The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Of those tentations generally which are grounded vponupon worldly things.
ANd thus much concerning those worldlie§. Sect. 1. That these worldly things are Satans chiefe baits to draw our harts from God. tentations, which arise from the persons of wicked worldlings, both in regard of their societie and friendship. Now wee are to proceede vntounto those which are grounded vponupon worldly things; al which by the Apostle Iohn are referred to three heads, to wit, voluptuousnes, whose obiect are vnlawfull and immoderate pleasures; couetousnes, whose obiect are riches; and ambition, whose obiect are honours and preferments. All (saith he) that is in the world, as the lust of the flesh (that is, voluptuousnes) the lust of the eyes (that is, couetousnes) and the pride of life, (that is, ambition) is not of the Father, but is of the world. And these are the chiefe things which Satan, and the world vse, as their alluring baites and inueigling snares, wherewith they allure vsus vntounto sinne, and withdraw our hearts from God, and the louelove of spirituall things: these are those bands wherewith they tie our hearts fast vntounto the earth; these are the Idols which they set vp in our harts with which worldlings (forsaking the true God) commit grosse idolatrie, by louing and trusting in them more then vponupon Gods power and promises. Finally, these are the rewards & wages, wherwith Satan and the world hire men to doe them seruice, and to tire themselues, spend their strength, and consume their life, in the works of darknesse.
Against which tentations it behoues vsus to bend all our§. Sect. 2. That these worldly things honours, riches, and pleasures are in their owne nature good, and the gifts of God. strength, if we would not be ouercome; and to put on all the spirituall armour prescribed in Gods word, wherby we may be inabled to make resistance. But lest in auoiding one extreame wee runne into another, reiecting the creatures of God, because of our owne corruption, and leauing the lawfull vse, because of the vnlawfull abuse; I will shew what these things are in themselues, and what vntounto vsus; in what respects they are to be loued, desired, and vsed as good; and in what respects to bee contemned and reiected as euill; how they are to be accounted Gods blessings, & how the worlds baits to allure vsus vntounto sinne. All which I will shew, first generally, & then particularly. For the former we are to know, that all these three, to wit, honours, riches, and pleasures, are in their owne nature good; for they are the good creatures and gifts of God, which were approued by his owne testimonie; where it is said, that God saw all that he had made, and Gen. 1. 30.loe it was very good. And lest we should thinke that together with man, they also hauehave lost all their goodnesse through his fall; the Apostle speaking of the creatures, as they are now in their owne nature, saith, that eueryevery creature of God is good, and nothing ought to bee refused, if it bee receiued with thanksgiuing. To this purpose one saith: These things O Lord 1. Tim. 4. 4. Haec tua sunt, bona sunt, quiae tu bonus ista creasti nil nostrum est in ijs, &c. Aug. in ciuit. dei. lib. 15. cap. 22. Pro. 22. 4.are thine, and they are good, because thou the chiefe goodnes hast created them; there is nothing of ours in them, but that we sinne in ouermuch louing them, inordinately preferring the creatures before thee who hast created them. Yea they are not only creatures of Gods making, but also blessings which he promiseth vntounto those that serue him, as temporall rewards of their louelove and obedience. For so the Wise man saith, that the reward of humilitie & the feare of God, is riches, & glorie, and life; where pleasures also are inferred, without which life is no life. Neither hath any but the faithfull any true right vntounto these gifts of God, but are meere vsurpers, seeing they do not performe the condition of Gods donation, in louing, fearing, and seruing him; and to those only belongs the right of inheritance, vntounto whom the blessing also appertaineth. Finally, the Lord hath bestowed these his gifts vponupon his seruants to good vses and ends, namely, that he might be glorified in them, and they furthered and incouraged in the performance of all good duties. And therefore needs must these things be good, seeing they are good creatures, gifts and blessings, created and bestowed by our good God, on good and faithfull men, and that to good ends and purposes.
