us good then when other good things will do us no good Eternal good things will stand us in stead when other good things will stand us in no stead To injoy an interest in such things as have been named and to be assured of what is afterwards to be injoyed in Heaven will stand a Christian in stead in what ever condition a good man can be cast into when as all that the world affords will not do the wicked man any good in such conditions as God will cast them into 1. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead when his Conscience is distressed with the sight of his sins and the apprehension of God's wrath due for sin 2. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead in the day of death 3. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead in the Grave 4. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead at the day of Judgment 5. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead in Hell when he there shall lye under Eternal Torments I begin with the first of these five 1. Temporal good things will do those who injoy them no good when their Consciences are distressed with the sight of their sins and the apprehension of God's wrath due for sin A time of all other times wherein a Christian needs consolation and refreshment but these things are not able to afford any refreshment When a man is terrified with the threatnings of the Law vexed with the inward accusations of his own Conscience and affrighted with the apprehension of God's deserved wrath what will it avail to live flourishingly in Prosperity to sit in the feat of Honor to be advanced to the greatest Preferments to have multiplyed treasure as the sand of the Sea to have full Barns and rich Chests and to be as great in Dominions as Cyrus and as wealthy as Solomon All these things as they cannot give ease in the midst of a Fever or tortures of the Gout oâ— Stone so neither can they comfort a man when God opens the mouth of conscience and amazes him with the sight of his sins calling to his mind the history of his life and makes him to have some glimpses and pre-occupations of Hell when he lies under the phrensy of Cain the despair of Judas the madness of Achitophel the tremblings of Felix then the whole Earth though changed into a Globe of Gold or Center of Diamond will do no good will stand in no stead Then all the Riches of Craesus all the Empires of Alexander nor the Hundred twenty and seven Provinces of Ahasuerus will procure no ease no peace in the conscience Had a man all the Kingdoms of the world and the Glory of them yet could they not purchase the least dram of Spiritual Comfort the lifting up of God's countenance or an assurance of God's favor t is Faith not Wealth t is somwhat inward and spiritual not any thing external and accidental that will then give ease Then inward peace is more esteemed tâ—an outward plenty As when David said to Ziba 2 Sam. 16. 4. v. Behold thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth And Ziba said I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight my Lord O King as who should say I had â—ather have the King's favor then the Lands The King's favor will do me more good then all Mephibosheth's Lands or goods Inward consolation and assurance of Salvation at this season will do more good and stand in more stead then the whole world and all the things of the world that will indure but for a season 2. Temporal good things will do those who injoy them no good in the day of death They will do them no good nor stand them in any stead in those last Dreadful pangs when they lye gasping for breath upon a dying Bed and must now pass tâ—rough the valley and shadow of Death they will do them no good nor stand them in any stead when they must shooâ— the vast Gulf and lanch out into the Infinite Ocean of Eternity Solomon tells us That Riches yea whole Treasures do not profit in the day of death Pro. 11. 4. and chap. 10. 2. v. A speech worth our consideration for we have it repeated by two Prophets after him Ezekiel 7. 19. Zeph. 1. 18. They say there stands a Globe of the World at one of the Libraries in Dublin and a Skeleton of a Man at the other we need not says my Author study long in this Library to learn a good lesson though a man were Lord of all that he sees in the Map of the World yet he must dye and become himself a map of Mortality and when he dyes the whole world though he injoyed it would do him no good in that last and sorest conflict They will not keep off death nor bribe that grim Sergeant no not for one day not for one hour Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England in the reign of Henry the 6th when he perceived that he must dye and that there was no remedy murmured at Death that his Riches could not reprieve him till a further time for he asked wherefore should I dye being so rich If the whole Realm would save my life I am able by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fye quoth he wiâ—l not death be hired will Money do nothing No Christians here money will do nothing here money can do nothing when the poor sinner shall be left to wrestle with the accusations of his Conscience terrors of Death and fierce oppositions of Hell and the Divel Then all Temporal good things will serve the most greedy ingrossers thereof as the friends and subjects of our Edward the 3d. served him at his Death At the time of his death all of all sorts forsook him only one Priest is said