USE, 1. Here we see what a poor Portion unregenerate men have, and therefore what little cause have they of pride, or the people of God of envy. God gives his enemies a great deal, but alas, what is it? Poor perishing stuff, spending, wasting substance, not indeed worthy of that name: Think of this you that are proud of your wits, your wealth, your honour, your privileges; what it is that you pride your selves in? or what will you do when all is spent? and such is the miserable exit of all that you are boasting your selves of: you now flourish and spread your selves, ere it be long all will be gone, and no where to be found, Psal. 37. 37, 38. There are thousands of casualties to which the object of your trust is daily exposed, you are sure of nothing; nay, there needs no more but your selves and your own folly to spend it: You may for a while carry before you a breadth in the world, and bless your selves in what you have, but it will not be long ere your mouths shall put upon you the name and title of fools, Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13, Your wit will not direct you to happiness, your ⟨p. 82⟩wealth will not purchase you honour and glory; if not before, yet certainly in a dying hour they will all leave you, and then your naked soul passeth into eternity with nothing to live upon for ever: But if God intend your souls good, you shall, before that time, have your eyes opened to see that all this is nothing: your dependence upon these things shall be broken, and your hopes vanish: Lift not then up the horn on high, nor speak with a stiff neck. And you that are the Saints of God, be not envious; go with the Psalmist into the Temple, see their end, and then shall you find all that, which your mistake hath called happiness and prosperity, to be nothing better than painted misery; yea, woeful infelicity. Little reason hath that man to make his brags, of the love of God, that hath no better an argument to ground his title upon. It had been well for some men if their Portion in this world had been less, some hopes there would then have been, that they would have been persuaded to have sought a durable portion in another.
USE, 1. Here we see what a poor Portion unregenerate men have, and therefore what little cause have they of pride, or the people of God of envy. God gives his enemies a great deal, but alas, what is it? Poor perishing stuff, spending, wasting substance, not indeed worthy of that name: Think of this you that are proud of your wits, your wealth, your honour, your priviledges; what it is that you pride your selves in? or what will you do when all is spent? and such is the miserable exit of all that you are boasting your selves of: you now flourish and spread your selves, ere it be long all will be gone, and no where to be found, Psal. 37. 37, 38. There are thousands of casualties to which the object of your trust is daily exposed, you are sure of nothing; nay, there needs no more but your selves and your own folly to spend it: You may for a while carry before you a breadth in the world, and bless your selves in what you have, but it will not be long ere your mouths shall put upon you the name and title of fools, Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13, Your wit will not direct you to happiness, your ⟨p. 82⟩wealth will not purchase you honour and glory; if not before, yet certainly in a dying hour they will all leave you, and then your naked soul passeth into eternity with nothing to live upon for ever: But if God intend your souls good, you shall, before that time, have your eyes opened to see that all this is nothing: your dependence upon these things shall be broken, and your hopes vanish: Lift not then up the horn on high, nor speak with a stiff neck. And you that are the Saints of God, be not envious; go with the Psalmist into the Temple, see their end, and then shall you find all that, which your mistake hath called happiness and prosperity, to be nothing better than painted misery; yea, woful infelicity. Little reason hath that man to make his brags, of the love of God, that hath no better an argument to ground his title upon. It had been well for some men if their Portion in this world had been less, some hopes there would then have been, that they would have been perswaded to have sought a durable portion in another.