But yet howsoeuer these things are good, yet not absolutely§. Sect. 3. That these worldly things are mutablie good, and therefore subiect to abuse and corrupti…. Rom. 8. 19. 20. 21. and immutably, seeing they are subiect vntounto corruption, and to be abused by man; in regard whereof the Apostle saith, that the feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of God shall be reueiled; because the creature is subiect to vanitie, not of it owne will, but by reason of him who hath subdued it vnderunder hope; because the creature also shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God, &c. And to the same purpose Augustine saith, that these things mutably good, are therefore good, because Bona mutabilia propterca bona sunt, quoniam a summ bono facta sunt, &c. Aug. in Aduersar. le. gis et p…ophet. lib. 1. cap. 5.they are made by the chiefe goodnesse, and therefore mutable, because they are not made of his owne substance, but of nothing; in regard whereof they are subiect to corruption, and apt to degenerate, vnlesse they be continually preserued by the same powerfull goodnesse, by which they were at the first created. By reason of which mutabilitie they are not good in any high degree of excellencie, but to bee reputed among such good things as are of meanest esteeme, as being of an indifferent and low qualitie and nature, in comparison of spirituall and heauenly things. Neither doe they vnchangeably hold this degree of goodnesse which they hauehave, but as the Chameleon changeth her colour according to the thing vntounto which it adioyneth; so they hold their vertue and goodnesse whilest they are in the possession of the good and vertuous; but become euill to the euill, and readie instruments of all manner of sinne and wickednesse, whilest they are vnderunder the gouernment of the wicked and vngodly. So that in respect of vsus these things are neither good nor euill, but of an indifferent nature, good to those who vse them well, and euill to those that abuse them vntounto sin, and accordingly they are bestowed of God indifferently both to the good and euill. To which purpose one saith, that God would Aug. in Psal. 66. enarrat. tom. 8.hauehave these temporall things lie out in common betweene the godly and the wicked, because if he should giuegive them only to the good, the euill would thinke that for their sake the righteous serued God: and if he should giuegive them only to the euill, those who are weake in goodnes would feare to be conuerted, lest these things should be wanting vntounto them, &c. Againe, if these earthly things should be taken away only from the good, the same feare would hinder the weake from turning to God; and if they should be taken away only from the wicked, it would be thought the only punishment which euill men shall suffer: whereas therefore he giueth these things to the good, he doth thereby comfort trauellers and pilgrimes; and whereas be giueth them to the euill, he admonisheth thereby the good, that they desire such things as are not common to the wicked.
Yet neuerthelesse because they are in their owne nature§. Sect. 4. That we ought not to reiect these worldly things but their abuse. good, and the blessings of God, we must hauehave no quarrell against the things themselues, but onelyonly against their abuse and corruption, neither must we contemne and reiect them, when God hath bestowed them on vsus, but rather labour to make a good and holy vse of them to the glorie of God, the good of our brethren, and the furtherance of our owne saluation, and so shall they retaine their owne nature, and become truly good vntounto vsus; whereas on the other side, by reiecting the gifts of God, we shall offer wrong to the giuer, in contemning his benefits, and but bewray a certaine CynicallƲtilius terrena opulentia tenetur humiliter, quam superbè relinquitur. Aug. de morib. eccles. Cath. Fuge mundum conuersatione non corpore, &c. Chrysost. in Matth. 12. Homil. 