A Christian Directory

§. 11. 6. Think also what a contempt of Heaven it is, to prefer the pleasing of the flesh before it. There is but two ends which all men aim at; the pleasing of the flesh on earth, or the enjoying of God in Heaven (unless any be deluded to think that he shall have a sensual life hereafter too, as well as here): And these two stand one against the other: And he that sets up one, doth renounce (or as good as renounce) the other: If ye sow to the flesh, of the flesh ye shall reap corruption: But if ye sow to the spirit, of the spirit ye shall reap everlasting life. Gal. 6. 8. Your wealth, and honour, and sports, and pleasures, and appetites are put in the scales against Heaven, and all the Joys and Hopes hereafter, (To say you hope to have them both, is the cheat of infidelity, that believes not God) And is not Heaven most basely esteemed of by those, that prefer so base a thing before it?

§. 11. 6. Think also what a contempt of Heaven it is, to prefer the pleasing of the flesh before it. There is but two ends which all men aym at; the pleasing of the flesh on earth, or the enjoying of God in Heaven (unless any be deluded to think that he shall have a sensual life hereafter too, as well as here): And these two stand one against the other: And he that sets up one, doth renounce (or as good as renounce) the other: If yee sow to the flesh, of the flesh ye shall reap corruption: But if ye sow to the spirit, of the spirit ye shall reap everlasting life. Gal. 6. 8. Your wealth, and honour, and sports, and pleasures, and appetites are put in the scales against Heaven, and all the Joys and Hopes hereafter, (To say you hope to have them both, is the cheat of infidelity, that believes not God) And is not Heaven most basely esteemed of by those, that prefer so base a thing before it?

§. 12. 7. Remember that flesh-pleasing is a great contempt and treachery against the soul. It is a great contempt of an immortal soul, to prefer its corruptible flesh before it, and to make its servant to become its master; and to ride on horseback, while it goes, as it were, on foot: Is the flesh worthy of so much time and cost and care, and so much ado as is made for it in the world, and is not a never dying soul worth more? Nay it is a betraying of the soul: You set up its enemy before it; and put its safety into an enemies hands: And you cast away all its Joys and Hopes for the gratifying of the flesh. Might it not complain of your cruelty and say, Must my endless happiness be sold to purchase so short a pleasure for your flesh? Must I be undone for ever, and lie in Hell, that it may be satisfied for a little time? But why talk I of the souls complaint? Alas it is it self that it must complain of! For it is its own doing! It hath its choice: The flesh can but tempt it, and not constrain it: God hath put the chief power and government into its hands: If it will sell its own eternal hopes, to pamper worms meat, it must speed accordingly. You would not think very honourably of that mans wit or honesty, who would sell the patrimony of all his children, and all his friends that trusted him therewith, and after sell their persons into slavery, and all this to purchase him a delicious feast, with sports and gallantry for a day! And is he wiser or better that selleth (in effect) the inheritance of his soul, and betrayeth it to Hell and Devils, for ever, and all this to purchase the fleshly pleasure of so short a life?