444 The Life of Faith. bait to a worldly mind, but may be deftred and cbafenpurely upon heavenly accounts : And then the richer the Paflors are, the better; when they are the Sons ofNobles, whole Piety bringerb with them their honour, and this wealth, to ferve God and his Church with, and they donotfeud it thereto be their end or inducement to the work : But inflead of invitations or encou- ragements to pride and carnal minds, there may be only fo much as may not deter or drive away candidates from the facred Funetion. Zi. Worldlinefs is a fin, which maketh the Word of Godun- profitable,Mat. 13. y2. John 12. 43. Ezck. 33. 3 r. prepofftffing the heart, and refining that Gofpel which would extirpate it. 6. It hindereth Prayer, by corrupting mens delires, and by intruding worldly thoughts. 7. It hindereth all holy Meditation, by turning both the heart and thoughts another way. 8. It drieth up all heavenly profitable Conference, whilst the world doth fill bothmind andmouth. 9. It is a great profaner of theLords Day, difiraeing mens minds, and alienating them fromGod. to. It is a.murderous enemy ofLove to one another : All worldly men being fo much for thcmfelves, that they are O- dom hearty friends toany other. I 1. Yea it maketh men falle and unrighteous in their deal- ings: There being no truft to be put in a worldly man any further thanyou are lure you fuit his interelf. 12. It is the greet crufe of dilcord and.divifions in the world : It fetteth Families, Neighbours and Kingdoms toge- ther by the ears; and fetteth the Nations of the earth in bloody wars, to the calamity and dcfrut: irmof each other. 13. It cauf(th cheating, healing, robbing, oppreflions, cruelties, lying, falle-witnefling, perjury, murders, and many fuch other .14. It makethmen unfit to fuffcr for Chrift, because they love the world above him : and confcquently it maketh them as Apostates to forfake him in a rime oftryal. 15. It is agreat devourer ofprccious time : That short life which should be fpcnt in, preparing for eternity, is almost all fpent in drudging for the world. ¡6. Laftly,
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