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

Secondly, Consider that you are to be made like unto the ¹Image of God, and you are predestinated to be conformed unto Christ, but this cannot be except the Inward man be strengthened to actions of holiness, and therefore the Apostle 1 Pet 1. as he that hath called you is holy, so be you holy ²in all manner of conversation, that is, seeing you are called unto such a high place, as to be the sons of God by grace, what an unworthy thing is it to stoop unto base things. As for example, what a base thing were it that an eagle should stoop at flies? although it be unseemly in this creature, yet men do the like and are not ashamed, when men stoop to the world and will be vassals to their lusts, and be any thing they would have him to be, if it may enlarge his outward estate: beloved there is a great loss and baseness in that, for what is gold or honour, or pleasure to Christ, grace and holiness, and inward worth and excellency? In every thing that there is loss it grieves and pains us, as for example we grieve when we see wheat given to swine which would be mans meat. Again we grieve when we have set up a fair building, on which we have bestowed much cost and labour, and now to have Zim and Ohim to dwell there, and not our selves, and if these things return upon us with vexation then how much more have we cause to grieve, when we see men give themselves unto their lusts, that is, they give their ⟨p. 47⟩souls to be a harbour for their noisome corruptions which ought to be Temples for the holy Ghost.

Secondly, Consider that you are to be made like unto the ¹Image of God, and you are predestinated to be conformed unto Christ, but this cannot be except the Inward man be strengthened to actions of holiness, and therefore the Apostle 1 Pet 1. as he that hath called you is holy, so be you holy ²in all manner of conversation, that is, seeing you are called unto such a high place, as to be the sons of God by grace, what an unworthy thing is it to stoop unto base things. As for example, what a base thing were it that an eagle should stoop at flies? although it be unseemely in this creature, yet men do the like and are not ashamed, when men stoop to the world and will be vassals to their lusts, and be any thing they would have him to be, if it may enlarge his outward estate: beloved there is a great losse and baseness in that, for what is gold or honour, or pleasure to Christ, grace and holiness, and inward worth and excellency? In every thing that there is loss it grievs and pains us, as for example we grieve when we see wheat given to swine which would be mans meat. Again we grieve when we have set up a fair building, on which we have bestowed much cost and labour, and now to have Zim and Ohim to dwell there, and not our selves, and if these things return upon us with vexation then how much more have we cause to grieve, when we see men give themselves unto their lusts, that is, they give their