Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Again, in bondage there are hard tasks put upon men; as you know it was part of the bondage of the children of Israel in Egypt, that the Egyptians gave them more to do then they could possibly compass, they were to make so many tale of Brick, and yet they were not allowed the materials. So is it in this captivity, our lusts give us more to do then we can perform. The lust of pride and ambition in Haman, we see it set him on more then he could possibly compass. The lust of covetousness in Ahab for Na•aoths Vineyard, you see how hardly it charged him, and what difficult things it put him upon.

Again, it addeth this to it, if there be not a performance of what it requires, as the Task-Masters in Egypt did to the children of Israel, they beat them: so if we cannot do the things that these lusts sets us about, as the Apostle expresseth it, 1 Tim. 6. They pierce us through wi•h many sorrows. That which is said there of the lust of riches, may be said of any other lust, when it ⟨p. 360⟩is not satisfied, it pierceth us through with many sorrows.

Lastly, as in bondage a man is set on work, about business which is not for his own good, but only for the advantage of his Master that commands him: so doth this Law in our members, it sets us about a work that stands only with our hurt: Therefore in that place, 1 Tim. 6. they are called hurtful lusts, that is, lusts that hurt the party, that fight against the soul, and indeed […] ¹