Wily Beguile Ye, Title page – Dedication
VVILIE BEGVILE YE, OR THE WORLDLINGS GAINE: ſhewing how they hazard their pretious ſoules for the attaining of theſe vaine and tranſitory things, and withall Teaching how to obtaine and enioy the benefits of this life: That ſo we may lay vp a good foundation thereby againſt the life to come: Expreſſed in ſome ſauoury and effectuall Meditations and obſeruations hereupon.
By THOMAS COOPER.
Imprinted at LONDON, 1621.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR FRANCIS IONES Lord Maior of this famous Citie, together with the graue Senators and Sherifes his brethren, and the Sage Councel thereof, all things pertaining to life and godlineſſe.
Right Honourable, Right Worſhipfull.
TT is not in vaine that our bleſſed Sauiour giues ſuch a feareful Item to ſuch as enioy moſt of earthly things, that it is eaſier for a Camell to enter through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen: not inferring thereby an impoſſibility that any rich man ſhould be ſaued, becauſe wee heare of poore Lazarus in rich Abrahams boſome; and riches are ſuch bleſſings, as God beſtowes on his children, and by his grace proue furtherances to lay vp a good foundatiō againſt the life come: But rather implying ſome difficulty and aduenture hereof, & that ariſing rather from our abuſe thereof, then the things themſelues: For ſo hee expounds himſelfe elſe where, concerning truſt and confidence in riches, and not of the ſimple enioying of them. And ſo the bleſſed Apoſtle comments vponupon this text charging rich men that they be not high minded, though they enioy much aboue others, that they truſt not in riches, becauſe they are vncertaine, and ſo will deceiue our truſt repoſed on them, teaching vsus that it is not the vſe but the louelove of money, which is the roote of all euill; and therfore becauſe ſom (not al) do luſt after thē they hauehave erred frō the faith, & ſo do pierce thēſelues through with many ſorrowes. And therein alſo wiſely diſcouering vntounto vsus, two mayne & principall cauſes of our endangering by theſe bleſſings, and ſo by the contrary, inſtructing vsus in ſuch a ſober eſtimate & vſe of them, that ſo they may prooue furtherances to eternall life. The cauſes of our abuſe of worldly bleſſings, is our ouer-rating them in our vaine conceits; as if they were ſpeciall fauours of God, & vndoubted pledges of true happineſſe, ſo that whoſoeuer enioyes them aboue others, is more highly in Gods eſteeme, and ſo more truly and perfitly happy. And this produceth thoſe dangerous effects of vnſatiable deſires and ſtrong confidence in them, as if we could neuer hauehave enough of happineſſe, as if ſuch ſtrong holds could neuer deceiue vsus. Which though it bee a moſt erroneous and peruerſe conceit, and the effects more deſperate, as ariſing from a deceiued heart blinded by the god of this world, that it cannot looke vp higher to things to come, but only doats one theſe preſent ſhadows, becauſe the very nature & tranſitory conditiō of theſe things wil not beare it, beſides dayly experience to the contrary which might leſſon euen fools: yet it is moſt fearefull to obſerue how the minds of many are bewitched therewith, and ſing a Requiem to their ſoules, as that foole did in this ſlippery eſtate which on the ſodaine may be taken away from them, or they from it. And yet ſuch is the power of this deluſion, that notwithſtanding they dayly ſee rich men dye as well as the fooliſh and ignorant, and leaue their riches to others; yet many thinke that their houſes and habitations ſhall continue for euer, and therefore thee bleſſe their ſoules in this vaine happineſſe, and that the rather becauſe they are applauded of others, as the onelyonly happy men, euen becauſe they make much of themſelues, and take their fill in theſe broken Cyſternes. And this is another maine cauſe of their enſnaring by theſe things, euen becauſe they ouer-valew themſelues in regard of them, and ſo being puffed vp with their fleſhly minds, are deſperately carryed to the abuſe of them, either by encroaching and ſcraping ſtill to themſelues, as if none were worthy of them but they: that ſo they may liue peereleſſe and vncontrowlable of any, or elſe by lauiſhing and exceſſe of riot they wallow like ſwine in the filth & puddle thereof, and ſo drowne themſelues in euerlaſting perdition. Behold the way of worldlings and greedy earth-wormes. And doth not this way vtter their folly, howſoeuer their poſterity delight in their talke, and counts thēſelues happy in the miſery of their anceſtors. And doth not this their happineſſe prooue their greater vnhappines, that ill gotten goods molter like ſnow againſt the Sun, what is ſo lightly come by, is as vainly parted with: the third heire ſeldome knowes the place of his breeding, or enioyes a foot thereof. A meditation as too too experimentall in this citie, ſo the rather to be layd to heart by the wiſe & prudēt, that he may ſee the plague and hide himſelf, & reape ſome durable fruit of theſe momētany trees. And this is the ſum of that which followes: which I do in all humility tender vntounto your honor & worſhips, as knowing your ſlippery ſtates, and fearing what may follow, that you would learne yet more & more to be faithfull in your ſteward ſhips, that ſo you may be ready to giuegive vp a cōfortable account for the ſame. I doubt not but you are wiſe to diſcerne the face of the sky, & ſee that the element is full of ſtormes abrode, & may not the winde turne & blow thē hither. The Lord alſo make you wiſer to diſcerne the time of your viſitation: and ſo I heartily cōmend your honor & worſhips to the grace of God, that in mercy hee would cleare the ayre againe, & ſcatter the black tē peſt that our ſins hauehave gathered, and dayly threatēs on our heads as terrible lightnining to break the ſword, though it ſpare the ſcabbard, to endanger the ſoule by depriuing vsus of what glorious liberty wee hauehave abuſed, though our outward man may leſſe feele the blow, as being ſenſleſſe therof, or giuing way thereto: And that euen for his ſonne Chriſt Ieſus ſake, in whom I reſt
At your Honors and Worſhips ſeruice Thomas Cooper.