Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

820 That we are citizens ofheauen. feeme little and little worth: foras lice who. is fated on an exceeding. high,mouutaine,iudgeth cuery thing. (mall which lice teeth in a. low valley ;; fo if our minds were placed in heauen, and our hearts fixed on that diuine and endlefl'e glory, wee, would thinke the greatell things on earth, as finali as motes in the Sunne, and as fmally alto a.Cora :.7. to be regarded; according to the example ofthe Apoftle `Raul, who after hee had .been rapt vp into the third hea- h113.7$ lien, and had a fight and tali of thofe vnfpeakable ioies, did in regard of them, efieeme the worlds chiefeft excellencies, but, as droffe and dung : whereas now alas thefe earthly things,thpugh they be final' and contemptible,do hidethofe fupercxceeding.ioirs of Gods Kingdome, from the des of thofe men, who are 11111 poring on the earth, and are neuer rapt vp on hie in fpirituall meditation,but lie grouelling vp- on the ground,fpending all their thoughts vpon their world- ly affaires. And asa fmall.difh being held necre the vies, hi- deth from our fight a great mountaine and a little hill or cioud,the whole bodie ofthe Sunne, though ì.tbe farte big- ger then the whole earth: fo thefe earthly trifles being pia.. ced necre ourfight,do fo fhadow and ouercloud thefe great and finning excellencies,that we cannot truly behold them, nor rightlieiudge of their greatneflè and value. And eher- fore if wee would view them aright, and haue fome true glimpfe at leafl of this diuine glory,we mull by heauêly me- ditation letthe eiesofourfoulemount aboue them; or elfe we muff remooue them further from vs, and then they will feeme finall,and finally, to be regarded,in comparifon ofthe incomparable greatneffe and goodnefl'e of chore heauenly ióies,and euerlafling glorie. 4,Sg,g, Itis no main ell if heretofore lining in ignorance, wee did That the loue of not efieeme ofthefe diuine excellencies,butpreferred before the "rid may them thefe worldly vanities, becaufe they were fubiec`l to sre(l fet ani gno- our fenfes; for there isnodefireofÿwhichis .notknawn,and rarewbefee. the brightflitifhiuedayisalaliketohim , who is(larkblind, meth aebrifli- vnto the darkeflnight .Itisnowonder if before we heard of sn,mho barb heauen,we efleemed the world as our chiefefl Paradife, and affsranceof'fx_ worldly things,as the heauenly ioies;,becanfeeuery, man na- toe bappines. totally