bee suffised in the needfull and fittest occasion or recompensed with what shal be better for vs. And when we haue canuased and studied all remember we that some corruption must fall out in these things to humble the flesh and cast vs vpon Christ our sufficient riches And that a good conscience as it shall guide vs through each particular occasion that wee make not ship-wrack thereof so it shall also abase vs in our greatest sincerity that though we know nothing by our selues yet herein wee may not be iustified but still labour to be found in Christ not hauing our owne righteousnesse and endeuour to be found of him in peace at his glorious appearance And if this shall not sufficiently satisfie thee in whatsoeuer scruples may fall out herein I aduise thee to coÌ„mend thee particular doubts in humble prayers vnto thy God who will fulfill the desires of them that feare him and satisfie thy carefull soule that waits vpon him And so I hartily coÌ„mend thee to the word of his grace whereby thou shalt be enformed sufficiently in whatsoeuer may hinder the pece of thy conscience and build it vp further in all wisedome and spirutuall vnderstanding that thou maiest be able to discerne of things that differ and so trying all things maiest hold that which is good and grow vp thereby in all power and conscience of sinceritie and righteousnesse that so thou mayest be perfect and intire wanting nothing vnto the full measure of the age of Iesus Christ In whom I rest thine and the Churches seruant Thomas Couper Coherence 2 Summe hereof 3 Parts of the Text. 1 Obseruation vnsatiable in earthly desires Eccles 1.9 Isa 5.8 Genes 4.14.15 To conince natures corruption and desperate estate Psa 50.19 Psa 41.1 Tit. 1.15.16 Ground of idolatry Meanes of Antichrists rising Ierem. 45.6 Coloss 3.1 Obseruation An vnsatiable minde lies open to Satans snares Psa 52. Matt. 19. Genes 3 4. Iob 2.11 2. Sam. 16. Directions how to vse bargaining Luk. 24. Act. 1. Luk. 17.3 Psa 37. Ierem. 12. Psa 73.22 Psa 73. Psa 119. Psa 73.17.18.19 Tim. 6. Ioh. 4.34 Math. 6.33 Luk. 16. 1 Tim. 6.18 Gal. 6.10 Directions in a meane estate Math. 21. Genes 32. Phil. 4.13 2. Cor. 12.8 Ordinary to exchange the soule for the world 2 Petr. 9. 1 Tim. 6. Psa 34.2 Esau Gen. 25. Luk. 16. Osea 12.8 Psa 17.14 Psa 7 3. Meanes and Markes of this Bargaine Chryso Iob 27. Iames 5.1 2. Psa 52.6 Psa 49.12 Rules of faith Psa 130.7 Ioh. 7· Iob. 21.15 Pretences to colour the Bargaine with their delusion and confusion That riches are the blessing of God how and to whom All haue them â—utwardly May be a meanes to exercise spirituall graces Iob. 1.9 Wicked how they haue them How they vseman Not the hauing but the right vse makes the Blessing How these prooue curses to the wicked 2. Colours of worldlings Danger of High Callings How to remedie this euill Nehe. 5.13 3. Colour pretence of doing good The snare herein Worldly charitie decyphered Remedy hereof Euill not to be done that good may come thereof Matt. 6.7 8. True charitie the Markes Discouerie of deceits flattering the hope of vndoing the Bargaine Obseruation 4 The iudgement of the bargaine no profite Reasons 1 Price too deere 2 No hope of recouery Because the soule thus lost cannot be recouered Answer to deceits It is not our owne how 1 Deceit hope of doing good with these things This reiected Deceit Hope of repentance This dilated 2 Reasons that the bargaine is naught but not performed Sathan will be sure of his how Psal 73.56 Satan performes not with vs. Obiect Answ Matth. 4.6 7. 2. We not capable of them 3. Satan would not performe if he could Vse hereof casting before hand How to preuent him 2. Cor. 6 7. 2. Chro. 20.37 Iudg. 1.24 Gen. 14.13.21 27.26.31.31.44 Tentering Pressing Keeping in of wares Genes 42. Changing of Callings Cappes Miniuer Hoods
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 vpon 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 vs that it is not the vse but the loue of money which is the roote of all euill and therfore because som not al do lust after thē they haue erred frō the faith so do pierce thēselues through with many sorrowes And therein also wisely discouering vnto vs two mayne principall causes of our endangering by these blessings and so by the contrary instructing vs 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 haue enough of happinesse as if such strong holds could neuer deceiue vs. 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 onely 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 vnto 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 giue 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 tēpest that our sins haue 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 vs of what glorious liberty wee haue 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 The Contents THe Coherence and sence of the wordes with the diuision thereof P. 1. Obser 1 2. The ground of the Bargaine Mans vnsatiable desire with the reasons and vse thereof how to preuent and remedy the same pag. 2.3.4 Vnsatiable desire make Way for subiectiō to Satan Reasons thereof Obser 2 With the vse 1. To iustifie God seeing our condemnation is of our selues p. 5. 2 Directions hoW to vse aboundance p. 11.12 3 How to preuent Satan herein p. 13. 4 How to behaue our selues in a meane estate ibid. 10. Obser 3 It is ordinary with Worldlings to trade with Satan for the world with the losse of their soules pag. 18. Reasons hereof pag. 19.20 Ground and manner of the Bargaine pag. 22. with the ends propounded thereof wherein worldlings are painted out in the
