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

As Christ said to the woman of Canaan, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who is that speaketh to thee, thou wouldst ask of him, and he would give thee living water. John 4.10. So say I to thee, If thou knewest the blessed God, and who it is, that is offered to thee (the sweetest love, the richest mercy, the surest friend, the chiefest good, the greatest beauty, the highest honour, and the fullest happiness) thou wouldst leave the colliers of this world, to load themselves with thick clay, and turn Merchant Adventurer ⟨p. 149⟩for the other world; thou wouldst more willingly leave these frothy joys and drossy delights for the enjoyment of God, then ever prisoner did the fetters, and bondage, and misery of a goal, for the liberty, and pleasures, and preferments of a Court. Austin speaks of a time when he and his mother were discoursing together of the comforts of the Spirit: Lord, saith he, thou knowest in that day how wisely we did esteem of the world, and all its delights. O Reader, couldst thou but see the vastness, the suitableness, and the fullness of this portion, I am confident thou wouldst suffer the natives, the men of this world, Psal. 17.14. to mind the commodities which are of the growth of their own Country, and wouldst fetch thy riches (as the good housewife her food) from far.

As Christ said to the woman of Canaan, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who is that speaketh to thee, thou wouldst aske of him, and he would give thee living water. John 4.10. So say I to thee, If thou knewest the blessed God, and who it is, that is offered to thee (the sweetest love, the richest mercy, the surest friend, the cheifest good, the greatest beauty, the highest honour, and the fullest happiness) thou wouldst leave the colliers of this world, to load themselves with thick clay, and turn Merchant Adventurer ⟨p. 149⟩for the other world; thou wouldst more willingly leave these frothy joys and drossie delights for the enjoyment of God, then ever prisoner did the fetters, and bondage, and misery of a goal, for the liberty, and pleasures, and preferments of a Court. Austin speaks of a time when he and his mother were discoursing together of the comforts of the Spirit: Lord, saith he, thou knowest in that day how wisely we did esteem of the world, and all its delights. O Reader, couldst thou but see the vastness, the sutableness, and the fulness of this portion, I am confident thou wouldst suffer the natives, the men of this world,