Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the _ürituall exits whichaccompay worldly things. 781 whereby the diuell fo much.preuaileth euen in thek daies, by caufing men to fall in this 1pirituall fight into thefe lime pits ofcarnaílpleafures, and fo obtaining an eafie vi&orie, he leadeth them away captive into all manner offinne, as ehambring and wantonneffe, lull and vncleaneneffe, furfet- Prou.7.16.17. hog and drunkenneffe, and whatfoeuer other wickedneffe may further them either in the procuring, or enioying of their carnali delights: with all which the flefh being fed and pampered,becommeth a flrong afiilìant unto Satan in affaul- tino the fpirituall man, and in leading him captiue veto. fin : whereby the folly ofworldlings clearely appeareth, in that they willingly nourifh this fecret traytor, and flrengthen this enemie againft themfelues, taking all their care in get- ting, and their comfort in enioying that, which inthralleth them in the bondage offinne,.and both furthereth and en- creafeth their fearefull condemnation : as though the wic.. ked flefhwere not a Toile fertile enough to nourifh and bring forth the fruits of wickedneffe, vnleflè it were mademore rancke with this dung ofworldly vanities. And thus haue I hewed that thefe earthly things, honors, riches and plea - fures being immoderately loued and defired, doe become the diuels baits and flares to intangie vs in.finne to our per - ditionand deflru &ion: whereby it appeareth how dange. rous and defperate the eflate ofworldlings is,who are on all fides befet with nets, which that deadly fowler Satan doth continually watch, and (asBildad fpeaketh) dowake ix the Iob ILL middeFt of f Bares, fo as they cannot Prep forward a footto at- chieue their delires, but they are in danger ofcatching; yea and haue not onely loares veder their feet, but ouer their heads readie to fall vpon them, and to catch them by the neckes; for fo the Pfalmifl faith, that God doth rain /hares Pfalme open the tbicked, fo as they can nomore auoid them, then the drops ofwater which come down einaflormie fhower: the which their cafe is fo much more def erate, becaufe they are fo farrefrom fhunning thefe nets and fnares, that they wil- lingly feeke them, andwilfully ¡cape into them, not caring to¡ntangle their foules in finne anddeath, fo they may pray for.: