Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
AS Self-denyall is a holy and gracious worke of Gods Spirit,Self-ſeeking very dangerous. a lively and honourable character of a true Chriſtian, the proſtrating of mans ſelfe and all that he hath under Chriſt: The ſeeking and exalting of Chriſt above all, is the crowne and glory of a Chriſtian: ſo ſelf-ſeeking and ſelf-exaltation is a very ſhamefull and dangerous evill, an evill indeed very common: Moſt men ſowing to the fleſh, and not to the Spirit, to themſelves, and not to Chriſt; Men generally moving, and tending in their underſtandings, wils, thoughts, and affections to themſelves, as rivers to the ſea, levelling the arrowes of their endeavours to ſome carnall marke of their owne, and not to the honour of Chriſt: All (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſeeke qPhil. 2.…1.their owne; all comparatively in reſpect of the paucity of others, ſeeke their owne, their owne profit, their owne eaſe, their owne pleaſure, their owne honour, they confine themſelves within themſelves, they ſeeke themſelves, and not the things which are Jeſus Christs: The honour of Chriſt, the edification of the Church of Chriſt, the propagation and welfare of the Goſpell they ſeeke not, this they mind not, this they intend not; they are all rI…. 6given (ſaid the Prophet of old) to their covetouſneſſe, to the minding and ſeeking of themſelves, their owne low, baſe and unworthy ends, from the higheſt of them to the loweſt, and from the Prieſt unto the people. Self-ſeeking like the deluge overſlowes the whole world; few then addreſſed themſelves unto the Arke, few now addreſſe themſelves to Chriſt, ſeeke intereſt in Chriſt, or ſeriouſly intend and mind Chriſt. Generally, then they lay drowned under the waters, commonly now they are overwhelmed with the Sea of ſelf-cogitations, ſelf-deſires and intendments. Mans neglect of Chriſt, and ſelf-ſeeking ever turnes to mans ruine, as their neglect of the Arke, and ſeeking other places of refuge proved their deſtruction: Many indeed profeſſe Chriſt, but few intend Chriſt, like bad ſervants, they call him Lord and Maſter, but they doe not his worke, they mind themſelves and not Chriſt. Rehoboam ſ2 Chron 12.13, 14.ſtrengthened himſelfe, but he did evill, and prepared not, or fixed not his heart to ſeeke the Lord. There are many of Rehoboams generation, they ſtrengthen themſelves in wealth, in friends, in carnall policies, and worldly honours; but they prepare not, they doe not diſpoſe and frame their hearts to ſeeke Chriſt, to exalt and ſet up Chriſt; they doe not fixe their hearts towards Chriſt in their intendments and undertakings, as the rivers are fixed towards the ſea in their motion, and the arrowes towards the marke in their ſlying; This is an evill from which the Lord diſſwadeth, Seeke ye tNumb. 15.39.not (ſaith the Lord by Moſes) after your owne heart, and your owne eyes, after which ye uſe to goe a whoring. Wherein the Lord calleth them from their owne wiſedome as from a falſe guide, from their owne will as from a corrupt commander, from their owne thoughts, as from a pernicious ſuggeſter, and from their owne ends, as from low, baſe and carnall markes:1 Evill properties of Self-ſeeking. And indeed ſelf-ſeeking is a ſpring of many bitter ſtreames, and a poyſonous root of many mortall and ſoule-ſlaying branches: For,
1. Self-ſeeking is inſatiable. 1. Inſatiable. Gen. 41.He that ſeekes the creature and not Chriſt can never have enough, his deſires are never anſwered: Like Ph…raohs leane kine after the eating of the fat, his ſoule is ſtill leane, empty, hungry, he finds no ſatisfaction: Like the dropſie-man, he is in a continuall thirſt; the more man ſeeks himſelfe the further he is from ſatisfaction, his deſires are endleſſe that deſires not the Lord Jeſus he is alwayes poore that makes not Chriſt his riches, diſtracting and perplexing thoughts of want doe ever peſter their minds who mind not Chriſt Jeſus in whom is all fulneſſe: The eye which ſees not the Sun of righteouſneſſe is never uEc…ll 1.8.ſatisfied with ſeeing: The eare which heares not the glad tydings of Chriſt in the Goſpell is never ſatisfied with hearing: The hand which receives not Chriſt, is never filled with receiving: The ſoule which finds not Chriſt is never ſatisfied with finding, though it finds all the fulneſſe of the world. No man doth leſſe enjoy himſelfe then he that doth moſt inordinately mind himſelfe: Diſorderly intendment of the creature deprives man of the comfort of the creature; the leaſt of the creature with Chriſt miniſters much contentation, the moſt of the creature without Chriſt works great vexation and trouble, and fils the ſoule with reſtleſſe and inſatiable longing: To them therefore that intend themſelves and not Chriſt, that mind the multiplication of their worldly abilities, and