Jeremiah Burroughs Earthly-Mindednesse Pt. II of III

Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646) - one of the 'Puritans' - well regarded in his day, by his writings is still today. Very few audio resources of Jeremiah Burroughs online, or printed in readable text format even. This particular audio in it's original unedited form as it is here is nowhere else to be found. There is one partial-recording of JBurroughs 'Earthly Mindedness' on YT but it has been 'modernized'...which is to say...stripped of it's essence. The writings of Burroughs are a treasure. Very practical, very applicable, and depending on the hearer, may be very impactful. This particular work 'A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness' - 'Who Mind Earthly Things' is widely considered a classic. Well worth the effort, time.

It is done with a robo-voice - MS 'David' - but nevertheless is very 'listenable to'. Note: This audio is lengthy approximately 90 min. It is the third chapter complete. Does not have to be listened to all at once. Carefully listening to it in parts can be a good way to go. And, repeated hearing is always best  [Part 2 - 1:33:37].

Note: the images for the video is the original table of contents, showing chapter titles and subtitles. It begins at about 1:10 min. Helpful to follow. It has two columns. In the first image at 1:10 'Chapter III' will be seen in the right hand column midway. That is the start point. To follow note that the table of contents is a few pages so the page changes a couple of times. This 2nd video of 3 starts with the right column. When it gets to the bottom the column will change to the left column (top left) on the next page. Conversely when the left column reaches the bottom of page the image will go back up and change to the (top) right column. And so on.

Below video in scrolling window is the unedited text for the third chapter complete retaining the original spelling and punctuation.
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Pt. II of III - Chapter 3 from Jeremiah Burroughs book entitled 'A Treatise Of Earthly Mindedness'; original unedited

Philip. 3. latter part of the 19th verse - 'Who Mind Earthly Things'

1. 14 Evils of earthly-mindednesse
2. 5 Things wherein Men may be earthly-minded and yet not know they are
3. 9 Convincements

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CHAP. III. Fourteen Evils of Earthly-mindedness.

The First EVIL.

First - The Scripture calls it, Adultery: it is spiritual Adultery, in James 4, 4. vers. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. They were Adulterers and Adulteresses in respect of their love to the world: you that would abhor the thought of a temptation to Adultery, yet you may commit spiritual Adultery, a man or a woman may be an Adulterer or an Adulteresse before the Lord, though they never commit the act of uncleannesse with another, yet if their hearts be towards another, they be guilty of uncleannesse: for Christ saith, whosoever doth but look after a woman to lust after her in his heart, he hath committed adultery already; that is, hath sinned against that command that forbids adultery: Is it so, that if a man do but let his heart go after another woman more than his wife, and a wife after another man more than her husband, this is adultery before the Lord. So if our hearts be after any things more than the Lord Jesus Christ, that we profess our selves married to and he to be our husband; this is adultery in Scripture phrase.

The Second EVIL.

Yea further, A worldly or an earthly-mind in Scripture phrase, is called Idolatry; in Ephes. 5. 5. speaking of divers sins that should not be so much as named among them as it became Saints, he hath Covetousness among the rest, and he ads this; And Covetousness which is Idolatry. Now what is Earthly-mindednesse, but Covetousnesse, which is Idolatry? A man, or woman is an Idolater that is of an Earthly mind: Now Idolatry which is a worshiping of stocks and stones, you all account to be a great sin; but do you, and all others take heed of another Idolatry that may be as bad that is, To have your hearts to make the god of this world to be your God, the cursed Mammon of unrighteousnesse, to make the things of the earth to be your Christ, to fall down and worship the golden Calfe of the world. It's certain, that that thing a mans heart is most taken with, and set upon, that's his God: and therefore here in this verse out of which my Text is, it's said, They made earthly things (their bellies) their God:

The Voluptuous, and Drunkard makes their Belly their God; and the Unclean person, makes his Strumpet to be his goddesse and worshippeth that; whatsoever thy heart is most upon, that's thy God: therefore, that you must know to be the meaning of the Commandement, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me: That is, thou shalt give me the strength of thy soul, and nothing else: So, I am a God to my Creature when I have its strength exercised about me, to lift up me as the highest good; but if there be any thing else that thy soul is set upon as thy highest good, that's thy God, and it's worse than bowing the knee, thou bowest thy soul to that thing: now the meaner any thing is that we make a God of to our selves, the more vile is the Idolatry: as when the Egyptians worshiped divers sorts of gods, they were accounted the most vile Idolaters; whereas other Heathens worshipped more excellent things, the Sun, Moon, and Stars; the Egyptians worshiped Dogs, Cats, Onions, and vile things; and therefore their Idolatry was vile. So, the viler any thing is that a man or woman sets their hearts upon, the more vile is their Idolatry; as for a man that should set his heart upon unclean lusts, now to make that to be a god, the satisfying of those lusts, that's abominable, and to make any earthly thing to be a god to us, that's most vile; for of all the things of the works of creation that God hath made, the Earth is the meanest, 'tis the basest and lowest thing, and hath the least beauty in it in it's self, and it is the most dul and meanest element of all; and to make earthly things to be a God to you, this is most vile.

Object. You will say for this Idolatry, What is there in it?

Answ. There is Two particulars to open the Evil of Idolatry, or Earthly-mindednesse.

First. The Evil of your Idolatry, it is in this. You do depart from God; in letting out of your hearts to these things, you do (as it were) go off from God, and renounce the protection of God, the goodnesse and mercy of God, you leave it all by this: In the 4. chap. of Hosea, 12. verse. They are said, To go a whoring from under their God. It's a notable phrase; that is, by going to Idols they did go off from the protection of God; whereas, while they were worshiping the true God, they then were under the protection of God; but when they went to Idols, they went from under their God, from under his protection: So when thou settest thy heart upon God, and liftest up the infinite First being of all things as the chief good to thy soul, thou art under the influence of this Grace and Mercy: but when thou doest depart from him, and makest other things to be thy Chief good, thou goest from under his protection, and from his good and mercy.

Secondly: God is slighted and contemn'd in this, When thou choosest rather to make the earth to be thy God than the infinite blessed first-being of all things; As a man that doth dispise his wife, and it were abominable sin, if he should choose to go to a Queen though the most beautifullest woman in the world, and forsake his wife; but to leave a Queen, or Empress that were the beautifullest woman upon the earth, and to have the heart cleave to a base dunghil-raker, were not this a great contempt to the Queen that were so beautiful? Yet so it is when thou doest forsake the blessed eternal God as thy chief good, and choosest the things of the earth: for the truth is, the earth is the fink of all the creatures of Gods making, and for thee to leave the most blessed and Eternal One, and to make that thy god it must needs be a very vile and abominable thing; and therefore the Prophet Jeremiah in speaking of this Idolatry, he calls the Heavens and the Earth to be amazed at it. Jeremiah, 2. 12. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this, and be horrible afraid, be ye very desolate saith the Lord, Why? what's the matter? For my people have committed two evils, They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no water. So 'tis here; thou forsakest the fountain of living waters, the blessed God, and thy heart cleaves to the dust, and seekest thy contentment and happinesse in cisterns that can hold no water; let the Heavens be astonished at this horrible wickedness.

The Third EVIL.

Thirdly, Earthly-mindedness it's enmity against God. Thou wouldst be loth to be found an enemy against God; certainly it's a truth, and it will be found another day, That an earthly-minded man, or woman is an enemy to God: yea the Scripture makes it to be enmity in the very Abstract, James, 4. 4. Know ye not that the love of the world is enmity to God? Observe this, for there's very much in it, if God would be pleased to make us to lay it to heart, you will find it by experience, that earthly-mindednesse doth make men to be enemies to that that is spiritually good, therefore well might the holy-Ghost say, 'tis enmity to God, for whatsoever is enmity to any thing that is spiritually good, it is enmity to God; so much as my heart, or any of your hearts are against any thing that is spiritual, so much mine or any of your hearts are enemies to God. Now here in the very Text, these earthly-minded men are made enemies to the Crosse of Christ: that is, enemies to the spiritual preaching of Christ, and holding forth Christ: Indeed, If they would have mixt Christ and Circumcision together, then they would have been content with it; but now this spiritual way of preaching Christ, and being justified by faith alone, and Christian Religion in the purity of it, was that that was not sutable to their carnal hearts, and therefore they were enemies to it. Oh! earthly-mindednesse doth make us enemies to spiritual things; where have you greater enemies unto the things of God, unto spiritual things, unto the Ministry of the word (as we had occasion to hint) and to the work of Gods grace upon the hearts of men and women, no greater enemies unto these things than earthly minded men, men that savour the things of the earth, that can go up and down and care not if they can but load themselves with thick clay, grow rich in the world and fare deliciously every day with Dives, make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof, there is an antipathy in their spirits against Jesus Christ and all goodnesse.

The Fourth EVIL.

