- at the S P t T T L Jt, ;:;;,ulto •on(•ienti.e, in the ~id andJemtpartof ~he heart and m1[i:iena, for the pre- P.'a\. 7 .s. . fervation ofHis peace, wh1ch the worl~ can netther g1ve nor takeaway; to the end l'fal.u~ .. !~S; that none may offend, or beoffen~ed at 1t. This we learne. And Wit? th1s we.learne, all ofus, fo to conceive of, and to difpofe our [elves to fuch Meetmgs as th1s, as men that are to apptare inCorm, before rhe Lord, there to receive a Charge, whichwhen the Court is broken up, wee mull: thinke of how to difcharge. · In whichpoint, ~rear is the occa!ionofcomplaint, which we mufli take up. For; who is there, chat With that awe and reverence fl:andeth before the L o !l o, at His charge-giving, that hce receivetha •hargewith, at an earthly Barre ~ Or with that care remembreth the Lotto and His Charge, wherewith hee continually thinketh upontlieJudge and hischarge? Truly, the Lo R o's Commijl'ion is worthy to have as great reverence and regard attending on it, as the;hai'geofany Prince; truly, it is. Weigh with your felfe; is not Go o's •harge with as much heed and reverence to bereceived, as an earthly Itldges ? Ab{it ntfie (faith Saint Augujline) fed utinam vel Ji•: Go o forbid,but with more heed and reverence;.weii,I would it had fo much, in themeane time :And (which to oudhame we mufl: [peake) I would we could doe as much forrhe Bi'bleas for rheStatute-Booke.i; for heaven as forehe earth ; for the Im- ' mortall Go i>,as for amortall man. But whether we doe or no, yet asourS A v ro u R CH R r s T faid of Saint John Yaptif1, If yee t>Jill receive, thu is that Eliah Mltth.'ii ,i1i: • whi•h rMs tOCO!"e; fo fay I of this Precept, Ifyee will rel:eiveit, this u the Charge the - -.: L o a D bath laidon you. And this let me tdl you fanher; that it is fuch aCharge, as it concemeth yourpeA<e, theplentifull t<(e ofall your wealthand riches (in the [e4 condVer[e ofmy Text, Whichgiveth lU aU things to enjoy plmteuufly, &c.) Which may move you. Or, if that will not, let me adde this farther; le is [uch a charge, :is roucheth your eftate ineverlafling life, the very !aft words ofmy Te1<t. That is, the wellor evil hearing ofthisChArge,is as.much worth as your eternal!life is worth. llbnb:u? And therefore, He that hAth eAres tDhme, let htm heare. - ------4 It is achargethen, :md confequemlyto be difchargcd. To be difcharged~ i Where~ charge(faith he) the rich. He [peaketh td theRich : you know yourdwne T_~th< Ril_E names; you know belt,what thoferich menare. Shall I tell you ~ You are theri<h; he fpeaketh unto you. It is the fafhion and the fault of this world; to exercife thei~ amhoritie on them mofl:, that need itleaft : For, rich men, to fea!hhem thatlea!l: need it; for mightie men, to preferretliem thatlea!l: deferveir. It is an old Simile, we have oft heard it; that TheLawes are likeCob.Vebs: that they hold fall: the filly flies, but the great Hornets breake thorow them, as ofr as they lift. And as there are Cobweb-lawei', which exempt mightie men; So, the farqe Corruption, that was the qufe thereof, would alf<) make cobweb Divinitle. For, riotwirhftanding the CiJmmifion runneth exprefly to the Rich, charge, &c. Notwith!l:anding they be irt greaf · danger, and that of many[nares (as the Apof11e faith in this Chapter) and therefore Vcrf< ~; n~dit greatly : Yet (I _knownot~ow) it.corilestopaffe, whether, becaufethey · 'I th~ke themfelves too w1fe to rec~tve. a charge, any charge at all; or becaufe they thmke themfelves too good to rece1ve tt, at the.hands offuch meane men, as we be (and, ifthey mufl: needs be charged, they would be charged from the Councel(, from men more Noble and Honourable than themfelves) they would not glad!y heare ir, furely they would not; and becaufethey would not gladly heJre it, we arenot hafiie they !hould heare ir. And great reafon, why (as werhinke:) for, as iris true which isin ~h.e P[al.45 .r8. So fong M theydoeg9odto themfelves,men >vill(pe&kegoodofthem: So; 1t 1s true backward too; So long a&wefptaktwell ofthem, fpare them, call notori them, they wiO doegoodto iU. And otherwife, if we fpare them not,but profecutc our . charge, then commeth odi Mich£amjilileitJ Iiml£, I hateMicheathe fonne ofItmlah. 1 Reg.:H,~, And wh<;> wouldwillingly live in difgrace,and fufl:aine,I fay not the fie~ce wrath,but , the heav1elooke of a man in authoritie ~ That, makes this 0 ffice ofg1ving achargt, ,acold Office,and therefore to decay, and be lhunned of all hands: that; makes us, if ~ · Aaaaa $ JII.C : .. -
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