That riches aregoodto thofe whomake good vfe ofthem. 2 r r withChri(land his fpirituall and heavenly graces, are as the Phil.3.7.1. Apoflle reputeth them no better then dung, yet in regard of our wcakeneffe, and toomuch loue ofthefe earthly things, weare more incouragedwith them to do God ferulec then with better gifts,andour minds alreadie inclinable to good- neffe, being manured with this earthlydung, become more fruitfull inobedience:as the oldwilie Serpent cunninglyob- ferued;Path lob (faith he) ferue Godfor nought? hall thounot Iob made anhedgeabort him, andabout his houfe ? and about all he bath oneveryfide ? thouhall bleed theworkeofhis hands, and hisfubilance is increafedin the land: Seíi. . Andas they incourageGods feruants to doegood, fo are Arches are¡be they vnto them infiruments ofwell doing, and helpes and infnimrnts meanes, whereby they are the better enabled to accomplifhand measesof their godly and Chriflian defires. To which purpofe one sea doing. faith, that riches, paWerandfirength halting in themfeluet no ßafil.de Innid, truefelicitie, are theinfiruments ofvertue to thore that vfeH°tnil.ri. themwell, and therefore he isa wretchedman that abufeth them; l:la unto himwho taking into his bandafrword tofight aQatnit his enemies,doth turne thepointthereofagainil himfelfefor his ozonedeflrtrîíion. But efpecially weare hereby inabled to per- forme the workesofinercie and of Chriflian liberalitie in helping the difireffed and relieuing the poore: in which bountie and beneficence wee more refemble our Creator, then in almofi anyother verrue. And howfoeuer vertue and truegodlinefl'edoth not confiflchiefelyin the outward fait, neither are anyexcluded from it through the want ofexter- nall things ; for a man is to be cíleemedbountifull who bath abouutifuil heart, and is efleemed ofGod a liberali bene- faóuor to the poore,who bath a largemind anda readie hand to giue,though it be out offinallabilitie,as appeareth by the exampleofthepoore widow calling inhertwo mites, and in Chrifls promifeofreward tohim that Mould giuebut acup ofcoldwater toany ofhisdifciples:yet herein rich menhaue a priuiledge aboue others, in that they haue meanesto ex- preffeand thew their bountie,and to giuea vifble tefiimo- nie oftheirinuifible vertue, in aóìuall relieuing ofthe poore, whereby they outwardly receiuemuchgood, and the giuers P z inwardly
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