gathering vse of riches pag. 23.24 pag. 26. Vse hereof 1. For conuictioÌ„ of Worldlings p. 27. 2 For triall of our estates hereby pag. 28. 3 Vizars whereby this Bargaine is concealed pag. 31.32.33.34 1 That they are Gods blessings pag. 35. 2 That our Callings require them p. 34.35.36 3 Pretence of doing good hereby pag. 37. These discouered and reiected with the remedy against them pag. 38.39 Obser 4. It is an vnprofitable Bargaine to loose the soule for the world pag. 39. Reasons hereof 1. Because we pay too deere for them 2 Our losse is irrecouerable pag. 40.40.41 Vse diuers collusions detected which flatter vs in the goodnesse of the Bargaine pag. 41.42 3 Reason Satan performes not the Bargaine on his part though he will be sure of our payment pag. 43.44 1 Because he cannot performe what is not his to giue pag. 45. 2 Neither We are capable of what he promiseth 45. 3 Neither would he performe if he could p 45. Vse hereof 1. To forecast before hand pag. 46. 2 To preuent Satans treachery pag. 47 Conclusion to the Reader where these Cases are resolued pag. 51. 1 What vse of our ciuill callings and other accidents therto are allowed on the Lords day p. 52.53 2 Whether we may imploy more time exercise our thoughts more vpon worldly then heauenly things seeing we are allowed six dayes for our ciuill Callings and but one for our generall p. 56.57 3 Whether it be not lawfull to desire riches and aboundance pag. 61.62 4 Whether we may desire such meanes for the gathering of riches as mans law doth allow As 1 Vsury 63. 2 Monopolies and engrossing of wares 64· 3 Letters of â—arâ— 65. 4 Trading with Infidels and Idolaters 65. 5 Tentering pressing and such like pag. 66. 6 Keeping in of wares pag. 67 7 Changing of Callings pag. 68. 8 Whether one may haue diuers Callings 68. As the Minister may be also a Magistrate one trades-man may exercise diuers Ciuill Callings Whether a man may thriue with a good conscience 69 70· Math. 16.26 For What shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world and lose his owne soule IN these words the holy Ghost layeth downe a reason why we should not for the sauing of this present and momentany life decline afflictions namely because the sauing of life present in this regard is the next way to endanget the life eternall and if so then no profit will redound thereby no though we might liue to enioy the whole world For hauing in the 21 verse adioyned the doctrine of his particular suffering to the former doctrine of his Kingly office in gouerning and preseruing his Church that so the wise temper of these seeming contraries might confound carnall wisdome and exercise the faith of his disciples because the harsh newes of his suffering gaue occasion of offence to Peter as dreaming in his carnall reach of a temporall Kingdome he thereby takes occasion from the particular doctrine of his owne suffering to gather a generall conclusion That whosoeuer will be his disciple must also deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow him which bitter pill that it might be the better digested he wisely remoues the maine bar and hinderance of enduring afflictions namely the loue of life and that by a strange paradox to the confounding of reason triall of faith affirming that the sauing of life for a time by auoyding the Crosse was the next way to lose it eternally and so to encourage the rather to the vndergoing of afflictions he affirmeth contrarily that the enduring of afflictions for his sake though it were to the losse of life temporall was the meanes to procure the life eternall if not also for the preseruation of this present life Now because life were not desirable of the carnall man but for those pleasures and profits sake which the world supplies thereto for otherwise these fayling life is but a burden and death a most desired hauen therefore the spirit of God proceedeth in this verse to root out of our hearts this loue of the world and that by propounding the danger that accompanies the same namely that hereby the pretious soule is fearefully ensnared and endangered And concludes the folly of such a match when we pay so deere for worldly things namely that they profit nothing So that in these words we haue a discouery of an ordinary Bargaine vsually made by men of this world that as they conceiue to great aduantage namely that they be contented for gayning of the world to lose their soules Their soules is an ordinary price to compasse the pleasures and profits of the world In which Bargaine there are couched these particulars First the ground or occasion of the bargaine namely their greedy and vnsatiable desire of earthly things implyed in these words of extent Though he should gaine the whole world As if the holy Ghost had therein discouered that Roote of al mischiefe namely a couetous and vnreasonable desire to compasse all to be satisfied with nothing but the whole world Secondly we haue heere the driuing of the Bargaine namely this couetous desire is that which giues way to Satan to fetch ouer the soule Thirdly heere is the Bargaine it selfe namely that the soule is lost for the gaining of the world Lastly here is the Iudgement and censure of the bargaine namely that their is no profit in it Of these in their places And first of the ground or occasion of the bargaine This the holy Ghost discouers to be an vnsatiable desire of earthly things teaching vs thereby that naturally the minde of man as it is immortall and not to be fadomed so it is restles and neuer satisfied And therefore affecteth vnmeasurably the things of the world gladly would engrosse and appropriate all things to it selfe It cannot brooke a share in it happines it endures not to be stinted and measured therein So saith the spirit The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing and therefore much lesse the minde So is the practise hereof discouered They ioyne houses to houses and land to land till there be no place and the reason hereof is added that they may liue alone vpon the earth And the generall conditions of all estates discouers no lesse no man is contented with the place and calling wherein God hath placed him euery one aymes at the highest Reason 1 subiection is a burthen and disgrace Reason 2 and soueraignty tickles with the conceit of deity Reason 3 where the soule finds no rest in God how can it be but restles in hawking after shadows Reason 4 where pride is a chaine how can bondage or subiection be any whit brooked Reason 5 And seeing happines is conceited in these outward things if Caine be cast out of Gods presence he must eternize his name in building of Cities compassing the world Who would not enioy the most of all those things