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

I remember it is reported of Alcibiades a young Gallant, that Socrates comes in a jeering way unto him for his pride, and brings him a Map of the world, and saith he to him, Show me, I pray thee, where lies thy Land here: Now, if I were to speak to Princes and Emperors, yet this Text would speak dreadfully to them, that they should venture their souls for Kingdoms and Empires; but now for you that are never like to have any such things, for you to set your hearts upon such trifles, and so to damn your souls, what can you get? look upon a Map, and see what all England is: Europe is but a fourth part of the world that is known, I but then what is England to Europe, and then to all the world? and then what is one County in England, and one City, or one House? I have a great many Tenements, saith one, in a Parish, but what is all this to the world, and all this world unto Heaven, and Heaven and the world unto God? but now to think that thou art blessed, because thou hast but a few rotten Tenements, Oh what a seduced heart hath deceived thee, that thou canst be satisfied with such things as these are? this one meditation me thinks might sink into the hearts of those that will venture their souls for every trifle: If ever thy soul be saved, God must set such a price upon it, that he must give more than a thousand worlds are worth to save it, he must give no less than the blood of his Son; and canst thou think that the infinite God should prize thy soul at such a high rate, when thou thy self dost prize it at such a low rate? If so be that a man had lost any thing of his estate, and it could not be redeemed without some ⟨p. 365⟩great sum of money, If his friends come to know that he doth not prize what he hath lost, will any friend be so mad as to lay down five hundred pound to redeem that for his friend which he knows aforehand that he doth no• prize at twelve pence? So, canst thou think that that soul of thine that thou prizest at nothing, that the Infinite God should lay down such a price to redeem it?

I remember it is reported of Alcibiades a young Gallant, that Socrates comes in a jeering way unto him for his pride, and brings him a Map of the world, and saith hee to him, Shew mee, I pray thee, where lies thy Land here: Now, if I were to speak to Princes and Emperours, yet this Text would speak dreadfully to them, that they should venture their souls for Kingdomes and Empires; but now for you that are never like to have any such things, for you to set your hearts upon such trifles, and so to damn your souls, what can you get? look upon a Map, and see what all England is: Europe is but a fourth part of the world that is known, I but then what is England to Europe, and then to all the world? and then what is one County in England, and one City, or one House? I have a great many Tenements, saith one, in a Parish, but what is all this to the world, and all this world unto Heaven, and Heaven and the world unto God? but now to think that thou art blessed, because thou hast but a few rotten Tenements, Oh what a seduced heart hath deceived thee, that thou canst bee satisfied with such things as these are? this one meditation mee thinks might sink into the hearts of those that will venture their souls for every trifle: If ever thy soul bee saved, God must set such a price upon it, that hee must give more than a thousand worlds are worth to save it, hee must give no less than the blood of his Son; and canst thou think that the infinite God should prize thy soul at such a high rate, when thou thy self dost prize it at such a low rate? If so bee that a man had lost any thing of his estate, and it could not bee redeemed without some