not the exaltation of Chriſt, the Lord threatens wPro 27 20. Iſa 9.20. Mica 6.14.emptineſſe, to them that intend Chriſt and not themſelves, the Lord promiſeth fullneſſe and ſatisfaction to their deſires; the ſoule which applyes it ſelfe to the creature, diſcernes a ſeeming beauty in the creature, and that inflames the ſoul with love to it, with luſting after it; the ſoule promiſeth it ſelfe great things from the creature, and therfore is much in the multiplication of the creature; it diſcernes a proneneſſe in the creature to change, and therfore labours much to make it ſure; ſuch a man placeth his confidence in the creature, and yet is very jealous, leaſt the creature ſhould faile and prove a ſandy foundation; and therefore is he very ſollicitous and laborious about the creature, thinkes he never beſtowes pains and care enough, to make it ſure unto himſelfe: but the man who ſincerely minds and intends Chriſt, ſees ſuch perfection, taſtes ſuch ſweetneſſe, diſcernes ſuch power and ſtability, and meets with and feels ſuch a fullneſſe of all goodneſſe in Chriſt, that in Chriſt his ſoul hath a ſweet acquieſcence, and ſure repoſall, whether he enjoy much or little of the world; the more man neglecteth and denyeth himſelfe and the creature for Chriſt, the more ſatisfaction he findeth in Chriſt; the more a man intends himſelfe and the world, with the neglect of Chriſt, the more vanity, vexation and emptineſſe he finds in himſelfe, and in his earthly abundance: There is no xEccl 4 8.end (ſaith Salomon) of all his labour, neither is his eye ſatisfied with riches: He ſpends his mony for that which is not bread, Iſa. 55.and his labour for that which ſatisfieth not, ſaith the Prophet.
2 Hypocriticall2. Self-ſeeking makes man hypocriticall, corrupt and full of ſiniſter and by-reſpects in his profeſſion and duties of Religion; the wife of Jeroboam comming to the Prophet y1 Kin. 14.5.diſguiſed her ſelfe, and fained her ſelfe to be another then ſhe was; ſelf-ſeekers comming to Chriſt, taking upon them the profeſſion of Chriſt, diſguiſe themſelves, and fain themſelves to be others, then they are; to be the friends of Chriſt, the followers and ſervants of Chriſt and ſeekers of the honour of Chriſt, when they are the enemies of Chriſt, followers of the world, zRom. 16 18.ſerve their owne bellies, and ſeek their owne worldly profit and temporall advancement: Selfe-ſeekers make their attendance upon the Lord Jeſus a meanes to accompliſh their owne carnall purpoſes, like cunning Anglers they make Religion a bait to cover their hooke, the more readily to take the fiſh of ſome worldly profit, men often gaine that riches and aſcend the ſteps of that honour, under a pretence of godlineſſe, which they could never attaine in the way of open profaneneſſe; Anti-chriſt puts on the aRev. 13.11.hornes of the Lamb, and under pretence of being Chriſts Vicar, he ſets himſelfe in Chriſts throne, and acts the part of the Dragon; under colour of ſeeking the welfare of the Church, he doth prey upon, and brings ruine to the Church; the Phariſees were great ſelf-ſeekers, men of covetous and ambitious ſpirits; they rob'd widowes houſes, and for a bMat 23.14pretence made long prayers; their whole Religion, who are given to ſelf-ſeeking, is altogether corrupt and carnall: Iudas followed Chriſt not for any love to Chriſt, but becauſe he bore the bagg. Man may goe farre in the way of Chriſt, and doe much in the worke of Chriſt, as long as Chriſts ſervice tends to his worldly advantage, having no true love at all to the Lord Jeſus;Joh. 6. why did the Diſciples mentioned by Saint John follow Chriſt, but becauſe Chriſt filled them with the loaves, earthly gaine is the only load-ſtone that draws ſelf-ſeekers to the obſervation of religious duties, Hemor and Shichem, perſwading their fellow Citizens to be circumciſed, drew them by an argument taken from their worldly profit, Shall not (ſay they) their cGen. 34.2…, 23, 24.Cattell and their ſubſtance, and every beaſt of theirs be ours, and to this they hearkned and were circumciſed. Self-ſeekers never put themſelves upon the profeſſion of godlineſſe, but under the promiſe of ſome worldly advantage; did they not perſwade themſelves that ſome honour, favour, or other earthly benefit would therby accrew unto them they would never put their foot within the liſts of Religion; Abimelech was kind to Abraham, not for Abrahams, but for Sarah's ſake; ſelf-ſeekers ſometimes pretend much kindneſſe to Chriſt, but it is not for Chriſts, but for the worlds ſake, they cloake and colour their earthly purpoſes with religious pretences, and this is the curſed Hypocriſie of ſelf-ſeeking, to make God, Chriſt, Religion and Chriſtian profeſſion as ſervants and ſlaves to mans carnall luſts and purpoſes, moſt ſhamefully injurious are all ſuch ſelfe-ſeekers to the Lord Jeſus.