to stay with him when he gave up the Ghost Or as Absolom's Mule served him which went away when his head was fast in the great Oak and so left him in his greatest extremity In like manner will Wealth and all worldly felicities deal with men upon their Dying-beds leave them in their greatest extremity to the fury of a guilty conscience which like the Priest with Edward the 3d. stayed when every one left him for their cursed laboring more for that meat which perisheth then for that meat which indureth to Eternal life As I have read of one who when he lay upon his sick-bed called for his baggs and laid a bagg of Gold to his heart and then bad them take it away saying it will not do it will not do Baggs of Gold will then afford no comfort to dying ones It is reported of Phillip the 3d. of Spain although it is said of him that his life was free from gross Evils yea so as he professed he would rather lose all his Kingdoms then offend
believer assured of such an house read 2 Cor. 5. 1. v. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens The Soul now dwells in the body which is but as a dark mean decaying old Cottage which is compassed about with bad neighbors The Soul finds the body but a dark habitation dark in comparison of Heaven As that Dutch Divine Bugenhagius said of Luther after he had read his book De Captivitate Babylonica That Luther was in the light but all the world besides in darkness So only those souls by death removed out of the body and now in Heaven They only are in the light but the best of those that yet are in the body are in darkness The body is but a mean habitation for the soul which is of a spiritual and immortal substance to dwell in Eliphaz in Job calls it an house of clay St. Paul in the place last named calls it an Earthly house Solomon calls it nothing but Dust Eccles 12. 7. v it is but a vile body Phil. 3. 21. v. T is but as one says a clay wall encompassing a treasure or a course case of a rich Instrument And that which is yet worse a decaying and ruinous habitation that will shortly moulder to Dust those parcels of dust making up the body that were bound together by the bond of innocency are by sin shaken loose and subject to a continual flux and decay But yet worst of all the Soul finds its dwelling compassed about with bad Neighbors how oft is the Soul whilst living in the body like Lot living in Sodomie even vexed with the filthy conversations of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. How oft are gracious souls forâ—ed to cry out with David Psal 120. 5. Wo is me â—hat I remain in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar As bad Neighbors are always wrangling and quarrelling and stirring up discord with those they â—ive near so are wickd men always contesting with â—hese That the soul may truly say as Lamenting Jeâ—emy of the Church of the Jews she dwelleth among the Heathen she findeth no rest all her perâ—ecutors overtake her Lam. 1. 3. v. Much might have been said of the Souls present haâ—itation to make the soul at death willing to remove â—ut of it but what shall I say of that house not made â—ith hands Eternal in the Heavens Is the body a dark house Heaven is a light som house hence it is set forth by the name of Light Col. 1. 12. Saints in Light that is in the glorious Kingdom of heaven And 1 Tim. 6. 16. God is there said to dwell in an unapproachable light there is a perpetual Day without Night there is no night there says St. John Rev. 21 25. v. Though some regions that lye immediately under the Pole have light for several Months together yet when the Sun withdraws from their Horizon they have as long a night and darkness as before they had a day but says St. John There shall be no night there no darkness there Is the body but a mean habitation for the Soul to dwell in Heaven is a most glorious habitation Lactantius beholding the magnificency of Rome said Quomodo caelestis Jerusalem si sic fulget terrestris Roma What an habitation hath God prepared for a Nation that love holyness and truth if he have such things as these for them that love Vanity What was the Temple built by Solomon for the Lord to this coelestial Paradise prepared by the Lord What are the Courts of the greatest Emperors to the Court of the great God what are the stateliest Fabricks in the world if compared with this Eternal house in Heaven Is the body a ruinous house that will shortly moulder into dust Heaven is an everlasting habitation It is called so Luk. 16. 9. v. They may receive you into everlasting habitations so is Heaven called in opposition to Earthly dwellings which though many of them are beautiful and glorious yet shall be laid in the dust Many houses here below may be lasting but not everlasting but this runs parallel with Eeternity The first seat of the first Adam in the first Paradise was without doubt very glorious but not permanent not Eternal this is far better more glorious and Eternal Does the Soul find its present dwelling compassed about with bad Neighbors In Heaven there is good very good neighborhood It is related of Cato an old Roman that he advised in the purchase of a Farme or House that a man should consider of the vicinity or neighborhood there Ne malum vicinum haberet And to that purpose is related the proclamation of Themistocles a famous Athonian Captain in the sale of his Lands that if any man would deal with him he should be sure of a good neighbor There is