. Busy yourselves about toys and
trifles. By William Dyer. Do not work
for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal
life. John 6.27. Labor more for the
inward purity than for the outward felicity. That man who is a laboring
bee for earthly prosperity will be but an idle drone for heavenly
felicity. Gold in your bags will make you
greater, but it is grace in your heart that will make you better. He is a rich man that lives upon
his wealth, but he is a righteous man that lives upon his faith. A heavenly conversation is better
than any earthly possession. It is a great mercy to have a
portion in the world, but to have the world for a portion
is a great misery. Our affections were made for
things that are above us, and not for the things that are below
us. Set your hearts on things above.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. But alas! some men are so in love with
their golden bags, that they will ride with all possible haste
to hell, if they are but paid well for their pains. They look
upon gain as the highest good, and not upon godliness as the
highest gain. They mind the present world so
much, as if it would never have an ending. They mind the world
to come so little, as if it would never have a beginning. The perishing
things of this world are all the happiness of the men of this
world. Who is the Almighty, and why
should we obey Him? What good will it do to us if
we pray? Job 21.15 Oh, what wretched worldlings! They are diligent about what
is temporal, but negligent about what is eternal. They are careful
about dying vanities, but slothful about durable excellencies. They feast their bodies, but
starve their souls. They lay up treasures on earth,
but none in heaven. Why do you spend money on what
is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Isaiah
55, 2. He who knocks at the creature's
door for true happiness will find but an empty house kept
there. O Beloved, what is gold compared
to grace? What is earth compared to heaven? That you thus neglect the great
things, the weighty things, the eternal things, and busy yourself
about toys and trifles? You have a crown to look after,
a heaven to look after, a kingdom to look after. I beseech you,
beloved, labor more for inward holiness than for outward happiness. Labor more for the seeds of grace
than for the bag of gold. labour more for inward piety
than for outward plenty, labour more for an heavenly conversation
than for an earthly possession. The earth is for a saint's passage,
but heaven is for a saint's portion.