Serm. LXXV. wfer than the Children of Light. 565 perfwaded of the danger of fin to their fouls and bodies in another world, as ofthe danger to which fome Crimes againft the Laws of Men do expofè their temporal lives and fafety ; therefore they will many times venture to offend God, rather than incur the penaltyof human laws. 4thly, The Men of the world have but one deign, and are wholly intent upon it, and this is a great Advantage. He that hathbut one thing to mind, may ea- filly be skill'd and excel in it. When a man makes one thing his whole bufinefs, no wonder if he he very knowing and wife in that. Now the Men of the World mind worldly things, and have no care and concernment for any thing elfe. It is a laying I think of Thomas Aquinas, Cave ab illo qui unicum legit librum : He is a dangerous man that reads but one Book ; he that gives his Mind but to one thing, mutt needs be tco hard for any Man at that. Application to one thing, efpeci- ally in matters ofpractice, gains a Man perfe& experience in it, and experience furnilhethhim with Obfervations about it, and thefe make him wife and prudent in that thing. But good Men, tho' they have a great affe&ion for Heaven and Heavenly things, yet the buinefs and necelfities of this Life, do very much divert and take them' offfrom the Care of better things; they are divided between the Concernments ofthis Life and the other, and tho there be but one thing necefary in comparifon, yet the Conveniencies of this Life are to be regarded ; and tho' our Souls be our main care, yet fome Conideration muff be had of our Bodies, that they may be fit for the Service of our Souls; tome Proviion mutt be made for their prefent fupport, fo long as we continue in thefe earthly Tabernacles ; and this will ne- ceffarily engage us in the world, fo that we cannot always and wholly apply our fèlves to heavenly things, and mind them as the Men of the world do the Things ofthis world. sthly, and lathy, The Menof the world have ar greater Compafs and Liber- ty in the purfuit of their worldly deigns, than good men have in the Prole- cution of their Interefls. The Children of Light are limited and confn'd to the ufe of lawful Means, for the compafiidg of their ends ; but the Men of the World are not foftrait- laced, quocunque modo rem, they are'refolv'd upon the Point, and will flick at no means to compafs their End. They do not (land upon the nice diain&ions of good and evil, of-right and wrong, invented by fpeculative and fcrupulous Men, to puzzle bufinefs, and to-hinder and difappoint great Deigns. If Ahab have a mind to Naloth's Vineyard, and Naboth will not let him be ho- nett, and have it for a valuable Conideration, he will try td get it a cheaper' way. Naboth fhall by Falle Witnefs be made a Traytor, and his Vineyard by this means ball be forfeited to him. And thus the ünjoft Steward in the Parable provided for himfelf ; he wronged his Lord, to fecure a retreat to himfelf in the the time of his Diarefs. The,Third and laß thing only remains, to make force Inferences from what hath been faid byway of Application. And, I. Notwithffandiízg the Commendation whichbath been given of the Wifdom of this World, yet upon the whole matter it is not -much to be valued and admi- red. It is indeed great in its way and kind: but it is'applied to little and low pur- poles, employ'd about the Concernments of a fhort time and a few days, about else worft and meanett part of our felves, and accompanied with the negleet of greater and better things, fach as concern our Souls; and our whole duration, even our happinefs to all Eternity. And therefore that which the World ad- mires and cries up for wifdom, is in the efteem of God, who judgeth of things according to truth, but Vanity and Folly. The Wifdom of the world (faith St. Paul), is FooliJhnefs with God. The RichMan in the Parable, who increafed his Goods, and enlarged his Barns, and laid up for many years, did applaud him- felf, and was nodoubt applauded by others for a very Wife Man but becaule he laid up Treafùre for himfelf, and was not rich toward God, that is, did not employ his Eftate to good and charitable Purpofes, therefore God, who'calls no body out ofhis right Name, calls this Man Fool; Thou Fool, this nightfhäll thy Soul id ta- ken from thee, and then whofe (hall all theft thing,[ be ? And our Saviour here in the Text; í.
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