Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

If a mans heart be not set on God, and taught to rest upon his providence, to answer all Satan's promises with his All-sufficiency to reward us, and all his threatenings, with his All-sufficiency to protect us, how easily will ⟨p. 105⟩promises beguile, and threatenings debtor unstable and earthly minds? Let the Devil tell one man, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt speak in a Cause to pervert judgement, how quickly will men create subtleties, and coin evasions to rob a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance? Let him say to another, I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me, if thou wilt dissemble thy conscience, divide thy heart, comply with both sides, keep down the power of godliness, persecute zeal, set up will-worship and superstitions, how quickly shall such a mans religion be disguised, and sincerity, if it were possible, put to shame? If to another thou shalt by such a time purchase such a Lordship, out such a neighbour, swallow up such a prodigal, if thou enhance thy rents, enlarge thy fines, set unreasonable rates upon thy Farms, how quickly will men grind the faces of the poor, and purchase ungodly possessions with the blood of their tenants? If to another, beware of laying open thy conscience, of being too faithful in thy Calling▪ too scrupulous in thy office, least thou purchase the dis-favour of the World, lest the times cloud over thee, and frown upon thee, lest thou be scourged with persecuted names, and make thy self obnoxious to spies and censures, how will men be ready to start back, to shrink from their wonted forwardness, to abate their former zeal, to couple in with, and connive at the corruptions of the age, in one Word to tremble when Ephraim speaks, and not to tremble when God speaks? So hard is it when the heart is wedded to earthly things, and they are gotten into a mans bosom, to bear the assaults of any temptation.

If a mans heart be not set on God, and taught to rest upon his providence, to answer all Satans promises with his All-sufficiencie to reward vs, and all his threatnings, with his All-sufficiency to protect us, how easily will ⟨p. 105⟩promises begvile, and threatnings deterre unstable and earthly minds? Let the Divell tell one man, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt speake in a Cause to pervert judgement, how quickly will men create subtilties, and coine evasions to rob a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance? Let him say to another, I will doe whatsoever thou sayst unto me, if thou wilt dissemble thy conscience, divide thy heart, comply with both sides, keepe downe the power of godlinesse, persecute zeale, set up will-worship and superstiions, how quickly shall such a mans religion bee disgviz'd, and sincerity, if it were possible, put to shame? If to another thou shalt by such a time purchase such a Lordship, out such a neighbour, swallow up such a prodigall, if thou enhance thy rents, enlarge thy fines, set unreasonable rates upon thy Farmes, how quickly will men grinde the faces of the poore, and purchase ungodly possessions with the blood of their tenants? If to another, beware of laying open thy conscience, of being too faithfull in thy Calling too srupulous in thy office, least thou purchase the dis-favour of the World, lest the times cloud overthee, and frowne upon thee, lest thou be scourged with persecuted names, and make thy selfe obnoxious to spies and censures, how will men be ready to start backe, to shrinke from their wonted forwardnesse, to abate their former zeale, to cople in with, and connive at the corruptions of the age, in one Word to tremble when Ephraim speakes, and not to tremble when God speakes? So hard is it when the heart is wedded to earthly things, and they are gotten into a mans bosome, to beare the assaults of any temptation.