things of this world, and value all the things of this world now—as
In the Marian persecution there was a woman who, being convened
before Bonner, then Bishop of London, upon the trial of religion, he
threatened her that he would take away her husband from her. Says
she, "Christ is my husband." I will take away your child. "Christ,"
says she, is better to me than ten sons." I will strip you, says he, of all
your outward comfort. "Yes, but Christ is mine," says she, "and you
cannot strip me of him." Assurance that Christ was hers, and that he
would go with her beyond the grave, bore her heart up above the
threats of being robbed of all, Heb. 10:34. When a great and rich man
had showed a sober, serious, knowing Christian his riches, his stately
habitation, his pleasant gardens, his delightful walks, his rich
grounds, and his various sorts of pleasure; the serious Christian,
turning himself to this great man, said: "Sir, you had need to make
sure Christ and heaven, you had need make sure something that will
go with you beyond the grave, for else when you die you will be a very
great loser!"
O my friends, I must tell you, it highly concerns you to make sure
something that will go with you beyond the grave, or else you will be
very great losers when you come to die, God having given you an
abundance of the good things and of the great things of this world,
beyond what he has given to many thousands of others. But,
7. The seventh word of advice and counsel is this—Look upon all the
things of this world, and value all the things of this world now—as
you will certainly look upon them and value them when you come to
lie upon a sick-bed, a dying-bed. 1 Cor. 7:29-31. When a man is sick