Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

4g4 Tbatworldlj thrng' are vreprof e. ble4 . tablenejteof who let their hearts vpon them: the like allomay be faid of worldly pica- carnal pleafures,which ifthey be ouer highly valued,and too /ores. much affected, do vs no good, but are as voprofitable as ei- ther cfthe other, And this the wile Salomon teacheth vs by his.ownc experience, for barring fought to pleafe himfelfè withall manner ofdelights, and denied no ioy to his heart which it could defire,concluderh at left that he could find no ccclefi.r. profit in any ofthem, but vanitie and vexation of fpirit. If tort, therfore he .s ho hadal the delights which a great kingdom, a:. peaceable and profperous raigne, and abundance of all worldly pleflings, were able to yeeld vnto him,could not af- ter he had tried many conclufions, to giue his heart ioy. and ,pleafure,find any profit in any ofthem : how vnprofitable are our delights like to proue, who wantthele plentifull meanes wherin he abounded,and haue all ourcomfortscroffed with manymifertes, from which he was priuiledged ? But ifwe wou:d iirther con fider ,that that alone istobeelleemed tru- ly profitable, which dot') profit vs.in our place and ca'ling, and aduanceth the manic ends at which we aime, we fhouhd plainly perceiue how littleprofit there is in pleafure : for we are called to the flare of Chriflianitie, to be the feruants and children of God, and the maine end which we.propound in all our doings and proceedings, is tcy glorifie'.;od in cur owne faluation,to finifh our courte with ioy, and to pafl the time ofour pilgrimage fe in Gods leave, as that in the end of our hues we may arriue at ourheauenly countrie,and inherit thofe eternall ioyes. But alas how little do worldlypleafures (efpeciálly when they are too much efleemed and affeeled) in thefe refpc6ts profit vs? How flenderly doe they aduance thefe ends and further -vs in this way ; yea rather how much datheyendamage vs, and either fl'acken our pace or quite hinder vs inthis fpirituall race ? whileft héing fo befotted on thefeearthlydelights, we neuer think ofoutheauenly ioyes, or fpend that precious time in vaine (ports, wherein we flaòuld labour to f urniflr our hearts with Gods fpirituall and fauing graces, and attaine voto certaine aflùranez that we haue our part and íntcrelt in that eternall haprinef e; orfi- nally,whileflbeing pampered with chefe worldly .pleafures, WC