Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

sis Of the manifold mif riet of mass daily intangled in the fnares oÑin,and haue our-bef4 a&ions fo imperfeól and flained with our . corruptions, that if-the Lord fhopld examine them according to his righteous iudgemenr, they would deferue a curie rather then a blef- fing, and.punifhment rather then a reward ?. What a miferie is this,that after we haue with Jacob prcuailed with God, we fhould halt of our corruptions to the day of death; and af- ter we haue broken out of the prifon ofSatans bondage, and (hakenoff the chaines of his fubieélions,al our ioynts fhould be fo flifft and bennmmed,that wee fhould to the very end oflife,lamely performe all holy duties, and haltlike wret- ched, creeples in the waits of God? Finally, that themore time is added to our dales, the morewee ( hould adde tei the heape ofour Ganes, and prouoke our. good God to Mil dif- pleafure, who bath fo tenderly 'cued vs, that bee gave his outme deare forme,to death for the perfedling of our -re- demption ?: And this is the chiefe part of all our miferie, as being that Tbat the things cutfed fountaine fromwhich all the ref+ fpring and flow; for *Phis Isle are by reafon hereofall thecreatures in the world are made fub- ned ie& to corruption, and being made for bleffn s the are onelybyne- P s g g r y e/frie. turned into punifhments; and though outwardly they feeme excellent and defireable, yet this hidden, poyfon offinne fey cretly lurking in thern,maketh vs to call them vp with griefe, when with great pleafure we haue fwallowed them downe. So that euen thofe things which we chiefly affeél are full of wretchedneffe, betides thofe innumerable miferies ioyned with them,which all taking notice of,doe abhorre and (bun. And though the things we defife were freed from outward and accidentali euils ; yet themfelues bring with them mife- rie enough to make them Wily loathfome to allthat iudici- oufly talk and rell i(h them. For the chiefe goo.dneffe ofthefe worldly things which wedefìre,confifleth not in any abfo- lute excellency that is in thcmfelues, but onely as they are prefent helpes to free vs forthe time from- the culls which we feare; and no other worth or eflceme haue they but as they come commended by fome vrgent necefïìt -y : thus wee desire riches, not fo much -ffor any excellencie we (ce inthem, as