P 15o' A10)elatiort oftheApocalypre. C AP. 3. Luke- mirth were theyevery where entertained? There is no man forude warand unskilful!, but that, .pondering that time in his mind , would fay vain a glo- rious La_ thus to himfelfe , and that not without caufe ; Truly the Lord hash odicca. pored out contempt upon `Princes, thofe that honour him , doth he ho-. nour, and thole that defpife him shall be defpifed : He bath made our Priers contemptible to the Wholepeople , becaufe they havebroken their Covenant. Any ñian (I fay) thinking of thefe things , should not, have-ftraved from that truth. For if the e/4ngel had been in and efrdmation , men would rather have fighedand fobbed for grief, then laughed for joy; yea they would rather have calf thofe writings into the fire,then have worn them out withcontinual reading,and handling of them. I would never have told thee thefe things,had not the Holy. Ghoft'openly avouched , that thou knoweft not thine ownnakfelneffe. That fàlfeglory of thine, wherwiththou flourifhefr; will not let thee confider, and regard what menfpeak, and think of thee. But learne hence, if thou be wife, that thy many gold chains that ufher thy per- fon , and that troop of attendants thatfollow thee in great number, do nothing'. availe to drive away contempt, and to fet thee free from being defpifed by the common people : Or if thou canft not fo well perceive there things in thy felfè , behold then the Popifh Prelates yea, and their Prince the Pope, how defervedly he and they do ftink. now among the greater}part of men, how contemptible abjeCt , and hatch-ill he is to all the godly,whofe feet notwithilanding,fomePrin- ces-that are bewitcheddo frill kif e,and then whom, heretofore there was never mortali man of a morePrincely Majefry :. Remember our own former 'relates, whofe riches and eflate.was more ample then; thine, their authority greater, their power more dreadfiill; yet be- caufe the Vulgar fort faw them tobe meer guts, far, greedy, and idle bellies , Low did they fcorn them ? The haughty carriage ofour wa1fey was openly derided. The reafon is , because the honours of this,world are but fig leaves, or like ragged clothes that donot co- ver amans nakedneffe, but make it to feemmore ugly,as a man look- eth out upon it at a window. Think upon thefe things, and bee not proud of thy Peacocks feathers, but Peek rather tohide thy filthy ná- kednes,lefl by glorying vainly ofthat part of thee,that is better fetout, thou lieopen to contempt among thecommon people,in regard ofthy other deformities. And thus have I at lait opened this rotten'Ulcer;if my labour (hall be acceptable , and the fore beingpurgedbe healed , again ; how great thanks shall I give unto our God.? But if the evill (tall beonly ftirredup,.and the handlingof it Ihall offendthe fick and fore
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