if I may have leave to say so good neighborhood in Heaven There is God our Father he that begot us again lives in Heaven There is Christ our Elder brother sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven All the Saints departed are now inhabitants of the new Jerusalem which is Heaven And now Christians will it not do a man good that hath a good title to this house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens when he comes to dye and his soul must be removed out of his clay Cottage Death to him will be but a bridg from Wo to Glory a passage out of a Wilderness to Canaan the end of his misery and the beginning of his felicity the conclusion of his labor and the settling himself to rest though death may be a wicked man's fear yet it will be his wish though it be the others shipwrack yet it will be his entering into harbor though it be the others remove from Earth to Hell yet will it be his remove from Earth to Heaven To him death will be gain to the other death will be a loss Death to the wicked man will be a dark and dreadful passage unto the second death and utter Darkness but to him an entrance into Eternal life and an heavenly light Death to the wicked man will put an end to his short joys and begin his everlasting sorrows but to him it will put an end to all sorrows and begin â—his everlasting joys When Valentinian the Emperor was upon his dying bed among all his victories only one comforted him and did him good and that was victory over his worst enemy viz. his own naughty heart So this one thing is enough to comfort a believer and do him good upon his dying bed That having faithfully all his days labored for Eternal good things now that he must dye yet his eyes will be no sooner off these temporal things but they shall behold Eternal objects and the same minute that shuts his eyes shall again open them to behold God and as it determines his misery so it shall
what is it but as if an Husband-man should be very diligent to gather in his â—ubble and leave out his Corn Or as if a Goldsmith would carefully gather up his â—â—oss and disregard his Gold Or as Jacob to lay his right hand upon the younger and the left hand upon the eâ—â—er child It is spoken of some Jews by way of disgrace that when they might have returned to Jerusalem out of Captivity from Babyâ—on they would still dwell with the King of Babylon and live among their pots so they might have maintenance there they would rather there stay thâ—n to return to Jerusalem which was their own Country aâ—â— a type oâ— Heaven and where also was the true worship of God 1 Chron. 4. 23. v. these were men of base spirits and â—hat is there said is spoken by way of disgrace of them And such base spirited men are they we do speak of men that do chose rather to spend all their time and labour about things of the World thâ—n Heaven that make Earth their Heaven Gold their God that do worship the Golden Calf and herein proâ—e the Apostle's words fully Col. 3. 5. v. where he calls Covetousness Idolatry these evidence themselves to be Idolaters and no other thâ—n worshippers of the Heathen's God Pluto who having his name from riches was by them feigned to be the God of Hell and the rich man's God Being like those Natives in America who regard more a piece of glass or a mean priced knife and the like then a piece of Gold May we not say of these Americans surely they never heard of the worth of Gold or else they would noâ— exchange it for toyes And may not the like be said of these kind of Christians surely these men though they have heard of Heaven though they have heard of Eternal good things yet they do not believe the worth and excellency of Eternal good things why else do they so little mind them and labour for them CHAP. X. 3. A Third use may be by way of Exhortation To exhort every one to labour after Eternal good things Christians you hear what all men should first and last labour for what they are chiefly to labour and take pains about viz. about Eternal good things Eternal good things should be esteemed by them as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or principal things to be laboured for and Temporal things to be reckoned only as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or secondary matter to be looked for I shall divide my Exhortation into two parts 1. To exhort Christians to labour after Eternal good things 2. To exhort them to labour for them chiefly and before all other things whatsoever I will begin with first of these two and speak to it but briefly the second being what I chiefly intend to speak unto 1. To exhort every one to labour for Eternal good things How will the Merchant run through the intemperate Zones of heat and cold for a little treasure The Husband-man contentedly undergoes a laborious seed time to enjoy a happy câ—oâ— afterwards We every day see much gadding up and down in the World amongst men like a company of Ants upon an hillock for these things below some that they may get a poor living from hand to mouth others that they may get a step higher in the World thâ—n anoâ—â—er and almost all moâ—e panting after and labouring for Teâ—poral thâ—n Eternal good things Shall they take pains for Earâ—â—ly Mammon and shall we take no pains for a Heavenly Mansion shall they sweat and â—oâ—l and labour for these Temporal things and we take no pains for Eternal Much is spoâ—en in Scripture against slothfulness Rom. 12. 