Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

710 Of the f] iritualleuilswhich accompany worldlthing", by their fraud andopprelTion, aid enioying their health the better by the vfe of worldly delights;then are theycncoura- Nimir amen- ged to go on in their wicked courfes, and infeparablie wed- (bonne fequan- ded vnto their fin,being not only tied vnto it with ÿ (irong ¡sr e ¡de an- cord of their corruption, but alto in the mofl infringeable cum turáneu(ta,gnáa bond of benefit,whichthey haue neither will nor powerto dificilius ma- breake. In which refpe6l there cannot bee a more fearefull lum corrigitur, judgement ofGod vpon fnfull man,then when finne halting pod QP f" gone before, he fuffereth profperity to follow after, not on- nit wickedneflè richly cur. Gregor. rewarded,they are ready to thinke(as the Pfalmifl fpeaketh) moral.lib.34. that God is like veto them ; or at leali that hee can bee con - "9' tent to winke at their wicked courfes, and is not difpleafed Plal.so,at. , with their (ones; but alto becaufe thriuimg in their vices and cuff! waies, they are ready to attribute this profperitie vino their wickedneffe,as though it were the caufe thereof: as we ier.49.17. may fee -in the example of the Iewes, who imagined that all their plentieand profperity was the fruit of their idolatrie, becaufe they left the Lord, and wotfhipped the queene of heauen. The whichmaketh them fo to loue their fumes, that it is a matter of great difficultie to perfuade them fo much as to haue-an hard conceit ofthem, much more to bee willing to legue and forfake them, feting they haue by them no illä zf finali aduantage,as Demetrius affirmed. Yea rather they re- ioyce & boafl themfelues in their wicked courfes,glorying that they haue fitchmeanes for the atchieuing of their de- fires ; and may fooner bee perfuaded to giue thoufandsof rams and whole riuers of oyle, yeatheir firfl borne which is moli deere vnto them, then to legue and forfake their chiefe Micah 4:F darling, the finne oftheir foule,as the Prophet fpeaketh. A- gainer this worldly profperity puffing- men vp with pride, doth make them-to fwell with difdaine,that any man fhould fo much as tell them of their fins, or admonifh them of their cuill waits; and how faire are they from amendment, who cannot endure to heare that theyare licke ? Or if they in the publicke minillerie -heare Gods judgements threatned, and enforced as arguments to moue them to repentance,they ei= ther heare -the found onely,batting their hearts cariedaway with.