Eighteen Choice and Useful Sermons, Sermon 4
The Fourth SERMON.
MATH. 16.26.
For what is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole world, and loſe his own Soul?
HEre is mention in my text of gaining and loſing, and a compariſon between them: gaining the World, the whole world, a great gaine; loſing the Soul, a mans own ſoul, a farre greater loſſe: For our Saviour, comparing them both together ſhewes that howſoever the gaine be great, yet the loſſe is greater; and that he that ſhould purchaſe the whole World with the loſſe of his own ſoul, he ſhould not gaine ſo much on the one ſide, as he ſhould loſe on the other; For what (ſaith he) is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole World and loſe his own ſoul?
Firſt therefore, I will ſhew you what this gaine is. Secondly, what this loſſe is. And then having compared them both together, I will come to ſome Uſe to be made of it.
Firſt then for the gaine, The very name of gaine, like a ſweet perfume, is pleaſing to every man. Lucri bonus eſt odor ex…re qualibet, and though many are much affected with pleaſure and delight; yet the h…oſt are moſt affected with gaine and profit. What makes the Husbandman, to toile all his life-time but hope of gaine? What makes the Merchant to venture his life and his whole Eſtate, but hope of gain…? This is that which the moſt ſo affect, that they can never find any arietie in it; but the more they have the more they deſire, and the greater the gaine the more it affects them. But here you ſee is the gaining of the whole World, a whole world of gaine; that if a man will part with his ſoul for any thing, he can hardly part with it upon a better bargaine.
If it were but for the gaining of one Kingdom in the world, what would a man hazard and venture for it?Judges 9.5. Rather then Abimilech will not raign over Iſrael, he will put ſeventy of his Brethren to death together. Rather then Herod will ſtand in fear of loſing his Kingdom,Mat. 2.16. Macrob. Satur. lib. 2. cap. 4.2. Sam. 15.10. thouſands of innocents ſhall loſe their lives, though his own ſon be one of them. Rather then Abſalon will not raigne, he will riſe up in Armes againſt his own Father, and ſeek to deprive him of life and Kingdom. And rather then Nero ſhall not raigne, his own Mother will be content to be murdered by him; Oc…idat modò imperet, Let him kill me, ſaith his Mother, ſo he may get the Empire.
A Kingdom can hardly be valued at too high a rate. For if we conſider the ſtate of a King, there is ſcarce any thing that may ſeem to make a man happy, that can be wanting unto him. His word, for the moſt part, is a ſufficient warrant for the effecting of his pleaſure, and his intreatie a moſt forcible kind of command for the obtaining of his deſire: ſo that if he would have any thing, he may have what he likes, and no man deny him; if he would do any thing, he may do what he pleaſe, and no man oppoſe him.
If therefore a King be ſo mighty, how mighty ſhould the Monarch of the World be? If he hath ſuch command that hath but a Kingdom, What command ſhould he have, that ſhould have the whole World under his Dominion?
If King Aſsnerus his Dominions were ſo large, that he raigned over an hundred and ſeven Provinces;Heſter 1.1. if his magnificence and bounty were ſuch, that he made a feaſt royall for all his Princes and Servants, which continued for an hundred and foureſcore daies: If King Salomons yearely revenues were ſo great, that he had ſix hundred threeſcore and ſix talents of Gold,Eſter 1.4. 1 Kings 10.14. and Silver as plentifull as ſtones in the ſtreet: If King Xerxes his power was ſo unreſiſtable, that Rivers and Mountaines could not ſtand before him,2 Chro. 1.15. but he was able to turn and overturne them at his pleaſure; then what might not he do that were Monarch of the World, and had all Kingdoms and Nations to do him ſervice?
A King, howſoever his power be great, yet he hath his equals in other Countries; and though his command reach very far, yet it reacheth no farther then his own Dominions: But he that were Monarch of the whole World; command where he would and he ſhould be obeyed; for all the Princes of the earth ſhould be his Subjects.
A King, though he may have whatſoever his Kingdom affords; yet every Kingdom affords not every thing, and thoſe things do commonly moſt affect us, which other Countries do yield and are not to-be had in our own: But he that were Monarch of the whole World, whatſoever any Kingdom in the World could afford, he ſhould be ſure to have it, and happy were he that ſhould firſt preſent it.
