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and have done that which is good in thy fight. It is obfervable what ye may read in the Book of Martyrs, concerning Mr. Saunders, that whilft he was in examination, before the Bishop of London, he felt a most ravishing sweetness from every part of his Body, come together to the place, and feat of his heart; and from thence, it did ebb and flow, to and fro, to every part of his body, to his marvellous confolation. This he told to one of his friends.

Thus far this branch of the reason is made good, That the health and wellfare of the Body, as it is a bleffing, may be expected; and cannot otherwise be expected, then in conjunction with Soul profperity. Whatever Men think of it, this is true: That though Nature be an enemy to Grace, yet Grace, efpecially thriving, and profpering, is a friend, the best friend to Nature.

(2.) In reference to the World to come, the well-being of the Body, to all Eternity, depends abfolutely upon the well-being of the Soul. That fares, as the Soul fares. If the Soul perish, and be undone, the Body is undone, and perifheth too. We read Luk. 16. 24, 25. that when the Soul of the rich Man was in Hell, not the least refrefhment could be had for his Body, not a drop of water to cool his Tongue. Therefore as Fob 27.8, He hath no hope of all that he hath gain

ed,

ed, when God taketh away his Soul. But if the Soul profpers, while it is in the Body as it doth when it doth lay up its treasure in Heaven, and hath its converfation in Heaven) then the Body when it is laid in the Grave, as it is ftill a Member of Chrift, death doth not diffolve that union, It fleeps in Jesus, 1 Thef. 4.14. And by virtue of that union, it fhall be raised up, and made like the glorious Body of Chrift.

Thus ye have the first reafon made good, in both the branches of it, that Soul profperity is fo far all in all, &c.

2. Of all profperities, Soul-profperity is the most defirable profperity, because it is made up of the most defirable materials. Thofe goods whereof it confifteth are the best things, the most defirable bleffings. It's true, the materials whereof Worldly profperity confifts are good things too. We read, Luk. 16. that the rich Man's purple Garments, and fine Linnen, which were his every-days-wearing, and his fumptuous fare wherewith his Table was furnished every day, and his great eftate which maintained all this, were good things in themselves (and might have been good to him, if he had ufed them well.) So they are faid to be, verf. 25. But what are these things to the principles of Spiritual life, thriving and increafing in the Soul Verily, great heaps of Gold, and

Silver,

Silver, are but great heaps of Duft, and Dirt, to the leaft, grain of grace: The price of it is far above rubies, Job 28. 18. The Apostle fpeaking of one particular grace, the grace of Faith (one of thefe choife materials which make up foul profperity) faith, That the Trial of it (when it is exercised) is much more pretious then Gold. 1 Pet.1.7. No marvel then, if Solomon (who knew the worth of every thing, as much as ever any Man did) faith of it, That the Merchandize thereof is better then Silver, and the gain thereof then fine Gold. But of the excellency of the materials of Soul-profperity, I need fay no more then what hath been faid in the explication of the point; only I fhall fhew you a little, of that exceeding much, which the Scrip ture fpeaks of the materials of Worldly prof perity, by way of undervaluing them, to abate the efteem of them, and, if poffible, to beat down their price.

In Ecclef. 1. 1. ye find Solomon the King, to be Solomon the Preacher; and as he had a large heart, fo he took a large Text to Preach upon; no less then the whole World, with all its honours, profits, and pleasures, which raife up Worldly profperity to the higheft Pinacle, that is imaginable: And (which is exceeding obfervable) after he had throughly studied his Text, and taken as exact a furvey of it, as unwearied diligence

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in fearching, joyned with incomparable wifdom, could attain unto, he could, with all his skill, raise but this one Doctrine, That all is vanity, vanity of vanities; extreme vanity all over.

This was all he could make

of all the fine things, that the World, in its best dress, (so far as he could fee) did afford. And as he faith by way of question, Ecclef. 2. 12, What can that Man do, that cometh after the King after fuch a King? If any Man will try whether he may have better fuccefs, then Solomon had, I fhall tell him what he fhall find. This he fhall find, and let him make his best of it.

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(1.) That whatever reality he thinks that he finds, he will, after a while, find to be flight, and fuperficial: That they only pleafe the carnal, and fenfual part. This was all their predeceffor found, Luk. 12. 19, I will fay to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, eat, drink, and be merry. Neither will they do this always, but a little disappointment (the pride and paffion of his own heart mingling with it) doth for the time, while the fit lafteth, embitter all, as Efth.5.13, Tet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I fee Mordechai the Few fitting in the King's gate.

(2.) That even in this, whatever he finds, affords no lafting fatisfaction, Ecclef. 1. 8, All things are full of labour, Man cannot ut

ter

ter it. The eye is not fatisfied with feeing. The eye may be satisfied, and wearied with the Act of feeing, but the luft of the eye is not fatisfied. The eye fees this, and that, more then once, he thought he should ever have seen, which he could have called his own but yet ftill the eye would fee more. And it cannot be otherwife; for all that can be seen, is too little for a Man's heart. They may be a belly full, Pfal. 17. 14. but they cannot be a heart full. There is no propor tion, between the heart, and them; and therefore there can be no fatisfaction. Be fides, They cannot fatisfie, because they are always found to be lefs in theEnjoyment,then in the expectation: Gehazi found them fo, 2 King. 5. 26. He thought of purchafing a great Farm, and of stocking it himself; but he found an evil disease cleaving to himself, and to his pofterity; and that for more years, then his Farm fhould be either in his or in their poffeffion. And yet farther he will find, that they cannot fatisfie, because as they increase; fo the heart is more and more let out unto them. And impoffible it is, for that defire ever to be fatisfied, which grows, by the increase of the thing defired. And yet more, fay an earthly, narrow Soul may fay, he is fatisfied, yet Men may choose whether they will believe him or no. How ever, this he will find, that though what he

hath

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