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

As for the man that is acquainted with God, all his actions speak him a man of prudence, one that hath a deep reach with him, he is a man of an excellent foresight, he sees the clouds a gathering a great way off, the storm before it riseth, and he hides himself, in him are hid the treasures of wisdom, he makes no foolish choice, he is a child ⟨p. 229⟩of wisdom; he doth in some measure understand himself, and knows where his interest lies, and is faithful to it; he makes no foolish bargains, when he parts with Dung for Diamonds, Brass for Gold, Earth for Heaven, Sin for Holiness, present short-lived Pleasures for sure & everlasting Delights, the Devil for God. How say you, ye mad Gallants, that look upon the Saint as a Fool, and Religion as a ridiculous thing? Are these such foolish actings? is it so undiscreet a choice to prefer Heaven before Hell? If this be to be a fool, I wish I were more such a fool; if this be so contemptible a thing, O that I may yet be more vile! Let me say further, as great a folly as it is, there are none of you all, but ere long will wish you had been such fools. A few years will make you all of another mind, when you see what those that you counted fools have got, and what you with your wisdom have lost; then let's hear you calling them fools for choosing Christ for their portion; and your self wise for despising him, and choosing of this present world for your portion. Now, it is their being acquainted with God, that hath made them thus wise; time was, that they were as very fools as any in the world, till they fell into Gods company; and ever since that, they have acted with a great deal more prudence: their being much in Gods company hath much improved them. They may thank God for all that skill that they have attained to; for he it is that teached them, he is always at their elbow to direct them; when they are about to be cheated, he whispers them in the ear, lets them understand the fraud; and when God speaks, they listen to his counsel. It was no ⟨p. 230⟩falsehood which Seneca spake (though he understood not the meaning of this Doctrine of Reconciliation) in the commendation of Wisdom. Wisdom (faith be) is a great spacious thing, it instructs us both in Divine and Humane things, it teacheth a man how to demean himself in relation to things, past, present, and to come:

As for the man that is acquainted with God, all his actions speak him a man of prudence, one that hath a deep reach with him, he is a man of an excellent foresight, he sees the clouds a gathering a great way off, the storm before it riseth, and he hides himself, in him are hid the treasures of wisdom, he makes no foolish choice, he is a child