Yea let me tell you, that even here on earth, you little know the difference between the Life which you refuse, and the Life which you choose? The Sanctified are conversing with God, when you dare scarce think of him, and when you are conversing but with earth and flesh. Their Conversation is in heaven, when you are utter strangers to it, and your belly is your God, and you are minding earthly things, Phil. 3.18, 19.20. They are seeking after the face of God, when you seek for nothing higher then this world. They ⟨image 16⟩are busily laying out for an endless life, where they shall be equal with the Angels, (Luke 20.36.) when you take up with a shadow, and a transitory thing of nought. How low and base is your earthly, fleshly, sinful life, in comparison of the noble spiritual life of true Believers? Many a time have I looked on such men with grief and pity, to see them trudge about the world and spend their lives, and care, and labour, for nothing but a little food and raiment, or a little fading pelf, or fleshly pleasure, or airy honours, as if they had no higher things to mind. What difference is there between the lives of these men, and of the beasts that perish, that spend their time in working, and eating, and living but that they may live? You taste not of the inward heavenly pleasures which Believers taste and live upon. I had rather have a little of their ⟨image 17⟩comforts, which the fore-thoughts of their Heavenly inheritance doth afford them, though I had all their Scorns and Sufferings with it, then to have all your pleasures and treacherous Prosperity: I would not have one of your secret gripes and pangs of conscience, and dark and dreadful thoughts of death, and the Life to come, for all that ever the world hath done for you, or all •hat you can reasonably hope that it should do. If I were in your Unconverted Carnal state, and knew but what I know, and believed but what I now believe, methinks my life would be a foretaste of Hell: How oft should I be thinking of the Terrors of the Lord, and of the dismal day that's hasting on! Sure Death and Hell would be still before me: I should think of them by day, and dream of them by night; I should lie down in fear, and rise in fear, and live in ⟨image 17⟩fear, lest death should come before I were Converted. I should have small felicity in any thing that I possessed;
Yea let me tell you, that even here on earth, you little know the difference between the Life which you refuse, and the Life which you choose? The Sanctified are conversing with God, when you dare scarce think of him, and when you are conversing but with earth and flesh. Their Conversation is in heaven, when you are utter strangers to it, and your belly is your God, and you are minding earthly things, Phil. 3.18, 19.20. They are seeking after the face of God, when you seek for nothing higher then this world. They ⟨image 16⟩are busily laying out for an endless life, where they shall be equal with the Angels, (Luke 20.36.) when you take up with a shadow, and a transitory thing of nought. How low and base is your earthly, fleshly, sinful life, in comparison of the noble spiritual life of true Believers? Many a time have I looked on such men with grief and pitty, to see them trudge about the world and spend their lives, and care, and labour, for nothing but a little food and rayment, or a little fading pelf, or fleshly pleasure, or aiery honours, as if they had no higher things to mind. What difference is there between the lives of these men, and of the beasts that perish, that spend their time in working, and eating, and living but that they may live? You taste not of the inward heavenly pleasures which Believers taste and live upon. I had rather have a little of their ⟨image 17⟩comforts, which the fore-thoughts of their Heavenly inheritance doth afford them, though I had all their Scorns and Sufferings with it, then to have all your pleasures and treacherous Prosperity: I would not have one of your secret gripes and pangs of conscience, and dark and dreadfull thoughts of death, and the Life to come, for all that ever the world hath done for you, or all •hat you can reasonably hope that it should do. If I were in your Vnconverted Carnal state, and knew but what I know, and believed but what I now believe, methinks my life would be a foretaste of Hell: How oft should I be thinking of the Terrours of the Lord, and of the dismal day that's hasting on! Sure Death and Hell would be still before me: I should think of them by day, and dream of them by night; I should lie down in fear, and rise in fear, and live in ⟨image 17⟩fear, lest death should come before I were Converted. I should have small felicity in any thing that I possessed;
