th~refore be' not you carelefs cf them, for if you n~gle6t them you will be a means, ofcutting them off. Thus you fee the danger that the family of the Koathites were in ; they wt:re prefer'd . before others, but they were in more danger. So you tbink there are fu.ch men in apari!h that bear the !way, and are imployed in publick fervice, and they carry all before them ; bnt you confider not their danger, Anel fo the MiniOers, they fiand in the fore- front of all the fpight and malice of ungodly men : indeed God imploys them in honorable fervice, and that fervice that the Angels would take delight in;but tllough the fervice be honorable above the imployment of other works, yet the burden of danger Iikewife is greater than the danger of me11 that are in an inferior Ct~f!d.tion. Now·when the Soul co~es to get wifdome from Chrift to think of the danger that it . is in, then it vvill be content in that low efiate in which it is. A poor man that is in a low condition, tbinks, I am low, and others are raifed, but I know not Y'l hat their burdeu is : and fo, if he be rightly inftrutted in the School of Chrifi ht com(!s to be contented. ' · 3· In a pro{peroUJ eftate th(rt is the bHrd(n of D»ty. You look only at the fweet and comfort that they have, and the honot and refpett that they have that. are in a profperous condition ; but you muft confider of the duty that they owe to God : Gcd requires more duty at their bands than at yours; you are ready to be difcontentcd that you have notfucb parts and. abilities as fuch have, but God requires more duty of tnem that ha Ye more parts, God require{more duty uf them that have greater eltates than of you that have not fuch ellates, Oh 1 yot\ .would fain have the honor , but can you carry the burden _,of the Duty? ' 4• The laft is, The burden of Accoun-t in 4 ;rofpero~u efl~tu~ There is agreat accoun_tthat they. are to give to pod that enjoy great eftates and a:pr.ofperous condition: Now we are all fiewards; and. one is a $te~~Vard to a meaner man, perhaps an ordjnary Knight; another is a Steward to a Noble man, an Earl : EOW the Steward of t.he meaner man, he hath not fo much as the other bath }inder Ns hand ,. n.o.v !hall he be difcootented ~b~au£e' f..h~{it~omes .~otfo' hi,uch tinder bis · ~and as· under the 1 • ' .'.} ~'! · • · d otne1s? •. J /,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=