i S0 The Crtacifyingtthe world, 2. f F you are Crucified to theworld , benot tooeager for it. As God hath promifed it youbut as an appendix to your felicity , and as an overplus to the great bleffings of the Cove- nant, fomuff you delire it but as fuch. And as God hath pro- mifed it youbut with certain limitations , fo far as he flail fee it good for you, and agreeable to his greater ends ; fo you muft de- lire it but with fuch limitations. I obferve many to have fo much reafon, as toput up their prayers for outwardbleffings, with thefe limitations, andwill not for flume exprefs themfelves in abfolute . peremptory language ;. when yet there is apparent caufe to fear, that they limit not their defires,as they do their words, nor dothey fubmitfo freely ro the difpofal of God in their hearts , as they feem to do in their expreffions : and fo theymake their words tobe modefl, while their delires are inordinate ;. their lan- guage tobe chaft,while their heartsare committing adultery with theworld ; their expreffions are pious, while their affe&ions are idolatrous : And fo their prayers are made monstrous, while the foul of them is fo difagreable to the body. Be afhamed and afraid todelire that whichyou areafhamed and afraid toask. You dare not fay to God in your prayers, [Lord, Imuff needs have aful= st ler e/late ! Iwould fain be rich andbefonsebody in theworld; Ican- not live contentedly inpoverty : food and rayment will notferve tarn; unlefs Ifare delicioufly, and be cloathedneatly andbelet by in the world, and aanler, I may leaveprofperity to my children , when Iamdead andgone. ] If you dare not fay thus, do not dare to delire or think thus. blr.Rebert Bolton, thatholy legtnedDivine,,' loth ufe among thehainous damning fins, to reckon this, [ A'de- fire to be r ch. ] And if wehearken to the Scripture, we (hall find that it is not without goodcaufe.Prov.23.4.the command is, La= boar not to be rich.] And Prov. 28.20.. Ikethat makth hafte to be rich., fiall not be innocent.] The Svriack renders the word [malignant ] and the Arabick [ thewic,_ed ] which we here tranf- late [ he that hafleth to be rich.] And they muft needs be the fame men, when theApofllefaith , that the loveof money is the root of all evil, I, Tim. 6. io. Therefore faith Paul, They that will be rich fall into temptation and a fnare , and into many' f olifs and hurtful luf s, which drownmen in deftrtafflion andpenis, tion,,
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