11. v. Not slothful in business Hebr. 6. 12. v. In the foregoing Verse saith the Apostle Wâ— desire that every one of you do sheâ— the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end And in this Verse he adds That ye be not slothâ—ul There is â— great deal of Spiritual sloth to be taken notice oâ— in the World many lazy and dull spirited Persons Persons like that slothful and unprofitable Servant who is mentioned and threatned to be cast into utter darkness Matth. 25 25. 30 v. And can such slothful ones expect any better thing to follow their slothfulness Let the Heathen's words be considered Nâ— illi falâ—i sunt qui diversissimas res expectant ignaviae voluptateâ— praemia virtutis They are utterly out that think to have the pleasure of Idleness and the plenty of painfulness It is true as to the gaâ—ning of any meâ—â— Earthly thing and much more true as may appear by what hath been said before in the gaiâ—ing Heavenly things Religion requires action labour and diligence Heaven will not be gotten but as it were by force and victory All Spiritual means and holy courses must be used all time and all opportunities must be improved least what gainers soever men are in this life they be losers in another life Sad will be the condition of those men whose Spiritual sloth eats up most of their time and thereby hinders their work and loses them Heaven To how many may it be said as the Housholder said in the Parable to those Matâ—h 20. 6. Why stand ye here all the day idle We read that Joshua said to the Sun stand still but God never said to the Soul of any Christian stand still Jacob saw the Angels some ascending others descending none standing still none appeared to him in an idle posture If Angels are not seen idle or standing still no more should men be seen so Though God made Behemoth to play in the waters not so men they must be doing that will keep in with God or get any thing from God Nil sine magno Vita labore dedit mortalibus He that will lay claim to the Habendum and Tenendum to the free-hold of happiness in Heaven must look to the Proviso of holiness and labour After all therefore that hath been said of Heaven and the Eternal good things of Heaven let me say to you as the Danites to their Brethren having spy'd out a good Land Judg. 18 9. v. We have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still â—e not slothful to go and to enter to possess the Land As if they had said we have found out for you a Land which is very good pleasant and fruitful and â—hich may if you will take the pains be conquered and possessed by you do not ye therefore by your sloth and negligence let slip such an opportunity as now offers it self unto you to be enjoyers of a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the Earth 10. v. a place which aboundeth with all pleasures and profits and with such plenty and prosperity that nothing is wanting that can be desired So may I say unto you Christians the Heavenly Countrey is before you and such Eternal good things as you have heard described are there
me add what is said of that brave Roman Scipio Africanus he having set Carthage on fire and beholding the burning foresaw and bewayled the destiny of Rome Christians we have seen the houses and habitations of others burnt before our eyes we have heard of more then our eyes have seen what shall we learn hence O let us learn that though God for which praised be his most glorious Name preserves us and our habitations encircles us and our houses about with the securities of providence yet what hath befaln others may befall us and may befall the stareliest strongest and most magnificent Fabricks of others which as they are in themselves subject to many casualties so our Sins may provoke God by the like judgments to make us know they are though good things yet that they are not only in themselves but also many other ways subject to sade and perish I must mind you of his words who saith Pâ—â—perant ignita peccata ignita supplicia Fiery sins will beget fiery punishments Not to say more of ruines caused by Fire I come to the other caused by Provocations Earth-quakes which in many places haâ—â— proved more destructive and done more mischeif thâ—n Fire suddenly throwing down Mountains and again sometimes also making plain grounds to be mountains ruining houses and great buildings leaving Churches like unto great heaps of stones swallowing up not only whole Towns and Cities but large Islands turning dry Land into Sea raising up Islands in the Sea Severing great places from the Continent and at one instant destroying thousands of People in such places Thus were destroyed Laodicea Hieropolis Colossus and Smyrna those great Cities of Asia for the rebuilding of the last the Emperor remitted ten years tribute Thus in the year 1531. at Lisbon 1400. houses were overthrown And thus was Britain severed from France Africa from Spain and Sicily from Italy What a prodigious Earth-quake was that of Mount Aetna in the year 1669. causing astonishment and amazement not only to those who saw it and felt the horrid effects of it but even to the whole World that in any measure heard thereof an Earth-quake that was attended with violent eruptions of the said Mount and an inundation of Fire rivers of fire Cinders and burning stones and other matters of dreadful Nature proceeding from thence In forty days the habitations of 27000. persons with thirteen Towns were destroyed by this