1. That we may not take up with a false happiness, or set up our rest in temporal enjoyments, as height of honour, abundance of riches, favour of great men, &c. Things useful in their Sphere, and beneficial to sweeten and comfort the life of man, who hath placed his ⟨p. 3⟩happiness in God. Pleasures being enjoyed, they do not satisfy; being loved, they defile; being lost, they increase our trouble and sorrow. 1. They cannot satisfy, because of their imperfection and uncertainty. They do not answer the whole desire of man, carry no proportion with the Conscience. That which maketh a man happy, must bear a thorough proportion with all the wants, desires and capacities of the Soul, so as conscience, and heart, and all may say, it is enough. But alas, these things cannot give us solid peace and contentment. Isa. 55. 2. Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Till an hungry conscience be provided for, we cannot be happy. But besides their low use, consider the uncertainty of enjoyment. Nothing can give us solid peace, but what doth make us eternally happy. These flowers wither in our hands while we smell at them. Nothing but the favour of God is from everlasting to everlasting. We have not a sure possession of these things in the world. They are possessed with fear. 1 Cor. 7. 30, 31. 'Tis the Apostles Counsel, that they that buy, should have such remiss affections to the world, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. A man must look for changes, and lay forth for several conditions in the World, Psal. 39. 11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity, Selah. Like glass, brittle, when most glistering. 2. Being inordinately loved, they defile: There is not only gall but poison in them. They cannot make us better; but may easily make us worse, as they defile and draw the heart from God, and enslave us to our own Lusts. 1 Tim. 6. 10. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1. That we may not take up with a false happiness, or set up our rest in temporal enjoyments, as height of honour, abundance of riches, favour of great men, &c. Things useful in their Sphere, and beneficial to sweeten and comfort the life of man, who hath placed his ⟨p. 3⟩happiness in God. Pleasures being enjoyed, they do not satisfy; being loved, they defile; being lost, they increase our trouble and sorrow. 1. They cannot satisfie, because of their imperfection and uncertainty. They do not answer the whole desire of man, carry no proportion with the Conscience. That which maketh a man happy, must bear a thorow proportion with all the wants, desires and capacities of the Soul, so as conscience, and heart, and all may say, it is enough. But alas, these things cannot give us solid peace and contentment. Isa. 55. 2. Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Till an hungry conscience be provided for, we cannot be happy. But besides their low use, consider the uncertainty of injoyment. Nothing can give us solid peace, but what doth make us eternally happy. These flowers wither in our hands while we smell at them. Nothing but the favour of God is from everlasting to everlasting. We have not a sure possession of these things in the world. They are possessed with fear. 1 Cor. 7. 30, 31. 'Tis the Apostles Counsel, that they that buy, should have such remiss affections to the world, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. A man must look for changes, and lay forth for several conditions in the World, Psal. 39. 11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity, Selah. Like glass, brittle, when most glistering. 2. Being inordinately loved, they defile: There is not only gall but poison in them. They cannot make us better; but may easily make us worse, as they defile and draw the heart from God, and enslave us to our own Lusts. 1 Tim. 6. 10. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