Then Fourthly; There is scarce any disposition more opposite, more contrary to the work of grace, to the work of godlinesse in a mans own heart than earthly-mindednesse, 'tis so exceeding crosse to the nature of grace, that it may as well put men or women to be at a stand, and put them upon examination whether there be any grace or no in their hearts if earthly-mindednesse prevail, as almost any other thing; if God should suffer your corruptions to prevail over you, so as you should break forth into some outward notorious sins, then it may be you would begin to think, can this stand with grace? and how can that stand with such workings as I have had before? have not I cause to fear that I am but an Hypocrite, a rotten professor? But now, this earthly-mindednesse hath as much opposition to the nature of grace, and the power of godlinesse in the heart as almost any sin that you can name. It is so quite contrary to the very beginning of the work of grace, not contrary to the degrees only, but to the very beginning. The main work of God at the very first, in working grace in the soul, is to disingage the soul from the creature, it is to take it off from the Earth, and from all creatures here below: for naturally 'tis true, That as we are of the earth, so we are earthly, and have our spirits ingaged to the things of this earth; but then comes the work of grace upon the soul, and takes it off, and discharges the heart from the earth: and therefore you find that Christ laies in this as the first lesson, That he that will be my Disciple, must deny himself, and take up his Cross and follow me: as if he should say, never think of being a Christian except you will deny your selves.

Self: what's that? all natural contentment, natural-self, and sinful-self, to be emptied wholly of your selves, and creature-comforts, and contentments, and take up my Cross, to be willing to suffer any thing in regard of earthly comforts, to be willing to lay down all at my feet, and to give up your intrest in all, and to take up my Cross; this is the very first beginning of Christs bringing Disciples to himself. Then (saith the soul) let me have my sin pardoned, and farwel earth, it's Heaven, Holiness, renewing of the Image of God, communion, and union with God, and living to the eternal praise of his Name in Christ that my heart is upon; I say, this in the beginning of Gods working the heart to himself. The work of Grace when it is first wrought, it hath the name of Vocation: Calling, what is it for a man to be called? give diligence to make your calling and election sure: To be called, is this, and whereas before thou wert altogether digging and dolving in the earth, and seeking for thy happiness in the world, now it pleases God to make thee to hear a voice behind thee, calling thee, and telling thee, O poor soul, thy happiness is not here, there are other things in which thy chief good consists, thou art made for higher and better things than these, God hath nobler thoughts about man-kind than meerly to let him have a few contentments here in the earth, Oh soul! come away and look after higher things; here's the first work of grace: and the soul answers unto this call of God and saith, Lord, I come, and so gives up it's self to God to dispose of it, and this is in the beginning of the work of Grace: Now, how contrary is earthly-mindednesse to the work of God in bringing grace into the heart? Conceive it in these three things.

1. The very work of conversion, it is set out in Scripture by Gods calling the soul out of the world, Whom he hath predestinated; him he hath called. When God effectually begins to work upon the heart of a sinner, he does cause a voice to be heard in the soul, Oh soul, thou hast been busying thy self about many things, but there is one thing necessary, Oh come out of that way of thine that thou art in, thou canst never be happy else, thou wilt be undone in it; the Lord calls the soul out of the world; and that (I say) is the very work of conversion, the souls answering to Gods call: Now for one stil to be earthly, and to have a heart cleaving to these things, surely such a one is not as yet effectually called out of the world.

2. And then from thence follows, upon the souls answer to this call; the Lord dis-engages the heart from all creature comforts, and teacheth, the first lesson to deny himself, and to take up Christs Crosse: now what's more opposite to self-denial and the taking up of the Crosse of Christ than earthly-mindednesse? the text saith here, They are enemies to the Cross of Christ.

And then a third thing in conversion it is, The resigning up of the soul to God as the chief good; the soul upon the call of God, it learns the lesson of Self-denial, and taking up the Crosse, and so being disengaged from the creature, now it resigns up it self to God as an infinite soul satisfying good for ever: now you cannot but in the naming of this see how opposite earthly-mindednesse is to it.

And then for the work of grace upon the heart, after the heart is converted and turned to God.

First, Grace brings a new light into the soul: A Spiritual and Divine light is set up in the soul upon the conversion of a sinner to God; but now, the earth you know, it's the dark part of the world, and earthly mindednesse it causeth darknesse to be upon the spirit, as the interposition of the earth between us & the Sun, it doth hinder the sight of the Sun from us; And so the interposition that there is of earthlinesse in the soul of man between God and it, doth hinder the sight of God from the soul; there is a Divine light set up in the soul, and when as God works grace that doth discover things of a higher and more excellent and glorious nature, than those things were that before the heart did so much cleave unto.

In the second place: the Scripture sets forth the work of grace by the New creature. In the soul all things are made new, old things are Past, he that is in Christ is a new creature: Now earthly-mindednesse is opposite to the new creation in the soul, it's the old man that is of the earth, the first man is of the earth earthly; and so it is apparant that thou art still only in the stock of the first man, of the earth earthly who art an earthly-minded man. But the second man is, the Lord from Heaven: But now, thou that art an earthly-minded man or woman art yet but a child of Adam, of the first man, and so art of the earth earthly, this is opposite to grace, grace works a new creation in the soul.

3. And grace is of an Elevating nature, raises the heart above its self, and above the creature, yea, above the world, in some respect above Angels themselves, above Principalities and Powers, above all created things, grace is of a raising nature; but an earthly-minded man sinks down to low and base things.

And grace (fourthly) is of an Enlarging nature; it enlarges the heart, so that it cannot be satisfied with any earthly thing, though God should give the whole world to a heart that hath grace, this would not satisfie that heart, why? because it is so Enlarged by the work of grace, the work of grace it is the Divine nature, the Image of God in the soul, and therefore works the soul like to God: and it's said of God in the 40. of Isa. that all the nations of the earth are to him, but as the drop of the bucket, and as the smal dust in the ballance. Now grace makes the soul to be like God, to account all the things of the earth to be as the drop of a bucket, and the dust of the ballance, to be nothing, less than nothing.

5. And then, Grace sanctifies the soul: Now what is it to sanctifie, but to take off from all common uses, and to dedicate to God as the highest act of all things? And therefore, the Greek word that is for Holy, it is taken from a participle Premitive, and a word that signifies the Earth, as much as to say, Not Earthly, and a holy one in the Greek language is not an earthly one, according to the usual etimology given of it. Now Grace it makes the soul holy, it sanctifies the soul, it sets apart the soul for God, and dedicates and consecrates the soul to God: and therefore you see that it is opposite to the work of God in bringing Grace into the soul, and to the work of grace, and the power of godliness in the soul of man: This is the great Evil of Earthly mindedness.

The Fifth Evil.

But Fifthly: For the discovery of the great Evil that there is in Earthly-mindedness: It puts men upon very great Temptations; and for that we need no other Scripture than that in the 1 of Tim. 6. 9. saith the Apostle there, But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare. Mark, that is, Those that have set their hearts so much upon the things of the earth, as they are resolved they must have them whatsoever comes of it: Observe the phrase; They that will be rich, they apprehend a necessity of the things of the earth, they do not only wish and desire, Oh! that we had riches, and had these things of the earth, but they resolve they must have them upon any terms: Well, If the heart go on in obedience to God in the duties of its calling, and if God send in riches and an estate, it doth thankfully accept it from God; these do not meet with such temptations and a snare as the Apostle here speaks of; but when the heart is set upon it, that it needs must have an estate whatsoever comes on it; now they that will be so, they (saith the Apostle) fall into temptations and a snare. There's dangerous temptations in following after the things of the earth, and there is a snare in them that you do not think of, for you think only of the bravery of the things of the earth, how sumptuously you should live, and how fine you should be, in your house, and cloaths, and what table you may keep, you only think of these things that may give the flesh contentment; but you do not think of the temptation, and the snare that is in them; and those whose hearts are set upon these things, they fall into the snare, nay, temptation; those that are earthly-minded, have great temptations, to shift up and down, to strain their consciences for the things of the earth; for so it is, that while we live in this world God hath made the things of the earth to be as thorns, and so they are compared in Scripture, and it's hard for one to meddle with thorns without pricking his fingers; they are as briars, and its hard for the sheep to get among them but she will lose some of her wool: and so it's hard for the heart to be busie about the things of the earth, but it will be prickt and lose some of its fleece, in will fall into temptation and a snare, and be catch'd:

Oh! how many men and women that have enlightened consciences, and they think sometimes that they would not for all the world do any thing against their consciences, though they might gain all the glory and riches under Heaven: Well, but yet their hearts being earthly, when it comes to some particular, how ready are they? at least, to strain conscience, and not to attend to the voice of conscience, and are willing that conscience should have its mouth stop'd for the time: Indeed, If their consciences did plainly tell them, that this thing is absolutely sin against God, perhaps they would not do it, but that were not the snare, for tis no snare when I see the danger before me, here's a deep pit, and if I step a step further I fall into it, this is no snare. But now, there are some that are not catch'd so, by a pit that's open; but the Devil doth lay upon the pit (it may) some green grass, so that they shall not perceive, or very hardly perceive the danger; thus such as have earthly hearts they fall into a snare and temptation, they are put upon straining of conscience, and wringing it as much as may be, and many shifts that they are put too, Oh! a man when once he is got into an earthly business he knows not how in the world to bear it if he be crost in it, It may be I have gone thus far, and I have very great hopes that I shall succeed in it, only there is one stop, now for him to think that for this one stop I am like to lose all, Oh it goes to his heart: Oh but now, if you would but strain conscience a little you may get over it presently; an earthly man will strain hard but he will get over it; whereas now, were the heart taken off from the earth, though such a man had gone on never so far in a business, if there comes a stop in a matter of conscience, yea, if it were but a doubt that such a thing were sin; it's enough to stop him, a meer doubt lest he should sin would be enough for to make him say, let the business fall if it will, there may be a snare in this, and I see some cause to doubt: now if the heart were spiritual it would be taken off; but an earthly mind will go through very many dreadful things and doth not much trouble himself, and so doth ensnare himself exceedingly, that he may get an estate, or preserve it when once he hath got it: That's the fifth thing.

