SatitnJ temptations concerning Cods elciíonanfwered z ót getanywealth : but ifthou art preordained to be rich, fell all thouhaft and fcatter it abroad in the ftreetes,fpend thy time ingaming,drinking andwhoring, neuer troubling thy head with care, nor thyhands with worke, yet (halt thou bee-a wealthieman. Now who would not laugh at fuch abfurd mannerofreafoning ifany fhould vfe it ? becaufe eueryman knoweth, that as Godhath decreed the time ofour life, fo he hathdecreedalto that we should vfe the meanes, where- by ourliues may bee preferued fo Iong as hee hath ordained that wee fhould liue, nainelie, auoiding of dangers, good .diet,and phyficke; andas he hath decreed thata man fhould 'be rich,fohee hath decreedalto that hee fhouldvfe all good meanes of attaining vnto riches, namelie, prouidencc and ;paires in getting, and care and frugalitie in keeping that he 'hath gotten; and whofoeuervfenot the meanes, doe make it manifeft that they were not ordained vnto the end. Al- though indeed, becaufe theLord would fhew his abfolute and almightie power,hee dothnot alwaies tie himfelfe vnto meanes, but fometime croffeth and maketh themvneffe61u- all to theirends, and fometime hee effe1eth what hee will, without or contrarie to all tneanes; andhence it is that fome quicklie diewho vfe all meanes topreferuehealth,and fore become poore who vfe al meanes ofobtainingriches,where- -as others bcing,depriued ofthe meanes attainevnto long life and richesby the immediate bleflìngofGod. But ordinarily themeanes and end goe together, and therefore it is fond prefuunption to imagine or hope, without the vfe of the meanes, to attaine vnto the end. And thus it is alto in fpiri- tuall matters appertaining to euerlafling life ; thofe whom Godbath ele&ed,hehath.ordainedalto that they fhould at- taine unto andvfeal goodmeanes tending thereunto,name- lie faith,repentance, fanó}ification,and newnelfe oflife : and therefore it is as abfurd for any to imagine, that they(hall be faued continuing in their ignorance, infidelitie, vnrepen- tancie,and filthiecorruptions,as it is for a man to thinke that he (hall hue tobe old, and yet runneth intoall dangers, for- faketh phyfcke yea and foode alfo whereby his life fhould befuflained. For the fpirituall meanes offaluation are as wel .N 3 (nay
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