Of thedangeroufnesofworldlyprofperítie, 37 ther oftheaffii&ed way,then ofthefairepaffage ofworldly profperitie,that we might followhis fleps,asbeing farre the fafell way,tobringvs to our hcauenly countrie. Our Sauiour Gregor.part° Chriff (faith he)might by beg right haste raignedouer them as ral,curx,r.pr. King; whomhimfel fe had created :but becaufehe thereforeap- cap3. Feared in the fiefh, that beemight not only redeems, vswith his paffion,but alfomight teach vsby hisconuerfation,foewinghim- [eelfe anexamplefor vs to follow, bee refufed tobe madea King, and cantrariwife voluntarily offered himfelfe to flier on the croft"e, bee auoidedthegloríeo fregiment, and embracedthepu- nifhment ofa fhamefulldeath; to this end, that his members might hereby learne,toflee theworlds fauours,and little tofears hit. threats and terrors, to loueaduerfttieforthe truthfnk4, and fearingprofperrtieto auoid it; becaufe this oftentimes defiletk theheartwithfuelling pride, andthat helpeth topurge it y re- pentance. In that the minds, doth exalt it/elfe, by this after it u thus exalted,itis again humbled; In that a man forgettetb himfelfe, in this whetherhewill orno, he isforced to remember thatwhich, hehadforgotten; in that goodthingsbefore donepe- rifh,in thisfatoftscämittedlong«o arecleanfedandpurged. For oftentimeswith the tuti/lag° ofaduerfttie,the heart iskeptdown vnderdifcipline,whereas ifit rufh vp to the(fern ofgouernmit, forthwithit is changed inpride through vfeofvaineglorie. But this may yet moreplainly appeare, ifweconfider the 4.Se.Fí.i: effeëis ofboth,in theexamplesaswell of former ages, as ofThegreat dam our owne times. For howdifficult,and almofi impoflible it ger ofprofperity ìs to walke in this funfnine ofprofperitie andnot be tanned,Jbewed by ex- to breathe this infe6edaire andnot to bee corruptedwith amples offer! noifome and carnall tufts it is euident,both on the one fide, g by thehuge multitudes ofthofe who in abufing it,haue bin abufedby it ; and on the other fide,by the exceeding raritie andpaucitie ofthofe,whoby the good:vfethereof,hauebin made more vertuous, and better fitted for the feruice of God. For ifyoutake acomputationofboth,you (hallfinde a greater difparitie betweene them in their number, then betweene the feruants of God and the fcruantsofBaal, ac. cording toElias account ; the one exceeding the flarres in multitude,the otherberm; as rare asblack fwans,vnleffe we .D 3 will
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