Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That worldly things withdraw our heart) from god. 67z feruetwo maffers, being fo contrary in difpofition, wee cannot r_Ioh.z.rf, ferne God and mammon. So the Apo(lle lohn telleth vs, that if we lone the world, the loue of the Father cannot abide j Yea theApoflle lames goeth further, and plainely faith, that the Iam.4.4. lone of the world is enmitie with Çod, and that when wee once are the worlds friends, wee prefently become Gods enemies. And another treading in their holy fleppes affirmeth,that . hee who is ouercome with the loue of the world, cannot by Greeor.in.7. any meanes take delight in God; and by how much a man Pfal.paniten. burneth in the heare of his delire after temporali things, with Pfal.z. fo flinch more damnable numbnefîe he freefeth towards thofe which are fpirituall and eternal!. Yea let them further know, that though they could be content to offer veto God the halfe Pro.z;.zG;. facrifce ofadivided heart, he will not accept ofr.t ; for ofall o- ther parts the Lord is moll jealous of the heart, and therefore is impatient to haue any (haring, or to admit any corrivals in . his loue ; but either hee will haue all or leave all to the world and the dinell. So that ifwe thinke God may be pleafed with a diuilion, and will quietly take his (hare and goe away, wee de ceiue our felues; for Peeing he hath created all, and redeemed all, and preferueth all, hee will haue all or nothing; and there- fore to denie vnto him a part, is to dense the whole ;and to of ford him only foie, is to grant and 'giue himnothing. For well doth the Lord know, that ifwe bee once luke-warme, we will Toone after be key -cold; if the riuerófourloue be divided into, many fìreames, it will within a while bee dried vp ; and if the force of our affelion be difunited, it will eafily bee ouercome. Betides, it is the nature of loue to transforme the loner into the perfon beloued, and fo toknit them together in a moth- neere bond,that he is no more his tingle felfe,but as it were a conioy- nedperfon,ruled by the fame foule. No maruell therfore if(the loue ofthe world hauing transformed ,them into ir, andmade them worldlings) the Lord cannot indure to haue filch a co- partner, or to haue his holy image conioyned with this mifsha- penmonller, or to dwell in a corner ofthat houfe,vvhak fairefi roomes arc taken vp by Satan and the world. To this purpofe one faith, thatholy delight in the Lord doth íhun that heart Bemardde k-; which ispre- poflefled with worldly delires ; neither can there mint 9 bee any-mixture of truefubtlances with vain thadowes, of things