The saints everlasting rest

Therefore let me advise you that aspire after this joyous life, spend not your thoughts, your time, your zeal, or your speeches upon quarrels that less concern your souls: but when others are feeding on husks or shells, or on this heated food which will burn their lips, far sooner than warm and strengthen their hearts; ⟨p. 303⟩then do you feed on the joys above. I could wish you were all understanding men, able to defend every truth of GOD; but still I would have the chief to be chiefly studied, and none to shoulder out your thoughts of eternity: the least controverted points are usually most weighty, and of most necessary use to our souls.

5. As you value the comforts or a heavenly life, take heed of a proud and lofty spirit. There is such an antipathy between this sin and GOD, that thou wilt never get thy heart near him, as long as this prevaileth in it. If it cast the angels from heaven that were in it, it must needs keep thy heart estranged from it. If it cast our first parents out of paradise, and separated between the LORD and us, it must needs keep our hearts from paradise, and increase the cursed separation from our GOD. The delight of GOD is an humble soul, even him that is contrite, and trembleth at his word: and the delight of an humble soul is in GOD: and sure where there is mutual delight, there will be freest admittance, and heartiest welcome, and most frequent converse. Well then, art thou a man of worth in thine own eyes? And very tender of thine esteem with others? Art thou one that much valuest applause and feelest delight when thou hearest of thy great esteem with men; and art dejected when thou hearest that men slight thee? Dost thou love those most who best honour thee; and doth thy heart bear a grudge at those that thou thinkest undervalue thee? Wilt thou not be brought to shame thyself, by humble confession when thou hast sinned against GOD, or injured thy brother? Art thou one that honourest the rich? and thinkest thyself somebody if they value and own thee? but lookest strangely at the poor, and art almost ashamed to be their companion? Art thou unacquainted with the deceitfulness and wickedness of thy heart? Or knowest thyself to be vile only by reading, not by feeling thy vileness? Art thou readier