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…

The sweetest wine to an aguish palate tastes of that bitter humour which it there finds. So lusts and curses interweaving themselves with the Creatures in a wicked mans hands, must needs take away the sense of their simple goodness, turn their table to a snare, and the things which should have been for their good into an occasion of falling. Whereas the faithful by the Word and Prayer have the Creature sanctified, seasoned, and perfumed unto their use again, have the curse of God removed, and their own lusts corrected, and with-held from mingling with them. Thus faith gives us all things in the Fountain, more certain, and more sweet, by stopping the holes which did let them out, and by removing the lusts and curses which did before embitter them.

The sweetest wine to an aguish palate tastes of that bitter humour which it there finds. So lusts and curses interweaving themselves with the Creatures in a wicked mans hands, must needs take away the sense of their simple goodnesse, turne their table to a snare, and the things which should have been for their good into an occasion of falling. Whereas the faithfull by the Word and Prayer have the Creature sanctified, seasoned, and perfumed unto their use againe, have the curse of God removed, and their owne lusts corrected, and with-held from mingling with them. Thus faith gives us all things in the Fountaine, more certaine, and more sweet, by stopping the holes which did let them out, and by removing the lusts and curses which did before embitter them.

Secondly, Faith gives us all things by giving us the Promises. Godliness hath the promises of this life, and that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4. 8. Wicked men have good things only by Gods general providence, which maketh his Sun to shine as well on them as on the ⟨p. 493⟩just by a common bounty. But this manner of tenure is liable to many forfeitures, curses, taxations; many inroads and devastations, by wolvish and wasting lusts; and by consequence is not able to settle and secure the heart in the enjoyment of them. But now by Faith in the promises the godly have their hold altered, have their estate settled in a better and surer tenure, delivered from those many encumbrances and entanglements unto the which before they were obnoxious; so that now a mans heart is secured beyond all doubts or humane fears. A poor man may object; I am not wise enough to order my affairs, I am disabled by sickness and weakness to attend my Calling, my charge increaseth upon me, and my probabilities of providing for them wax smaller then before. But yet Faith is able to answer these and all other the like objections, by proposing the promise. Dost thou live by thine own strength? Dost thou prosper by thine own wisdom and industry, or by the blessing and truth of God in his promises? and is Gods Truth an Accepter of persons? Is not his fidelity as firm towards weak and poor, as towards rich believers? Is there any want or weakness, any poverty or deficiency in heaven? Do the promises of God stand in need of mans wisdom or strength to bring them to pass? Can thy increase of charge or occasions, exhaust the Treasures, or dry up the Fountains and truth of God? If an honourable and wealthy person have occasions to enlarge his retinue, and live at a higher pitch then before, yet because he hath abundance, he doth not repine at this necessity. All the faithful are of the household and family of God, who is no whit the poorer in his state and power by maintaining many or few. He gives to all men, & yet he gives liberally, Jam 1. 5. which no rich man in the World is able to do because as he gives to others, himself decreaseth. But God gives out of a Fountain, as the Sun gives light,