Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

As to the present world, which is checkered with good and evil things, and hath in it, as the Ark had of old, a rod and a pot of Manna, the believer hath a greater sagacity then others. As to the good things of the world, no man sees so much of their excellency, and withal no man sees so much of their vanity as the believer doth; take the world in its own place and station, and thus it is a rare monument of the eternal power and Godhead, the invisible spirit renders himself visible, and as it were palpable in it, every being in nature shows forth the Being of Beings, every beam of light points to the Father of lights, every drop of goodness leads to the great Ocean, every harmony among the creatures tells of an infinite Artificer: this is the sense of the creation, which faith understands better then learning. Philosophers and great Naturalists may see more of the creature then the believer, but the believer sees more of God in it then they; they gaze most on the fine letters and characters in nature, but he best knows the sense of all, which is God. On the other side, take the world into the heart, and there exalt it as the supreme good of man, and thus it is a lye, a fancy, a dream, a shadow, my, a very nothing; after all its goodly promises, it is but a lye; after all its spreading pomp and glory, it is but much ⟨p. 183⟩fancy, it casts men into dreams and appearances of happiness in this and that creature, but as soon as faith awakens them, it is known to be but a dream, the day breaking in the heart, all the shadows flee away, it looks like somewhat of substance, but it is as all other Idols are, a mere nothing, nothing to make a God of, nothing as separate from its Creator, just as letters without sense, and beams without a Sun, perfect vanity, which (as a Learned man hath it) is in its true Idea made up of nothing as the matter, and a lye as the form thereof. A carnal man gazes upon riches, and forgets the thorn; clothes himself with the creature, and forgets the moth; drinks of the cup of pleasures, as if there were no poison in it, and sits under the gourd of worldly things as if there were no worm at the root; but the believer sees a vanity in the fairest prospects of the world, before the rust appears visibly in the gold, faith sees it there;

As to the present world, which is checkered with good and evil things, and hath in it, as the Ark had of old, a rod and a pot of Manna, the believer hath a greater sagacity then others. As to the good things of the world, no man sees so much of their excellency, and withall no man sees so much of their vanity as the believer doth; take the world in its own place and station, and thus it is a rare monument of the eternal power and Godhead, the invisible spirit renders himself visible, and as it were palpable in it, every being in nature shews forth the Being of Beings, every beam of light points to the Father of lights, every drop of goodness leads to the great Ocean, every harmony among the creatures tells of an infinite Artificer: this is the sense of the creation, which faith understands better then learning. Philosophers and great Naturalists may see more of the creature then the believer, but the believer sees more of God in it then they; they gaze most on the fine letters and characters in nature, but he best knows the sense of all, which is God. On the other side, take the world into the heart, and there exalt it as the supream good of man, and thus it is a lye, a fancy, a dream, a shadow, my, a very nothing; after all its goodly promises, it is but a lye; after all its spreading pomp and glory, it is but much