Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the rightvfe of honourr,riches,and pleafitres. 18 t enable hidings receiued from God. And firft wee are to know, that if we would haue thefe earthly things good, we mutt labour that they may ferue a good mailer, and that we who are owners ofthem may be truly iuftified,fan6tified,and the adopted fonnes of God, who in ChriIl haue rccouered that right and dominion otter the creatures,which we loft in ...Vans; for if we be not the children ofGod and heires of his promifes,we haue no title to his goods, but intrude vp- on them by vturpation : if wee continue vnregenerate and defiled in our finnes, we (hall taint thefe blcffings of God with our corruptions, andturne them into finne; and if we who gouerne and di (pole ofthem be euill, we lhali imploy themto euill feruices, and making them to accomplifh our euill ends and purpofes, we (hall caufe them to bevnto vs e- uili and pernicious. Foolifhtherefore is their pra6tife, who labour to haue every thing:good about them, and negle6t goodneffe in their owne perfons, and feeke toexcell all o- thers in all good things which they pot%íïe, themfelues re- maining euill and deflitue ofall goodneffe, feeing through their corruption they will defile thefe gifts ofGod, and of ble(lings make them to.become curies, and notable hinde- rances of their faluation. Secondly, although we are to efleeme thefe earthly be- 4.Se11.6. nefits as being the gifts ofGod,yet we muti take heed we do That me male not ouerualue them, by preferring them before either Gods not ourrualue fpirituall and fan6tifying graces, or the eternall ioyes and there tnrear:b tea happines ofhis kingdome : for Tooke how much more ex- thb f fe excellent the foule is then the bodie, eternallthings then Godsfpiritutll thofe that are temporali,the Creator then the creatures, and gracess fo much are we in our judgements to preferre Gods fpiritu- all graces and heauenly ioyes before thefe earthly and tranfi- torie trifles: neither (hall we receiueany hurt by this valua- tion, for the more lightly we account of thefe temporali things, and themore highly we prize thofe which are fpiri- tuall and heauenly, the liker wee are to receiue both from God, and to retaine them when we haue them : as we may fee in the example ofSalonson, who efeeming wifedome a- boue all worldly pompe and wealth, had both bellowed vp- r.ß.3 N 3 on