The Crucifying of the tQrld, any place or Condition which you are abfent from, and fuch promifes and hopes from any worldly fiate, or prrfon, or thing, doth manifest that fo far youare alive to theworld, and is a folly of the fame nature with theirs that Idolize the world when they do enjoy it. For one man to fay,. [ If I had this or that I were well] and for another that bath it, to fay, [ NowI amwell, Soul take thy Refi ] do. both Thew the fame Eftimation, and Idolatrous Love to the world in their hearts.; though one of them have the thing which he loves and the other path it not : And to be fo pleafed with the very fancy and conceits of thofe worldly things which they never had, feems worfe then to be pleafed with it when they have it. I pray you lay this well to heart that I fay to you Defpair, utter Defpair of ever being contentedorwell in the world, ormade happy by the world in whole or in part , is the very life of Chriftian. Mortification. It is the nature of a Carnal heart to keep up his worldly Hopes as long as pofsibly hecan. If you beat him from one thing, he runs to another :. and if he defpair of that, be looks after a third , and thus be will wander from creature to creatures till Grace convert him , or Judgement condemn him. If hefind that one friend faileth him, hehopes another will prove more faithful! , ; and if that prove a broken reed, he will.reft upon a third : If he have been croft in his Hopes of worldly contentment once, or twice, or ten times, . or an hundred times , yet he is in Hope that fome other way may bit, and fome more comforthe may find at laic : But when God, bath opened a mans eyes to fee that the whole world is Vanity and Vexation, and that if he had it all it would do him no Good. at all and that it is a weer deceitful empty thing : and when a man is brought to a full and finall Defparationof ever finding in . theworld, the Good that be expelled ; then, and not till then is be Crucified to the world ; and then hecan let it go,and care not : and then he will betake himfelf in goodcarnal to lookof-. ter that which will not deceive him. Whena worldling is in utmoft poverty or in prifon , he may part with alibis worldly contentment at the prefent but this is not tobe Crucified to theworld : For Rill he keeps up his former ef#irnetion of it, and Love to it, and tome Hope perhaps that yet it maybe betterwith him. Yea , if he fhould Defpair of ever bein Happy in the world, if this proceednotfrom his Difefteernn. of
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