ATreatife of tbe Affe5tions. Thou affedef the things of this life, alas ! they will never, giveref, for fill there is fomething beyond them, but God Ì is the utmof of all goods,when the foul is once fetled on him, it bath no further to go, like a lone when it's come to the centre, it bath no further to go. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the firf and the lai, faies Chrift, If the foul be in Chris, Chrift is his laft, the foul is at ref; why ? it bath no where to goe: whether (hould we goe? faies Peter to Chrift ,thou haft the Words of eternal life, Joh.6. Chrift firf, and Chrift next, and Chrill l41; Chri(l is the utmoll and ultimate good of the foul ; the foul bath no further to go : and therefore here thou mutt fix thine af e- dions, fix them upon Chrill. Thirdly, becaufe nothing it it felf Without God, the things of this life, they are good I confers, but they are not them - felves without God; if God be not in them, the very good that they have is not in them. When thou affeueft plea - fure and delight, anfwer me, why doff thou atfed it? is it not for the good that is in it ? when thou affedeft profit, or health, or peace, or friends, or credit, or whatever thou affelef, tell me in thy confcience, why doff thou affect them? is it not for the good that is in them ? they are good, therefore thou afïe lei them : but if thou haft not Chrift, and God, and his Spirit, and his grace, ifthou haft not the Lord in thefe things, they are not themfelves, neither have they the good that is in them. Riches is no riches without grace, but a fnare : health is no health without Chrift, but a curfe: peace and pleafure are not themfelves without God, but poyfon : thy good parts are thy bane, thy money is thy vengeance, thy goods are a witneffe againfl theewith- out Chrift. If thou beef not in Chrift, if not a new crea- ture, one day thou (halt curfe that ever thou wert born, and therefore much more shalt thou curfe that ever thon badf means, or maintenance,. or life, or health, or any thing; the more thou had& ofn.thefe blefiïngs, if Chrift be;;not,with them, a he is;.ni ,'!,if thou', beef not a new H 3 creature 53 Nothing is it au without God.
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