Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

And now what a cutting consideration should this be to a man to consider, God made me for his use, that I should be his servant to do his will, and I am utterly unfit for any services save those which dishonour him, like the wood of the vine, utterly unuseful and unmeet for any work? Ezek. 15. 4. what then should I expect but to be cast out, as a vessel in which is no pleasure? If I am altogether barr•n, and of no use, what a wonderful patience of God is it that suffers me to cumber the ground, and doth not presently cast me into the fire? that […] me like a noisome weed to poison the air, and choke the growth of better things? If I drink in the rain, and bring forth nothing but thorns, how near ⟨p. 236⟩must I needs be unto cursing? And this conviction should make men labour to have place in Christ, because thereby they shall be enabled to please God, and in some measure to bring that glory to him for which they were made. For this is a thing which God much delights in, when a creature doth glorify him actively, by living unto him. He will not loose his glory by any Creature, but fetch it out at the last, but when the Creature operates out of it self to Gods end, and carries Gods intention through its own work, then is he most honoured and delighted. Herein, saith Christ, is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, Joh. 15. 8. and herein did Christ glorify his father in finishing the work which he gave him to do. Joh. 17 4. What an encouragement should this be for those who have hitherto lived in the lusts of the flesh, to come over to Christ and his righteousness; and for others to go on with patience through all difficulties, because in so doing they work to that end for which they were made, they live to God, and bring forth fruit unto him, who hath in much patience spared and in infinite love called them to himself? How should we praise God that hath given us any strength in any way to do him service? that is pleased to account himself honoured when he is obeyed by us, who spoil all the works we do with our own corruptions? And how should we husband all the precious moments of our life to the advantage of our master, whose very acceptation of such unworthy services should alone be both encouragement and reward enough unto us? The more profitably any man lives, the more comfortably he shall die.