The best gift

3. Learn here, that God hath made that to be our duty to give our Hearts to him, which is our great privilege, that we may give our hearts to him; this commandment surely is not grievous, but most reasonable and sweet; God is not beholding to us for our Hearts, but we are beholding unto him that he will accept of them.

4. Learn here the difference between the wicked and the righteous; the difference doth not lye in their riches; for when many of the righteous be poor in this world, multitudes of wicked men do abound in wealth; it doth not lye in worldly grandeur and dignity, usually the wicked are advanced to the highest seat of honour, and are esteemed when the righteous are low, and under disgrace: It doth not lye in their food and apparel; Div•• is arrayed in purple, and fine linen, and fareth deliciously every day, when Lazarus lieth at his gate, hungry, and in rags. It doth not lye in any beauty and strength of body, in any natural parts or acquired abilities of mind; some that have very foul insides, are outwardly fair and beautiful; and many are ignorant of the mysteries of salvation ⟨p. 15⟩who are great Scholars in other things, and of high esteem for worldly wisdom and prudence; when the righteous, many of them, have a contemptible outside, and are of very mean natural, and acquired abilities. But the difference between the wicked and the righteous, and that wherein the righteous do excel all the wicked in the world, is in the disposing of their hearts; the wicked give their hearts to the creature, some to the dung of earthly pelf, others to the filth of sensual delight, others to the wind of worldly esteem; some give their hearts to their Friends, others to their Lands, others to their Hawks and Hounds; and all the wicked are of such a low and inferior spirit, that they let their Hearts sink beneath themselves, unto something that debases them; but the righteous they lift up their hearts to him that is above them; whereby they are advanced, they dispose their hearts unto God, who is the chief good; when the stream of the wicked mans affections runneth downwards, theirs runneth upward; and surely of all others they have the greatest wisdom, and true height and nobleness of spirit, whose hearts are raised so high, as to be joined unto the Lord.