29. and Papisticall pride, as we shall afterwards more plainly shew. And therefore (as one saith) these earthly blessings are more profitablie retained with humilitie, then reiected with pride. To which purpose another exhorteth vsus to flie the world and worldly things, with our conuersation, and not with our bodie, for they hold not on the diuels part by nature, but by corruption. But excellently doth that wise Seneca write, and fitly for our vse, if we do but change his Philosophie into true Christianitie: Auoid (saith hee) slouenly at tire, a head vntrimmed, and vncombed, a rough and neglected beard, professed hatred against Asperum cultum, & intonsum caput, et negligentiorem barbam, et indictum argento odium, et cubile humi positum, et quicquid aliud ambitionem peruersa via sequitur, deuita.money, lying vponupon the ground, and whatsoeuer else, whereby men labour to attaine vntounto their ambitious ends, though they go a contrarie way: euen the name of Philosophy it in self is odious enough, although it be professed with all humanitie and ciuilitie; and how much more if we begin to withdraw our selues from the custome and conuersation of men? Let vsus labor to hauehave all things vnlike worldlings within vsus, but let our outward countenance and shew agree with them: let not thy clothes glitter, let them not be sluttish; let vsus not affect to hauehave siluer plate deepely inlayed and imbossed with gold: neither let vsus thinke it a signe of frugalitie to want gold and siluer: Let vsus studie to lead a better life then the common sort, and not a contrarie; otherwise whilest we labour to amend them, we shall driue them away, and turne them from vsus: yea it will hereby come to passe, that they will imitate nothing in vsus, whilest they feare lest they should imitate all things. Philosophie doth in the very entrance promise the vse of common reason, humanitie and societie, from which this dissimilitude of profession diuideth vsus. Let vsus take heed lest these things, for which we desire to be admired, do become ridiculous and odious: we propound vntounto our selues to liue according to nature; but this is contrarie to nature to torment a mans owne bodie, to hate easily-procured handsomenesse, to affect beastly nastinesse, and to feed on meats not only course and homely, but sluttish and lothsome. As it sauoureth of luxuriousnesse to desire delicacies, so of folly to auoid the vse of common meates, which may be prouided at easie rates. Philosophie requireth frugalitie, not punishment and torture, &c▪ He is a man absolute and complete that vseth earthen vessels as though they were siluer, and he also which vseth siluer as though it were earth. It is a signe of a weake mind not to be able to endure riches.
Seeing therefore these earthly and worldly things are not§. Sect. 5. To the right vse of worldly things is required, first, that our persons be regenerate. to be contemned and reiected, because they are in their own nature good, and the blessings of God; and in respect of vsus, good vntounto the good who vse them well, and profitable seruants when as they are gouerned and disposed by a wise and vertuous mind; let vsus in the next place consider how we may so vse them, as that they may be vntounto vsus truly good and estimable blessings receiued from God. And first wee are to know, that if we would hauehave these earthly things good, we must labour that they may serue a good master, and that we who are owners of them may be truly iustified, sanctified, and the adopted sonnes of God, who in Christ hauehave recouered that right and dominion ouer the creatures, which we lost in Adam; for if we be not the children of God and heires of his promises, we hauehave no title to his goods, but intrude vponupon them by vsurpation: if wee continue vnregenerate and defiled in our sinnes, we shall taint these blessings of God with our corruptions, and turne them into sinne; and if we who gouerne and dispose of them be euill, we shall imploy them to euill seruices, and making them to accomplish our euill ends and purposes, we shall cause them to be vntounto vsus euill and pernicious. Foolish therefore is their practise, who labour to hauehave eueryevery thing good about them, and neglect goodnesse in their owne persons, and seeke to excell all others in all good things which they possesse, themselues remaining euill and destitue of all goodnesse, seeing through their corruption they will defile these gifts of God, and of blessings make them to become curses, and notable hinderances of their saluation.
