Book IV. S A I N T S coMPARED To P I L G R I M S. 735 SIMIL E . • VII. A Pilgri.m is a Man that llayeth not long in a l'lace where he comes; he is but a SOJOUrner for a Night, and is gone; his Heart is upon his Journey. VIII. A Pilgrim is not always in the fan1e good Difpof!tion of B<>dy and Mind, fit and nece!Tary for his Journey, but fometimes may be diftempered, or grow dull and heavy, and our of heart, up– on the account of the great Dif– ficulties that attend him, which when he is delivered and eafed of, it much rejoiceth his l:jeart. PARALLEL. VII. So the Saints of God have here no conti– nuing City, but feek one to come, Heb. xiii. 14. This is not their Reft ; their Abode is here but as in a ftrange Land, and therefore they go forth on their fpiritual Progrefs towards that City, that hath Foundations, whofc Builder and Maker is God, Heb. xi. 9• 10 . VJII. So a Saint is often attended with !piritual D illempers ; his Heart is out ofFrame, and in a very unfit Difpofition for any Duty; the Troubles and Incumbrances of this Life dull and deaden his fervent Defires after God, and make him go Cin heavily, nay, ready to tire him, and caufe him to faint in his Mind : Yet by the help of the Spi– rit, and feriotlS Meditations of the Excellency of the Country to which he is travelling, he is foon quickened again, and gets frdhStrength and Re– folution. H e expoftulateth the Cafe with himldt" after this Manner: Shall wicked Men purfue after the Vanities of this World with fuch Pains and Unweariednels! and 0Jall 1 be ready to faint, that ha-·e A!Tur•n ce of a Crown of Glory at the f'.ncf of my Journey I 0 how difproponionable are their La– bors to their Gains I Blufh, 0 my Soul, at thy own NegkEI:s! and be afroniOled, either a< their Diligence, or at thy ow n Sloth! Do they labor in the Fire for very Va– nity? and wilt tholl fhew f~:1ch a fottilli, tit-ad, and unbeliev ing Frame of Hean, as not to purfue with more Zeal and Diligence after that glorious Country, and cndlefs Feli– city before thee? Is not Heaven worth ftriving for, and travelling to? IX. A Pilgrim is glad when he IX. So a Saint, or fpiritual Pilgrim, is glad meets with good Company in the when he meets with good and gracious Co,,pani– Way, efpecialiy other Pilgrims, ons in his Journey to the Land of Promi Ce. '!"hey fuch as are travelling to the lame that fear tr.ee, will be glad when they fee me, be: Place to which he is going himfelf. caufe I have hoped in,thy Word. I am a Companio>t What is more defirab!e to a Traof all them tbat fear thee, and of them that keep veller, than a faithful Friend and thy Pr·ecepts, Pfel. cxix. 74· What fweet Fel– Companion? ' This makes, faith low01ip have God's Children one with another! ' one, evil Things little, and good How much doth their heavenly Converfe and ' Things great; by this fweet SoCommunion refrefb and .chear each others H earts, 'ciety our Griefs are divided, and under all their Sufferi ngs and 1-Iardfh ips, which 'all our Joys are doubled. VI' hat they meet with in their fpiritual Pilgrimage? We ~ Calamity is not intolerable, withtook fweet Counfel together, and walked unto the ' out a Friend, a Companion? And Houfe of God in Company, Pjal. lv. 4· 1f earthly ' what Society is not ungrateful, Society be fo delirable, how pleafant is the Society ' if we have none to fbare with us of Saints, or Communion with thole we fhall dwell ' in it? We !offer not fo much, with for ever! Chrifrian Pilgrims have great Ad– ' when we have fame tO condole vanrage in their Journey, by travelling together. ' and fuffer with us; and we reIf the one be poor, and the other rich, the one 'joice the more, when our Felirelieves his Fellow; or if the one be weak, and 'city gives a Pleafure not. only to the other ftrong, the one can take the other by 'omfelves, but to others alfo. If the H and, and afford fomc Help to him, when 'Solitude, and Want of Compathey meet with bad Way, or go up-hill. 'f"wo, 'ny, be fo horrid, fo dreadful a faith Solomon, are better tha~~ one; for if they fall, 'Thing, it is notto be underftood rhe one will help up his Fellow, Ecclef iv. 9• 10. ' of the Want of Men, but of the Moft Travellers have found by Experience, how 'Want of Friends, (meet Compacomfortable it is to have good Company in a long . 'ny) for 1t ts a good Solttude, not Journey. They very much ftrengthcn and encou– ' ..to dwell with thofe that do not rage each other, and by this Means the Way •-love us; and a Man would chufe fcems not fo long and tedious, as otherwile it would. 'fuchaHermitage, where he might They will, if one be fad or cafr down, enquire ' not be tmubled with them who what the Matter is, and often afk how each other ~ bear no benevolous AffeEI:ion to do; and thus it is with Believers. Paul's great Care
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