I o i T he %Ianity of the Creature. tisfic the fame : for'can a man make any thing equall to himlelfe ? Can a man advance a piece of gold or filver in- to a reafonable, a fpirituall and eternall fubilance? A man may make himfelfe like thefe things, hee,tnay debafe him - felfe into the vileneffe of an Idoli, 7 hey that made -them are like-unto them bee may under-value and uncoyne himfelfi blot out Gods Image and Infcription , and write in the image and infcription of earth and Satan, hee may turne himfèlfe into braffe , and-iron and reprobate falver, as the Prophet fpeakes ; but never can any man raife the Creatures by all his eflimation to the worth of a man : we cannot fo much as change the colour of a haire,or adde a cubite to our ftature, much lefle can we make anything of equall worth with our whole'felves. Wee read indeed of fome which have fold the righteous , and that at no great rate neither,for a'paire of fhooes,Ioel 3.6. Amos 2.6. but wee fce there how much the Lord abhorred that de- teflahle fas, and recompenced it upon the neck of the oppreffors. How many men are there Rill that fer grea- ter rates upon their owne profits , or liberties , or prefer- ments, or fecular accommodations, than on the foules of men , whole perdition is oftentimes the price of their ad- vancements ? but yet Rill Saint Pasts rule mull hold, Fer meat deftroy not= the work,ofGod, for money betray not the blood ofChrif dellroy not him with thy meat, with thy dignities, with thy preferrnentss., for whom Chrifl died. Wee were not redeemed with filver and gold from our vaine Converfation , faith the ApoRle , z . Pet. . i S. and therefore there things are of too bafe a nature to be put into the balIance with the foules of men ; and that mapinfnitely under - values the work ofGod,the Image of God, the,bloud -of God, who for fobateapurchafe as money, or- perfcrment, cr any earthly andvain- glori- ous refpeal doth either hazard his owne, or betray tilt Souks of others commended to him. . And therefore tlai.s fhould teach all thefe upon whom chß Ióom.t4. zo,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=