3. We that are earthly Angels by the nobleness of Creation, though by voluntary degeneration incarnate devils, were put into, and planted within the compass and comforts of this great and curious Frame round about us, the goodly Workmanship of Gods own Almighty hand, wherein we have the Sun to serve us; and we of this Kingdom by matchless and incomparable favour, the heavenly and healing beams of the Sun of righteousness, to shine upon us through his glorious Gospel, I say, we were placed in this world, not to serve our own turns, to please our own hearts, to follow our own ways, to eat, drink, and sleep; to temporize, revel, or root in the earth; to play the Epicures, Libertines, Machiavellians; to climb into high rooms, by all means lawful and unlawful; by bribery, simony, flattery, base insinuations, following the times; or some fouler means, and thereto domineer and tyrannize: In a word, to serve the devil for a few and evil days, to die, and so to be damned. No, no, a nobler task and more excellent end is appointed and apportioned for the Prince and principallest of all earthly creatures. Our being upon earth this little inch of time, is for business of another nature, and for a far more important affair, and of dearest consequence; even with humbleness and truth to know & obey our God, to serve our brethren in love, and to save our own ⟨p. 163⟩poor souls in the Day of Christ. This is that One necessary thing, in respect of which, all other things, though otherwise honest and excellent, are but respectively necessary, and so far as they further, and are warrantably and comfortably subordinate and contributary to this end: Nay, to this the exquisite Quintessence and concurrence of all other, the dearest and most desirable things under the Sun, are to be accounted but dross and dung. And yet for all this, many of us, while we yet abode in the darkness and damnation of our natural state, spent many years, some twenty, some thirty, some perhaps forty, wholly upon hell, in base and unblessed courses, quite cross to the end of our Creation. All that time (a misery to be lamented even with tears of blood) was utterly cast away upon the kingdom of darkness, fearfully lost upon our own lusts, sinful fashions, and pride of life; slavishly and woefully wasted in the devils service.
3. We that are earthly Angels by the noblenesse of Creation, though by voluntarie degeneration incarnate deuils, were put into, and planted within the compasse and comforts of this great and curious Frame round about vs, the goodly Workmanship of Gods owne Almightie hand, wherein we haue the Sunne to serue vs; and wee of this Kingdome by matchlesse and incomparable fauour, the heauenly and healing beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse, to shine vpon vs through his glorious Gospel, I say, we were placed in this world, not to serue our owne turnes, to please our owne hearts, to follow our own wayes, to eate, drinke, and sleepe; to temporize, reuell, or roote in the earth; to play the Epicures, Libertines, Machiauelians; to climbe into high roomes, by all meanes lawfull and vnlawfull; by briberie, simonie, flatterie, base insinuations, following the times; or some fouler meanes, and thereto domineere and tyrannize: In a word, to serue the deuill for a few and euill dayes, to die, and so to be damned. No, no, a nobler taske and more excellent end is appointed and apportioned for the Prince and principallest of all earthly creatures. Our being vpon earth this little inch of time, is for businesse of another nature, and for a farre more important affaire, and of dearest consequence; euen with humblenesse and truth to know & obey our God, to serue our brethren in loue, and to saue our owne ⟨p. 163⟩poore soules in the Day of Christ. This is that One necessarie thing, in respect of which, all other things, though otherwise honest and excellent, are but respectiuely necessarie, and so farre as they further, and are warrantably and comfortably subordinate and contributary to this end: Nay, to this the exquisite Quintescence and concurrence of all other, the dearest and most desireable things vnder the Sunne, are to be accounted but drosse and dung. And yet for all this, many of vs, while wee yet abode in the darknesse and damnation of our naturall state, spent many yeeres, some twenty, some thirtie, some perhaps fortie, wholly vpon hell, in base and vnblessed courses, quite crosse to the end of our Creation. All that time (a misery to be lamented euen with teares of blood) was vtterly cast away vpon the kingdome of darkenesse, fearefully lost vpon our owne lusts, sinfull fashions, and pride of life; slauishly and wofully wasted in the deuils seruice.
