O my Soul! Doft thou believe fuch a Hea ven, where no good shall be absent, and canft thou be hunting after the husks and empty shells of fenfual pleasure? How little do the Inhabitants of that New Jerufalem mind the Pomp and Grandeur of this World? They have nobler objects to mind, and more delightful employments to take up their minds and thoughts: Didft thou live more in this Heaven, O my Soul, how wouldst thou look down upon this Earth, as an inconfiderable trifle? How little wouldst thou regard what Man can do unto thee? How contentedly mightest thou part with all that the World counts dear and precious, for Chrift his fake, as knowing that there is laid up for thee the Crown of Righteousness, which the Righteous Judge will give to thee one day, and not only to thee, but to all those that love his appearance? Look upon the Primitive Martyrs, O my Soul, they broiled in Flames, but looked upon that Heaven and fmiled. St. Stephen had a thousand Stones flying about his Ears, but looks upon that Heaven, and the Glory of God appears upon his face. Abraham fojourns in the Land of Promife, as in a strange Country, dwelling in Tabernacles with Ifaac and Jacob, but looks for a City which hath Foundations, and goes on triumphing Mofes fuffers affliction with the People of God, but hath respect unto the recompence of Reward,and efteems the Reproach of Chrift greater Riches than all the Treasures of Egypt. The Apostles are fcourged and beaten for the Testimony of Jefus, but looked upon this Heaven,

Heaven, and depart from the Council rejoycing, because they were counted worthy to fuffer for the Name of the Lord Jefus. St. Paul five times of the Jews receives forty ftripes fave one,thrice is he beaten with Rods,once he is stoned,thrice he fuffers Shipwrack, a Night and a Day he is in the Deep, in journeyings often, in cold and nakednefs; but, What ails the Man? He fings, his Heart dances for Joy under all thefe Troubles. O my Soul, he faw, he faw, that his light Affliction, which was but for a Moment, would work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory.

O my God, give me but my Portion in this Heaven, and I defire no more; Come what will come, Sword, Fire, Imprisonment, Hunger, Thirst, Nakednefs, Difgrace, Reproach, Perils by Sea, and Perils by Land, Enemies, Devils, Fiends, Poverty, Sicknefs, Exile, &c. Here is a Jewel will counterbalance all. O give me but a Room in that great House, made without Hands, Eternal in the Heavens, and then cut, burn, torture, and afflict me, let Storms and Tempefts come, I'll fight against them with my Title to that, Inheritance, which fades not away: This fhall quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil, this fhall bear up my Head above Water, this fhall hufh all my difcontented Thoughts; this fhall be my Refuge in a Storm, my hiding place in Flames, my Portion in Poverty, my Pillow in great Anguish, my Liberty in Prifon, my Cordial in Temptations, my Elixir in a Swoon, my Prop when I ftumble, my Laurel when it thunders, my Rock in Perfecution, Bb

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my Safeguard in Deftruction, my Light in the midit of Darknefs, my Goshen in this Egypt, my Ship under the fierceft Billows, my Shield when I am aflaulted, my Helmet when I am in danger, my Encouragement when I do refift,my Crown when I conquer, my Manna in the Wildernefs, my Food in the Defart,my Rofe to fmell to in a Dungeon, my Guide in my Journey, my Pole-ftar in my Voyage, my Staff in my Pilgrimage, my Song in my Mifery, my All, when Death and Hell confpire into my Ruin.

VI. It makes a Man prudent and difcreet in fecular Affairs and Business. Confideration, as it is a very great Improvement of Man's Reafon, fo it can't but be very useful to him in governing his fecular Affairs with difcretion. Confideration makes a Man Master of his Reason, and that Man muft needs act more wifely, that hath his Reafon at Command,than he that makes it a flave to every flattering Paffion; and since it is confeffed, that the fear of God hath that Influence upon all human Affairs, that it difpofes a Man to a wife and prudential management of them,Confideration muft of neceflity be of the fame Virtue and Efficacy, for this fear of God is the immediate product of Confideration. I deny not, but Men, wife in Spiritual, are not always fo in Temporal, concerns; for either their scrupulous Confciences, or fear of having their Hearts carried out too much after the World, or their giving themselves wholly to Heavenly Employments, may make them careless and unmindful of things belonging to this World; but still in

its Nature and Tendency, this Circumfpection in things, which concern a Chriftian's Soul, is able to fhed Wisdom and Difcretion into his Carriage and Behaviour, in things which appertain to this prefent Life; hence, from a Man who feriously confiders he hath a Soul to be faved, you may expect great Order in his Family, a prudent Forefight of Dangers, and a moderate Care to fhun them, great Temper in Discourse, and exact Justice in his Dealings,and rendring to all their Duties, Tribute to whom Tribute is due; Cuftom to whom Cuftom, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour; as the Apostle's Phrase is, Rom. 13. 7.

In all Probability it was the attentive Confideration of his Spiritual Concerns, that made David both valiant and prudent in Matters; as he is called, 1 Sam. 16. 18. and,to what can we afcribe Jofeph's and Daniel's difcreet Government of themselves, and their fecular Affairs, but to that Piety and Goodnefs, which, by long and ferious Confideration, they had fettled in their Breafts? When a Man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his very Enemies to be at peace with him, i. e. he doth not only by an extraordinary providence turn their Hearts towards him, but infufes Wisdom and Discretion into his Soul,fo to behave himself towards his Enemies, that they cannot but bury their Hatred, and return to their former Friendfhip and Civility, Prov. 16. 7. He that confiders his ways, with reference to his Eternal State and Condition, his ways cannot but please the Lord, and fuch Wifdom, if he ftand not in his own Light, will furely fall Bb z

to

to his share, and hereof we need no other Proof, but common Experience.

The Man who truly minds his everlasting Intereft, and fo confiders the account he must give to God, when this Life is ended, as to provide for that great and dreadful Audit, thinks himself obliged to ufe what Cautioufnefs he can, that he may not wrong his God, his Soul, and his Neighbour; and this Cautioufnefs cannot but make him prudent in his fecular Vocation; hence fuch a Man hath commonly his Wife, Children, and Servants, in better order than other Men, and mingles that Sweetnefs and Kindness with his Gravity or Severity, that they may have Encouragement to love him, and dread offending a far greater Master in Heaven; there is not that Difcontent, that Emulation, that ill Language, that Backbiting,that Luxury,that Extravagance, that Tumult in fuch a Man's Family, as is to be obferved in Houfes, where little of God and Eternity is regarded. Such a Person spends in his House no more but what is decent and convenient, and fo provides for those of his own Houfhold, as not to forget doing Good to the Levite, and to the Widow, and to the Fatherless, Deut. 14. 28,29. His Speech is commonly with Grace, feafoned with Salt, full of Meeknefs and Gravity, and therefore lefs offenfive, and he takes heed that it may not be laid to his Charge, that he hath beftowed more to feed his Pride and Luxury, than Chrift's diftreffed Members; and, in publick Affairs, or places of great Truft, fuch a Man as minds, firft Heaven, and then Earth, ufually discovers far greater Wisdom in

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