The vanity of this mortal life, or, Of man, considered only in his present…

No; let them know, it is not only too mean a thing for them to involve themselves in the common spirit of the sensual world, but even to seem to do so. And that this is so soul and ignominious a thing, as whereof they are concerned, not to be free from the ⟨p. 94⟩guilt only, but the suspicion.¹ Those worthy souls that in former (and darker) days were engaged in seeking the Heavenly Country, thought it became them to confess themselves pilgrims and strangers on the earth: And therein, to declare plainly, that they were seeking that better Country. Which confession and plain declaration, we need not understand to be merely verbal, but practical and real also, such as might be understood to be the language of their lives, and of a constant uniform course of actions, agreeable to such a design.

No; let them know, it is not only too mean a thing for them to involve themselves in the common spirit of the sensual world, but even to seem to do so. And that this is so soul and ignominious a thing, as whereof they are concern'd, not to be free from the ⟨p. 94⟩guilt only, but the suspition.¹ Those worthy souls that in former (and darker) days were engaged in seeking the Heavenly Countrey, thought it became them to confess themselves pilgrims and strangers on the earth: And therein, to declare plainly, that they were seeking that better Countrey. Which confession and plain declaration, we need not understand to be meerly verbal, but practical and real also, such as might be understood to be the language of their lives, and of a constant uniform course of actions, agreeable to such a design.

1. 1Heb. 11.