Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

To that I answer, It is reported concerning Socrates, being once reproached, and yet behaving himself meekly and quietly, one came and asked him how he could be so meek and quiet, when he was reproached by such a one as he was that did reproach him? Socrates answered, If as we go along we should meet with a man that had a diseased body, more diseased then our bodies, more weak then ours, should we fret at him because we see the disease of his body more grievous then ours: No, this should make us pity him; then says he, if as we go along, we see the spirit of one more diseased, and more distempered then ours, should this make us fret at him? it rather calls for pity and commiseration: so if that be the thing that makes thee fret; namely, the malice of them from whom you suffer, it should rather turn your vexation into commiseration, and look upon his spirit as diseased, and sickly, and weak, and bless God that hath given you a more strong and hail spirit.

Thirdly, if Gods people account sufferings and reproaches ¹greater riches then the treasures of Egypt, then here we may see to what a height a gracious spirit is raised to, how high above the world; in that it looks upon the riches, and glory, and sweet contentment of the world, as under the meanest and basest thing that does attend godliness; namely, as things under reproaches, and under scorns and sufferings; Gods people do not only look at Christ, and grace, and heaven, as above the riches and glory of the world, that they are infinitely above them; but mark how a gracious heart is raised above the world, take ⟨p. 460⟩the very dirt that is cast upon the ways of God, and he counts that very dirt to be higher then all the riches, and glory, and dignity of the world; surely then a gracious heart hath a very low esteem of the world, and the riches and glory of it, howsoever other men that know no better things, esteem highly of them: A man that hath rich Revenues, plentiful comings in, he blesses himself in this, and counts himself a great man here; but know, while you are blessing your selves in these things of the world, that do glitter in carnal eyes, a gracious heart is so far from looking at that which you do so highly esteem of as great matters, as he accounts the very baseness that attends the ways of godliness, as a higher preferment by far then all your glory, and rejoices more in it, and blesses God more for it; yea, blesses himself more in the very basest and meanest things that attend godliness, then in all your riches; so that a godly mans feet are where a wicked mans head is.