The fading of the flesh and flourishing of faith, or, One cast for eternity…

First, by way of Information. If our flesh will fail us, what fools are they whose whole contrivance is to feed and please the flesh. We laugh at the vanity and folly of Children, when we see them very busy and taking much pains to make up an house of Cards, or pies of Dirt. The greatest part of men are but Children of larger dimensions, and are indeed more foolish, because they ought to be more wise; What is their main work but to make provision for the flesh? to provide fuel enough for the fire of its covetousness, and pleasant Water enough for the Leviathan of its voluptuousness, and air enough for the Chameleon of Ambition, as if God had no other design in sending them into the World, but that they might be Cooks to dress their bodies as well as possibly might be for the Worms. All their care is, What shall we Eat? and what shall we drink? and wherewith shall we be clothed? and how shall we do to live in these dear and hard times? as vermin in Dung-hills, they live and feed on such ⟨p. 22⟩filth, never once asking their souls in earnest, What wilt thou do for the bread which came down from Heaven, and how wilt thou do to put on the Robes of Christs righteousness, that thy nakedness may not appear to thy shame, and O what wilt thou do to be saved, to live eternally. These things are not in all their thoughts. Like Flies they are overcome with the spirits of Wine, and nourished with froth; Its enough they think, if when they come to dye, they bequeath their souls to God in their Wills, (though its a thousand to one if those wills be proved in Heaven, I can tell them of unanswerable caveats, which the Judges Son will put in against them) and therefore their whole lives must be devoted to the service of their bodies, like dying men they smell of earth, and carry its complexion in their very countenances; If a man that had two houses in his possession, one whereof was his own free-hold for ever, and the other his Land-Lords, which he agreed to leave at an hours warning; should neglect his own house, let all things there run to rack and ruin, but night and day be mending and adorning his Land-Lords House, as if he could never be at cost enough; or make it neat enough; would not every one condemn this man for a fool or a mad man? Truly this is the very case of most men. The soul in the body is a tenant in domo aliena saith the Orator.

First, by way of Information. If our flesh will fail us, what fools are they whose whole contrivance is to feed and please the flesh. We laugh at the vanity and folly of Children, when we see them very busie and taking much paines to make up an house of Cards, or pies of Dirt. The greatest part of men are but Children of larger dimensions, and are indeed more foolish, because they ought to be more wise; What is their main work but to make provision for the flesh? to provide fuel enough for the fire of its covetousness, and pleasant Water enough for the Leviathan of its voluptuousness, and air enough for the Camelion of Ambition, as if God had no other design in sending them into the World, but that they might be Cooks to dress their bodies as well as possibly might be for the Wormes. All their care is, What shall we Eat? and what shall we drink? and wherewith shall we be cloathed? and how shall we do to live in these dear and hard times? as vermine in Dung-hills, they live and feed on such