Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

Twelfthly, He is a wise Friend, All the men and women in the world have great, mighty affairs to manage; and they want Skill, Wisdom and Discretion for the right management of these things, they are woefully to seek as to their great business; they are wise to do evil, but in Spirituals; they become stupid, sottish fools, and as to the carrying on of their great work, they do it with the greatest imprudence in the world: and they will most certainly for ever undo themselves, except one that is wiser then themselves undertake to help them. All things go backward with them, and they labour in the very Fire whilst they act without God, and it is impossible it should be otherwise as long as there is such a disproportion between mans business, and his Spirit? Man is carnal, and his work is Spiritual. Would an ignorant poor Creature that is but one remove above a beast, be fit to manage the great matters of Government? How ridiculously would he behave himself in a Chair of State! how strangely would an unlearned man bungle, should he go about to open one of the profound Demonstrations of Mathematics! But a natural man is far more unskilful then any of these, as to the carrying on of that great Employment that he hath to look after, while he is on this side Eternity; his business is to serve his Maker, but what pitiful work doth he make of it? man is made for an everlasting State, he is sent into this world to provide for another; a Good, a happiness there is, which he is to look ⟨p. 137⟩after; he once had a fair estate, but he hath spent and lost it all, and he is to see to the recovering of it again. He hath been in arms against his lawful Sovereign, and been guilty of the highest Treason, and thereby hath forfeited his Life, his Soul; now he hath his pardon to sue out, and how doth he go to work in this one thing? to mention no more. Why he goes to beg a pardon armed Capa-pe, and with his Sword drawn, he comes to ask pardon for one Treason, and he is found acting of another. Lord have mercy upon me, and give me leave to break thy laws, is the sum of all his prayer. He talks of Heaven, and yet makes all the hast he can to Hell; he is told he is out of the way, but he laughs at him that tells him so; and that's his best; Sometimes he rages, and desires with all speed to remove him that would set him in the road to Zion;

Twelfthly, He is a wise Friend, All the men and women in the world have great, mighty affairs to mannage; and they want Skil, Wisdom and Discretion for the right mannagement of these things, they are wofully to seek as to their great business; they are wise to do evil, but in Spirituals; they become stupid, sottish fools, and as to the carrying on of their great work, they do it with the greatest imprudence in the world: and they will most certainly for ever undo themselves, except one that is wiser then themselves undertake to help them. All things go backward with them, and they labour in the very Fire whilst they act without God, and it is impossible it should be otherwise as long as there is such a disproportion between mans business, and his Spirit? Man is carnal, and his work is Spiritual. Would an ignorant poor Creature that is but one remove above a beast, be fit to mannage the great matters of Government? How ridiculously would he behave himself in a Chair of State! how strangely would an unlearned man bungle, should he go about to open one of the profound Demonstrations of Mathematicks! But a natural man is far more unskilful then any of these, as to the carrying on of that great Imployment that he hath to look after, while he is on this side Eternity; his business is to serve his Maker, but what pittiful work doth he make of it? man is made for an everlasting State, he is sent into this world to provide for another; a Good, a happiness there is, which he is to look