Two treatises of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of earthly-mindedness

A third consideration is this, Surely God hath made man for higher things than the things of this earth. Oh! if thou hadst but thy thoughts often working this way, Wherefore do I think in my conscience hath God made the children of men, for what end? why hath he sent them hither into the world? Of all the creatures that God hath here upon the earth, he hath none capable to know him the infinite First being of all things but only the children of men, & God hath given them such a nature as is capable of some converse with him, surely then there be other things that God made man for than to have meat, and drink, and clothes, and here to live a while only to enjoy creatures. Do not we read often, That Jesus Christ was God and Man, took mans nature upon him, and died for man? Surely there must be some other manner of things that are the fruit of the purchase of the blood of Christ than the things of the earth; Oh my brethren! had you but this settled upon you, that certainly God hath great, glorious, high, and wonderful thoughts about man-kind, this would be a mighty means to take off your hearts from the things of this earth, when thou hast thy heart grovelling here: Oh but are these the things that God made man for? had not God higher thoughts in making of the children of men? do not I find in the word that when man was made there was a kind of Divine consultation with the Trinity, ⟨p. 70⟩Come, let Us make man according to our own Image? God had other thoughts of man than of other things. And if man were made for nothing else but merely to dig in the earth, Certainly, the thoughts of God about man have been but very low and mean (as I may so speak with holy reverence) for these are but low and mean things here that men enjoy in the earth.