Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Thirdly, Consider that it is the Inward man, that enables a man to do those things that are honourable to God, and ¹profitable to men. No man can truly honour God, that doth it not by the strength of the Inward man, neither can any man be truly said to profit another, except it be the Profit that flows from the Inward man, therefore the Apostle ²saith in the Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things above and not on things below: but Satan comes and robs us of all the good that otherwise we might do, & first he robs us of our selves, by stealing from us the strength of our affections:

Thirdly, Consider that it is the Inward man, that inables a man to do those things that are honourable to God, and ¹profitable to men. No man can truly honour God, that doth it not by the strength of the Inward man, neither can any man be truly said to profit another, except it be the Profit that flows from the Inward man, therefore the Apostle ²saith in the Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things above and not on things below: but Satan comes and robs us of all the good that otherwise we might do, & first he robs us of our selves, by stealing from us the strength of our affections:

1. 13.
2. 2Col. 3. 2.

And secondly he robs our parents of us, making us the object of their grief; And thirdly he robs the Church and Common-wealth of us, by making us unprofitable Instruments. And beloved if you look into the world you shall find it true: as for example look unto young men, they are busied in eating and drinking and rising up to play, but never regard the strengthening of the Inward man, and so having poured out their souls to vanity, become unprofitable to others and dishonourable in their generations. And beloved, the soul is unto some as the salt is unto meat; only to keep it from putrefaction, for the body is advanced into the souls place, but what is the reason that we put it thus? doth not this prove that true which Solomon saith, I have seen servants ride and masters go on foot, that is when you employ your selves and spend your time and pains in getting of outward dignity, and decking the outward man, and little regarding the beautifying of the Inward man. You prefer dross before gold, copper before silver, you set the body in the souls place, you set the servant on horseback, but the master must go on foot: in a word you do not things like or beseeming Christians: and on the contrary, you do things like your selves when you prefer the Inward man first.