Ofhonours, riches,andpleafures. 177 and promifes.Finalty,thefe arethe rewards & wages,wher- with Satan and the world hire men to doe them feruice, and to tire themfelues, fpend their flrength, and confume their life,in the works ofdarkneffe. Againnwhich tentations it behoues vsto bend all our §.Set7.2. nrength,ifwewould notbe ouercome; and to put on all the That tbefe fpirituall armourprefcribed inGods word,wherby we mayworldlythingt be inabled tomake refinance. But fen in avoiding one ex- boeonrr,ricbec, treame wee rumie into another,reiec%n g the creatures of and pteafe res are in their God,becauie ofour owne corruption, and leauing the law- owne nature full vfe, becaufe of the vnlawfull abufe; I will Phewwhat gosd,and/he thefe thingsare in themfelucs,and what vetovs; in what re-Lift, ofGod. fpe6is they are to be loued,defred,and vied as good; and in what refpe6ls to bee contemnedand reic6led as euill; how they are to be accounted Gods bletTngs, & how the worlds baits toallurevs vnto fnne. All which I will Chew, fire ge- nerally,& then particularly. For the former we are toknow, that all there thrce,to wit,honours,riches,and pleafures, are in theirowne nature good; for they are the good creatures and gifts ofGod, which were approued by his owne tcni- monie; where it is Paid, that Çodfarr'all that hehadmade,and Gen.tgo, loe it was verygood. And lea we fhould thinke that together with man, they alto haue Ion all their goodneffe through his fall; the Aponle fpeaking of the creatures, as they are now in their owne nature, faith,thateverycreature ofGod is good, and nothing ought to bee refufed, ifit bee receivedwith thani¿sgiuing.To this purpofe one faith: TheftthingsOLord r.Tim.4.4. are thine,and theyaregood,becaufe thou the chiefegoodneshaft met tuatwit, created them;there isnothingofours in them,but that wefinite bonafuat,quia ili inovermuch louingthem, inordinately preferring the creatures to crebartonus i nil na o- before theewho haftcreated them.Yea they arenot only crea- /rumefi in ÿs, tures ofGodsmaking,butalfobleflings which he promifeth &e. Aug.in vato thofe thatferue bim,as temporall rewards oftheir loue ciuic.dei.lib. and obedience. For fo the Wife man faith,that the rewardof Scap.zz. humilnie& thefeare ofGod,is riches,c glorie, andlife; where pleafures alto are inferred, without which life is no life. Neither hathany butthefaithfull any true right vnto there gifts ofGod,but are meerevfurpers, teeing they do not per_ N forme
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=