Secondly, Take heed of a worldly mind. What concord is there between Earth and Heaven? What agreement between God and the World? What delight can his Holiness take in him, who had rather be wallowing in the Mud, and treading of Clay, then bathing himself in ⟨p. 358⟩Divine contemplation; that thinks it higher preferment to sit by his bags of Gold, then to stand in the presence of his God: a greater happiness to be rich, than to be holy; that had much rather be in a Fair, Marker, or Exchange, getting money, than with his God, getting Pardon, Grace and Heaven. How pregnant is the Scripture of proofs for the evidencing of this truth? to name one or two of a hundred, Rom. 8.7. To be carnally minded is enmity against God: For it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. What do you say to this Scripture? Those which walk with God, live in the world, and yet they live above the world; they all look for a City that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. It was not for nothing that the Apostle John lays so strict a charge upon those which he wrote to, That they should not love the world, nor the things of the world: For if any love the world, the love fo the Father is not in them, 1 John 2.15. Whence is it that so few great ones go to Heaven, and that it is next to impossible for such to be saved? Is it not because they have chosen Mammon for their Friend, rather than God? He hath their heart, their Love, their Time, their Service, and they have little to spare for God, & therefore God hath but a little happiness, a little heaven, a short glory for them; they shall have but a little of his sweet company, little Acquaintance with him. Why doth James speak so terribly to the rich men, & bid them go, and weep and howl? was it not because their riches were like to undo them? Did the wealthy man in the Parable live ever the longer for his riches, or fare ever the better for his greatness, when he came into another world? There is no ⟨p. 359⟩question but he might have more flatterers; there is no doubt but he hath more worldly Friends; but bring me a man upon the Earth, that lets his heart without control fly upon the world, cleaves to it, and takes it to be his best friend, that knows God, that's acquainted with his Maker, that prizeth his Redeemer.
Secondly, Take heed of a worldly mind. What concord is there between Earth and Heaven? What agreement between God and the World? What delight can his Holiness take in him, who had rather be wallowing in the Mud, and treading of Clay, then bathing himself in ⟨p. 358⟩Divine contemplation; that thinks it higher preferment to sit by his bags of Gold, then to stand in the presence of his God: a greater happiness to be rich, than to be holy; that had much rather be in a Fair, Marker, or Exchange, getting money, than with his God, getting Pardon, Grace and Heaven. How pregnant is the Scripture of proofs for the evidencing of this truth? to name one or two of a hundred, Rom. 8.7. To be carnally minded is enmity against God: For it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. What do you say to this Scripture? Those which walk with God, live in the world, and yet they live above the world; they all look for a City that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. It was not for nothing that the Apostle John layes so strict a charge upon those which he wrote to, That they should not love the world, nor the things of the world: For if any love the world, the love fo the Father is not in them, 1 John 2.15. Whence is it that so few great ones go to Heaven, and that it is next to impossible for such to be saved? Is it not because they have chosen Mammon for their Friend, rather than God? He hath their heart, their Love, their Time, their Service, and they have little to spare for God, & therefore God hath but a little happiness, a little heaven, a short glory for them; they shall have but a little of his sweet company, little Acquaintance with him. Why doth James speak so terribly to the rich men, & bid them go, and weep and howl? was it not because their riches were like to undoe them? Did the wealthy man in the Parable live ever the longer for his riches, or fare ever the better for his greatness, when he came into another world? There is no ⟨p. 359⟩question but he might have more flatterers; there is no doubt but he hath more worldly Friends; but bring me a man upon the Earth, that lets his heart without controle fly upon the world, cleaves to it, and takes it to be his best friend, that knows God, that's acquainted with his Maker, that prizeth his Redeemer.