Secondly, although we are to esteeme these earthly benefits§. Sect. 6. That we must not ouerualue these earthly things, or prefer them before Gods spirituall graces. as being the gifts of God, yet we must take heed we do not ouerualue them, by preferring them before either Gods spirituall and sanctifying graces, or the eternall ioyes and happines of his kingdome: for looke how much more exexcellent the soule is then the bodie, eternall things then those that are temporall, the Creator then the creatures, and so much are we in our iudgements to preferre Gods spirituall graces and heauenly ioyes before these earthly and transitorie trifles: neither shall we receiue any hurt by this valuation, for the more lightly we account of these temporall things, and the more highly we prize those which are spirituall and heauenly, the liker wee are to receiue both from God, and to retaine them when we hauehave them: as we may see in the example of Salomon, who esteeming wisedome aboue all worldly pompe and wealth, had both bestowed vponupon1. King. 3. him by God: wheras if we ouerualue these earthly things; and preferre these trifles before the rich treasures of Gods graces, and our heauenly inheritance and patrimonie in his kingdome, the Lord in merciemercy will either withhold them from vsus, if we be his children, or if we hauehave them, will dispossesse vsus of them for our abuse, vntill we hauehave learned to make a right vse of them. And therefore those who enioy this worldly Admonendi sunt, qui in hoc, quod temporaliter appetunt, prosperantur, ne cum cuncta ad votum suppetunt, dantem quaerere negligant, &c. Greg. pastor. par. 3. admon. 27.prosperitie are to be admonished, that when they hauehave all things according to their hearts desire, they do not neglect to seeke after the chiefe fountaine of all their goodnesse, nor six their minds vponupon these things when they enioy them, lest they esteeme and louelove their pilgrimage in stead of their countrey, and turne the helpes and comforts of their iourney, into hinderances of attaining vntounto their iourneyes end; and lest they be so delighted with the light of the Moone, as that they neglect the fruition of the Suns brightnes; but esteeming these earthly things, the comforts of their calamitie, and not the rewards of retribution: let them lif… vp their minds aboue all worldly fauours, lest with all their hearts delight they wholly rest in them: for hee that contemneth not worldly prosperitie, in comparison of that louelove which he beareth to a better life, he turneth the fauours of this transitorie life, into the occasion of eternall death. Finally, let them so esteeme and vse these outward things, as that they may not withdraw their mind from the desire of heauenly louelove; and that they do not take away the griefe of our pilgrimage, seeing they should onelyonly serue for some small comforts in the place of our banishment, nor cause vsus so to reioyce in these transitorie things, as though we had attained vntounto happines, seeing as long as we possesse them, we are depriued of those ioyes that are eternall.
Thirdly, as we are not in our iudgements to ouerualue thē,§. Sect. 7. That we ought not to set our hearts and affections vponupon these earthly things. so we ought not to set our hearts and affections vponupon them; immoderately louing; and ouer eagerly desiring them; but vsing them as though we vsed them not, let vsus giuegive God our hearts, and set our affections and desires vponupon spirituall and heauenly things; let vsus afford vntounto them some reliques of our louelove, and so much only as better things leaue; for that which is luke-warme and too cold for God, and those heauenly excellencies is hot enough for these earthly trifles, and as one saith, Let vsus rather tolerate then louelove them, because as Toleremus potius praesentia quam diligamus: aduersorum manifesta est pernicies, prosperorum falsa est blandities. Aug. in Luc. 18. Serm. 29. tom. 10. Nolite amare temporalia quae si benè amarentur, &c. Aug. de Agon. Christ. lib. cap. 11. Non te prohibet Deus ista amare, sed non de…igere ad beatitudinem, &c. Aug. in 1. Ioh. Tract. 2. Non dixit n… lite habere, sed nolite diligere. Ser. 33. tom▪ 10.the worlds aduersitie is manifestly pernicious, so his prosperitie is but false flatterie: and in another place, LoueLove not (saith he) temporall things, which if they might bee well loued, that man would hauehave loued them, which the Sonne of God assumed; neither yet feare contumelies, crosses and death, because if they would hurt a man, he would not hauehave suffered them. But this is to be vnderstood comparatiuely in respect of spirituall things, as he expoundeth himselfe elsewhere: God doth not (saith he) forbid thee to louelove these things, if thou doe not louelove them as thy chiefe happines, but so to allow and commend them, as that thou mayest much more louelove thy Creator: for if the bridegroome hauing giuen his spouse