3. Polluting.3. Selfe-ſeeking is a polluting and defiling evill, termed by S. James Adultery, Yee dJoh 4 4.adulterers and adultereſſes (ſaith he to ſuch ſelf-ſeekers) know you not that the love of the world is enmity with God, and that he that is a friend of the world is an enemy to God, and it is ſtiled by Moſes a eNum 15 39.going a whooring; adultery and whooredome defile the body and ſelf-ſeeking defiles the ſoule; the Iewes by their covetous practiſes and ſelf-ſeeking, polluted the Temple, and made it a Den of theeves, Ioh. 2.and men by their ſelf-ſeeking pollute their ſouls, which ſhould be a holy Temple to Gods Spirit, this they make a den of theeves, a very cage of uncleanneſſe; Gehezi ſought himſelfe in running after Naoman for a talent of ſilver and two changes of garments, and what was the iſſue of it, a f2 Kin. 5.22, 27loathſome leproſie clave unto him: all ſelf-ſeekers are in the ſight of God as loathſome lepers, ſelf-ſeeking defiles their underſtanding with ignorance, as duſt defiles the eyes, diſabling them to diſcerne the things of God, the Phariſees were covetous, and becauſe they ſought themſelves, they gLu. 16.14.derided Christs Doctrine, with ſelf-ſeekers the Doctrine which croſſeth their carnall projects is reputed a Doctrine of no knowledge; this defiles the thoughts of men with worldlineſſe, injuſtice, carnall plots and imaginations; this filled Saul with thoughts to h1 Sam. 18.25. Heſt. 3 6.make David fall: This filled Haman with thoughts to deſtroy all the Iewes, throughout the whole Kingdome of Aha…huerus; this defiles the affections of men with baſe feare, carnall confidence, ſelf-love and fleſhly joy; this made the Rulers afraid to confeſſe Chriſt, they were ſelf-ſeekers, they iIoh. 11.42loved the praiſe of men more then the praiſe of God, and therfore did not confeſſe Chriſt; this makes men ambitious of a name with men, for this they ſeeke to perpetuate their memory upon earth, their inward thought is (ſaith the Pſalmist) that their houſes ſhall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations,Pſal. 49 11. Ier 48.…. Pſal, 52.7. Ier. 13.25. they call their Lands after their owne names; this makes them leane upon an arme of fleſh, and to truſt ſome in their workes, ſome in their treaſures, ſome in their falſehood ſelfe-ſeekers ever build their confidence upon falſe foundations, and caſt their ſouls into many ſhamefull pollutions.