A King, though he may greatly advance his favorites; yet he hath but one Kingdom for himſelf and them, and if with Herod he ſhould promiſe unto one the half of his Kingdom,Mark 6.23. and after promiſe as much to another, were he taken at his word he might leave himſelf nothing: But he that were Monarch of the whole World, he ſhould have ſeverall Kingdoms for his ſeverall favorites'; and yet leave himſelf more when he had inriched them all, then ever Alexander had after all his conqueſts.
It is ſaid of Cyrus, that to perſwade the Lacedemonians to follow him in the warres, he made them this promiſe; They, ſaith Cyrus, Plutarch. in Reg. Apophtheg.that will be my followers, if they be Footmen I will give them Horſes, if they be Horſe men, I wil give them Chariots; if they have houſes and tennements of their own, I will give them Villages; and if they have Villages, I will make them Lords of Townes and Cities. This was a great advancement of his followers: But he that were Monarch of the whole World, where King Cyrus left there might he begin, They who were his favourites and Lords of Towns, he might make them Princes, and give them Kingdoms; if they were Kings he might make them Emperours; and if this were not enough he might double their Dominions. For a Kingdom in compariſon of the whole World, is no more then a town in compariſon of a Kingdom; then what would not a man do for ſo great a gaine?
And therefore the Devill, when he tempted our Saviour in the fourth of Matthew, knowing that there is not any more forcible argument, to perſwade a man to any thing then the gaining of the World, like a cunning Orator, he reſerved this temptation for the laſt of all, and when he had ſhewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them, and had given him his promiſe,Mat. 4.9. That he would give him all if he would fall down and worſhip him, and ſaw that all this would not prevaile with him, it was high time for him to be gon, he thought it to no purpoſe to tempt him any longer, and ſo preſently left him. For he that will not ſtoop to ſo faire a lure, he that will not be moved with ſo great a gain, he will be moved with nothing.
But now howſoever this gain be great, yet withall it hath divers inconveniences, which do leſſen and diminiſh the value of it, And therefore as he that would purchaſe a houſe, he will not only know what commodities it hath, but he will likewiſe be informed of the inconveniences of it. So having heard of the profits and pleaſures and preferments of the world, we are further to enquire of the diſcommodities of it. And they eſpecially are theſe three.
Firſt, That whatſoever the world can afford us, yet it is but ſhort and of ſmall continuance. For were a man Monarch of the whole World, and had he all that his heart could deſire, yet when he dieth, he muſt leave all that he hath, and all that he hath can neither deferre the comming of death, nor make him ſecure that he ſhall enjoy them an hour: and as he brought nothing with him when he came into the world, ſo he muſt leave all behind him when he leaves the world.Fulgoſ. lib. 7. cap: 2| And therefore Saladine a great and victorious Prince in his dayes, he gave command when he lay upon his death-bed, that at his Funerall his winding-ſheet ſhould be carried on a ſpear before him with this proclamation, That of all the victories which Saladine had gotten, this windingſheet was even all that he carried him. For when a man dies he muſt leave all; and though he have never ſo much, yet he may die before the day ends. So that this is one great inconvenience of the world, that whatſoever the world can afford us, yet it is but momentary and of ſhort continuance.
Secondly, The pleaſures, profits and preferments of the world, are not only ſhort, but even for the time that a man enjoyes them, they can never afford him any true contentment. Therefore we ſee, that they who have much do ſtill deſire more, and though they have never ſo much more then they need; yet they are not ſatisfied with it.Plutarch in vita Pyrrhi. Plutarch writes of Pyrrhus the King of Epyrus, that when he prepared to make warre upon the Romans, Cyneas asked him this queſtion, what he meant to do if he overcame them? The King made anſwer, that then he would leavy a greater Army, and ſubdue Sicily. He asked him again, what he would do if that he vanquiſht them? the King anſwered, that then he would go into Africa, and bring all Africa under his dominion. But (ſaith Cyneas) if you ſubdue all Africa, what then will you do? why then, ſaith the King, we will live merrily together, and ſpend the reſt of our dayes in delight and pleaſure. Alas (ſaith Cyneas) if that be all, what need all this labour? you have a Kingdom already, & you may live as contentedly with that which you have, as if you had more. Cui quod ſatis eſt non ſufficit, nihil ſufficit. He that is not content with that which is ſufficient, will never be content though he have more then ſufficient. So that this is another inconvenience of the world, that the pleaſures, profits and preferments thereof, can never afford any true contentment.
