out to fetch in any
thing that the mind fancies. When the soul hath gotten its desire, it
delights and rejoices in it, and when it is frustrated, disappointed, or
crossed, it grieves and torments itself. If ye find a Christian sober in
these, you find his pulse beat well. (1) Ye should then seek the world or
any thing, as if ye sought it not. We are given to idolize the creatures,
and dig broken cisterns, and forsake the fountain of living waters, to
seek the creature as if it were God, and the strength of affections uses
to be spent on it. Men have big and large apprehensions of the things of
this world, and are like foolish children amazed with pictures and dreams.
Fancy busks(506) up and adorns the object with all things suitable, and
thus the poor soul is put in expectation of some thing, and stretcheth out
itself, to the utmost of its ability, to purchase that, which being had
will not satisfy. The world promises fair to deluded minds that know no
better. But the child of God must be sober here. He ought to have a low
estimation of all created things, and conclude all under vanity and
vexation of spirit, Luke x. 41, 42. Sobriety so seeks, that it can want,
because it seeks a better thing that it cannot miss. But the poor
worldling seeks this world as his only thing, and if he want it, what hath
he more? He must have it, or else he hath nothing. The child of God should
seek as a rich man that is satisfied, and needs no more, so that he cares
not whether he obtain or not. The worldlings seek it as their portion,
their heart and affections are on it, but he seeks it not as his portion,
but as an accessory to his inheritance, Matt, vi. 33. Again we observe,
(2.) That the good man uses the world, and enjoys it, as if he enjoyed it
not. When riches increase, he sets not his heart on them. He is dead to
the world, and crucified to it. It is but an unpleasant thing to him, and
he to it. He can be refreshed with his meat more than another, because he
sees God and his love in it, yet he hath it not as his portion. He is not
excessive in gladness for any dispensation cast in the balance, one kind
of dispensation or another. That which would make another man think he was
half in heaven, or half in hell, it will not add much moment and weight to
such a spirit. It is but like the casting in of a feather in a great
balance, that will scarcely incline it to either side. (3) He loses or
wants(507) the world, as if he lost it not. That