4. Self-ſeeking alienates the ſoule of man from God, 4 Alienating.and from all intereſt in, and communion with Chriſt; the men of Iſrael following Sheba, alienated themſelves from David, they had no part in David; ſelf-ſeekers following their own luſts walking after their owne imaginations, alienate themſelves from God, they have no part in Chriſt; a wife that goes a whoring from her husband, diſſolves the wedlocke, and alienates herſelfe from her husband; the ſoule by ſelf-ſeeking goes a whooring and commits fornication with the creature, and altogether eſtrangeth it ſelfe from Chriſt; of ſuch the Lord ſaith, they are kPſal. 58. Ier 5.23.eſtranged, they are revolted and gone: Self-ſeeking alienates a man from God in his underſtanding; Self-ſeekers have no knowledge, They eate up my people (ſaith the Lord) as bread, there is their ſelfe-ſeeking; they have no lPſal. 14.knowledge, no true, no cleare, no ſaving knowledge, there is their ignorance of God; this alienates man from the thought of God, of ſuch the Pſalmiſt ſaith, God is mPſal 10.not in all his thoughts, he thinks not of God as of his Counſellour to adviſe him, as of his rock to build upon him, as of his fountaine to repleniſh him, as of his King to glorifie him; this alienates man from the love of God. If any man n1 Ioh. 2.15.love the world, the love of the Father is not in that man; from attendance upon the Ordinances of God, the invited gueſts in the Parable were ſo eager in the purſute of the world that they could not come; from taſting and reliſhing the ſweetneſſe of Chriſt in the miniſtry of the Word, the fruit of Chriſt, the fruit of his Doctrine, the fruit of his death and reſurrection communicated by the Goſpell, are not ſweet unto them, as to the Spouſe in Salomons Song, Cant. 2.3.but as Iob ſometime ſaid of Eliphaz his ſpeech, Can that which is oIob 6.6, 7.unſavoury be eaten without ſalt, or is there any taſte in the white of an egge? The things which my ſoule refuſeth to touch are as my ſorrowfull meat: Such is the Miniſters ſpeech and preaching of Chriſt to ſelf-Seekers, altogether unſav…ry, having no ſweet relliſh, or comfortable taſte to their palates; their ſoule refuſeth it as ſorrowfull meat, troubling rather then comforting, grieving rather then rejoycing them. Chriſt ever proves very troubleſome to the ſoule that is addicted to ſelf-Seeking; Man ſpoyles himſelfe of many ſweet and heavenly comforts in Chriſt Jeſus, by ſeeking himſelfe, and the ſatisfaction of his owne corrupt affections: This alienates man from the faith of Chriſt. He that ſeeks himſelfe cannot beleeve in Chriſt, he cannot take unto himſelfe Chriſt for his husband to love him, for his King to honour him, for his Counſellor to be guided by him, for his rocke to build upon him, and for his precious pearle to reſt himſelfe contented with him: The fooliſh man (in the parable) who built upon the ſand, did not alſo build upon the rocke: He that leanes upon the creature, leanes not upon Chriſt; He that ſeeks himſelfe truſts in himſelfe, and not in Chriſt: True faith and ſelf-ſeeking like the Arke and Dagon cannot ſtand together. How can ye beleeve (ſaith our Saviour) which receive honour one of another, and ſeeke not the honour that commeth from God onelyonly. You ſeeke the praiſe and applauſe of men, to exalt and magnifie your ſelves in the eyes of men, you ſeeke not the teſtimony and approbation of God, you labour not to approve your ſelves unto God, and therefore you cannot beleeve, you cannot receive and embrace me, you cannot reſt and relye upon me, you cannot quiet and content your ſelves with me. Doubtleſſe all worldly and ambitious ſelf-ſeekers are miſerable and wretched unbeleevers; all inordinate ſelf-lovers are very great ſtrangers to Chriſt Jeſus; Curſed and ſhamefull is that fruit of ſelf-ſeeking which turnes off the ſoule of man from Chriſt, and ſpoyles him of all intereſt in Chriſt: This alienates man from the ſervice of Christ, all ſelf-ſeekers ſerve themſelves,pRom. 16.18. Mat 6.24. they ſerve not our Lord Jeſus Chriſt (ſaith Saint Paul) but their owne belly, they ſerve not God but Mammon (ſaith Chriſt) Self-ſeekers are the ſervants of worldly vanities, and the ſlaves of carnall luſts and affections; the ſoules unhappy bondage and enthralment is the fruit of ſelf-intendments; all ſelf-ſeekers like Iſrael are qHoſ. 10.1.empty vines; they bring forth fruit unto