A third and laſt inconvenience is this, which indeed is the greateſt of all the reſt, that the more a man loves and affects the world, the leſſe he is affected with the love of God. Therefore our Saviour, to ſhew that the love of God and the love of the world cannot ſtand together, but that he that doth cleave to the one, muſt of neceſſity leave the other, he makes a flat oppoſition between them. Ye cannot (ſaith he) ſerve both God and Mammon. We read of Thomas Aquinas the School-man, that when he came upon a time to Pope Innocentius the third of that name, the Pope had then great ſtore of ſilver and gold lying before him; you ſee, ſaith the Pope to Thomas Aquinas, I cannot ſay, as ſometime my Predeceſſour Saint Peter ſaid, Argentum & aurum non habeo, Acts 3.6.Silver and gold have I none. True holy Father, anſwer'd Aquinas, but therefore you cannot adde as he did, Surge & ambula, Ariſe and walk: To note unto him, that the more he was carefull for the goods of the world, the leſſe able he was to perforn ſuch good works, as the Apoſtles did. For the love of the world, and the love of God, as I ſaid before, cannot ſtand together. We ſee then, what it is to gain the world, and withall, the diſcommodities and inconveniences of it.
Now again, though it be great, yet it may too dearly be bought, as when Gehazi gained two talents of ſilver, but a leproſie withall.2 King. 5. If a man ſhould angle with a golden hook, all the fiſh which he took would not make him amends for the loſſe of it: and it is not wiſdome to venture any thing where a man may loſe more then he can gain by the bargain. For gain is not ſo welcome and acceptable to any man, as loſſe is grievous, eſpecially where the gain will not countervail the loſſe. But here indeed is a very great gain, the gaining of the world, but withall a loſſe that is far greater, the loſſe of all loſſes, the loſſe of the ſoul. Let us ſee therefore now what this loſſe is.
The ſoule, as the more excellent part of man, is put here by a figure for the whole man, the ſoule for both body and ſoule together. And therefore that which is here called by Saint Matthew, the loſing of the ſoul, is called by Saint Luke in his 9th. Chapter, the loſing of a mans ſelfe,Luke 9.25. What (ſaith he) is a man advantaged, if he gain the Whole world, and loſe himſelfe? So that the loſing of the ſoul, is the loſing of a mans ſelfe both body and ſoule. The greatneſſe of which loſſe will the better appear, if we take a view of a double miſery which the ſoul which is loſt is to undergo: the one in regard of the felicity it loſes, the joyes of heaven, the other in regard of the torments if ſuſters, the pains of hell; both implied in thoſe words of our Saviour, Depart from me ye c…rſed into everlaſting ſire.
For the firſt, The ſoul which is loſt, is for ever baniſht from the ſight of God, and therefore being baniſht from his ſight and preſence, is withall excluded from all joy and happineſſe. For the ſight of God, as the Scripture tels us, is that which hereafter ſhall make us bleſſed.Mat. 5.8. Bleſſed, ſaith our Saviour, Mat. 5. are the pure in heart, and he gives this reaſon, for they ſhall ſee God. So that the ſight of God ſhall make us bleſſed. When Saint Peter ſaw our Saviour transfigured on the Mount with Moſes and Elias, he was ſo affected with the ſight, that he cried out to our Saviour, Maſter, it is good for us to be here, if thou wilt (ſaith he) let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moſes, and one for Elias. If he were ſo affected with the glorious preſence of Moſes and Elias, how ſhall they be affected, that ſhall for ever enjoy the glorious company of all the Patriarchs. Prophets and Apoſtles, of all the bleſſed Saints and Angels, nay of God himſelf, where they ſhal ſee him even as he is, and face to face, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks.Pſal. 16.11. In thy preſence (ſaith David) is fulneſſe of joyes, ſuch fulneſſe of joyes, that if all the hearts in the world were one, yet it could not contain them, they cannot poſſibly enter into man, but he that is to be made partaker thereof, muſt enter into them, Enter (ſaith our Saviour) into thy Maſters joy; Mat. 25.23. Chryſeſt. de Repar 1 lapſ.