Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…

And then next unto Solomon, one of the wisest and holiest men that ever lived upon the earth, St. Paul in the New Testament; mark, as soon as ever God did but work upon his heart, to show unto him better things, Phil. 3.8. He professes that he did account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, vers. 7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ, yea doubtless, and I account all things but loss for ⟨p. 345⟩the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, but dogs-meat, that I may win Christ. This was the sleight esteem that Paul had of all the things in the world, that men kept such a stir about. — And so when God did but begin to work upon Zaccheus, when he did but hear of the salvation of his soul, when Christ did but tell him, This day is salvation come to thy house, presently, (being a covetous rich man that had gotten his estate wrongfully) he cries out, The half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wronged any man by forged cavillation, I will restore fourfold. And so John the Beloved Disciple of Christ, which lay in his bosom, and therefore knew so much of the mind of Christ, you know what he saith in his first Epist. 2.15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father. The lust of the flesh, that is pleasures and sensuality; the lust of the eyes, that is riches; and the pride of life, that is honours; these are not of the Father, but of the world, saith John; you may think they are great matters, they may be great in your eyes, but they are not of the Father, but of the world; And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever. It were infinite to show you this both in Scripture, and likewise in the whole course of the story of the Church, how slightly the Martyrs did account all the things of this world, as soon as ever God gave them any true spiritual heavenly wisdom; but because that would cost a great deal of time, therefore we proceed to show by strength of reason, further out of the Scripture;

And then next unto Solomon, one of the wisest and holiest men that ever lived upon the earth, St. Paul in the New Testament; mark, as soon as ever God did but work upon his heart, to shew unto him better things,