Bcio k ll , ~Ut ~ttl) ~tbit5'. "Chap+~t:C:t .l7• g,~<l\y l'oor mull b~ neglected, contemned, deprdfed, and rt may be p~rfe;;;;tcd, [xcauf.: O• thelf outw.~rd defprcaokncfs ; to thrs fin arc they moH prone, that are great, and rich, anJ profrer m thr, world, what cJ<c they for the Image ot God fhiuing in mea 1 Cl ·_ flians? it thef be no• ot their ronk, they will fca>cr look on them·as men nu ;, le;':. godly, anrl as DJ••id calls th,m,'7'he cxccllwt of the ear<b. ' IC ' 1 -> SECT. XVII. Of our r.vrejili>tg; witl> Sat•11 i11 t!Jit rrJPcCI. I F this be ~ne of S1tans firatagems for the ~p-fetting and uphol~i11gof his own King• dome, then you "hom God hath bleffed wrth outward dlatcs, rt concerns you to ~m• your fdvLS againCt t!.i; temptation, and to wrdllc thus.-- '· _Own them that fear God, be they never fo poor : Are they not the Glory of Gnd t the Trealllre ot God) the PorttO•l of God) the pecuhar people of God ) and what ? arc you afimnLd of them who are g~acio.us, becaufe they are outwardly mean ? what rs thrs but to be afh1med of Chnll hnnfd f) He was peer in the world anJ he preached the Gofpcl to the QOOr , and he accounts of the poor as his Mem– bers, and at the hfl day he willacknowledge that what ·s done to the poor it is all , ene as if done to himfelf. 0 then be not afhamcd of them1 as you would ~ot have Chrifi to be afhamed of you at the lali day; men are willing enough to'own their .1 >trea{crre, I mufl tdl you , that the godly poor are the ( hmches treafure, and upon ' that account who would not own them) l remember when La>~mtce was to fuffer Martyrde>me , the Tyrant that perfecutcd him, underf!anding him to bea Deacon of tlu Church , and fo a di(lributer of the Churches riches, he promi!ed lo himfdf a doable prey, by the apprehcnlion of one lilly foul; thereLlpon he demand,d of Lawrence where was the fubllance of the Church? L•wrcncccraving three days refpite,he pomifcd to declare to him where the treafilfe might be had : Jn the mean time he cauli.d anumber of poor Chrifiians to be gathered together, when the<by of hb an!wcr was come the per!Ccutor firittly <;barged him to frand to his promite; thw vahJtlt Lawrcnc; firetching out his arms over the poor, faid, 1befe arc tbe preciout m.ljitre of tbe Clnetcb, theft arc tbe ireajiere indeed, i11 whom the tbe f•itb of Cbrifl rcig11ctb, in »!Jom Jrjiu Cbrijl hath bit JNJJnfim pl•cc: What moreprcciottJ ]e>vclt c•n C/nijl luvr, tfmt tboji m n·!Jom !J" batb promi{ed tu dwell! for fu it i-.i written, 1 was httttgry, aud ) 1 egave me tu cat, I W!lf thi>Jiy, and ye ga11.e me to drink._, &c. i!nd lr•ok.. wbat ye bJve done to one of tbefe, the fame ye h•ve time to me. Indeed, this anfwcr vexed rhe Tyrant, bL1t the poor Martyr Hoed to it, though he died for it amofi cruel death: 0 do ye own them who arc godly poor! , now for {hame be not you afhamed of them, 2. Clofc with them, vouchfafe to be much in their focicty : this was the Apofiles rule, Mind 1101 high thingt, but candcfeend to men of l01v ejlate. 'jcromc in his Ep1Hle to llom 12 · 16 · ·pam:zcbittJ, bad him to eqttal himfe/f n>itb the poor, and now aud thm togo into the Celit cf the uccdy. I cw eaGly obf-rve how the rich affociate thcmkl•cs with tho rich, and many times with the poor or intetiour forts of men , but they arc with the rnofi vile, propln ne , and debauched, of all the poor m the country. In the mean time, the godly poor are £\rangers to them, and ltrangethey mu[\ be, unkfs they will . drink, [wear, raml>lc , and applaud them for their kindncfs and hofpitality to all the rabble wi:h whom they converfe and Jive. Alas 1 this is not the ltfe of Chritlians, but of Heathens. I 01all never forget the common faying of a grave , ancient and !M. H;,of v. godly divine in this country, who is now with God, A leg of aLark..(faid he) it more worth thenthewiNieb,dy of a Kite. One poorfoul,bertnevcrfopoor, tf 1t havebut tl1c ·breathing of Gods ~pirit in it, he is of more value then a village, or a whole Town full of wicked, dcboill, atheifitcal boon compamons, as we ufirally call them : Gods people ( whether poor or no) are the glory of the world, yea the glory of God Ffa!. 119 ,, 19 , hirn!d f; but as for others, God [peaks of rhemasdrrtanddroCS.: 1ho~< pmtej!aw.ry all the wicf<$d of the earth lik$ drofi. Gods people are u!ually 10 Scnptnrc called hts P?'· non, 1be L>Jrdr portion it hit people, Deut. 3 2· 9• his pleafimt ~ortiou~ 1heybav~ made my plcafant portion a defrJate wildernefi, Jer. 1 2· to. hiS· trcalurc , ht> pecultar treafurc, [e jh;ll be a peculiJr trea{urc 10 me aliove all people, fur alttiN em·tb H rnme, Exad. 19·S· H~> .slory, rho Crown of his glory, '[lmtj/JaltalfobeaCrownofJlleryinthebandoj the Lmt , and a r•y•l Diadem in the ~and cf thy Gad, Ifai. 62. 3. wfiat IS 1tthus? are poor SJmts
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