The Cure of Covetoufilefs. confefs that Heaven only mull be your lafl refuge, and full felicity, and therefore you do fomething for it on the by. But is not the world more loved, more fought, more delighted in, and fatter L k 6 held? Hath it not more of your hearts, your delight, ddire and indufiry ? If you cannot let u ,_e 7:~~: 3j~ go all for Heaven, and forfake all this world, for a treafure above, you cannot be Chrifis true Difciples. 9· 39• Direct. I 8. If rvtr yort would overcome tbe love of t};e world, your great care mufl be to nzor~ Direl1. t8o tifie thi Flejh; for the world Ude(fred but as its provijio1f. A mortified man hath no need of thar, which i!i a fenfualifis felicity. ~ench your hydropical feavorilh thirfi, and chen you will nor make Socrates fzpe: fuch a ftir for drink. Cure the dJi<:afe which enrageth your appetite; and that is the fafefi and cheap- cum eoru!" eft way of fatisfying it: Then you will be thankful to God, when you look on other rnebs wealth qux pubhce and gallantry, !hat you need not thefe thin&s! A.nd you will think what a troUble, and bUrden, and ~~~~ft~~:~~:U interruption of your better work and corntort, 1t would be to you, to have fo much land, and fo ma- imuerecur, fe..; PJY fc:rvants, and goods, and bufinefs, and perfons to mind, as rich men have : And how much better cum ifta vol-' you can enjoy God and your felf in a more retired quiet flate of life. But of 'his niore in the veba:, 3tani ~cxt Part. ~~~~~~g;~: Pecuni<tm perdidifH? Bent, (i te illa non perdidit: quod jam multis potrefforil>us fu.is fecit. Gande tibj ahbtum unde t~:i in:fi{;j teq; illoefum inter pericula uanfiviflf-. Pmarcb. t. 2. Dial. 13· §. 40. bid mm but know how much of an ungodly darimable flat<, <loth tonG(\ in the Love of the world; and how much it is the enemy of fouls; and how much of our Religion confifieth in Exod. 18. ti; the contempt and conqucfi of it; and what is the meaning oftheir renouncing the' lflorld in their bap~ :z. P~r. 1 • l4• · rlfmal Covenant; ~nd how n:any millions the Love. of ~he .world .":ill damn ~or ev_er .; they ~ould (:~:m: J~ 3· not make fuch a flu for rtoth1ng, and fpend,all theu dayes m prov1dmg for thetr per10ung flefh ; ndr 3 S think th.Lrn happiefi that ar~ richefi ; nor booft themfelvu of their hearts dtfire, and blefs the Coveto#l whom the L" d abhorretb, Pfal. 10. 3. They would not think that fo fmall a fin which Chrilliarts lhould not fo much as name (but in detefiation) Epbef. 5· 3· When God hathrefolvtd that the covm~~< }ha~ not i~therit the Kingdom ofGod, 1 Cor. 6. to. Ephef. 5· 5· And a Chrillian mufl nOt ft> much as eat with them, 1 Cor. 5· II· Did CbriH fay in vain, 'Take heed and bewareofCovetoufizefl? Luke 12. 15. 1Vo to him that coveteth an evil Covetou[nefs to his hou[e, tbat he may fit hii neft o1t high, that he may be delivmd from tht power of evil, Hab. 2·11· 0 what. deferving !ervants hath the world, that will fervc it fo diligently, fo confiantl'f, and at fo dear a tate, when they beforehand know that befides a little tranfitory deluding pleafure, it will pay them with nothing but everlalling lhame I 0 wonderful deceiving power, of fuch an empty rhadow, or rather wonderful folly of ttlant kind ! That when fa many ages have been deaeived before us , and almofi every one at death confef ... feth it did but deceive them, fo many jliU rhould be deceived, and take no warning by fuch a world of ·examples. I conclude .with Heb. 13. 5· Let JO#T converfation be without Covctnufnejj, and bt cOli• ttnt tl>ith fuch thingt at ye have: for he bath faid, I iriU never leave the<, nor forfak$ thee. I / ,J .!t PAR:T;
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