Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That worldly things doe not fatisfie or bring contentment. 477 are in health, alittle doth content them, but when they are difeafed with the burning heate of worldly concupifcence, this vnnaturallappetite is neuer fatisfied, but the more they haue, the morethey delire,and the neerer they are to abun- dance and fuperfluiti e, the further they are from contentati- on; and whereas at firfl they had fome flay of themfelues, and force power to moderate theirdefires, now having gi_ uen the raines to their concupifcence, it runneth on with headlong violence, and admitteth no reflraint: like vnto thofe Banding on the top of a fleepe hill, who howfoeuer they can eafily rule themfelues whilef theykeep their place, or ifthey warily creepe downe by little & flow degrees, yet ifthey begin once to runne, they can make no flay, till with greatperill they come headlong to the bottome. The reafonsof this vnfatiablenes are diuers :firf and prin. ,ç s ¿i cipally it commethto paffe through the iuf iudgernent of yhe rearms ml j God,who(feeing worldlingsloue hisgifts better then him- the mindof (elfe that gaue them, and in Head of being moued by his man cannot be bountie to ferne him with more alacritie, do commit idola- fattsfedwitb trie with thefe earthlyvanities)doth lay this heauie curie vp_ earthly: on them, that they (hall not be able to fatisfie them or give contentment,yea rather the more they (hall feed vpon them, the more their hunger (hall be increafed. And this is that iudgement and maledi&ion which the Lord denounceth a- gainhi the Ifraelites, for negle&ing the duties of his feruice, that they /hould eate and not hatte enough ; the which iudge- Hofea.4.to. ment was accordingly inflicted on them, as the Prophet Michaó.t4. Haggai telleth them : re harm fo yen (faith he) much,and bring Haggai r.6, in little;yeeate, butye bauenot enough; ye drink e, but ye are not filled; yee cloath yee, butyou be not t'arme; and he that earneth wages, purteth the wages into a brokenbag. Anotherreafon may be,that ourappetite and the delires ofour hearts being fpiri- tuall, are in comparifone of thefe earthly thingsalmoll infi- nit,and offttch exceedinglarge extent,that the whole world cannot fill and fatisfie them, there being no end or limits let voto them, or atleafl fuch as the earth & earthly things can - not afford vnto vs. The which vnfatiableneffe ofthe heart by the world (one wittily faith) is implied and fignified by their E e diuers