A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

Eighthly, let it be our care in the time of our prosperity, that we do not grow more sluggish and slothful in Gods service, in Prayer, hearing the Word, Reading, Meditation; for the more we are taken up with our earthly employments, the less we mind these holy duties and religious exercises, as we see in the experience of many, who have been forward in them in their sickness, poverty, and mean estates, and wholly neglect them, or coldly, carelessly, and formally perform them, when they enjoy health, wealth, and worldly preferments. Yea, Gods good Children oftentimes are herewith overtaken, having a great damp cast over their zeal and devotion by these worldly mists; as we see in good Martha her ¹self, who by her worldly business was made more cold and careless in attending unto Christ. Which, that we may avoid, let us consider, that when we abound with all worldly blessings, we stand more in need of spiritual helps, to keep us upright in our ways, and from falling into those sins, to which this prosperous state exposeth us. And that these earthly benefits being Gods present wages, whereby he encourageth us to do him more diligent and faithful service, it is a shameful abuse of his bounty, to be made thereby more slothful and negligent. Ninthly, let us take heed in our prosperity, that these worldly things, through our overmuch affecting them, do not become thorns to choke in us the seed of Gods Word, and hinder in us the growth of his spiritual graces, the which through our corruption they are apt to do, as our Saviour teacheth us in the Parable of the Sower; partly by catching hold of us, and hindering us