Four useful discourses viz. ... /Four usefull discourses viz. ... /

Ninthly, When a man doth so use the world as if he used it not. When a man enjoys his fullness of outward things, but as things by the by; that is, so as his comforts doth not depend upon them. I have comfort in them, but it doth not depend upon them. Most people do so enjoy their fullness, that the truth is they have it as all their fullness; they do not use them as things by the by, but as their end. Not as means to the end, but as their end. Then a man learns to know how to be full (I say) when he can use his fullness, not as his end, but means to the end: Not as things that he doth depend upon for his happiness, but as things by the by. Put all these together now, and here's the man that learns to be full. And thus St. Paul, I am instructed as well to be full and rich, as to need. O I beseech you, before this can come to be applied in the whole, apply these particulars to your hearts. In the mean time, I appeal this day in the Name of God to your Conscience; Have you learned to be full? You are full many of you, as to outward things; but have you been in Christs School, to learn to enjoy your fullness in such a manner as this is. I am verily persuaded that many of your Consciences will cause mis-giving thoughts to be in you this day about this thing, if you do believe that these are the truths of God, as I cannot imagine but any man may be convinced of this; and therefore I do not stand to enlarge and bring proofs for them: but every mans conscience will tell him, certainly I have not learned these things, I have not learned to be full; that is, I have not learned to sanctify the Name of God by my fullness. Now give conscience liberty to reprove you for being Truant in the School of Jesus Christ; and let this humble your souls before the Lord. I shall speak more to that afterwards; but for the present, know, that this is your work, to go and ⟨p. 18⟩be humbled before the Lord, that you have not understood what it is to sanctify God in the fullness that you enjoy. Lord, Through thy mercy I have all my days been full of outward comforts; Thou hast been full-handed towards me, in the ways of thy mercy: but Lord, though I have had fullness a long time, O how far have I been from knowing how to be full. If this be to know it, then I have been a stranger to it hitherto.

Ninthly, When a man doth so use the world as if he used it not. When a man enjoys his fulness of outward things, but as things by the by; that is, so as his comforts doth not depend upon them. I have comfort in them, but it doth not depend upon them. Most people do so enjoy their fulness, that the truth is they have it as all their fulness; they do not use them as things by the by, but as their end. Not as means to the end, but as their end. Then a man learns to know how to be full (I say) when he can use his fulness, not as his end, but means to the end: Not as things that he doth depend upon for his happiness, but as things by the by. Put all these together now, and here's the man that learns to be full. And thus St. Paul, I am instructed as well to be full and rich, as to need. O I beseech you, before this can come to be applied in the whole, apply these particulars to your hearts. In the mean time, I appeal this day in the Name of God to your Conscience; Have you learned to be full? You are full many of you, as to outward things; but have you been in Christs School, to learn to enjoy your fulness in such a manner as this is. I am verily perswaded that many of your Consciences will cause mis-giving thoughts to be in you this day about this thing, if you do believe that these are the truths of God, as I cannot imagine but any man may be convinc'd of this; and therefore I do not stand to enlarge and bring proofs for them: but every mans conscience will tell him, certainly I have not learned these things, I have not learned to be full; that is, I have not learned to sanctifie the Name of God by my fulness. Now give conscience liberty to reprove you for being Truant in the School of Jesus Christ; and let this humble your souls before the Lord. I shall speak more to that afterwards; but for the present, know, that this is your work, to go and