Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with…

1. This should regulate our Judgment of all temporal things. Worldly happiness is but a Picture, that seen by Sense, the false light of the present time, has an alluring ⟨p. 262⟩appearance, but if looked on by Faith the true light of Eternity, it is discovered to be a disfigured and unamiable confusion of spots. This unbinds the Charm, and discovers the vanity and illusion of what ever is admirable in the eyes of flesh. Can any carry the least mark of Honour, one farthing of their Treasures, any shadow of their Beauty, one drop of their Pleasure with them to another World? As in the Night all Colours are the same, the Crimson cannot be distinguished from Black, nor Purple from Green: when the light is withdrawn that gave them life, they cease to be visible, and are buried in the same indifferent obscurity. So in the state after Death, the most remarkable differences of this World are no more. And is that worthy of ⟨p. 263⟩our esteem that attends us for a little time, and leaves us for ever? Can that be our happiness that when we die and cease to be mortal, ceases to be ours? If Man did only live to die, and there were an absolute end of him, present things were more valuable in the quality of an earthly Felicity, as being his All; but if he dies to live in another World, and all that in the language of the Earth (full of Improprieties and moral Solecisms) we call ours, must be left at the gates of Death, the entrance of Eternity, they cannot be the materials of our happiness.

1. This should regulate our Judgment of all temporal things. Worldly happiness is but a Picture, that seen by Sence, the false light of the present time, has an alluring ⟨p. 262⟩appearance, but if look'd on by Faith the true light of Eternity, it is discovered to be a disfigur'd and unamiable confusion of spots. This unbinds the Charm, and discovers the vanity and illusion of what ever is admirable in the eyes of flesh. Can any carry the least mark of Honour, one farthing of their Treasures, any shadow of their Beauty, one drop of their Pleasure with them to another World? As in the Night all Colours are the same, the Crimson cannot be distinguish'd from Black, nor Purple from Green: when the light is withdrawn that gave them life, they cease to be visible, and are buried in the same indifferent obscurity. So in the state after Death, the most remarkable differences of this World are no more. And is that worthy of