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…

A man may make himself like these things, he may debase himself into the vileness of an Idol, They that make them are like unto them; he may under-value and uncoyne himself, blot out Gods Image and Inscription, and write in the image and inscription of earth and Satan, he may turn himself into brass and iron and reprobate silver, as the Prophet speaks; but never can any man raise the Creatures by all his estimations to the worth of a man: we cannot so much as change the colour of a hair or add a cubit to our stature, much less can we make any thing of equal worth with our whole selves. We read indeed of some which have sold the righteous, and that at no great rate neither, for a pair of shoes. Joel 3. 6. Amos 2. 6. but we see there how much the Lord abhorred that detestable fact, and recompensed it upon the neck of the oppressors. How many men are there still that set greater rates upon their own profits, or liberty, or preferments, or secular accommodations, then on the Souls of men, whose perdition is oftentimes the price of their advancements? but yet still Saint Pauls rule must hold, For meat• destroy not the work of God, for money betray¹ not the blood of Christ, destroy not him with thy meat, with thy dignities, with thy preferments, for whom Christ died. We were not redeemed with silver and gold from our vain Conversation, saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 18. and therefore these things are of too base a nature to be put into the balance with the souls of men; and that man infinitely undervalues the work of God▪ the Image of God, the blood of God, who for so base a purchase as money, or preferment any earthly and vain-glorious respect doth either hazard his own, or betray the Souls of others commended to him.

A man may make himselfe like these things, he may debase himselfe into the vilenesse of an Idoll, They that make them are like unto them; hee may under-value and uncoyne himselfe, blot out Gods Image and Inscription, and write in the image and inscription of earth and Satan, he may turne himselfe into brasse and iron and reprobate silver, as the Prophet speakes; but never can any man raise the Creatures by all his estimations to the worth of a man: we cannot so much as change the color of a haire or adde a cubite to our stature, much lesse can we make any thing of equall worth with our whole selves. We read indeed of some which have sold the righteous, and that at no great rate neither, for a paire of shooes.