chap. zz. An Expoftion upon the Book of J ó a. Vert. 7. 69 that capacity or ílate wherein they are, he makes the rich man and the poore man, that is he makes the one rich, and the other poore, he is the maker of them both and Solemon (I"conccive) puts that into (hew firft,that poor men fhould not envy the rich man, why ? for the Lord bath made him rich ; why fhould chine Eye beevill, becaufe the Lords Eye is good? And againe, that the rich man fhould not delpife the poore, or with -draw the bowels of his compaflion from them, the Lord could have made the poore too if he had pleafed, there- fore beCompaffionate towards them, for the Lord is the Ma- ker of you both. And this anfwers that objedion commonly given by fome, why, are not my goods my own, may I not doe with them as I pleafe ? I have not flolne them, I have wron- gedno man in the obtaining them ; it is well when men can fay thus, that they have done no wrong in getting riches : but this is no argument ( how juflly foever any man path got his Eftate) that he fhouldkeepe it all to himlelfe, and not give a portion to thofe that are in want. The rich man with, holds what is due to the poore, when he with-holds reliefe from them. It is true your Efface is your own, it is yours; no man can challenge or claime it from you ; I, but God can claime itfrorn you; you are poffeffors and mafters ofyour Eflate in reference unto men, but you are but Stewards and Servants of your E- flare in reference unto God. Now a Stewards bufineffe ( yes know ) is not only to receive and lay up the Eflate of his Lord orMatter, but 'cis his bufineffe allo to pay or lay out according as he receives command or order from his Lord ; thus it is i this Cafe ; Rich men are but Stewards to the Lord in reference to allthat they have Therefore as they receive from him, and partake of the fulneffe ofthe Earth which is his ( for the Earth is the Lords and the fullneffe thereof) fo they muff iffue it ac- cording to his order and command : Now he hash left a íland- ing order for all times, that the rich fhould difiribute to the neceffìties of the poore and hungry. Rich men mull not thinke themfelves Stewards only to receive in, but alto to pay out what their Lord calls for, and therefore as they would give a good account of their Stewardfhip at the great Audit day, let them take heedhow they with-hold breadfrom the hungry.î'might: Phew further, that the rich Ire not only obliged to give, or that
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