Cap.12. fuch things; it is good for me that I have thefe Ordinances, though it be with the lofs of fome outward comforts, and my eftate be abated, and my trading lefs: fay as David, in the 73. Pfalm, Truly God is good to Ifrael, however it be, yet God is good to Ifrael, though many things feem to the contrary: and therefore, conclude with thine own heart, Though I fhould never fee good day in the world, yet that comfort I have received in the ways of God, it is enough to make me prize them for ever: if now I fhould dye, and be annihilated, if God fhould deprive me of the joys of Heaven, and turn me into nothing, yet that good that I have had already in Gods ways, fhould be enough to countervail all the troubles that I have met withal in the world, or ever shall meet withal: though God should withdraw himself in all the courfe of my life, and I should be in darkness, and have nothing but trouble, yet I have had enough in God already, to countervail all.

Hath God thus fpoken peace to thy foul remember that text in Pfal. 85.8. Return not again to folly : the Lord hath spoken peace already to thy foul in afflictions, and therefore, God forbid that thou fhouldft return to folly, but continue in thy way, and go on conftantly in thy way to the end,and the Lord bless thee in thy way. And this is for the encouragement of the hearts of Gods people, that have with Mofes made this choice, Rather to suffer affiction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleafures of fin for a feafon.

CHAP.

Cap.13.

CHAP. XIII.

I

The evil of an ill choice, difcovered.

N the third place, hence those are justly rebuked, Ufe 3. who have made an ill choice: this was a bleffed

choice of Mofes, and whofoever makes this choice, are bleffed of the Lord; but how few have we of Mofes his minde? it is a woful choice that many make. Most people are offended at the afflictions of Gods people, their hearts are fet,upon pleasure and delight, and pleasure they must have; pleasure to the fleth is that they choose, and that they follow after, but as for the afflicted ways of godliness, they cannot relish them, their carnal fenfual hearts do turn afide from them, they give themselves up to the pleasures of the flesh, and fatisfie themselves in the enjoyment of their hearts defires, and God does give them up likewise to their own lufts, to let them have their choice, fo that they fhall spend their time in mirth and jollity, in eating and drinking, and gaming, and in this they bless themselves, as those who have wifely provided for themselves, to make their lives fo full of comfort, and foul-content as they imagine thefe are fet upon carnal, frothy, fenfual things, as if the chief good and happiness of man confisted in them, and therefore they give them-' felves liberty in them, to the utmost.

That wherein a mans happiness confifts, he may defire infinitely, and he cannot but do it, it is as natural for him to do it, as for the fire to burn, or the ftone to defcend; and because men put happiness in the pleasures of the flesh, therefore their hearts are L

fet

in

usa, all

jucundè

Lut non

omnino.

geret &

videret

banc infa

Cap.13. fet infinitely upon them; that is, to fet, as they give Si nunc Athemselves liberty, without any bonds, and defire dam refur- that if it were poffible, no limits might be fet either by God or man. If they have means, they niam omni- account the chief good of what they have, is, in that um ordin, they may have larger opportunities then others, to fatisfie the flesh in the fenfual pleafures of it: and hence credo quòd pre ftupore is the infinite excess of meats, and drinks, and cartanqua Lanal delights, in those whose means afford them opLuth, in portunities thereunto. Luther speaking of this exGen c3cefs, hath this expreffion, If Adam fhould now rise Syono again, and fee this madness of all forts of men, I believe he would be fo amazed at it, that he would ftand as a stone.

profectò

pis ftaret.

Patrich. P

21.

Church-
Story.

