Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life,…

IV. ¹In this great house of so great mourning, God hath been teaching you the worlds vanity. You have seen what miserable comforters riches are to men in time of Plague, and at an hour of death; you have seen death haling men from that which they had set their hearts upon; you have seen death dragging men from their riches, and from their pleasures, and hath forced them to come away to the Bar of God, and leave their riches behind them, and their pleasures behind them. You have seen that riches could not go with them into another world, but left them in a ⟨p. 83⟩time of need. You have seen that those that loved riches, could find no comfort in them when they stood in greatest need of comfort. You have seen that what men have been labouring for, and scraping together all the time of their health and life, death hath come and scattered in a moment. Oh how weaned should you be from the world, and the riches and the pleasures thereof, after such a sight as this! Oh how much less should you afford the world, of your heart and affections, of your love, desire, and delights that is so unkind to dying men, even unto those that served it most, and loved it most. Oh do you learn to deal so with the world, as you have seen the world to deal with others, i. e. turn it out of your heart with as little love and pity to it, as you have seen the world turn its followers out of it, and shake them off, notwithstanding all their entreaties to abide and stay therein. The world may now entreat you, that it might stay in your heart, and live in your love; but hearken you no more to its entreaties, than it hath hearkened unto others, and you must expect the world ere long will deal with you, as it hath dealt with others; therefore part with the world, before you leave the world.

IV. ¹In this great house of so great mourning, God hath been teaching you the worlds vanity. You have seen what miserable comforters riches are to men in time of Plague, and at an hour of death; you have seen death haling men from that which they had set their hearts upon; you have seen death dragging men from their riches, and from their pleasures, and hath forced them to come away to the Bar of God, and leave their riches behinde them, and their pleasures behind them. You have seen that riches could not go with them into another world, but left them in a