The Sixth Evil.

The Sixth thing wherein the danger of earthly-mindednesse consists is this: That 'tis one of the greatest hinderances in the world to profiting by the Ministry of the Word. Oh! many of you cannot but be convinc'd in your consciences that you have not profited by the Word, and sometimes you will complain of the want of profiting under the means, Oh that you had but hearts to look into the cause of it, from whence it is that you profit so little: It will appear to come from your earthly-mindedness, you bring a heart full of the world, full of drosse with you, no marvel though you do not see those spiritual and heavenly things that are in the Word, when as there is so much drosse in your eyes; you know travellors in the summer time, travelling in the midst of dust and in company, they have not that freedome of their eyes to see things as at another time: Oh! many men come to the word with their thick clay, and a great deal of filth that doth clam up their very eyes, and dead their hearts in the hearing of the Word; you know what Christ said to Martha, when Mary was sitting at Christs feet, and hearing his word, but Martha was cumbred with many things; so 'tis many times with those that come to hear the Word, though they are in the presence of Christ, and have the sound of the Word in their ears, yet their hearts are cumbred about many things, there's a great noise in their hearts, they are busied in the world even while they are hearing of the Word, as you find it in the 33. of Ezek. 31. ver. there is an notable discription, I fear it may be of many of you:

And they come unto thee (saith the Lord to the Prophet) as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words; but they will not do them, for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their Covetousness: They sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, (mark) and they shew much love with their mouth; they will commend the Sermon; it may be they will say, He is an excellent Preacher, it's a very good Sermon that we heard this day; they will shew love with their mouth; but yet their hearts go after their covetousnesse for all that; they heard a man speak fine things, and brought excellent expressions for to set forth his matter that he had in hand; but yet their hearts are after the things of the earth, and after their Covetousness, they had carnal, earthly, drossie hearts, and hence it was, that there was no good came unto them by the Ministry of the Word: And that famous place which we have for this, which shews it cleerly in the 13. of Matt. 22. ver. you know the several sorts of ground that had the seed of the Word sown into them, but there was but one of them that was good and faithfull, and among others there was the thorny ground;

He also that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the deceitfulnesse of riches choaks the Word and it becometh unfruitful. I beseech you observe it, these that our Saviour speaks of here in this parable that get no benefit by the Word are not men that live lewdly, your drunkards, swearers and whoremasters, but those that have earthly hearts; it's said, the deceitfulness of riches; the things of the earth do not hinder in an open way, for thousands of men that have earthly hearts, they do not know that they have earthly hearts, no, it is the deceitfulnesse of riches, and it choaks the Word, it may be just when they are in hearing of the Word it doth affect them, Oh they think it's sweet, and they will remember it, but the deceitfulnesse of riches, and the cares of this world choaks the word, when they come, they have businesses about the world, and their houses, and gardens, and comings in, and full tables, and all the delights that they have in the world, comes and possesses the heart that the word is choakt, it cannot get down into the soul to sink in there, and so to prevail in the soul to bring forth fruit, Oh the word is choakt; Oh many of you come here three times on the Lords day, and have precious seed sown all those times, and yet, Oh! how it is choakt through the cares of this world, and through the deceitfulnesse of the things of this world! You bring with you, and keep with you, and carry along with you earthly minds, and hence it is that the Word prevails not with your hearts: Oh! what do you lose through this earthlinesse? you lose the fruit of the Word that should save your souls; a spiritual heart having received some one truth into it, afterwards blesses God for it, and would not for ten thousand worlds but he had had that truth preached unto his heart at such a time, Oh he hath cause to blesse God for such a morning, for such a day that he hath had such a goodly pearl of great price presented to him, and taking root in his heart, (I say) it's more than if God had given them thousands of worlds to possess.

But now, many of you, having your thoughts and hearts about some petty thing of this world, all those blessed Truths, that you hear from time to time, that the very Angels desire to pry into, they are all choak'd and come to be unfruitful. What was the reason when the young man came to Christ, to know what he should do to the Eternal life that he got no good? the Text saith, That he had great possessions. A man (no question) may be a rich man, and yet a godly man, a holy man: but when the heart is in the estate, mixed with the earth, Oh! this it was that hindred the young man from imbracing of Jesus Christ even when he came to him. Young men for the most part are rather guilty of fleshlinesse, than seeking after the riches of the world; yet sometimes it hath been the bain of some young men, at their first setting up; they were very forward when they were servants, Oh! how precious was the Word unto them, but when they were got into the world, and found the sweetness of it coming in, Oh then the Word hath been choak'd to them; and they have lost the savour they had in the Word, they have lost the relish of the Word, it is not now sweet to them as formerly it hath been, Oh many examples there hath been this way: That's the great evil of Earthly-mindednesse, that it doth hinder the great benefit of the Word, and there is much evil in this; If you had hearts to receive what is delivered your hearts would tremble at the thought of this, Oh Lord, what shall I bee hindred from profiting by this word? 'tis the great blessing of God to the world, it's that that must save my soul, there's more worth in it than ten thousand worlds, whatsoever should hinder my profiting by thy Word I had need take heed of it; take heed of earthly-mindednesse, many of your consciences cannot but tell you this, sometimes any businesse will keep an earthly-minded man from coming to the Word, and when he doth come there is earth in his heart and ears that keeps him from attending upon the Word: and when thy thoughts are about earthly things in the hearing of a Sermon, it may be there is some truth passes by thy soul that might have sav'd thee eternally, and thou hast lost that opportunity which perhaps thou shalt never have again.

The Seventh Evil, opened in Six Particulars.

Further, In the seventh place, Earthly-mindedness, it causes many foolish lusts in the heart, that's a great evil; and for that you have the same Scripture that was before, for the temptations and snare, 1 Tim. 6. 9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts: lusts that are very foolish and simple.

1. As for instance; It causes men to follow after things that are very vile and mean, it causes men to bestow the strength of their immortal souls about things that have no worth at all in them: that's a foolish lust, to bestow the strength of an immortal soul about vanities: If you should see men that are of excellent parts for to spend their time about trifles and toyes, as about catching of flies, and following of feathers, you would say, surely they begin to be besotted: so for the soul of man, that is capable of such excellency as it is, of communion with God, with the Father, Son and holy Ghost, for such a soul to have the strength of it spent about such poor trifling things that cannot profit in the evil day, Oh this is a foolish lust.

Secondly, Foolish lusts, for earthly-mindedness, causes thee to be a servant to thy servants: you would account that man a fool that should be a servant to his servants: So God hath made the things of the earth to be a servant to thee, and yet thou wilt come and put thy neck under thy servants yoke, and art a servant to thy servant: yea, were it not a great deal of folly for a man to expect all his honour and respect to come from his servant rather than from any excellency in himself; as thus, Suppose a man were travelling, & indeed there is respect given to him, but it's for his servants sake rather than his own; If he should come to know this, this he would account a great dishonor to himself: But an earthly heart (I say) puts himself into such a condition, as indeed he makes it to be his greatest honour to have honour from his estate and riches: So that men do not respect rich men for any worth that there is in themselves, or for any excellency of their own, but only for their riches, as much as to say, a man is not respected for himself but for his servant. Take some men that have had estates, but now they are deprived of them, and are become as poor as any Almes-men or Beggars amongst us; who doth regard them then? But now, let a man have grace and holinesse, if he were turned out of all and made as poor as Job, yet he were one that the Angels of Heaven would look upon with honour, and would glory in attending upon him; this is the difference between the carnal earthly heart, and the spiritual heart. It's a foolish lust to make himself to be a servant to his servant.

3. It brings into foolish lusts, For a man might have as much (it may be) more of the earth if he did not mind it so much as he doth. Now for a man to mind the earth and to indanger himself in the minding of it, when as he might have it as well without so much minding, surely, this is a foolish thing: For a man to bestow a great deal of labour about a thing when as he might have it with lesse labour, he is a fool surely. Certainly if you be such as belongs to God, especially you may rather expect God to bless you if you kept your hearts more spiritual, you might expect that God would grant to you more of the good things of this world if you were lesse earthly-minded than you are, and it's your earthlymindednesse that makes God cut you short of these things; I am verily perswaded there are many men that have ill successe in their earthly affairs, and it's a fruit of Gods displeasure upon them because their hearts are so much upon worldly businesses, did you go on in your imployment in obedience to God, and commit it to God for successe, you might be crowned with more successe than you have been: now what a foolish thing is this?

