Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the vornitie of lborldly pleafures. 409 conclufion found, that there was nothing in them all, but meere vanitie, and which is worfe, vexation offpirit. But how vaine andvoid ofexcellencie there worldly plea §.Sefí.L. lures are, it may hereby appeare, in that if we take themat That worldly the befi, they are but of a meane, inferiour and indifferent Pleafares are nature ; whole goodnes chiefly confrlieth in their mediocri gáfts ofan fo. tie and meafitre rather then in the pleafures themfelues y 'r °urnarure, in P whicó are be_ which. meafure being exceeded,they become cull and loath- flowed raoft fome, as we may fee in the exceeffe of eating, drinking,play_ plentif+lly vpon ing and the refs. Now how bate and meane is that good to the wicked. be efleemed, whole abliemious vfe is bitter then full fruiti- on? and whole limited meafure is more commendable, then plentie and abundance? yea how void of excellencie, and nearevntonoughtis that to be accounted, which becom meth euill by increafing, and when it bath greatneffe, loleth- goodnes? And hence it is, that the Lord, whole moll wife judgement is the true ballance, that difcerneth folid good, from light vanitie, efleeming there worldly pleafures, as vaine and worthleffetrifles, careleflfely cafieth them in com- mon among all,and fuffereth the bad as well as the good,his> enemiesas well as his friends to communicate in them : yca feeing that the wicked let their hearts vpon them, and loue them much better then their Creator; and his ovine chil- dren, being too carnally licorous, are readie to furfet vpon thefefweet meatsofworldlydelights;hauing fcatteredthem in common among all, in his iuli iudgement to the one, he leaueth them to their owne libertie, andletteth them ga- . ther their fill; and in his richmercie to the other, he holdeth them backe,when they run after them.with.too eager an ap- petite, and fuffereth them to feed vpon them but fparingly, and in finall quantitie, and becaufe being tainted with the fall of our firil parents, as they fhll retaine fome goodnes of their creation,fo there is infufed into them a malignant qua. litie,which filleththofe who too much feed vpon them,with the groffe and dangerous humors of corruption : therefore the Lord the wife Phyfition, either refiraineth his patients, whom he intendeth to cure, from their vfe, or if yeelding fo much to their appetite,he fitffereth them to feed vpon then; he.