Book H. 5S SECT. V I I· Of n•rcjlli11g >Vitb S<tail to overcome tbi1 fin. NOw if this be thy darling !in, then wrefile thus.- 1, Confider, worldlinefs is extremely fcrtil of ill; what frauds, what ~eccits, what pC! juries, what crue~tio.s, what. hatreds, ':Vhat murders~ what vtll~mes have been exercifcd for the noun!lung of thiS lull ?other !ins have thJ:tr aggravattons, but this is the moll earthly of all other, and in fome refpeCl:s the moll unworthy a man ; why, man bath a {(it~ I, which is a fparkle of heaven, and for him t6 imploy it iu no other fer vice but mecrly 10 be an earrh.worm, to creep in aud upon the ground, thi> mull nctds be a very great evil. z. Confider, worldlincf• is attended with manifold forrow~ : As r. It is full of carts. ,, lt is full of!i>arcs ; grin! are in gold, bird·lime i11 jilver, faith an Ancient. " It is full of labours, men toil all d.1y, and they camtot rell by night; the f"ar ~;· lo!ing; pierceth as much as the pain of getting, and t~cre is no end of their travel. -1 , lt is full of trouble ,of confcience, and tlalhes of hell fire : It may be the devtl for ; while m•w conceal thefe griefs ; it is faid, that bejhetr>ed Cbri{l the Kingdomu of tbe Mac. 4 e• . >Porfd, and theglory oftJmn; only the glory, he illCWCd the pJeafure, but not the punifh· ment; he,fhewed the gain, but not the pain; now we knowingthiscraft,mulllabourin rhefe temptatior-s to fct that which the devil hides, ami to apprehend the fearful after· claps :Oh let us labour to fee J aelJ nail, a> well as her milk, the !lees fling, as well as her honey ; the Snakes poyfon, as well as her beauty and imbraccs; that fpeech ofAbmr S 6 is true of the world, K11meji tlm< not t!Jat it wilt be bittcrmjj in the latter end ? Oh 2 " 01 ' 2 ' 2 ' let this be confidered ferionOy. . '• C( n!ider, A IIW!I /ijCj/andf not in the abundJ!lCe of tbe thi11~1 that be pojfeffet~. Luke, Io. I); A 1~ans life (i.) the g0od, and happin'efs, and comfort o~ his life, is not in riches, but in God that fills them : And hence we fay, that the true enjoyment ofriches is the portion of Gods people, and ."~t of the wicked, they may have them, butthey do not rruly enjoy them ; the devtltncourageth them to cflck the nut, bur God takes away the l<ernel,ar.d gives it t" them that are godly before them: Is not this the meaning nf the Preacher,Godgivetb to amangoad in biJfight, IYifd.me and l(jrowlrdge, andjoy, but to Ecclcf •·•6• tiHjiltner br g)vetb travel) He gives to thegodly >Vi{<kme to purfiw riches, and to go right waycs for the attainment of them ; he gives them alfo k,nowledge how to improve them, and joy, or the comfort ot them; but to the finner he gives tr.vrl, to gather and heap up, but not fer his comfort; rbc wicked dig the mines, they plough the giOund, but the Saints cn1oy, they only reap and gather: And is not this the meaning of the Apolik, ·God/ilt({s with contentment i1 great gai11? Thcfe two, godlinejj and 1 Tim,6,f, comentmem, make up riches; thou talkell of gain, bur art thou content) and art thou 9odly )there is ~he gain, there lies. the happinefs: in thisJenfe, tbe little that a Pfa 37 . 1 6,. rigiJte.uJ man hatb, l1 betttr tbm the rzchCJ of m•~Y •vicked. The folid comfort of all outward things, is the Saints pecultar, becaufe of his nearnefs unto God; never tell me ofthis great man, and the other noble man, for indeed that which men are, they are unto God , their true value is according to ths: proportion of their nearnefs, not to riches, nor to Piincts , nor to the great things of this world, but to God. 4• Con(ider that cfthe Appollle, No ma;z tbat n•arreth intanglrtb bimftlfwiththe zTitn,'214, aff<irJ ofthis life, Now,what are we but warriours again{i Pri11cipalitiu, PowtJ•,Rulrrs oftbe dark/~efi ofthiJ world, and JP~ritual wicf<.sdnejJe<? How then do we intangle our [elves with the affairs ofthis life) It is true, we n1ay uie the world as if nor, but to be intangled with it, is dangerous and pernicious ; As rivers that fliJe in the 0 1 cean, touch the Coalls and 010re by which they run, but they Clay not there , fo. mull our fouls. in their return to heaven, only touch the earth as we pafs alor.g, !Jur not fby there tor tear ol intangkrr.encs. Lutber tells us, that when the Pope fcnt lame Cndinals to him, to intangle him with the promife of great wealth and hanom, tuming himkif to God,· he fpeedily [Jid, Se noUe jic j::tit~ri ab eo; tbJt God Jhould 1101 pm him off with tbrfe low tbi•g'· 0 that all fouldicrs und'cr Chrills Banner were but ofthis mind! tor then might they fay, 'fi:cfitare i1 broksn, alld we ~re deliverer(; or th<n might th<y do, as the filly bird which mountS' o~lo!i towards· heaven, when lhc keth any danger of !Jeing catched, and thcrc!Jy 01e frullw~s the· Fowlers hope : Gurfom
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