a ring, she should more louelove it thou the bridegroome himself, should she not euen in the very gift of her husbād shew an adulterous mind, although she should … …ue her husbands gift? And in another place, The Apostle willeth vsus, not to louelove the world: he doth not (saith he) forbid vsus to hauehave it, but to louelove it: but thou hast it, possessest it, and louest it▪ and so this louelove of earthly things becommeth the birdlime that intangleth thy spirituall wings. Howsoeuer therefore wee may affect these worldly things with some small louelove, yet it ought to be as farre short of that intire louelove which we beare to God, and his spirituall and heauenly gifts, as these vaine trifles come short of them in worth and excellencie: yea in truth the louelove of Gods temporarie gifts, should serue but as little sparkes to inflame our hearts with the louelove of the giuer; and but as steps whereby we may ascend and mount alost vntounto that diuine and heauenlyQuare a…tas ista mundanae nisi quia pulchra sunt? possunt esse tam pulchra quam ille a quo facta sunt? Aug. in Psal. 79. tom. 8. Purga amorem tuum, aquam fluentem in cl… acam conuerte ad hortum. In Psal. 31. enar. louelove. For why do we louelove these worldly things, but because they are beautifull, and can they be so beautifull as he that made them? Thou admirest these things, because thou seest not his excellencies, but learne by those things thou admirest, to louelove him whom thou doest not see. Question and inquire of the creature, and if it hauehave it being of it selfe, then rest in it; but if it hauehave it being from him, it is in no other respect hurtfull to him that loueth it, but as he preferrth it before him that created it. And therefore purge thy louelove, and turne the streame thereof from the filthie sincke and channell of the world, into the garden and Paradise of God; and what heate and feruencie it hath to the world, let it be all bestowed on the Creator of the world. Finally, howsoeuer wee may vse these earthly blessings when God bestoweth them, yet we are to be carefull that we doe not take our chiefe ioy and comfort in them, but rather in the Lord who gaue them, in the fruition of his spirituall graces, and in the assurance of our heauenly kingdome. For God did not giuegive vsus these worldly cottages that wee should ioy in them; and neglect our stately palace; he did not bestow on vsus these toyes and trifles that we should rest in them, and contemne our heauenly patrimony; but only he giueth vsus these courser meates, to stay our stomacks for a time, till we come to the great supper of the Lambe; and casteth vntounto vsus, as vntounto little children, these pleasing vanities, to keepe vsus from crying and complaining, till we come to age, and are capable of his heauenly excellenci… …and of those glorious gifts of incomparable value. And therefore as wee are not alwaies to be children in knowledge, so neither let vsus be children in affection, doting vponupon these earthly trifles which were only giuen vsus for a time to vse, and neglecting in respect of them Gods spirituall graces, and that heauenly happinesse, which is prouided for vsus to enioy. For as one faith: There are some thing… of which we are to hauehave the fruition▪ some things which we Res aliae sunt quibus fruend…m est, aliae quibus vtendum, aliae quae fruuntur & vtuntur, &c. Aug. de doct. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 3. 4.are to vse, and some things which wee are both to enioy and vse. Those things which wee are to enioy, doe make vsus blessed; with these things which we are to vse we are helped and relieued, whilest we are trauelling towards this blessednesse, that so we may attaine vntounto it, and set our hearts vponupon it. Now if wee who possesse and vse them, hauing them set before vsus, will enioy those things, which wee should onelyonly vse; our course and iourney is thereby staied, and sometimes also wee are put out of our way, or at least hindred … our course, or turned back againe, from the obtaining of those things which wee should enioy, being intangled with the louelove of these terrestriall vanities. For to enioy a thing, is with all our louelove to adhere vntounto it, for it owne sake; to vse it, is to referre that which wee vse, to the obtaining of that which wee louelove, if at least it be worthie to be beloued: for vnlawfull vse is rather to be tearmed abuse. As therefore if being pilgrimes, which cannot liue happily but in our owne countrie; and being distressed in this our pilgrimage, and desiring to hauehave an end of our miseries, wee should resolue to returne into our owne countrie; for which purpose wee should hauehave need to vse either ships or waggons, that so wee might come to our countrie, which wee were to enioy: but if now the sweetnes and pleasantnes of the iourney, and our riding in the chariot, should so delight vsus, that wee should begin to enioy these things, which we