Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of honours, riches,andpleafures. 177 and promifes.Finalty,thefe are the rewards & wages,wher- with Satan and the world hire men to doe them feruice, and to tire themfelues, fpend their flrength, and confume their life,in the works ofdarkneffe. Againn which tentations it behoues vs to bend all our §.Set7.2. nrength,if we would not be ouercome; and to put on all the That tbefe fpirituall armourprefcribed in Gods word,wherby we may worldlythingt be inabled to make refinance. But fen in avoiding one ex- boeonrr,ricbec, treame wee rumie into another, reiec%n g the creatures of and pteafe res are in their God,becauie of our owne corruption, and leauing the law- owne nature full vfe, becaufe of the vnlawfull abufe; I will Phew what gosd,and/he thefe things are in themfelucs,and what veto vs; in what re-Lift, ofGod. fpe6is they are to be loued,defred,and vied as good; and in what refpe6ls to bee contemned and reic6led as euill; how they are to be accounted Gods bletTngs, & how the worlds baits to allure vs vnto f nne. All which I will Chew, fire ge- nerally,& then particularly. For the former we are to know, that all there thrce,to wit,honours,riches,and pleafures, are in their owne nature good; for they are the good creatures and gifts ofGod, which were approued by his owne tcni- monie; where it is Paid, that Çodfarr'all that he had made,and Gen.tgo, loe it was very good. And lea we fhould thinke that together with man, they alto haue Ion all their goodneffe through his fall; the Aponle fpeaking of the creatures, as they are now in their owne nature, faith,that every creature of God is good, and nothing ought to bee refufed, if it bee receivedwith thani¿sgiuing.T o this purpofe one faith: Theft things O Lord r.Tim.4.4. are thine, and they are good,becaufe thou the chiefegoodneshaft met tuatwit, created them ;there is nothing of ours in them ,but that we finite bona fuat,quia ili in overmuch louingthem, inordinately preferring the creatures to crebartonus i nil na o- before thee who haftcreated them.Yea they are not only crea- /rum efi in ÿs, tures ofGodsmaking,butalfobleflings which he promifeth &e. Aug.in vato thofe that ferue bim,as temporall rewards of their loue ciuic.dei.lib. and obedience. For fo the Wife man faith,that the reward of Scap.zz. humilnie & the feare of God,is riches,c glorie, andlife; where pleafures alto are inferred, without which life is no life. Neither hath any butthe faithfull any true right vnto there gifts ofGod,but are meerevfurpers, teeing they do not per_ N forme