Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.D76 C552 1611 v.2

710 Ofthef]iritualleuilswhich accompanyworldlthing", by their fraud andopprelTion,aidenioying their health the betterby thevfe ofworldly delights;then are theycncoura- Nimir amen- ged to go on in theirwicked courfes, and infeparabliewed- (bonne fequan- ded vnto their fin,being not only tied vnto it with ÿ (irong ¡sr e ¡dean- cordof their corruption, but alto in the mofl infringeable cum turáneu(ta,gnáa bond of benefit,whichthey haue neitherwill nor powerto dificilius ma- breake. In which refpe6l there cannot beea more fearefull lum corrigitur, judgement ofGodvpon fnfull man,then when finnehalting pod QP f" gone before, he fufferethprofperity to follow after, not on- nit wickedneflè richly cur. Gregor. rewarded,they are ready to thinke(asthe Pfalmifl fpeaketh) moral.lib.34. that God is like veto them ; or at leali that hee can bee con- "9' tent to winke at their wickedcourfes, and is not difpleafed Plal.so,at. , with their (ones; but alto becaufe thriuimg in their vices and cuff! waies, they are ready toattribute this profperitie vino their wickedneffe,as though itwere the caufe thereof: aswe ier.49.17. may fee-in the example ofthe Iewes, who imagined that all their plentieand profperity wasthe fruit of their idolatrie, becaufe they left the Lord, and wotfhipped the queene of heauen. The whichmaketh them fo to loue their fumes, that it isa matterofgreat difficultie toperfuade them fomuch as to haue-an hard conceitofthem, much more to bee willing to legue and forfake them, feting they haue by them no illä zf finali aduantage,as Demetrius affirmed. Yea rather they re- ioyce&boafl themfelues in their wicked courfes,glorying that theyhaue fitchmeanes for the atchieuing of their de- fires ; andmay fooner bee perfuaded to giue thoufandsof rams and whole riuers ofoyle, yeatheir firfl borne which is moli deere vnto them, then to legueand forfake their chiefe Micah4:F darling, the finneoftheir foule,as the Prophet fpeaketh. A- gainer this worldly profperity puffing- men vp withpride, dothmake them-to fwell with difdaine,that any man fhould fomuch as tellthem oftheir fins, or admonifh them oftheir cuill waits; andhow faireare they from amendment, who cannot endure toheare that theyare licke ? Or if they in the publicke minillerie-heare Godsjudgements threatned, and enforced as arguments tomoue them to repentance,they ei= ther heare-thefound onely,batting their hearts cariedaway with.

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