themſelves and not to Chriſt: Such mens ſervices are an illegitimate brood, ſpurious works begotten by the world, Satan, and the fleſh, and not by the Spirit of Chriſt: To ſuch our Saviour ſaith,Ioh. 8.44. ye are of your father the Devill, and the lusts of your father you will do… Of ſuch Saint John ſaith, they are of the world,1 Ioh 4.5. therefore speake they of the world; they have worldly hearts, worldly thoughts, worldly language, and worldly intendments, and all their labours are a worldly ſervice: The intendment of man in his undertaking is ever ſutable to mans originall: He that is not of Chriſt cannot intend Chriſt, nor referre his …ervice unto Chriſt.r1 Ioh. 4.6. We are of God (ſaith the Apoſtle) he that knoweth God heareth us, he that is not of God heareth not us, hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour. Laſtly,2 Cor 11.13. this alienates from all true and ſweet delight and joy in Chriſt. Self-ſeekers rejoyce in themſelves, and in the creatures, and not in Chriſt; as the men of Sichem rejoyced in Abimelech, the bramble, and not in the ſonnes of Jerubbaal, the Vine, Olive, and Fig-tree,Iud. 9. in Jothams parable. He that ſeekes himſelfe rejoyceth in a very empty and unworthy object, in the creature which like a bramble, hath neither fruit, nor ſhadow to miniſter either ſatisfaction or ſafety; but pricketh, ſcratcheth, vexeth all that ſet their hearts upon it, and he leaves Chriſt, who like a Vine, Olive, and Fig-tree communicates food and ſhadow, pleaſure, contentation, defence, and ſweet refreſhment to all that come unto him, and place their confidence in him: The Jewes in the Prophet ſIſa. 8.6.refuſed the waters of Shiloah, the defence and ayde which God promiſed them, and rejoyced in Rezin and Remeliahs ſonne. The man that ſeeks himſelfe refuſeth Chriſt, ſleighteth and undervalueth Chriſt the fountaine of living waters, from whom ſlowes all protection, comfort, and contentation to them that ſincerely embrace him; and rejoyceth in the creature, which proves a ſandy foundation, and a broken ciſterne. Of ſuch the Prophet ſaith, tAmos 6 13. Mat. 2.they rejoyce in a thing of nought; in a thing of no ſtrength, of no fulneſſe, of no continuance; Herod ſought himſelfe, the eſtabliſhment of himſelfe in the kingdome, and the tydings of Chriſts birth was terrible to him: The Phariſees were great ſelf-ſeekers, and the preſence, preaching, and miracles which Chriſt wrought, did very much perplexe and grieve them: Mans inordinate minding and intending himſelfe, and worldly riches, honours, or pleaſures, deprives him of all delight and joy in Chriſt Jeſus. Self-ſeeking works a very unhappy alienation from Chriſt, and makes the ſoule a very great ſtranger to Chriſt.
5. Full of unlawfull means.5. Self-ſeeking puts a man upon unlawfull and forbidden meanes to accompliſh his corrupt and unworthy ends: Through ſelf-ſeeking the covetous man thruſts himſelfe into unlawfull wayes of gaine; the ambitious man into forbidden wayes to attaine honour and high places, and the voluptuous man into unlawfull wayes of carnall and fle…hly pleaſures; the covetous man ſeeking himſelfe and worldly wealth, defraudeth, oppreſſeth deceiveth: He intrudes himſelfe upon the time and things which God hath made ſacred: He turnes the day of ſacred reſt into a day of bodily labour, into a day of treading wine-preſſes, bringing in of ſheaſes, and bearing uNeh. 13 15.of burthens, as ſometime Nehemiah ſaw it in Judah. This makes them according to Salomons phraſe, to devoure wProv 20.25.holy things, things dedicated to the honour, worſhip, and ſervice of God: This makes them uſe as the Lord ſpeakes by the Prophet, the xMic. 6.11, 12wicked ballances, and the bag of deceitfull weights: For this they are full of violence, ſpeake lies, and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth; they fell as Amos ſaith, the righteous for ſilver and the poore for a paire of ſhooes. Amos 2.6.Self-ſeeking ſets man upon many ungodly, injurious, and diſhonourable practiſes, to gaine the wealth of the world: This makes the ambitious man full of fraudulent and bloudy plots and deſignes to exalt himſelfe, and make himſelfe a man of eminency and great authority amongſt men. Why did Joab murther y2 Sam. 3. 