4. Yea further: It's a great deal of folly, for any of you to go and buy a thing and to pay a greater price for it than it's worth: If you send a servant to buy you commodities, and when he comes home you ask him what it cost, and he tells you it cost such a price which is ten times more than it's worth, you will say, Thus it is to send a fool to Market: so an earthly minded man manifests himself to God, and his Angels and all the Saints to be a fool, for why? thou bestowest that upon this world, that is a thousand times more worth than the things of the world, for thou bestowest that upon the world that might bring thee to heaven; I may say to an earthly-minded man, those thoughts, and cares, and affections, and endeavours that thou doest spend upon the things of the world, If they had been spent about the things of God might have sav'd thy soul to all eternity, thou mightest have got Christ and Heaven, and Eternity, the Lord would have gone along with thee; and thou maiest come hereafter to see it at the great day when all things shall be opened before men and Angels: had I but spent those thoughts and cares, and endeavours, about understanding the waies and things of God and eternal life, my soul might have bin sav'd for ever: Not that our works will do it, but that God would have gone along together with you in such waies as those are; now for you to spend thoughts and cares about that that perhaps you shall not have, for many men and women spend their souls about the things of the world and never have them, this is a sad thing; Oh! will not this be folly? will not you curse your selves hereafter for your folly? Oh that I should spend my self and be spent about that that I have not got neither, and I must be damn'd for that, whereas had I spent time about things that concern'd my soul and eternal life it would have been more like that I should have gotten those things; for God doth not fail men so in spiritual things as he doth in earthly things, a man may be as diligent as it's possible for any man to be in business of the earth, and yet he may miscarry; but give me any man or woman that ever was diligent in seeking the things of God and eternal life that ever did miscarry; I verily beleeve at the day of Judgment there will not be one man found, that shall be able to say, Lord, I did improve what talents thou didest give me to the uttermost to save my soul, but Lord, because I was not able to do any more, without thy grace, thou didest deny thy grace to me, and therefore now I must be damn'd:

I beleeve there will not be any soul that will be able to say so; but in the matters of the world men do say so, that they have done what they could, and labour'd and toyl'd, and yet for all that they miscarry. Oh what a foolish thing is this then, for thee to toyl and labour about that which is so uncertain: for were it not a foolish thing for a man to bestow all his estate about buying of pebble stones, and that that will afford him no kind of benefit at all: This folly is in the heart of man: I'le but put this case to you, If two of you should go to the Indies, where precious stones are, and one should purchase a lading of precious stones and other rich commodities, and the other that carried as much money with him, he laies out all his money about baubles and trifles, and they both come home laden, Both went out with the same stock, both come home laden, and one comes home with precious stones that makes him rich, and his posterity to be great men; the other brings home nothing but a company of pebble stones which makes him scorn'd and jeer'd at by all his Neighbours; Oh! how would he be ready to tear his flesh for his folly in this kind: This will be the difference between men and women at the day of Judgment, for the truth is, what is this world but a sea-fare? we are here sailing in this world, and here we have the market of pearls, or else of that hath no worth at all in it: when you live in the times of the Gospel I say there is a market for pearls, for those things that may enrich you to all eternity; now there's one man, he bestows the strength of his thoughts and heart about those things that he shall be blessing of God in the highest heavens to all eternity for, and the other man bestows his thoughts and heart but upon the things of the earth, and lades himself with thick clay (as the Scripture phrase is;) and now at the day of Judgment when it shall appear, here's a man or woman that shall be to all eternity blessed, that shall joyn with Angels and Saints in the highest heavens to magnifie the free grace of God in Christ: and here's another had that he bestowed but his thoughts, and heart about the same things he might have been so blessed for ever, but he minding the things of the earth is a cursed fool, and is the scorn and contempt of men and Angels to all eternity; earthly-mindednesse brings men into foolish lusts (the Scripture speaks:) Oh! though men of earthly minds think themselves the only blessed men, I applaud my self at home, let men talk what they will; but the holy Ghost saith, that those Iusts that are caused by earthly-mindednesse are foolish lusts.

Fifthly, That's folly for a man to do that that he must undo again. Now especially those earthly-minded men that have this earthlinesse so to prevail with them as to get any thing of the earth by false waies; they must certainly undo all they have done: you have got so much of the earth in some cunning cheating way, and you blesse your selves that you have found out such a mystery of iniquity; this is a foolish lust: Foolish, Why? it must be done again, either you must be eternally damn'd, or else you must restore as Zacheus did if you be able, though it be to the impoverishing of your selves, yet it must out again, all the sorrow and repentance that can be will not be sufficient, thou canst not be pardoned upon all thy sorrow and repentance if thou dost not restore if thou beest able, what thou hast ill gotten; I do not know that there was ever any Minister of the Gospel upon the face of the earth but held this, that it was of absolute necessity to salvation to restore, and this one reason cannot but satisfie any mans conscience, That a man cannot truly repent of a sin, and yet wilfully to continue in it. Now except you do restore, you do wilfully continue in it; for why? you do not only wrong the man the first hour, but so long as you keep any thing that is his you do wrong him: and if you be able to restore and do not, because you are loth to part with so much money, or so many goods, you do wilfully continue in the sin: now, no man or woman can truly repent of a sin and yet wilfully persist in that sin: what a foolish lust is this, for a man or woman to go and get the things of this world in such a way as he must undo all again though it be to his shame; Oh! consider what a folly it is. You deceitful servants, that spend away that upon your lusts, that you cheat and cozen your master of; afterwards when you come to set up for your selves, you must restore what you have purloind, and it may be a great part of your estate must be repaid in way of restitution, it must be done, there's no gain-saying of it; and therefore what a foolish lust it is, to be set upon the things of the earth so as to get them in an earthly way.

6. And then foolish, (observe this one note) By Earthlymindednesse, they do lose the comfort of earthly things before they have them. I make it out thus, A man or woman that hath carking thoughts about the things of the earth, and it may be by their inordinate thoughts, and cares, and affections after some earthly things, they contract much guiltinesse upon their own spirits, yet after this perhaps God doth give them that earthly thing; now when they have got it, if they have any light in their consciences, their convinced consciences will then reflect thus upon them, I have got this indeed, Oh! but have I it with the blessing of God? I have it in my custody, but I got it dearly, it cost me such thoughts and cares, and affections before I had it, and now I have it, I cannot say it comes out of Gods love, I rather fear that God hath given it me in his wrath because I got it in such a way; now all the comfort is gone and lost, whereas had it come in the way of God, and hadst thou given up thy self to God, and then providence had brought such a comfort to thee, thou mightest have enjoyed much of God in it, and bless'd God for it, the Lord hath bless'd me in my trading, Oh! I have it from the Love of God. But now, when thy heart was earthly before it came, when it doth come thou hast no comfort in it, the comfort of all is lost before it comes, thou hast spent so much upon it; as if a man hath got a thing, and after he hath gotten it, he thinks thus, What hath this cost me; it hath cost me a great deal more than it's worth; now the comfort of it is vanished.

The Eighth Evil.

Earthly-mindednesse, It is the root of Apostasie. I'le give you but one Scripture, & compare it with another: 2 Tim. 4 10. there's a notable Text, that shews how earthly-mindednesse breeds Apostasie; 'tis the example of Demas, For Demas (saies the Apostle) hath forsaken me: what's the matter? having loved this present world. It was that that made Demas to be an Apostate; why? what was Demas before? compare this Scripture with that you have in the Epistle to the Colossians, and you shall see what he was before this time: he was a forward Disciple of Paul; and the Apostle had some good esteem of him, in the last to the Colossians, 14. vers. mark there in that Epistle, where Paul was directed by the holy Ghost, Luke the beloved Physitian and Demas greet you: Paul doth rank Demas here among the famous Professors of Religion; the Apostle, writing to the Colossians, saith, Demas greets you among the rest. When we send to our friends and say, Such a one commends him to you, we use not to name them except they be entire friends. So it appears, and I find that Interpreters severally do think it was the same Demas, and the word gives us some ground for this! for in Timothy you find, that he names Luke there too: It seems that Demas and Luke were two great Associates: and Paul mentions them together; when Demas had forsaken him, yet Luke rode with him, and when Paul sends them greeting of Luke that was the beloved Physitian, he sends the greeting of Demas too: But now, one was truly godly, and whatsoever sufferings Paul met withal, one cleaved to him, and would not forsake him: But when Paul begins to suffer, and Demas thought, that there's no thriving for me, if I should follow this persecuted Apostle; Demas now would have no more of Paul, he thanks him for his company and fairly departs from him: He hath forsaken me: and what's the root of it?

