490 That worldly things are vnprofitable. rich apparell. Andfurely this errour muff needs be foule: for ifricheswill not giue vs precedence before thole who are honourable inthe world; ifthey will not purchafe true no- bilitie, nor place vs in the feateoftrue honour; or ifthey doe, yet this honour is efleemed bale, as being tied to their wealth, rather then to their perlons (for if curry one ac- count itbafe tohaue all his efleeme for his feruants fake ; it is much more bafe to be efleemed onely forhis money fake, which is of leffe excellencies) then how much leffe can this riches intitle vs to the true nobility of a chrillian, whichchiefly confifleth in vertues and true godlineffe,which fifa.pf.t, arefree gifts ofGodsrich grace,and neuetto be bought for anymoney ? Finally, wee are not bettered by worldly plea. lures in thofemaine thingswherein the goodneflè ofa chri.. flianchiefly conf:fleth, we arenot furthered by them inour courfeofgodlines,nor made more zealous in Gods feruice; weare not by them weaned from,but rather weddedvnto the world, nor helped forward, but rather hindered in at. tainingvnto our heauenlyioyes; yeafo farre are they from betteringvs in the bell things, and aduancing vs to the fru- ition of fpirituall grace, and eternall glory, that they doe not better vs inworldly things : for they doe not prolong life but fhorten it, nor preferue health but impaire it, nor make vs honourable, but difgracc vs, nor enrich ourelate, but rather impaire andbegger it : howvnproñtable and con- temptibletherefore are thefe vanities, which neither make vs better toGod, nor to the world ; neither more honefl in pur felucs, nor morehonourable in others eflimation? CHAP.
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