Certain sermons, first preached, and after published at several times, by M. Thomas Gataker…Certaine sermons, first preached, and after published at severall times, by M. Thomas Gataker…

§. 62. Thus have Heathen men done: And as he sometime said,^b Shall they set see much by their glassy bugle, and not we much more by our precious pearl? Shall they be so careful to use these means for the furthering of themselves in matter of mere morality: and shall not Christian men much more do the like for the helping of themselves forward in the practice of true piety? A shame it were for us that they should take more pains and use greater diligence about the nutshell, than we should for the kernel; that they should be enamoured more on the shadow, than we are with the substance; they ravished more with a dead picture than we with the person whose picture it is, and whose surpassing beauty and excellency the picture cometh far short of; that mere civility and humanity should prevail more with them than true Christianity and divinity doth or can do with us. As we are to think therefore daily of that general account; so^l let us call each one himself daily to a particular reckoning.^m We shall walk every day the more warily being to pass such a censure; we shall sleep and rest more freely, more quietly, more soundly, more sweetly, having past such a censure: we shall be sure, when we have ransacked our selves in this manner over night, to have no known sin unrepented of lodge with us till the next day. Yea he that hath thus acquit himself ere he lay him down to sleep, shall be sure to watch even while he sleepeth; and though he were taken away suddenly in his sleep, should be found spiritually awake. In a word, as the often rubbing of our eyes is a good mean to keep us corporally waking: so the frequent ransacking of our hearts and lives will prove a sovereign help to keep us spiritually watching.

§. 62. Thus have Heathen men done: And as he sometime said,^b Shall they set se much by their glassie bugle, and not we much more by our pretious pearle? Shall they be so carefull to use these means for the furthering of themselves in matter of meere morality: and shall not Christian men much more doe the like for the helping of themselves forward in the practice of true pietie? A shame it were for us that they should take more paines and use greater diligence about the nutshell, than wee should for the kernell; that they should bee enamored more on the shadow, than we are with the substance; they ravisht more with a dead picture than wee with the person whose picture it is, and whose surpassing beauty and excellencie the picture commeth farre short of; that meere civility and humanity should prevaile more with them than true Christianity and divinity doth or can doe with us. As we are to thinke therefore daily of that generall account; so