46 Reafons mooingvs to contemneworldlyprofperitie. falnescommeth not to ripens: and thefame happeneth tomens minds,which immoderatefelrcitie beerfleth,fa no they are noton. ly ;Marion: to others, hut all, to themfelues. Vnto this we may adde the wife L -lagers authoricic, as it is flrongly backed with hispowerfuli reafons: Cerement(faith he)pouertynor Prou.3 o.8. richer, hotfeedmewithfoodconvenient for me, lell be filland dense thee,andfay,whois the Lord ? or left 1bepaore andfieale, and tale thename ofmy God invaine.The meane eflate is ther- fore moll to be defired, Peeing it preferiteth vs from forget- fuines ofCod, irreligion, and prophaneneffe,whichaccom- panied' profperitie, from the vie ofvnlawfull meases to maintaine our (late, and from impatiencie, murmuringand repining againflGod, to whichwe are tempted in pouertie- and aduerfitie. §.Sel .3. Thirdly,let vs confider that this worldlyprofperitie is but That p.ofperitie one ofGodsordinarie gifts, which isofnogreat excellencie i, but one of and worth, being compared wich hisrich iewels,hisipiritu- Gods ordinarie all graces andeternal' ioyes; as it may hereby plainely ap- gif s, whichbe eare in that he fcattereth them as common and triuiall tri- 40 beffewet, p ontheroicked. fies,among(i his enemies, as well ashisfriends,andbellow- ed' themas well on thofe,who contemne and rebell again(l him, as vpon chofe that loue and ferue him; yea moll com- monly hegiueth tohis children theft earthly bleffìngs with a flrait andfparinghand, and afforded' them to (rangers and enemies ingreat plentie and abundance, both becaufe they are things offmallvalue, and therefore more fit tobe thewagesofferuants and flaues, then the patrimonie and portionofchildren : andalfo becaufe through our corrupti- on, theyare (asI haue (hewed) baits tocatchvs, and foares to entangle vs. And that God thusdifpenfethofthefe earth- ly things, it may appeare plainly bycuident places ofholy lob x2.6. Scripture: the holyman lob faith, that the tabernacles ofrob- bersdoprofÿer, and theyare in (a fetiewhichprovoke God, whom Godhathenriched withhis hand: and in anotherplace he cloth lob 2.1.7.to16. at largedefcribe the great profperitieofwickedmen,in that they attained to oldage, abundanceofwealth, and enjoyed peace with immunitiefrom afl3iólions;in that all which they Cooke in hand fucceeded, and all about themprofpered, in that
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