Arift.Eth

cipiorum

peo

A. Gellius tells of Caligula, that he made one 1. 1. c. 5. fupper that coft three hundred thousand Crowns. I have read alfo of Vitellius the Emperor, that at one fupper he was ferved with Two thousand forts of fifbes, and Seven thousand several fowls. In fuch profufe expences, for the fatisfying of the flesh, how many do glory, as if it were the highest happiness atPlebii ma-tainable upon the earth? And the bafer fort of prorfus fi-ple, fecing the great ones fet upon fucha kinde of mules, dum life, in fatisfying the flesh, they think there is no opecudi vi ther happiness to be had; therefore all their care, guishabent thoughts, endeavors are, how they may live jocundautem band ly, and give fatisfaction to their lufts. Clemens Acaufa quòd lexandrinus tells of a fish that hath the heart in the belly, differing from other living Creatures, which rerü baberi the Philofophers call the Sea-Afs: This is like fenfimili modo fual men whose hearts are onely fet upon the things afficiantur of the belly, fo as it may be faid of many in regard Pad. c. 1. of fatisfying the flesh, as Aurelianus faid of one

ram pracli

multi ex

iis, qui

poteftatem,

CI.AI.1. 2

Bonofes

Bonofes, He was born, not that he might live, but Cap.13. that he might drink; So do thefe feem to be born, Non ut vi vat, fed ut not that they might live, but that they might eat and bibat natus drink, and drink and pamper the flesh; the whole fuit. world is too ftrait to fome for the pampering their

bellies.

Oh, how beneath is this to the true excellency of a rational and immortal foul! What pity is it, that an immortal reasonable foul fhould be of no other ufe, then to keep the body alive to tafte the fweet of the flesh of beafts, and of the fruit of the earth? How many draw all their fubftance thorow their throats, and their belly their houses, lands, yea, and devour their pofterity like Cannibals, when men in company spend their eftates, their wives and children wanting bread at home, what do they, but even drink the very blood of their wives and children? It was the prophaneness of Efau, for which God hath branded him, That he fold his birthright for a mess of pottage, yet that was in the time of extreme hunger; thefe men fell God and Heaven, and all for drink, not to fatisfie thirst, but their luft.

Tous orbis

vcutri nimis angu

tus cft.

But O thou vain man, know thou art utterly unchabuit Va illi qui mistaken in thy choice, if thou continueft in this terminum way of thine, that thou haft chofen to fatisfic thy luxuria, flesh in, thou art undone for ever, thou wilt ere. Bern. quando vilong cry out of this thy choice most bitterly, and de ord.vit. curfe thy felf for it most fearfully: It is a feduced heart that hath deceived thee, and thou feedest upon afhes, and thou canst not fay, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Efay 44. 20. It is true, not onely of Idolators, but of all other ways

Cap.13. of evil; thou feedeft upon afhes, they are but ashes thou feedeft upon, and delighteft in, and it is a feduced heart hath turned thee afide from the ways of God, that makes thee offended at them; it is the God of this world that hath blinded thy eyes, so that thou shouldeft not see the glorious excellencies, and beautiful pleasures, and fweet delights, that are in the ways of God, but that thou shouldest please thy felf in thofe ways that tend to death: What hath the whole courfe of thy life been, but playing with the Devils bait,under which is a hook that will fnatch thee into the forrows of eternal death? Howfoever thofe that live in jollity and delight in the flesh, may blefs themselves, yet Gods people whofe eyes God hath opened, would not be in their condition one quarter of an hour for a thousand worlds. There are divers forts: that come under this use of repreevil choo-henfion, for that ill and woful choice they have made.

Divers

forts of

fers.

I.

Firft, fuch as choose to satisfie themselves in fuch pleasures as are in themselves finful, fuch who take pleasure in filthinefs and ungodliness: these are the dregs of men, these are the bafeft of all, that can take delight in the very act of fin it felf: All that is faid concerning the dreadful evils of fin, and that venome and curse that there is in fin, is fo far from making fin to be bitter to them,as they account more pleasure to be had in many finful ways, then there is to be had in the enjoyment of all the glory that there is in God and Jefus Chrift, in Heaven and Eternity: O curfed heart, and curfed choice is this, that when God hath revealed in his Word fo much concerning the evil of fin, that might make any heart in the

world