Tfiat worldly thingsthrough our ohmicare hurtfull ßÿc. 663 deflrùEtionof bodyand foule. For asmeate it felfe being mo- deratelyviedbecommeth wholefome nourifhment, whereby the body is refrefhed,and thehfe preferued; but ifitbee eaten with a greedie appetite, and in exceflìuemeafure, it oppreffeth the flomacke, and becommeth the mother and nurfe ofall dif cafes :fo if we feeke thefe things with moderate loue, and in temperate meafure, they will retrefh and comfort our hearts and foules, foas theywill be more cheerefull and ftrong in per- forming the duties andworkes of godlineffe; whereas ifwith agreediedefire we hunger after them, and not contentingour felucs with fufficiencie, labour after fuperfluitie, ourfoules will be furcharged witha fpirituall furfet, and the difeafes offinne which bring with them eternally death,will abound invs ro our &Bastion. Thus howfoeuer honors and earthly preferments are (asbe- 4.Stél.z. fore I haue (hewed) good and lawfull, profitable and to bee e- that trerldty (teemedwith due refpedt,yet ifthey be exceflìuely ouerualued owrt b,int abouetheir worth and preferred in ouriud j gement & affeétion tnubhurtdo p g tboftahodote before fpirituall graces and heauenly glory ; they prefentlybe- upon them. come not onely vainc and vnprofitable to them that thushaue them, but alto hurtfull and pernicious. Secaufe ouerprizing themin their iudgement, and ouer fondlydotingon them in their affection,and inboth preferring them before thôfe fpiri- tuall and heauenlyexcellencies; theywill be accordingly ready at all times, tohazard the loffe, yea to make a voluntarie for- feiture ofthofethings,which in truth are infinitely better, fo theymayeither gaineorretaine thefeworldly trifles, which in their deluded iudgement, and corrupted affediion, they ima- ginetobe ofgreater worth. For who feeth not that ambitious men immoderately louing,andexcefliuelyprizing honours,and thegloryofthe world, are ready to run headlong into all ma- ner offinne,and by finning, to hazard the loffe of grace and glory, all opinionof verrue, andhope ofhappinefle, either for the compaffìngor maintainingof their reputationand prefer- ment?For thus they are ready to raife thcmfelues by othersru- ines ; to honour themfeluesby difhonouring God; to afpiir vntopreferments,by machiauellian policies; to play thehypo- crites in making a femblance and Phew of thofe venues and good parts which were neuer in them, and a thoufand `7u4 fuch `'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=