Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

chat worldly thingsbring contempt ofgraceandglory. 69! fI with thefe earthly benefits,che morewe should loue,reuerence and with all diligence and alacritie ferue the Lord, they being his bowitifull gifts and bleffings whereby hee deferueth at our hands his loue and feruice ; howbeit fuch is the corruption of our hearts,that no boner are we inriched with thefe worldly. benefits, but wee prefently loue the gifis'better then thegiuer; andlaying herein alide all reafon,wee become :like beafls,fee- ding vpon ourproucnder,and negle&ing our feeder; and the more we are pampered and made fat, the more ready we are to kicke againfl him. An example whereof we haue in thepeople oflfrael, ofwhom the Lord complaineth, that whereas in re- fpe& ofthe manifold benefits which hee had multiplied vpon them, they fhould haue ferued him in vprightnefhe of heart; theycontrariwife by his gifts were made more rebellious: Rut he (faith the Lord ) that fhouldhaue been vpright, whenhe waxed Dcut.ga.x f. fat,fpurned with hit heck. Thou artfat, thaw art große,than art laden with fatneJ. Therefore he forfoobe God that madehim, and regarded not theflrong God of his faluatian. The like complaint the Lord maketh bythe Prophet Efay; Fleare ô heauens,and bar- Efaa.23 ken ô earth,for the Lordbath faid,1 haste nouri flied and brought vp children, but they haue rebelled againßme. Yeahee makeththem hereinmore brutifh then the beafls, 6ecaufe the oxe knoweth hit olbner,and theaße his maflert crib; but (faith he) Ifrael bath not knolbne, my people bath not vnderflood. And as they who let their hearts vpon thefe worldly things g.Set7.7. doe contemne the Lord himfelfe; fo allo his fpirituall graces That mvorld and heauenly ioyes : for fo wholly are their hearts taken vp thingbring Jpi. with the loue of thefe vanities, that they haue feldome or ritualigrace neuer leifure to thinke of thofe diuine excellencies ; butdadheauenj like the ferpents brood, they take all their delight in lying gro- glary. ueling, and in creeping on the earth, hauing neuer fo much as a thought of railing themfelues towards heauen in any diuine and fpirituall meditation. Or though they fhould thinke of grace and glory with force delire to compafl'e them, orwould lift themfelues vp in any fpirituall contemplation, yet as birds with great bodies, though they haue wings, cannpt Hie aloft, but when they attempt it, are pulled downe with their owne waight,and onely flutter vpon the earth; fo though they haue fpirituall foules, vnderf}andings, and iudgements as well as o Y y x fliers,