502 CHARACTER OP A SOUND, use it too strictly; unless when,one day's austerity may procure him an indulgencefor his liberty all the week following. He will make his bargain with Christ, so as to be sure that he may not lose by him ; and he will not believe that God is pleased with that which is much displeasing to his . flesh ; Rom. viii. 5-8. 13. Matt. xiii. 21, 22. XVIII. 1. The Christian indeed is one that is crucified to the world, and the world is as a crucified thing to him ; Gal. vi. 14. He bath overcome the world by faith, and followeth Christ in the pursuit ofit, to a perfect conquest; 1 John v. 4, 5. John xvi. 33. He has seenthrough all its glossing vanity, and foreseen what it will prove at last. He hath found that it cannot quiet . conscience, nor reconcile the guilty soul to God, nor save it from his consuming wrath; nor serve instead of God or heaven, of Christ or grace ; but will cast off its servants in their last extremity, naked and desolate, into remediless despair. And, therefore, he is.resolvedlyat a point with all things under the sun. Let them take the world for their portion and felicity that will; for his part, he accounteth all things in it dung and dross, in comparison of Christ and things eternal; Phil. iii. 7, 8. 19, 20. All the preferments, and honors, and command, and wealth, and greatness of the world, do not seem to . him a bait considerable, to make a wise man once questionwhether he should persevere in faithfldness to God, or to tempt him to com- mit one willful sin. He would not, speak, or own a lie, or approve the sin of another, for all that worldlings enjoy in their greatest prosperity while they live. He accounteth his peace with God . and conscience, and his commnniorn with Christ in the greatest poverty, tobe incomparablybetter than all the pleasures and com- modities of sin; yea, the very reproach of Christ is better to him than all the treasures ofcount or country ; Heb. xi. 25, 26. Grace bath mortified and annihilated the world to him. And that which is dead and nothing, can do nothing with him against God and his soul. He looketh on it as a carrion, which dogs may love and fight for, but is,unfit to be the food ofman. He is going to the land of promise, and therefore will not contend for an inheritance in this howling wilderness. Whether he be high or' low, rich or poor, are so small a part of his concernments, that he is almost indiffer- ent to them, further than as the interest of God and souls may ac- cidentallybe concerned in tlierh. The world set against God, and heaven, and holiness, doth weigh no more, in his estimation, than a feather that is put in the balance against amountains or all the world. He feeleth no great force iri such temptations, as would draw him to win the world, and lose his, soul. His Eye and heart are where his God and treasure are, above ; and worldly wealth and greatness are below, him, even under his feet, He .thinketh not
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