A70932:36
True gain, opened in a sermon preached at Pauls, Nov. 9. 1656
True gain, opened in a sermon preached at Pauls, Nov. 9. 1656 by Edward Reynolds, D.D.
London: printed by Tho. Ratcliffe for George Thomason, 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. It is exceeding injurious both to God and our selves. 1. To God, It sets up the world in his room, is enmity against him, Jam. 4.4. is inconsistent with the love of him, 1 Joh. 2.15, 16. Estrangeth the soul wholly from him, steals away the love of the heart, and engrosseth it unto it self. As the shadow of the earth makes night in the air, so doth the love of it in the heart, when as Solomon speaks, the world is in it, Eccles. 3.11. It goes along with a man, sleeps with him, wakes with him, goes to meat, goes to Church with him, When it flows not in, O how he carks and cares, murmurs and repines, whines and distrusts God? If it abound, how doth he hug and grasp it, and fill his soul with no other comfort? Talk of spiritual things, faith, hope, love, repentance, new obedience, judgement to come, he is sick of such discourse, puts you off as Felix did Paul to another time; but speak of a rich bargain, of a goodly ⟨p. 19⟩purchase, of a stately manner, of a gallant prize, you lead him in to a paradise, (such a one as it is) he says with Peter, It is good being here, let us build tabernacles. It chokes the seed of the word in the soul, turns the house of God into a place of merchandise, yea it will cause men to err from the faith, to know no godliness but gain, to take up religion as it is more or less in fashion, and advantageous; as the Samaritans would be Jews when the Jews prospered,1 and when they were down, would help to persecute them. It will warp the Conscience, and corrupt the judgment and make Religion it self to serve turns, and to be subordinate to secular interests.
3. It is exceeding injurious both to God and our selves. 1. To God, It sets up the world in his room, is enmity against him, Jam. 4.4. is inconsistent with the love of him, 1 Joh. 2.15, 16. Estrangeth the soul wholly from him, steals away the love of the heart, and ingrosseth it unto it self. As the shadow of the earth makes night in the air, so doth the love of it in the heart, when as Solomon speaks, the world is in it,