20 Dr. Manton's Sermon 2. The bulinefs and cares of this world; for, there immoderate-- ly followed, and not in obedience to God, are a fore burthen, and makes the foul heavy, and allows no time and firength for God and Pais fervice, and thofe happy opportunities of private communion with him; when weare incumbered with much fervice, we rale& that one thing necerary, Luke ao. 42. and therefore Clariftians'alinit take heed that the lean kine do not devour the fat ; that Sarah be not thrown out ofdoors inftead of Hagar, that Religion be not thruft to the walls, which fhould be our peirte.and chief bulinef while every butinefs hath its time and courfe. The Scriptures know- ing the pronenefs of our hearts to temporal things, deals with us as we do with a crooked flick, we bend it fo niucfr th:e- other way, and therefore fometimes they forbid neceffary labour, John 6. 28; Labour not for the meat whichperifbeth,&c. the meaning is not chiefly, but it bends the flick another way, fet not your affeaions on things on the earth: A man Mull have force kinde of affection to hiS work here below ;but we had need to be bent the other way :- We may gather this from this Precept, ' Tis better to incroach upon the world, then the world fhould incroach upon godlinefs. In fhort, things are a burthen and clog to us, according as our delight and fcope is, if the pomp and encreafe of the the world be our end and fcope, then Religion will .be looked upon as a burthen, that will be a weight, and all duties ofgodlinefs as a melancholly interruption, as they Amos 2.8. When,will the Sabbath be over? The exercife of godliners will be a troubleCome thing, and we fhall go about the work of Re- ligion as if we went about it not : But on the other fide, ifHeaven and heavenly things be our fcope, then the world is 'a burthen, and theta we frail rife it in the way, but not abufing, as taking up our reit here, a Cor. 7. 31,32. Man bath a body and foul, and he cloth provide for both; but for one in fubordination,the foul is the chief; and therefore we mull not fo look after the interefts and concern- ments of the bodily life, as to forget the interefts ofthe foul, or to negle& them. Many will not fo grofly Idolize prefent things, fo as to renounce things to come; T-, but they Co often follow the things of the world, that they negle& their eternal concernments. The happinefs ofa people lies in communion with God, and therefore that mull be looked after; we mutt take heed that the cares of the world havnot finch a hand and power over us, as either to divert us from, or unfit us for thee higher and nobler purfuits, the enjoyment of God in Chrift. This is the firit thing the Apoftle fpeaks to thefe fpiritual Racers, to layafide every weight, that is,. the-delights of the ilefl72and the cares ofthe world. Secondly,
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