The Preface. trahe, & fpiritui con fecra : Ex igne aliquid eripe, ac procul ì depafcente flamma reconde, á tyranno eripe,ac Domino committe = Daexiguum ei à quomul- tahabes : Da etiam omnia ei, qui omniadonavit: Nun - quamDei munificentiam vinces, etiamfi omnia tua bo -, na proijcias, etiamfi to etiam ipfum bonis tuis adj,ungas. Nain hoc quoque ipfumAccipere eft , nempe Deo do- nare ] faithGregory Nazianz. ubi fur. of any kindof covetoufoefs, there IS none more plaufibly- pretendedagainfl works of charity, then that of tome Nli- nifiers, that can(pare no money, becaufe their Libraries are yet unfurni(bed with many Books which they wouldfain have. Yet here we mull fee , that greater works be notfor this omitted. SaithSeneca ( de Tranquil.) Studiorum quoque quæ liberalifïima impenfa eft , tamdiurationem habebo, quamdiumodem. Qto mihi innumerabiles li- bros & bibliothecas, quorum Dominus vix,totavita fua indices perlegit r Onerat difcentem turba, non inftruit: multoque faitius eft paucis toauthoribus tradere, quam errare per multos. Studiofa hxc luxuria ; imo ne fludiofaquidem,quoniam non in ftudium, fed in fpedta- culum. Paretur librorumquantum fatis fit ; nihil ìn apparatum Vitiofum eft , ubique quod nimium. eft. ] Tea more , let me tell you all, andbefeechyou to confider it : It is your duty even to pirschyourfie(h, andfpare it fromyour backandbelly, that you may have wherewithall to do rood. Its no thanks to you to relieveothers out of that which youneednot your felves : and togive Gad that which your fefh can /pare. Such liberality may flandwith little Hering or felf- denyal ; and therefore will be but a poor proof ofyour grace. Had 1 ten thoufandpound a year, I Mouldthink it my duty for all that,topinchmy fe(h , that I might fpare as much of it as is pofzible for God. David (e 3.) would
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