#1 Chapter 1, Preparations.
Chapter 1, Treating Some Matters that are preparatory to the Treatise The greatest part of mankind, well actually of those who are Christians, may be said to be well asleep in a fantastical dream. Instead of being aware of their Heavenly Father, and the great gifts he has given them, they live a life devoted to the interests and enjoyments of this world, spent and wasted in the slavery of earthly desires, whittling away their time and energy in vain and worthless pursuits and this may be truly called a dream; for it has all the shortness, vanity, and delusion of a dream as when they wake up they will find that they have nothing for their effort. There is one great difference though between it and a real dream and that is when a night dream is over, nothing is lost but fictions and fantasy, pleasant reveries to think and muse, but when the dream of life is over, ended by death itself, all of eternity is lost as well. Now there is no misery in this world, b...