fiery inundation with all the Lands belonging to the same besides many houses near the very walls of the City Catania Now as the strongest and most sumptuous Cities and Palaces decay not only by continuance of time but are also oftentimes ruined by the violence of Fire or Earth-quakes even so it oftentimes happens to all temporal things whatsoever not only their own natures but many extrinsecal violences cause them to perish and decay I shall confirm this by some Instances of such men that have been lifted up to the height of Prosperity Honor and worldly greatness yet afterwards have been flung headlong into the lowest adversity that have been to day rich and to morrow poor to day in prosperity to morrow in adversity to day accounted happy to morrow made miserable Andronicus Emperor of the East at one time is clothed in Purple adored by Nations his Temples are inriched with a Royal Diadem the Imperial Scepter in his hand at another time laid hold upon by his own Vassals led with a strong chain and collar about his Neck like a Mastive-dogg to the Market-place there abused by all his right hand cut off mounted upon a lean Camel with his face towards the tail and after the suffering of a thousand indignities and miseries hung up by the heels between two pillars and there left to dye Belisarius at whose valor and courage the whole World was amazed who had been crowned with many warlike prosperities triumphs and victorious Atchievements under the Emperor Justinian having overthrown the Persians vanquished the Vandalls subdued the Goths and whose wealth was exceeding great yet became a blind Beggar having his eyes put out was led at last in a string begging Alms and crying Date obolum Bellisario give an half-penny to Bellisarius Proud Bajazet the great Turk was carryed and carted up and down in an Iron cage through all Asia and made to serve as a block by whose shoulders Tamberlain that warlike Scythian used to mount his horse Dionysius the great King of Syracuse was driven to get his bread by teaching of a School at Corinth Adonibezek a mighty Prince is suddenly made a fellow-commoner with the Doggs Judg. 1. 7. v. Pythias who once was able to entertain and maintain Xerxes his whole Army yet afterwards pined to death for lack of bread Vitellius whom both the East and West acknowledged for the Lord and Monarch of the World waited on by Princes of his Empire whose Riches were beyond Estimation even Gold abounding with him as stones of the streets with others but his great glory ended in ignominy his Majesty in the greatest infamy he was soon brought from the top of worldly Honor and Felicity into the greatest contempt and misery being by a rope dragged through the streets of Rome Murthered in the Market-place and his body at last cast amongst those as were not lawfully to be buryed That victorious Emperor Henry the fourth who had fought Two and thirty pitched Battels fell to that poverty before he dyed that he was forced to petition to be a Prebend in the Church of Spier to maintain him in his old age T is reported of a Duke of Exâ—eter one that had married Edward the fourth's Sister that he hath been seen in the Low-Countries begging barefoot Haman was a great Man and feasted with the King one day and yet was made a â—east for Crowes the next day Julius Caesar goes an Emperor to the Senate in the Morning but before Evening is brought a Corps home again Gillimer a potent King of the Vandalls was so low brought as to intreat his friend to send him a Spung a Loaf of Bread and a Harp a Spung to dry up his tears a Loaf of Bread to maintain his life and an Harp to solace himself in his misery Alexander the Great that famous Monarch who filled the Earth with the Trophies of his Deeds and Triumphs of his Victories whom not Darius or other great Princes could conquer was soon poysoned by his obliged Servants Histories abound with examples of all sorts of Men who in their prime their pride in a flourishing estate and upon the very top of worldly glory have most strangely suddenly fearfully and wonderfully been brought low and debased Verily the misery wherein all temporal things and humane happiness often terminates is not to be conceived that a man may better trust to the wind or to letters written upon water then to any humane felicity or Temporal good things whatsoever All things in the world being but like a nights dream which disappeareth with the day
to be possessed arise and work and lose not all that you have heard of for want of labour As David said to Solomon 1 Chron 22. 16. v. Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with you Christians you are labouring every day for meat that perisheth you are engaged over head and ears in the pursuit of the things of the World Iâ— is a speech I have read of one Demades when the Emperour sent to his Countrey-men of Athens to give him Divine honour and they were loath to yield to it but consulted about it sayes he Take heed you be not so busie about Heavenly matters as to lose your Earthly possessions So say I Take heed you be not busie about Temporal matters as to lose Eternal possession Follow therefore the Apostle's direction Col. 3. 