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 men did in good earnest personally, and hypothetically, believe and embrace these divine truths, How could it be, that men should grudge Almighty God and his worship every farthing which he requires from them of his own gifts, that they should date let the service and house of God lie dumb and naked, that they should shut up their bowels of compassion against their poor brethren,¹ and in them venture to deny Christ himself a morsel of bread or a mite of money, that they should neglect the obedience, profane the name, word, and worship of God, use all base and unwarrantable arts of getting, and all this out of love of that life, and greediness of that gain, which yet themselves, in their general subscription to Gods truth, have confessed, will either never be gotten, or at least never blessed, by such cursed courses? so prodigious a property is there in worldly things to obliterate all notions of God out of the heart of a man, and to harden him to any impudent abominations. I ²spake unto thee in thy prosperity, saith the Lord, but thou saidst, I will not hear. According to their pasture, so ³were they filled, they were filled and their heart was exalted, therefore have they forgotten me. Take heed, lest ⁴when thou hast eaten and art full, thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God. Therefore it is that we read of the Poor rich in faith, and of the Gospel preached to the Poor, and revealed unto babes; because greatness and abundance stops the ear, and hardens the heart, and makes men stand at defiance with the simplicity of the Gospel.

If men did in good earnest personally, and hypothetically, beleeve and embrace these divine truths, How could it be, that men should grudge Almighty God and his worship every farthing which he requires from them of his owne gifts, that they should date let the service and house of God lie dumbe and naked, that they should shut up their bowels of compassion against their poore brethren,¹ and in them venture to denie Christ himselfe a morsell of bread or a mite of monie, that they should neglect the obedience, prophane the name, word, and worship of God, use all base and unwarrantable arts of getting, and all this out of love of that life, and greedinesse of that gaine, which yet themselves, in their generall subscription to Gods truth, have confessed, will either never be gotten, or at least never blessed, by such cursed courses? so prodigious a property is there in worldly things to obliterate all notions of God out of the heart of a man, and to harden him to any impudent abominations. I