Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v8

2?6 Chap, 28. An Expofition upon the Brote of J o B. Verf. z. the love of it draws blacker lines upon the foul, and renders it foule and filthy. Yea Gold and Silver, which will purchalemans &ui argemi corporal liberty, doe yet enthrall and makehim a fpiritual (lave. cañderem a- Some of theAnctena were wont to make chains of Gold to bind mart anima. o, niffYeQUni m their malefa&ors, as we make them of Ircn. And now Golden chains hold more in bondage. then. Iron ones doe. How many are priíònera ro Gold,and arc led captive by Silver ! The luxury, pride, and vanity of men , (hew that they are bound in thete iiaverampul- chains. Tertullian tells the woman of his time, who prided them- ehritudirré ob- felves in golden chains,that they hadbeen ufed in fame places for fcurant,aura boards, not for ornament. And another, of thole elder times, re- eamadumbran- p-oving the vanity of that fex, in putting fo many ornaments of tesOff intelli- Gold upon their apparel, faith ; they darken their native beauty surf deliflum by overfhadowing it with Gold;nor doe they underfland bow great a adminurt, f fault they admit tbernfelves guilty of , while they bind therìofelves innumerabili- ( like evil doers ) with innumerable chains. And as chains of basvinculi ol- Gold are ro mofi that wear them, their bondage rather then their ligantes. ornament, fo many who wear no Gold chaines, are yet held in Clem. Alex. lib.2. - c'pm names by Gold. dag. c. 12. Thus pureGold makes all its poff'ef1ors,both llaves and drofs, whole hearts are enfnared with the love of ir, or a delight in ir.. Gold put in the place of God, turns men to drofs, and fers them below the beaffs that perifh. For as our righteoufnefs (which keninnocenr, is more pure then Gold and Silver)if we over-value ir,or look to guam beta,,mo be accepted for it, then it becomes meet drofs and filthy in the Wo et d'3,1¡caul fight ofGod ; fo doe we,fo doe our perlons, whenGold and Sil- effetvira fini- ver {Real away our hearts from God. And though I am not of fill aliud gun' inion with that Pailofopher, chat the life of man rniüfl reeds fu ,Gave been innocent, happy, and contentful, if hehaddefired nothing concupijcirer. Plin. in pro- butwhat grows aboveground t yet I aria fully of opinion, that the un.l. 33. del-e of thole things which God and nature have hidden under- ground, bath rendred the life of man much Rained with guilt, un- happy, and troubiefome. Further,;. Take notice, that thefe four mettais, Gold, Silver,_ 13rafs and Iron, are made tale of by the Spirit ofGod, to fignifie the four great Monarchies of the world (Dan.a. 32,33.) Ns- bucha4nezz;mr law in his dream an Image , whofe head was of pure Go'd, (reprefenting the BabylonifhMonarchy) the brefl and arms ofSilver) (flladowing the Perfrans) the belly and thighs of Brafs,

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