A choice Bed of Spices. 195 thily towards them. Pompey told his C(4-neli4, It is no praife to thee to have loved (Porspeiton illag-)4m) Pompey the Great, but if thou fovea (Tumpeigm miferum) Pompey the miferable, thou (halt be a pattern for imitation to all poflerity So I fay, it is no great matter to love thole that are lion and pi- ous, great and gracious, high and holy; hut to love the poor Saints of God in their loweft and molt milerable condition, when they have not a rag to cover them, nor a craft to re- frefh them, nor a fire to warm them, nor a friend to {land by them, nor a penny to help them ; this is praife- worthy, this fpeaks out much of God, of Chrif}, of grace within. Romanus the Martyr, who was born of noble Parentage in- treated his perfecutors, that they would not favour him for his Nobility ; For it is not (faid he) the blood of my &ace- ceftors, but my Chriflian faith that makes me Noble. 'Tis not race, nor place, but grace that makes a man truly noble ; without a peradventure, he that loves one Saint for the image of God that is upon him, he cannot but fall in love with every Saint that bears the lovely image of the Father upon him ; he cannot but love a Saint in rags as well as a Saint in robes,a Saint upon the dunghil as well as a Saint upon the throne ; ufually thole Chrillians that have kali., of the world, have moll of Chrifl ; commonly thofe Chriflians that have leaf} of the world, have mcft of heaven in their hearts, houfes and lives. But, Fourthly, Trile love to the Saints .vin extend to thole that are moil remote in refpea of place, as well as to thole that' 4 are near. They of Macedonia and zichaia made a contribution IC 'Id' for the poor Saints. at PrArfal on. The Saints of Macedonia 3 John. and Achai4 did freely and cheer fully contribute to the pour Saints at T.rafaletn, whofe faces probably they had never feen. And Gaits is commended for his love to ftrangers. A graci- . ous man that has an eflate, a trealary, an inheritance, he is like a common fountain that freely gives out to ftrangers as well as to near neighbors. A great fire Will warm thole Aat it far from it,as wel as thof&that fit neer unto it:Sofincere love will extend and ftretch Out it 'fell to thofe Saints that are moll remote ; graciOus fouls do 'clearly love and highly va- C c 2
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