The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…

O Lord, what a foolish silly thing is man, to prize and take pains for husks before bread, vanity before solidity, a shadow before the substance, the Worlds scraps, before the costly feast, the dirty Kennels, before the Crystal water of life, an Apple before Paradise, a mess of Pottage before the Birthright, and the least fleeting and inconstant ⟨p. 80⟩good, before the greatest truest and eternal good. Their particular callings are but about earth, the lowest, meanest and vilest of all the elements in these callings, they deal but with men and brutes, their gains here at best cannot be large, because their lives here cannot be long, and yet how eagerly are they pursued? how closely are they followed? how constantly are they busied about them? their general callings are about their souls, their eternal salvations, in these they have to do with the blessed God, the lovely Saviour, in communion with whom is Heaven upon Earth, their gains here are above their thoughts, and beyond their most enlarged desires, no less then infinite and eternal. The profit of godliness is invaluable above price. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof, It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir, with the precious Onyx or the Sapphire. The Gold and the Crystal cannot equal it, and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine gold; No mention shall be made of Coral or of Pearls, for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold, Job 28.15, to 20. yet how lingeringly is this calling entered upon, how lazily is it followed, and how quickly cast off, O foolish man who hath bewitched thee, that thou dost thus dislike and disobey the truth.

O Lord, what a foolish silly thing is man, to prize and take pains for husks before bread, vanity before solidity, a shadow before the substance, the Worlds seraps, before the costly feast, the dirty Kennels, before the Christal water of life, an Apple before Paradise, a mess of Pottage before the Birthright, and the least fleeting and inconstant ⟨p. 80⟩good, before the greatest truest and eternal good. Their particular callings are but about earth, the lowest, meanest and vilest of all the elements in these callings, they deal but with men and bruits, their gains here at best cannot be large, because their lives here cannot be long, and yet how eagerly are they pursued? how closely are they followed? how constantly are they busied about them? their general callings are about their souls, their eternal salvations, in these they have to do with the blessed God, the lovely Saviour, in communion with whom is Heaven upon Earth, their gains here are above their thoughts, and beyond their most enlarged desires, no less then infinite and eternal. The profit of godliness is invaluable above price. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof, It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir, with the precious Onix or the Saphir. The Gold and the Christal cannot equalit, and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine gold; No mention shall be made of Coral or of Pearls, for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold,