SECTION I.

1. *SHould not you be dead to, and take heed of re∣turning, in your love, back again unto the Riches of the World, after such a Judgment as this hath been? To prevent an over-eager pursuit of the Riches and Profits of this World, when (by the removal of this Judgment) you have oppor∣tunity of returning to your Callings; consider.

1. *The Riches of this world are corruptible riches; they are perishing treasures: Silver and Gold are things corrupting others, and are corrup∣tible in themselves, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. But, you have an incorruptible Kingdom and Crown be∣fore you to strive after, reserved in Heaven for believers, and for those that are so vehemently set for Heaven, that they will take it by force.

2. *The riches of this world are unprofitable riches; therefore be not too eager in your pursuit of unprofitable profits: They cannot profit you in tim• of g•eatest need. Have not you had the ex∣perience of the unprofitableness of riches? that they are unprofitable (1.) For diverting of Judg∣ments, Page  243 or removing evils that come upon you; whether temporal, as Sickness, Plague, Death; or spiritual, as Hardness of Heart, Blindness of Minde, Terrors of Conscience; none of all these can be removed by worldly riches. (2.) For the procuring of good; whether temporal, for the Bo∣dy, as Health in time of Sickness, or Ease in time of Pain; or spiritual, for the Soul, either Grace, or Comfort, or Glory; if Conscience be wounded, they cannot heale your Consciences, nor comfort your Hearts.

3.* The riches of this world are oftentimes hurtful to the owner and possessor of them, Eccles. 5.13. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Grace and Christ can never hurt you: but, your riches may, by being clogs to your affe∣ctions in holy duties; by being snares and temp∣tations to you in your converse in the world; by increasing your account, when you have not well improved them.

4.* The riches of this world are uncertain riches, 1 Tim. 6.17. after you have got them, you may presently lose them: The loss of outward riches may arise,

• 1. By Men; by Force and Power; by fraud and deceit.
• 2. By Casualty; your Houses may be consumed with flames of Fire.
• 3. By Gods secret Curse, Hag. 1.6. —He that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

5. *The riches that Men get in this world, are Page  244 easily valued: A Mans Estate is easily computed; But there are riches in Christ, which are unsearch∣able: seek and search after more of them, Ephes. 3.8.

6. *When you have got them they will not sa∣tisfie your desires, Eccles. 5.10.

II.* Should not you be dead to the honours of this World, which will be a bait to many after such a Judgment? Should not you, who are yet alive to behold the Graves of some Honourable Persons, now in the dust, call off your heart from seeking after them? Have you not seen, that Death re∣spects not the Honourable more than the Igno∣ble? the Reverend and Esteemed no more than the Mean and Contemptible? Those that have Honourable Names and Titles, Honourable Friends and Relations, Honourable Callings and Imployments, Honourable Preferments and En∣joyments, are equalized in the Grave with others: And, have not you seen some fall? and, heard of others in this Judgment, and yet, after all this, set your heart upon the Honours of this world?

III. *Should not you be dead to the pleasures of this World, which will be snares for others? Should you, after such a Judgment as this, give your self to live a sensual flesh-pleasing life? and spend your time in needless delights and recreations? when you have heard so many dying Men complain of the loss of time, when they were well, and the Page  245 want of time when they came to die? Consider what these Pleasures be, that you are so much ad∣dicted to; that such sadning sorrowful sights, that you have seen, will not we•n you from them: Nay, when Gods smarting Rod upon your own body, by the Plague, will not imbitte• your worldly pleasures and delights; but, you will go out of such a dreadful Judgment of God, to your Gamings and Sports; to the pleasing of the flesh, in satisfying the lusts and desires thereof, in acts of uncleanness.

Consider these (1.) are short pleasures, they are but for a little while; they are passing away while you are at them: But, these short pleasures may bring you to eternal torments and endless woe, Heb. 11.25. Choosing rather to suf∣fer afflictions with the People of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. (2.) By giving up your selves unto these Pleasures, you deprive your selves of the Pleasures of Gods House in his Ordinances, which others drink of, Psal. 36.8. (3.) You deprive your self of the Pleasures of Gods House above in Heaven; of the Rivers of Pleasures which are at Gods right hand for ever∣more, Psal. 16.11. (4.) These pleasures are more brutish pleasures, and do but delight the more bru∣tish, i. e. sensitive part in Man: The rational Soul, as such, is not delighted in the pleasures of the Flesh, in eating and drinking, a Horse doth find pleasure in this as much as you; and some unreasonable Creatures herein do excel you. (5.) They are empty, and unsatisfying pleasures: they do not fill, content, nor satiate them Page  246 that give themselves most to follow after them.

IV. *Should not you be dead to, and take heed of resting in the wisdom of the World; in the attain∣ment onely of Humane Learning; after you have seen the Learned die as the Ignorant; and the Wise Man as the Fool: Humane Learning is more desirable than Riches and Honours, and the Pleas•res of this World; but, yet it is not to be acquiesced in, without the knowledg of God in Christ. Notions in Learning will never deliver from the Torments of Hell: many learned sin∣ners have gone to eternal Misery, and their tor∣ments there are greater than the torments of the Ignorant, and unlearned: the vanity of the wisdom of this World, compared with the know∣ledge of Christ, appeares, in that

1. It cannot redress the sinfulness of the thoughts, nor help against the vanity of the mind: The wise and learned Heathens became vain in their imaginations, Rom. 1.21.

2. It doth not prevent sinful elections, and choise of the will: Men of great knowledge choose the World, and Honours, and Ease, and Preferments before Christ.

3. It doth not remedy a sinful Conversation: M•ny know things to be evil, and yet do them; and so is an aggravation of their sin, and will be of their misery.

4. It doth not season Mens communications, nor prevent corrupt Discourses; but makes them Page  247 more witty, and able to scorn Godl•ness; jest with Scripture, and deride the Professors of the Gos∣spel: But, the knowledge of Christ, i• is (1.) the sweetest knowledge. (2.) It is the surest knowledg; being by the Revelation of the Spirit of God: (3.) It is saving knowledge: Thus take a true ac∣count of all the things; the best, the most excel∣lent, the most desirable things in this world; and you will see no reason why you should wholly spend the residue of that time, which God hath •ent you from the Grave, in such an eager pursuit of any thing of this life.

SECTION II.

BUt, that you may know, whether you (yet living) are dead to the things of this world, I shall give you this general Character, viz.

*If you carry your self towards the world, as those that are dead to God, do carry themselves towards God, then are you dead unto the world: and, this general is resolved into these particu∣lars.

1. *Those that are dead to God, they see no real ex∣cellency in God and Christ; but they see something more in the things of the world: they see more excellency in their Gold and Silver; in their Pro∣fits and Preferments; in their Pleasures and De∣lights: so, if you are dead to the world, you do not admire the Choisest and the Chiefest things that are therein; but, do see more real worth in God and Christ, and one dram of Grace; then Page  248 in all the Mines of the most precious things in Na∣ture: and, in your practical judgment do account them but dung and dross in comparison of the ex∣cellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. Those that are dead to God, do make choice of the World, and the things thereof, before God: The will, following the ultimate comparative, practi∣cal dictate of the understanding, in wicked Men, doth choose Earthly things before God and Christ: For, though their absolute judgment might be for God, yet the comparat judgment (all cir∣cumstances considered) is for the world; and their will doth make choice of it accordingly: So, if you are dead to the world, you make choice of God for your chiefest good, and greatest happi∣ness. For, though you may, in your absolute judg∣ment, look upon the Things of the world, used with moderation, and kept in their proper place, as good; yet, in your comparative judgment (all circumstances considered) you do ultimately con∣clude, That God is better in himself and for you, yea, in both respects, and your will doth choose him accordingly.

3. Those that are dead to God, though they may Pray to God, and talk of God, yet they do this as though they did it not: and Pray, as if they Prayed not: God hath their Tongues, but, the world hath their Hearts. So, if you are dead to the world, though you may talk of the world, and Trade in the world, yet you do all this as if you did it not: You buy as if you possessed not; and you use this world as if you used it not: and, though the Page  249 world may have your hands, yet God hath your heart.

4. Those that are dead to God, they are not trou∣bled at the loss of God, nor rejoyce at the tidings how they may have the enjoyment of him; So if you are dead to the World, you are not chiefly troubled at the loss of these things, nor count it so great matter of joy, if you have them and enjoy them. A man that is dead to God desireth the world, and let who will look after God: So a man dead to the world, desireth God, and let who will look after the World as his portion, and his chiefest happiness, he will not.

5. A man that is dead towards God, is not restrai∣ned from sin by Gods most terrible threatnings; though God threaten him with eternal death and everlasting damnation, with the loss of heaven and eternal happiness, if he persist in his wicked∣ness, and continue in sin, yet fear of the pu∣nishment of loss, nor of the punishment of sense, will not awaken him to Conversion and through Reformation. So a man that is dead towards the World, all the threatnings of men, that he shall have inflicted upon him, divers penalties, loss of goods, liberty, life, yet all this is not cogent to bring him in to a course of sin, and to do wickedly.

6. A man that is dead towards God, is not drawn nor allured with the precious and most glorious promi∣ses of God to do that which is good; Though God promise him heaven and eternal happiness, the pardon of sin, and his favour, yet all this moves him not to come to Christ, nor forsake his sins: Page  250 So a man that is dead to the world, all the offers, preferments, enticements of the world to allure him into sin will not prevail, he is dead to these things; and offers and over•ures of the greatest things move not a dead man. Thus you may try whether you are dead to the world or no. You live in the world, even after such a devouring Pestilence, you cannot live answerably to this great mercy, except you be dead to the World.