He had imbraced this present world. And that's another note, that though he was a forward Professor, yet the heart of Paul was not so much for him, for saith he, Luke the Beloved Phisitian and Demas great you; He doth not say, the Beloved Demas; it's true, Demas was a forward Professor, and did seem to wear a cloak of Religion; yet Paul was directed by the holy-Ghost only to speak of him as a Professor; but in that the holy-Ghost directs him to speek of two together that were two companions, and gives one an Epethite, Beloved, and the other only his name. By this we may gather, that those that have discerning spirits, may shew some kind of sign in those that are earthly, at least to darken their esteem of them, and to make them somewhat jealous of them: as now, there's two men, and both very forward, and two companions together; yet those that are godly, old Disciples can savour one more than the other; Indeed they are both Professors, and both have excellent parts and gifts, and yet there's more spiritualness, and greater experiences in one than in the other, so it appears there was in Luke rather than in Demas, and indeed, your earthly-minded men, afterwards prove to be Apostates, usually before their grand Apostasy do manifest some deadnesse and waywardness of spirit to that that's good. yea, their spirits before discover themselves to be earthly spirits, they smell of the earth. As a man before he dies, his breath will smell very earthly; you will say: Oh! such a one cannot live, his breath is so earthly; so it is with those that are very great professors of Religion; that those that have intimate acquaintance with them before they do Apostatize they smell their breath to be earthly in their duties, in their conferences: Oh take heed of earthly-mindedness, least it be the root of Apostasie; This may be written upon many an Apostates grave, This was an earthly minded man or woman in the midest of their profession. And hence it is that they fell off from the truth in times of danger, when they were brought to the tryal, they were base back sliders from God and his truth.

The Ninth Evil.

Earthly-mindednesse doth wonderfully dead the heart in prayer. It sinks the spirits of men, and straightens them in spiritual duties; yea, and indeed, doth defile every duty of Religion; in the 119. Psal. 37. ver. David (you shall find) prayes there to God, That he will turn away his eyes from beholding vanity, and that he would quicken him in his law. Certainly by the vanity that he speaks of there, he means the things of the world, and by his eyes he understands the eyes of his mind, chiefly the working of the thoughts of his heart after earthly things; for if you will cast your eyes but to the 36. verse, faith he there, Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to covetousness; Oh Lord, let not my heart be inclined to covetousness: afterwards, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, to the end that my heart may not be inclin'd to covetousness; Lord, let not my thoughts be busied about such vain things, but quicken me in thy Law: as if he should say, Lord, while my mind is turned to vanity, or my heart to covetousnesse, after the things of this earth, I alwaies find my spirit dull and heavy in any holy duties, I have no quickness at all in my inward man when I come in thy presence, and by experience I find this to be the cause that my heart is so drossie, because my thoughts and mind are set upon earthly things that are but vanity, therefore, Lord let not mine heart be inclin'd to covetousness nor mine eyes looking after vanity, but turn away mine eyes from these things and quicken me in thy Law:

If you would have your hearts quicken'd in Gods Law, in the Duties that God sets you about, take heed of your eyes that they look not after vanity, and your hearts that they follow not after covetousnesse; for an earthly spirit will be a dead spirit, as the element of earth it's the sluggishest, and deadest element of all; so earthlinesse in the heart makes the heart sluggish and dead, and listlesse to any holy and spiritual duty: I appeal to your consciences in this, when you have let out your hearts after the things of this earth, and been exercised in the world, in abundance of businesses, when you have come to enjoy communion with God, Oh! how dead have you found your hearts! a drossie heart must needs be a dead and a straight heart in heavenly exercises: you complain many times of your vain thoughts in performance of holy duties, you cry out of dead spirits then, but there lies the cause, you have given your hearts up so much to the things of the earth at other times, and hence when you should come to have converse with God your hearts are so dead and dull and straight as they are, look at this to be the ground of it; this is the great root of all, it lies here in your earthly-mindednesse, Oh! how many prayers have been quite spoil'd with an earthly heart! whereas, such as have had spiritual hearts, have enjoyed blessed communion with God at the Throne of his Grace, and have been sweetly refreshed as a Gyant with wine; the while thou hast gone with a dead heart, and continued so there, and came away with as dead an heart, without anie quicknesse and life, and this is that that comes by, thy earthly-mindednesse, which is such a remora and pulback to duties.

The Tenth Evil.

10. Earthly mindednesse, is so great an evil wheresoever it prevails, as it were just with God that thy name who art so earthly-minded should be written in the earth. I say, those that are earthly-minded and have this sin prevailing upon their hearts, and are not sensible of it, they have cause to fear least God should write their names in the dust: yea, lest God hath already written their names in the earth; in the 17. of Jerem. 13. we reade of such an expression, Oh Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth: because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters. And it's apparant that he speaks of earthly spirits here, for in the 11. verse he saith, As the Partridg sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not, so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his daies, and at his end shall be a fool: and then he goes on and describes the excellencie of God and his Sanctuarie, A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary, &c. As if he should say, There are a company of foolish vain men that seek after nothing but getting riches and the things of the earth; But a glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary: Oh Lord we see an excellencie in thee and in thine Ordinances, and thy Sanctuary, Oh Lord the hope of Israel in whom there is such excellencie, is there any that do forsake thee who hast so much excellencie in thee, who art the hope of Israel, Oh Lord, just it were that their names should be written in the earth, that they should never come to partake of those good things that there are in thee, the excellent things that there are in thine Ordinances, and in thy Gospel, but Lord, let their names be written in the earth: an earthly spirit (I say) may fear least the name of it be written in the earth, lest God write concerning such a man or such a woman, earth shall be their portion, and their mouths shall be fil'd with earth one day, and that's all the good that they shall have from the Almighty: Oh those who have known God and the things of eternal life they cannot but apprehend this to be a sad and a grievous evil, for their names to be written in the earth.

The Eleventh Evil.

An Earthly-minded man hath the curse of the Serpent upon him: What was that? Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat. Thou hast the curse of the Serpent, thou grovelest upon the earth (as it were) upon thy belly, thy soul cleaves to the ground in a sinful way, and dust thou feedest upon: While the Saints are feeding upon Jesus Christ, upon the very flesh and blood of Christ; when they are refreshing themselves with the hidden Mannah, Angels bread, corn from Heaven; thou art satiating thy self with the earth, that's thy food, and that's the very curse of the Serpent; it's a sign of a serpentine brood of the old Serpent, to be groveling upon the earth and to feed upon it.

The Twelfth Evil.

Earthly-mindedness is a dishonor to God, and a scandal to Religion. What! shalt thou profess an interest in Christ? and are there no higher things to be had in God than such base things as thy heart is upon? What! doest thou hold forth the everlasting Gospel in thy hand to others; and doest openly professe a nearnesse to God more than others; and is there no difference between the workings of thy heart and the workings of others after the things of this world? Oh! how does this darken the excellency of Grace! if there be any grace at all: it very much clouds it; as the mixing of earth and drossie stuff with pure mettle, it takes away the excellencie of the pure mettle; so the mixing of earth with the profession of Religion, blemisheth the beauty and splendor of the profession of Religion: Thou wilt never be the man or woman that is like to convince any by thy Conversation: thou art never likely to be a means to draw any to the love of the waies of godlinesse, because there is so much darknesse and earthlinesse in thy Conversation: Oh will they say, Indeed, he or she makes a great blaze in the world, and talks much of Religion, and of Ordinances, and such things, but as worldly as any, and groveling in the earth as much as any; people that are standers by will think that profession is but a meer verbal thing, or a mock-shew, when as they see as much earthlinesse in your conversation as in the conversation of those that are without: you do bring an ill report on the things of God, as the Spies did on the Land of Canaan.

Whereas every professor of Religion should endeavour to put a lustre upon Religion, and to make the waies of God to be beautiful, amiable, and glorious in the eyes of all that do behold them: But now, to give a lye to your Gospel-profession by your Earthly conversation, is a very great scandal to the Name of Christ that is upon you and to his Gospel that you seem to stand up for. Oh! there's a great evil in this, and a very ill report comes upon the waies of Religion by this means; many that have had little religion in them, yet have some kind of generousness of spirit, so that they scorn such base sordidnesse as some sorts of Professors are given unto. Oh! for shame let not those that have only common gifts of nature, and education outstrip you, that seem to be the followers of Christ; away with that base, muddy, earthly, saving, pinching disposition, it becomes none but Judas that carried the bag and betraied his Lord and Master for Eighteen shillings and four pence. Let me argue with you, you that have to deal with any friends or neighbors, that you yet are afraid have not the power of godlinesse in them as you desire, but yet you see they have much ingenuity, and generousnesse, and publickness of spirit in them for publick good; take heed of scandalizing such men, for certainly such men if they could be brought to the love of Religion, to the power & strictness thereof, had they the work of the holy Ghost upon their hearts to humble them for sin, and to shew them the excellencie of Jesus Christ, they would be glorious Instruments in the Church of God and Commonwealth, and therefore it's a very great evil to scandalize such men as these; no, you should labor to walk so as they might see a beauty and excellencie in the waies of Religion by your Conversation; Oh! better, a thousand times better that you be cut short of these things in the world, than that you should scandalize the waies of God, and the profession of the Name and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Thirteenth Evil.

