Self -feedrs low opinion ofthe heft things. lilver, but he loft hitnfelfe, in the Ale andupshot he went away and hanged hiinfelfe, Invaluable is the lotfe of felt= feeking, heerby men bofe theirfpirituall freedome and be- come bondmen to their own lufts, toSatan and the world, hereby they bofe their communion and acquaintance with God, and goe out like Caine from the prefence of the Lord, and are fpirituall vagabonds upon the. Earth, hereby they bofe the benefit of all Gods ordinances, living under them as the blind man under the Sun, receiving no light from them, as Rocks in the midft ofa River, no way foft- ned nor made fruitful' by them ; hereby they lode the _love of god, as a woman that Peeks ftrange lovers loofeth the love of her husband hereby_they lode the peace and PGrs7 4 comfort of their foules, and pierce themfelves thorough with many forrowes, they make their bed a bed of thornes, and their feaft becomes gravel' to their teeth and gall to their palate, and at ball they look their foules and bodies forever. Happy is that mans loffa that loofeth all with the gain of Chrift, curled is that mans gain that wins the worldwith the loffe ofChrift, he that bath Chrift bath alfa the true fweet and comfortable ufeofwhat he doth poífeffe, be that bath not Chrift is a very flave andbondman inthe miditof his greateft polteflion, the felt- feeker neither truly enjoyeshimfelf, nor a- ny thing els. I I. Selfe- feeking Works the heart oftrsan- to ,r 6afand lien- tt, Undervalu -¡ der eftéeme of holy and heavenly things ; Chrift his ordinan- in; holychings ces and benefits are nothing precious in the eyes of felfe- feekers, their eyes are blinded, and fee not the beauties of Chrift, their palats are diftempered, and taft not the tweet- neffe ofChrift their hand is withered, they cannot re- ceive Chrilt ; they commit 'f firituall adulteryWith thsWorld, aÚ4.4 and cannot love Chrift ; nothing but the creature is preci- ous in theeyes of felf-feekers : efau preferred a b mere f of !rn.:t 3 pottage above his birth -right, the men of Shechem efteemed the a bramble above the Vine, the Olive and the Fig-tree c Jud.yg, the feltfeeker prefers thepore, low andempty things, the verybrambleof the world, aúbvè Chrift the true and' living Vine, above the ordinancesof Chriff, whofe fruit is better then 197
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