chat worldly thingsbringcontempt ofgraceandglory. 69! fI with thefe earthlybenefits,chemorewe should loue,reuerence andwith all diligence and alacritie ferue the Lord, theybeing his bowitifull gifts and bleffingswhereby hee deferueth at our hands his loue and feruice ; howbeit fuch is the corruptionof our hearts,that noboner are weinriched with thefe worldly. benefits,but wee prefently loue the gifis'better then thegiuer; andlaying herein alideall reafon,wee become:like beafls,fee- dingvponourproucnder,and negle&ing our feeder; and the more wearepampered and made fat, the more ready we areto kicke againfl him.An example whereofwe haue in thepeople oflfrael, ofwhom the Lord complaineth,that whereas in re- fpe&ofthemanifold benefits which hee had multiplied vpon them, they fhould haue ferued him in vprightnefhe of heart; theycontrariwifeby his giftswere made more rebellious: Rut he (faiththe Lord ) thatfhouldhauebeen vpright, whenhewaxed Dcut.ga.x f. fat,fpurnedwithhit heck. Thouartfat, thaw art große,thanart laden withfatneJ. Thereforehe forfoobe God that madehim, and regardednot theflrong Godofhis faluatian. The like complaint theLordmaketh bythe Prophet Efay; Fleare ô heauens,andbar- Efaa.23 ken ô earth,fortheLordbathfaid,1hastenourifliedand broughtvp children, but they haue rebelledagainßme. Yeahee makeththem hereinmore brutifh then the beafls, 6ecaufe theoxe knowethhit olbner,and theaße hismaflert crib; but (faithhe) Ifrael bath not knolbne, mypeoplebath not vnderflood. And asthey who let theirhearts vpon thefe worldly things g.Set7.7. doe contemne the Lord himfelfe; foallohis fpirituall graces That mvorld and heauenly ioyes : for fo wholly are their hearts taken vp thingbring Jpi. with the loue of thefe vanities, that they haue feldome or ritualigrace neuer leifure to thinke of thofe diuine excellencies ; butdadheauenj like the ferpents brood, they takeall their delight in lyinggro- glary. ueling, and in creeping on the earth, hauing neuer fomuchas a thought of railing themfelues towards heauen in any diuine and fpirituall meditation. Or though they fhould thinke of grace and glory with force delire to compafl'ethem, orwould lift themfelues vp inany fpirituall contemplation, yet as birds with great bodies, though they haue wings, cannptHie aloft, but when they attempt it, are pulled downe with their owne waight,andonely flutter vpon the earth; fo though they haue fpirituallfoules, vnderf}andings, and iudgements aswell as o Yy x fliers,
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