ought only to vse, we would not make any haste to end our iourney; and being intangled with this outward sweetnes, our mindes would be alienated from our countrie, whose true and solid delights would make vsus happie: so being pilgrimes and exiles from God in this mortall life, if wee will returne into our countrie where wee may bee blessed, wee must only vse this world and not enioy it, that wee may behold the inuisible things of God in our vnderstandings, by those creatures which are visible, that so after the vse of corporall and temporall things, wee may attaine vntounto the fruition of those which are spirituall and eternall. To which purpose also he saith elsewhere: I am not ignorant Nec ignoro quod propriè fructus fruentis, vsus verò vtentis sit, &c. Aug. de ciuit. dei. lib. 11. cap. 25.that fruite is of fruition, vse of vsing; and that this difference is betweene them, that we are said to enioy that thing, which is not referred to another, but delighteth vsus for it owne sake; and to vse that thing, which is desired for another: and therefore we are rather to vse temporall things then to enioy them; that so we may obtaine those things which are eternall: and not to be like those peruerse men, who will enioy their gold, and vse their god; because they doe not bestow their money for Gods sake, but only worship God for their monies sake.
And thus are we to vse these earthly things both in respect§. Sect. 8. That we must first seeke spirituall and heauenly things, and these earthly things in the last place. of our estimation in iudgement, and affection, in louing and desiring them, and accordingly must our practise also be in seeking them: for seeing they are to be basely valued, and coldly loued, in comparison of spirituall & heauenly things; thereof it also followeth, that in respect of these, they are to be slackly followed and sought▪ after in our practise, and those things chiefly, and in the first place to be laboured for, that are of a much more excellent nature, which being inioyed will make vsus truly blessed. For as in worldly things, such as are esteemed of great value are sought after in the first place, and those which are of meane worth, are put off to better leisure; so answerably (these heauenly and spirituall treasures, much more excelling all worldly things, then the richest diamond in the world, the vilest peeble stone) it were no better then sottish madnesse, if we should not giuegive vntounto them the first place, as in our desires, so in all our labours and endeuours, especially considering, that it will be no hindrance at all to the attaining of worldly benefits, if we giuegive the prioritie to those which are heauenly; both because it is as impossible by our owne care and industrie to adde any thing to our stint, in our earthly estate, as to adde therby oneMat. 6. 27. cubit vntounto our bodily stature; and also because wee hauehave a promise from God, whose blessing only maketh our estate prosperous, that if wee will seeke those better things first, these which are worse shall be cast vponupon vsus, as it were aduantages into the maine bargaine. For so our Sauiour exhorteth vsus, first to seeke the kingdome of God, and his righteousnes, Mat. 6. 33.and all these things shall be ministred vntounto vsus.
And as wee are not to seeke these earthly benefits in the§. Sect. 9. That we must not seeke these earthly things for their owne sake. first place, so neither must we at all seeke them for their own sake, propounding them as the maine end of our labour: for this were to make them our summum bonum, and of inferiour and meane goods, to esteeme them chiefe and principall; but wee must in labouring after them, aime chiefly at the glorifying of God by the vse of them, at the good of the Church, common-wealth, and of our neighbours; and finally at the furthering of our owne saluation. Neither must we euer be at rest, though by our industrie wee hauehave attained vntounto abundance of these things, vnlesse in the vse of them wee further these ends: nor at all regard these creatures, vnlesse we imploy them so, as that their vse doth giuegiveQuicquid nobis ad est praeter deum nostrū, non est dulce: Nolumus omnia quae dedit, si non dat seipsum qui omnia dedit. August. in …sal. 85. V…ut …rfans …r…datus vntounto vsus some assurance of the louelove of the Creator. For whatsoeuer wee hauehave without our God, it is not sweete; neither are we to esteeme any thing which he giueth, vnlesse also he giuegive vsus himselfe who giueth all. And as the infant being richly adorned with precious iewels, and costly clothing, doth not at all esteeme them when he is hungrie, but taketh all his delight in sucking the mothers breast: so a Christian man, euen when he aboundeth in all worldly things, taketh little pleasure in them, in comparison of that wonderfull delight,margaritis et indumentis preciosis, &c. Macarius Homil. 45. which his hungrie soule taketh in God his heauenly Father.