ſuch fulneſſe of joy, that as Chryſoſtom ſaith, If a man were to endure all the miſeries of this life, and to ſuffer the torments of hell for a time, yet he might well be content to indure them all for the joyes of Heaven. St. Auguſtine ſaith more, That if a man were to injoy all the pleaſures of this life,Auguſt. lib. de morib. and that for innumerable years together; yet he might well be content to contemn them all for the joyes of Heaven, though he were to enjoy them but for one day and no longer. For one day in thy Courts, ſaith the Prophet David, Pſal. 84.10.is better then a thouſand: If one day there, be better then a thouſand here, how happy are they that ſhall injoy this happineſs, even for ever and ever: For there God will (as it were) ſhare himſelf and all that he hath among his Saints, there he will make them all Kings and Princes, and will give them, ſaith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 5.4.a Crown of glory which ſhall never decay. There the Lord of Hoſts, ſaith Eſay, will make them a Feaſt,Eſay. 25.6. Convivium pinguium et vini defoecati, a feaſt of fat things and the pureſt wines: there they ſhall be filled, ſaith David, with the fatneſs of thy Houſe, and thou ſhalt give them to drink out of the Rivers of thy pleaſures. Thus God, to ſet as it were our teeth an edge with the joyes of heaven, hath given us in his word a taſte thereof beforehand, but with this reſervation, that the eye hath not ſeen, the care hath not heard, 1 Cor. 2.9.neither hath it entred into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for them that love him.
Therefore David cries out with admiration,Pſal. 31.19. ó quàm magna eſt bonitas, &c. O how great is thy goodneſſe which thou haſt laid up for them that feare thee! how great, ſaith he, is thy goodneſs! he knew it was great, but how great he knew not. And therefore St. Paul, calls it the glory that ſhall be revealed: it ſhal be revealed,Rom. 8.18. but as yet it is not. For we ſhal not know it, until we injoy it, & when we enjoy it, we ſhal find it far greater then ever we expected. That as the Queen of Sheba, when ſhe had ſeen the wiſdom and glory of Solomon, ſhe confeſt that ſhe believed not the report thereof untill ſhe had ſeen it; and when ſhe had ſeen it,1 Kings 10.7. that ſhe found that the half had not been reported. So then we ſhall ſay, many excellent things have been ſpoken of thee, thou City of God, which at firſt when we heard, the report was ſo great that we could hardly believe it; but now we ſee that we heard not then of the half of thy glory, and though the happineſs which we expected was very great, yet we find it far greater then ever we expected. Now the more unſpeakable this happineſs is, and the greater theſe joyes, the more miſerable is the ſoule that may not injoy them, and the more intolerably is the loſſe of the ſoule that is baniſht from them. When Abſolon was baniſhed from the Kings Court, and might not be admitted into the preſence of David, it was ſuch a vexation and torment unto him, that he wiſhed rather to die if he had deſerved it, then to live as he did for a time in baniſhment.2 Sam. 14.32. Then how wretched and miſerable is their condition, that ſhall for ever be baniſhed from the preſence of God and the joyes of Heaven? And yet this is not all, for though the loſſe of their joyes were miſery enough, though there were no more, yet that which remaines is farre more intolerable. For they ſhall not onelyonly loſe all theſe joyes; but withall, they ſhall ſuffer extream torments. The torments they ſhall ſuffer is Hell-fire, the manner, in every part and Member, and the time or continuance even for ever and ever. The fire which we have ye know, is ſo terrible, that a man would not for any thing hold his arme therein, but for the ſpace of an houre. If therefore the fire which we have here be ſo terrible, which God hath ordained for mans uſe and comfort; how terrible is that fire, which God hath onelyonly prepared for a torment. Here whatſoever a man ſuffers, yet he is not tormented in every Member, but ſome ſuffer in one part, and ſome in another; but there every part ſhall be tormented and all together. Here whatſoever a man ſuffers, yet it continues not long, and the paine, the more violent it is, the leſſe it continues, but there though the paines be never ſo intolerable, yet they muſt ſuffer them for ever. If it were but for ſo many thouſands of years, as there were ſeverall houres from the Creation of the world to the day of judgement, yet they might comfort themſelves in this, that there would come a time when their torments ſhould ceaſe; but what comfort can they have, when they conſider with themſelves, that when they have continued never ſo long therein, yet ſtill they are as farre from the end thereof, as they were at the beginning.
