The Vanity of the creatztre, when men, who make Gold their confidence, heare that they muff forfake all for Chrifl, and are fometimes hap - Iy put upon a triall, they i}art aide, choofe rather fecure ly to enjoy what they have prefent hold of, than venture the interruption of their earnall contentments for filch things, the beauty whereof the Prince of this world hath blinded their eyes that they fhould not fee. For certainly till the minde be fetled to beleeve that in God there is an ample recotnpence for any thing, which wee may other - wife forgoe for him, it is impoffible that a man ( hould foundly embrace the love of the truth, er renounce the love ofthe world. Secondly, as they Fill,fo they Swell the Heart too, and bÿ that meanes work in it a contempt and dif- eflimation of the fimplicity of the Gofpell : We have both together in the Prophet, According to their palurefo were they Filled ; they were filled, and their heart was Exalted, therefore have they forgotten mc. Now the immediate childe of Pride is felfe-dependance and arefe6 }ion on our owne fiifficiencie, and firm thence the next ffue is a con- tempt of the fimplicitie of that Gofpell, which would drive us out of our felves. The Gentiles out of the pride oftheir owne wifdomc counted the Gofpell of CH R fooliíhnclfe, and mocked thofe that preached it unto them : and the Pharifies, who wercthc learned Doelors of Jeru- falem, when they heard Chrif} preach againf} earthly af- feé&ions, out of their pride and covetoufneí% 'Derided him, asthe Evangelií} fpeakes. Nay, further they ftiflethe feeds of all nobleneffe, ingenuitie, or common vertues in the lives of men ; from whence come oppre fi on extortion, bribery, cruelty, rapinefraud, injurious,treacherous, for - did, ignoble courfes, a very diffolution of the Lawes of Nature amongí} men, but from the adoration of earthly things,'from that Idoll of covetoufaeffe which is fet up in the heart ? Thirdly, they are Deceitfull rhornes, as our Saviour ex- preffeth Pfal.io.q. I Con z.z3. Ad.! 7.3z. Luke
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