346 on the Excelleocy of the Semi. getting the things of the world , however men efleern of them. Secondly,What if a man doth gain the world,but lofes his foul, he is never a whit the better for any thing in the world; we fay fometimes in our common language,fuch a man is the bea man in the Pariih,. and I have the hands of the bell men . in the Parifh; the truth is, wee mean the richefl men in the. Pari h : but riches and honours make no man one whit bet- "*. 1A ". ter than bee was before : The heart of the wicked is little -worth. Let a man have never fo great an ellate , hee may have fo many houfes that are worth fo much,but Ile is worth no more than bee was; as a great letter makes no more to the fence of a word, than a little letter doth; fo great honours, and great places, make no more to the excellency:. of a man, than to bee without them; there things in the world they have no goodnefs in them any further than wee put goodnefs upon them; wee may indeed make good ufe of them, and fo by our good ufe.wee may make our felves better through Gods Grace; but thepoífelling of them Both. not make any foul one whit better than it was before, they make many fouls worfe; thoufands of fouls grow worfe than they were before,.by the enjoyment of the world, but where have you one. better ? none can bee better by the things of the world, no, it mull bee by force grace of God'that a foul grows better, and not by the things of the world : I will give you for this, this demonflratton, you never finde in Scripture . ( that I know of) that ever any childe of God-, was worfe for. affii6ttions in the conclufion, but you may finde, that almoll every childe ofGod that was in profperi- ty,. was the worfe for their prófperity, there are very few to bee excepted : l confefs wee read not of Daniel, nor ofNe- hemiah, and I know not any but thofe two, but ever were the worfe for their profperity, but not one worfe for af- fkflions, from Genets to the Revelation ; therefore certainly there is no fuch great matter in the things of the world ;; That is a remarkable place wee have in Dan. r i . 21. And in his efiate /hall /land . up a vile. -perfon , and bee ¡hall. obtain the
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