And if wee thus esteeme, affect and seeke these worldly things in our iudgement, heart and practise, then will it also§. Sect. 10. That we must vse those means onelyonly which are lawfull for the compassing of these earthly things. necessarily follow, that wee will only vse lawfull meanes in the attaining vntounto them; contemning and despising them, when as they are offered vntounto vsus vponupon euill & vnlawful conditions, as being the diuels alluring baits, wherwith he inticeth vsus to offend God, and to hazard the losse of those spirituall, heauenly and eternall excellencies for the obtaining of these base, earthly, and momentanie vanities. And then also will we not be much troubled, though we faile of them when we seeke them, or hauehave them taken from vsus when we possesse them: so that in stead of them, the Lord giueth vsus his spirituall graces, and assureth vsus of his heauenly ioyes; as not thinking it much to want these trifles, when wee are inriched with those incomparable treasures, and gifts of farre better value. Neither will we then enuie the flourishing estate of wicked worldlings, no more then the heire apparant of a kingdome, enuieth the present possessions of a poore cotager.
And thus hauehave I shewed the lawfull vse of these worldly§. Sect. 11. Of the lawfull vse of these earthly things, in regard of our possessing and disposing them. blessings, in regard of our esteeming, louing, and seeking after them. Now we are also to adde something of their lawfull vse, in regard of our possessing and disposing them; leauing the more full handling hereof, till I come to speake of the particulars. And to say nothing of those former points of esteeming and louing them, which are common both to the seeking and possessing of these things, because it is easie for the discreet Reader to apply it also to this purpose; wee are further to know, that if we would hauehave a lawfull vse of these things, so as they may indeed be blessings of God vntounto vsus, then must we in the first place sanctifie them vntounto our vse by the word of God and prayer; according to the Apostles1. Tim. 4. 4. rule, eueryevery creature of God is good, being sanctified by the word of God and prayer; by the word, as it doth shew and warrant the right vse of it, so as it may be done in faith, and by prayer, as it is a meanes to deriue Gods blessing vponupon it, and to obtaine the assistance of his holy spirit, wherby we are inabled to vse it aright, and according to Gods will reuealed vntounto vsus. Secondly, we must not when we hauehave these things, sacrifice to our owne nets, as the Prophet speaketh; nor ascribeHabac. 1. 16. the praise either to our owne merits, or to our industry and labour; for this were to rob God of his roiall prerogatiue, and to take occasion by his gifts to dishonour the giuer; but acknowledging with al humility, that whatsoeuer we hauehave, we hauehave receiued it from the Lord of his meere bountie and goodnesse, we must returne vntounto him all praise and thanksgiuing, the which is that tribute & homage which our heauenly King requireth of them, who hold their possessions, by the tenure of his free merciemercy. And this is one of the conditions which the Apostle requireth to the making of the creature good to our vse; EueryEvery creature of God (saith he) is good, 1. Tim. 4. 4.if it be receiued with thankesgiuing. Finally, possessing these earthly blessings we are carefully to imploy and vse them, so as that they may serue for furtherances and helpes vntounto vsus, for the better performing of al Christian duties, that so therby God may be glorified, our neighbours edified, and our owne saluation furthered, and more and more assured vntounto vsus: and that we vsing our masters talents to the best aduantage, may, being found faithfull in little, be made rulers ouer much, and enter into our masters ioy.Mat. 25, 21.