The Vexation of the Spirit. 1 a key of iron which lets him out of a dungeon, than a barre of gold that fliuts him in. If a man fhould have a great Diamond curioufly cut into fharpe angles, worth - many thoufand pounds, in his bladder, no man would count him a rich, but a miferable and dead man ; this is jufl the cafebetweene a man and the Creatures of them- (-elves withoutChrifi tofant9ifie them unto us; though the things be excellent in their owne being, yet mingled with our corruptions and lulls, they are turned into poy- fon, into the Gall of Afpes within a man, they will not Puffer him to feele any duietneffe in his belly, in the fi l- neffe of his fuf ciencie hee (hall bee in f raight.t, and while hee is eating, the fury of wrathfhall raine downe upon him. Let a mans meat be never fo Tweet in it felfe, yet if lice fhould temper the. fawce with dirt out of a fnke, it would make it altogether loathfome ; and a wicked man eats all his meat like fwine, wrapped up and over dawbed with dirt and curies. c.% little, faith Salomon, which the righteous bath, is better than great riches of the ungodly : In fe, it is not, but woad hominem, in regard_ of the man it is : for that little which, a righteous man hath, is to him an experience of Gods Promife, a branch of his love, a meancs of thankfull affeelions in him, a viaticum unto heaven; whereas the wicked mans abun dance turnes into his greater curie, their table becomes their fh.are, and thofe things which fhould have beene for theirgood, prove unto them an occafion of falling. Cod makes his S unne to di ine on the jufi, and on the unjufi, :on a garden of Spices , and on a dung -hill : but in the one in begetteth a fwcetfavourof praiie and obedience;: in the other it raifeth up noyfome lufis, which prove a favour unto death. And who had not rather be free in a. cottage, thanecondemned in a Palace ? Saint Paul difiin -- guifheth of a Reward and a Dilpenfation.. If I preach I Cor 9,17. the (7odßel willingly, Ihave a Reward, if again' my will;; a 'TD enfxtion is committed unto mee. Wee may apply it 77 fobZ-o. 14.t6. Z.o, zz,z3. Pa169. Zz..
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