now faftened us, where we were told, it would lead us, even past all hope of help.

My GOD! I have done foolishly, as well as wickedly in departing from thee; and "preferring this vain world, and my own finful "lufts before thee. So have I thought to mend "myself; but the idle experiments have been to "my own extreme lofs, I fee and own, and be "wail my filly weakness and foul mistakes. O "that I may learn to be wifer, by fuch fhameful "disappointments, as I have found! that I may « submit myself, to be taught of God, what is best to be done; and never think that I have any "good reafon, to take another way, than what "thou doft prescribe. That I may know when I "am well with thee; and not go break myfelf to "pieces, in hunting after pleasures of the flesh, and "advantages of the world, according to the fug"geftions and offers of the wicked tempter. O "make me ever wife for my foul: though I may "be accounted a fool for the world. Let thy fear, "caufing me to depart from evil, be my wifdom "and understanding. And whatever wisdom any "elfe may applaud themselves in, O give me that "wisdom from above, which may lead and bring "me thither, to be ever with the Lord. Amen."

MEDI

MEDITATION LXV.

Of the damnable fin of Worldliness.

My foul, how light a matter does the world make of that evil; which (if there were no o ther,) yet is enough to undo all the world? even that worldly mind and life; which is the greatest contradiction to our Chriftian profeffion; and a full bar to our eternal falvation. For did not our "Lord

Jefus give himself for us; that he might deliver "us from this prefent evil world?" Gal. i. 4. And has he not forbid us, to lay up our treasure on earth, and to take any thought for our life and body; comparable to what we do, for our foul, and for hea ven? Matt. vi. 19, 25. And has he not commanded us to forfake all, and follow him! yea, to count it but as dung, that we may win him? to remember, that as we are his members, we are not of the world! but chofen out of it, and divided from it? to confider ourselves, as ftrangers and pilgrims, and wayfaring travellers; only journeying through this world to another; which is our own country; and the place of our reft and blifs? to fet our affections on things above; not on things upon the earth? to have the things of this world, as if we had them not; and our converfation in heaven; and all our main traffic and negociation in the kingdom that is invisible?

But O what nonfenfe and odious impertinence is all this, to a worldling, that has his heart glued and even pinned down to the ground; that counts it good to be here; lays about him, as if he should

never depart hence; looks no further than the ends of the earth; has no real concern beyond this life; and neither knows nor minds any happiness, but what is to be enjoyed on this fide the grave. Yet fuch is the man that paffes well in the world; yea, peradventure, is applauded for a wife and happy man who looks to the main chance; and knows how to do himself good. Notwithstanding that the Lord fays to fuch a one," Thou fool!" Luke xii. 20. And tells him in the end of his days," He fhall "die a fool." Jer. xvii. 11. Yet does the world not. only vindicate, but extol him; as if he were the wifeft, and the beft man in the world: and who but he? for the world, "loves its own," John xv. 19. And they commend a man chiefly, for the very things, for which God's Word condemns him; and they blefs the covetous, "whom the Lord abhor"reth," Pfal. x. 3. That covetoufness, which he brands for idolatry, Col. iii. 4. they call it good hufbandry and, indeed, their common fentiments run fo counter to Holy Scripture, that what is in highest esteem among them, is abomination in the fight of God. And fhould I fhut up my Bible, to be determined only by their sense, and by the courfe of this world, I should then be tempted to conclude that there were no harm at all in the worldly difpofition and converfation; but that it were rather one's duty, and a very praise-worthy property. But when I turn from them, to hear what is faid by the Lord; O what a contrary notion do I there get of the matter? and fuch a ftartling account, as is enough to fpoil all the worldling's reft and eafe, in the warm neft of his dear poffeffions: had he but fo much life and feeling, as to difcern and admit any thing, that comes to interrupt him in the beloved way, upon which he is fet. When as it is fo pofitively pronounced, that

"if any man love the world; the love of the Fa"ther is not in him," 1 John ii. 15. And the adulterers and adultereffes are upbraided, for not knowing, that the friendship of the world is enmity with God: and the affertion is fo flat and peremptory, that "whofoever will be a friend of the world, is "the enemy of God," James iv. 4.

Now if God's word call worldlinefs idolatry, adultery, and enmity with him; what the better can I account it, for all the fine names that any men put upon it? when this is the mighty, fuccetsful engine, whereby the god of this world draws fuch multitudes of poor fouls from the true God, and heaven, into their foul guilt, and his fearful condemnation. This is the taking bait, that is fo little fufpected for because men muft ufe it, they grow confident to run into the abuse. And feeing our heavenly Father knows, we have need of thefe things; they plead that all is well; though they manage them never fo ill: and whoever offers to correct them, fhall be thought to deferve more correction himself. Let them hear never fo much from him, who tells them truths out of the holy book, that it is going a-whoring from the Lord: they arm themselves against fuch bitter truths, as they count fo impracticable; that fhould they go by them, no living in the world. When they have forfaken the heavenly bridegroom, to ftrike in with their darling mammon; there do the wild amours run out into fuch excess, that they will not endure any check: But quite forgetting, that the world is one of thofe grand enemies of falvation, which they have folemnly vowed to renounce, moft greedily they hunt after it; and even take up with all their portion in it. Though the Lord has told them, that God and mammon are mafters fo incompatible, they cannot ferve both. Matt. vi. 24. Yet the latter they will ferve, whatever becomes of the fervice VOL. I.

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of the other. And O what wretched fhreds, and pitiful fcraps fhall the great Lord have, after they have given mammon all that they have a mind! when it has engroffed their thoughts, and their cares, their defires and delights; and fo ingulfed and swallowed them up: the fafcination then fo humours, and entices, and charms, and catches them; that there they stick faft; and will not be retrieved and helped out: nay, that they think themselves to have no need of any fuch help: but cry, they care not for the world: they do not love it, not they: when yet it is most notorious,how eagerly they are addicted to it; and all dote upon it; never got the leaft above it; but ftill are quite held under by it, yea, fo paffionate after it, even as if they were all of a piece with it. And truly, to convince fome worldlings, is one of the hardeft tafks in the world: and what more difficult; unless to take them from it? they are ready to fly in one's face, but to be called by their own name. When, peradventure not one in a hundred that here escapes the common contagion: yet according to them, fcarce one of a hundred would be found tainted, and in the guilt: though they be all for fparing and faving; and it is even as death to them, to part with any thing: and though they be ftill reaching and tearing for more; as if they had nothing already and worldly hopes, and worldly heaps, lie next their hearts, and eat up the very life of religion; and deftroy all the intereft of Chrift in their fouls: yea, for the gaining of the world, they make abundantly more ado, than ever they did for the faving of their fouls: and all the indoctrinating of children, and fervants, and whom. ever they can influence, about them, is to be wary and frugal, and take heed of waste and havock, and lofing even the worth of a pin: but to make the moft that ever they can of every thing: and commend and encourage them ftill, to be near and pinch