Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That tnorlelly things are vnpro fitabl. 455 we aremade fopurfieand fhort winded,that we can take no paines in running this fpirituall race, buteither fit downe in the mid-way for want ofipirituall li ength, or being utterly difcouraged and out of hope, ofeuer coma-nog to the goale and obtaining the garland,returne back again to the world that we may take our Ell ofplcafures,and glut our felues with carnali delights. But concerning the hurt which we take by worldly things 4.Set7.6. abufed through our corruption, I (hail haue occafion to Thatwo,rd!, fpeake more hereafter; heere oneíy I am to thew that they things do not are vnprofltable : which that we may more clecrely vnder- aá ne dsat hand; let vs further conflder ,that how foeuerthey may fome- wf,ichmaime; what helpe vs in folrre tin all trifles, and in attaining voto our as frtt tbeydo ends in fome bafe and flight things; yet they are altogether net maitevs vnprofitable in furthering our maine ends at which wee "libeller. ihouldaime, as neither deriuing veto vs any great and defe- rable good, nor yet freeing or helping vs in our greateft dif- ficulties, and molt beanie and dangerous euils. For &(t, there outward things do not impart unto vs any elfentiall good- nes,or by hauing them, make vs better then thofe that want them; they do not make vs more ef}eemable in Gods fight, for he acceprethnot the perfons of Princes, and regardetb not kb344. the rich more then the poore, for they be 411 the wort g of his bands : neither doth he meafitre mens goodneffe by their goods, but by their godlines ;forbetter (faith theWife man) is the poore that snot/kerb in his vprightnes, then he thatpercer- Pron.:S.6, teth his limier, thonih he be rich. They do not make vs better in our felues, for feting they are not any way effentiall unto vs,but outwardaccidents,wehaue nothing added to our per - fecRion,when we haue them,nor any thing diminifhed,when we want them;that which truly maketh vs better, bettereth ourbeing, and addeth fome perfe5tton to oureffence; now whereas we haue a double being, one by generation as men, another byregeneration as Chriflians, the excellencie of the formerconfiftethintheperfedìion ofreafon, and ofthe lat- ter, in true godlincffe; and therefore feeing thefe outward things neithermake vs more reafonable, noryet more godly andreligìous,they do not at all make vs better,our goodnes I i 3 confifiing