But here by the way, two queſtions may be propounded.
Firſt. How it is poſſible, that the bodies of the wicked ſhould continue for ever in Hell-fire, and not be conſumed?
And Secondly, how it can ſtand with the juſtice of God, to puniſh the temporall ſinnes of men with eternall puniſhment?
For the firſt we ſee, that the fire which we have, will conſume and burn to nothing in a very ſhort time, even thoſe things which are more durable then our bodies are: and therefore how ſhould the bodies of the wicked lie burning for ever in Hell-fire, and not be conſumed. But if we conſider Gods infinit power, we need not to make any doubt hereof, becauſe he that hath ſaid it, is able to perform it. For God that was able to bring this to paſſe for the Children of Iſrael, that their Cloathes waxt not old,Deut. 20.5. nor their ſhoes wore out, while they lived in the deſert forty years together. God that was able to preſerve the three Children in the fiery Furnace,Dan. 3.27. ſo that the fire had no power to hurt their bodies: and God that was able to preſerve the Buſh in the third of Exodus, that though the fire did burn it, yet it did not conſume it: he is able like wiſe to bring this to paſſe; that the bodies of the wicked, though they lie burning for ever in Hell-fire, yet they ſhall never be conſumed.
But the ſecond queſtion is ſomewhat more difficult, how it can ſtand with the juſtice of God, to puniſh the temporall ſinnes of men with eternall puniſhment? For the puniſhment muſt not exceed the fault, it being againſt the rule of juſtice, to inflict any puniſhment that is greater then the offence.
And therefore we ſee, Revel. 18.Revel. 18.7. That God did proportion the puniſhment of Babylon to the meaſure of her ſinne, how much ſhe hath exalted her ſelf and lived deliciouſly, give her, ſaith God, ſo much torment and ſorrow. But the pleaſure of ſinne,Heb. 11.25. as the Apoſtle tells us Hebrewes 11. is but for a ſeaſon; and therefore ſeeing the ſinnes of the wicked are but temporall, how can it ſtand with the juſtice of God, that their puniſhment is eternall?
Firſt, Therefore we are to know, that ſinne, though it be committed, and paſt in a moment, yet as it is a treſpaſſe againſt God that is infinite, ſo it deſerves an infinite puniſhment. Tanto majus eſt peccatum, quanto major in quem peccatur. Every ſinne is by ſo much the greater, and ſo deſerves the greater puniſhment, as the perſon is the greater againſt whom it is committed.
If a man ſhould diſhonour and revile his Father, he deſerves ye know, a farre greater puniſhment, then he that ſhould diſhonour and revile his Neighbour. If a man ſhould ſtrike a publick Magiſtrate, he deſerves a greater puniſhment to be inflicted upon him, then he ſhould, if he ſtruck but a private perſon; but every ſinne is committed againſt God, and therefore deſerves eternall puniſhment.
Secondly, Though the wicked do but ſinne for a time, yet they have a perpetuall deſire to ſinne, and ſhould they live never ſo long in this World, they would continue in ſinne, For like as Gameſters, that delight in nothing ſo much as in gaming, they will uſually play as long as they can ſee, and ſtill have a deſire to play longer, but that the night comes upon them and compells them to give over: So it is with ſinners, they take their pleaſure and delight in their ſinnes, through the whole courſe of their life, and ſo would continually go on in their ſinnes, but that they are prevented and cut oft by death. Voluiſſent (ſaith Gregory) ſine fine vivere, ut ſine fine poſsent in iniquitatibus permanere. they would have lived in this World for ever, that they might have continued in their ſinnes for ever; and therefore as they would have continually ſinned, ſo they juſtly deſerve to be eternally puniſhed. And thus we have heard What it is to loſe the ſoule, and the miſery which the ſoule which is loſt is to undergoe, both in regard of the felicity it ſhall loſe, and the torments it ſhall ſuffer.