Earthly-mindednesse, it doth exceedingly hinder preparation for death, and it is like to make death to be very grievous and terrible to them when it comes (that are like the rich fool in the Gospel) In the 21. of Luke, the 34. verse, (this I have from the Scripture) Take heed to your selves (Christ here speaks to his Disciples) lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfitting and drunkenness and cares of this life; (he puts them together) It's very strange you will say that Christ should speak this to his Disciples, to forewarn them of this, we do not think that they were drunkards so as to follow after Taverns and Ale houses, or to reel in the streets; but by this drunkennesse he means any excesse in the use of the creatures in meat or drink, and professors of Religion may be subject to that, to give up themselves too much to sensual delights and excesse in the use of the creature, but besides that, though many there are that would abhor glutteny and drunkennesse, yet the cares of this life takes up their hearts; therefore saith Christ, Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts he over charged with the cares of this life: why? what evil would the over-charging of the heart which the cares of this life bring? mark, (saith the text) And so that day come upon you unawares, for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth, watch ye therefore and pray alwaies &c. I may apply this to death: though the Scripture be speaking of Christs coming; now in the time of death Christ comes particularly, there is a particular day of Judgment at the day of death; it may likewise be applied to the time of any affliction, and then it may be inlarged thus, and so then the evil of earthly-mindednesse appears in this, that it doth hinder the preparation of the soul for afflictions.

Oh! earthly-mindednesse will make thine affliction to be grievous and heavie to thee: an affliction is a very grievous thing to an earthly spirit; if God comes to take away any comforts of this world, now because thy heart cleaves so close to them there must be a rending of them from thee, and that will put thee to pain; a man that hath his garments loose, he can easily put them off when he goes to bed at night, but if a man hath a sore upon his body, and his inward garments shall cleave to the sore, If he pulls them off then it puts him to a great deal of pain, Oh then he cries out of his pain! Truly, this earthly-mindednesse comes from distemper of spirit, and the things of the earth they cleave to the hearts of men and women that are earthly, as the inward garment should cleave to a sore on a mans body; and now when afflictions or death comes to take the things of the earth from them, or them from the things of the earth, Oh it's painful to them, it's grievous to them and for one that hath an earthly spirit, a hundred to one if he hath any light of conscience left in him, but his conscience will trouble him in time of sicknesse and then tell him how he hath spent his time and strength of his spirit about the things of of the earth, whereas they should have bin spent about more excellent things, and when he comes to die then his spirit will be troubled, I am now to leave all these things that I have spent my care and thoughts upon and let out my heart about, and what good is it to me now that I shall leave so much more than my neighbor doth, what great content is this to me when I am upon my sick and death bed? what comfort can I have in all the good things I have enjoyed? yes, (it may be) through the earthlinesse of my spirit, I have enjoyed but little of them, but I have had carking thoughts about them; But now, death is like to be to me as a Strainer, that strains out the good and leaves the drosse and the dirt behind it. And so all the good of the things of this world is gone, But the guiltinesse that I have contracted upon my spirit with my immoderate care and affections that I have let out upon the world that now is upon my spirit, Oh! death hath been very grievous to worldly spirits. I remember there's one that liv'd in a place not far from the place that I have formerly liv'd in, a covetous, earthly spirit, when he was to die, calls for his Money, and falls a swearing, Must I leave you now? (speaking to his Bags, and hugging of them) What! must I leave you now?

An earthly man that had spent his spirits and strength upon these things, and indeed let out his heart to them as his portion, and then he sees that he must be stript from all, must bid an eternal fare-well to all, no more houses, nor lands, nor comming-in, nor money: Oh! death is grievous to such a one. Now, what should be the life of a Christian, but a continual preparation for death? Many of the Heathens said of Philosophy, that it was but a preparation for death. A special excellency of Christianity consists in this, that it is a Preparative for death; and therefore you should let out your hearts to the things of this world so, as to be continually thinking of death, that when God calls you to depart from these things, that you may do it with ease, with as much ease as a man when he is going to bed casts off his cloaths that are loose about him; for so the grave is as a bed to the Saints where they fall asleep when they die, and so they may lay down all things and go to their sleep with ease and peace. A man or woman that can have their consciences tell them, I have been diligent in my calling, but God knows through faithfulnesse to him, rather than love to the world; and I have kept my heart close to God, and faithful to him, I can bid the world now farewel, as the world hath done with me, so I have done with it; so long as my time was to work for God, God continued those things that this frail nature of mine had need of, and now my work is done, farewell the comforts of this world, I expect other kind of comforts that I am now going to: So, such a one that is spiritual may die with comfort; but those that have their hearts overcharged with the cares of this life, they will have the day of Christ come upon them unawares.

The Fourteenth Evil.

Earthly-mindednesse, is that that will bring destruction at last, it will drown thy soul in perdition; there's those two texts for it; the first is here in this very Scripture wherein my Text is, saith the Apostle here (speaking of men who mind earthly things.) Whose end is destruction. They are both joyn'd together, earthly-mindednesse will bring destruction at last: And the forenamed place that for other purposes we have had, in 1 Tim. 6. 9. where the Apostle speaks of bringing them into snares, and foolish lusts: saith he, which drown men in destruction and perdition. Some that are washing themselves in the Thames, go a little way at first, and then venture a little further & further, and at length they are over head and ears, and there they are drown'd and cannot recover themselves: So it will be with your hearts if you look not to them; you think you may venture so far to the things of this world, why? Are they not good, and in themselves lawful? I get not my estate by wrong, cheating and cousning, and so by degrees your hearts are stoln away from God, and taken with these earthly things, and ye get deeper and deeper into the world, til at length you are plunged over head and ears before you are aware, and you cannot recover your selves; that man or woman that will give their hearts to the things of this world, and think that they will go no further, but thus and thus far, a hundred to one but when once these things have taken up their hearts they get more and more advantage till they be even drowned in destruction and perdition:

A man or woman may be undone by earthlinesse, and be damn'd and perish eternally as well as by adulterie, or drunkenesse, murder, or by any notorious sin, many that are great Professors of Religion, it's very like that this will be the sin by which they will perish to all eternity, The earthlinesse of their minds. Do not please your selves in this, that because you keep from those grosse & notorious sins that others live in therefore you hope to be sav'd, your earthlinesse may damn you as well as any thing else: As upon dunghils you cast not only filthy carrion, and such nastie stuff, but your dust, that is swept out of your houses, I may compare Hell which is the place where God casts those damned out of his presence, it is (as it were) the common dunghil upon which filthy creatures are cast; now upon that dunghil there are not only carrions, and filthy blasphemers, and whoremasters, and theeves, those are as it were the dead dogs carion: but likewise there will be dust cast upon that dunghil, and scrapings that are from your houses will be cast upon the dunghil of Hell from the presence of God; and therefore satisfie not your selves in this, that you do not live in such filthy abominable lusts as others do, but if you have foul earthie hearts you may be cast upon the dunghill as well as those that have liv'd most notoriously wicked; and therefore take heed of earthly-mindednesse.

You will say, By all these particulars that you have discovered to us, there is a great deal of evil and danger in earthly mindednesse. Well, the Lord keep us from earthly-mindednesse: But you will say, We hope that we are not those earthly-minded men that are here spoken to though we do follow our businesses and callings: we must mind what God sets us about, But we hope we are not of these earthly-minded men that are spoken of here in this Scripture. Now besides what we spake too in the opening what it was, that might shew as in a glasse the hearts of men and women: I shall inlarge my Meditations on this subject, by opening some few Convincements, further to convince men and women that there is a great deal of earthly-mindednesse in them. And for preparation I will lay down this.

First. That a man or woman may be earthly minded, and yet little think of it themselves, not know that they are so: Yea, and it may be even perish eternally through their earthly-mindednesse, and not know of it themselves.

Five things may be wrought in a man, and yet Earthly minded.

1. A man may have his judgment convinc'd that there is a vanity in all things in this world, and yet be an earthly-minded man for all this: many think they are not earthly-minded, why? Because they are convinc'd that all these things are vanity; come and speak to them about the things of this world, and they will acknowledg there's a vanity in all these things, that they are vanity of vanities, al is vanity.

2. A man may have some kind of contentment in his estate, and yet have an earthly mind; at the 33. of Gen. 9. verse, Esau that was one of the earth, yet he said he had enough, yet certainly one of an earthly spirit, and his portion was in the earth: how many of you come so far as Esau did? to say for your estates, you have enough: Oh 'tis a shame for those that are professors of Religion, and would seem to be of the seed of Jacob, and yet they can never say they have enough, when as an Esau can say, he hath enough: I have enough my brother.

3. Men and women may speak very great words about the vanity of all the things of this world: When you come to discourse, you may (I say) discourse much about them, and yet have a very earthly spirit.

4. A man may be free from getting any thing of this world by false waies, by deceit, by injustice, &c. and yet be earthly for all that.

