By the Croft of Chrif;f. felves in feeking after ? What a dung-hill do they wallow in, as if it were a bedof Rofes ? What deformities do they dote up- on,as if they were the molt real beauties ? A toad abhorreth not thecompanyof a toad ; but (hall not a manabhor it ? But we (hall have occafion of laying more to this in the Applica- tion. 3. The third ad by which we Crucifie the world is t kind of Annihilation of it toour felves ; in our conceptions taking it as a very Nothing, fo far as it would be fomething feparated from God , or co-ordinate with him. How oft doth the Scripture call it vanity, a dream, a vain (hew, a fbadow, yea nothing , yea and lefs thennothing before God, and lighter thenvanity it felf, 1 fa. 40.17. Pfal.62. 9. yob6. zi. The Princes of the earth, who are fomething in the eyes of themfelves and others, appear as No.. thingwhen God lets out bis wrath upon them, Ifa. 34. i i. Even as the firawwhen the fire bath confumed it, or the faireft build- ings when it bath turned them to afhes. For though the world be really fomething, yet, i . In regard of the efeds which it promifeth to (educedworld iings , it may be called Nothing. For that whichcan do Nothing for us in our extremity, whichbathnq Power torelieve or fatisfie us, which leaveth the foul empty, and deceiveth them that truft it, maywell be called Nothing ineffect : In genere boni, that whichcan do us no good , is Nothing tous. Let a needy foul betake himfelf to the world for comfort under the burdenof fin for quiet and true peace to a wounded con- fcience, and you will find it can do Nothing. Seek to it for grace or ftrength againft corruptions and temptations,and yóuwill find it can do Nothing. Cry to it for fuccour in the depth of your afflidion, and at thehour of death, and try whether it will pre- fent you acceptable unto God, and bring tour departed fouls with boldnefs to his pretence, and you will find that it cando 2thing ! Whatever it promifeth, and what ever it feemetbte deluded loners, when you look for any real good from it , you will find it can do Nothing. And therefore yóu-may well take itas a meer Nothing to you.. z. And in effe objeúivo we may make Nothingof it, by excluding it from any room in our fouls, as to thofe as that do not belong to it. 3. And as afeparated being, independant as to God, fo it is indeedNothing: for there is no fuch thing : Much lefs as it is a feparated Good, or felicity F z to 3.5
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