2 Sam 15.Abner? why did Abſolon ſeeke to put his owne father from the throne? The one feared leſt through Abner entring into Covenant with David his honour would be eclipſed, and the other was ambitious of his Fathers Throne, carried away with an inordinate deſire to reigne. Self-ſeekers are not terrified with the horridneſſe of any practiſe, be it never ſo unnaturall and mercileſſe: The zLu. 15.Prodigall in the parable making carnall pleaſures the prime object of his deſires, fully minding and intending the ſatisfaction of his owne luſts, left his Fathers houſe, put himſelfe into conſortſhip with harlots, and ſpent all his patrimony: Man being over indulgent to himſelfe, and his owne corrupt affections forſakes God, the Word, and way of God, and runs into all exorbitancies; very ſhamefull and odious are the wayes and courſes entred upon by ſelf-ſeekers. He that reſtraines not himſelfe from ſelf-ſeeking, will never containe himſelfe within the bounds and limits which God hath preſcribed to him, but will wander from God, and the rule of holy walking, into many forbidden evils. Sarah and Rahel being carried with an over-ſtrong deſire after children, ſeeking themſelves too much in that behalfe, became impatient and would not wait for God any longer in Gods way, they put themſelves upon a forbidden way, and aGen. 16.3. & 30.3, 4. 1 Sam 15. Ioſ. 7.gave their handmaids to their husbands. Saul contrary to the Lords commandement, intending his owne worldly profit, ſpares the beſt of the Amalekitiſh beaſts: Achan in a ſelf-ſeeking humour layes his greedy hands upon the golden wedge, and Babyloniſh garment, the curſed thing which God had forbidden to be ſpared; there is no evill ſo odious, ſoule and hatefull, which he will not adventure upon, that is overſwayed with the luſt of ſelf-ſeeking.
6. Self-ſeeking makes man unthankefull and diſcontented with his preſent estate and condition, 6 Diſcontented.though in it ſelfe an eſtate very full and comfortable: The eyes of a ſelf-ſeeker are ſo much upon what he hath not, that he neither takes notice, nor taſts the ſweetneſſe of what he hath; his full veſſell is an empty bottle, and his Paradiſe in his owne apprehenſion as a barren wilderneſſe, his thoughts are more perplexed with the deſire of what he ſeemes to want, then comforted with the preſence of what he doth indeed poſſeſſe; the more he hath, the more his deſire of having is increaſed. There is no bEccleſ. 4.….end (ſaith Solomon) of all his labour, neither is his eie ſatisfied with riches: His abundance gives no ſatisfactory anſwer to his deſires, he hath no contentment in what he hath, but is full of murmuring and repining, he dreames of a condition more happy then that wherein the Lord hath ſet him, and therefore loſeth the comfort of his preſent plentifull poſſeſſion. This is the conſtant an… common lot of them that ſeeke themſelves and not the Lord Jeſus, to be ſtrangers to contentment and ſatisfaction in the great abundance of the world. A fooliſh ſonne (ſaith Solomon) is a cProv. 17.25. Eccl. 5 12.griefe to his father, and bitterneſſe to her that bare him; his parents have no contentment in him, ſuch a fooliſh birth, ſuch an unhappy poſſeſſion is the worldly fulneſſe of ſelf-ſeekers, a griefe and bitterneſſe to their ſoules, they have no ſatisfaction with it, it is a bed of thornes, and a feaſt of gall and gravell, dPſ. 127.2. Eccleſ. 2.23.bread of ſorrowes, as the Pſalmiſt termes it: Their dayes (ſaith Solomon) are ſorrowes, and their travell griefe, their heart taketh not rest in the night, they are eve… diſcontented; the Lord gave Iſrael Manna from Heaven, he fed them with Angels food; yet having a ſelf-ſeeking luſt within them, they were not contented, they murmured and fell a luſting after the fleſh-pots of Egypt, their Manna ſeemed to be a eNum. 11.5. Gen. 3.light bread: If God doth not crucifie mans carnall luſts and affections, man meets with nothing but diſtraction and trouble in the choiſeſt condition under Heaven, what felicity like that of our firſt parents? being created after Gods Image, placed in Paradice, and having nothing within or without them, to moleſt them; yet through ſelf-ſeeking having a deſire to be as Gods, they undervalued, and grew diſcontented with their preſent holy, happy, and bleſſed eſtate. Surely did not the bleſſed viſion and fruition of God aboliſh the luſt of ſelf-ſeeking, man would in a ſhort time be diſcontented with Heaven. Like the lapſed Angels he would not long keep his ſtation, but grow weary of that glorious Kingdome.