1. v. Seek those things that are above Os homini sublime dedit God hath given to men countenances erected towards Heaven that they should not cast their eyes on tâ—ings below but lift them up to better even things that are above Christian thy affections were made for those things that are above thee not for those things that are below thee A Christian should Superna anhelare pant after glory and things Eternal his affections should be carried above all Earthly Objects he should not be content until he get up into Heaven This Bird of Paradise though he may with God's good leave sometimes touch upon the Earth and upon Earthly things yet should he be mostly upon the wing and what ever he enjoyes here on the Earth should be to him but Scalae alae Wings and wind in his wings to carry him upwards To conclude this first Part and come to the second I shall use the words of Saint Austine Volemus sursum Let us flye upwards so he somewhere reports that his Mother Monica said in a kind of trance when she was near her death CHAP. XI 2. I Come to the second Branch of this use of Exhortation and that is to labour for Eternal good things chiefly and before all other good things labour for these in the first place Labour indeed we may and must for Temporal good things Though Temporal good things are not so high as to be primarily desired yet they are not so low as to be peremptorily neglected They are a good Viaticum to a better Inheritance they are great enablements to do service to God and good to others Not a Christian though a Believer but hath relation to two Worlds whilst he lives here he is a member of this World but he is Heir of a better Now so long as he is in this World he stands in need of what may help him in his way towards Heaven or that may be useful for his better and more easie leading of this short and mortal life Verily were but the World kept in its own room it would prove no enemy to Grace to the Soul or Heaven for no question but there is a way of enjoying God even in Worldly enjoyments and labouring after the good things of this life The whole World says one and all things contained therein were made for man and are so disposed in that â—ort as they may best serve to the benefit and profiâ— of man It seemeth nothing else then a vast house furnished with all things necessary whose inâ—abitant possessor or Fructuarius is man Supposing says â—y Author man were not in the World there were no â—â—se of the World The World was never intended to â—e a desart serving only for a den of wild Beasts and for a Wood of thorns but for man to dwell in and inhabit there to glorifie his Creator in a right using of â—he Creatures as well as any other way A Believer may questionless with God's good leave labour for the good things of this life he haâ—h God's allowance to endeavour to get an estate in the World and to haâ—e a share in the fatness of the Earth as well as in the dew of Heaven as Isaac divides that bleâ—â—ing of his Gen. 2. 28 v. to Jacob God give tâ—ee saith he of the dâ—w of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine Though Mâ—rie's better part in the unum necessarium of the Soâ—l â—houâ—d â—e â—ooked after in the first place yet Martha's many tâ—ings of the body should not be neglected Your heavenly Father said Jesus Christ our Saviour knoweth ye have need of these things Matth. â— 32. v. And God hath promised to his People Temporal blessings needful for this Natural life In the Covenant of Grace God promiseth not only to write his Law in our hearts and to forgive our sins but also to confer even Temporal good things as they shall be serviceable to us in our journey towards Heaven or for our more comfortable living in the World Adam when he fell did not only lose his title to Heaven and all Eternal good things but even to the Earth too and all Temporal good things thereof but when God makes a Covenant with any of the Sons and Daughters of Adam it shall give them a title not only to Heaven but also to the Earth they shall be as Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. v. so inheriters of the Earth Matth. 5. 5. v. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Psal 37. 9. v. Those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth 22. v. Such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth 29. v. The righteous shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever 34. v. Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land And therefore in old time the best men were likewise the richest men as Abraham Isaac Jacob Job and David Abraham's Servant saith Genes 24. 35. v. The Lord hath blessed my master greatly and he is become great and he hath given him flocks and heards and silver and gold and men-servants and maid-servants and Camels and Asses Jacob speaking of his two bands or great heards of Sheep and Camels that went before him saith Gen. 32. 10. v. With my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands Job 1. 1. v. Job was a perfect man and a just one that feared God and eshewed evil Now one of the next things mentioned of Job is his substance 3. v. which was very great Seven thousand Sheep three thousand Camels five hundred yoak of Oxen five hundred she-Asses and a very great houshold so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East As Job was eminently rich so he was eminently good as by Providence he was made eminently rich so by Graâ—e he was also eminently godly none like him in all the earth And moreover Temporal good things are God's blessings that came with a promise God hath promised his own People such a share and portion of them as shall be needful for their more comfortable being and living in this World