Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

3° Of profperitie, and giuer of it, the benefit of the faithful!, and the furthe- ring ofour owne faluation. And if any fuch enioy profperi. . tie and thus vfe it, in this manner, and to thefe ends, it is to bee accounted vnto them Gods fingular blefiìng, and as a tempor all pledge of eternal! happineffe. Butcontrariwife, profperitie is cuill to the wicked and vnregenerate, who haue no right vnto Cods creatures,as alto when it is vnlaw_ fully compaffed, and naughtily vied, as when it is immode- rately lotted and defired, namely, above God, his heavenly -Plat tempi- bleffiings,and fpirituall graces :for as one faith, it is the con. fcenriamandi ete i cence of the world, andnot the world it felfe that hurteth Paul fab, ?an- vs. So all() when as we fo dote vpon it, that we cannot with tia nocet.ner- nard.in;Mat.r9patience thinke of leauing it, and immoderately mourne when it is taken from vs; which careful! poffefiìon and not fitnply the vfe is condemned. To this purpofe the Heathen .Ait¡fitdebere man fpeakethdiuinely: Atrifeman(faithhe)mould bane thefe contemni ;non things co'a temned, not that they fhould not be had,6utthat they ne habeat, a- Jhould not be pofe fled with care ;he !bill not drone them away brat; non ati. from him, but if they be going he willfollow themfecurely,&c. get ill,: à je, fed He loueth not ricbes,but he had rather haue them then be with - abeuntia fens. out them ; bee recetuetb them not into his heart, but into his rut profegaetur, bottle ; neither cloth he refufe them being poffeled, but keeperh vita de them,and defiretb to Lane more large matter or uell mini red beat.cap. X f f nr, to exercife his vertue.Finally,profperitie is euill to thole who are thereby made more forgetfull ofGod, and negligent in performing the duties ofh is feruice, snore injuriousto men, and more flack in vfing the meanes of their faluation. But ofthefe points I flail haue occafion to fpeake more here- after when I intreate of the chicle parts of this profpe- ride. 8e}í. s. And thus wee are to diflinguifh betweene profperitie it That meare apt íélfe which is good, and the abufe thereof which is edill ; to abate our in which refpehl alone we are to elleeme it the worldsfriend profperitie vnto and afïiílant, whereby he tempteth vs, and our enemie, fanne. which we mull labour to overcome: and therefore for di- flinélion fake, let vs, if you pleafe, in this difcourfe call it worldly and carnal! profperitie, becaule it is abufed as a tentation of the world, to inflame our corrupt flefh with concupifceuce _ ......,...^ .,.. -.-