5. Through some predominate lust some other way, A man may seem to despise some earthly thing: As manie men that have a lust of Ambition, will seem to despise money; that hath a lust to shew themselves to be generous; and those that have a lust of sensualitie will seem to despise the things of the world? manie a man through one lust will seem as if he would hate the other, though the truth is, he doth not hate it as a sin, but for the practice of it his heart is against it, not (I say) from the dislike of it as a sin against God, but because it is opposite to some other lust that he hath; as your Prodigals, your Young Spendthrifts, they will speak against covetousness as if they hated that sin, whereas the truth is, no wicked man hates any sin any further than one sin crosses another, so much he may hate it but not as a sin, in the 13. of Isa. 17. Behold (saith the text) I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver, and as for gold they shall not delight in it: the Medes they were Heathen wicked people that had no grace in them at all, and yet (the text saith) they shall not regard silver, and for gold they shall not delight in it; some men they think it through the work of grace, and because they find that they are above that base covetousness that they see in other men, they do not regard silver and gold, and to be getting all for themselves, and they dispise those men that are of such a base covetous way, and upon that they think their condition good because they think they are got above that lust;

but ye see it is no other than that a Mede may get, a Heathen may disregard silver and gold, but how? it is because his spirit is upon another lust, that's the ground of it: canst thou say this, (consider what I am now upon) you that seem to scorn Covetousnesse and hate such base sordidnesse as you see in some men: can you say, it comes from hence, The Lord hath made me to see the excellent things of the Gospel, the treasures of grace that are fountain'd up in Jesus Christ: the Lord hath made me to know what communion with himself in Jesus Christ doth mean, and since that time I blesse God my heart hath been above all these earthly things, and that's the ground that makes me look upon all these earthly things as vanity, because the Lord hath discovered unto me those excellent and glorious things that are infinitly above these earthly things: I, that's somewhat indeed, if you can be above earthlinesse upon this ground, that's a good argument: therefore examine upon what ground it is that your spirit is against such things, whether it be upon the sight and experience of better things, then it's right: but certainly men and women may go far in seeming to be above earthly things in respect of the sin of covetousnesse and yet still have earthlie minde; wherefore to give you convicements, besides things that have been hinted.

As how a man doth value himself and value others, is it not because that others, or your selves have much of the things of the earth? can you value a poor man that is godly above the richest man that is wicked? and so, can you value your selves for the least work of grace upon your hearts to make you more excellent than the greatest comings in of your estates? (but these things we have hinted)

And then, where lies the chief Joy and chief Sorrow of mens hearts? what's that that doth most trouble your hearts? is it the losse of the light of the face of God, or the losse of an estate, the losse of a voyage, or the commission of a sin? So, what's your chief Joy, your profitting by the word, or gaining by your bargains? you have come to the word, and there somtimes God hath reveal'd some truth to you, and you have profited; can you go away rejoycing because God hath made you to know his Law, the Lord hath darted some truth into my soul this morning, Oh! I go away rejoycing, and having my heart fil'd with more joy than ever I have had upon any bargain wherein I have got never so much of the world: These be two convincements we hinted not before.

Nine CONVINCEMENTS of Earthly-mindedness.

1. Conv. For the further Convincement of an Earthly-minded man, seriously consider this: When a man shall rest upon earthly props, upon worldly helps for the good that he doth expect; If he can have those things, then his heart seems to be upon the wing, very pleasant; but there's nothing else can revive his heart, it's not a promise that can keep his spirit. Now that that a man or woman most trusts unto, that certainly they make to be their God: for that properly belongs to God to put our trust in Him; then we make God to be our God, when we roll our selves upon Him. Now to trust in earthly things though it be but for the comforts of your life, you will say, I cannot trust in earthly things to bring me to God; nay, but to trust in them for the comforts of your life, while you are here in this world; that's an Argument of an earthly spirit: for the truth is, the comfort of a mans life consists not in any earthly thing he doth enjoy.

Object. You will say, Do not these comfort our lives?

Answ. Yes, so far as God is pleased to let out Himself through them, but if thy heart doth rest upon these for comfort, and doth not look higher than these for comfort, even for thy outward support: certainlie thou hast an earthlie heart. And so, when thou art about any businesse, thou hast some earthlie means to further thee. Obj. You wil say, God would have us take all outward means to help us. Ans. I, but not to trust in any thing; If riches encrease, set not your hearts upon them: so, if friends encrease, set not your hearts upon them, but trust in the living God, let it be the living God that you rest on even for all outward things in this world.

2. Conv. A Second Convincement, is this: When men make most provision for the things of this world, both for themselves and for their children. Are not these your thoughts? I do not know what I may want hereafter, and I see many that have lived finely when they have been young, yet afterwards they have lived very miserably, and therefore I must make provision for after-times. Thus for the earth.

But now, Do you reason thus for the things of Heaven? do not I see many that have made a great blaze of Religion, and yet afterwards they have come to nothing, they have gone out in a snuffe as men that God hath forsaken, and they have died in horror of Conscience; and therfore let me lay up provision now against an evil time, that I may not miscarrie in the matters of my soul so as others have done; this were a sign your minds were not earthly. And for your children, God hath sent you children, and Oh! how you toile and labour, and your thoughts run in the night, and as soon as you awake in the morning, about what you shall get for their portions, and for an estate for them: Now I appeal to your conscience before God (the searcher of all hearts) Have your cares been to provide in a sutable way for their souls, for their spiritual and eternal estates? No question but it's lawful for parents to provide in a Providential way for their children, and they that do not are worse than Infidels; but what is your chief provision for? are your thoughts more solicitous to provide portions for them, than that they should have instruction in the fear of God, an interest in Christ, than that they should have grace wrought in their hearts?

You are loth to die before you can bring your estate so clear as you may leave it to your children:! Oh are you not loth die before such time as you see some work of grace wrought in the hearts of your children? Oh! these would your thoughts be if you were spiritual: Oh! could I discern but some seeds of grace sown before I was disolved I could rejoyce abundantlie. As it's repeated of Austen's Mother, that the great thing that she desired to live for, was to see her son Converted; and God did grant her desire, and then she found her self willing to die. There's nothing will make the spiritual heart of a father or mother more willing to depart from this world, than to find grace wrought in their children; Oh! that I may see before I die my child left under the promise in Covenant with God: I, this were somwhat-like indeed: But those whose cares & thoughts are most for these earthlie things, in providing for themselves and children, that's a Convincement that their hearts are earthly.

3. Conv. A Third Convincement which is very notable (and I beseech you all to lay this to heart and consider seriously of it) for this evill of earthly-mindedness is a very secret and close sin, therefore I am the larger in this point: the convincement is this.

That man that can be content with a slight assurance in the matters of Heaven, but for the matters of earth he never thinks himself sure enough, but is very careful to make all things so infallable as there can be no way that he can be deceived in, but he may surely build upon what he hath in the things of this earth. This is an argument of an earthly mind, Come to men that are earthly, and discourse with them concerning matters that concern their souls, What assurance have you that you are gone beyond any formal professor, that you are better than the stony or thorny grounds that we reade of in Scripture? What evidence have you that the saving work of grace is wrought in you? that you have shot the gulf? that you are translated out of the kingdom of darknesse into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? and that your sins are pardoned, and your souls justified? that you are at peace with God? what evidences have you of peace made between God and your souls: This answer would be given: I hope I am converted, I trust in Gods mercy, sure I have grace, I shall be sav'd, God is merciful. But what evidences can you shew? They know not scarce what belongs to that, nay, you shall have many of them, because they know not what assurance means, therefore they, will think no body can be assured; we may hope well but we cannot come to be assured of it: No, a heart that is truly gracious and godly would be loth that should be true for a thousand worlds, they would not lose their parts in the blessing of that, if God would make them Kings or Queens of the earth.

But thou hast an earthlie drossie heart, and doest not much look after assurance for matters of thy soul and eternal estate, thou wilt venture those matters and put them upon a peradventure; but when it comes to the matters of the earth there thou wilt make all sure, and go from this Lawyer to another Lawyer to ask council, and to see whether the things are good, and will inrole them; and if there can be any thing done to make more sure (if it be any great sum upon which your estates lies) you will do it. I appeal to you, If you could but hear of any of your neighbors what they had done to make such a thing more certain than you have done; you would scarce be at rest till you had done so as they have done: is it so in matters of your eternal estate? do not you hear of many Saints of God that walk comfortably in the midst of all afflictions upon the assurance of Gods love? you shall have some will be able to say, I, and it's this Scripture I build upon, and through Gods mercie such and such hath the work of God been upon my soul in revealing himself to me, and such a promise I have suck't abundance of honie from. But now generally, come to people upon their sick beds, all that they say is this, They hope in Gods mercie. But for the ground of their hope, for shewing how God hath been pleased to bring their hearts and the word together, and what real effects there hath been upon their spirits by the word, that they can shew nothing of: thou hast not therefore got that assurance for thy soul and eternal estate as others have got, and yet thou canst go on quietly, Oh! it concerns thee that art so busie in making all sure for thy outward estate, to spend more thoughts and care in the matters of thy soul and eternal estate than ever thou hast done, here's an earthly-minded man that can be contented with slight assurance for the matters of his soul, and satisfied with no kind of assurance in the matters of the world, but would fain make those things more and more sure continually.

4. Conv. Further, An earthly-minded man may be convinc'd of his earthlinesse in this, He is content with a little degree of Sanctification, but for the matters of the world, still he would fain have more and more. He looks at those that are the most eminent that are in his rank, and he would fain get up as high as they in the things of this life, but in matters of Religion he looks at the lowest Christians, and is content to be as low as they; take an earthly-minded man that is of such a trade, if there be any of his profession or calling that had as little to begin as he, and thrive better, he would fain get up as high as he, and is troubled that he is not so rich as he is; thus it is in the world. But now, take them in matters of God, there's such men that began since you began, and had as little means for the good of their souls as you have had, they are thriven and got beyond you abundantly in the matters of God, and doth this trouble you? and are your thoughts solicitous about this? Oh! that I could attain to that degree of grace as such a one hath got, such an one hath a spiritual mind, and full of the joy of the holy Ghost, and full of faith, he is able to depend upon God in the want of all outward comforts, and certainly injoyes much communion with God; but I am far beneath such and such: do these thoughts trouble you? it is ordinary for earthly spirits, if they look but at any one that makes profession of Religion that is low in his profession, I did as such a one doth; and I have as much as they have, and that satisfies them, they look upon the meanest Christans, and are satisfied that they are like them; but for the matters of the world they look upon the highest, and are not satisfied except they come and attain to what they attain to: and that's a fourth evidence.

5. Conv. Then a Fift is this, Earthly-minded men are very wise in matters of the world, but in matters that are spiritual there they are very weak and Simple. You shall have many men, (which I have wondered at sometimes to see) that in matters concerning Religion there they are very ignorant, if they do but speak in points of saving knowledge they speak like children, so that one would wonder where their understandings were; now turn such men to the matters of the world, Oh! how wise are they in their generation, Oh! how subtile, and crafty are they, they can see an objection there and know how to answer it, they can discern any thing that will let them in their profit, many miles off, and can prevent whereas others cannot; but now in those things that hinder their souls, they cannot foresee things there, they are wise in their generation, and they have memories for the matters of the world, they can understand things, and remember things, and they can meditate there, but put them to meditate on a point of Religion, they are presently at a stand: Let me appeal to you, do not your consciences tell you, that in the matter, of the world when you are walking from hence to London, you can run in your thoughts upon one business all the way that you walk, you can plot this, and contrive the other way, and foresee this and the other objection, and answer it thus in your own thoughts; but I do but put this to you, when you walk over the fields, settle but upon one meditation concerning Christ, and see whether you are able to draw out that meditation the while you walk over one field, whereas you can spin out an earthly meditation if it were divers miles; when you awake in the night season presently your thoughts are upon the things of the world, and you can draw them out, and work there understandingly; but now in the things of God, Oh! how barren, and simple, and weak are you there! there's scarce any one can over-reach you in the things of the world, but in the matters of Religion you are over-reach't presently, every slight temptation overcomes you there.

6. Conv. And besides, you may know it by the discourse and words of men; 1. John, 4. 5. They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them: Their breath is earthly, Oh! it's an ill sign that (you use to say of your friends sometimes) when you come to their bed side, Oh! I am afraid they will die their breath smels so earthly, it's a simptome of the death of the bodie: So your hearts do smel so earthly, and it were somewhat tolerable if it were on other daies when your callings requires it to discourse of businesse, but even that time that God hath set apart for himself, you are sometimes discoursing in your own thoughts concerning the businesses of the world when you are praying, and hearing: whereas the communication and discourses of men should relish of what they have heard out of the world, not presently to go and talk about some earthly exchange occurrances, and so loose all, Oh! it's this that hath lost many precious truths, it may be when you have been hearing, God hath darted in some beam of Gospel-light into your souls, and you have lost is before you have got home, and so have come to loose the impression of the truth that you have heard, Oh! what a seemly thing were it in those that come to hear the word when they depart that there should be no discourse but tending that way? Oh! how often are you in company and never leave any thing to refresh one anothers spirits, or to further one another in the way to eternal life; though God gives you allowance to speak about your business, yet still if you be spiritual and heavenly, he would have you to have something about heaven or eternal life before you do depart.

7. Conv A. further Convincement is this, When Spiritual things must give way to Earthlyness upon every little business: Prayer must pay for it, if I have any businesse, I will take it out of the time of Prayer, or converse in the Word the less, or hear the lesse; when as I say, that earthly things are so high as spiritual things must give way, Heaven must stand by (as it were) til Earth be served; this is an evil sign of an earthly spirit: whereas were the spirit Heavenly, the very first thing that thou would do when thou awakest in the morning, or arisest, should be to season thy heart with somthing that were spiritual: in Psal 139. 17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God! how great is the sum of them? If I count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake I am still with thee. Oh! that were an argument of a spiritual mind, that upon the awaking presently to be with God: When I awake I am still with thee. But now, I appeal to you, Who are you withal when you awake? Can you say, Lord, when I awake I am still with thee, I find an inclination in my spirit to be upon the matters of Heaven, and when I am up, I had rather my worldly business should give way than spiritual duties.

8. Conv. When a man or woman cares not much how it is with the Church, with the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, so it be well with them in the matters of the world: when as there are things stirring abroad in the world (for we live in stirring times wherein God is shaking the Heavens and the Earth:) now he doth not much enquire how things are in respect of the Priviledges of the Saints, the Ark of the Church, so his Cabbin be safe. Truly, there need no other thing but the examning of your hearts, how they have been these last years of Jacobs troubles. We find Eli in the time of war he sat trembling because of the Ark of God; he did not sit trembling because, that if the Philistins did prevaile he should be put out of his place, and his estate taken away; no, but because of the Ark of God; that was an argument of the spiritualnesse of Eli's mind. And so it may be an argument of very great comfort to you in these dangerous times; If our consciences tell us this, that God that knowes all things, knowes that the great thing my heart was solicitous about in these evill dayes, it was, What shall become of thy great Name: Lord, what shall become of Religion: what shall become of thy Gospel: Lord these were the things that took up my heart, not so much what should become of my estate and outward accommodations and relations in this world: Oh! examine your hearts in this, Whether the care of your spirits be more for the furtherance of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ or for the furtherance of your Estates? but for that man or woman that is most solicitous about businesse that concerns their outward estates, and do not much care how Religion goes, how the way of the Kingdom of Christ is maintain'd, God at this time doth speak to that soul; Thou art an Earthly-minded man or woman, and therefore take heed lest what hath been spoken concerning the great evil that there is in earthly-mindednesse, lest it befals thee, and especially the last of all, Whose end is destruction, who art drown'd in perdition; lest hereafter this be the thing that thou shalt lie crying out of, and cursing thy self for, Oh! I had a base and earthly heart, and sought the things of the earth, and made my portion there, and in the mean time the blessed God hath been forsaken; and I have lost my Portion in the Holy Land, for I had my portion in Egypt among the Egyptians according as I did choose to my self.

9. Conv. That the more spiritual any truth is that is reveal'd, the less doth it take with his heart: Some truths of Religion perhaps he is moved with, but these are as by-words to him, he minds them not at at all. The more spiritual an Ordinance is that is delivered, the lesse is his spirit moved with it; if indeed he comes to the Word and there be mingled some earthly natural excellencie, (for so I may call it) as natural parts, wisdom, wit, and eloquence, and learning, that he is mov'd withal, it may be some fine story is more pleasing to him, than the goodly pearls of truth that are revealed in the word; as now, such truths as these, The enjoyment of communion with God, the longing after Jesus Christs coming; the living by faith upon a bare promise, the excellencie that there is in suffering for Jesus Christ: These truths now are spiritual, The mortifying of the inward lusts, Self-denial, These things are little savored by an earthly-minded man; tell him of the priviledges of the Saints, the mysteries of the Gospel, any thing that is spiritual it is but as a notion to him; As 'tis with men that are upon the earth, they look up to Heaven and see the things of Heaven but little; why is it that the Stars seem so smal to us here, but because we are upon the earth, the earth seems a vast bodie to us, but the Stars seem but little to us though they are far bigger than the earth: were we in Heaven, then the heavenly bodies would seem vast to us, and the earthly bodies would scarce be discerned by us; were mens hearts heavenly, all the things of the earth would seem little to them; but because they are earthly, therefore the things of heaven, and spiritual mysteries are very small in their eyes.

End of third chapter

A TREATISE OF Earthly-mindedness; PHILIPPIANS 3 - latter part of the 19TH verse

—Who mind Earthly things.

by Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646)

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Source: Text Creation Partnership (complete book in multiple files)

Part 1 - Chapters 1 & 2
Part 3 - Chapters 4-7
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also: Jeremiah Burroughs 'Exceeding Sinfulness Of Sin' - Sixt Part 'He That Committeth Sin Is Of The Devil' 1Jn 3:8 - Audio
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Philippians 3:19 'Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things'