InflruEI:iOilf for the IJ{_ich. your lufis, and give him only fo much as your fle(b can fpare. It is not likely that the d - Gentleman, Luk,.e 16. was never ufed to give any thing to the poor: elfe what did bcgg amnet his doors for? When Chrift promifeth to reward men for acup of cold water, the meanin isars hue th:y would give better if,they had it. There are fe~ Rich men of all that go to Hell, tha~ we% ~n v01d of humane compaffi.on, or o£... the fenfe nf thetr own reputation, as to give nothing at a~ to the poor: But God will have aU; though not all for the poor, yet .u imployed "'he comma•d– etb; and will not be put off with your tythes or fcraps. HIS Stewards confefs that they have noth' of their own. ' mg Diret/. 7• · Dirt& 7· Let the ufc of your Rich<S in profperity Chew, that you do not dilfemble when promife to forfake all for Chrifl in tryal, rather than forfake him. You may know ,;hethtt you are true or falfe in your Covenant with Chri!t, and what you would do in a day of tryal by ..:hou YOL\ do in your daily courfe of life. How can that miln leave all at once for Chrilt rhat can at daily fcrve him with his riches, nor leave that little which God requireth, in the difcharge of ~~t duty in pious and charitable works? What is it to leave all for God, but to leave all rather than / 5 ·fin againfl God ? And will hj: do that, who daily finneth againfl God by omiilioo. of good work 0 becaufe he cannot leave fame part ? Study as faithful Stewards, to ferve God to the ucrnofi ')'it~ what you have now, and then you may expeet that his grace fi10uld enable you to leave all in try. al, and not prove withering hypocrites and apofi:ates ? Diretl. s. DirefJ. 8. Be not Rich to your [elv<S, or to your fltChly Wills and Lufis : but remember that the lukc 12.. :.J. Rich are bound to be fp~ritual, and wmortitie the flcfh, as well as the poor: Let lull fare never the Acts Jo.I,:.,J· berrer for all the fulne(s ofyour efiatc:s ! l'afi and humble your fouls never the lefs; Pleafe an inordi, nate appetite never the more in meat or drink ; Live never the more in unprofitable idlenefs. The Rich mufi labour as conflantly as the poor, though not in the fame kind of work. The Rich mufi livefoberly, temperately and heavenly, and mull asmuch m~rtifie all fleChly defires as the poor. You have the fame Law and Mafier, and have no more l1beny to mdulge your lufis, but if you live af. ter the fle(b, you Chall dye as well as any other. 0 the partiality of carnal minds ! They can fee the fault of a poor man that goeth fometime to an Ale-houfe, who perhaps drinketh water (or th;t which is next it) all the Week: when they never blame themfc1ves, who fcarcc mi($ a meal without Wine and firong drink, and.eating th~t whic? their.appetite defi.reth? They think it a crime in a poor man, to fpend but one day mmany, m fuch tdlend.S, as they thcmfelves fpend moft of their Jives in. Gentlemen think that their Riches allow them to live without any profitable labour, and to gratifie their fleCh, and fare delicioufiy every day: As if it were their priviledge to be fenfual, and to be damned? Rom. 8. 1, 5, 6, 7, S,p, 13. · Dirttl•$• Dire{]. 9• Nay, remember that you are called to far greater fdf.denyal, and fear, and watchfulnefs againfi fenfuality and wealthy vices than the. poor are. Mortification is as necefTary to your falvation as to theirs; but much more difficult. If you live after the fleCh you Chall dye as well as they : And how much flronger are your temptations ! Is not he eafilier drawn to gluttony or cxcefs in quality or quantity, who hath dail.y a Table of plenty and enticing delicious food be– fore him, than he that never fceth fuGh atemptation on'e in halfayear ? Is it not harder for him to deny his ·appetite, who hath the baits of pleafant meats and drinks daily fet upon his Table, than for him that is feldome in fight of them, and perhaps in no pollibility of procuring them, and therefore bath nothing to follicite his •ppetite or thoughts ? Doubt!d$ the Rich, if ever they will be faved, mull wareh more confiantly, and fct a more refoluteguard upon the flelh, and Jive more in fear of fenfuality than the poor, as they live in greater temptations and dangers? • tl · Diretl. 10. Know therefore particularly what are the Temptations of Projperity, that you may make DJre * IO• a particular profperous rdiftance. And they are efpeci~lly thefe: •· Pride; The fooliCh heart of man is apt to [well upon the accdlion of fo poor a matter as wealth: James r. r,2, and men think they arc got above their neighbours, and more honour and obeyfance is their dUe, if 3>1> S' 6 · they be but richer. , " Ezek. r 6 • 2· Fulnefs of bread; If they do not eat ~ill they are flck, thoy think the conllant and cofily plcaf. · ing of their appetite in meats and drinks is lawful. 3• Idlenefs : They think he is •ot bound to Labour that e>n live without it, and bath enough. 4 • 'lime-wafting /Ports and recreationr. They thmk thm Ihours may be devoted to the fleCh, when all their lives are devoted to it. They think their wealth alloweth thtm to play, and 'ourt, and cam· plementaway that pretious time, which no men have more need to redeem. They tell Gocl, that he bath given them more time than they have need of: And God will lhortly cut it otf, and tell them that they (ball have no more. Rom.r;. t 3 , .5• LHjl and wantonnefs: FHIHe[s and idlenefs, cheri(b both the cogitations and inclinations unto fil· - -- · 1 4 • thtnefs. They that hve mgluttony and drunktnnefi, are hke to ltve m chambermgand wantor.nrji. 6. Curiojity and wafiing their lives in amulcitude of little, ceremonious, unprofitable things, to the exclufion of the great bufineffcs of life. Well may we fay that mens own Lulls are their Jay!orS, and their fetters, when we fee to what awretched kind of life, a multitude of the Rich ( efpecially Ladies and Gentlewomen) do condemn them(elves. I Chould pity one in BrideweU that were but tyed foro fpend. their time: When they have poor, ignorant, proud, worldly, piev1fh, hypocritical, ungodly fouls to be healed, and a life of great and weighty bufinefs to do for eternity, they have_ fo many little things all day to .do, that leave them little time to cotwerfe wirh God or with theirConfcJ· cntes, or to do any thing that is really worth the living for : They have fo many fine clmthsand or· naments to get, and ufe ; and fo m;;myrooms to neatifie and adorn, and fo many fcrvants to talk wirh · that
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