The saints everlasting rest

6. Another help is this: make an advantage of every object thou seest, and of every passage of Divine Providence, and of every thing that befalls in thy labour and calling, to mind thy soul of its approaching rest. As all providences an creatures are means to our rest, so do they point us to that as their end. Every creature hath the name of GOD and of our final rest written upon it, which a considerate believer may as truly discern, as he can read upon a hand in a crossway the name of the town or city it points to. This spiritual use of creatures and providences is GOD'S great end in bestowing them on man; and he that overlooks this end, must needs rob GOD of his chief praise, and deny him the greatest part of his thanks. This relation that our present mercies have to our great eternal mercies, is the very quintessence and spirit of all these mercies; therefore do they lose the very spirit of all their mercies, and take nothing but the husks, who overlook this relation, and draw not forth the sweetness of it in their contemplations. GOD's sweetest dealings with us would not be half so sweet as they are, if they did not intimate some further sweetness. As ourselves have a fleshly and spiritual use, and are fitted to the nourishing of both our parts. He that receives the carnal part and no more, may have his body comforted by them, but not his soul. O therefore that christians were skilled in this art! You can open your bibles, and read there of GOD and of glory: O learn to open the creatures, and the several passages of Providence, to read of GOD and glory there. Certainly ⟨p. 315⟩by such a skilful improvement we might have a fuller taste of Christ and heaven, in every bit we eat, and in every draught we drink, than most men have in the use of the sacrament.

6. Another help is this: make an advantage of every object thou seest, and of every passage of Divine Providence, and of every thing that befa's in thy labour and calling, to mind thy soul of its approaching rest. As all providences an creatures are means to our rest, so do they point us to that as their end. Every creature hath the name of GOD and of our final rest written upon it, which a considerate believer may as truly discern, as he can read upon a hand in a crossway the name of the town or city it points to. This spiritual use of creatures and providences is GOD'S great end in bestowing them on man; and he that overlooks this end, must needs rob GOD of his chief praise, and deny him the greatest part of his thanks. This relation that our present mercies have to our great eternal mercies, is the very quintessence and spirit of all these mercies; therefore do they lose the very spirit of all their mercies, and take nothing but the husks, who overlook this relation, and draw not forth the sweetness of it in their contemplations. GOD's sweetest dealings with us would not be half so sweet as they are, if they did not intimate some further sweetness. As ourselves have a fleshly and spiritual use, and are fitted to the nourishing of both our parts. He that receives the carnal part and no more, may have his body comforted by them, but not his soul. O therefore that christians were skilled in this art! You can open your bibles, and read there of GOD and of glory: O learn to open the creatures, and the several passages of Providence, to read of GOD and glory there. Certainly