kinds and ranks of Vanities, as ineffeaual to make Men happy, as counterfeit Jewels of feveral Colours are to enrich the !'hi~~~~;! b~~?:ettixa~i~~~} 0dir.p~~r~:~.~t~t ~~dt~~!J ~e ~:p~r~~~he j~d~~~~tn~f Men when they are bell: infl:ruaed, and give credit to their Tefl:imony when they are fincere? Certainly in their Approaches to the Divine Judgment they are moft confiderate and ferious, they have the truefl: and JUfl:efl: thoughts of thing~, and moft freely decla!e them. 0 the afl:onifhing Folly of Men ! they Wtll not be convmc'd of the error of their ways, till they come to the end of them, and the Sun is fet, and no time remains for their returning into the way of Life. I fhall proceed to fhew f~rther what is neceffary to direa us in our c;:hoice, that we may not fall into the double Mtfery, of bemg decetved wtth a falfe Happmefs for ahttle lime, and deprii<Cd of true Happinefs for ever. .. CHAP.
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