What compariſon is there then, between the gaining of the World, and the loſing of the ſoule? the gaining of the World with ſome temporall pleaſures, and the loſing of the ſoule with eternall happineſs? the gaining of the World, whereby we are freed from ſome worldly miſeries, and the loſing of the ſoule, whereby we are ſubject to everlaſting torments? the gaining of the World, whereby for a time we may advance our friends, and the loſing of the ſoule, whereby for ever we undo our ſelves? All other loſſes whether of body or goods a man may well bear, but the loſſe of the ſoule, of all other loſſes is the moſt intolerable: whatſoever a man loſeth beſides his ſoule, yet he loſeth that which was given him but for a time, and which at one time or other he muſt have forgone; but loſing his ſoule, he loſeth that which he might have kept for ever. Whatſoever a man loſeth beſides his ſoule, yet he may recover it again If he loſe his Children as Job did,Job 1.19. yet he may have more: if he loſe his friends as David did, yet he may find better:Dan. 4.31. if he loſe his Kingdom as Nebuchadnezer did, yet he may recover it again or get another; but loſing his ſoule, he loſeth that which he can never recover. Whatſoever a man loſeth beſides his ſoule, yet he hath ſomething left him. If he loſe his goods, yet he may have a good name; if he loſe his good name, yet he may have his liberty; if he loſe his liberty, yet his life may be left him; and if he loſe his life, yet his ſoule is remaining; but loſing his ſoule, he hath no more to loſe, but loſeth all at once; his life, liberty, goods, good-name, even all that he hath, and his ſoule beſides.
Xxres having eſcaped a dangerous tempeſt,Sabellic. lib. 2. but yet with the loſſe of divers of his Nobles, to reward the Governour of the ſhip for it, he ſet upon his head a Crown of gold; but withall,Ennead. 3. becauſe he had not ſaved his Nobility, likewiſe he cauſed him to be beheaded. So he gave him that which he could take away from him but he took away that which he could not give him; making him to loſe not onelyonly his reward, but his life to boote. Now who would have a Crown upon the like condition? If the Devill ſhould offer as he did to our Saviour, the whole World unto any man, and ſhould ſay unto him, All this will I give thee if thou wilt die preſently: there is no man in the World would accept of his offer, for he ſhould be ſo farre from gaining by the bargain, that he ſhould loſe all he had, and his life together. If this therefore be ſo hard an exchange, then what is theirs, who for the gaining of the World do part with their ſoules?Job. 2.4. The Father of lies ſaid true in this, skin for skin, and all that a man hath he will give for his life; but yet life and all he may well give for his ſoule, for he may loſe his life and not loſe his ſoule; but loſing his ſoule he loſeth life and all.Jonah. 1.5. We ſee that Seamen will caſt away their goods into the Sea to ſave their lives, as the Mariners did, in the firſt of Jonas. We ſee in the Goſpel, that the woman that was diſeaſed with an iſſue of blood, ſhe valued her bodily health at ſo high a rate, that ſhe ſpent all her ſubſtance upon the Phyſitians to be cured of her diſeaſe. And we ſee in the old Law, that every part and Member of our bodies, was valued by God at ſo high a rate,Exod. 21.24. that he that ſhould put out another mans eye, or but ſtrike out his tooth, he was to be puniſhed with the loſſe of his own, and might not be excuſed with any other ſatisfaction: if a man had taken away another mans goods, yet he was bound with his goods to make him amends; but in this caſe his goods would not ſerve the turne, but an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and no other ſatisfaction. If therefore our bodies be ſo dear and precious, that every part and Member thereof, is more to be valued then our Worldly goods, then what gaine is ſufficient to make any recompence for the loſſe of our ſoules?
We have heard then briefly, both what it is to gain the Would, and to loſe the ſoule; and that the gain of the one cannot countervaile the loſſe of the other.
Vſe. The uſe that we may make hereof is this, that therefore we affect not this World ſo much, as that thereby we hazard and indanger our ſoules.
If a man have a Jewell of any great value, which he is to carry through any dangerous place, he will look carefully to it, and he will take no delight to converſe with thoſe by whoſe meanes he may loſe it.
Now our ſoules as we have heard, are of an invaluable price; the riches, pleaſures, and preferments of the World, are as ſo many ſnares to intrap our ſoules. So ſaith the Apoſtle. They that will be rich, 1 Tim. 6.9.fall into divers temptations and ſnares: and into many fooliſh and hurtfull luſts, which drown men in perdition and deſtruction. And therefore if we regard the ſafety of our ſoules, we muſt beware that we be not inſnared with the love of theſe.
FINIS.