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

Eighthly, Yet further; how can the gain of the world make up the loss of any spiritual good? for one that goes on in ways of looseness, that soul, whatever he gets in the world, he hath it without God, God in his ordinary providence may cast it in, but he hath it without the blessing of God with it: What if a man had never such fine flowers in a Garden, if the Sun should never shine upon them? truly so it is w•th many wicked men, they have brave ⟨p. 353⟩and fine estates, but they never have the Sun-shine of the blessing of God upon any thing they have; yea that that they have in a way of sin, they have it with a curse of God together with it: That that wicked men feed upon, it i• b•t •will, and like Hogs-meat that is wrapped up in the dirt; their meat is filthy and stinking it self, but when it is wrapped up in dirt, then it is worse, and so their estates; the Scripture calls all in the world but as dogs-meat, and it is wrapped up in their sin, and the curse of God is upon it. Suppose that that thou doest feed upon had no curse of God upon it, yet it is but as a piece of carrion, but now it is wrapped up in thy sin, and so long as thou goest on in thy sin, the curse of God is upon it: But now, the good of all the things in the world consists in this, the communication of Gods goodness towards me in them, and Christs blessing of them to draw my heart nearer to God, and to be instrumental for me the better to serve God; but Oh how few men do know wherein the true chief good of these things doth consist: I have more of the things of the world than others have, I, but wherein am I more happy? wherein? Oh! I see God letting out of himself to me in the way of his goodness, and he gives me this to do him more service than others that are poor; Oh, if thou couldest say thus, this were a sign of a gracious heart indeed. A man that loses his soul, and gets the world, he gets dogs-meat wrapped up in dirt and filth. Oh poor price for an immortal soul!

Eighthly, Yet further; how can the gain of the world make up the loss of any spiritual good? for one that goes on in waies of looseness, that soul, whatever hee gets in the world, hee hath it without God, God in his ordinary providence may cast it in, but hee hath it without the blessing of God with it: What if a man had never such fine flowers in a Garden, if the Sun should never shine upon them? truly so it is wth many wicked men, they have brave