Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the mifiries accompanying worldly things. 55 5 themfelues with vnmeaf irable toyle, and carking care, (pending their Ilrength, and haflening their death, for the obtaining of theft earthly trifles: whereby alto they gricuoufly finne again!! God, not oncly by deflroying his creature, but by difltonouring the Creator, while(} wholly refling vpon their owne cate and labour, and vfing their owne meanes, they denie his prouidence, and refufe to be ordred in their courlës by his directions prcfcrìbed in his word; as though either he were ignorant and knew not their wants, or careleffe and did not regard them; or infuffï- cient, and not able to relieue them; whereas in truth,he Teeth all ruled) all, and bath enough in (lore for all that depend vpon him: fo that as the Wife man faith, in the feireofthe Lord is an a ffioreditrength,andbit children Jh. all haue hope; fee- Efay q.18. ing he neither wanteth knowledge, power, nor will to pro- vide for them. And thus do men draw vnto themfelues ini- quitie with the cords of thefe worldly vanities, as the Pro- phet (peaked), (wallowing vnder thefe baites the hidden hookes offin,and receiuing thefe earthly trifles as the wages ofwickednes; whereby they eternally lofe chemfelues, for the temporarie gaine of worldly vanities. And yet fo foolifh men are, that they conceiuenot ofthis miferableloffe; but thinke only thofc things deare which are bought with mo- ney, and thofecheape for which they fell their foules; that loffe alone which diminifheth their outward eflate; and that aduantage, whichaddeth to their flocke, though it robbeth them of themfelues, and their owne fàluation : and whereas theywould refufe many things which they defire vpon the bafe price offomelittle money, theywill not flicke to pur- chafe it by fin, wrong, iniurie, opprellion, lying and deceit,. though thereby they hazard body and foule to hell and eter- nal! death:whereby it appeareth how highly men prize there worldly trifles, and how meanely theyefleeme themfelues, feeing they are readie to make exchange vpon all occafions; and to make fale oftheir foules to buy thefe vanities. Thus thofe who are ambitious doe not onely toilethem- 4.Set7.7. feluts with excefliuepaines, but alfo are readie to run on in ofthemicked any wicked courfe,which doth but promife to lead them vu- cotsfts whicb to ambitioward