The monster of sinful self-seeking, anatomized together with a description of the heavenly and…The monster of sinful self-seeking, anatomizd together with a description of the heavenly and…

3. A pretender to the things of Christ when he hath got what he aims at, will leave Christ wholly, and lay aside all his pretences. As the Angels who appeared to Abraham and Lot, and divers others, assumed bodies, not out of love to the bodies they assumed, but only to do their errant, and when they had done it laid them aside. So there are many who assume a ⟨p. 30⟩profession of Religion for the pursuing of their ambitious designs, which when they have obtained they lay aside, as the Fisherman did his Net, when he was made Pope; when he was an Abbot, and then a Bishop, and then a Cardinal, he would have his Net spread for a Table-cloth, to put him in mind of his mean and poor original; But when he came to be Pope, he then commanded his Servants to lay aside his Net, for now he had caught what he had been so long Fishing for.

3. A pretender to the things of Christ when he hath got what he aimes at, will leave Christ wholly, and lay aside all his pretences. As the Angels who appeared to Abraham and Lot, and divers others, assumed bodies, not out of love to the bodies they assumed, but onely to doe their errant, and when they had done it laied them aside. So there are many who assume a ⟨p. 30⟩profession of Religion for the pursuing of their ambitious designes, which when they have obtained they lay aside, as the Fisherman did his Net, when he was made Pope; when he was an Abbot, and then a Bishop, and then a Cardinal, he would have his Net spread for a Table-cloath, to put him in minde of his meane and poor originall; But when he came to be Pope, he then commanded his Servants to lay aside his Net, for now he had caught what he had been so long Fishing for.

4. He that seeks his own things, under pretence of seeking the things of Christ, will walk contrary to his Protestations, Declarations, Vows and Covenants, even then, when he seems outwardly to be most solemn and serious in making of them. Thus did Balaam, he protesteth, that if he had an house full of Gold given him, he could not do any thing contrary to the will of God, and yet at the same time, he goeth with the Messengers sent by Balac. Are there not many amongst us, who when they Covenanted with hands lifted up to Heaven, to endeavour the extirpation of error and Heresy, and whatsoever was contrary to sound Doctrine, did even at the very same time, secretly foment and countenance the things they Covenanted against?