Yea one would think that the very troubles and smart that in this life accompanieth your wealth and honour, in the getting and keeping, and the gripes of conscience, that the fore-thoughts of the parting hour, and your heavy reckoning, must needs mix with all your pleasure and vain glory, unless you have laid asleep your wits; besides your experience of the emptiness and deceit of all that you have overvalued; I say, one would think that this much should somewhat allay your thirst, and calm your minds, and make you think of a better treasure. Sure I am that God would do ten thousand fold more for you, and be better to you; and yet because of some fleshly arguments, you are turned away from him. He cannot be thus loved, and delighted in, and sought, and yet he offereth more for you then the world doth. Saith Augustine, Ecce mundus turbat, & amatur▪ quid si, tranquill us esset? formoso quomodo haereres, qui […] ⟨image 14⟩[…] ⟨image 14⟩⟨image 15⟩sic amplecteris foedum: Flores ejus quomodo colligeres, quia spinis non revocas manum?] And it is just that they should▪ have a bed of thorns, that wilfully make choice of it. Seneca thus justifieth God, that though he give men such perplexities and vexations, it is nullis nisi optantibus, only to them that will needs have it •o, and are choosers of their own destructions: Choosers do I say? Yea and will compass Sea and Land for it? Stretch conscience for it till it tear or can stretch no further? Oppress and defraud for it (some of them): break Vows and Covenants for it▪ sell God and Heaven for it: scrambling with such distracted violence for the smoky honours, the nominal wealth, the intoxicating pleasures of a few hasty days, that they care not what they part with for them, nor who they bear down that standeth in their way. Quid non mortalia pectora cogit, Auri Sacre fames—. And is Christ worth no more, then to be sold with Judas for so base a price? Is our heavenly birth-right a thing so base, or the promise of our immortal Crown so uncertain, as to be parted with on Esau's terms? Is God and Endless Glory worth no more, then this comes to! Propter nummos Deum contemnere, saith Hierom, to despise and cast off God, for a thing so base, is the basest kind of despising him. The Idolaters that vilified him by making images of him, were asked, To whom will you liken me, saith the holy One, Isa. 40. 18, 25.
Yea one would think that the very troubles and smart that in this life accompanyeth your wealth and honour, in the getting and keeping, and the gripes of conscience, that the fore-thoughts of the parting hour, and your heavy reckoning, must needs mix with all your pleasure and vain glory, unless you have laid asleep your wits; besides your experience of the emptiness and deceit of all that you have overvalued; I say, one would think that this much should somewhat allay your thirst, and calm your minds, and make you think of a better treasure. Sure I am that God would do ten thousand fold more for you, and be better to you; and yet because of some fleshly arguments, you are turned away from him. He cannot be thus loved, and delighted in, and sought, and yet he offereth more for you then the world doth. Saith Augustine, Ecce mundus turbat, & amatur▪ quid si, tranquill us esset? formoso quomodo haereres, qui 〈…〉 ⟨image 14⟩〈…〉 ⟨image 14⟩⟨image 15⟩sic amplecteris foedum: Flores ejus quomodo colligeres, quia spinis non revocas manum?] And it is just that they should▪ have a bed of thorns, that wilfully make choice of it. Seneca thus justifieth God, that though he give men such perplexities and vexations, it is nullis nisi optantibus, only to them that will needs have it •o, and are choosers of their own distructions: Choosers do I say? Yea and will compass Sea and Land for it? Stretch conscience for it till it tear or can stretch no further? Oppress and defraud for it (some of them): break Vows and Covenants for it▪ sell God and Heaven for it: scrambling with such distracted violence for the smoaky honours, the nominal wealth, the intoxicating pleasures of a few hasty daies, that they care not what they part with for them, nor who they bear down that standeth in their way. Quid non mortalia pectora cogit, Auri Sacre fames—. And is Christ worth no more, then to be sold with Judas for so base a price? Is our heavenly birth-right a thing so base, or the promise of our immortal Crown so uncertain, as to be parted with on Esau's terms? Is God and Endless Glory worth no more, then this comes to! Propter nummos Deum contemnere, saith Hierom, to despise and cast off God, for a thing so base, is the basest kind of despising him. The Idolators that villified him by making images of him, were askt, To whom will you liken me, saith the holy One,
